Sausage, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 (12oz) pkg jumbo pasta shells (about 36)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
1 (9oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (32oz) jar tomato sauce

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

2. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat; add onion and cook until softened. about 5 minutes. Add sausage, breaking up into smaller bits with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat.

3. Beat egg lightly in a large bowl; stir in ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, mozzarella, salt, pepper and the cooled sausage mixture until blended. Fill pasta shells with mixture.

4. heat oven to 350. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 3qt baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells in dish. Spread remaining tomato sauce over pasta shells. Cover dish with foil; bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes longer.

Serves 8.

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Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta

12 oz dried short pasta (bowties, penne, gemelli, etc)
4 chicken breast cutlets (1.25-1.50 lbs total)
salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped, about 1 cup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine or stock
10 oz of fresh spinach, washed, long stems removed and chopped
black pepper
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup (or more, if desired) pesto

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dried pasta and cook according to package directions.

2. While preparing the pasta, cook the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and brown the chicken cutlets on both sides over medium-high heat. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook, slice the chicken into strips. Put any pieces that are cooked all the way through in one pile, and put the ones that still need a little cooking in another pile.

4. When the onions are just beginning to brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the white wine or stock and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced by half.

5. Add the spinach and the undercooked pieces of chicken to the pan. Using tongs, turn them over to coat them with the juices in the pan. Continue to cook, turning and stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the chicken cooked through, about 2 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat and add some black pepper, the pile of cooked chicken pieces and the pesto. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta put it in a large bowl. Add the cream to the saute pan and stir well to combine. Add the contents of the pan to the bowl with the pasta and mix well. Serve at once.

Serves 6.

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Tortellini Florentine Soup

1 package (9 oz) refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini
5 cups chicken broth
1 container (10 oz) refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
3-4 plum tomatoes chopped OR 1 (22oz) can chopped tomatoes, drained
5 oz fresh baby spinach
1 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded

1. Combine broth and Alfredo sauce in a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil and add tortellini.

2. After 3-4 minutes, add tomatoes. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through and wilt spinach. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Serves 4.

Notes: You can add 1 lb browned ground Italian sausage or 1.5 cups of cooked chopped chicken, if desired. Add it at the same time you put in the tortellini.

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Linguine with Clam Sauce

8 oz linguine, uncooked
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans (6.5oz each) chopped clams, two drained, two undrained
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain, cover and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring frequently; cook for 30 seconds. Add clams, roasted red pepper, parsley, lemon juice, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and Parmesan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.

3. Add sauce to pasta, tossing with tongs to coat thoroughly. Serve with additional grated Parmesan if desired.

Serves 4.

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Chicken and Dumplings

3 tbsp butter
half of a large onion, diced
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cups flour
1 can (14.5oz) low-sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 2" pieces
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen peas

1. In a dutch oven or heavy 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and thyme. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken to pot, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

2. While the chicken is cooking, mix Bisquick and milk in a bowl. Mixture will be sticky. Set aside.

3. Once chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes, stir in peas. Raise heat to return to a simmer, then drop dumpling batter into the soup by tablespoonfuls, evenly spaced throughout the pan. (They grow while they cook, so be sure to space them out.) Reduce heat so soup maintains a simmer, cover and simmer for additional 15-20 minutes, until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm. During this final simmer, the soup and chicken may to stick to the bottom of the pot, so gently stir occasionally with a small spatula so as not to disturb the dumplings too much.

Serves 4-6.

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