Ditalini Italian Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 c. (8 oz.) Ditalini pasta, uncooked
2/3 c. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 c. (4 oz.) cheddar cheese, cubed
3/4 c. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. pepperoni, diced
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. celery, chopped
2 tbsp. onion, chopped
Ripe olives

DIRECTIONS:

Cook Ditalini according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly; drain well. In large bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard; blend well. Add cooled Ditalini, tomatoes, cheese, pepperoni, green pepper, celery and onion; mix lightly. Chill. To serve, place in a lettuce lined bowl and garnish with ripe olive halves. Makes 8 servings.

Italian Stuffed Shells

INGREDIENTS:

30 jumbo shells (pasta)
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves mashed garlic
2 lbs. ground beef
2 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped
1 c. cottage cheese
4 eggs
2 tbsp. salt
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese

SAUCE I:

1/3 c. melted butter
1/3 c. flour
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 1/4 c. milk
1/3 c. parsley flakes

SAUCE II:

1 jar (15 1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
2 tsp. basil leaves, optional

DIRECTIONS:

I use my own homemade spaghetti sauce.

Filling: Saute 1/2 cup butter, onion and garlic. Add ground beef and brown, then remove from heat. Add spinach, cottage cheese, eggs and salt.

Sauce I: (see ingredients from above). Blend flour and bouillon with melted butter. Stir in milk and parsley. Heat to boiling and cook 1 minute.

Cook and drain pasta shells. Fill each shell with heaping tablespoons of filling. Place in buttered casserole dish. Pour first sauce over shells, then second sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and shredded Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

One Pot Italian Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 eggplant, cubed
2-3 lg. green peppers, cubed
1 lg. can whole tomatoes
1 lg. onion, diced
1 lb. mushrooms, cut in chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 can kidney beans
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 lb. sausage or cubed steak, cut up
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. basil
1 tbsp. oregano
Cooked pasta, if you wish

DIRECTIONS:

Lightly brown meat. Add all other ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add pasta, if you wish. Good for buffet dish.

Italian Rice Pie

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST: (Pasta Frolla):

2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 lb. butter (butter)
2 eggs
4 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

FILLING:

2 lbs. Ricotta
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 egg yolks
1/2 c. cooked rice
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
3 egg whites, beaten stiff

DIRECTIONS:

Crust: Combine flour, sugar and cut in butter. Whip eggs, milk and vanilla together and add to flour mixture to form a soft dough. (Refrigerate for 1/2 hour to make it easier to handle.)

Roll out on floured board keeping dough in circular shape. The dough is quite sticky but keeping it floured makes it easier to work with. Fill with rice filling below. Bake in moderate 350 degree oven about 3/4 to 1 hour.

Filling: Place Ricotta, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla in bowl. Blend well. Add milk and rice (and cinnamon). Beat egg whites. Fold into first mixture. Pour into pie shell and bake.

Cheesy Italian Broccoli Bake

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. pasta twists
2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen broccoli spears
1 (16 oz.) carton cream style cottage cheese
1/4 c. sour cream
2 (15 oz.) jars commercial spaghetti sauce
3 c. (12 oz.) shredded Mozzarella cheese

(This recipe freezes well before baking.)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Cook broccoli according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Combine cottage cheese and sour cream; mix well.

In a lightly greased 13×9x2 inch baking dish or two 1 1/2 - 2 quart baking dishes layer: 1/3 of noodles, 1/2 of broccoli, 1/3 of spaghetti sauce and 1/3 of Mozzarella; repeat layers once.

Lemon Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 c. lowfat sour cream
3/4 c. lowfat cottage cheese
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
Pepper
1/2 lb. pasta, cooked
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. thyme

DIRECTIONS:

Whirl cottage cheese in blender or food processor just until smooth. Add in sour cream and half of the zest. Process until smooth. With machine running, add in juice and pepper. Transfer to a small non-stick pan. Warm gently over low heat about 2 minutes. Add cooked sauce to drained pasta; toss. Add Parmesan, zest and thyme. Serves 4.

Lentil And Pasta Soup

INGREDIENTS:

4 c. chicken broth
4 c. water
1 c. lentils, rinsed
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, chopped with juice
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. sliced celery
1 (9 oz.) pkg. frozen Italian green beans
1 lg. onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. dry (uncooked) tubettini pasta
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/4 c. wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

In large pot, combine broth, water, lentils, tomatoes, paste, brown sugar and garlic. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes. Add about 2 more cups of water, pasta, spices and vinegar. Cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.