Pesto, Spinach, & Chicken Stuffed Shells

Recently, I have joined Pinterest. I am learning to slow down with my new obsession...Having Pinterest has allowed me to throw away several scrap papers--and yet virtually 'pin' my favorite images--and categorize them on bulletin boards. It's fun to see what your friends are pinning too! Somewhere along the way, someone pinned this awesome recipe. It looked superb. So, I was inspired to try it recently for our family and for a friend to whom I was taking a meal. It was well received and therefore, has become a keeper.

By the way, it's sort of nice to try a stuffed shell recipe that doesn't require tomato sauce, but don't let that stop you if you're a sauce kind of person--you just go ahead and spread some sauce over the shells if you can't stand not seeing red sauce over pasta.

And as I tend to do with these things, I adapted the recipe because the stuffing seemed a little dry to me (I didn't use as much pesto because I didn't want too overwhelming of a flavor). Below is a double recipe (I boiled the whole box of pasta and used about 75% of the shells--the other 25% had fallen apart anyway) and got two 8x8 pans of the dish. However, if you were having a big group for dinner, you could do a big 9X13 inch pan. Consider this a freezer friendly meal.

PESTO, SPINACH, & CHICKEN STUFFED SHELLS

Makes approximately 10 servings.

• 24-36 jumbo pasta shells
• water for boiling pasta
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (6 oz) bag of baby spinach (rinsed & chopped)
• 8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/3 cup MORE for topping
• 4-5 Tbsp. prepared basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat a little olive oil and saute the onion for a few minutes. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the onion is almost transclucent. Add the chopped spinach and cook for a minute longer or until spinach has JUST wilted.

Because I'm trying to use less dishes, add the cheeses (reserving that 1/3 cup of Parmesan), pesto, olive oil, yogurt, and shredded chicken to the pot (where you have sauteed the onion/garlic/spinach). Combine. 

Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish (either two 8X8 inch pans--can freeze one of them! or a 9X13 inch pan). Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells (uncovered) for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese has melted.

Serve with a fresh salad. Or with diced, fresh tomatoes on top.

Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Arugula, and Pine Nuts

Easy dinner. Fantastic tasting. Almost like you don't even know it's healthy (used whole wheat pasta, but you can use what you like--multigrain pasta is good too). Came up with this dish last night while in a hurry to make something for dinner. We loved it! Definitely use summer's best tomatoes (heirloom tomatoes if you can get them)--this dish is much better in the summer with fresh tomatoes--not the mealy ones of the winter-grocery variety. In the winter, consider sauteing 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes in with the garlic for a few minutes for this dish. I certainly will.

We had leftover lemon basil chicken from this recipe I made (and adapted) earlier this week. It was very good!

The chicken was great with the pasta. But, I bet the pasta would also be very good with some white (cannellini) beans (instead of the chicken) for a vegetarian meal. Next time, I'm going to try it that way and maybe even replace the fresh mozzarella with feta cheese for variety. By the way, arugula is wonderful in pasta dishes!

PASTA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES, ARUGULA, AND PINE NUTS

Serves 6

• 16 oz. pasta (farfalle (bowtie), penne, fusilli/rotini, cavatelli shapes are good options)
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/4-1/3 cup pine nuts (pignoli)
• ~1 tsp. sea salt
• ~1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper (or to taste)
• 8-10 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped
• 5 oz. baby arugula (this is ~6 cups)
• ~4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped (optional)
• Parmesan cheese, (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. While that cooks, heat olive oil up with the garlic and cook slightly without browning. When garlic starts to brown, turn off the heat. Let cool until pasta finishes cooking. Combine the tomatoes, pine nuts, salt and pepper with the fresh mozzarella, and arugula. Add the cooled olive oil and garlic.

Drain pasta and combine toss with the tomato-arugula-cheese-nut mixture. Add cooked chicken, if using.

Serve immediately. For extra pizzazz--serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese over each serving. Doesn't this look delicious? It really was. Hope you enjoy it.

