Rigatoni with Butternut and Sausage

 Recipe here

Squash & Spinach Pasta Bake

 Recipe here

Butternut Squash and Spinach Pasta

 Recipe here

Summer Gnocchi

Recipe here

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Veggies

1 organic pie pumpkin, about 28 ounces OR 1 (15 ounce) can organic pumpkin puree

olive oil cooking spray

16 ounce cauliflower florets, cut into 1-in. pieces

16 ounce quartered Brussels sprouts

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

12 ounces gluten-free or wheat rotini pasta, I used Delallo*

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup minced onion

2 tablespoons all purpose or gluten-free flour*

1 1/2 cups fat free milk

2/3 cup reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

5 ounces fresh grated Sharp Light Cheddar, I used Cabot 50%

4 ounces fresh grated Gouda

2 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan

Kosher salt

pinch nutmeg

fresh pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F°. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil spray.

Toss cauliflower and Brussels sprouts with olive oil, and season with salt. Spread in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

If you are roasting the pumpkin yourself, cut the top of the pumpkin as you would if you were carving a jack-o-lantern. Then cut it in quarters. Scoop out the seeds (if you wish to make roasted pumpkin seeds, rinse and lay them out on a baking sheet overnight to dry out). Place the pumpkin on the prepared sheet pan and roast with the other veggies in the oven at 400°F for 35 to 37 minutes, stirring the vegetables and rotating pans halfway through cooking time, until vegetables are soft and have begun to brown around the edges and the pumpkin is soft if pierced with a knife.

Remove the vegetables and pumpkin from the oven, and when cool enough to handle, remove the pumpkin from the skin. This will come off easily. Discard the skin and place pumpkin in a food processor. Puree until smooth, adding water by the tablespoon if needed about 3 tablespoons until smooth.

While vegetables roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting fat and salt. Drain, and set aside.

Over medium heat melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over low heat about 2 minutes, add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well combined. Add milk and broth and whisk, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, nutmeg and pepper.

Once it begins to thicken, stir in pumpkin and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add cheeses and parmesan and mix well until melted. Add the cooked macaroni and mix well, fold in the roasted vegetables.

Butternut Risotto

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth, divided
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ cups brown arborio/short-grain brown rice
• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into ½” cubes
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese* (about 2 ½ ounces)
• ½ cup dry white wine, optional
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste

Fried sage

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 16 to 20 fresh sage leaves, chopped (to yield about ¼ cup chopped fresh sage)

NSTRUCTIONS

1. To prepare: Place your oven racks in the lower third and upper third positions (we’re going to bake the risotto on the middle rack and roast the squash on the upper rack at the same time), then preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for the butternut squash. Reserve 1 cup broth from your container and set it aside for when the risotto is out of the oven.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-to-large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add 3 cups broth and 1 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in the rice. Cover the pot and bake on the lower rack until rice is tender and cooked through, about 65 to 70 minutes. It will seem pretty dry when you take off the lid, but don’t worry!
4. Immediately after placing the pot of risotto in the oven, toss the cubed butternut with 2 tablespoons olive oil on your lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and some freshly ground black pepper and arrange the butternut in a single layer on the pan. Roast on the upper rack until the butternut is fork tender and the edges are deeply caramelized, tossing halfway. This took 55 to 60 minutes for me, but start checking for doneness around 40 minutes.
5. While the risotto and butternut are in the oven, fry the sage: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Let the sage get darker green and crispy (but not brown) before transferring it to a plate covered with a paper towel. Sprinkle the fried sage lightly with salt and set it aside.
6. Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and pour in the remaining cup of broth, the Parmesan, wine and butter. Stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Stir in the salt, a generous amount of pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
7. Stir in the roasted butternut. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed. Divide the risotto into bowls and top each with a sprinkle of fried sage.

NOTES

STORAGE SUGGESTIONS: This risotto keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for a few days.
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE/VEGAN: Starchy rice accounts for most of this risotto’s creaminess, so you can skip the dairy or replace it with the following. Replace the butter with vegan butter or a tablespoon or two of additional olive oil, to taste. Skip the Parmesan cheese. You might like to add some nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor.
*A NOTE ON PARMESAN: I always get a few comments on recipes that include Parmesan (“It’s not vegetarian!”) but Whole Foods actually makes a great animal rennet-free Parmesan. There’s plenty of flavor in here without the Parmesan, if you’d rather leave it out.
IF YOU MUST USE WHITE ARBORIO RICE: Bake it for 40 to 45 minutes, until tender to the bite, and proceed as directed.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A DUTCH OVEN: Use a large saucepan instead, then carefully pour the boiling broth and rice mixture into a casserole dish. If the casserole dish has an oven-safe lid, use that; if not, cover it tightly with foil. Bake as directed.

