Ingredients: Lasagna noodles (you can use ready-to-cook, or you actually use regular dry noodles) Vegetable tomato sauce: 2 tablespoons of butter 1 large onion, or 2 small ones, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 3 tablespoons of tomato paste 1 teaspoon of dried herbs (herbs de Provence or a mix of basil, oregano and thyme) 2 (14oz) cans of crushed tomatoes 1 vegetable bullion cube 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar Salt and Pepper

Mediterranean Mix: 1 can (13 oz or 390g) of artichokes hearts, chopped 1 can (5.7 oz or 163g) of green olives, chopped ¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped Spinach: 2 boxes (240 grams each) of defrosted, frozen chopped spinach fresh grated nutmeg Cheese: 12 oz of shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack) 1 pack of feta, (about ½ lb) crumbled Bechamel Sauce: 4 tablespoons of butter 4 tablespoons of flour 4 cups of milk 2 teaspoon of salt fresh grated nutmeg

	Method: Vegetable tomato sauce: Start sautéing the onion in the butter. After a few minutes add the carrots and the celery plus a pinch of salt. Sautee the vegetables for about 10-15 minutes until they start release their liquids. Now, add the chopped garlic and the tomato paste as well as the herbs. Cook for a minute or two and then add the crushed tomatoes and the bullion cube. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste, add the balsamic vinegar and apply a generous amount of pepper. Sometimes a tablespoon or two of sugar is also suitable.
	Mediterranean Mix: Mix the artichokes, the olives, and the sun dried tomatoes together in a bowl.
	Spinach: Make sure the spinach is well thawed, season it with the nutmeg.
	Bechamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucier/cassoulet and cook until nice and bubbly. Gradually whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two to remove any “flour” taste. Once you have a nice, light roux, start adding a cup of milk at the time, whisking as you go. Once all the milk is incorporated, continue to whisk and let the sauce come up to a simmer. If your sauce is too thick, you can always add some more milk. Season with salt and nutmeg.
	Assemble: Use a 9 x 13 pyrex dish.. Start with layering it with béchamel sauce. Next add a layer of lasagna noodles. On top of the pasta layer béchamel sauce, spinach, the Mediterranean mix, Feta Cheese, Monterey Jack and tomato sauce. Add another layer of pasta and do it over again (béchamel, spinach, Mediterranean mix, Feta, Monterey jack, tomato sauce). Top with the last layer of pasta and finish off with a generous amount of béchamel sauce and cheese.
	Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes until nice and golden. Preferably let rest for about 30 minutes before cutting into. Or let it cool, place in the fridge and heat it up for later (it’s better the next day).

Baked Ziti is a smooth cheese pasta casserole. I am not sure how Italian this dish is but we all grew up with it so it counts as an American dish no matter what.

The basic dish is very flexible, using most any kind of short round pasta and most any type of cheese and your favorite sauce you can create a great everyday meal. Or if you pair the casserole with some nice bread, olive oil and wine you can create a nice Sunday meal.

Method

Parboil the pasta (partially cook the pasta) in a large pot. In a 9 x 13 inch pan mix the pasta with the sauce (preferably homemade) and add the grated parmesan and 2 cups ricotta cheese with a spoon around the dish. Top with slices of mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 - 30 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

If you choose to make homemade sauce you could start with one 28 ounce can of whole or diced tomatoes. Dice up the tomatoes if whole and reserve the liquid. Dice up one onion and sautee for a minute or two one medium high heat. Add tomato paste, sautee. Then add the tomatoes and sautee for 5 minutes. Deglaze with the reserved juice from the can and add the herbs. This is where you can really make a great sauce. Thyme, rosemary, cayenne pepper...the list of herbs and spices you can add is endless.

Add a tablespoon or two of white sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Then for the ziti you can blend the sauce in a blender and just pour over the pasta.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of pasta
• 1 pound of bacon, diced
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup of heavy cream
• 1/3 cup of milk
• Salt & Pepper

For a quick lunch we decided to try making our own lasanga with homemade pasta sheets.

Since there were only a few of us and we wanted to eat fairly quick, we used a pyrex loaf pan instead of a 13" x 9" pan.

Related:

Homemade Pasta Dough - Spaghetti and Ravioli

Method

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F

So we started with making a simple pasta with 1 cup of flour and 2 eggs. As soon as it came together we began to roll it through our pasta machine. When attempting this have some extra flour on hand to add to the dough.

Once you roll the pasta out to the number 8 setting take a sheet about 2 feet long and set aside.

Put a little tomato sauce on the bottom of the loaf pan and then layer the pasta along the bottom. On top of the pasta layer a little more sauce and then put a layer of cheese on, then fold the pasta sheet on top. Repeat for about 3 layer. On the very top of the lasanga add a little cheddar cheese.

Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 lbs ground beef (preferably home ground/chopped)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Worcester Sauce
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 2 bullion cubes
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Herbs & Spices:

• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon onion salt
• salt and pepper

Method:

Sauté the onion in the butter. After a few minutes add the ground beef and cook until brown and cooked through. Add the oregano, basil, onion powder and onion salt. Add the tomato paste, the Worcester sauce and the flour. Cook for a few minutes, then add the wine and cook for a while longer.

Add the diced tomatoes, the water, the bullion cubes and the sugar and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes or until nice and incorporated. At this point, add the cream, the balsamic vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.

16 oz bow-tie pasta (or other smaller pasta)
1 pound bacon, diced
10 brussel sprouts, sliced thinly
1 cup green beans, cut in bite-size pieces
½ cup dry vermouth
2 garlic cloves, chopped
zest from ½ lemon
juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Creating homemade pasta is very easy and is a great way to have fresh pasta anytime. With this method you can create spaghetti or ravioli and try any filling or style.

Method

On a table or silpat place 3 1/2 cups of flour down and in the center form a bowl and place the 4 eggs inside. With a fork begin to work together the eggs and flour. When all the flour is integrated with the eggs begin to knead the dough for a few minutes, just long enough for everything to come together.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap for about 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes, split the dough, using a french rolling pin begin to roll out the dough.

If you want spaghetti roll the dough very thin, it will take a while without a machine, but the results with a rolling pin are very good. Once you have the dough thin enough you can use a long, thin knife to cut the dough into long strips.

You can then use the pasta immediately. Place in boiling water with about 2 tablespoons of salt and the spaghetti will be ready in 5 minutes.

For ravioli just roll out two sheets and create a simple filling (cheese, sausage, and herbs) and use a biscuit cutter to form the packet.

Place in salted boiling water for 5 minutes.

Spaghetti with clam sauce is such a simple dish to make, yet it is so tasty and very fulfilling. Of course it’s nice if you can use fresh clams, however canned work just fine. Some fresh herbs would be a nice addition. Serve with a glass of wine, some crusty bread and some nice Parmesan cheese.

4 tablespoons butter
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup dry Vermouth
2 cans clams
½ lemon
Salt and pepper
1 pound spaghetti
Parmesan Cheese

Method:

Boil the pasta. Sauté the onion in the butter for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, the basil and the oregano. Add the dry Vermouth, simmer for a minute, then add the clams and the juice of half a lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Immediately add the cooked, drained al-dente pasta and stir well.

• 1 Pound spaghetti
• 8 Ounces (8 slices) bacon, cut 1 inch thick crosswise
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/2 Cup half-and-half

1. Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. 2. Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. 3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside. 4. Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

Other variations of Pasta Carbonara