Category: Meatless Meals

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce

Cheese tortellini, enhanced with a cream sauce featuring tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese is delicious, comforting and filling!Cheese tortellini, enhanced with a cream sauce featuring tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese is delicious, comforting and filling!

Well, Fall weather has definitely come to the Pacific Northwest, bringing with it LOTS of rain and cooler temperatures, I have felt myself craving pasta lately. It’s funny- in the Summer I want to BBQ our meals; in Fall and Winter I crave “comfort food” recipes, much like this easy recipe for Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce.

My husband and I enjoyed this “meatless” pasta dish last week. Store bought tortellini is cooked, then served in a delicious cream sauce, which features the flavors of spinach, tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, and of course… Parmesan cheese! It’s a very easy dish to pull together, as well, which ALWAYS scores big with me. Here’s how you make it:

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook tortellini, according to package directions, while you are making the sauce. Time it so that the tortellini is done when the sauce is ready.

Cook frozen chopped spinach according to package directions (I didn’t have any so I used fresh baby spinach, chopped it, then cooked it for a couple minutes in boiling water to wilt it).

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Drain the spinach really well using a strainer. Set the drained spinach aside. (I drained it so well I BROKE this strainer. Oops. Be careful out there, folks!)

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

In a large skillet, sauté onion in oil until it is tender (3-4 minutes).

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Once onions have softened, add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring well.

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Add tomatoes, spinach, basil, salt and pepper to the skillet.

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Give it a good stir, then continue cooking the mixture on medium-high heat until almost all of the liquid has cooked out (this will take about 5-6 minutes).

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Pour in the whipping cream.

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Grate Parmesan cheese and add it to the mixture.

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Give the sauce a good stir. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to LOW and simmer for 8-10 minutes (or until the sauce has thickened). Leave the skillet uncovered while cooking.

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

About the time the sauce is finished cooking and hot, the tortellini should be done cooking.

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Drain the cooked tortellini, then add to the skillet full of the tomato-spinach cream sauce.

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Gently stir, to coat the tortellini with the sauce. Place tortellini and sauce in serving dish, or serve portions onto individual plates. Grate additional Parmesan cheese on top of each individual serving, if desired, and serve while hot!

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

That’s it! Serve this with a mixed green salad for a hearty dinner! The recipe serves 6 (if using 16 oz. frozen tortellini-see Note Section of printable recipe). We enjoyed the leftovers, too!!

Have a great day! Think of ways you can encourage a friend, neighbor, or family member today, and act on it… be someone who makes a positive difference in someone’s life!

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce / The Grateful Girl Cooks!Recipe Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tortellini-with-tomato-cream-sauce

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 

Cheese tortellini, enhanced with a cream sauce featuring tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese is delicious, comforting and filling!

Category: Dinner, Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: cheese tortellini
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 503 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 package (16 oz,) frozen cheese tortellini
  • 1 small brown onion , chopped
  • 2 Tablespoonfuls olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (undrained)
  • 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Additional grated Parmesan cheese for garnish , if desired
Instructions
Make tortellini:
  1. Cook the tortellini according to package instructions. While the tortellini is cooking, make the sauce.
Make Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce:
  1. While tortellini is cooking, sauté chopped onion in olive oil (in large skillet) for 3-4 minutes, until onion has softened. Add garlic to skillet; cook for one minute, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
  2. Add tomatoes (and juice), drained spinach, basil, salt and black pepper to the skillet. Cook this mixture (uncovered) for 5-6 minutes on medium-high heat, until almost all of the liquid has been cooked away.
  3. Stir in the whipping cream and the Parmesan cheese. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, reduce heat back down to low; simmer and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened up a bit.
  4. When tortellini is finished cooking, drain it well, then add tortellini to tomato-spinach cream sauce in skillet. Gently stir to fully coat pasta with the sauce, then serve while hot.
  5. If desired (I recommend), garnish each individual serving with additional grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

-No frozen spinach? Use fresh baby spinach. Place spinach leaves in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain. Use as directed.
-Can also use a 9 oz.. pkg. of FRESH tortellini. Makes a couple less servings (and extra sauce), but is good substitution for 16 oz. frozen tortellini.

Nutrition Facts
Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 503 Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value*
Fat 31g48%
Saturated Fat 17g106%
Cholesterol 117mg39%
Sodium 902mg39%
Potassium 257mg7%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 6485IU130%
Vitamin C 4.8mg6%
Calcium 312mg31%
Iron 3.2mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Cheese tortellini, enhanced with a cream sauce featuring tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese is delicious, comforting and filling!

 

 

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Florentine Manicotti

Florentine manicotti, filled with ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and covered with marinara sauce is a meatless, easy to make Italian dish.Florentine manicotti, filled with ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and covered with marinara sauce is a meatless, easy to make Italian dish.

My husband and I love Italian food! One of the dishes we enjoy occasionally is this “meatless” recipe for Florentine Manicotti. Pasta shells filled with three cheeses (creamy ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan), spinach, and covered in spaghetti sauce. Yum. I like to think of manicotti as the Italian version of Mexican enchiladas!

For anyone unfamiliar with manicotti, it is a large, tube shaped type of pasta that is typically filled with meat or cheese and is baked in spaghetti sauce. This particular recipe is meatless; it’s delicious, and is a fairly easy dish to prepare. I use a recipe I found years ago on a box of pasta, and tweaked it a bit by adding cooked spinach and a couple additional spices to the cheesy filling, to give it a true “Florentine” touch!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The bottom Of The Page

Make The Filling For Florentine Manicotti

Cook a small box of frozen spinach, according to the package directions. Drain it very well, and let the spinach cool. When it has cooled off, mix up the cheese filling, and then add the spinach.

Preparing the filling for the florentine manicotti.

Prepare The Manicotti For Filling

Here’s what manicotti pasta shells look like BEFORE they are cooked. They’re each about 5 inches long. The tubes of pasta are fragile, so be very careful not to break them.

