The Best Lasagna Ever

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

This lasagna is The Best Lasagna Ever. The meat sauce is thick, not saucy and runny. It's easy to cut and serve. Each piece holds its shape and stands tall on the plate. There is nothing fancy or upscale about this lasagna. This is just a traditional lasagna recipe, but I love EVERYTHING about this lasagna. Even the cottage cheese layers.

1-1/2 pounds ground turkey

1 pound turkey or chicken sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
Half of a medium-size onion, finely chopped (133g)
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced (11g)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon salt (5g)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon organic natural cane sugar (9g)
One 28-ounce can unsalted whole and peeled plum tomatoes, hand-crushed
Two 6-ounce cans tomato paste
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3 cups small curd cottage cheese (680g)

2 large eggs, beaten (104g)
1/2 cup finely grated (not shredded) Parmesan cheese (57g)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons basil pesto sauce (20g)
1 teaspoon salt (5g)

1 pound shredded Mozzarella cheese
1-1/4 boxes (13.25-ounce) Barilla brand 100% whole-grain lasagne, about 19 noodles

Meat Sauce
Heat a large deep skillet or large stock pot over high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and swirl pan to coat the bottom. Add the ground turkey and sausages. Continue to cook the ground turkey and sausages over high to medium-high heat (high to 7.0 on induction), stirring frequently and breaking up meat ( I like to use a bench scraper to break up the meat and scrape off the brown bits from bottom of the pan). When meat is browned, transfer the meat to a colander and set aside.

Using the same pan, add more olive oil. Add the onions and saute onions over medium high heat (8.0 to 7.0 on induction) until soft and starting to turn brown. Add the garlic, the 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, Italian seasoning, fennel, salt, pepper and sugar. Continue to saute until garlic is fragrant. Add the meat back into the pan and continue to cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce. When mixture becomes bubbly, reduce heat to medium-low (4.0 to 2.4 on induction) to simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Cottage Cheese Mixture
In a medium-size bowl, mix the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese, the 2 tablespoons parsley, pesto and salt with a fork until well combined. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

Lasagna Noodles
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and continue to cook, uncover, for 7 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse in cold water. Drain well and set aside until needed.

Assembling the Lasagna
Spray a large baking pan (Le Creuset 5-1/2 quart size, about 15-3/4-inch by 10-3/4-inch by 2-2/3-inch), with nonstick cooking spray. This is the OCD in me: I like to use a kitchen shear to cut a few noodles to size to cover all spaces. 1st layer: Arrange lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the baking pan (about 3-1/2 noodles). Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce (730g) and top with 1/5 of the mozzarella cheese (90g). 2nd layer: Arrange lasagna noodles (about 3-1/2 noodles) to cover the meat sauce layer. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture (427g) and top with 1/5 of the mozzarella cheese (90g). 3rd layer: Arrange lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles) to cover the cottage cheese layer. Spread another 1/3 of the meat sauce (730g) and top with 1/5 of the mozzarella cheese (90g). 4th layer: Arrange lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles) to cover the meat sauce layer. Spread the remainder of the cottage cheese mixture and top with 1/5 of the mozzarella cheese (90g). 5th layer: Arrange lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles) to cover the cottage cheese layer. Spread remainder of the meat sauce and top with remainder of the mozzarella cheese. Either proceed with baking or cover the lasagna with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to two days.

Baking the Lasagna
Preheat oven at 350 degrees and position oven rack to the center of the oven.

If baking the lasagna immediately after assembly, cover lasagna loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.Let lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

If lasagna have been refrigerated, bake lasagna for 1 hour and 20 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil. Let lasagna rest for abpoit 10 minutes before serving.

Yield 12 servings

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and Capers

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and Capers

 

I purchase some jarred oven baked tomatoes at Costco during the holidays. I was planning to use them as part of my antipasto platter on Christmas day, but I forgot I had them. The jarred oven baked tomatoes comes in a 3-pack at Costco. They tasted pretty good and I hope they will be a regular item at Costco. Along with some kalamata olives I had remaining from Christmas, I came up with this easy, healthy and delicious pasta dish. Not only is this a great weeknight dinner, this is also a great summertime pasta dish because there is very little cooking needed. You only need to cook the pasta.

