Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

It's pumpkin time! We have been enjoying fall like weather the past few weeks here in Georgia and we are LOVING it.  I came across this recipe and tried it a few weeks ago. Max normally loves noodles, but they have to be plain. Well Max and Kinsley both DEVOURED this meal, as is. So I made it again this week. This recipe comes from Mix and Match Mama. 

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)

1 pound sausage (I used mild chicken sausage)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped (I left out since mom doesn't like onions, but they would be wonderful in this meal)
1 can chicken broth
1 can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just good old Libby's canned pumpkin)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese...as much or as little as your family likes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper...of course!

Bring one large pot of water up to a boil for your pasta. Drop pasta in and cook 5-7 minutes depending on how done you like your pasta.

In another large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown and crumble the sausage. After sausage has browned, add in onion and garlic and saute 4 to 5 minutes.  Once sausage and onion mixture is sauteed, pour in chicken broth to de-glaze your pan. Lower heat to low and let chicken broth simmer 2-3 minutes.  Stir in your pumpkin and heat through about 3 minutes.

Drain your pasta and add to sausage pan.  Stir in your cheese and that's it!  You're done!

Friday Letters & Baked Ziti with Sausage & Spinach

Dear weekend, It's going to be a busy, but fun one.  I have a get together tonight, Max has a birthday party tomorrow, we're going out to celebrate our anniversary Saturday night and it's our volunteer night at church Sunday.  Dear House, I think you got the point by our busy schedule that you should just clean yourself.  Thanks, much appreciated.  Dear 4th of July, yay for Family coming into town Wednesday night.  We are excited to see Chris, Marla, James, Shell, Maddie and Hadley!  We are also excited Michelle and Hadley are staying for almost 2 weeks! Dear Max, I am glad you are finally feeling like your self this week. You are just such a doll.  You really are understanding everything we say to you. You've even been plugging your nose when you are about to go poo poo in your diaper.  Gigi always says "pooopy stinky" when she changes your dirty diaper, so now you associate it with your poopy and you tell us right before (sometimes after) that you've gone.

I wanted to post this recipe for Baked Ziti with Sausage and Spinach because it is SO YUMMY.  I love most everything that has pasta in it, especially when you mix a little red (tomatoes) and green (spinach/kale). It feels healthy and just tastes so good! This recipe comes from Recipe Shoebox.

The ingredients:
3 cups uncooked ziti or penne pasta (about 10-oz) We used whole grain.
2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 lb. spicy Italian sausage, sliced (we used chicken sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5-oz each) diced tomatos
1/4 cup pesto   
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 cups fresh spinach, chopped (about 8-oz)
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed on package.  Drain and set aside.  Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Saute onion and garlic just until soft  (about 5 minutes).  Add sausage slices and cook until browned (about 5 minutes).  Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Stir in pesto.  Add salt and pepper.  Lightly oil 9x13-inch baking dish.  Combine cooked pasta, chopped spinach, mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour into baking dish.

 Pour pasta sauce over top and stir together.  Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over the top.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
 

One Pot Wonder- Tomato Basil Pasta

This is a pretty cool way to cook pasta without having to wait for the water to boil.  A lot of time it's hard to find a spaghetti sauce that is so great that you love every drop when eating it.  This recipe makes your noodles so flavorful and you can really make any combo of ingredients to throw in the pot.

Recipe from Apron Strings. Serves 4 to 6 as an entree
1 box 12-13 ounces linguine pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid (she recommended zesty red pepper flavor, I used plain)
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips (we left it out and it was still tasty, but I'd add it if you like onions)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped (I used dried basil, but if you have fresh, use it)
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)

Handful of Kale
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

 Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil. This was before I squished it all down so the liquid was covering the noodles.  I also broke the noodles in half so they would fit better.

Cover pot and bring to a boil. This is when I added in the kale, I didn't want to add it too soon, but it tasted great in there.  Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired . Mine took about 20 minutes for the liquid to evaporate instead of the 10 she says so keep an eye on it. I also turned the heat off and let it soak up more at the end.

 Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese. Guess what- this was a meatless meal! Experiment with all the different things you can put in. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Friday Letters & Food Friday-Pesto Tortellini Salad

Dear Friday, I always seem to start out with Friday on these letters. It's a great day, because the weekend is almost here! We have a lot planned (as usual-I'm a planner), but it's nice to have a to-do list or I would seriously do nothing. On the list for the weekend: set up David's Moms' new Ipad they got her for mother's day, cars oil changed, get and put down pine straw, finish my embroidery projects, sort papers/old mail in the office, meal planning/grocery shopping, graduation party, pool party, drawing out plans for fence for HOA and of course playing with buddy. Dear David, Yay! Glad you are back in town, you were gone too long this week. Can't wait to see you.  Dear Max and Mom, I am jealous of your day you have planned. Kinsley is hanging with family today so Mom and Max are heading to play in the fountains, maybe the mall and lunch. Dear Blurb Blog Book, I am still working on you for my pregnancy book. It seems easy enough, but when they take 1 post and make it 10 pages, that isn't cool so now I have to go through and spend 30 mins per post and that is not fun, but it's necessary. I have got to get on this.

I had a lot of requests for me to put up this recipe after people saw it on instagram (follow me at Jens871). This recipe is a great main meal dish or would be great for a pot luck side.  They said to eat it cold, but who has time for that so we ate it warm and it was great. This recipe comes from Katies Cucina.

Ingredients
    1 package of refrigerated whole wheat tortellini (I used 2 and doubled recipe for leftovers for lunch)
    ½ bag of spinach (I used kale pieces)
    ¼ cup pesto from sauce aisle
    ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
    ¼ cup artichoke hearts, drained and cut (get the non marinated kind)
    3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
    ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
    In a large pot boil water and cook tortellini according to directions. During the last 30 seconds of cooking add the spinach and wilt. Drain the pasta and spinach and place in a large bowl.
    In a small saute pan toast the pine nuts until they are golden brown then set to the side. This step is a must, I know it's easier if you don't do it, but it doesn't take long and really does make a difference taste wise.
    In the large bowl with the tortellini and spinach add the pesto, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, toasted pine nuts, and grated parmesan cheese. Mix well until incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve cold. Remember, if you are pressed for time, this is really a simple weeknight meal that can be eaten warm and was delicious! One thing that is also great about this, it's meatless and filling!

Mother's Day Broccoli & Grape Pasta Salad

This recipe would be a great addition to any Mother's day menu. It's perfect for the main course or for a side.  I made this for Max's 1st Birthday party and it is jam packed with goodies to eat.  There is not enough time to post recipes all the time anymore so when I post one I seriously mean it's that good so get to work (better yet, have your husbands make it for you for mother's day). 

This recipe comes from My Recipes.

Ingredients-

    1 cup chopped pecans
    1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta (I used almost the whole pound)
    1 pound fresh broccoli
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1/3 cup sugar
    1/3 cup diced red onion (optional)
    1/3 cup red wine vinegar
    1 teaspoon salt
    2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
    8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled (I used the pre-done ones)

 

 Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.

Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl

Add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

 

Happy Mother's day to all the moms and those who step up as moms of fur babies or real babies. I am so thankful for my original baby (Molly) and for Max. Have a great weekend.

Friday Letters & Food Friday-Broccoli Ravioli Bake

Dear Friday, Yay! You are here. And with you here means that my sister, Hadley, James and Maddie are visiting!! They got in early this morning (1am) and I got to hold and love on little Miss. Hadley for a few minutes.  My cousin Christie and her husband Adam are also coming to visit this weekend so I'm excited. Hurry up day.  Dear Weather, Blah- Rain all weekend. Not cool. Dear Person Who Stole My Debit Card Number, not cool either. They used it at a Federal Express in Memphis or so it says. Good thing I'm a freakin bank stalker and caught it within hours.  Dear Self, April is almost over (crazy right) and you didn't finish most of your April goals... Better step it up next month.

This Food Friday recipe comes to you from Mix and Match Mama (Sean from the bachelors' sister). I modified it a little bit. This is SO simple to make and takes less than 5 minutes to put together. The rest of the time is just baking.  This makes the perfect week night meal that everyone will LOVE.

Ingredients-

1 package of frozen ravioli thawed in refrigerator (any flavor) or you can use refrigerated ravioli but those are more expensive and you need more of them.

1 box frozen chopped broccoli

1 (16 oz) jar alfredo sauce (I liked the Newmans Own she recommends)

1 cup milk (I used almond milk)

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Layer in a 9x13 baking dish, ravioli, broccoli, Alfredo sauce and milk. 

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together in a small bowl your Panko, Parmesan and Italian seasoning.  After the 30 minutes is up, remove the foil and spread your breadcrumb mixture over the top.  Pop the casserole back in the oven uncovered and bake another 15 minutes or until slightly brown and bubbly.

All done! How simple was that.  It was a hit in our family so I wanted to make sure I archived it on the blog.

One of the Best Homemade Lasagna Recipes Ever!

