Pasta: BAKED MOSTACCIOLI CAPRESE by Recipe Cottage

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	BAKED MOSTACCIOLI CAPRESE

		12 ounces mostaccioli pasta 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced in half-inch cubes 4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed 2 fresh tomatoes, diced 1 small can (4 to 6 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed in blender 1 tablespoon basil pepper to taste 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Cook pasta, cool, drain and reserve. In a sauce pan, add olive oil and eggplant, cook for 1 minute. Add garlic, tomatoes and tomato puree, bring to a boil and simmer for half an hour. Add basil, pepper, butter, pasta and Romano cheese, toss well. Put in a buttered 8- by 12-inch ovenproof dish and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake under broiler until cheese is melted and golden in color, about 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings. Approximate values per serving: 733 calories, 37 grams fat, 139 milligrams cholesterol, 588 milligrams sodium, 45 percent calories from fat. ********** MOSTACCIOLI WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE 1 (16-ounce) package mostaccioli or other pasta 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped (about 2/3 cup) 1/4 cup chopped, pitted ripe olives 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce mixed with 1/2 cup water Freshly ground black pepper 1 (8-ounce) package feta cheese (2 cups), divided Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Meanwhile, in medium skillet, saute onion in oil until translucent. Add garlic, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add roasted red peppers, olives, basil and tomato sauce mixture. Add black pepper to taste. Stir in about 2 ounces (1/2 cup) crumbled feta cheese. Toss cooked, drained pasta with sauce. Garnish each serving with some of the remaining feta cheese. Serve with a salad and crusty French bread. Yield: 6 to 8 servings. If desired, steamed broccoli, zucchini and/or thinly sliced carrots can be added to the sauce. ******** MOSTACCIOLI WITH SPINACH AND GARLICKY WHITE BEANS 1/2 pound dried mostaccioli 1 bag (10 ounces) fresh, cleaned spinach 2 cans (14 to 16 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes 4 garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 can (15 1/2 ounce) white cannellini beans 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. About 1 minute before the pasta is done, add the spinach. Drain the pasta and cooked spinach well. Meanwhile, add the tomatoes to a large frying pan, preferably nonstick. Cook over medium high heat, breaking up the tomato pieces with the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Crush the garlic through a press into the tomatoes. Stir in the salt. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes. Drain the cannellini beans and add to the tomato sauce. Season with the freshly ground pepper. Toss the pasta and spinach with the tomato-bean sauce. Serve while hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings. ******** ORANGE ASPARAGUS STIR-FRY 1 lb. mostaccioli or ziti (tubular pasta) 2 tsp. vegetable oil, divided 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, or 12 oz. frozen small shrimp, thawed 1 c. carrot slaw or coarsely shredded carrots 1 lb. asparagus, cut diagonally into 2-in. lengths 6 to 8 green onions, cut diagonally into 2-in. lengths 1 tbsp. soy sauce 1 c. fresh orange juice Salt and pepper to taste Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil over high heat in a large nonstick wok or skillet. Stir-fry shrimp until firm and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add remaining vegetable oil to pan and stir-fry carrots 1 minute. Add asparagus and onions and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes, until asparagus is tender-crisp. Add pasta, shrimp, soy sauce and orange juice to skillet and toss about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 512 calories, 5 gm. fat, 41 mg. cholesterol, 599 mg. sodium. ******** HENDRICKSON'S MOSTACCIOLI 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 pound ground beef 3 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped or crushed, undrained 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Grated Parmesan or American cheese 4 cups cooked mostaccioli noodles Combine oil, onion, bell pepper and garlic in a pot, cook about 5 minutes, stirring to keep from burning. Add ground beef, salt and pepper, simmer until thoroughly cooked. Mash hamburger while cooking until it's in fine pieces. Stir chili powder into meat. Add tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups water and tomatoes. Let boil 15 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce. Add sauce to cooked noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: About 6 servings. ******** FOUR-CHEESE MOSTACCIOLI VEGETABLE LASAGNA 16 oz package frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot blend 6 tablespoons butter 1 red pepper, chopped 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 2 cups (15 ounces) Ricotta cheese 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Mozzarella cheese 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Provolone or Baby Swiss cheese 2 cups (8 ounces) mostaccioli noodles, cooked and drained Thaw frozen vegetables and drain well. Chop coarsely and set aside. Microwave butter in 1 1/2 quart bowl on HIGH (100 percent power) 1 1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in pepper, onion and garlic, microwave 3 to 4 minutes or until pepper and onion are tender. Blend