10 ounces drained (reserve the oil) Sacla Italia brand Oven Baked Tomatoes with Garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup reserved oil from the jarred Oven Baked Tomatoes OR extra-virgin olive oil (3.4 ounces)
3.0 ounces pitted kalamata olives, rinsed and drained, coarsely chopped
2.0 ounces capers, rinsed and drained, coarsely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely minced (0.8 ounces)
1.0 ounce basil leaves, chiffonade
Taste before adding salt to taste (you may not need salt)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound 100% whole-grain spaghetti or linguine pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2.0 ounces)

In a very large bowl, combined the tomatoes, reserved oil, kalamata olives, capers, garlic, basil, salt to taste, if using and pepper. Mix until combined and set aside. Can prepare up to this point 4 to 6 hours ahead and keep tomato-olive mixture refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap. Remove bowl from the refrigerator to sit out at room temperature 1 hour before cooking the pasta.

 

Cook the whole-grain pasta in salted boiling water for about 11 to 13 minutes or al dente. Drain pasta and immediately add the hot pasta to the tomato-olive mixture. Toss everything to thoroughly combine. Toss in the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese on top and pasta is ready to eat. You can also add some toasted pine nuts, if desired.

 

Mmmmm...SO DELICIOUS...SO HEALTHY...SO EASY TO MAKE! It is delicious eaten right away, but tastes even better the next day. I can eat it cold right out of the fridge.
ENJOY!
Yield 4 to 6 servings

Pasta with Creamy Tomato and Sausage Sauce

Pasta with Creamy Tomato and Sausage Sauce
Adapted from Kathleen Hulsy, Biddeford, ME, Bon Appetit Magazine

This pasta dish is so delicious! It's rich, comforting and full of flavor. Tastes like a pasta dish you would order in a restaurant. Definitely a great dish to impress your guest. I don't make this dish often, but there are times when I can't think of what to cook and I need to cook something easy and fast. This is one of those dishes I never get tired of making.

One 1-pound package of Jennie-O Lean Sweet Italian Turkey Sausages, casings removed
3 large shallots, finely chopped (5.4 ounces)
3 large garlic cloves, minced (0.7 ounce)
1 cup PLAIN heavy whipping cream (8 ounces)
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, UNDRAINED
1 tablespoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3/4 pound whole-wheat fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti (12 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Heat a large deep skillet over high heat. When skillet is hot, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Add the turkey sausages and cook until browned, stirring frequently and breaking up sausages into small pieces while browning. Transfer to a colander to drain. Set aside.

Lower heat to medium-high heat and immediately add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Add more olive oil if needed. Saute for 2 minutes until shallots are softened.

Add turkey sausages back to the pan and saute for 1 minute.

Add the heavy cream. When the cream starts bubbling heavily, lower heat to medium-low heat to simmer for about 5 minutes, until cream is thickened and reduced by half. May have to adjust your heat anywhere from medium-low to low heat, depending on your stove, but keep heavy cream at a simmer.

Increase heat to medium-high heat. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, sage and crushed red peppers. When mixture starts bubbling heavily, lower heat to medium-low heat to simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered. Cook until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally and smashing the tomatoes against the sides of the pan to release more juices. Again, you may have to adjust your heat anywhere from medium-low to low heat, depending on your stove, but keep the sauce at a simmer.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions: under cook the pasta by 2 minutes.

Add the pasta to the sausage-tomato sauce, Toss over medium heat until sauce evely coats the pasta. Toss in the Parmesan cheese and ready to serve. No salt is necessary for  this dish. You can just add ground black pepper if desired. 

