Instant Pot Baked Ziti

1 lb. ground beef (I use Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage)
2 cups broth
 2 cups cream (see note for lightened up substitutions)
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
 16 ounces uncooked ziti pasta or other tube-shaped pasta
 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
 1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 Fresh basil, for serving (optional)

Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 6-quart Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Using the Saute feature on the Instant Pot, cook the ground beef or sausage, drain the fat, and proceed with the recipe, making sure when you add the broth to scrape the bottom of the pot really well before adding the other ingredients.  Pour in the broth and cream and add the salt, pepper and garlic.

Add the pasta; don't stir, but if it's mounded in the center, arrange into an even layer. Pour the crushed tomatoes evenly over the pasta and sprinkle the oregano and basil over the top. Don't stir.

Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, and select "manual" or "pressure cook" and dial up or down to the minutes needed --> take the cooking time on the pasta package directions, cut it in half and subtract two more minutes. So for pasta that cooks to al dente in 12 minutes, the IP cooking time would be 4 minutes (add an extra minute if you like your pasta super soft).

Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly (it's ok if there are some darker, cooked spots on the bottom of the pot/bottom layer of pasta). Serve the ziti immediately with chopped, fresh basil, and additional Parmesan, if desired.

NOTES
If you want to lighten up the cream a bit, I've had great success making this with 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon cornstarch (whisked together) + 1 cup cream.

If I'm taking this meal somewhere I usually put it in a 9x13 pan after it's cooked, sprinkle mozzerella cheese on top and place it under the broiler to melt. 

Spicy Tomato Cream Spaghetti Sauce

This spaghetti sauce comes together really quickly but tastes like it cooked all day.  If you cook the noodles at the same time as the sauce you can do the whole thing in 30 mins, though I do like the sauce to simmer longer if I have time.  :)

1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
1/2 c. finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 TB tomato paste (from a squeeze tube is best but from a can works too)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional, depending on how spicy you want to go)
1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. heavy cream or half and half
1/4 c. part skim ricotta cheese
parmesan, for serving

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground meat, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks, until the meat is not longer pink.  Drain any excess grease.

Stir in the tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about a minute, until the mixture smells fragrant.  Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine.  Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes (or as long as you like/need).  Just before serving add in the cream and ricotta and stir until combined and hot.

Serve over hot, cooked noodles (or zoodles!) and top with parmesan. 

Meatball Subs

I got this yummy recipe from my sister, Lindsey.  :)

3 lbs. ground meat (1lb ground beef and 2lb mild Italian sausage)
1/3 cup chopped white onion
2 eggs
1 cup oatmeal, (slightly pulse in a blender if it's Old Fashioned to break it up a bit)
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce (Buy a regular to large size jar, you'll use more
of this later.)
2-3 cloves garlic, very finely minced or mashed/pressed
1/2 to 1 tsp. Italian Seasonings (to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Dash of red pepper flakes (to taste)

Pepperjack cheese slices
Hoagie Buns

Preheat oven 350 F.

Pour 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a large cookie sheet.

Mix the rest of the ingredients.  Roll meatballs. I used a small cookie dough scoop so they were uniform.  I don't like mine too big on the subs.  I got 63 small meatballs.

Layer meatballs on top of the sauce in one layer. You may need one more smaller pan because the meatballs can be close, but not touching.

Bake for 25-30 minutes depending on size until meat is cooked through.

In a small saucepan, heat remaining sauce on low.

Toast buttered hoagie buns under the broiler. Remove tops from pan. Layer a slice of Pepperjack cheese on each bottom roll and broil very carefully until cheese is melted.

Layer a row of meatballs on top of the the cheese, then pour just a little bit of sauce over the sandwich. Add roll top and serve.  You can serve the sauce on the side.

Since this makes a lot of meatballs, you can freeze them easily for a later meal.   Flash freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then place them in a freezer bag.

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pizza

Recipe from here

1 Thin Crust Pizza Dough (Shelly's note: make your own or purchase one-I get mine at Papa Murphy's and it even comes with the pan to cook it on!)

