Turkey Meatball Pasta Bake

I was looking through the starred posts on my Google reader when I came across this recipe from Reservations Not Required. I didn't realize quite how long this would take. I even used my Kitchen Aid mini chopper to chop the veggies and parsley. It was a good recipe - I wasn't sure how I would like the combo of sour cream and cream cheese, but it wound up tasting like a ricotta mixture. I would make this one again. Oh and the hubs took this picture with our new camera - it should be better than the pictures I've been posting :)

Turkey Meatball Pasta Bake

from Cooking with Paula Deen, September/October 2008

Makes about 8-10 servings

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup panko

1/4 cup minced green onion

1/4 cup minced red bell pepper (I omitted)

1 large egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 16 0z box rigatoni noodles, cooked and kept warm (I used rotini)

1 8 0z package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

Zesty Tomato Sauce, recipe follows

1 8 0z package shredded mozzarella cheese

1 5 oz package grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack over pan. Spray rack with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine turkey, breadcrumbs, green onion, bell pepper, egg, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, and salt. Shape mixture into golf ball-size balls; place on prepared cooling rack. Bake 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.

Lightly grease 13x9 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine hot cooked pasta, cream cheese and sour cream, stirring to combine. Spoon half of mixture into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with half of meatballs. Spoon half of Zesty Tomato Sauce over meatballs. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Repeat procedure with remaining noodle, meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Note: This dish can be made a day ahead of baking. It can also be prepared and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.

Zesty Tomato Sauce

Makes about 6 1/2 cups

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 tablespoon minced freshly parsley

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spaghetti a la Betsy

With apologies to The Pioneer Woman, I have modified her Penne A La Betsy and used spaghetti! Since I had leftover heavy cream, I decided to try this recipe since it's been in my Google reader forever. It was quite tasty. It reminds me of a recipe that I have made with sausage but instead of tomato sauce, it's 1 can of diced tomatoes.

Penne A La Betsy

from The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog

¾ pound penne pasta (I used thin spaghetti)

3 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound large shrimp

1 small white onion, finely chopped (I also added mushrooms)

2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3)

½ cup white wine

1 (8-ounce) can plain tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh parsley (I omitted)

5 chopped basil leaves, chiffonaded

salt & pepper to taste

Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, while water heats and pasta cooks, make the sauce. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes, until opaque.

Remove to a plate to let cool. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally.

While the onion and garlic are cooking, chop the shrimp into small, bite-sized pieces.

Add the wine to the pan and allow to reduce for a few minutes.

Stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Add shrimp back to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the parsley and basil and mix well.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Add the sauce to the pot and stir well to combine. Serve.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

One of my favorite dishes is chicken piccata. Now I already have a favorite recipe that I make all the time. I wasn't quite sure that anything could be as good. However, this recipe that I saw on Lauren's Kitchen and And A Cookie For Dessert sounded pretty damn good. So in the interest of trying something new, I took the plunge and it was actually quite good. Not quite as good as my tried and true recipe, but good in a different kind of way.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss
from Rachel Ray's website

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 6 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente (I used thin spaghetti)
  
• Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish (omitted)
  

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of EVOO and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5-6 minutes.Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.

Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon EVOO and one tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Sauté garlic and shallots three minutes. Add flour and cook two minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid one minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon
butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.

Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1-2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.

Swedish Meatballs

The other night, I had a yen for Swedish Meatballs. I have no reason why! Luckily I had a package of ground turkey and sour cream in the refrigerator. I also happened to have starred a recipe in my Google Reader so I was in luck. What follows below is the recipe from the A Taste of Home Cooking blog, originally a Rachel Ray recipe. Unfortunately, my picture is not quite as nice!

Swedish Meatballs and Egg Noodles

Comfort Foods: Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals

Meatballs

1 pound ground chuck, or ground beef, pork and veal mix

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1 small onion, finely chopped (or grated on a box grater)

A few drops Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup dry sherry

1 cup beef broth

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup sour cream

1 bag wide egg noodles

1 tablespoon butter

A handful of chopped parsley

Cook egg noodles according to package directions. While waiting for the water to boil, make the meatballs and sauce.

To bake meatballs: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients for meatballs in a medium-size bowl. Form bite-size balls and place on nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

To cook meatballs on the stovetop: preheat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Mix ingredients for meatballs in a medium-size bowl. Form bite-size balls and add directly to the pan as you roll them. Once the last ball has been rolled, give the pan a good shake and place a lid or aluminum foil over the top. Cook meatballs 10 to 12 minutes, turning them occasionally. Remove meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate, wipe out pan, and return to heat to make the sauce.

To make the sauce: melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and continuously whisk until a smooth paste is formed. Slowly add sherry while continuing to whisk sauce; cook until sherry reduces by half. Add broth in a slow stream and continue to whisk until sauce thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Turn off heat and whisk in salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and sour cream.

Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and toss with butter and parsley. Add meatballs to the sauce, stir to coat, and serve over the noodles.

Cajun Pasta

Here's one of our favorite dishes from my Southern Living cookbook - Cajun Pasta. I didn't have green or red peppers on hand, so I used mushrooms which I love.

Cajun Pasta
from Southern Living Cookbook Classics

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 pound unpeeled medium-size fresh shrimp
2 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 pound andouille or Cajun smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used red wine and it turned out fine)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning (I used Emeril's Essence)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon cracked pepper (optional)
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (16-ounce) package fettuccine, uncooked

Bring water to a boil; add shrimp, and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Brain; rinse with cold water. Peel shrimp, and devain, if desired. Set aside.

Cook chicken and next 3 ingredients in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until meat is lightly browned; remove chicken mixture from skillet and set aside.

Add wine to skillet. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until wine is reduced to 1/4 cup.

Combine chicken broth and flour, stirring until smooth. Add chicken broth mixture, whipping cream, Cajun seasoning, tomato paste, and if desired, cracked pepper to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Add chicken mixture and pepper strips; cook until thoroughly heat. Keep warm.

Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain. Combine fettuccine and chicken mixture. Toss gently.

Serves 6 to 8.

Not Your Mama's Tuna Noodle Casserole

No cream of crap here. Every now and then, I get a craving for Tuna Noodle Casserole. I love this recipe from my Betty Crocker Cookbook. It uses a mixture of flour and real milk instead of canned soup. I also like topping it with crushed plain potato chips!
Tuna-Pasta Casserole
from Betty Crocker's Cookbook Bridal Edition

Crumb Topping (see below) or 2/3 cup crushed potato chips
1 1/4 cups uncooked medium pasta shells or elbow macaroni (about 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded sharp process American or cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup frozen (thawed) green peas
2 (6-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained

Crumb Topping
2/3 cup crushed cereal (Wheaties, Cheerios or Country cornflakes or dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted

1. Heat oven to 350°. Make Crumb Topping; set aside.

2. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

3. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in 1 1/2-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese until melted.

4. Mix pasta, broccoli, tuna and sauce in ungreased 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with topping. Bake uncovered about 5 minutes or until topping is toasted.

Crumb Topping
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
Mix ingredients.

With a little help from my friends

Tonight I didn't feel like cooking. I made this meal with a little help from my "friends"--Bertolli Vodka Sauce and store-bought fresh tortollinis stuffed with chicken and prosciutto. Add some grilled asparagus and texas toast. Presto - instant dinner!