Manicotti pasta shells BEFORE cooking. Carefully add the pasta to a large pot of boiling, salted water, and cook it for 7 minutes.

The pasta shells are cooked for 7 minutes in boiling, salted water.Once done cooking, carefully remove the manicotti shells to a colander and drain them well.

After cooking, the manicotti pasta shells are drained in a colander.

Before you begin filling the Florentine manicotti put a layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a baking pan.

Marinara sauce is spread on the bottom of casserole dish before adding stuffed manicotti.

Make The Florentine Manicotti

Gently fill each of the pasta tubes with the cheese and spinach filling. I hold the shell in my hand and fill one side with the cheese/spinach filling (using a spoon and sometimes a butter knife) clear to the middle. Switch to the other end of the shell and fill the other side. Try to get as much filling into the shell as possible without splitting it.

Stuffing the florentine manicotti shells before baking.Once the Florentine manicotti shells are filled, lay them on top of the spaghetti sauce.

Stuffed florentine manicotti are laid on top of sauce in baking dish.Cover the manicotti with the rest of the spaghetti sauce. I cover the entire pasta shell with sauce, then sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese (or grated mozzarella cheese).

The manicotti are covered with sauce and Parmesan cheese, to bake.

Time To Bake!

Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes longer. when done, the Florentine manicotti is heated through, and the cheese filling is bubbly.

Let cool for a minute or two (easier to serve up) , then remove the manicotti to serving plates using a spatula. The only thing left to do is grab a fork, dig in, and enjoy this tasty dish!

Florentine manicotti are done baking and ready to eat!Hope you will give this recipe a try!  I may not have the most mouthwatering “professional” photos to share, but trust me. Florentine manicotti are delicious, and I really think you will enjoy them! Have a great day, and please come back soon.

Looking for More ITALIAN Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious Italian dishes you might want to check out, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Author's signatureRecipe adapted from: Box of American Beauty Manicotti Pasta Shells.

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Florentine Manicotti
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
 
Florentine manicotti, filled with ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and covered with marinara sauce is a meatless, easy to make Italian dish.
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: florentine manicotti
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 332 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 6-8 uncooked manicotti pasta shells
  • 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese (1 3/4 cups)
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese
  • 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach (cooked per package directions, and drained well)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground oregano
  • 3 cups (or one 28 ounce jar) prepared spaghetti sauce
  • Additional Parmesan or mozzarella cheese (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cook frozen chopped spinach per package instructions. Remove from heat; drain WELL. Let spinach cool.
  3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, grated mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder and ground oregano. Stir well until fully combined.
  4. Add spinach to the cheese mixture. Stir well, to combine.
  5. Cook manicotti shells according to package instructions (add to boiling water-7 minutes cook time is typical). When done, remove from heat, drain gently, and let dry.
  6. Fill each shell using a spoon until full of filling.
  7. Spread some of the spaghetti sauce over the bottom of 13x9 baking pan (enough to fully cover); put the filled pasta in a single layer on top of sauce.
  8. Spoon the rest of the spaghetti sauce over the top of the manicotti. Sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese (or mozzarella), if desired. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes; remove foil, then cook an additional 15 minutes. Manicotti should be hot and cheese bubbly when done. Remove pan from oven. Let sit for a minute or two, then gently remove manicotti to individual serving plates using a spatula.
  10. Serve with a green salad and a slice of crusty french bread, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Florentine Manicotti
Amount Per Serving (1 manicotti)
Calories 332 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 1270mg55%
Potassium 736mg21%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 6720IU134%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 596mg60%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Florentine manicotti, filled with ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and covered with marinara sauce is a meatless, easy to make Italian dish.

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Lentil Stew

Hearty, healthy and delicious, you will love this low calorie, thick homemade lentil stew for an easy and inexpensive lunch or dinner!Hearty, healthy and delicious, you will love this low calorie, thick homemade lentil stew for an easy and inexpensive lunch or dinner!
Well, this was a happy experiment. It was my first time cooking lentils! I guess I’m behind the times, but I kept hearing about how inexpensive, nutritious, and filling lentils were, so I started looking to see what goes into a good, thick Lentil Stew. Then I made my own version!

I must have looked at 25 different ways to make lentil soup or stew. I finally decided to just make my own version and add a variety of ingredients (like carrots, celery, thyme, dill, garlic, etc) I found on various recipes that sounded like they would be good additions.

The only HARD part about making this stew was I had to remember to write all the ingredients down as I made it, so I could actually remember what I did. Do you ever do that? Let’s just say that one hand was stirring the pot, one hand was writing it all down, and I suppose I might have used my FEET to take the pictures… somehow I got it done, and guess what? This hearty lentil stew is GOOD!

Scroll Down For a Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Lentils Are A Healthy Protein-Filled Legume

On a side note… did you know that lentils (a legume) contain the 3rd highest protein of any legume? True. Lentils are inexpensive AND highly nutritious. That can be considered a win-win kind of main ingredient.

How To Make Delicious Lentil Stew

The first thing to do is cook the chopped onions for a few minutes in a bit of olive oil. The onions are cooked until they have softened.

Cooking onions in red pot for lentil stew
Once onions have softened, add the lentils. It’s important to rinse and drain the lentils in a colander BEFORE adding! Brown rice is then added to the soup pot, along with 5 cups water. Give the ingredients a good stir after adding the rice.

Lentils, water and brown rice added to stew
Add a large cube of chicken bouillon to the stew, crumbling it up, as you add. TIP FOR VEGETARIANS: If you want to make this a completely vegetarian stew, leave the chicken bouillon out or add vegetable bouillon.

I personally enjoy the flavor the chicken bouillon adds, but it certainly won’t hurt the lentil stew if you omit it.

