Pasta

Lasagna “Cupcakes”

I love these mini lasagnas. They’re cuter, more fun to serve and eat, and take a lot less time to bake than a traditional pan of lasagna, but they have all the same flavors. I also like that the pasta layer is actually won ton wrappers, so they’re lighter and you don’t feel as guilty eating them. (If you’ve never bought won ton wrappers before, they’re typically in the produce department of grocery stores, in the refrigerated section.) These are a favorite for a weeknight meal or as a heavy hors d’oeuvre, and it’s easy to make them vegetarian by omitting the meat sauce and using marinara instead. 

Lasagna "Cupcakes"
Serves 6
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 packs of won ton wrappers (72 sheets total) (cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or tops of a drinking glass, optional)
For the Meat Sauce
  1. 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided
  2. 1 lb. ground beef
  3. 1/2 an onion, diced
  4. 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
  5. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  6. 2 cloves minced garlic
  7. 2 teaspoons dried basil
  8. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  9. 2 teaspoons sugar
  10. 1 teaspoon salt
For the Cheese
  1. 15 oz. ricotta cheese
  2. 1 egg, beaten
  3. 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  4. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  6. Ground black pepper
For topping
  1. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  2. 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off any liquid, and season with salt and ground black pepper.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced garlic, basil, and oregano, and sauté until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, and salt, increase heat to medium-high, and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and with an immersion blender, puree until smooth (or, working in batches, carefully puree in a blender). Once sauce is smooth, return pan to low heat and stir in tomato paste. Add sauce to the cooked beef, and gently stir to combine.
  4. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, and black pepper.
  5. Spray two muffin pans with cooking spray. Layer in each, 1 won ton round, 1 tablespoon of meat sauce, and 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture. Repeat layers once. Then add the third won ton round, top with a tablespoon of sauce, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, and let rest in pan for 5 minutes before serving. Use a fork to gently pop each lasagna out of the pan.
Notes
  1. If you prefer to use store-bought sauce, you'll need about 3 cups.
Adapted from Tablespoon
Adapted from Tablespoon
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Lighter Tuna Noodle Casserole

 Tuna noodle casserole takes me back to my childhood. It was — and still is — one of my favorite meals my grandmother makes, and eating it reminds me of Saturdays at my grandparents’ house sitting at the kitchen table with my Gram and Pop and devouring a huge plate of tuna noodle casserole for lunch (usually followed by whatever delicious homemade dessert my Gram had made that day).  The recipe is a favorite in my house, and I make it regularly, but I’ve lightened up the original recipe by using whole wheat pasta, substituting plain Greek yogurt for some of the mayo, and adding Old Bay seasoning to give it a kick of flavor. 

Lighter Tuna Noodle Casserole
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pound of whole wheat pasta (I prefer farfalle or medium shells)
  2. 1 small white onion, chopped
  3. 1 green pepper, chopped
  4. 1 clove of garlic, minced
  5. 2 6 oz cans white albacore tuna in water, drained
  6. 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  7. 2 small tomatoes, diced
  8. 1 teaspoon Old Bay
  9. 1/2 cup low-fat mayo
  10. 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  11. 1/2 cup milk
  12. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  13. 1 teaspoon salt
  14. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  15. 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and pour pasta back into pot. Set aside.
  3. In the meantime, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet. Add diced onion and peppers, and sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove pan from heat.
  4. Stir into the skillet, the diced tomatoes, tuna, and Old Bay, and season with salt and pepper.
  5. In a bowl, whisk together the plain Greek yogurt, mayo, milk, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
  6. Into the large pot with the drained pasta, add the tuna and vegetable mixture and sauce. Stir gently together. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
  7. Cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes.
  8. Remove foil, top with cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta With Sausage and Zucchini

I have to give myself (and, of course, Ree Drummond aka the Pioneer Woman) a pat on the back for this pasta recipe. It’s AMAZING! I’ve been feeling less than inspired with cooking over the past few weeks, so I turned to some of my favorite food blogs for some new ideas and found The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Pasta With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. I took the easy route and used jarred roasted red peppers rather than roasting my own and added in a zucchini and some spicy turkey sausage, and voila, I had a delicious dinner on the table in 30 minutes. I’m already hungry thinking about the leftovers tonight.

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta With Sausage and Zucchini
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 small onion, diced
  2. 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  3. 1 small zucchini, chopped
  4. 12 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, drained
  5. 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, toasted
  6. 1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped
  7. 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  8. 12 oz. dried pasta (I like whole wheat penne)
  9. 3 links of lean spicy turkey sausage, sliced into thin rounds
  10. ½ cup heavy cream
  11. 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  12. 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
  13. Salt and pepper
  14. Fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat a large sauté pan (you’ll use this pan again) over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Be careful not to burn them.
  3. Add the drained roasted red peppers, the pine nuts, and the basil and parsley to a food processor or blender, and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
  4. In the large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage to the pan, and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to a bowl and set aside.
  5. If needed, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté pan. Over medium-high heat, add the onion and zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and sauté for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, and return the cooked sausage to the pan. Pour in the roasted red pepper puree, and stir together. Add in the heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce.
  6. Top with Parmesan cheese, and serve.
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/