Summer Garden Pasta

Ingredients:
*4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
*1/2 cup olive oil
*2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
*18 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving
*1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
*1 teaspoon Kosher salt
*1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
*1 pound angle hair pasta
*1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Directions:
1.)  Combine the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, salt, and the pepper in a large bowl.
2.)  Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.
3.)  Just before you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil and add the pasta.
4.)  Cook al dente, according to the directions on the package.
5.)  Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes.
6.)  Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well.
7.)  Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving.

recipe found on www.barefootcontessa.com

Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Spinach

Ingredients:

* 16-18 jumbo pasta shells

* 1 pound fresh pork sausage links, casing removed

* 1 tablespoon minced garlic

* 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes

* 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry

* 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

* 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, set aside.

2.)  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff.

3.)  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork sausage then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned.

4.)  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds then add tomatoes and spinach; cook 1 minute.

5.)  Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.

6.)  Using a spoon, fill pasta shells with pork filling and arrange in a baking dish (9-inch x 13-inch baking dish works well). Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese then bake in the oven 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and tips of shells begin to crisp and brown.

Super Busy:  Cook the sausage filling the night before!

Recipe found at Inspired Taste.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

* 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini

* 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted

* 2 cups vegetable broth

* 2 cups 2% milk

* 2 cups half-and-half cream

* 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

* 1 teaspoon onion powder

* 1 teaspoon garlic powder

* 1 teaspoon dried basil

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

* Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

1.)  Put the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes, and seasoning in slow cooker.

2.)  Cook on low 3-4 hours.

3.)  Cook tortellini according to packaging.

4.)  After soup is done cooking, add tortellini and cheese to slow cooker and cook on high another 10 minutes.

5.)  Serve each bowl of soup with a sprinkle of additional cheese if desired.

Side Note:

The original recipe is not a crock pot recipe.  Since I have a crazy obsession with my crock pot, I turned this soup into a crock pot recipe.  Click the link below for the original recipe.

Original recipe found at Tast of Home.

Beefy Baked Ziti

Ingredients
*1 pound ziti pasta, cooked and drained
*1 onion, chopped
*1 pound lean ground beef
*2 jars Tomato and Basil Sauce
*6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
*15 oz ricotta cheese
*8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
*2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat.  Drain beef and return to skillet. 
2. Add pasta sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3.Preheat the oven to 350.  Greece a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, ricotta, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti,  1/2 mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 mozzarella.
4.Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Here is another one of my posts that is similar and meatless.

Original recipe found here.

slow cooker lasagna

Ingredients:
*1 lb.ground beef
*1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
*1 cup water
*1 15oz container ricotta cheese
*2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
*1/4 cup grated parmesan
*1 egg
*1 onion, chopped
*2 tbsp italian seasoning or oregano
*6 lasagna noodles uncooked

Directions:
1.)  Brown meat and onion in skillet, drain.
2.)  Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.
3.)  Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 tbsp spices, 1/4 cup parm, egg and spice in seperate bowl
4.)  Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker, top with 3 noodles broken to fit, followed by 1/2 cheese mixture
5.)  Cover with 2 cups of remaining sauce.
6.)  Top with remaining noodles broken to fit, cheese mixture and meat sauce, cover with lid
7.)  Cook on low 4-6 hours or until liquid is absorbed.
8.)  Sprinkle with remaining cheese, let stand, covered 10 min or until cheese is melted.

Recipe from my friend, Jackie

Cheesy Italian Tortellini

Ingredients:
*1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
*1 jar pasta sauce (whatever flavor you like)
*1 can tomatoes with Italian seasonings, with juices
*1 tsp or garlic powder
*1 package refrigerated cheese tortellini (9 oz)
*1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.)  Mix beef, pasta sauce, tomatoes, and garlic powder into crock pot.
2.)  Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
3.)  Add torellini and cover with cheese.  Cook on low another 15-20 mins or until pasta is cooked through.

Side Note:
1.)  My husband really enjoyed this.  If I were to make it again, I would double the recipe (except the meat).  It wasn't very "saucey"--it more "coated" the torellini.  Also, there wasn't enough tortellini to feed my family of 3.  (We LOVE Italian food AND leftovers!)
2.)  Using the crock pot is a great way to experiment in making any kind of pasta sauce.  The spices blend together nicely!  Start with a jar or two of your favorite sauce and add whatever you'd like: ground beef (cooked),  italian sausage (cooked), fresh garlic, onions, green peppers, mushrooms!  Cook on low for 6-7 hours.  You could also do it on your stove top!

Original recipe found here.

Crispy Baked Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:
*1 lb bonless skinless chicken breasts
*3/4 cup bread crumbs
*1/2 Italian seasoning packet
*3 T pesto
*1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.)  Mix together bread crumbs and Italian seasoning.
2.)  Coat chicken with bread crumb mixture.
3.)  Place chicken in a greased baking dish; bake at 400 for 25 mins (or until cooked through).
4.)  Top chicken with pesto and cheese and bake an extra 5 mins or until cheese is melted.

Original recipe found here.

