Heather's Lasagne

Heather's Lasagne

For my friends, Morgan, Rhonda and especially Kenzie!

Red Sauce Layer

1 pound bulk Italian sausage

1 onion chopped

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

2 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes in puree

2 15 oz cans tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tsp. beef bouillon

1TBS dried basil

1TBS dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, according to spice level preference

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and let simmer on low heat for at least an hour with a lid on.

Noodle Layer

Boil 12 Lasagne Noodles

White Sauce Layer

1 16 oz container of sour cream

1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened

1/2 Tbl dried parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1  8oz block of mozzarella shredded (combine 1/2 with white layer and set the remaining 1/2 aside for later)

Blend all ingredient in a medium -sized bowl

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread a little bit of the red sauce layer on the bottom of a 9x13in pan.  Place 3 lasagne noodles length wise on top of the red sauce..  Spread approx 1/4 of the white sauce layer over the noodles.   Spread approx. 1/4 of the red sauce mixture over the white sauce .  Place 3 more noodles.  Repeat layers with the remaining mixtures. (There should be 4 layers of noodles, white sauce and red sauce respectively), ending wiht a red sauce layer.  take remaining mozarella cheese and sprinkle evenly over the last red sauce layer.  Sprinkle parmesan on top.  Cover with foil and place in the pre-heatedoven for approx. 1 hour (until the cheese in the middle is melted.)  Remove foil, turn the oven to broil and cook for approx. 5 more minutes until the cheese has toasted as desired.  

Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

This is a yummy sauce.  We like it by itself over ravioli, or with some added grilled chicken or shrimp.  It reminds me of a yummy sauce you would get at a restaurant.

2 Tbsp. butter
1 garlic clove, minced (more if you want)
1 c. chicken stock or broth
1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes
2 cups whipping cream
3 tsp. cornstarch
8-12 oz. fresh or frozen ravioli/ or noodle of choice

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (only if using dried basil)
salt & fresh ground pepper

Melt butter in med. saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and cook 30 secs. Add stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered over medium heat about 10 mins. or until tomatoes are tender. Remove tomatoes with slotted spoon. Cut into smaller pieces. Return tomatoes to saucepan. Add cream and bring to a boil, and add your corn starch stirring consistantly. While this is simmering cook ravioli according to directions. Drain well. Add basil and/or parsley to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix with your pasta, and that's it.

Brown Butter Sauce

from I Like To See My Recipes When I Grocery Shop

Brown Butter Sauce

8 T Butter
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t chopped fresh sage, rosemary or basil (I used Sage)
4 T heavy cream
1/2 C grated parmigiano-reggiano

In a small saucepan, melt 8 T butter and 1/2 t salt over med-low heat.  Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage and cook, stirring often, unitl the butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes or less.  Stir in 4 T heavy cream and bring to a boil for  20 seconds or so to combine cream with butter.  Remove from heat.  Add 1/2 C grated parmigiano-reggiano when tossing with pasta.

**It is September, so the garden is abundant.  Spaghetti squash, yellow squash, zucchini, sage and tomatoes all from our garden.  This is garden heaven!
**This sauce is quite thin, flavorful and salty, so a little goes a long way.  I haven't ever tossed it into a pasta, I have always added the cheese to the sauce and then drizzled it over the plated pasta, or spaghetti squash.

Linguine with Bacon and Spinach

I found this recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  We all loved it!  The bacon is totally optional- if you opt out- just cook your garlic and mushrooms in butter and go from there.  I also recommend adding a little more parmesan cheese- I used half a cup and it was great.   This could be a main dish or a side.
Linguine with Bacon and Spinach


*Serves 4-6
12 ounces turkey bacon, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt- or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pound linguine
4 cups baby spinach
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling



Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently to avoid burning. Once the nuts are golden, set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the turkey bacon, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, until the turkey bacon and mushrooms are browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the chicken broth and let the mixture simmer for about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt to the water in the pot and cook the linguine until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining the noodles, reserve 1 cup of the pasta wter and set aside. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the spinach, mushroom/bacon mixture, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine, adding additional pasta water, if needed.