Chicken Spaghetti Bake

Ingredients

• 8 oz angel hair pasta 1/2 box
• 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
• 2 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups Mexican cheese blend divided use
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• dried parsley for topping (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350f degrees.
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions (remember, you are only using half a box of angel hair pasta here.)
4. Once pasta is cooked, drain well.
5. Place pasta back into the pot and add diced chicken, cream of chicken soups, salsa, sour cream, 1 cup of Mexican cheese blend and taco seasoning.
6. Stir well to combine (this will take a few minutes.)
7. Pour combined mixture into your prepared baking dish.
8. Top with remaining cheese and a sprinkling of dried parsley.
9. Cover with nonstick aluminum foil.
10. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes (until hot and bubbly.)

Recipe Notes

You can purchase the pre-cooked or pre-grilled chicken in the refrigerated section and freezer sections of your grocery store to cut down on time.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Butternut Squash Filling:
• 2 cups butternut squash puree (about half of squash)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup milk (or more, if needed)
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Spinach Filling:
• 1 cup cooked spinach (8 oz uncooked)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pepper, to taste
Other Ingredients:
• 10 oz lasagna noodles, cooked (for gluten free, use Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles)
• 1 and 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (or more)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (on top)
• Italian seasoning
• Paprika
• Basil

Make A Quick & Easy Ranch Spinach Dip

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
Butternut Squash Filling:
2. For this filling, you will need to have pre-cooked butternut squash puree. Using food processor, combine 2 cups of butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Mix very well, taste and add more salt, if needed.
Spinach Filling:
3. Combine spinach, Ricotta cheese, mozzarella, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix, taste, and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Cooking lasagna noodles:
4. Bring a very large pot of water to boil, and cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Rinse in cold water, drain. Using knife, trim noodles to fit your baking dish (if necessary).
Lasagna assembly:
5. Prepare a baking dish - I used a casserole dish 11 inches x 8.5 inches x 3 inches deep. Grease the lasagna dish lightly with olive oil spray. Spread 1/3 of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked lasagna noodles without overlapping (I used 3 noodles).
6. Spread half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
7. Spread another layer (1/3) of butternut squash mixture, then sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
8. Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of cooked noodles.
9. Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining 1/3) over this final layer of noodles, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and remaining mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup of mozzarella). Generously sprinkle the cheese with Italian seasoning, paprika, basil.
10. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes.

Mac N'Cheese

Ingredients:

8 oz. PRINCE elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddarcheese
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 cup flavored bread crumbs

Steps:

Cook pasta according to package directions for seven minutes. In saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter; add flour, onion, salt, and dry mustard; blend well. Add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Sauce will not be thick. Remove from heat, add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Add hot pasta to hot sauce. Pour mixture into 2-quart casserole dish. Stir together bread crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes six 1-cup servings.

Orzo with Shrimp and Peas

From Cooking Light

 Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 cups frozen petite green peas, thawed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp, thawed, drained, and patted dry
• 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• Tarragon leaves (optional)
• Lemon zest, thinly sliced (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add broth to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo; reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

2. Heat butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat; stir in shallot and zest. Cook until shallot is softened (about 3 minutes), stirring frequently. Add peas; cook until peas are bright green (about 2 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat; stir in lemon juice, chopped tarragon, salt, and pepper. Transfer pea mixture to a plate.

3. Add shrimp and orzo to skillet; cook until heated through (about 4 minutes), stirring frequently. Add Parmesan to pan; stir until creamy. Stir in pea mixture. Transfer to 4 bowls, and garnish with tarragon leaves and thinly sliced lemon zest, if desired. Serve immediately.

Cook's Comments:
- I think next time I would do asparagus and diced tomatoes instead of peas. Peas were fine, but I like those veggies better

Butternut Squash Lasagna

From Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled  (I have used Pepperidge Farms gingerbread cookies)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Spaghetti Pie

Borrowed from Heidi Reservitz

Ingredients:

- 1lb hamburger or turkey meat (I always use turkey)
- 2 small cans of tomato sauce (I use garlic tomato sauce)
- 8oz spaghetti
- 4 to 6oz cream cheese
- 4 to 6oz sour cream
- chives (
- shredded cheddar cheese (I use a lot, probably 2 cups if not more)

Steps:

1. Cook turkey meat in cans of garlic tomato sauce, let it simmer and soak in the sauce (can add more or less sauce depending on how much you prefer)
2. Also cook 8oz spaghetti
3. In a bowl mix about 4oz of sour cream with about 4oz of cream cheese and scallions (this part you can adjust the amounts to suit your likes/dislikes, I use a lot of all 3)
4. In a greased casserole dish you will put the spaghetti first, then cover it with a layer of the sour cream/cream cheese/scallion mix, then pour the meat and sauce on as the third layer and then sprinkle
cheese over the entire thing.
5. Put in the oven at 350, with the cover on the dish, for 25 minutes.
6. Then take the cover off and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Cook's Comments:
- it's great with garlic bread!
- freezes okay