If you are a follower of my recipes and haven't yet planted your own basil, well, it's never too late! :) This recipe is very quick and easy, courtesy of Southern Living. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
20 oz. *refrigerated* four-cheese ravioli (or 13 oz. three-cheese tortellini)
16 oz. jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 T white wine (or chicken broth)
14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained (or 2 med. fresh tomatoes, chopped)
1/2 C (big handful) chopped fresh basil
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil strips
1. Start water to boil and prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking to al dente.
2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a saucepan large enough to hold everything in the end. Pour wine into sauce jar, shake well and stir into saucepan.
3. Stir in tomatoes and basil and cook over med-low heat until thoroughly heated through.
4. When pasta is done, drain and add to sauce. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Dish up, top with Parmesan cheese and garnish if desired.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Family-Style Calzone
This is another Pampered Chef-inspired recipe... And a think ahead note: if you're not particularly fond of pepperoni and/or black olives, substitute chopped chicken and basil pesto! YUM!!Ingredients:
1 egg, separated
1/2 C chopped pitted ripe olives (small can, already chopped works perfect!)
1 container (about 15 oz) ricotta cheese (part-skim if desired)
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/4 C snipped fresh parsley
1 box Krusteaz Country White bread mix (including yeast packet)
1 T Italian seasoning
1 C very warm water
4 oz sliced pepperoni
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Separate egg, dropping white into a medium bowl. Reserve the yolk for later use.
3. Add olives, ricotta cheese, 1/2 C mozzarella, parmesan and parsley to the bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, prepare bread as directed on the box, adding the Italian seasoning with the water.
5. After kneading, divide the dough in half. Roll out one piece to fit the bottom of your baking dish. (I use a stoneware baker. If you use a regular baking dish, you should lightly grease and flour it 1st.)
6. Sprinkle 1/2 C mozzarella to within 1/2" of edge. Layer 1/2 of pepperoni then spread ricotta mixture evenly over pepperoni. Top with remaining pepperoni and mozzarella.
7. Roll out remaining dough and place over filling. Press dough all around to seal the edges.
8. Beat the reserved egg yolk and brush over dough with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with some more parmesan (I like to use shredded here.)
9. Cut slits in top crust. This is easiest to do with kitchen shears.
10. Bake for about 18 minutes, until deep golden brown. Keep a close eye so that it doesn't burn! Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
I've been bored with the same old things so going through my cookbooks... found a great and different way to do lasagna (courtesy of Pampered Chef, but I of course changed it up a bit)!! Following is the basic recipe but you can pack it full of vegetables - zucchini, squash, etc. for a healthy, hearty meal.
Ingredients:
8-10 No Bake Lasagna noodles I like Barilla
1 jar (about 16 oz) white Alfredo pasta sauce
1/4 C milk
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 C coarsely chopped cooked chicken (see Notes below)
--Leftover roasted chicken could be substituted as well!
14 oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1 (or 2) garlic cloves, pressed
12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 C (or as much as you want) fresh baby spinach leaves
Ok, 1st of all I found that it's very quick and much easier to prep everything 1st, using a food chopper to get all the chopping done rather than the old fashioned way... if you don't have one, they're a great investment!
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a bowl, whisk together Alfredo sauce, milk and oregano. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, artichokes, bell pepper, onions and garlic. Add cheeses and mix together well.
4. Assemble lasagna:
--Apread 2/3 C sauce mixture over bottom of a deep dish baker.
--Top with 1/2 of the noodles, overlapping where necessary.
--Layer 1/2 of the spinach, then 1/2 of the chicken mixture. (Here is where you can add whatever chopped veggies you prefer.)
--Repeat layers, starting w/ 1/2 of the remaining sauce.
--Top w/ remaining sauce.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbly.
6. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting to allow it to "set up".
This yields 6-8 big servings!
CHICKEN NOTE: To easily prepare chicken, place boneless, skinless breasts in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. By the time you have your veggies chopped, the chicken should have finished cooking. You can also use the food chopper for the chicken!!
Ingredients:
8-10 No Bake Lasagna noodles I like Barilla
1 jar (about 16 oz) white Alfredo pasta sauce
1/4 C milk
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 C coarsely chopped cooked chicken (see Notes below)
--Leftover roasted chicken could be substituted as well!
14 oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1 (or 2) garlic cloves, pressed
12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 C (or as much as you want) fresh baby spinach leaves
Ok, 1st of all I found that it's very quick and much easier to prep everything 1st, using a food chopper to get all the chopping done rather than the old fashioned way... if you don't have one, they're a great investment!
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a bowl, whisk together Alfredo sauce, milk and oregano. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, artichokes, bell pepper, onions and garlic. Add cheeses and mix together well.
4. Assemble lasagna:
--Apread 2/3 C sauce mixture over bottom of a deep dish baker.
--Top with 1/2 of the noodles, overlapping where necessary.
--Layer 1/2 of the spinach, then 1/2 of the chicken mixture. (Here is where you can add whatever chopped veggies you prefer.)
--Repeat layers, starting w/ 1/2 of the remaining sauce.
--Top w/ remaining sauce.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbly.
6. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting to allow it to "set up".
This yields 6-8 big servings!
CHICKEN NOTE: To easily prepare chicken, place boneless, skinless breasts in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. By the time you have your veggies chopped, the chicken should have finished cooking. You can also use the food chopper for the chicken!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)