Farfalle with Sausage, Cannellini Beans, and Kale

**What would I do without friends? They supply me with such awesome recipes! This one is definitely a keeper. I made it for dinner a couple of weeks ago after buying some fresh kale at a farmers market. I had it for lunch the next two days (it's even good cold!). If you're not too worried about calories/fat, then add more sausage. I had never used kale before and had no idea what to do with it (so, naturally I googled it). Simply fold back each leaf and run your knife along the back to cut off the entire stem. Then chop it up, wash it, and toss it into the dish as directed.


*Use a vegetable peeler to shave fresh Parmesan cheese on top of this rustic pasta dish.

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package fresh kale
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 ounce shaved fresh Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid; keep warm.

Drain tomatoes in a small sieve over a bowl, reserving 2 teaspoons oil; slice tomatoes. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced tomatoes, reserved 2 teaspoons tomato oil, onion, and sausage to pan; cook 10 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute. Add seasoning, pepper, and broth to pan. Stir in kale; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Stir in pasta, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, and beans.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups pasta mixture and 2 teaspoons cheese)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 329(25% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 2.2g,mono 3g,poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 18.7g; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 204mg; SODIUM 669mg; FIBER 5g; IRON 4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.7g

Jeanne Kelley, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

This is a really fun twist on pasta salad! A friend, K, made this at our Cinco de Mayo dinner the other night. Luckily she sent me home with some leftovers so I got to have them for lunch the next day. Please try this. You won't regret it. =)

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked radiatore pasta (short coiled pasta)
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2/3 cup water
1 (1.25-ounce) package 40%-less-sodium taco seasoning (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese
2 cups chopped seeded tomato
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream
Salsa (optional)

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain; set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add turkey; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in water and taco seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates and the turkey is done, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Combine pasta, turkey mixture, reduced-fat cheese, and next 6 ingredients (through beans) in a large bowl.

Combine lime juice, salt, cumin, and sour cream, stirring until well blended. Pour over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve with salsa, if desired.

Yield

12 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 344(30% from fat); FAT 11.4g (sat 5.3g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 23.4g; CHOLESTEROL 51mg; CALCIUM 193mg; SODIUM 632mg; FIBER 3.6g; IRON 2.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.5g

Pizza Noodle Bake

Found this in a recent Simple & Delicious magazine. It is the first thing I've cooked in a long time that Alton would actually taste (this is the kid who will only eat mac n cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or nothing-if the alternative is eating what I prepared- for dinner). Then, believe it or not, he actually liked it! It's a miracle! So, this recipe's a keeper. Oh yeah, it was really easy to make, too. And very tasty.


10 oz. uncooked egg noodles
1-1/2 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jar (14 oz) pizza sauce
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 package (3-1/2 oz) sliced pepperoni

*Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

*Add pizza sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Drain noodles.

*In a greased 9 x 13 baking dish, layer half of the noodles, beef mixture, cheeses and pepperoni. Repeat layers. Cover and bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

**Variations: There are people in my house who don't like mushrooms or peppers, so I left those out. =( I used a mixture of ground beef, ground turkey, and some canadian bacon (because I happened to have some in my fridge). I also used turkey pepperoni and whole wheat egg noodles (with no yolks) to make it a little more healthful. It was so good!

Creamy Pasta Bake

1 jar or can (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 pkg (16 oz) rotini pasta, cooked
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup parmesan

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spoon into a 9 x 13 dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

A few years ago I asked my Mom for her mac 'n cheese recipe (it is what I always requested for my birthday dinner and what I still ask for whenever I go for a visit). Well, anyway, you know how that goes. She said "well, I don't have a recipe, I just sort of throw things in until it looks right." I tried a few times to get it right, but never could. Finally I came across this recipe on the back of a pasta box. It's not quite like Mom's, but it works for me.

2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2-1/2 cups milk (skim is fine)
2 Tbsp. margarine or butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz elbow macaroni noodles, cooked 7 minutes and drained

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In med. saucepan combine first three ingredients; stir in milk. Add margarine, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over medium high heat; boil one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-3/4 cups cheese until melted. Add noodles. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

**Variation: Before baking, stir in some cubed kielbasa or ham. I usually double this recipe and freeze the second casserole.

Spaghetti Casserole

I found this recipe in a Simple & Delicious magazine last year and it has become a favorite in our house. I especially love that is makes two casseroles so that I can freeze one for later. Most often, I will double the recipe and have several extra dishes to freeze.

1 package (16 oz) angel hair pasta
1-1/2 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (I just use cheddar)

*Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. Remove from the heat.

*Drain pasta. Combine soup and sour cream. In two 8-in square baking dishes, layer half of the meat sauce, pasta, soup mixture and cheese. Repeat layers.

*Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Baked Ziti

This is one of my all-time favorite dinner recipes from my dear friend, Michelle!

12 oz. uncooked ziti noodles (or whatever kind you have on hand)
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 oz sour cream
2 cans/jars spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, to taste

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles and drain (don't overcook them or they'll be soggy after casserole is baked). Mix well cream cheese and sour cream. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, layer half of cooked noodles, 2/3 can sauce, 1/2 of cream cheese mixture, remaining noodles, 2/3 can sauce, remaining cream cheese mixture, thin layer of sauce (just enough to cover top layer). Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned.

**Variation: add ground beef (or turkey) and/or diced tomatoes (well drained). Low fat versions of all ingredients work just as well.