Easy Baked Penne with Ricotta and Basil

Here's a recipe that I found on the Whole Foods website. Tastier than we expected! The leftovers keep pretty well too!

Easy Baked Penne with Ricotta and Basil

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound dried penne rigate pasta
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook penne according to directions on package, then drain and set aside to let cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in oil. Drain. Combine ricotta cheese, basil, 1 1/2 cups of the pasta sauce, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Add pasta and cooked turkey to cheese mixture and toss gently to coat. Spread 1/2 cup of the remaining pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Pour pasta mixture into dish and spread out evenly. Drizzle remaining sauce over the top, then sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Notes: If you're looking for a meatless meal, the ground turkey can easily be left out. If you'd like a variation, try stirring in some shredded rotisserie chicken instead of ground turkey. Also, I recommend tossing in a bit of oregano or other Italian seasoning just to pump it up a bit.

Spaghetti with Bacon and Peas

I can't recall where I found this recipe originally - I think it might have been from some quick cooking book. But it's pretty easy and tasty to boot!

Spaghetti with Bacon and Peas

Ingredients:
1 lb thin spaghetti or vermicelli
1 package (10 oz) frozen peas
4 slices bacon
1 med. onion, finely chopped
1 container (15 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In large saucepot, cook pasta as label directs. During last 2 minutes of pasta cooking, add frozen peas to pasta cooking water; continue cooking until pasta is done. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Return pasta and peas to saucepot and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp bacon drippings from skillet. Add onion and cook until tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add reserved pasta water, onion mixture, ricotta, Romano, salt, and pepper to pasta and peas in saucepot. Crumble bacon adn toss again.


Yield: 6 servings

Bow Ties with a Trio of Peas

I found this recipe in one of those quick and healthy books. It made for a nice, light meal.

Bow Ties with Trio of Peas

Ingredients:
1 package (16oz) bow-tie or rotini pasta
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tsbp olive oil
4 oz snow peas, strings removed
4 oz sugar snap peas, string removed
1 garlic clove, cushed with garlic press
1 cup frozen baby peas
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon peel


Directions:

1. In large saucepot, cook pasta as label directs. Drain and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, melt butter with oil over medium high heat. Add snow peas and sugar snap peas adn cook, stirring, until tender crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add frozen baby peas, broth, salt, and pepper; heat to boiling. Stir in lemon peel. In warm serving bowl, toss pasta with veggie mixture until combined


Makes 4 servings.

Parmesan Bow-Ties

Stumbled onto this one at Fitness and Freebies while looking for healthy Christmas snacks.

This is really, really easy to make and tastes pretty good.

Parmesan Bow Ties

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
1/4 cup zesty Non or low-fat Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup shredded non-fat Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Transfer to a serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients; toss to coat.

Recipe makes four servings.

Notes: Pasta shells work just as well as bow ties.