Baked Ziti

INGREDIENTS:

Cheese mixture:
2 lbs. Ricotta Cheese (lowfat)
3 eggs
1/4 cups Shredded Romano cheese (or Parmesan, if you prefer)
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
Pinch of sugar
2 tsp. parsley

Meat mixture:
2 lbs. ground lean beef
1 large onion, chopped
Large jar of Ragu with extra chunky tomatoes, garlic and onions

2 lbs. Penne Pasta
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese



DIRECTIONS:
Parboil penne and drain.
Combine all ingredients for cheese mixture and set aside.
Brown beef. Drain extra fat. Add onions and stir until cooked through. Pour sauce over meat and stir.
In extra large bowl combine pasta and cheese mixture stirring just enough to combine evenly. Put half of pasta in greased lasagna pan (you can divide the pasta into two 13 x 9 pans too). Pour 1/2 of meat sauce over pasta. Sprinkle half of shredded mozzarella cheese over sauce. Repeat. Cover loosely with sprayed foil to prevent sticking. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for 15 minutes or until nicely browned.

Allow to set for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 16 servings

Posted by Debi

Tuscan Pasta Salad

I made this tonight using a recipe from a box, but changing it according to the ingredients I had on hand. You can serve it hot or cold. It turned out to be fantastic!

Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 15 minutes
Rating: 5 stars

INGREDIENTS:
1 16 oz. box pasta of your choice (I used Barilla Elbow and Bow Tie)
8 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
3 T. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 cups shredded cheese (six cheese Italian blend)
20 leaves fresh basil or 1 T. dried basil
2 T. pine nuts
1 t. minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package directions minus 1 minute. Drain well. Pour pasta into a large bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil and add all other ingredients. Stir well. Serve immediately, or chill to serve cold.

Posted by Debi