Chicken bouillon used to flavor lentil stewTime To Cook the Lentil Stew

Add the chopped celery, carrots, flat leaf parsley, thyme, dill, salt, oregano, seasoning salt, and minced garlic to the pot. Bring the lentil stew to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook the stew on a low simmer for about 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chopped celery, carrots, and spices added to soup pot
After the stew has cooked for about 45 minutes, the rice and lentils will be softened. A lot of the broth will have absorbed. Now the mixture will look more like a thickened soup or stew. TIP: I served the lentil stew in it’s thickened form. If you want it to be more “soup-like” (more broth liquid), simply add a cup of water during the last 10 minutes of cook time.

Lentil Stew ready to serve!Ready to EAT!

To serve, divide the hot lentil stew into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl of soup with chopped parsley, if desired. Serve the soup with some crusty slices of bread, and you’ve got yourself a hearty meal!

Even without meat, the combination of lentils and brown rice combine to make sure all essential amino acids are provided to make a complete protein dish. The lentil stew leftovers are pretty amazing, also (just sayin’).

Lentil Stew in bowl, with garlic bread on side
This was an easy meal to make, and my husband and I enjoyed the leftovers for lunch over the course of several days. Sure hope you will give this delicious lentil stew a try… I think you will be surprised at just how good it is! Have a great day!

Looking For More SOUP OR STEW Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

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Lentil Stew
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

Hearty, healthy and delicious, you will love this low calorie, thick homemade lentil stew for an easy and inexpensive lunch or dinner!

Category: Dinner, Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lentil stew
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 151 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium brown onion , chopped
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 cup brown lentils (rinsed)
  • 1/3 cup brown rice (uncooked)
  • 1 large chicken bouillon cube (can omit if making this vegetarian)
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 2 celery stalks , chopped small
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Dried parsley (OPTIONAL-to sprinkle on stew as a garnish before serving)
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, cook the chopped onion in olive oil until onions have softened (3-4 minutes).
  2. Add 5 cups water, rinsed lentils, brown rice, and crumbled chicken bouillon cube.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Bring soup mixture to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
  5. Continue to cook the stew for 45-50 minutes (covered) on low, stirring occasionally. Uncover the stew the last 10 minutes of cooking time.(*If you want the stew to have more broth, simply add in another cup of water during the last 10 minutes of cooking time).
  6. Taste. Season with additional salt/pepper, if desired.
  7. Ladle the hot stew into serving bowls. Sprinkle with dried parsley (optional).
  8. Serve with some good crusty bread, and ENJOY!
Nutrition Facts
Lentil Stew
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 151 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Sodium 588mg26%
Potassium 398mg11%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 5440IU109%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Hearty, healthy and delicious, you will love this low calorie, thick homemade lentil stew for an easy and inexpensive lunch or dinner!

 

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Quinoa Enchilada Casserole (Meatless!)

This meatless quinoa enchilada casserole, with black beans, corn, spices, enchilada sauce and cheese will be enjoyed by everyone, vegetarian or not!This meatless quinoa enchilada casserole, with black beans, corn, spices, enchilada sauce and cheese will be enjoyed by everyone, vegetarian or not!

I am always on the lookout for a meatless entree I can serve when we have our Vegetarian son and his girlfriend over for dinner!  I found a recipe for a Quinoa Enchilada Casserole on Pinterest and decided to give it a “taste-test” before offering it up for a family get-together!

Our youngest son (the one who used to love huge steaks and hamburgers) became a vegetarian a few years ago. His girlfriend is also a vegetarian. That complicated things a bit, making dinners more challenging for our “family get-togethers”, so I’m glad I tried this recipe! I only “tweaked” the original recipe just a little bit!

The quinoa enchilada casserole was delicious, and really easy to prepare! If you like a good enchilada, or enjoy a meatless meal occasionally like we do (one with loads of flavor), you will like this recipe… meat eater or not!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. When done, place quinoa in large bowl. Add the green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, green onion, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder.

Cooked quinoa and other ingredients for casserole in mixing bowl.
Add the enchilada sauce, salt and pepper to the quinoa. Stir well, to fully blend all the ingredients.

Enchilada sauce is added to quinoa and casserole ingredients.
Add a half cup of cheddar cheese and a half cup of pepper jack cheese, and stir until fully combined.

Grated cheddar and jack cheeses are added to casserole ingredients.
Bake The Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased (or sprayed) 8×8 inch baking dish. Spread the casserole mixture evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the remaining jack and cheddar cheeses on top. Bake the quinoa enchilada casserole for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees, or until the cheese is bubbly and fully melted. Remove the casserole to a wire rack.

Quinoa enchilada casserole is placed into an 8x8 baking dish
To Serve The Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Garnish the top of the casserole with chopped tomato and cilantro. The tomatoes and cilantro not only add a pop of color, they add wonderful flavor to this quinoa enchilada casserole, too! Serve, and enjoy!

Baked quinoa enchilada casserole is garnished with cilantro and tomatoes.

A Note About SERVING This Casserole

When served piping HOT, fresh from the oven, the texture of the quinoa casserole makes it necessary that it be scooped out with a spoon, rather than cut into pieces with a knife.

I refrigerated the leftovers and the next day was able to cut it into pieces (while chilled) and get this photo so you can see accurately what it looks like on the inside. Once cut, I microwaved the quinoa enchilada casserole to reheat it… and it tasted fantastic!

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole (Meatless!) / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Hope you will consider trying this recipe for quinoa enchilada casserole. It is packed with flavor (even without meat!) and tastes great! Have a great day, and come back soon.

Looking For More QUINOA Recipes?