Rigatoni Con Ricotta

Ingredients:
*1 package Rigatoni, cooked and drained
*2 eggs
*15 oz ricotta cheese
*3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
*1 tablespoon dried parsley
*2 jars of marinara sauce or lasagna and casserole sauce, divided
*3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:
1.)  beat eggs in small bowl; stir in ricotta, Parmesan, and parsley
2.)  to assemble casserole--use a 13 x 9 greased baking pan--spread 2 cups sauce to cover bottom of pan.  Place 1/2 of cooked rigatoni over sauce; top with 1/2 ricotta mixture, dropped by spoonfuls.  Layer with 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 2 cups sauce, remaining rigaoni, and ricotta mizture.  Top with 1 cup mozzarella, remaining sauce and remaining 1 cup mozzarella
3.)  cover with foil and bake at 375 for 60-70 mins
4.)  uncover and continue cooking 5 more mins.
6.)  let stand 15 mins before serving

Recipe from One-Dish Recipes, Secrets of Slow Cooking: 2 Books in 1

Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
*1 jar pasta sauce, divided
*2 lbs part-skim ricotta cheese
*2 cups par-skim shredded mozzarella cheece
*1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*3 eggs
*1 tablesoom chopped parsley
*1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1 box jumbo shells pasta, cooked and drained

Directions:
1.)  in a 9 x 13 baking dish (ungreased), evenly spead 1 cup pasta sauce
2.)  in a large bowl, combine cheeses, eggs, parsley, and balck pepper
3.)  fill shells with cheese mixture and arrange in baking dish
4.)  top with remaining sauce and back at 350 for 45 mins

Recipe from One-Dish Recipes, Secrets of Slow Cooking: 2 Books in 1

Bruschetta

Ingredients:
*1 loaf Italian bread
*1/2 cup Italian dressing
*1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
*1 tomato, seeded and chopped
*1 clove minced garlic
*1 teaspoon drien oregano
*1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1.)  cut bread into pieces, as thick or as thin as you'd like
2.)  combine remaining ingredients and spread on slices
3.)  place slices on baking sheet; bake at 350 for 15 mins.

I have no idea where I got this recipe from. :)

Ciabatta Stuffing--A.K.A. Italian Stuffing

Ingredients:
*6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
*8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
*2 large onions, finely chopped
*2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
*3 celery stalks, finely chopped
*2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
*3 garlic cloves, chopped
*1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
*1 pound day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
*2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
*1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper
*2 large eggs, beaten to blend

Directions:
1.)  butter a 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish
2.)  melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat; add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.
3.)  using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl
4.)  melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat; add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary and garlic; saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.
5.)  gently stir in the chestnuts parsley
6.)  transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta; add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat
7.)  add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten; season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper and  mix in the eggs.
8.)  transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish; cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake at 350 until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes
9.)  uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer

Super Busy:
Chop the ingredients the night before.

Side Note:
1.)This is the stuffing I make every Thanksgiving and it is always a big hit!  It is helpful to either prepare the ingredients the night before or have an extra hand to help you out.
2.)  The only think I left out from the original recipe are chestnuts.

Original recipe found here.

Parmesan Breadsticks

Ingredients:
*1 can (11 oz.) refrigerated soft breadsticks, separated
*3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
1.)  dip breadsticks in butter; lightly coat with cheese
2.)  twist breadsticks; place on ungreased baking sheet
3.)  bake at 350 for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown

Recipe found here.

Spicy Italian Beef

Ingredients:
*1 bonelss beef chuck roast (3-4lbs)
*1 jar (12 oz) pepperoncini (mild salad peppers)
*1 can beef broth
*1 bottle of beer
*1 package Italian salad dressing mix
*1 loaf French bread--or any kind of bread you like Italian beef on

Directions:
1.) Trim visible fat from roast. Cut roast, if needed, to fit into slow cooker, leaving meat in as many large pieces as possible
2.) Drain peppers and pull of stem ends. Add to slow cooker along with broth, beer, and dressing mix--do not stir. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hrs.
3.) Remove meat from sauce and shred with 2 forks. Return meat to slow cooker and mix well.
4.) Serve on bread.

Recipe from One-Dish Recipes, Secrets of Slow Cooking: 2 Books in 1

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:
*1 egg
*1/3 cup bread crumbs
*1/3 shredded parmesan cheese
*1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
*1/4 tsp black pepper
*4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
*1 jar (26oz) tomato pasta sauce
*1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:
1.)  in shallow bowl beat egg until foamy
2.)  in seperate bowl mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, italian seasong, salt and pepper.
3.)  dip chicken into egg then coat evenly with bread crumb mixture. Place in cooker.
4.)  spread pasta sauce evenly over chicken
5.)  cover, cook on low 5-6 hours
6.)  sprinkle mozzarella over top, cover and cook 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Recipe from friend, Jackie

Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients:
*4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
*garlic salt
*lemon-pepper seasoning
*1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
*1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup
*1 package spaghetti

Directions:
1.) Place chicken in slow cooker; sprinkle with garlic salt and lemon -pepper seasoning. Pour soups over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
2.) Before serving, cook spaghetti according to the package directions and drain. Serve chicken over spaghetti.

Side Note:
I sprinkled it with parmesan cheese.

Recipe from One-Dish Recipes, Secrets of Slow Cooking: 2 Books in 1