Orzo with Garbanzo Beans, Red Onion, Basil and Mint

Now that we have weather back in the 70s, it's time to plant some herbs! When I saw fresh mint and basil at the grocery store, I was inspired to make this wonderful orzo salad again--a simple lunch or side dish that is great side to grilled meats/burgers. This is the perfect salad to take to potlucks or serve at picnics (since you can safely leave it at room temperature). Even kids like it! I used to take it to the office with me when I worked outside of the home--it's a great meal for the office. The flavors sit and the salad is even better the next day!

A few things I have learned in making this INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS salad:

• Try adding the vinaigrette at the point where the pasta is hot to soak the flavors up better
• I prefer to add the tomatoes right before serving to keep them from getting “mushy” or watering down the salad. This salad can be made ahead and served at room temperature.
• If you want to take the bite out of the raw onion, try adding the onion to the hot pasta right away
• Feel free to substitute cannellini beans if you don't like or can't find garbanzo beans
• Feel free to substitute green onions for red onion
• You can also crumble feta on top of the salad--it's delicious
• The salad adapts well with the addition of sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and/or black olives
• The original recipe includes honey in the vinaigrette, but I don't think it needs it so I never include it. If you're in a pinch, store bought vinaigrette works fine, but the one below is really good!

ORZO WITH GARBANZO BEANS, RED ONION, BASIL & MINT
Adapted from Food Network's Giada di Laurentis

Makes 6 servings.

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
1 ½ cups orzo (tiny pasta that looks like rice)
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), drained and rinsed
¾ cup chopped red onion
½ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¾ cup red wine vinaigrette (recipe follows)
salt & pepper, to taste
1 ½ cups teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved

Salad:
Bring the broth to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bit, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, herbs, and enough vinaigrette to coat; you may not need all ¾ cup. Season the salad with salt and pepper, and serve.

Viniagrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper (OR, add the ingredients in a lidded jar and shake).

Twirl-Me-Around-For-Joy Tortellini Soup

I think I need to start adding an 'easy, fast, and healthy'  tag....because even though this is pasta, it's really not that bad for you. Again, think eating in moderation. This is the Sommerville house tortellini soup and it is absolutely delicious. This soup is perfect for those cold evenings in between holidays when you're tired of cooking but still want a home-cooked meal.

I have often added shredded carrots to it (during the garlic cooking process)--just to squeeze in some extra veggies. I'm sure you could add celery if you'd like too. The original recipe calls for cheese tortellini, but I have had great success with mushroom tortellini too (and even considered adding mushrooms to the soup--maybe next time). I'm guessing that chicken tortellini would be great too. Anyway, it's comfort food--my husband's loves this soup.

TORTELLINI SOUP
Serves 6-8

1 Tbsp. butter (or olive oil)
4 garlic cloves, minced
*2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth (or vegetarian 'chicken' broth such as McKay's mixed with water)
1 (9 oz) pkg. or container of tortellini (preferrably cheese, but mushroom, spinach, chicken should be find)
1 can stewed tomatoes (un-drained)
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for topping on soup
6 tsp. fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
1 (9 oz) bag of fresh (washed) spinach leaves

Melt butter and add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and tortellini. Bring to a SLOW boil (if you boil to fast, the filling can escape the tortellini). Reduce heat and mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper--if your chicken broth is not low-sodium, you may not need to add salt--taste and adjust seasonings.

Simmer (GENTLY) until tortellini is tender--about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, spinach, and basil.

*NOTE: I often add about 2 more cups of broth or water as the pasta seems to absorb so much of the liquid in the soup.

Simmer for 2 more minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with a little bit more freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if desired).

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti (Or What To Do With Leftover Pasta)

Here's an easy weeknight dish that can be prepared ahead of time or doubled and shared with a friend. It was inspired by something I saw in Southern Living a while back (you just can't go wrong with SL!). I did not use the broccoli, but I did use the mushrooms. We are hard-core mushroom lovers in this family.

Serve this casserole with a salad (or roasted green beans, as was our case) and some rolls and you are set.



CHEESY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI WITH MUSHROOMS

You can cover and refrigerate the casserole overnight, and sprinkle with cheese before baking. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes until bubbly.

