One Pot Wonder Spaghetti

Ingredients:
14 oz spaghetti 
4 1/2 c veggie broth 
1 onion, diced 
1 bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes 
1 t oregano 
1 t basil 
2 T evoo 

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 min, stirring every few minutes. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil (if you have it).

Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. EVOO
1 T. Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper
1 lb. whole-grain spaghetti
30 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. parmesan

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash & julienne carrots, zucchini, bell pepper & onion. Toss with garlic, evoo, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes until tender but still al dente.
4. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
5. Reserve 1/2 c. of cooking liquid from pasta.
6. Drain pasta, toss in cooked veggies, tomatoes, parmesan, & pasta water.

Creamy Garlic Pasta

I was a little late after running errands today so I needed something quick to fix for dinner. This pasta took less than 20 minutes from the time I walked in the door!

Ingredients:
2 T. evoo
2 T. butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. chicken stock
1/2 t. pepper
1 lb. angel hair pasta
2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. parsley

Directions:
1. Melt the butter with the evoo in a large pot. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute over medium-high heat.
2. Add the stock & pepper and bring to a boil.
3. Next, add your pasta (it will cook in the stock) and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, cream & parsley.
5. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. This helps the pasta soak up some of the extra sauce.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 pkg. penne pasta
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c. evoo
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. shredded parmesan
1 c. fresh mozzarella pearls

Directions:
1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water. While the pasta is cooking, mix together the tomatoes, garlic, basil, evoo & salt.
2. Drain pasta and toss with tomato mixture.
3. Add parmesan & mozzarella and toss again. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Portobello Pizza

Have you heard of Bodyrock? Mostly, it's a website that has a lot of high intensity kick your butt workouts. At least, they kick mine. But sometimes they post awesome (and healthy) recipes. These portobello pizzas were wonderful! I love healthy foods that tastes like your favorite non-healthy treats!

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tomatoes, diced
1 t. basil
1 t. parsley
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
4 portobello mushrooms
Parmesan cheese


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Saute onion & bell pepper in oil until tender.
3. Add garlic & cook until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, basil, parsley & pepper flakes. Cook until just heated through (you don't want mushy tomatoes).
4. Clean your mushrooms & take out the stem. Place them bottom side up on a cookie sheet and fill each mushroom with the tomato mixture.
5. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 12 minutes.

Lasagna Soup

I've been eyeing this recipe for a long time now. It was the perfect soup for a cold winter day. I didn't have any fresh basil so I put in a couple frozen pesto cubes (which I always put in my red sauces anyway). Delish!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. diced onion
1 bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 can tomato paste
2 cans diced tomatoes
6 c. chicken stock
2 bay leaves
8 oz. pasta (elbow, rotini, anything smallish)
1/2 c. fresh basil (or a spoonful of pesto)
Pinch of black pepper

Cheesy yum:
1 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
Pinch of black pepper

Directions:
1. In a large pot, brown sausage. Then add onions & bell pepper and cook until tender.
2. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper, tomato paste, pepper, diced tomatoes, stock & bay leaves. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add the basil & pasta and cook until pasta is al dente (check the package for cooking time).
4. While pasta is cooking, mix together the cheesy yum. Add a dollop at the bottom of each bowl. Ladle with hot soup and stir to combine.

Healthified Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients
1 lb. low-fat Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 t. pepper
4 c. low-sodium chicken stock
2 c. water
2 cans white beans, drained & rinsed
1 head kale, washed & chopped
1 c. non-fat half & half

Directions:
1. In a large pot, brown the sausage over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until tender (5 min)
3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 sec)
4. Stir in pepper, stock, water, beans & kale. Cook until kale is tender (20-30 min)
5. Stir in the half & half. Season with salt & pepper if desired.

Spaghetti for a Crowd

We eat a lot of Italian food. This is a staple in our household. I make one of these batches of sauce once or twice a month. It's good for a week, and you can use it for countless other things (lasagna, stuffed peppers, stew/soup, etc.) You can make it meatless for even more uses (pizza, eggplant or chicken parm, etc.) Basically, add it to any recipe that has a tomato base.

Ingredients:
1 large can (102 oz.) of diced tomatoes
1 small can (6 oz.) of tomato paste
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 head garlic, sliced
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 t. salt
1/4 c. dried basil
1/3 c. dried parsley
1 T. granulated garlic
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
6 oz. sweet potato puree (baby food)

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients together in a large crock pot. Cook on high for 6-7 hrs.

**If you want a sauce with deep, long-cooked taste, cook on low for 12 hrs.**