Serve immediately, topping the pasta with the toasted pine nuts and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta isle) (I used Sam's refrigerator brand)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)* (I omitted the bacon and used 2 Tbl butter to make the rue)
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil (I used Herbs de Province)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.  Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat.  Cook until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.  Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest.  Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute.  Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon.  Then cut lemon in half and remove juice.  Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce.  Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture.  Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.  Add sauce and gently stir to combine.  Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout.  Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6

Spinach Lasagna- Sara

12 lasagna noodles

1 bag spinach, washed/drained

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini, halved and sliced (opt)

8 oz tomato sauce

6 oz tomato paste

1 cup water (or broth)

1 tsp honey

3/4 tsp dried basil, crumbled

3/4 tsp dried oregano, crumbled

salt and pepper, to taste

2-3 tomatoes (opt)

2 cups Ricotta cheese

2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 cup Parmesan cheese·

Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until just tender but still firm. Drain and set aside. Place spinach in steamer over medium heat and cook briefly to lessen volume. Drain well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil in medium skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic and sauté a few minutes more. Stir in tomato sauce and paste, water,

honey, basil, oregano and salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Lay 6 noodles on the bottom of a 9x13inch baking dish. Gently lay all spinach over layer of noodles. Spread all of ricotta and one cup of mozzarella evenly over spinach. Top with half of the

sauce mixture. Cover with remaining noodles and rest of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese remaining mozzarella (optional). Then cover and bake until heated entirely and cheeses are melted, 20 to 25 minutes (more if you add zucchini and fresh tomatoes).

Optional: Add about 1 medium zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced, to the pan after the onions but before the garlic. Peel two or three fresh tomatoes, slice them thickly, season them with a bit (if you don't like the peels on them, you can blanch them in boiling water for a few seconds, then slip off peels before slices).

of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder and place over ricotta before mozzarella. I always do this and it seems tastier to us! (This recipe may look harder than it is...but once you

do it a couple of times it goes pretty quick and it’s worth it especially for company. You can also simplify this by using your favorite spaghetti sauce or marinara (adding sauted veggies). But, this one is worth the time!

Spinach Lasagne- Sara

12 lasagna noodles

1 bag spinach, washed/drained

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini, halved and sliced (opt)

8 oz tomato sauce

6 oz tomato paste

1 cup water (or broth)

1 tsp honey

3/4 tsp dried basil, crumbled

3/4 tsp dried oregano, crumbled

salt and pepper, to taste

2-3 tomatoes (opt)

2 cups Ricotta cheese

2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 cup Parmesan cheese·

Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until just tender but still firm. Drain and set aside. Place spinach in steamer over medium heat and cook briefly to lessen volume. Drain well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil in medium skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic and sauté a few minutes more. Stir in tomato sauce and paste, water,

honey, basil, oregano and salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Lay 6 noodles on the bottom of a 9x13inch baking dish. Gently lay all spinach over layer of noodles. Spread all of ricotta and one cup of mozzarella evenly over spinach. Top with half of the

sauce mixture. Cover with remaining noodles and rest of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese remaining mozzarella (optional). Then cover and bake until heated entirely and cheeses are melted, 20 to 25 minutes (more if you add zucchini and fresh tomatoes).

Optional: Add about 1 medium zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced, to the pan after the onions but before the garlic. Peel two or three fresh tomatoes, slice them thickly, season them with a bit (if you don't like the peels on them, you can blanch them in boiling water for a few seconds, then slip off peels before slices).

of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder and place over ricotta before mozzarella. I always do this and it seems tastier to us! (This recipe may look harder than it is...but once you

do it a couple of times it goes pretty quick and it’s worth it especially for company. You can also simplify this by using your favorite spaghetti sauce or marinara (adding sauted veggies). But, this one is worth the time!

Rigatoni Caprese- Sara

RIGATONI CAPRESE-Sara




Whisk together

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (may need more)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper (fresh ground is best)

1-4 garlic cloves (minced)

1/3 c. parmesan cheese

½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped

Toss with:

1 pkg hot cooked rigatoni, penne or farfalla pasta

Aprox. 4 cups diced plum tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)

Handful of baby spinach, sliced

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

4-8 oz. sliced mushrooms

½ cup real bacon bits-optional

1-2 grilled chicken breasts (diced)-optional

1-2 cups small shrimp-optional

May be served hot or cold. This is a favorite!

