Category Archives: Italian

Crockpot Turkey Spaghetti Sauce

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Spaghetti is one of those dishes that I don’t make to often. If I cook spaghetti once a year I consider that a lot. I do really enjoy it though, especially the leftovers. There is something about Italian food, it seems to get better with age.

As a self proclaimed crockpot lover. I haven’t been using mine nearly enough recently. I love the convenience of the crockpot some days and I really need to get back into using it more.

Remember what I said yesterday and look for the lean ground turkey or ground turkey breast. Serve this spaghetti up with a side of easy garlic bread and a salad for a pretty simple dinner.

Coming up next week I will have a recipe to use up any extra sauce. I love making more than one dish out of something.

Crockpot Turkey Spaghetti Sauce

Crockpot Turkey Spaghetti Sauce
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: a lot
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 20 oz ground turkey
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cans (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 cans (15oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (6oz) tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet over medium high heat add olive oil. Once heated add onion and garlic, cook 5-7 minutes until beginning to soften. Add ground turkey and garlic powder. Cook an additional 10-12 minutes. Crumbling turkey and cooking until no longer pink.
  2. In a slow cooker combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add turkey mixture once done and stir to combine.
  3. Set on low and allow to simmer 6-8 hours. Salt to taste.

 

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

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Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells -- Supper for a Steal

As much as I love pasta I really don’t make it very often at home. We do have an Italian restaurant that we go to often, the one I talked about yesterday with the eggplant lasagna. So we tend to eat pasta most often when we are out.

While committing to #MeatlessMarch I knew I would probably be turning to pasta more often for our dinners. Pasta, cheese, veggie = easy meatless dinner. I’ve still successfully kept pasta nights to once a week.

This was actually our first meal of March. It’s just taken me a while to get the recipe written up and pictures edited. A little bit lower calorie than the typical stuffed shells, these omit all the mozzarella cheese baked on top and are packed with spinach. If you have been around here long enough you may notice that I use a lot of spinach. I really love it. Fresh spinach is for sure my favorite, but for shells and other baked recipes, like the quiche I posted on Sunday, I usually use frozen for convenience.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells - Supper for a Steal

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2 cups marinara
  • 2 ½ cups ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 10oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 egg
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • About 25-30 large pasta shells, cooked
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a glass baking dish spread ½ cup of marinara to coat the bottom.
  3. Combine ricotta, parmesan cheese, spices, spinach, egg and garlic in a large bowl. Mix well to combine.
  4. Spoon mixture into each shell and arrange in baking dish. Top with 1 ½ cups marinara.
  5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Adapted from Cooking Light October 2007 Issue

Sundried Tomato and Pesto Grilled Pizza

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Sundried Tom & Pesto Grilled Pizza - Supper for a Steal

I did it, finally! I have been wanting to grill a pizza for oh, the last year or so, but I have always been to intimidated. Once I realized that you cook the dough a little without topping on it first I felt better about it.

We do have an amazing pizza stone that we have been using for the last few years. It’s great for both the grill or oven. So if you are nervous about throwing dough right on to the grates, I highly suggest the stone we have. Always the perfect, extra crispy crust, but you don’t get the charring that you do from having it straight on the grates.

Grill or oven this simple pizza turns out wonderful. I made my own pesto, because my basil is going wild at the moment. I have more than I know what to do with, such is spring time in Florida. Everyone else complains about too much basil in mid July, while we are overflowing with it now.

Sundried Tomato & Pesto Grilled Pizza - Supper for a Steal

Sundried Tomato and Pesto Grilled Pizza
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 prepared pizza dough
  • ¼ cup pesto (either homemade or store bought)
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Heat grill to medium.
  2. On a well floured surface roll out the dough to your preferred thickness, transfer to a pizza peel or cookie sheet and bring out to the grill. Place the dough on the grill and cook 5-6 minutes until it begins to turn brown.
  3. Take the dough off of the grill and flip over so you put the toppings on the side you just cooked. Top with pesto, mozzarella and sundried tomatoes.
  4. Place back on grill and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy.

 

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Linguine

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Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Linguini - Supper for a Steal

I’ve really tried to limit the bad carbs during #MeatlessMarch. I didn’t want to fall into the boring steamed veggies with pasta trap that we see as the Vegetarian entrée at so many restaurants. We usually only have pasta about every other week, so I didn’t want us to end up doing more harm than good by going meatless for the month. Eating pasta four nights a week would pretty much void any nutritional benefits we would get from the month.