All of my recipes can be found in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite recipes using quinoa include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

Author's signature

Original Recipe (slightly adapted) from: http://damndelicious.net/2014/07/07/quinoa-enchilada-casserole/

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Quinoa Enchilada Casserole (Meatless!)
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
This meatless quinoa enchilada casserole, with black beans, corn, spices, enchilada sauce and cheese will be enjoyed by everyone, vegetarian or not!
Category: Meatless Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: quinoa enchilada casserole
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 290 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Casserole:
  • 1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1 10 ounce can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
  • 1 4.5 ounce can (4.5 ounce) chopped green chiles (drained)
  • 3/4 cup corn kernels (frozen or canned...doesn't matter)
  • 3/4 cup canned black beans (drained, rinsed)
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 green onion stalk (green/white parts, sliced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Pinch Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (divided)
  • 1 cup pepper jack cheese (divided)
For Garnish:
  • 1 Roma tomato , (diced)
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
  2. Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water (per package directions).
  3. In a large mixing bowl, place the cooked quinoa, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, green onion, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
  4. Add enchilada sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
  5. Add 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese and 3/4 cup of pepper jack cheese. Mix well to combine.
  6. Pour quinoa mixture into prepared baking dish. Spread evenly in dish. Top the casserole with the rest of the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses.
  7. Bake casserole (uncovered) in a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. Cheese should be melted and very bubbly around edges of pan.
  8. Remove baking dish to a wire rack. Let it cool for a couple minutes. Garnish the top of casserole with diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Spoon the casserole out onto serving plates. Serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Another option: Original recipe used chopped ripe avocados as a garnish (instead of cilantro).

Nutrition Facts
Quinoa Enchilada Casserole (Meatless!)
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 290 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 36mg12%
Sodium 346mg15%
Potassium 312mg9%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 550IU11%
Vitamin C 2.7mg3%
Calcium 297mg30%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!This meatless quinoa enchilada casserole, with quinoa, black beans, corn, spices, enchilada sauce and cheese will be enjoyed by everyone, vegetarian or not!

 

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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce, with nutmeg and Parmesan cheese, is a delicious meatless dish that looks and tastes great!Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce, with nutmeg and Parmesan cheese, is a delicious meatless dish that looks and tastes great!

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Butternut Squash Ravioli, drizzled with a browned butter and sage sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese. It’s fun to make homemade ravioli, and this recipe sounded good. So… I made it… and we really enjoyed it!

The creaminess of the roasted butternut squash, combined with the flavor of Parmesan cheese and a touch of nutmeg is amazing! The browned butter sauce (with only TWO ingredients!) that covered the pasta is so easy to make.

I decided to make my own ravioli from scratch because we have the cutest little pasta machine I received as a birthday gift several years ago. Seriously- I think making homemade pasta is very therapeutic and fun!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

But What If I Don’t Have A Pasta Machine?

However, if you don’t have a pasta machine, you still can make this recipe with two other options: 1) make pasta dough and roll it out by hand with brute strength, or 2) buy a package of won ton wrappers and use those instead of pasta.

If you go the purchased won ton route, this recipe just got a lot simpler! If you like the adventure of making and rolling your own pasta dough for ravioli, then this is still a very simple recipe… honest!

Roast The Butternut Squash

You will need to roast the butternut squash first!  Peel, de-seed, and then cut it into cubes. Bake (per instructions in printable recipe card below) the butternut squash.

Butternut squash is seeded, cubed and roasted before making this dish.
Time To Make The Ravioli Dough

Making the ravioli dough is kinda fun, at least for me it is! This time I used an easy egg-less recipe I found in my pasta machine instruction book. Mix the ingredients in a stand mixer with a dough hook on it.

Dough for the raviolis is mixed together.
Remove the dough from the mixer once dough comes together enough to form a ball. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes, covered with a slightly damp dish towel.

The dough rests on a floured surface before shaping.
Pasta Machine Fun!

Slice off a piece of the dough, and run it through your pasta machine, adjusting settings (per manufacturer instructions) until you have long strips of dough. Keep running the dough through the machine until you have very long, thin strips of dough.

The dough for making butternut squash ravioli needs to be really thin. If rolling it out by hand, keep at it until the dough is very thin!

A pasta machine is used to make long sheets of dough for the ravioli.
Time To Fill The Butternut Squash Ravioli

After the butternut squash finishes roasting, mash it up, then mix it (using an electric beater) with the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg in a bowl. Place small spoonfuls of mixture onto the pasta sheets, leaving space in between each spoonful.

Roasted squash is placed on sheets of pasta dough in dollops.
Now gently pull the dough up and over the top of the butternut squash, from front to back, to touch the other side of the dough. Carefully cut into individual raviolis like this:

The pasta dough is folded over and cut into individual pieces.
Crimp the edges with a fork all the way around, sealing the edges shut like this:

Each of the raviolis is crimped on the edges with a fork.
Now the ravioli should (hopefully) look like this:

Now the butternut squash ravioli is ready to cook!
Cook The Browned Butter Sage Sauce

Bring a large saucepan full of salted water to a full boil. Right before you cook the ravioli (remember FRESH ravioli only takes 2-3 minutes to cook), make the browned butter/sage sauce.

Melt the butter with  fresh sage leaves in a large skillet. I grow my own sage at home, so all I had to do was go out to my front porch and get some of the leaves… easy-peasy!

Melted butter is cooked with sage leaves until it becomes browned.
After the butter and sage have cooked for about 3 minutes, the butter will begin to turn light brown. It will be a bit more brown than this…and will smell somewhat “nutty”. Once the butter sauce is light brown in color, remove the skillet from the heat.

Butter and sage leaves continue to cook until browned.
The butternut squash ravioli cooks in about the same time it takes to make the sauce (about 3 minutes).

Cooking the raviolis in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes.
Time To Serve The Raviolis

Remove the raviolis with a slotted spoon to let them drain. Place them directly into the browned butter/sage sauce (sorry, no picture of that… was too busy trying to get them all in the skillet and covered with sauce!)

Spoon the sauce over the hot ravioli, then gently spoon them up and onto serving plates. Spoon additional sauce and sage leaves over the ravioli. Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese on the top, and serve!

