Twice-Baked Lasagna

 






This is my new idea for leftover lasagna. When I make a big pan, I feel like I need to use the same ingredient and combine it with a new technique. This recipe allows the same flavors, but adds new textures and additional flavor.

Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce

CALLING ALL MAMAS!!! Having trouble getting your kids to eat vegetables? Well, here is a sneaky way to get those vegetables into their systems. I don't know very many kids that don't like spaghetti with sauce and parmesan. I love this recipe because it doesn't require a lot of effort to make something kid friendly.

Garden Ravioli

You can really use this pasta recipe to make any kind of ravioli you'd like, but this was my version. It's stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, spinach, and Portebella mushrooms. 

Toscana Gnocchi

What makes this dish Tuscan? CANNELLINI BEANS! Cannellini beans are very popular in Italy,  especially Tuscany, and are the reason Tuscans are referred to as "bean eaters." These beans are related to kidney beans, great northern, navy, and green beans, but are not the same! All beans seem to share a few characteristics: they are low cost, have a long shelf life, low in fat, high in fiber and protein. You may hear cannellini beans being called "white kidney beans," which is, for the most part, true. All that aside, the beans make this dish and you end up looking like a pro. 

Chicken Marsala

Talk about classic Franco-Italian food!! I put a healthier twist on this dish by baking it, but if you want to stick with tradition, saute the chicken in a pan with some butter. I must say that the greatest benefit of baking the chicken is a crispy exterior (similar to fried chicken). Tonight this became one of my husband's favorite meals and I cannot complain, because it's really simple to prepare.

Rigatoni Béarnaise

I know, I know... if you are familiar with a classic Béarnaise sauce recipe, you may scorn me for not sticking to the traditional sauce recipe; but I wanted to find a dairy free version to offer to those who are lactose intolerant. Classic French Béarnaise sauce consists of lots of butter, eggs, shallots, and herbs and spices; I used what I had to create a creamy and delightful sauce that can be a perfect substitute for the savory French sauce.

Piccante Chicken Penne

"Piccante" in Italian means "spicy," so prepare your taste buds for some heat. Usually when it comes to any kind of tomato sauce, I like to follow the K.I.S.S. Method (Keep It Simple Stupid); for this recipe, I did just that, but added a few things to spice it up! If you aren't comfortable with the heat, tone down the spicy ingredients and follow the tips I provide for you below. 

Shrimp Carbonara

I have been doing a lot of diary-free cooking lately because of my husband, so here is a twist on a classic Italian dish. Pasta Carbonara usually consists of eggs, cheese, bacon and black pepper, but I lightened and flavored it up a bit. I promise that you won't be disappointed. This makes a large amount, so I recommend this for a family dinner, party, or dividing the recipe in half.

Pane Toscano (Tuscan Bread)

Tuscan bread is simple and is intended to be more a part of something than to stand on it's own. Usually it's topped with a spreads, tapenades, or a variety of meats and cheeses. The bread is bland tasting so that it doesn't interfere with the other flavors of the toppings. This bread is great for those who are on low sodium diet, but Tuscans have baked and loved this saltless bread for centuries and I don't plan on messing with a food with so much history.

Italian Cheese Bread

This is a great way to use up and dress up a loaf of ordinary bread. This is a very easy, quick and tasty recipe that everyone will love. Eat your heart out fast-food pizza chains!!!

Baked Rigatoni

This is a great dish to make when you're in a time pinch. It is very quick to put together, requires only a handful of ingredients and is SUPER tasty. 

Spaghetti Rolls

Mind boggling isn't it?! This was my stroke of genius idea for leftover spaghetti. I must acknowledge my friends in high school for this idea because we used to stuff dinner rolls with spaghetti hot dish in the cafeteria; I took the idea a step further and stuffed the rolls before I baked them. No need to mop up sauce with bread because it is filled with it...It's the perfect surprise dinner package! It takes a while because you are making your own bread, but well worth the wait, I promise.

Italian Chicken Meatloaf

I wanted to give the classic meatloaf a twist. A traditional meatloaf made up of ground beef, bead crumbs, eggs and ketchup is just too predictable and, in my opinion, sometimes bland. It just seems unappealing at times; a loaf of ground meat? I think bread is the only thing that should be loaf shaped. Meatloaf is a simple dish to put together and is hard to mess up. This version would pair well with classic mashed potatoes or even over pasta because of the Italian seasonings. Give this recipe a shot for a tasty change to an All-American classic.

Personal Pizzas

Pizza is amazing to begin with, but it is even better when you get your own!!! I have included the recipe for the great crust and the easy pizza sauce, but top it with whatever you would like. I chose to keep mine healthy; The picture below is LOADED with vegetables. I tossed on a bunch of sliced vegetables including: red onion, broccoli, spinach, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, red chili flakes, Parmesan, and slices of garlic cream cheese. Give it a try, it's delicious.

Toasted Garlic-Parmesan Orzo

This lovely pasta dish sounds more difficult than it is. This is a great pairing with grilled chicken or vegetables because it consists of simple, strong flavors. It can be eaten warm or cold; it is one of those dishes that taste better the longer it sits. Orzo (also called risoni) is a type pasta that is a little bit larger than grains of rice. I like it because, like rice, you can do a lot with it.

Zucchini Parmesan

My aunt told me that she was looking for some new recipe ideas for zucchini, so this was my tasty experiment. Over the years my aunt has tried to sneak zucchini into so many recipes (which my brothers hate) and she's been successful only a few times; I remember zucchini brownies was one of those successes. My brothers do not hate zucchini or anything, they just hate that she tries to trick them. This recipe is completely obvious! It is a spin off of Eggplant Parmesan with a little extra crunch. Eggplant Parmesan is usually pan-fried, then layered in a baking dish, smothered in sauce and cheese and baked.

Veggie "Meatballs"

I had some vegetables in my refrigerator that needed to be used up and I wanted to make my husband something hearty, but healthy. He definitely loves any kind of meat, so I wanted to see if I could win him over with a really kick-butt, vegetable dish. EUREKA!!! Veggie Meatballs. I was going to serve these with pasta, but whole house was filled with an amazing smell and he couldn't wait any longer. They start to smell like a supreme-style pizza and it makes your mouth water. I hope that my younger brother gets the chance to make these for his girlfriend.

Gnocchi with Roasted Red Pepper-Tomato Sauce

Since my trip to Italy in college, I've seemed to hold a spot in my heart for some good gnocchi. Gnocchi is basically a potato dumpling that is a really versatile ingredient to cook with. Not only is it super easy and fun to make, it also freezes very well. I like to make a big batch and freeze the rest to use in other dishes. You can toss them with any kind of sauce, bake them, saute' them, put them in soup, etc. You can also make them any flavor you would like by tossing in some herbs or cheese.