at home with ann

This pasta bake has all the components of traditional lasagna: noodles, tomato sauce, meat, onions, garlic, ricotta and mozzarella cheese.  Instead of layering, it's all just tossed together and sprinkled with cheese, a much easier and quicker dish. One night this Fall I was eating dinner with my then-4 year old nephew and he was a little wary of it, as 4 year olds tend to be.  We described it to him as a combination of pizza and lasagna.  He said, I don't know if I like pizzagna, and then ate most of it. Not-Lasagna Pasta Bake or Pizzagna Ingredients: olive oil 1 pound ground turkey, chicken or beef - I used ground turkey 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried parsley 2 cups uncooked pasta (I used rotini) 1/4-1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese In a large saute pan or soup pot (something with at least 2 inch sides), heat a little olive...

Last night was pizza night, because it was Friday, and Good Friday, and I actually had someone to eat dinner with for a change. I used the usual recipe for pizza dough , and did an assortment of vegetable toppings.  One pizza had lightly sauteed red peppers, and onions.  The other was topped with roasted broccoli, asparagus, and grape tomatoes.  The sauce on both was just crushed tomatoes, oregano and garlic.  For cheese I used freshly grated mozzarella and a few dots of ricotta.  I would highly recommend topping pizza with ricotta, it adds a whole other flavor of mild creaminess. Also, Jon would like to add that the Chimay Grande Reserve you see in the background of these pictures is excellent, and a perfect accompaniment to pizza.

After the manicotti, I had some leftover ricotta. I never know what to do with leftover ricotta except for adding it on top of pizza or mixing it in with pasta.  There was one scary instance when it went bad in the fridge and I made the sorry mistake of opening it to check.  I was planning to take an hors d'oeuvres with me to my parent's house this weekend, and a few internet searches came up with various bruschetta. Mediterranean Bruschetta Ingredients: 15 oz. ricotta 1 cup diced tomato 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon lemon juice salt and pepper 1 loaf of bread balsamic vinegar Slice bread into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Toast lightly in the oven. Simmer balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced and thickened slightly.  You can do this step in advance, which is what I did. Mix together ricotta, tomato, olives, basil, oregano, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  Since I did...