Serve with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Yields 4 to 6 servings

Roasted Vegetable Whole-Wheat Pasta with Herbes de Provence

Roasted Vegetable Whole-Wheat Pasta with Herbes de Provence

Adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice (Reeni)

 

  

I was in search for a vegetarian pasta recipe when I came across this recipe. I love roasted fennel and Herbes de Provence so this will be the recipe I'll make this week. The recipe calls for grape tomatoes which I substituted with large round cherry tomatoes since they were on sale and halved them. I realize after roasting the vegetables that I should of left the tomatoes whole. I was surprised there was not any garlic in Reeni's recipe so I added in some minced garlic. The recipe also calls for two tablespoons of Herbes de Provence. Herbes de Provence is a strong blend of herbs so I was hesitant to add that much Herbes de Provence, but I followed the recipe and it worked out perfectly. Pasta dish was full of flavor and the roasted fennel and fronds along with the tomatoes, zucchini, onions and the Herbes de Provence roasted up perfectly. The aroma in the kitchen was so fragrant as the vegetables were roasting in the oven. I immediately knew this was going to be delish...and it is! This recipe is very easy to put together. Just cut up the veggies, toss with oil, herbs, salt and pepper and in the oven to be roasted. Cook the pasta and toss everything together with more olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Very simple, healthy and delicious! Tastes even better the next day.

My photo doesn't look as sharp and colorful as Reeni's photo, but trust me, it is delicious pasta dish. Here is Reeni's recipe: Roasted Fennel, Zucchini and Tomato Pasta with Herbs de Provence. My version of the recipe follows:

Roasted Vegetable Whole-Wheat Pasta with

Herbes de Provence

2 fennel bulbs, cut in half lengthwise, core removed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (about 13.8 ounces)

1 large red onion, cut in half lengthwise and slice on the grain into 1/4-inch slices (about 10.9 to 13.4 ounces)
1-1/2 pounds zucchini, unpeeled. cut in half lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch, half-moon slices

One 12-ounce frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

One 6-ounce can medium black olives, drained and rinsed

6 cloves garlic, finely minced (0.8 ounce)
1/2 cup snipped fennel fronds (0.3 ounce)

2 pounds large grape tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes, whole

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (3.4 ounces) plus a separate 1/4 cup (1.7 ounces)

3 tablespoons Herbes de Provence, crushed

2 teaspoons salt plus a separate 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound whole-wheat fusilli pasta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Position two oven racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven. Set aside two sheet pans.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the fennel, onions, zucchini, artichoke hearts, olives, garlic and fennel fronds. Toss in 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and ground black pepper until thoroughly combined. Divide vegetables into two sheet pans. Roast in oven for 35 minutes, rotating pans half way of baking time.

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente (about 11 to 13 minutes). Drain pasta and return pasta to the pot. Set aside until vegetables are done roasting.

When vegetables are done roasting, transfer all the vegetables to the pasta. Add the 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup olive oil, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Give pasta good toss and ready to serve. Top with more grated Parmesan cheese.

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Pasta with No-Cook Cherry Tomatoes

Pasta with No-Cook Cherry Tomatoes


Our harvest of cherry tomatoes are the best this summer. We planted a variety called, "Juliette Cherry Tomatoes": http://naturehills.com/gardening/blogs/featured_plants/archive/2009/04/09/juliette-cherry-tomatoes-are-flavorful-and-organic.aspx. These cherry tomatoes are big, sweet, juicy and meaty. I like to saute these tomatoes with vegetables or just eat them like grapes. I had over 2 pounds in the refrigerator for over a week so I decided to use them to make a pasta dish. With the inspiration from Martha Stewart's No Knife Spaghetti, I put this dish together:

2 pounds cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup olive oil (3.4 ounces)
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced (0.9 ounce)
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (1.3 ounces)
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley (0.7 ounce) 
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (0.3 ounce)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (0.3 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound whole-wheat penne or farfalle pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2.0 ounces)

