Italian Veggie Rolls

Italian Veggie Rolls (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 cup chopped mushrooms

·         ½ onion, diced

·         1 cup shredded carrots

·         1 cup green peas

·         1 cup chopped broccoli

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         ¼ cup dry red wine

·         2 cups shredded Italian pizza cheese

·         1 egg

·         2 Tbsp olive oil

·         ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

·         1 (16 oz.) package lasagna noodles – I only used about ½ to ¾ of the noodles in the package

·         1 (26 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.      Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse, drain, set aside.

3.      Heat oil in a medium sauté pan. Add mushrooms, onions, carrots, peas, and broccoli; sauté over medium heat until tender. Add wine and garlic; cook five minutes, or until wine has just about evaporated. Remove from heat, and cool for ten minutes.

4.      In a medium bowl combine vegetable mixture, Italian cheese, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, and egg. Mix well.

5.      Pour ¼ of the sauce into the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Spread 1/3 cup vegetable mixture over each lasagna noodle then carefully roll up the noodle. Place seam side down in dish. When finished placing all the noodles in the pan, pour remaining pasta sauce evenly over noodles. Cover with aluminum foil.

6.      Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

7.      Uncover, and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over noodles. Bake, uncovered, 5 more minutes.

My husband and I both enjoyed this dish very much.  It did take some time to assemble the rolls and some of the filling fell out when I was making them, but I think that it was worth it.  The mixture was tasty and I would not make any additional changes to it (though the original calls for mozzarella and I used Italian pizza cheese – I just think it has more flavor).  This is a great way to mix vegetables into a pasta dish.

Sicilian Lentil Pasta Sauce

Sicilian Lentil Pasta Sauce (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Servings: 8, Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes)

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 3 cups water
• 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 ½ teaspoons white sugar
• ½ cup water

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and garlic. Cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add lentils and 3 cups water to vegetables. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 45 to 60 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, and ½ cup water (if needed). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. If necessary, add more water to keep the sauce from sticking. Be careful not to dilute; the sauce should be quite thick.

Neither my husband nor I found this dish to our liking.  There wasn’t much flavor and it needed some cheese, garlic powder, or other Italian seasoning to make it, well, edible.  It does meet my desire for healthy food with the lentils and vegetables, but I don’t like to sacrifice taste one bit.  I don’t think that I will be making this dish again.  I’d rather try out some different recipes.

Squash Stuffed with Ricotta

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Squash-Stuffed-with-Ricotta-Cheese/Detail.aspx

I liked this meal – the squash stayed crisp and moist and everything worked together very well, but I may use more garlic next time.  The mixture inside the squash was a little runny, but that’s because I didn’t squeeze out the spinach as much I should have.  Next time I’ll use paper towels in addition to just squeezing it. 

I used six large squash instead of 8 – I wouldn’t have had enough filling if I did that!  I used my electronic steamer instead of steaming the squash over boiling water – it worked very well.  I used Low Fat Ricotta instead of full fat and didn’t lose any taste.  We had some fresh basil, so we threw that in with the parsley.  I served Classico Four Cheese sauce on the side for dipping – instead of the Tomato and Basil.  Finally, I sprayed the top with fake butter spray instead of brushing the tops with melted butter. 

I served with a Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage to increase the protein amount.  If you’re only having one, I would also suggest a piece of garlic bread or something else Italian-ish.

Overall, a tasty and filling meal that I plan to make again.

Trader Joe’s Arugula & Parmigiano Reggiano Ravioli w/ Tomato-Cream Sauce

Yum, yum!  

I saw the ravioli at Trader Joe’s and liked the sound of it – something different, not your usual cheese ravioli.  I didn’t want to do a plain tomato sauce with it, so I tried out a new recipe (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tomato-Cream-Sauce-for-Pasta/Detail.aspx).  I had concerns that the Tomato-Cream sauce wouldn't taste good with the ravioli, so I kept them separate until they were on the plate together.  It tasted really good!  

I used less onion in the sauce (probably about 1/2) and used light cream instead of heavy.  I liked the flavor, but I will leave it on the burner for a shorter period of time or use more cream next go around – it wasn't as creamy as I like my cream-based sauces.  (That’s OK though!)  It made three servings – perfect for me, the fiancée, and the next day’s lunch!