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2C ♦ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2007 PASTA FOR A CHANGE OF PACE Ready for a New Year and some new taste treats? Pick up some pasta and try: Cheeseburger Noodles, Pasta with Sausage and Olives, Las Cruces Lasagne Rolls, Roasted Vegetable Lasagne, Turkey Tetrazinni or Bow Ties Alle Portofino From Staff Reports The holidays are coming to a close and as much as we all enjoyed all those traditional treats, most cooks and most of the families they’re feeding are just about ready for a change of pace. Maybe it’s time to get back to basic family fare. Maybe it’s time to cut those soaring grocery costs. Maybe it’s time to begin thinking about cutting back on the calories. Whatever your cooking mood is, it’s for pasta. Here are some recipes from the National Pasta Association. Family Fare: Cheeseburger Noodles Bound to be a family favorite, this recipe haj a “cheeseburger” flavor. A tip on meat balls: You can bake meatballs in a hot oven instead of browning them in a pan, and freeze them for a variety of pasta dishes, including classic spaghetti and meatballs with tomato sauce. 8 oz. Medium or Wide Egg Noodles, uncooked 1 pound extra lean ground beef 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. salt, divided 1 egg 2 tsp. vegetable oil 1 14 1/2-oz. can fat-free chicken broth 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup ketchup 1/2 cup non-fat sour cream 1 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion powder, 1/4 tsp. salt and egg; mix well. Shape into approximately 36 3/4-inch meatballs. Heat oil in a large skillet coated with cooking spray. Add meatballs and cook until browned on all sides. Drain well. Combine chicken broth, water, ketchup and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; add to skillet. Bring to a boil; stir in noodles, making sure it is covered by the liquid. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are done. Stir in sour cream and cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated and mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. (Do not boil.) Mediterranean pizazz Pasta with (Turkey) Sausage and Olives Big on flavor, this dish will go well with a simple tossed salad and crusty artisan bread. 1 pound. Mostaccioli, Rigatoni or other medium pasta shape, uncooked 8 oz. Italian-style turkey sausage 1 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, crushed 12 medium black olives, pitted and sliced Pinch of crushed red pepper Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley Grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Crumble the sausage into a lightly oiled skillet. Place over medium heat and saute, stirring often to break up the meat, until the sausage is cooked through. Drain and cool the meat. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, olives and crushed red pepper. Return the sausage to the skillet and add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the hgat and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Prepare pasta according to package direc tions. Before draining, reserve one cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot over low heat. Add the sauce. If the sauce is too thick to evenly coat the pasta, add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Stir in the parsley. Divide the pasta among serving plates. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Roasted Vegetable Lasagne Whether you’re a vegetarian or just love vegetables, this is a wonderful recipe to try. Roasting the vegetables is not complicated. You’re just brushing them with a seasoned mixture of balsamic vinegar and oil and put ting them in a hot oven 12 pieces Lasagne, uncooked Vegetable oil cooking spray 8 oz. mushrooms, halved 2 zucchini or yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces 2 yellow or red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. olive or vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed 1 26-oz. jar fat-free spaghetti sauce 1 15-oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese 1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 1 large egg white 1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Prepare lasagne according to package directions. While lasagne is cooking, heat oven to 425 degrees . Coat a shallow metal roasting pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms, squash, bell peppers and onion. In a small dish, combine vinegar, oil, garlic and rose mary; brush evenly over vegetables. Bake vegetables 15 minutes; toss vegetables. Continue baking 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender. Spoon 1 cup spaghetti sauce over bot tom of 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange 4 pieces of lasagne (3 lengthwise, 1 width wise) over the sauce. Cover lasagne with 1 cup sauce. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, egg white and hot red pepper flakes. Drop half the cheese mixture by spoonfuls over sauce; arrange half of the roasted vegetables between spoonfuls of cheese mixture. Arrange another 4 pieces of lasagne over cheese and vegetables, pressing Tightly; top with 1 cup sauce. Repeat layering with remain ing cheese, roasted vegetables, 4 pieces of lasagne and remaining sauce. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Cover lasagne with foil; bake 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with moz zarella and Parmesan cheese; continue baking, uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Easy on the budget Turkey Tetrazzini A great budget-conscious family dish if you’ve got turkey leftovers. It can be made with chicken or even with 2 cans of white solid pack tuna. 8 oz. (about 4 cups) Wide or Extra Wide Egg Noodles, uncooked Vegetable cooking spray 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups diced, boneless, skinless, cooked tur key 12 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 bay leaf 1 cup milk 2 tbsp. cornstarch 4 tbsp. dry bread crumbs 1 tsp. olive or vegetable oil 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese Cook pasta according to package direc tions. While pasta is cooking, heat oven to 350° E Lightly spray an llx 7-inch bak ing dish with vegetable spray. Combine chicken broth, turkey, mushrooms, onion, parsley and bay leaf in a 2-quart sauce pan over medium heat. Heat to boiling, cover pot and cook 5 minutes. Stir milk and cornstarch together in a small bowl until the cornstarch is dis solved. Stir milk mixture into the sauce pan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to simmering. Simmer, cov ered, 3 minutes. Remove from heat. When pasta is done, drain well and return to pot. Remove bay leaf from sauce and pour sauce into pot. Stir until pasta is coated with sauce. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Mix the bread crumbs, oil and Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl until evenly blended. Sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake until crumbs are golden brown and edges are bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve hot And, on the light side: Bow Tie Alle Portofino with Fresh Shrimp There’s just something about shrimp, especially now that you can buy them steamed and even ready to serve. And there’s just something about Bow Tie pasta that’s naturally a little on the fancy side. Consider this simple and light dish if every body’s getting ready to start weight watch ing after the holidays, just as a reminder that “light and tasty” can be very appeal ing. 1 pound Bow Ties, Radiatore or other medium pasta shape, uncooked 1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and FOOD A: \Cheeseburger Noodles — : w jig ’m. , .•.Wa ™ AMf T » Hr ;.||a ■ ■■*■ ; . ■ ‘■'•& 1 s*' *• Ar * j Pasta with Sausage and Olives em. - A i!' r Roasted Vegetable Lasagne deveined, or 1 pound small frozen shrimp, thawed 12 sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips 8 fresh plum tomatoes, cut into small cubes 2 bunches arugula, cleaned and torn into bite sized pieces 6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped 1/2 small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and coarsely chopped 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil Juice of one lemon HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Cook pasta according to package direc tions. While pasta is cooking, steam the shrimp until the shrimp are no longer translucent. Put shrimp in mixing bowl. Add sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, arugula, parsley and basil. When pasta is done, drain well and imme diately add to the mixing bowl. Add oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss quickly and very well, and serve immediately. American Pasta Association! American Pasta Association American Pasta Association