Pork & Sausauge Ragout over pasta.

Delicious ragout made by Winnie!  Our family loved that you can taste the sausage and that it filled everyone up!

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup ragout, 1 cup pasta, and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

• 1  pound  boned pork loin
• 1  (4-ounce) link hot turkey Italian sausage
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 3/4  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4  cup  Zinfandel or other dry red wine
• 1  (28-ounce) can Italian-style whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 4  cups  hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Romano cheese
• Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

• Preparation

  Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 1/4-inch cubes.  Remove casing from sausage. Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon. Add onion to pan; saute 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add pork, and sauté 5 minutes. Add sausage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir in broth and wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Serve over pasta, and sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.
  Freezing instructions: After cooking ragout, place in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Cool completely in refrigerator; freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, place bag in a large pot of boiling water (do not unseal bag). Cook 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove the bag from water using tongs. While ragout is reheating, grate the cheese, and cook the pasta according to package instructions, omitting salt and fat.

Classic Lasagna.

This recipe is very similar to a standard recipe, but I increased the amount of sauce. I find that one jar of sauce is too little.

 

1-2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 lb ground beef

500g ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 700ml jars/cans of pasta sauce

3/4 cup water

9-12 lasagna noodles, depending on the shape of the pan (use the express, no cook kind)

Italian seasoning, to taste

 

1. In a large pan, heat oil and cook garlic and onion until tender.

2. In the same pan, scramble fry ground beef (and then drain if necessary).

3. Add sauce and water to the meat mixture. Add some italian seasoning or oregano and basil to taste. Mix well.

4. In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 of mozzarella cheese and spinach.

5. In a 13x9" baking dish, spread 1/4 of the meat sauce, then put one layer of noodles on top. Spread another 1/4 of the meat sauce on top of the noodles, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture, then a layer of noodles. Repeat the meat sauce, cheese and noodles layers. Spread remaining meat sauce on top and then top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

6. To bake immediately, cover loosely with foil and bak at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. Let it stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

7. To freeze, place the lasagna in the pan in the freezer. Once it's frozen solid, you can remove it from the pan and place it in a freezer bag. It will take more than 12 hours to freeze solid. It can't be baked from frozen, so it will need to be defrosted completely in the fridge before baking. You can remove it from the freezer bag and place it in the dish you will use to bake it in while it is defrosting. You will need to increase baking time to about 60-75 minutes at 350 degrees when cooking it from the cold fridge.

8. Lagana can also be made the night before and kept in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. You will just need to cook it for about 60-75 minutes because it will be cold.

Thanks, LB!  So delicious!  Especially with your garlic bread!

Deluxe Mac and Cheese with crispy pine nut-herb crust.

 Some cooks just have a knack for making something as basic as macaroni and 

cheese a dish to get excited about. Here is a jazzy adult version that is loaded with 

garlic, fresh herbs and a crispy crust. Kids will love this one too. 

serves 10 

6 cups dry Pasta shapes, we use serpentini 

1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil 

1 large yellow onion, minced 

2 tsp (1O mL) salt 

8 garlic cloves, minced 

1/3 cup (8O mL) chopped oregano 

2 tbsp (3O mL) chopped thyme 

112 cup (12O mL) chopped ltalian parsley 

1/4 cup (60 mL) butter 

3 1/2 cups (14O mL) milk 

114 cup (60 mL) unbleached flour 

4 cups (960 mL) grated aged white cheddar 

4 cups (960 mL) fresh breadcrumbs 

1 cup (24O mL) grated Parmesan 

1/]2 cjup (12O mL) pine nuts 

Directions:

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until just done. Strain and 

toss with a light coating of olive oil. Set aside or refrigerate. 

(This step can be done one day in advance.) 

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp ('15 mL) olive oil in a small skillet and 

saut6 onion for 5 minutes. Add half of the minced garlic, 1/2 tsp 

(2.5 mL) salt and saut6 until the garlic turns golden. Transfer to 

a small bowl and stir in half of the chopped herbs. Set aside. 

Next, make a roux for the cheese sauce. Gently heat the milk 

and keep it warm. Set a saucepan over medium heat and melt 

the butter. Sprinkle in flour and whisk constantly as the flour and 

butter turn golden. 

Gradually add the warm milk and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and whisk thoroughly. 

Heat until the bauce thickens (about 10 minutes). 

Add the sautéed onion/herb mix, grated cheese and stir until the cheese melts. 

Season to taste. 

Finally, make the topping. Combine the breadcrumbs with the 

remaining garlic, herbs, Parmesan, pine nuts, 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) 

salt, plenty of cracked pepper and the remaining 3 tbsp (45 

mL) olive oil. Mix together thoroughly. 

Pre-heat the oven to 35O F. To assemble, combine the noodles 

and cheese sauce in a large bowl and mix well. Pour into an 

oiled 8" x 12" baking dish. Scatter the topping over the entire 

surface, working some of it into the noodles. Bake uncovered 

until golden and bubbly (about 45 minutes). Serve piping hot.

For a delicious variation, substitute the 

cheddar cheese with a mix of fontina 

and mozzarella, or asiago and Monterrey Jack.

Freezer Directions: 

Freezes very well.

Freeze the  topping loose in a freezer bag, and the mac and cheese in a foil baking dish, covered with plastic wrap or tin foil.

To Bake, thaw in refrigerator overnight before baking.  Add topping right before it goes into the oven.

Taken from the Rebar Modern Food cookbook. p162

Baked Penne With Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

Proud to show off the pre-swapped dishes!

Serves 4


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can or half of a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 12 ounces penne (3/4 box)
• 1 5-ounce package baby spinach
• 8 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (about 1/2 ounce)
• green salad, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes.
2. Cut up the whole tomatoes in the can with scissors or crush by hand. Add to the saucepan with the vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Cook the penne for half the package directions’ recommended time. 
4. Add the spinach to the sauce and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. 
5. Place half the pasta mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish and sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Top with the remaining pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan.
6. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until bubbling and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with the salad (if desired).
7. To freeze and cook later: Freeze the unbaked pasta, tightly sealed, for up to 3 months. To cook, thaw the pasta and bake, uncovered, on a rimmed baking sheet at 400° F until heated through, bubbling, and beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Taken from:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/great-dinner-swap-00000000039507/page2.html  (Big batch recipe and single family recipe on the site.)


Thanks, DM!  Great recipe!