**If you are looking to make this faster, you can use pesto sauce instead of the sauce you whisk together. You have to kind of fiddle with this one to get the sauce amount you like. I often use pesto with added ground pepper and parmesan and perhaps a little extra olive oil.

Linguine with Red Pepper Sauce

3 med red peppers

3 Tbl olice oil

1 large onion sliced

2 cloves garlic crushed

1/4-1/2 tsp chili flakes or powder

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

2 Tbl fresh oregano

1 lb. linguine

Halve peppers, remove membranes and seeds, place cut side down under a hot broiler, cook for 8 minutes till black and blistered. Cover with a damp dish towel and allow to cool. Peel off skin and cut the peppers into thin strips.

Heat oil, add sliced onion and cook til tender. Add peppers, garlic, chili and cream-cook 2 min. stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and oregano. Toss with pasta.

Creamy Spinach & Tomato Tortellini- Ivalou

1 pkg. 16 oz. Tortellini

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

½ c. Chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 pkg. 9 oz. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed

1 c. chopped fresh tomatoes or canned

¼ c. chopped fresh basil or 1 ½ tsp. dried basil leaves

½ tsp. salt½ tsp. pepper

½- 1 c. whipping (heavy) cream

¼ c. grated parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; keep warm. Meanwhile, heat oil in lg. skillet over med. Heat until hot and add onion and garlic; cook until tender and lightly browned,

about 4 minutes.

Add spinach, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in whipping cream and parmesan cheese; cook until mixture just comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low & stir in tortellini. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes or until heated through. –serve with additional cheese if desired. Serves 4

Fettucine Primavera- Mylinda

8 oz uncooked fettuccine

1 T olive or vegetable oil

1 C broccoli flowerets

1 C cauliflowerets

1 C frozen green peas, rinsed to separate

2 med carrots, thinly sliced (1 cup)

1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)

1 container (10 oz) refrigerated Alfredo sauce

1 T grated parmesan cheese

Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package.

While fettuccine is cooking, heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots and onion in oil 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir Alfredo sauce into vegetables mixture; cook until hot. Stir in fettuccine; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese.

Lasagna Primavera- Mylinda

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

2 containers (10 oz each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce

3 C frozen broccoli flowerets thawed and well drained. (or fresh cooked and drained)

3 large carrots, coarsely shredded (2 cups)

1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes, well drained

2 med bell peppers cut into ½ inch pieces. (I either leave these out or use red)

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

½ C grated parmesan cheese

2 t basil

1 egg

1 pkg. (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (4 cups)

1. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.

2. Cut broccoli flowerets into bitesize pieces if necessary. Mix broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and bell peppers in large bowl. Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, basil and egg in small bowl.

3. Heat oven to 375. Spoon 2/3 cup Alfredo sauce in ungreased 9X13 pan. Place 4 noodles over sauce. Spread half of cheese mixture, 2 ½ cups of vegetable mixture and randomly spoon 2/3 C Alfredo sauce in

dollops over noodles. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella. Top with 4 noodles; spread with remaining cheese mixture, 2 ½ cups of the vegetables mixture and randomly spoon 2/3 cup Alfredo sauce in

dollops over vegetables. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining 4 noodles and vegetable mixture. Randomly spoon remaining Alfredo sauce in dollops over the top. Sprinkle with

remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake uncovered 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbly and hot in

center. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Mom's Lasagne- Posted by Mylinda & Ivalou

Part 1

30 oz Prego spaghetti sauce (or whatever kind you like)

2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce

1 lb hamburger

Noodles (8-10 servings worth) *I sometimes use curly or egg noodles mixed with the other stuff and sometimes use lasagna noodles layered over the stuff but I rarely cook any of them.

Part 2

1 ½ C sour cream

8 oz cream cheese

2 T minced onion *I usually chop and onion and cook it with the hamburger and leave the minced onion out but it’s great either way.