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce on plate with a green salad.
Sure hope you try making these butternut squash ravioli. They are absolutely delicious!

Close up photo of the finished ravioli dish on serving plate.

Hope you enjoy this Italian-inspired pasta dish. It really tastes wonderful! Have a great day!

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful pasta recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/09/butternut-squash-ravioli-with-sage.html

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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Total Time
48 mins
 

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce, with nutmeg and Parmesan cheese, is a delicious meatless dish that looks and tastes great!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: butternut squash ravioli
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 817 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Squash Filling:
  • 1 pound butternut squash
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper (to season)
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
For Browned Butter Sauce:
  • 3/4 cube butter
  • 10-12 sage leaves
For Pasta:
  • 1 recipe homemade pasta dough OR 1 pkg won ton skins (*see notes)
My pasta dough was made from:
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
For Garnish:
  • Additional grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Slice squash in half. Peel and de-seed. Cut the squash into cubes, place in bowl, and coat them fairly well with olive oil. Sprinkle the squash with salt and pepper. Place the squash cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. The squash should be tender when done. Remove squash from oven; place into a medium bowl and mash the squash with a fork until well "mashed". Add the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Give it a taste. If necessary, add a bit more salt and pepper.
  2. While the squash is baking, make the pasta, per manufacturer's instructions. Roll it out into long strips on a well-floured surface.
  3. Place small spoonfuls of the squash filling in the middle of the long sheets of pasta dough, leaving space between each one. Gently pull the dough up and over the filling from front to back until the dough touches the other edge. Lightly press down the outer edges. Carefully cut each ravioli apart. Using a fork, carefully crimp the edges of the raviolis, to seal completely.
  4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, for the ravioli.
  5. While the water is coming to a boil, make the butter sauce: In a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add the sage leaves. Cook this for for 3-4 minutes on medium-low, only until the butter begins to brown. Once the butter turns light brown, remove pan from the heat.
  6. Cook the ravioli in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes. They will float to the top of the water when they are done cooking. Remove the raviolis from the hot water using a slotted spoon; place them into the browned butter sauce. Carefully spoon some of the sauce onto the raviolis, to cover.
  7. Place raviolis onto individual serving plates. Drizzle with the browned butter sauce and the sage leaves. Finely grate Parmesan cheese on top; Serve... and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

If using won ton wrappers, place prepared squash/Parmesan mixture into center of won ton wrapper. Brush all the edges of the won ton with water, then press edges together to completely seal around filling. Follow rest of directions.

Nutrition Facts
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 817 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 14mg5%
Sodium 754mg33%
Potassium 591mg17%
Carbohydrates 150g50%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 12135IU243%
Vitamin C 23.8mg29%
Calcium 199mg20%
Iron 9.1mg51%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce, with nutmeg and Parmesan cheese, is a delicious meatless dish that looks and tastes great!

 

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Vegetarian Spicy Noodles in Peanut Sauce

Vegetarian or not, you’ll enjoy these spicy noodles in peanut sauce! Pasta with water chestnuts, peanuts, cilantro and carrots in a creamy Thai sauce!Vegetarian or not, you'll enjoy these spicy noodles in peanut sauce! Pasta with water chestnuts, peanuts, cilantro and carrots in a creamy Thai sauce!
The recipe I am posting today is for Vegetarian Spicy Noodles In Peanut Sauce.  The recipe is yummy, and is SO EASY to make! The plus side is that it is a vegetarian entree, for my friends and family who choose to not eat meat. However, it’s fabulous and filling for meat lovers, also!

A couple of years ago, our youngest son (a big steak and burger loving guy),  decided to become a vegetarian. We were surprised, but respect his right as a grown man to eat or not eat whatever he chooses. I’ve had to adjust my menus when he comes over for a meal, but that’s really no big deal for the most part. Well, THIS recipe for spicy noodles in peanut sauce is one he would LOVE!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Spicy Noodles In Peanut Sauce Are EASY To Make!

The Thai-inspired peanut sauce is easy to make, full of flavor and coats the noodles well. This dish is on the table in a flash (20 minutes), and is a cinch to make. The recipe uses angel hair or spaghetti pasta for quick cooking noodles, AND will delight your taste buds, even if you are not a vegetarian.

You will make a simple peanut sauce by mixing the ingredients together, and use it to coat cooked pasta noodles, carrots and water chestnuts. Each serving of spicy noodles in peanut sauce is also garnished with chopped peanuts and cilantro. 

Peanut sauce is mixed together in a small bowl before adding to noodles in peanut sauce.

Trust me- even though I don’t have lots of photos, this recipe for spicy noodles in peanut sauce is GOOD! Hope you’ll give it a try, and I bet you will be surprised how very easy it is to make.

 

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a variety of yummy pasta recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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Author's signatureSauce recipe source: http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com/pasta/thai-chicken-pasta/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Vegetarian - Spicy Noodles in Peanut Sauce
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Vegetarian or not, you'll enjoy these spicy noodles in peanut sauce! Pasta with water chestnuts, peanuts, cilantro and carrots in a creamy Thai sauce!

Category: Main Course, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: noodles in peanut sauce
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 674 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the Peanut Sauce:
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tsp. chili paste (also may substitute 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce)
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 limes , juiced
  • ½ cup hot water
  • 1 clove of garlic , minced
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
For the Pasta,etc.:
  • ½ lb. spaghetti or angel hair pasta
  • 1 large carrot , julienned (matchstick cut)
  • 1 small can water chestnuts , drained
  • Handful of roasted peanuts , chopped for garnish
  • ½ bunch of cilantro , chopped (stems discarded) Save small amount for garnish on top of dish.
Instructions
  1. Make the sauce: Put all sauce ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk or mix until fully combined. Cover and store in the refrigerator until needed (can be made ahead).
  2. Blanch the sliced (matchstick) carrots in boiling water for approximately 3 minutes, pulling them out and draining while they are still bright and crisp.
  3. Cook pasta noodles per package directions. Place drained, hot pasta in a large bowl with the carrots, water chestnuts and cilantro (save a bit of cilantro for garnish!).
  4. Pour the peanut sauce over the cooked pasta and toss well, to coat. To serve: Top pasta with additional cilantro and the chopped peanuts. Serve hot, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Vegetarian - Spicy Noodles in Peanut Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 674 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Sodium 1180mg51%
Potassium 795mg23%
Carbohydrates 84g28%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 16g18%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 2630IU53%
Vitamin C 12.2mg15%
Calcium 68mg7%
Iron 3.3mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Vegetarian or not, you'll enjoy these spicy noodles in peanut sauce! Pasta with water chestnuts, peanuts, cilantro and carrots in a creamy Thai sauce!

