Pastitsio

This is a once a year recipe. You know, the ones that you really like, but they are time consuming and not the healthiest so you only make them once a year. This fits into that category. Pastitsio is a Greek/Mediterranean pasta dish. I don't recall having this when we were in Greece, but the flavor reminds me of the food we did enjoy while there on vacation. This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook "America's Hometown Favorites".

Pastitsio

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 t cinnamon

8 oz penne pasta

3/4 cup milk

2 slightly beaten eggs

2 T butter, melted

2 T butter

2 T flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups milk

3 slightly beaten eggs

1 cup Kefalotiri cheese(greek) You can also sub romano or parmesan

Directions

1. For meat sauce, in a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, wine, and cinnamon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse and drain again. In a large bowl, toss pasta with the 3/4 cup milk, the 2 eggs, and the 2 T melted butter. Set pasta mixture aside.

3. For cream sauce, in a small saucepan, melt 2 T butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Gradually add the 1 1/2 cups milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickened and bubbly. Gradually and very slowly pour the hot mixture into the 3 eggs. Set aside.

4. Grease a 9x12 pan. Layer half of pasta mixture in prepared dish. Spread meat sauce over. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining pasta; sprinkle with another 1/3 cups of the cheese. Pour cream sauce over all; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Cover and bake in a 350 over for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Balsamic & White Wine Roasted Vegetable Pasta

I have enjoyed following this blog lately and found this post that looked so good. I made it for dinner tonight and we all really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli(cut into florets)
1 lbs brussels sprouts(halved)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t montreal seasonings
olive oil
1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 T butter
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
12 oz penne pasta, cooked

Preheat oven to 425. Place brussels sprouts on baking sheet and toss with a little olive oil and the garlic powder. Roast for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Place the broccoli florets on another baking sheet and toss with olive oil and montreal seasoning. Add to the oven when you are turning the brussels sprouts and roast for 15 minutes. So the brussels sprouts end up roasting for 30 and the broccoli for 15. While the veggies are roasting cook the onions until soft( about 5 minutes) and then add the garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the wine, balsamic, and butter. Simmer and reduce. Add roasted veggies, sundried tomatoes to wine sauce and toss with cooked penne. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

I made this for my mom's birthday dinner and everyone enjoyed it. I love anything with sun-dried tomatoes. I got this recipe from a co-worker.

Ingredients:
8 oz bowtie pasta, cooked
1 small onion, chopped
1 T butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Cook onion and butter over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, seasonings, salt/pepper, chicken, cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, and half of the Parmesan. Transfer to a 9 x 12 baking dish. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. In a small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle over pasta and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until golden.

Chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato and wine sauce

This is one of my favorite foods. I only make it a once or twice a year, but I seriously could eat it every day. I found this recipe in Oprah magazine many years ago.

Ingredients
3 T butter
3 T olive oil
1 lbs boneless skinless chicken strips
2 T flour
1 lbs pasta, I like fetticine
2 shallots, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 8 oz jar of oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and julienned
fresh basil
salt and pepper

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet. Toss chicken strips in flour and sear over med-high heat until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add shallots to the skillet and saute for 1 minute. Add wine, cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil into skillet while scraping up bits of chicken from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce thickens. Return chicken to skillet to heat through. Salt and pepper to taste and serve over cooked pasta!

Italian Vegetable Pasta Salad

This is really easy and really good! You can use any assortment of veggies that you have on hand.
Ingredients:
1 pkg. GOOD SEASONS Italian Dressing Mix
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (* red wine vinegar may used as well)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup water + 3Tbsp
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated three cheese tortellini, cooked, rinsed and drained
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 green onions, diagonally sliced
PLACE dressing mix, water and vinegar in cruet or other container with tight-fitting lid. Add oil; cover. Shake until well blended.
COMBINE remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing; toss lightly. Cover.
REFRIGERATE at least 2 hours. Stir before serving.

Root Vegetable Lasagna

This was delicious and both James and Todd LOVED it! It was very time consuming though and something that I would probably only make on the weekends.
Root Vegetable Lasagna from Cooking Light
Ingredients
6 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 1/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 pound)
2 cups coarsely chopped onion, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated Parmesan
9 packaged no-boil lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine squash, potato, 1 cup chopped onion, and oil in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray, tossing to coat vegetables. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring once; set aside. Combine remaining 1 cup onion, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Return milk mixture to pan. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour, salt, and pepper to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 375°. Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over milk mixture; top with half of squash mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup milk mixture. Repeat layer with noodles, squash mixture, mozzarella, and milk mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spread remaining milk mixture over noodles, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.