Melanie's Tortellini

I'm calling this "Melanie's Tortellini" because "Italian Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Tortellini with Burnt Butter & Basil Tomato Sauce" is kind of a mouth full.
This is one of those complete accident recipes - I just started throwing what I had in the fridge together & ended up with this - and it is to die for!  I'm not going to lie - this one is a lot of work.  There are a bunch of little steps, but it comes together quickly.  For me it's well worth the 30-45 minutes of prep time - the trade off is that it only takes 5 minutes to cook!  I love it & hope you enjoy it too!

This is a HUGE Recipe!  When I make it there is enough to feed my family for dinner & have left over's for lunch the next day.

PASTA
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour {or you can use freshly ground soft white wheat - that's my favorite!}
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
1 tsp olive oil

Sift together 2 cups flour & salt.  Pour onto counter & make a well in the center.  Combine eggs, water & oil.  Pour into center of well & use a fork to combine with flour until it forms a ball.  If you need more flour, lightly sprinkle some on & knead until dough is soft & elastic (8-10 minutes).
*If you add too much flour the dough is shot & there is no going back.  I tend to keep it a little on the sticky side because I'll add more when I roll it out.*
Cover & set aside to rest while you make the cheese filling.

Cheese Filling
15 oz ricotta {you'll need to drain off the excess liquid.  A few hours before I start I line a colander with cheese cloth & a bowl underneath & let it sit in the fridge.  Then right before I start putting it together I squeeze out as much liquid as I can.  You want the ricotta pretty dry}
1 cup shredded mozzarella*
1 cup shredded Parmesan*
2 oz cream cheese*
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz baby spinach leafs, washed & chopped

*Kraft makes a 5 Italian Cheese mix with Cream Cheese - which is a great substitution.

In a saucepan heat oil & add spinach.  Saute until spinach leaves are soft & just start to wilt.  Set aside to let cool.  Combine drained ricotta, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese,  cream cheese, & salt.  Stir in cooled spinach.

Next comes the fun {& time consuming} part.  Start by dividing your pasta dough into 4 equal parts - this will make life easier!  On a lightly floured surface roll each potion to about a 12" square, or 1/16" thick.  Cut dough into circles & add filling.  {I use a 2.25" cutter & 1 tsp filling - it is the perfect bite size for me & I cut them in 1/2 for my kids}

Next wet 1/2 of the outside edge of the pasta.  Fold it over to form a semi-circle & press tightly closed.  Fold up the sealed side & bring the 2 ends together pressing/sealing together (hopefully the picture above helps).  Set finished Tortellini aside on a lightly floured towel.

Have a large pot of boiling water ready before you start the sauce - this last part takes about 5 minutes to finish & you're ready to serve!
Burnt Butter Basil & Tomato Sauce
4 Tbsp Butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
30-40 fresh Basil leaves
30 oz diced tomatoes

In a large skillet, melt butter & cook until it just starts to turn light golden brown - be careful not to let it go too dark.  Lower heat & add basil leaves & garlic.  Cook until leaves have just started to wilt & add diced tomatoes.

Add your pasta to the boiling water (I do it in 2 batches).  It take about 2 minutes to cook the pasta - you know it's done because they will all float.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop out pasta, drain, & add right to the pan of tomato sauce.  Let everything simmer together for a minute or too & then plate it up.  We really like cheese, so I usually sprinkle some more Parmesan over the top.

Meatballs

So I basically took this recipe, tossed in a few root vegetables, but shaped them into meatballs. Then I dipped them in marinara sauce, slapped 'em on a hoagie, and threw on some mozzarella cheese. It was fan-freakin-tastic. But then again, it doesn't take much to get me excited about food.

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion (1 Tbsp dehydrated)
2 Tbsp snipped parsley (1 tsp dried)
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2-3 Tbsp powdered milk (You can use 3/4 cup milk, but I was lazy and just threw in the powder)

Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into meatballs and place on lightly greased sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-45 minutes, depending on the size. Mine were slightly larger than golf balls and baked in about 35 minutes.

Ratatouille

I've heard of ratatouille before... I don't know why I've never tried it, because I LOVE eggplant. Now that Disney has made Ratatouille famous, at least in our house, I thought I'd actually try to make it. I should have done this sooner ~ it is awesome!

8 strips of bacon (you can use more if you're a meat lover, but 8 slices is what I had in my fridge)
1 small onion, sliced
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 large eggplant, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and let cool enough to crumble. Drain grease out of pan, but leave renderings.

In bacon pan, cook onion in the olive oil just until the onion starts to become translucent. Add garlic, bacon, diced tomatoes, tomato paste & salt. Simmer for a few minutes.

Spread 1/2 sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Layer with eggplant, zucchini, squash & cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour or until hot and bubbly.

*I'm fairly confident you could freeze this because everything in it freezes really well. You could also easily make it a vegetarian dish by substituting the bacon with portabella mushroom. Or just take out the bacon and use only the tomato sauce.

Spaghetti Squash

I love squash... every kind of squash. But I'm never sure what to do with it, so I usually end up cooking it and eating it plain with as a side.
Ariel introduced me to this idea. The next time you make spaghetti, instead of using spaghetti noodles, try using spaghetti squash. Seriously ~ this is DELICIOUS!

Veggie Pasta Shells

24 jumbo pasta shells
10 oz. vegetable broth or water
1 carrot, shredded
1 potato, shredded
1 onion finely chopped
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, optional
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce

Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package directions. Rinse, drain and cool. In sauce pan heat broth or water to boiling. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and onions and cook 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender. Drain vegetables well. Combine with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses and egg. Add Italian seasoning. Fill each cooked pasta shell.

Freeze at this point. To cook, either defrost and follow the cooking directions below, or increase cooking time to 45-60 minutes.

Pour 1-2 cups spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan, place the filled shells in the dish, and cover with the remaining spaghetti sauce. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant has been one of my big pregnancy cravings... and thankfully my 2 year old LOVES it! Eggplant can look a little intimidating, but it really is delicious! And it also freezes like a champ!

1 small eggplant
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp milk
1/8 cup flour
1/8 cup bread crumbs
2-3 Tbsp cooking oil, or Italian salad dressing
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Wash eggplant, and cut cross wise into 1/4" tick slices.

Combine egg and milk, set aside. Combine flour & breadcrumbs (you can also season this, salt & pepper, garlic powder, oregano, etc.), set aside.

Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture and then into flour, turning to coat both sides.

In a large skillet, cook eggplant in hot oil or Italian dressing for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Place cooked eggplant slices in a single layer in a baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses; repeat layers.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Cheesy Mostaccioli

1 package (16 oz) mostaccioli pasta, cooked
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (11 oz) cheddar cheese soup
3 cups (12 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Brown and drain meat.

Add seasonings to meat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and soup. Combine pasta, sauce mixture, and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in casserole dish. Mix to combine. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Zuppa Toscana

This recipe is very similar to what you would order at Olive Garden ~ delicious!

1/2 pound Italian sausage
1/2 pound pork sausage
2 large russet baking potatoes, cubed
1 large white onion, chopped
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale or Swiss chard, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Thoroughly mix the Italian and pork sausage. Patty out to 1/4 thickness on a baking sheet, and bake at 325 for 30 minutes, or until sausage is completely cooked. Drain on paper towels and cut into cubes.

Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, and garlic in a pot. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes. turn to low heat, add kale and cream. Heat through and serve, topping with Parmesan cheese.