Pasta Al Forno

This recipe is one of my family's favorite dishes. Easy to make and a true Italian comfort food. I love making this dish when hosting a dinner party. I make it ahead of time and when I am almost ready to serve, I pop this baby in for about 45 minutes before serving time. Serve this with a side of salad and your dinner will be complete!

I used a rigatoni pasta with this dish. Penne would be a good substitute.

Pasta al forno translated in English means pasta in the oven. It's a classis dish using a meat sauce with your pasta and baking it the oven. I usually dedicate one day on the weekend to cook for the week since my week nights are so hectic. Make this ahead of time and freeze. Pop it out of the freeze the day of and bake when ready.

Pasta Al Forno

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Meat Sauce

1             garlic clove, minced

1/2         small onion or 1/4 large onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp.    olive oil

1 lb         extra lean ground beef or veal

1 can       pureed tomato

1 tbsp.     chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp        dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

1 pkg      rigatoni or penne pasta

1/4 cup   grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup   shredded mozzarella cheese

Sautee the garlic and onion with the olive oil

Add the ground meat and continue to cook until browned

Add your pureed tomato, parsley, basil, salt and pepper continue to cook for about 20 minutes

While your sauce is cooking, cook your pasta according to package directions. The pasta I used was rigatoni

Spoon a layer of the sauce in your baking dish, then top with the cooked pasta. Layer the cooked pasta, adding more sauce and mix until the pasta is well coated. If you have leftover sauce, place in a container and freeze for future dishes.

First add the parmesan and mix. Top with mozzarella cheese, cover with foil and bake in a 350 degrees F oven. for 45 minutes. Half way through the baking process, remove the foil and continue baking.

Buon Apetito!

Vegetable Beef Stew

I've been craving a good stew for a very long time. When I plan to make it the kids tend to sway me to make something else. Last night I decided to make this stew and it was vanished before you knew it! I like to make a little extra for lunch the next day, but unfortunately there was nothing left. The aroma of this stew is truly intoxicating. Even though stew is considered a winter comfort food, I love making this dish using farm fresh vegetables of the season. If you're a vegetarian, skip the meat. It's just as good.

Meat and Vegetable Stew With Brown Rice

Meat and Vegetable Stew With Brown Rice


1 can (14oz) pureed tomato or use fresh, tomato
250 gr. stewing beef
1 zucchini, chopped
2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper sliced into strips
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 tsp fresh parsley chopped
1/3 cup red wine
4 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Steamed brown rice.

Directions:

Sautee the meat and chopped onion with 2 tbsp. of olive oil until meat has browned. Add the red wine and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the potato, bell pepper, mushrooms and zucchini. Stir until softened. Now add the tomato, remainder 2 tbsp. of olive oil and parsley. Add about 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper. Taste and add more if desired. Slowly simmer the stew for a good 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve over steamed rice or eat it on it's own.

Meat sautéing in wine

Stew cooking with sauce