Creamy Baked Pasta

4 cups pasta, uncooked
1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
4 oz (1/2of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed
3/4 cup sour Cream
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Oven at 375ºF.

Cook pasta as directed on package. Remove from pot; drain. Meanwhile, in a large pan, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.

Layer half the pasta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

Pantry Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomato
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans or cannellini beans
1 (10 ounces) box, cut frozen green beans
Salt and pepper
1 cup fresh basil, torn or shredded
Grated Parmigiano or Romano, to pass at table

Sautee garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, onions, carrots, celery and zucchini in oil. Cook 10 minutes, then add in the stock, tomatoes and beans. Bring soup up to a bubble and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Simmer 15-30 minutes, until veggies are softened and the taste is where you want it. Turn off the heat and wilt the basil into the soup. Ladle up the soup and serve with grated cheese and bread.

**Note-Feel free to take away what you don't have on hand and add what you do. It's a great clean out your pantry soup!

Quick Chunky Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for another 15 minutes.

**Note-Although I have a recipe that makes 10 cups of freezeable, no cook tomato sauce, this is a good recipe to have on hand when you are out of jarred tomato sauce and/or the freezeable sauce (or you just don't have time to wait to defrost your frozen sauce!)

Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. (16 oz.) rotini pasta, cooked
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Oven at 375. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake 25 min. or until heated through.

**Note-This is the simplest of simple recipes! It is quick, tasty, easy and uses ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right now. What's for dinner tonight? This!

Easy Spanish Rice

1 1/2 cups rice (preferably brown)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon chili
1 4oz can of diced green chilis (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil. Add garlic, onions and peppers. Saute until softened. Add rice and chili powder. Stir and saute for 5 minutes, until rice browns a little. Add broth, tomato sauce and chilis, if using. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer according to packaged directions.

Kids Twirly Whirly Pizza

1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup shredded Italian-mix cheese, divided
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves

Oven at 400 degrees. Unroll dough from tube. Spread pizza sauce on top. Sprinkle with half of cheese and top with spinach leaves. Roll up, starting with short end. Cut into 8 pieces, then lay pieces flat in a greased pie tin. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

**Note-this is a perfect dish for kids to help out with. They can spread the sauce and sprinkle the cheese and spinach. It is not the most sophisticated pizza but sometimes having fun with your family is more important.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Oven at 450 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

**Note-feel free to use all Mozzarella if you don't have Fontina
**Note-this makes a great potluck dish or a dish to give to a friend who is sick or just had a baby. It's also a perfect, quick weeknight meal when you don't know what to make. Chances are you have all ingredients on hand and all you really have to do is chop everything up.

Taco Pizza

1 package prepared pizza crust
3/4 lb ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup corn chips

Oven at temperature on pizza dough package. Brown ground beef, drain and set aside. Mix tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Spread over pizza crust. Dot with ground beef and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Top with tomatoes, lettuce and corn chips.

**Note-This is another recipe of my mother's. We used to eat it often and I have very fond memories of us, sitting around the table eating this pizza. I can still remember the taste of the chopped tomatoes and the distinct tomato sauce.

Stuffed Shells

12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 40 shells)
2 jars tomato sauce**

**If freezing half the recipe, only use one jar of tomato sauce.

For the stuffing
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and shredded
2 scallions, chopped
2 cups (16 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat, part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch grated nutmeg

Oven at 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells, and partially cook 6 to 7 minutes — they should have started to become tender but will still be firm to the bite. Drain in a colander, Let cool. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring every now and then, until tender and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add scallions during the final 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and add spinach. Mix in ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg, and stir to combine.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of two** 9-x-13-inch baking dishes. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 1-2 tablespoon per shell, and arrange the shells side by side in a single layer in the prepared dishes. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until the filling is heated through 25 to 30 minutes. Last 5-10 minutes, take out and cover with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

**Note, this recipe makes enough for 2. I recommend making one of the pans a disposable foil pan. Spray it with non-stick spray and fill with shells. Cover with plastic wrap then foil. Carefully (so as not to tip the shells) transfer to the freezer. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge. Uncover foil and plastic wrap. Pour a jar of sauce over shells and recover with foil only. Bake as above.

Homemade Healthy Spaghetti-O's

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
8-ounce can tomato sauce
4 ounces alphabet pasta
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
7-3/4-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Add broth, water, and tomato sauce to a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Add pasta, vegetables, and chickpeas, and boil gently, uncovered, until pasta is done, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir occasionally. When cooked, stir in cheese. Top with additional cheese if desired.

**This makes a lot of Spaghetti-O's. If you are only cooking for one or two children, I would cut the recipe in half unless you know for sure they love it and will gobble it up!

Easy (Freezable) Red Sauce

(No need to cook it ahead of time! Just assemble!)

12oz tomato paste
2 cups hot water
2 T dried parsley
2 t dried, minced onion
1 T minced garlic
1 T sugar
2 t salt
1 t basil
1 t oregano
1 t thyme
28 oz tomato sauce
28 oz diced tomatoes

Freezer bags-amount varies by how much you want to put in each bag.

1. Mix tomato paste and hot water together til smooth in a large bowl. Stir in seasonings.
2. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Do not cook
3. Divide sauce among freezer bags as desired.**
4. Freeze

To use

1. Thaw in fridge.
2. In a recipe calling for sauce, simmer 20 minutes and pour over pasta.
3. In a recipe that is being baked, no need to simmer first, just use and enjoy!

**This makes 10 cups of sauce. I like to divide it into 3 cup increments, similar to what you'd get in a spaghetti sauce jar.
**This is a tasty, super inexpensive, and easy sauce to make.

Ravioli Casserole

1 25oz bag frozen ravioli (your choice), thawed
1 medium zucchini, cut in half length wise then sliced (about one cup)**
1 jar tomato sauce
1 cup shredded cheese
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning (if desired)

Oven at 350. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, except cheese and seasoning. Spoon into a baking dish. Bake 40-50 minutes or until heated through a bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese and seasoning and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and/or browned.

**Note-you may want to add an extra cup of a vegetable of your choice

Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs (I used plain and added 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning plus 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce, 26-28 oz-use your favorite
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Oven at 400 degrees. Dip chicken in egg,then breadcrumbs, coating well. In a greased/sprayed 13x9 inch glass* baking dish, arrange chicken. Bake 20 minutes uncovered. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken then top with cheese. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
Serve over cooked pasta if desired.
*If using a metal baking dish, increase oven temperature by 25 degrees.

**Note-This is such a great and easy dish! Big hit with the family!

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

1 1/2 cups pasta, uncooked
1 9oz package spinach leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 jar (14 1/2 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Oven at 375. Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, simmer sauce, tomatoes, and basil about 6 minutes. Add spinach to wilt. Once wilted, add cream cheese. When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Mix in sauce mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon into a baking dish. Bake 20 minutes then sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake about 5 minutes more to melt cheese.

Easy Lasagna

8 oz lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped
2 jars tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
**Note-you may add other veggies as desired such as zucchini, spinach, etc.

Cook noodles according to directions, set aside. Cook onions, peppers and other veggies in oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in sauce and spices. In a 2 quart greased baking dish, layer 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 the sauce mixture and 1/3 the cheeses. Repeat two times. Bake 30 minutes at 350 until heated and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.