 

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Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas

Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas is a unique and delicious pasta dish, flavored with Parmesan cheese, pistachios, fresh sage and lemon zest.Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas is a unique and delicious pasta dish, flavored with Parmesan cheese, pistachios, fresh sage and lemon zest.

We’ve been experiencing a bit of a heat wave here in the Pacific Northwest.  I’ve been avoiding turning on our oven at all costs, to keep our kitchen cool. We’ve been grilling almost all of our dinners outside!  Last week I decided to try a new meatless recipe for Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas! Thankfully no oven was necessary, because this dish was made on our stove top.

My husband and I loved this ravioli with mushrooms, even with a few slight changes to the original recipe! I added additional Parmesan to the sauce, and used pistachios instead of hazelnuts, and regular milk instead of evaporated.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Use Packaged OR Homemade Cheese Ravioli For This Recipe

The recipe calls for a package of refrigerated ravioli. I always make my own from scratch, but know that buying fresh ravioli is a real timesaver. Either type of ravioli can be used flawlessly for this recipe. The original ravioli with mushrooms recipe was found on Pinterest, via Taste of Home magazine. It sure sounded good, so I set out to try it!

What is the verdict? A delicious, unique and filling main dish. The sauce on the ravioli with mushrooms is mild, yet full of flavor. I’ve never added snap peas to any pasta recipe before, but found the crunchy texture was a welcome addition to this dish, along with the fresh sage, lemon, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese!

I Had Fun Making The Ravioli From Scratch!

Typically I make my own ravioli…so I did! I ended up making a batch of cheese/spinach ravioli for this recipe. See? I really made the ravioli from scratch, with the help of my handy dandy pasta machine. It’s lovingly referred to as my own little pasta making factory!

Homemade ravioli that I made to use in this dish.

It was fun to be able to use some of the fresh sage leaves from our garden in this recipe!

Fresh sage leaves from the garden add great flavor to the ravioli with mushrooms.

How To Make Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas

Cook the mushrooms, garlic and onions in a large skillet. They smell wonderful as they cook down and soften. These flavorful ingredients will be part of the sauce that tops the ravioli later on.

Cooking the mushrooms, garlic and onions for this dish.

Finely grated lemon peel and sliced sage leaves are prepped, and are now ready to season the sauce for the ravioli with mushrooms!

Grated lemon zest and sliced sage leaves to add to the sauce for the ravioli.

Cook The Mushrooms For The Sauce

Cook the mushrooms down, and now it’s starting to smell really good in the kitchen, because of the onions and garlic!

The mushrooms cook down a lot in the skillet.

The ingredients for the sauce have been added to the mushroom mixture. Now the lemon peel and the sage leaves are added to the sauce, for extra flavor!

Sauce and lemon zest is added to the mushrooms in the skillet.

Cook The Ravioli WITH The Snap Peas

Let the ravioli cook for just a few minutes in boiling water. Snap Peas (from our garden-yay!) cook in same water for a couple minutes, then they are drained.

I cooked the snap peas in the same pan as the cheese ravioli.

Add the cooked and drained raviolis and snap peas to the sauce in the skillet, and then gently mix it all together!

Ravioli with mushrooms and snap peas is heated through and ready to garnish, then seve.

Serve The Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas

And now it is time to dish this meal up!  We sure think it looks good enough to eat! Chopped pistachios and grated Parmesan cheese make a great garnish for the ravioli with mushrooms!

Finished ravioli with mushrooms is garnished with chopped pistachios and Parmesan cheese.

Here’s a close up look at these delicious ravioli with mushrooms! Yum!

A close up look at one of the cheese raviolis.

Hope you will give this great dinner with ravioli and mushrooms a try! I think you will really enjoy it! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find all of my pasta recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few pasta recipes you might want to check out are:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram:
jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Adapted From: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/ravioli-with-snap-peas—mushrooms

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Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas is a unique and delicious pasta dish, flavored with Parmesan cheese, pistachios, fresh sage and lemon zest.
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: ravioli with mushrooms
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 387 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated cheese ravioli (or make your own!)
  • 1 pound fresh sugar snap peas , trimmed
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms (I used baby portobellas)
  • 3 shallots , finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 2 cups milk (original recipe calls for evaporated milk - I used regular)
  • 8 fresh sage leaves , thinly sliced (or 2 teaspoons dried sage - I used fresh)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh finely grated lemon peel
  • 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (for sauce)
  • 1/4 cup shelled and chopped pistachios , for garnish (original recipe used roasted hazelnuts)
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (for garnishing each dish)
Instructions
  1. Cook the ravioli per package instructions, in a large saucepan. During the last 3 minutes, add the sugar snap peas to the water. When done, drain pasta and snap peas.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Cook this until the mushrooms become tender.
  3. Stir the milk, sage slices, grated lemon peel, lemon pepper, black pepper into the mushroom mixture; bring the ingredients to a boil. Add the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 2-3 minutes or until sauce has thickened up a bit.
  4. Gently add the cooked and drained ravioli and snap peas to the sauce; gently mix to combine and heat through.
  5. When ravioli is hot, place portions on each serving plate. Garnish each serving with additional grated parmesan cheese, followed by chopped pistachios. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 387 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 56mg19%
Sodium 625mg27%
Potassium 380mg11%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 855IU17%
Vitamin C 35.8mg43%
Calcium 221mg22%
Iron 9mg50%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas is a unique and delicious pasta dish, flavored with Parmesan cheese, pistachios, fresh sage and lemon zest.