That said, there is no reason not to indulge every once in a while. Once I saw this pasta I knew I had to make it. I have made a Roasted Red Pepper pasta sauce in the past that I love, but it was missing one key ingredient, GOAT CHEESE! In this dish the red pepper actually tames out the goat cheese, so while you still get a hint of flavor, it’s not a slap you in the face amount.

I know I usually say to substitute if you do not have a specific ingredient, but for this please, please do not use dried basil in place of fresh. I know fresh herbs are a waste of money, buying a huge package then only using a small amount. You will actually use a decent amount in this dish and you can freeze extras to toss in dishes as you need.

My best suggestion for fresh herbs though is to grow your own, or make good friends with your neighbor who grows their own. This year I’m growing basil, rosemary, mint, cilantro, and parsley. My local Ace hardware sells little pots for $1.59 each. I will likely pick up a few more on my next trip. As long as you can remember to water them at least every other day you should have a supply of fresh herbs all summer long.

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Linguini - Supper for a Steal

(also let’s just pretend I spelled Linguine right on the picture above, mmkay?)

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Linguine
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 main, 4 side
Ingredients
  • ½ lb pasta (linguine)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 4 oz goat cheese
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 roasted red peppers, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 handful of basil
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta, while pasta is cooking prepare the sauce.
  2. For the sauce: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add garlic and cook, stirring often, for about a minute. Add the cream, goat cheese, parmesan and roasted red peppers. Mix thoroughly and allow cheese to melt.
  3. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper. Add the basil and puree with either a hand blender or food processor.

Adapted from Closet Cooking

Spinach and Ricotta Calzones

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One week into our #MeatlessMarch with only one (planned) slip up. When I committed to #MeatlessMarch I forgot that we already had a fish fry on the calendar for March 3. There was no way I was going to a fish fry without tasting some freshly fried fish. So we cheated for one meal. We are committed to staying on track for the rest of the month and I already have next week’s meals all planned out.

Spinach and Ricotta Calzones -- Supper for a Steal

These spinach and ricotta calzones take a little bit of planning, but they are worth it. Roast the tomatoes in the morning and these will be that much easier to put together.

I have never seen a small calzone, they are always the size of my head. These were no different so we ended up just splitting one and saving the other for lunch.If you were ever worried a meatless meal would not be filling enough, then this is the one to try. Served with a side salad and we could have easily stuffed 6 people with just this one recipe.

This recipe come to you slightly adapted from the cookbook Clean Eating for Busy Families. I was so excited when I received this cookbook in the mail. I have so many pages bookmarked and now I’m finally getting around to sharing the first recipe. The book provides a recipe to make your own dough, but ain’t nobody got time for that! Just kidding a lot of people probably do have time for that, but when Publix’s store bought dough is so delicious I just can’t bring myself to slave away in the kitchen to make my own. Convenience wins and I go the store bought route. As a side note I just tried Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough, maybe because it was whole wheat, but Publix wins this battle.

To find organic spinach in large quantities I buy the big packages from Sam’s Club or Costco.  I buy one of those about every other week from there I can make sautéed spinach or spinach salads, use spinach on sandwiches or toss a handful in a smoothie. There are so many different uses for spinach I have never had one of the packages go bad on us and the price is right, usually around the same price for a little bag at the regular grocery store.

Spinach and Ricotta Calzones - Supper for a Steal

Spinach and Ricotta Calzones
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 prepared pizza dough
  • ½ pint grape tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil + ½ tablespoon
  • 1 package baby bella mushrooms
  • 4 cups baby spinach, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ cup goat cheese
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup basil, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt + a pinch
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper + a pinch
  • Marinara sauce, for dipping
Instructions
  1. Begin by tossing the grape tomatoes with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. They should be blistered and bursting. (I use the toaster oven)
  2. About 10 minutes before tomatoes are done heat remaining olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook 3 minutes. Add spinach and garlic cook until wilted and any water has evaporated.
  3. Remove from heat, gently stir in goat cheese, ricotta, parmesan, basil, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Allow to cool
  4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  5. Working on the baking sheet, assemble the calzones. You can either make two large calzone and split them or four smaller individual ones (I made two large ones). Divide dough into two (or four) and roll each piece out into a circle. Add half (or a fourth) of the topping to each circle. Fold dough over and seal be crimping the edges with a fork. Brush with a little bit of olive oil. Cut small slits in the top of each calzone.
  6. Bake 15-18 minutes until golden.

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