It's friday and time for another installment of fabulous food friday! When I see a recipe that says best recipe ever I am willing to give it a try. I recently made a homemade lasagna that I found from Family Ever After via Oopsey Daisy. It lived up to the hype, I really loved it.

Ingredients:

Ragu Sauce-

Olive Oil

Butter

1 onion

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

2 garlic cloves

1 lb. ground sausage

1 14oz can tomato sauce, or a handful of fresh tomatoes

1 can vegetable broth

s&p

Bechamel Sauce-

2 TB butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

salt and pepper

 pinch of nutmeg

Other- 

pasta sheets (I recommend Barilla no boil)

mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese

butter

Directions:

 To make the Ragu-

1.Wash and chop onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

2. Heat butter and oil in pot. Saute vegetables briefly (I forgot celery so I left it out).

3. Add sausage. Saute.

4. Add tomato sauce, stock, salt and pepper.

5. Simmer on low for 1 hour.

To make the Bechamel (a white sauce)-

1. Melt butter. Add flour, stirring with a whisk, appx 1 minute.

2. Slowly add milk, then cream, stirring constantly.

3. Simmer on low until thickened, 5-10 minutes.

4. Season with s&p and nutmeg.

Assemble-

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread a teeny tiny layer of the bechamel, preventing the pasta from sticking to the bottom.

3. The layers will be in this order- pasta, ragu, bechamel, mozzarella. Repeat 3 times.

4. Top with parmesan and a few pats of butter. (you don't have to do the butter, but its amazing)!

5. Bake for 40 minutes.

It really was as amazing as it looked. I am really bad at taking pictures of it nice and plated because I eat it so fast. It was fantastic. Have a great weekend!

Sasuage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I am slowly trying to bank up some meals for the freezer for when baby Max is born. Right now I am just doubling recipes that I am having for dinner. This recipe I found off of pinterest and it's from Inspired Taste. Keep in mind that I doubled the recipe and I don't like ricotta cheese so I just used Parmesan instead. I also used sweet sausage and turkey sausage to be a little more healthy.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells-

Ingredients-

• 16-18 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 pound fresh sausage links, casing removed
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 onion
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 can crushed tomatoes 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little oil and onion and cook for a few minutes. Add sausage then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned. 

Add garlic and cook 30 seconds then add tomatoes and spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.

Using a spoon, fill pasta shells with pork filling and arrange in a baking dish (9-inch x 9-inch baking dish works well). The smaller pan is for the freezer and the bigger one was dinner and lunches for the next day.

I just mixed the crushed tomatoes with some Italian seasonings and poured on top. Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese then bake in the oven 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and tips of shells begin to crisp and brown. If you are freezing, just your shells get to room temperature and put in the freezer with a foil lid.

Yummy Shells.

They are time consuming to stuff, but definitely worth it.

We got these aluminum containers at Sams club in the bulk pack and got the lids to go with it to make easy stacking in the freezer. I also wrote directions on the front. David asked that I put the expiration date instead of the date I made it so there would be no confusion. I've read that freezer meals last about 3 months in the freezer so that's what I put on the date.

All set to go. I want to make a bunch more as time permits, just need to clear some space out of the freezer.

Bolognese Sauce

This weekend we had dinner with some friends and David's parents, but other than that David had class and I hung around the house and went on errands. I got some cute decorations for the gender reveal party, went to Pet Smart for molly food, went to home goods (didn't buy anything) and I grocery shopped! I was craving some pasta with meat sauce all weekend so I decided to make some yesterday.

It was also the first time that I used my dutch oven skillet pan. The Pioneer Woman uses hers ALL the time and I happened to be using her recipe so I thought I'd do as she does. This is her Bolognese Sauce.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 cup Grated Carrots
• 1 whole Large Red Onion, Diced
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil Flakes
• 1 can (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup (to 2 Cups) Red Wine
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
• 2 cans (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
• 1 cup Milk
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Start by grating your carrots (I only needed 2 whole carrots) and dicing your red onion. 

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef.

Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together.

Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

I interrupt your recipe viewing for some funny doggie pictures. Molly loves when we pour new dog food into her container, I've posted on this before.

She always eats it mid air and tries to catch it.

Then she sticks her mouth right in the container and munches on some more.

 Serve over noodles. I chose linguine. It makes enough for 2 lbs of pasta or 8 hefty servings.

Serve with a nice garden salad.

Voila! I loved it. Tips and notes: the sauce was a little runny (I added some cornstarch) and I might add another can of tomato paste to make it more red. The color was a bit brown so not typical pasta sauce. David devoured it and said he missed my cooking, isn't that sweet. Hope you all had a great weekend.