 

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“Not Outta the Box” Macaroni And Cheese

“Not Outta The Box” Macaroni And Cheese is a delicious baked pasta dish, with creamy, cheesy sauce and a bread crumb topping."Not Outta The Box" Macaroni And Cheese is a delicious baked pasta dish, with creamy, cheesy sauce and a bread crumb topping.

Comfort food and macaroni and cheese go together like bad singing and Christmas caroling. Always good, no matter what! By the way,  I nominate this for the worst intro ever for “Not Outta The Box” Macaroni And Cheese”. You’re welcome…*cough, cough.

So, here’s the back story. I grew up in your typical, average, All-American household. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we were well-fed. Our Mom often fed us macaroni and cheese out of a lovely blue and gold box (go ahead – insert nationally known name brand here!), and we loved it!

Yes… we loved it…and I have to admit that my hubby and I occasionally STILL eat it when we want something quick cheesy. Truth. We can’t help ourselves, because it’s in our family genes, I guess. The recipe I am sharing is for a BAKED version of this creamy and very cheesy pasta dish.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Sometimes I crave a homemade version of those cheesy macaroni noodles and don’t want to use a box mix, filled with orange cheese-like substances. I wanna go full out and make it  FRESH! I found this easy and very tasty recipe on Pinterest (my “go to”) for quick recipe searches. We tried it, and loved it. End of story. Oh yeah…they all lived happily ever after, their little tummies filled with homemade “not outta the box” macaroni and cheese.

Bake And Serve “Not Outta The Box” Macaroni And Cheese

Now wasn’t that a nice little story? Well, here’s the nice little recipe. My photos of this dish are not some of my best, but don’t let that mess with your head. This is a great recipe for “not Outta The box” Macaroni And Cheese. Hope you enjoy it!

"Not Outta The Box" Macaroni and Cheese after it finished cooking.

Hope you enjoy this recipe. It really is good (despite my horrible photos).Thank you for stopping by, and have a great day.

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of great pasta recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram:
jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Source: http://www.iheartnaptime.net/homemade-macaroni-and-cheese/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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"Not Outta the Box" Macaroni And Cheese
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

"Not Outta The Box" Macaroni And Cheese is a delicious baked pasta dish, with creamy, cheesy sauce and a bread crumb topping.

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: macaroni and cheese
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 873 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. elbow macaroni noodles
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 cube) butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream (I used heavy)
  • 1 Tablespoon yellow table mustard
  • 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese , grated
  • 1 cup medium cheddar cheese , grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning (or you may substitute seasoning salt)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup additional grated cheddar cheese (to top dish with prior to baking)
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (for topping - optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook the elbow macaroni noodles according to package directions. Remove and drain once macaroni is cooked.
  3. In a separate large saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. When melted, whisk in the flour. Cook these two ingredients together for 3-4 minutes. Stir constantly while these are cooking.
  4. Add the salt, pepper and creole seasoning (or seasoning salt) to the flour mixture.
  5. Add the milk, whipping cream and mustard. Whisk these ingredients until they are well combined.
  6. Add the sharp and medium grated cheddar cheese. Stir these as they melt. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
  7. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese mixture; stir it to combine.
  8. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into this dish. Add the additional cheese on top, followed by the bread crumbs.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and the dish is beginning to turn golden brown on top. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
"Not Outta the Box" Macaroni And Cheese
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 873 Calories from Fat 450
% Daily Value*
Fat 50g77%
Saturated Fat 31g194%
Cholesterol 152mg51%
Sodium 1083mg47%
Potassium 210mg6%
Carbohydrates 70g23%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 1660IU33%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 781mg78%
Iron 2.4mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!"Not Outta The Box" Macaroni And Cheese is a delicious baked pasta dish, with creamy, cheesy sauce and a bread crumb topping.

 

 

 

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Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a delicious dish, cooked in a skillet and topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs!Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a delicious dish, cooked in a skillet and topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs!

A few nights ago I made this Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes for our dinner. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and noticed the original recipe was from celebrity chef, Mario Batali (from the TV Show “The Chew”. It sounded good, so I decided to give it a try.

I was happy that two of the main ingredients in the dish were sun-dried tomatoes and arugula. Hmmm…how convenient! Last Fall I dehydrated some of the yummy tomatoes from my garden, and still had some nestled in a jar of olive oil. I am growing arugula in my garden this year, so out to the garden I went to gather the amount needed for this recipe. The original recipe called for spaghettini pasta, but I decided to go with Farfalle (bow-tie pasta), because I had it in my pantry! I made a couple of minor tweaks to the original recipe to suit our taste, then prepared it for dinner! It was really quite good (and TOTALLY easy to make!).

My husband and I loved that this is not a “heavy” pasta dish (AKA “Gut-Bomb”), loaded down with thick sauces. The concentrated flavor of sun-dried tomatoes, paired with the slightly “peppery” taste of the arugula, a touch of white wine, a little Parmesan cheese, etc. makes this a great entree!

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Prepping Some Of The Ingredients

Here’s how to make this dish: Get your ingredients prepped before beginning. Arugula from the garden. Check. Sun-Dried Tomatoes in oil. check. Minced garlic. Check. Begin cooking the pasta according to package directions, remembering to reserve the starchy cooking water when done.

Arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, ready to add to the pasta dish.

Making the Sauce

Gently cook the garlic in olive oil. You will notice how it smells pretty good in the ol’ kitchen right now!

Minced garlic is cooked in hot olive oil.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and some red chili flakes to the garlic. Stir well to combine and keep the garlic from burning.