1 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cooked and sliced thin
1/2 Cup Sun-Dried Tomates, sliced
2 Cloves Roasted Garlic, Minced (see note)
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Provolone Cheese (If I can't find any I just ask the deli to slice off a hunk instead of doing sandwich slices so that I can shred it at home.)
1 Tb Unsalted Butter
2 Tb Flour
1/3 Cup Pesto
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tb Parmesan Cheese, Grated fine

*Roast garlic by slicing off the top of the cloves, placing on a cookie sheet, cover with foil, in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 min or until soft*

In a saucepan over medium heat add butter and let it start to bubble. Add flour and whisk for 1 min. It should form a ball. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream, pesto and parmesan. Add salt and pepper if needed and taste for flavor. You can add a bit more pesto or cream depending on how strong you want the flavors.

Press out the pizza dough and cover with creamy pesto sauce. As much or as little as you like. Top with cheeses, chicken, roasted garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Bake 10-12 min at 450 or according to your dough's directions!

Shelly's notes: You could skip the sun dried tomatoes and just add sliced tomatoes before or after cooking. Artichokes, red onion and/or shrimp would be good on this too.

Foster's 5 'P' Pasta

I normally wouldn't have thought to put these all together, but Clint had similar on his mission in Italy. It's another easy pasta that has 5 ingredients that start with P!

1 box Penne pasta

1 cup frozen Peas

2-3 small red potatoes

1 cup (or less) chopped Prosciutto (regular ham works fine)

1 cup favorite Pesto

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (of course you can always add more cheese)

Wash and chop potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. (No need to peel the red ones). Add potatoes & pasta to salted, boiling water at same time. Add frozen peas to the water the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta, potatoes & peas. Add prosciutto & stir in pesto & parmesan. Buon Appetito!

Italian Mac-n-Cheese

Recipe from Rachel Ray

• 1 pound ziti rigate, penne rigate or cavatappi (ribbed, hollow corkscrews)
• 1 pound Italian bulk sweet sausage
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 12 mushrooms, sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (10-ounce) sack, 2 1/2 cups, shredded Italian 4 cheese blend, available on dairy aisle
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained well
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco), optional
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, a couple of handfuls

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and cook pasta to a chewy al dente, about 8 minutes.

In a nonstick skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly golden.

Preheat broiler to high.

To mushrooms, add flour and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired.

Combine cheese sauce with sausage and pasta, transfer to baking dish, casserole or oven safe serving platter. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of 4 cheese blend and the grated Parmesan over the top and brown under hot broiler.

Balsamic Chicken

We like this with the Lemon Spaghetti.

1/2 c balsamic vinegar

1/4 c lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1/4 c dijon mustard

3 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp each-salt & pepper

1/2 c olive oil

chicken breasts

1 T chopped parsley (or we substituted dried basil cause that's what we had)

1 tsp grated lemon zest

Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, s & p to blend. Whisk in the oil. Add chicken & marinate 2 or more hours in refrigerator.

Cook chicken at 400 degrees for about 45 min. When done, remove chicken.

Carefully pour cooking liquid into a small saucepan & boil until sauce thickens.

Pour sauce over chicken, add parsley/basil and lemon zest. Enjoy!

Lemon Spaghetti

This is another easy pasta dish that goes great with a Balsamic chicken.

(from Giada de Laurentis)

Amounts can be altered easily if you're not going to use a whole pound pasta

2/3 c extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 c fresh-grated parmesan

1/2 lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb spaghetti

1/3 c chopped fresh basil or about 1 1/2 T dried

1 T grated lemon zest (from the 2 lemons)

Cook pasta according to directions, but reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. While pasta is cooking:

Whisk together oil, parmesan, lemon juice, salt/pepper.

Toss sauce with spaghetti, basil, & lemon zest.

Add cooking liquid a bit at a time to moisten. Salt, pepper, & more parmesan to taste.

Fast and tasty Tortellini

This really is the fastest pasta you'll ever make (just maybe not the healthiest).

1 lb package cheese tortellini ( your favorite brand from the refrigerated section--we actually always have a bunch of these in our freezer for when we need them).

Sauce:

3/4 stick butter

1 T dried basil (or fresh herbs if you've got them)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Generous pinch of nutmeg

Lots of fresh grated parmesan to add on top of dish!

Don't start the sauce until you add the tortellini to the water. They only take about 7 minutes to cook & the sauce is done in about 5. After combining, add salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle on that cheese (essential to any great italian pasta)