Part 3

1 lb frozen spinach

Part 4

grated cheese and or sliced mushrooms

In a 9X13 put half of part one. Top with part two then part three.

Cover with the other half of part one and top it all off with part four.

When I use lasagna noodles I put a layer between each part.

Bake at 350 for about 45 min.

Creamy Spinach & Tomato Tortellini

1 pkg. 16 oz. tortellini
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 garlic cloves minced
1 pkg. 9 oz. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
1 c. chopped fresh tomatoes or canned
1/4 c. fresh chopped basil OR 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2- 1 c. heavy whipping cream OR evaporated milk
1/4- 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; keep warm. Meanwhile, heat oil in Lg. skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onions and garlic; cook until tender & lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add spinach, tomatoes, basil, salt & pepper; cook 5 minutes stirring occassionally. Stir in whipping cream OR evaporated milk and parmesan cheese. Cook until mixture just comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cooked tortellini. Cook an additional 4 or 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. -serve with additional parmesean cheese if desired.
A Family Favorite!!!
-serves 4

Ravioli Vegetable Lasagna- Sara

RAVIOLI VEGETABLE LASAGNA-Sara (Adapted from Rachel Ray)

• 1 pkg. ravioli, fresh or frozen (whatever type you prefer-veggie, cheese, meat, )
• Prepare ravioli as on package, but only boil to al dente
• 1 onion, chopped
  2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  2-3 Tbsp olive oil
  Asparagus (snap off bottoms; chop thin)
  2 boxes frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
  2 cans artichokes, drained and chopped
  • Sauté onions and garlic in oil.  Add asparagus; cook for 5 minutes.  Add spinach and artichoke.  Season with salt and pepper (to taste).  Heat through.
• 2 Tbsp butter
  2 Tbsp flour
  1 can vegetable stock
  ½ cup cream
  Pinch of nutmeg
  Salt and pepper to taste
  ¼ cup parmesan
  • Melt butter; add flour, mix well.  Add stock; let thicken. 
    Then add cream, s&p, nutmeg and parmesan.  Heat through.  8-10
    Provolone cheese slices, broken up
  • Drizzle 9x13 with olive oil.  Layer ½ of ravioli, ½ of
    veggies, ½ of sauce, and ½ of cheese.  Repeat process.  Brown in the
    broiler for a few minutes.  We LOVE this

Spinach Lasagne- Sara

SPINACH LASAGNA-Sara

• 12  lasagna noodles
• 1 bag spinach, washed/drained
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
  1 med onion, chopped
  2  garlic cloves, minced
  1 zucchini, halved and sliced (opt)
  8 oz tomato sauce
  6 oz tomato paste
  1 cup water (or broth) 
  1 tsp       honey
  3/4 tsp    dried basil, crumbled
  3/4 tsp    dried oregano, crumbled
  salt and pepper, to taste
  2-3         tomatoes (opt)
  2 cups    Ricotta cheese 
  2 cups    Mozzarella cheese, grated 
  1 cup      Parmesan cheese·        
  • Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until just tender but still firm. Drain and set aside. Place spinach in steamer over medium heat and cook briefly to lessen volume. Drain well and set aside.
    Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil in medium skillet over mediumhigh heat.  Add onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic and sauté a few minutes more. Stir in tomato sauce and paste, water, 
    honey, basil, oregano and salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Lay 6 noodles on the bottom of a 9x13inch baking dish. Gently lay all spinach over layer of noodles. Spread all of ricotta and one cup of mozzarella evenly over spinach. Top with half of the 
    sauce mixture. Cover with remaining noodles and rest of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese remaining mozzarella (optional).  Then cover and bake until heated entirely and cheeses are melted, 20 to 25 minutes (more if you add zucchini and fresh tomatoes).
  • Optional: Add about 1 medium zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced, to the pan after the onions but before the garlic. Peel two or three fresh tomatoes, slice them thickly, season them with a bit  (if you don't like the peels on them, you can blanch them in boiling water for a few seconds, then slip off peels before slices).
    of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder and place over ricotta before mozzarella.  I always do this and it seems tastier to us!  (This recipe may look harder than it is...but once you 
    do it a couple of times it goes pretty quick and it’s worth it especially for company.  You can also simplify this by using your favorite spaghetti sauce or marinara (adding sauted veggies).  But, this one is worth the time! 