Sun-dried tomatoes and red chili flakes are added to the garlic in the skillet.

Pour white wine and some of the starchy pasta water (from cooking the pasta) into the skillet.. Give it all a good stir to combine these ingredients.

White wine and starchy pasta water are added to the sun-dried tomatoes.

Last Steps

Add the al dente cooked and drained pasta and arugula to the tomato mixture. Use tongs to combine. The heat will wilt down the arugula. The farfalle pasta with arugula is starting to look pretty good, right?

Drained pasta and arugula are added to the skillet.

Sprinkle the pasta with some Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and a little extra salt, to taste. Toss to combine. Now it’s REALLY smelling good in the ol’ kitchen! Make sure the ingredients are heated through, and then the dish is ready to enjoy.

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula is mixed with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

Serve The Farfalle Pasta With Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Divide the farfalle pasta with arugula evenly between serving plates. Garnish each serving with extra bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and serve hot. Easy Peasy.

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, on a plate, and ready to eat.

See? That wasn’t very hard to make, was it? Trust me- the farfalle pasta with arugula and sun-dried tomatoes really tastes GOOD! 

A serving of Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, topped with bread crumbs. Hope you enjoy this meal!  I enjoyed the simplicity involved with making this dish, and was pleasantly surprised how much flavor was in every bite! I hope you’ll give it a try when you want to get dinner on the table in a short amount of time! The recipe serves 4, so there’s plenty for everyone! Have a great day!

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You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful recipes featuring pasta, including:

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Author's signatureRecipe Adapted From: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Mario-Batali-Spaghettini-Sun-Dried-Tomatoes-Arugula

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
13 mins
Total Time
23 mins
 

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a delicious dish, cooked in a skillet and topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: farfalle pasta
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 471 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced (or thinly sliced)
  • 8 oil packed sun-dried tomato halves , sliced
  • 1/8 cup dry white wine
  • 1 Tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
  • 3/4 lb. Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
  • 3 cups baby arugula , trimmed
  • 8 quarts water (to cook pasta)
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (green shaker can variety)
  • Additional salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
  1. Make the sauce: Bring the water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the Tablespoon of salt to the boiling water.
  2. While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil (medium heat) in a large skillet.
  3. Add the minced garlic to the olive oil and saute it until it is golden brown. This only takes a minute or so. Be careful NOT to burn the garlic!
  4. Add the white wine and the sun-dried tomatoes to the oil/garlic mixture in the skillet. Bring this to a boil, then remove skillet from the heat.
  5. Make the pasta: Drop the Farfalle into boiling, salted water. Cook the past for 1 minute less that the package instructions say. right before the pasta is finished, ladle out 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water (be careful...it's HOT).
  6. Drain pasta, then add pasta and chili flakes to the skillet with the tomato mixture.
  7. Heat on medium heat, stirring the pasta, etc. This liquid will begin to be absorbed into the pasta as it finishes cooking.
  8. Add arugula to the skillet and mix well. Cook for another minute or so, until pasta is nicely coated with the sauce.
  9. Add Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs to top of pasta.
  10. Taste pasta, to determine whether to add additional salt and pepper. We found adding a bit of salt and a little bit extra Parmesan to the pasta made it perfect!
  11. Serve immediately while pasta is hot! Garnish with additional breadcrumbs or Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 471 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 2068mg90%
Potassium 368mg11%
Carbohydrates 73g24%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 570IU11%
Vitamin C 9.3mg11%
Calcium 222mg22%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a delicious dish, cooked in a skillet and topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs!

 

 

 

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Fiesta Rice

Fiesta Rice is a totally EASY, hearty, and delicious side dish made with white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice.Fiesta Rice is a totally EASY, hearty, and delicious side dish made with white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice.
This fiesta rice just might be one of the easiest side dishes ever created. Really. It’s almost too easy to call it a “recipe”, but yet it is! Guess what? It is DELICIOUS!

I discovered the recipe on Pinterest, and found it to be a perfect accompaniment for Taco Night! The flavors in the fiesta rice are a refreshingly nice change from my recipe for Spanish Rice that I have made and served over the years.

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Fiesta Rice Is So Easy To Make

Basically to make fiesta rice, all you will need to do is cook rice, and then add the remaining ingredients and mix them all together. That’s it!

This rice is so good, I suppose you COULD just eat it right out of the bowl before it gets to the table. Not that I would ever do such a despicable thing (*cough, cough). Didn’t take photos other than the finished product, because, honestly, it’s SO EASY!

Fiesta rice is a great side dish, and it’s super easy if you already have leftover cooked rice to use. This would be delicious paired with chicken, pork, shrimp.

You could also morph it into a yummy burrito bowl, and add some barbacoa shredded beef, etc.! Hope you enjoy it!

Looking For More Mexican-Style Dishes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a good variety of Mexican-style dishes (and side dishes), including:

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Author's signature

Recipe Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/fiesta-lime-rice.html

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Fiesta Rice
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

Fiesta Rice is a totally EASY, hearty, and delicious side dish made with white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice.

Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: fiesta rice
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 295 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked , long-grain rice
  • 1 can black beans-rinsed and heated
  • 1 cup corn (canned or frozen), heated
  • 1 large tomato , diced
  • 1 large scallion , finely diced
  • 2-4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro (I used 4)
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice (I added an extra Tablespoon)
  • Salt (to taste)
Instructions
  1. Cook the rice.
  2. In a large serving bowl, mix the hot rice with the remaining ingredients (salt to taste).
  3. Toss and Serve.
  4. The End. Wasn't that EASY? Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Fiesta Rice
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 295 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 5mg0%
Potassium 437mg12%
Carbohydrates 61g20%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 330IU7%
Vitamin C 6.4mg8%
Calcium 35mg4%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Fiesta Rice is a totally EASY, hearty, and delicious side dish made with white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice.

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