1/2 package of uncooked spaghetti (yes, you may go whole-grain)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
1-2 cups broccoli, cooked (optional)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes, un-drained (and chopped if using stewed)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided (I used a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Mozzarella, and a small amount of Cheddar)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (frozen is fine as long as you thaw it)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic (and mushrooms, if using); sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, seasoning, and salt; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes--adding broccoli during the last 2-3 minutes, if using. Stir in 1 cup cheese, cooked spaghetti, and chicken. Continue to cook until heated through.

Spoon into a 3-quart casserole coated with cooking spray (I used an 8x8 dish).

Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Bake at 350º for 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.



The Only Way I'll Make Macaroni & Cheese From Now On

Here's another 'healthier' approach--even though I added more cheese to the original recipe. I am SO glad I stumbled upon this gem of a recipe! My dinner guests asked if I was covering this recipe on the food blog....they didn't have to ask...first bite was heaven and my daughter asked for 'more' three different times when offered leftovers. Who knew that you could 'hide' squash in a decadent comfort food?!

The only thing I might to different next time is to add a little more milk in the filling--since I added more topping, it seemed to need it. (Think about it-the crispy topping is one of the best things about mac & cheese...) Here are most of your ingredients:

Try this recipe. You will be so glad you did--and sorry vegans, this is one of those recipes that reminds me why I could give never give up cheese.

SQUASH MACARONI WITH FOUR CHEESES
Adapted from Elie Krieger--below is my version, but here is original

1 pound elbow macaroni (I used whole grain rotini pasta)
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups milk (skim worked fine)
4 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
4 oz. Monterrey jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. powdered mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 Tbsp. Panko bread crumbs (regular is fine-but Panko adds better 'crunch')
6 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup cheese of your choice for topping (optional-I used a 4 cheese blend)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, Monterrey Jack cheese, cottage cheese, salt, mustard, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese (This is also the point I added a big handful of shredded cheese--go ahead and judge).

Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

Serves 8 with a vegetable side and a protein.

Dinner at Room Temperature: Pasta Pomodoro

Dinner in a flash....this is where the quality of your ingredients can make or break the meal. Use the freshest, juiciest tomatoes you can find--heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes would be the best. Only fresh herbs will do. And, sorry but it's just not the same if you use Parmesan cheese that's powdery from a plastic container. Do yourself a favor and use the real stuff.

Also, my recipe is heavy on the "sauce" and light on the pasta--a bit healthier than the traditional recipes. But you can always add more or use non-whole grain pasta--truth be told, I think it tastes a bit better with regular white flour pasta--but hey, can't say I didn't try....

This is an awesome meal for a hot summer night.

PASTA POMODORO

"Sauce"
2 tomatoes, cored & chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Salt & pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (optional)

1/2 package of whole wheat angel hair pasta (8 oz.)

1/2 medium onion
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/3-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or as much as your conscience will allow)

In a medium bowl, gently toss the chopped tomatoes with the basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper (and crushed red pepper and/or vinegar, if using). Let the mixture sit and marinate at room temperature so all the flavors can blend.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 9 minutes, or until "al dente"--or cooked to still have a bit of a firm texture. Drain. Reserve a bit of pasta water, if possible.

In a medium pan, saute the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes. Then add the garlic. Continue to saute until lightly browned. Some people like to saute the tomatoes as well, but I think you don't need to if you use really good tomatoes--if you have winter tomatoes, go ahead and saute them.

Add the pasta and Parmesan cheese to the tomato mixture and combine. If mixture seems to dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Taste and season accordingly.

Pasta is best served with a bit more cheese sprinkled on top of each portion.

Makes approximately 4 portions if serving with a salad or vegetable on the side. Otherwise, you can consider it 2 "restaurant" portions.

Baked Tortellini (with Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomatoes)

This week is "Teacher Appreciation Week" at my daugher's Mother's Day Out program. I suppose paying them to get 5-10 hours as week to oneself is not appreciation enough. Did I mention that no one pays us stay-at-home-mothers? I realized I never got the memo because when I went to sign up to bring food, the only thing left was to provide an entree. I guess everyone learned from last year and didn't feel the need to share with the newbies--if you don't show up 20 minutes earlier than normal & clamor for sodas & store-bought cookies, you end up pulling the short straw and have to feed 20 people with the main meal.