Rigatoni Carprese- Sara

RIGATONI CAPRESE-Sara

• Whisk together
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (may need more)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper (fresh ground is best)
  • 1-4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped 
• Toss with:
• 1 pkg hot cooked rigatoni, penne or farfalla pasta
• Aprox. 4 cups diced plum tomatoes (or grape tomatoes) 
• Handful of baby spinach, sliced
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 4-8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup real bacon bits-optional
• 1-2 grilled chicken breasts (diced)-optional
• 1-2 cups small shrimp-optional
• May be served hot or cold.  This is a favorite!
• **If you are looking to make this faster, you can use pesto sauce instead of the sauce you whisk together.  You have to kind of fiddle with this one to get the sauce amount you like.  I often use pesto with added ground pepper and parmesan and perhaps a little extra olive oil. 

Linguine with Red Pepper Sauce

LINGUINE WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE-Heather

• 3 med red peppers
  3 Tbl olice oil
  1 large onion sliced
  2 cloves garlic crushed
  1/4-1/2 tsp chili flakes or powder
  1/2 cup heavy cream
  salt and pepper
  2 Tbl fresh oregano
  1 lb. linguine
  • Halve peppers, remove membranes and seeds, place cut side down under a hot broiler, cook for 8 minutes till black and blistered.  Cover with a damp dish towel and allow to cool.  Peel off skin and cut the peppers into thin strips.
  • Heat oil, add sliced onion and cook til tender.  Add peppers, garlic, chili and cream-cook 2 min. stirring occasionally.  Add salt, pepper and oregano.  Toss with pasta.

Creamy Spinach & Tomato Tortellini- Ivalou

CREAMY SPINACH & TOMATO TORTELLINI-Ivalou

• I pkg. 16 oz. Tortellini
• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
• ½ c. Chopped onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pkg. 9 oz. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 c. chopped fresh tomatoes or canned
• ¼ c. chopped fresh basil or 1 ½ tsp. dried basil leaves
• ½ tsp. salt½ tsp. pepper
• ½- 1 c. whipping (heavy) cream
• ¼ c. grated parmesan cheese
  • Cook tortellini to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; keep warm.  Meanwhile, heat oil in lg. skillet over med. Heat until hot and add onion and garlic; cook until tender and lightly browned, 
    about 4 minutes.
  • Add spinach, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in whipping cream and parmesan cheese; cook until mixture just comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to low & stir in tortellini. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes or until heated through.  –serve with additional cheese if desired.   Serves 4 

Lasagna Primavera- Mylinda

LASAGNA PRIMAVERA-Mylinda

• 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
  2 containers (10 oz each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce
  3 C frozen broccoli flowerets thawed and well drained.  (or fresh cooked and drained)
  3 large carrots, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
  1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes, well drained
  2 med bell peppers cut into ½ inch pieces.  (I either leave these out or use red)
  1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
  ½ C grated parmesan cheese
  2 t basil
  1 egg
  1 pkg. (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (4 cups)
• 1. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
• 2. Cut broccoli flowerets into bitesize pieces if necessary.  Mix broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and bell peppers in large bowl.  Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, basil and egg in small bowl.
• 3.  Heat oven to 375.  Spoon 2/3 cup Alfredo sauce in ungreased 9X13 pan.  Place 4 noodles over sauce.  Spread half of cheese mixture, 2 ½ cups of vegetable mixture and randomly spoon 2/3 C Alfredo sauce in 
  dollops over noodles.  Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella.  Top with 4 noodles;  spread with remaining cheese mixture, 2 ½ cups of the vegetables mixture and randomly spoon 2/3 cup Alfredo sauce in 
  dollops over vegetables.  Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.  Top with remaining 4 noodles and vegetable mixture.  Randomly spoon remaining Alfredo sauce in dollops over the top.  Sprinkle with 
  remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.
• 4.  Bake uncovered 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbly and hot in 
  center.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.