In a large bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, parsley, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes. Toss together until well combined. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours to blend flavors (the longer it sits, the more flavorful). If you decide not to use them until the next day, cover bowl with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use within 24 hours.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and continue to cook pasta, partially covered, for about 12 to 13 minutes or al dente. Drain pasta, but do not rinse. Immediately add hot pasta to the the cherry tomatoes mixture. Lightly toss in Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Baked Ravioli

Baked Ravioli
Adapted from Everyday Foods

 Baked Ravioli

 

Baked Tortellini

This recipe is a keeper! I made this recipe using whole wheat ravioli and reduced fat shredded Mozzarella to make this recipe healthier. I added agave nectar to give the sauce a good balance of sweetness. Herbes de Provence is a blend of dried herbs (thyme, savory, basil, fennel, lavender) commonly used in southern France. Herbes de Provence can be purchased in your local supermarket.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped (13.0 ounces)
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced (0.6 to 0.7 ounce)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons dried Herbes de Provence
One 28-ounce can no-salt, peeled whole plum tomatoes, UNdrained and hand-crushed
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2-1/2 tablespoons agave nectar or brown rice syrup (1.2 ounces) or to taste
Three 9-ounce packages store-bought fresh whole-wheat ravioli or whole-wheat tortellini
1-1/2 cups shredded 2% milk reduced fat mozzarella cheese
(6 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Heat a large pot over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the olive oil, onions and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence during the last minute of cooking. Add both cans of tomatoes (hand-crushed and crushed). Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the agave nectar and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch size baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and continue to cook just until ravioli are floating in the water, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and immediately drain ravioli to a colander. Add the hot ravioli to the pot with the tomato sauce and gently toss to coat the ravioli. It may seem to be a lot of sauce for now, but the ravioli will absorbed most of the sauce after the ravioli are baked. Transfer ravioli to prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese and then Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Yields 4 to 6 servings

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, Olives, and Fresh Mozzarella

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, Olives, and Fresh Mozzarella
Adapted from www.foodandwine.com

2 pounds Roma tomatoes, chopped
3/4 pound marinated fresh mozzarella balls, cut into quarters
1/2 cup brined pitted Kalamata olives, cut into quarters (3.0 ounces)
1-1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
3/4 cup chopped red onions (3.0 ounces)
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped (1.5 ounces)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (1.0 ounce)
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound whole wheat linguine or spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil (3.4 ounces)
4 large garlic cloves, finely minced (0.5 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2.0 ounces)

In a very large bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, basil, onions, capers, balsamic vinegar and salt. Toss together until well combined. Set aside.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, about
11 to 13 minutes. Drain and add to tomato mixture. Toss well.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Pour the oil over the pasta and toss again. Toss in Parmesan cheese and serve.

Yields 4 to 6 servings

Spaghetti with Chickpeas

Spaghetti with Chickpeas

This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen which was adapted by Chef Michael White published in New York Magazine. The garbanzo bean/tomato sauce is so full of flavor, I can imagine the sauce on its own is equally delicious eaten with brown rice or substituting orzo pasta for the spaghetti. A few vegetarian readers on Smitten Kitchen have omitted the pancetta with great success. I may just do that the next time.

Two 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup olive oil
About 1 cup diced pancetta (4 ounces) (Optional)
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 large onion, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
About 20 to 30 basil leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti, linguine or orzo pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Set aside 2/3 cup garbanzo beans. In a food processor, combine remaining garbanzo beans and chicken stock. Pulse a few times until garbanzo beans are coarsely chopped.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot. Add olive oil and pancetta. Reduce heat to medium and continue to saute for about 2 to 3 minutes until nicely browned, partially covered to avoid grease splattering. Add the chili flakes and saute for a few seconds. Add the onions and garlic. Increase heat to medium-high heat and continue to cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the garbanzo beans, tomatoes and basil leaves. When mixture comes to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in salted water for about 11 to 12 minutes, or just slightly under al dente. Drain pasta and immediately add hot pasta to the bean sauce. Continue to cook and toss pasta for another minute or until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and toss in the Parmesan cheese. Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese.

Yields 6 to 8 servings