Whole Wheat Rotini with {Spicy Turkey Sausage} and Mustard Greens

So I didn't actually use the turkey sausage in this Cooking Light recipe. 1. I didn't feel like spending the money on it and 2. I needed a veg recipe this week. I liked the pasta, but it did kind of feel like it was missing that savory something. That being said, I added the amount of mustard greens the recipe said (we had so much in our box so it was about half of it). Looking back, I would use all of my mustard greens (so double what the recipe says) if I wasn't going to use the sausage again. That would help make up for the lack of sausage. Overall though, pretty good. We liked it anyway.

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 4 quarts water
• 1 (13.5-ounce) package uncooked whole wheat blend rotini (corkscrew pasta)
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage
• 8 ounces bagged prewashed cut mustard greens
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Place 1/2 cup broth in a small saucepan over medium heat; simmer until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 6 minutes). Remove from heat.
• Combine water and remaining broth in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat; stir in pasta. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain well; place pasta in a large bowl. Keep warm.
• Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in greens; cook 2 minutes or until greens wilt. Add reduced broth, half-and-half, and cheese. Cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts and mixture thickens, stirring frequently.
• Add sausage mixture to pasta, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

Spicy Chicken & Black Bean Fettucine

This a great recipe and literally one of my favorite. It's not what you would expect in a typical pasta dish. We took this to some friends who had just had a baby and they loved it too. It's a great recipe and not too difficult either.

1/2 c EVOO
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2-3 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 small roma tomatoes, chopped
1 lb fettucine, cooked al dente
1/2 c fresh cilantro

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Saute until cooked through, but not browned. Remove chicken and set aside and keep warm. Return skillet to heat. Add jalapenos and green onions; saute 3-4 minutes. Stir in black beans; heat about 3 minutes. Add feta and chicken, and heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes. Toss pasta gently with sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.

Clam Sauce with Linguini

This is a crabtree family favorite. I have such fond memories of this dish and it's a classic go-to for my family. Its so good and even though it's canned clams (i really have no idea what an actual clam tastes like), I love it anyway. I am a cheese fiend so topping this with freshly grated parmesan (not pictured) is a must.

1 lb linguine
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
14 oz can chicken broth (organic)
1/4 c white wine
2 cans minced baby clams
grated parmesan cheese

In medium pan, cook onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Stir in parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, wine, chicken broth and reserved clam liquid. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add clams, cook until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce over cooked linguine in bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Stuffed Manicotti

I am kicking myself; I forgot to take a picture of this! I won't say this is a favorite of mine, but Aaron really enjoyed it while I was away!

10-12 Manicotti Shells
1 Tablespoon olive oil
15-16 oz low fat Ricotta cheese
8 oz grated Mozzarella
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoon parsley flakes
cooking spray

1 jar spaghetti sauce
grated fresh parmesan cheese

1. Cook shells in boiling water with 1 tablespoon olive oil added. Boil for only 7 minutes and drain. Fill the pot up again with cold water and add the cooked shells. Let sit long enough to cool, drain, leaving enough water on the bottom to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom (this step doesn't take as long as the recipe makes you think that it does)

2. Prepare the cheese filling by mixing together the ricotta, mozzarella, garlic powder, celery salt, eggs, and parsley flakes. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes.

3. Spray 2 small square baking pans with cooking spray (I actually used 1 square 8x8 and 1 rectangular 9x13). Put a small amount of sauce in to coat the bottom.

4. Stuff each shell with cheese mixture. Pack them well. Set 8 or 9 in each pan with the open side up. Pour sauce over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze.

5. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove the foil top and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese until the top is covered. Place back in the oven for 10 more minutes. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes before eating.