I was trying to figure out something new to make with pasta. There is the traditional mac n cheese, or baked ziti, lasagna, penne vodka... But, I could not think of anything when it came to spaghetti....until I thought of spaghetti pie!
What you will need:
1 pound cooked spaghetti, cooled
½ cup marinara sauce
½ cup grated cheese blend (or mozzarella)
4 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Make the spaghetti according to the box directions.
Mix the cooled spaghetti, grated cheeses and eggs together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Add the oil to a large nonstick sauté pan or round baking dish and place in oven to heat up.
Once hot (around 5 minutes), add a handful of the spaghetti mixture to the pan and flatten it out to the edges. Lay the cheese on top and add another layer of the spaghetti mixture. Top with more cheese.
Cook for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Turn out onto a cutting board, slice as you would a pizza and serve.
Enjoy!
I absolutely love pizza! So when I got a good recipe for a pizza crust, it just gave me the excuse to eat more pizza during the week.
This is a great recipe when you don't want to wait for your dough to rise. You just mix it and let it rest for 5 minutes and then it's ready to go!
What you will need:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 tsp. white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 ½ cups flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll with a rolling pin. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pan or baker's peel.
Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
My friend made a shepherd's pie similar to this one a few week's back at a potluck get together weekend. I had never made shepherd's pie before, or had ever even tasted one! I tweaked her recipe a bit, OK really a lot! My husband always wants me to make it now and there are never any leftovers!
What you will need:
6 medium potatoes
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 head of broccoli
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. ground beef
1 small can tomato sauce
Pinch of ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Cut the potatoes into small cubes so they boil faster. Place all potatoes in salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender.
While the potatoes are boiling, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, broccoli and spices. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the tomato sauce and cook until the sauce darkens in color.
Add in the beef and break up any large clumps of meat. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes.
While the meat is cooking, drain the potatoes and mash using a hand blender or by hand. I add a little margarine to the potatoes so they stay creamy.
Transfer the meat mixture into a greased dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edge.
Bake until potatoes brown and the juices begin to bubble around the edges, about 40 minutes.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
I don't know about you, but pasta gets boring after a while. Pasta with sauce, baked ziti, spaghetti and meatballs. I thought I was over pasta, until I tried something new with it.
Skip all that red sauce, and just sauté some greens in olive oil and add some bread crumbs. This way is much healthier and you don't feel guilty about eating those pasta carbs!
What you will need:
Box of pasta
1 bunch of kale, washed and stems trimmed
A few stalks swiss chard
Handful of spinach
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup Seasoned bread crumbs
Handful of parsley
Olive oil
Boil the pasta according to it's directions.
In a large skillet, heat the olive on medium heat. Add your greens and lower the heat to low.
Allow the greens to slightly wilt. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Once the pasta is ready, drain and add to the skillet.
Mix the pasta into the greens and add the bread crumbs and a little more olive oil if it seems too dry.
Top it all off with some fresh parsley.
Plate it up and devour!
Enjoy!
What you will need:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Mix the cooled spaghetti, grated cheeses and eggs together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. 
Cook for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. 