Well, what does one do in this situation? One goes to Costco and then tries to find a middle ground between store-bought & homemade. Costco sells amazing tortellini in the refrigerated section. This is my favorite make-ahead dish to bring to a new mom or to bring to church potluck. I always make it lighter, but for today, my retribution was to bring the full-fat version.

This recipe has been adapted (when I say that, I mean that I've made the recipe my own) from Better Homes & Gardens--and was originally made with ravioli. Here is the original recipe.

BAKED TORTELLINI (with SPINACH AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES)

Makes about 12 servings

2 (9 oz) containers refrigerated four cheese or spinach cheese ravioli or tortellini (or any other variety you wish to use instead)½ to one (8 oz) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz)
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 oz)
8 eggs, beaten (I use 4-6 eggs and the rest Eggbeaters)2 ½ cups skim milk

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Salt & pepper, to taste

5 oz. frozen chopped spinach (half package), well drained (optional)
1-2 Tbsp. fresh basil & Italian flat-leaf parsley (use 1-2 tsp. instead for dried herbs)

Lightly spray a 3-quart rectangular or oval baking dish, with cooking spray (okay to use lasagna-style dish--a 9X13, for example). Place uncooked ravioli evenly in dish.

Sprinkle the ravioli evenly with sun-dried tomatoes. Top evenly with cheeses. Set aside. Whisk eggs and milk together until combined. Add garlic powder, salt & pepper, and gently fold in spinach, if using. If you are using dried herbs, this is when you'd add them in.

Pour this mixture over layers in dish. Cover and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, about 40 minutes or until top is golden and center of casserole is set.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If you are using fresh herbs, sprinkle the pasta with chopped basil or parsley just before serving.

Best served with a salad and another vegetable on the side.

Note: Recipe can be halved and baked in an 8X8 dish.

Springtime Pasta (with Leeks and Ricotta)

This recipe is adapted from Almost Vegetarian--a great & easy cookbook for people who eat chicken & meat, but mainly vegetarian meals.

The original recipe called for gnocchi, but when I took my stored gnocchi out, I realized they had gone bad (wheat and other whole grain products tend to go rancid quicker than white-flour products). So, orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta), imported from Italy, fit the bill quite nicely. I added peas because we needed another vegetable and they still symbolize spring to me. As you can see from my meal-preparation style, I believe a recipe to be only outstanding, if it can tolerate a few tweaks. On first bite, my husband said, "I LOVE celery"--so I hope you do too, although I tasted the buttery and mild leeks more than I did the celery.


Somehow I think Giada de Laurentis would approve of this meal....I can just see the end clip of her show as she sits in a sunlit piazza eating this pasta (yeah right, she doesn't eat!) with a glass of pinot grigio at her table (feel free to insert yourself in the picture).

SPRINGTIME PASTA WITH LEEKS AND RICOTTA

1/2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 small leeks, cleaned & coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 cup vegetable broth

Salt & lots of crushed black pepper (according to your taste)

1 1/2 lb. cooked gnocchi or 1/2 lb. pasta-about 8-9 oz (I obviously used smaller sized pasta)

2 cups ricotta cheese (part-skim is fine)

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (I had some wonderful Grano Padano, that my parents recently brought back from Italy, insead)

1/2 package frozen peas (I think this comes out to about 8 oz)

Minced fresh chives

Prepare the peas according to the package directions.

In a large skillet, heat together the butter and olive oil. Add the leeks, carrots, and celery over medium-heat. Add 1/2 cup of the broth and salt and pepper and continue to saute, adding more as the liquid is absorbed, until the leeks become very soft (about 25 minutes). Feel free to walk away & come back at intervals to check on the vegetables or work on the pasta (see next paragraph)--a person with small children can't very well stand by the stove the entire time!

Gently mix in the ricotta and Parmesan (or other hard Italian cheese) to the vegetables. Fold in the cooked peas.

If using pasta, cook according to package directions. If using gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat and add salt when water boils. Add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surfact (sign they are "done"). Reserve a bit of pasta water. Drain.

Add the pasta water to the ricotta mixture and gently stir (I'm leaving it to your discretion here to use as much as you'd wish, as we all like our sauces differently).

Mix in the cooked pasta or spoon pasta into prepared bowl & pour sauce over the pasta.

Top each bowl with freshly minced chives.

Serves 4-6.