Penne Rosa with Shrimp

Made this last night from a Noodles and Company copycat recipe.  It was so good, I woke up craving it this morning. 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces whole wheat penne
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 1/2 lb.) chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 10 ounces medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook penne until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften.
3. Add in tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Turn heat up to medium-high and add in shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Remove from heat, add in spinach and cover skillet. Let spinach wilt for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove lid and place skillet back over low heat. Add the penne, Greek yogurt and pasta sauce. Stir until sauce is mixed well and all pasta and veggies are coated. Heat until just warmed through. Divide into pasta bowls and serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Oven-Baked Mostaccioli

I can't believe it's taken me this long to post a good recipe for mostaccioli!  This one is layered like lasagna in all the good ways, but takes a lot less time and effort than lasagna with the same mouth-watering effects later. The original recipe was taken from Donna S. over at Food.Com but I've made a couple small changes to give it some extra flavor.  Makes a 9x13inch pan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 32oz jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 16oz mostaccioli pasta, cooked, drained and tossed with
• 2 tsp veggie oil
• 16oz mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch of fennel (optional)
• 1/4 tsp italian seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Cook turkey (or beef) with onion until brown
3. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and water.  Sauce will be watery! This is okay!
4. Add in your seasonings (garlic salt, garlic powder, italian seasoning, fennel, salt & pepper).
5. Bring your sauce to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Pour in 1 1/2 cups meat sauce in 9x13 inch baking dish
7. Add in half the pasta as a layer
8. Layer 2 cups mozzarella then all parmesan cheese
9. Layer 2 cups sauce, then remaining pasta, then all but 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
10. Top with remaining sauce
11. Add just a few more pinches of mozzarella for the finishing touch
12. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly

Garlic Parmesan Noodles

Okay, well the fridge is full of condiments and the cupboards are full of random types of beans and too many cans of diced tomatoes. The problem is, I'm starving and there's not even a package of Cup O' Noodles for me to scarf down before heading to class. So what did I do? I grabbed an old package of egg noodles that had been sitting in my kitchen for a couple months and cooked them. Then, I whipped up this super easy recipe that left me filled for hours.

Ingredients:

• Any type of noodles (I used egg noodles)
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• Garlic Salt
• Pepper
• Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Cook your noodles until al dente.
2. Strain em.
3. Add your butter.
4. Sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
5. Consume.

Quick. Cheap. Easy.... 'Nuff said.

Lasagna

I had my 8 year old nephew over for the weekend, and he wanted to make lasagna.  So he did! Yeah, I bought a couple ingredients, but if my 8 year old nephew can make this recipe, so can you.
Thanks to Recipedose.com for the picture (I ate my lasagna before I could take a picture of it, but this is pretty much what it looks like when it's done).

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes (we used fire roasted tomatoes)
• 1 small box lasagna noodles
• 15 oz Ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c parmesan
• 1 large bag shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown your turkey/beef, and then add in the tomatoes and spaghetti sauce.  Season to taste.
3. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, and parmesan together.
4. Spray an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with cooking spray (or wipe it down with some cooking oil).
5. Begin making your layers:
1. Meat sauce
2. Noodles (break them to fit the size of the pan if needed-- you can cook them before hand, but you don't have to.
3. Cheese mixture
4. Mozzarella
6. If you have room, go ahead and begin the layering again, starting with the meat sauce.
1. However, if you run out of room, just be sure to end with Mozzarella on top.
7. Put foil over the pan and peak it like a tent--that way the cheese won't stick to the foil.
8. Bake for 1 hour, then remove the foil, then continue baking for 15 minutes or until the cheese is browned.
9. Remove from the oven, let it cool a little bit, then enjoy!

Tomato Garlic Chicken Pasta

Here's a new recipe I tried last night from MizzNezz over at RecipeZaar:

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons oregano 
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

1. Start your noodles.
2. Cut breasts in 1/2 crosswise,then in strips lenghtwise.
3. Mix salt, pepper, oregano,and flour in shallow dish.
4. Add chicken pieces, stir to cover.
5. Heat butter and oil in lg skillet.
6. Add strips, cook and stir until browned.
7. Add tomatoes and garlic, cook and stir 3 minutes.
8. Add basil and lime juice.
9. Blend well, then serve hot over your pasta.

Penne Arrabiata

Seriously, save this recipe until your parents come to visit.  You'll totally impress them with this (Trust me, I tried it).  It's a little more advanced than my other recipes, but I know you can do it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with garlic and olive oil if you have it)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped (or just pour in a bunch of the dried kind if that's all you have)
• 1 (12 ounce) package dried penne pasta
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups bread crumbs (or 1 package of crushed Ritz crackers)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound thin chicken breast cutlets

Directions

1. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes.
3. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute.
4. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil.
5. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile...

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2. Add penne pasta, and cook for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
3. In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork.
4. Place bread crumbs/crumbled Ritz crackers in a separate bowl.
5. Stir the garlic powder, salt and pepper into the bread crumbs.
6. Dip chicken cutlets into the egg, then press into the bread crumbs until completely coated.
7. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken for about 5 minutes per side, or until the coating is a nice dark brown color.
8. Remove chicken, and cut into slices.
9. Toss the chicken slices into the sauce, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
10. Stir in the cooked penne, simmer for a few more minutes to soak up the flavor, then serve to your very impressed parents.

Thanks, Brooklyn Girl for the recipe!

Tuna Casserole

If you look closely (okay, not that closely), you'll see a resemblance to this recipe and my taco casserole recipe. Um, yeah, it's the same recipe--but with tuna instead of taco meat.
Is that sad? I say no! You get two meals with almost the exact same list of ingredients. I'm a starving student! Of course I'm gonna make the same casserole a bunch of times--especially if I buy the ingredients in bulk! Anyway, here's the recipe (again).

Ingredients

• 2 cans of tuna in water
• 8 oz macaroni noodles
• 1 can Cream of Celery soup
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

• Set oven to Broil
• Cook noodles and drain
• Mix in soup, butter, mayo, and tuna.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add cheese to the top.
• Put in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Taco Casserole

A lot like my recipe for Tuna casserole, but with a taco-ey flavor. Yes, it's college. Don't expect me to get all Bobby Flay on ya. Good food is good food, even if it isn't gourmet.

Ingredients

• 1 cup or more of taco meat (left over from tacos)
• 8 oz macaroni noodles
• 1 can Cream of Celery soup
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

• Set oven to Broil
• Cook noodles and drain
• Mix in soup, butter, mayo, and meat.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add cheese to the top.
• Put in the oven until the cheese is melted.

That's it. Yes, it's a very easy recipe, and probably like nothing else you'll see on the web. I make it all the time. And if you don't have leftover taco meat, you can make your own and just use more noodles and stuff.