Mexican macaroni

Ingredients

1 pound bulk sausage
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium green pepper chopped
1 pound elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 16 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 - 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

Brown sausage, onion, green pepper in frying pan until meat is cooked and no longer pink.

Place macaroni in a greased 9 X 13 X 2-inch pan. Pour sausage mixture and the canned tomatoes over the macaroni. Add 1/2 cup water to the mixture. Stir to mix well. Place foil over the top of the pan and press to seal.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil. Stir mixture and replace foil for 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and add cheese, stir to combine. Heat until cheese is melted.

Feeds a family of 6 very well.

Baked Ravioli

Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 pounds store-bought ravioli
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

3. Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Pasta e fagioli con sausage

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausages
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
6 cups canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 3/4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tubetti or other small macaroni
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove. When cool enough to handle, halve the sausages lengthwise and then cut crosswise into slices.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pot over moderately low heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
3. Puree 4 cups of the beans with 1 1/4 cups of the broth in a blender or food processor. Add the puree to the pot along with the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth, the whole beans, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the pasta. Cook the soup over moderate heat, partially covered, stirring frequently, until the pasta is done, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the sausage and the pepper. Cook until the sausage is warmed through, about 1 minute.

Yield: 4 servings

Italian Christmas recipe: Spaghetti with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

450g spaghetti
l 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Freshly grated Romano cheese or Parmesan to serve

Meatball:

1 thick slice of white bread
4 tbsp milk
340g lean minced beef
3 tbsp chopped parsley

Sauce:

3 cloves of garlic crushed
Salt and pepper
1 egg beaten
3 tbsp olive oil
l 1/2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
1/2l tsp sugar
1 glass of red wine or water
1 tsp dried oregano


Directions:

First make the sauce.

1. Add all the remaining ingredients including the rest of the parsley and garlic. Stir gently to mix without breaking up the meatballs.
2. Cook until simmering then reduce heat to low and cover.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Adjust seasoning adding a hint more sugar if the sauce seems on the sharp side.
5. Reheat when needed adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.

Meatballs:

1. Remove crust from the bread and tear into small pieces. Soak in the milk for 10 minutes then add the minced beef half the parsley and half the garlic salt and pepper.

2. Mix well kneading with your hands to break up the bread. Add just enough egg to bind. Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture into small balls.

3. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a frying pan large enough to take the meatballs in a single layer. Fry the meatballs briskly until browned all over.

4. Cook in sauce for at least 10 minutes



Spaghetti:

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti.
2. Boil until al dente then drain. Return to the pan and toss with a tablespoonful of olive oil.
3. Divide between four large bowls or plates and top with meatballs in their sauce.

Serves 4