in flour, nutmeg and salt, microwave 30 seconds. Stir in milk, microwave 5 to 7 minutes or until mixture just boils and is thickened, stirring every 2 minutes. Combine Ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and basil. Combine Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses. Arrange half of the noodles in a single layer in bottom of 12x8-inch baking dish. Top with half of the white sauce mixture, all of the Ricotta mixture, all of the vegetable mixture and half of the Mozzarella cheese mixture, press down lightly. Top with remaining noodles in single layer, remaining white sauce and remaining Mozzarella cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 8 servings. ******** CREAMY MOSTACCIOLI WITH SNAP PEAS 8 oz. mostaccioli or corkscrew macaroni 2 cups fresh sugar snap peas, halved crosswise 8 oz. cooked pork 1 2/3 cups Thyme-Mushroom Sauce (recipe follows) 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped Shredded smoked mozzarella or Parmesan cheese (optional) In a Dutch oven or large saucepan cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Add peas the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain. Meanwhile, cut pork into match-stick-size strips. In a medium saucepan heat Thyme-Mushroom Sauce, adding water if the sauce seems too thick. Add meat, heat through. Gently stir in tomato. Remove from heat. To serve, turn pasta mixture into a serving bowl, top pasta and snap peas with mushroom sauce. If desired, sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4 main-dish servings. THYME-MUSHROOM SAUCE 6 oz. halved or cut-up fresh mushrooms 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 2 Tbsp. margarine or butter 1 12-oz. can (1 1/2 cups) evaporated skim milk 4 tsp. cornstarch 1/4 cup dry white wine In a large skillet cook mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in hot margarine or butter till tender. Stir together milk and cornstarch, stir into skillet. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add wine, cook and stir for 2 minutes more. ******** MOSTACCIOLI VEGETABLE SALAD 2 cups uncooked mostaccioli 2 cups broccoli florets 1 cup cauliflower florets 1 cups sliced mushrooms 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings 1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian dressing 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Cook pasta, drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except cheese, toss gently. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours. Toss gently before serving, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 14 servings. ******** PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES Olive oil 8 ounces rigatoni, penne or mostaccioli 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces, or sugar snap or snow peas (or 1/4 pound of each) 1/2 cup finely diced scallions 12 baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise 1 cup broccoli florets 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water) 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley Pinch of nutmeg 1 large roasted red bell pepper (see note) 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered 6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan Salt (optional) and pepper to taste Bring a large pot of water to a boil, drizzle in a little olive oil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet. Add chicken, and cook over medium heat until the bottom begins to turn golden. Turn chicken over and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in garlic, asparagus (but not peas), scallions, carrots, broccoli, chicken broth, parsley and nutmeg. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender-crisp. (If using peas, add after 3 minutes of cooking.) Remove from heat. Stir in roasted pepper and cherry tomatoes. When pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot. Toss with chicken, vegetables and Parmesan over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6. ********** SAUSAGE-MUSHROOM SURPRISE 8 oz. ziti or mostaccioli (about 3 c. uncooked) 8 oz. regular or spicy bulk pork sausage 1 small onion, chopped ( 1/2 c.) 1 tbsp. chopped parsley 1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms * 1/4 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained 1 c. plain low-fat yogurt 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, optional * Can substitute a 4-ounce can of sliced mushrooms, drained. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Rinse with hot water, drain and set aside. Saute sausage and onion in a large skillet, breaking meat into small pieces with back of fork. Cook until sausage is almost done, drain fat. Add parsley and mushrooms. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in drained cooked pasta, dried tomatoes and yogurt. Heat but do not boil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if using. Makes 4 servings. ********** SPINACH AND MOSTACIOLLI IN LEMON AND HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE 2 tbsp. margarine 1 tbsp. flour 1 c. milk or half and half Dash nutmeg and dash pepper 1 1/2 tbsp. sweet mustard (lemon and honey mustard) Juice and rind from one lemon 1 garlic clove (crushed) 2/3 c. toasted sliced almonds 2 c. fresh spinach (steamed, chopped) 1 lbs. mostaciolli pasta Melt margarine over medium heat in saucepan. Whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in milk or cream. Add spices, mustard, lemon rind and garlic. Simmer cream sauce until thickened (15 or more minutes). Cook pasta per directions. Drain and toss with lemon juice. Add almonds, spinach and cream sauce. Toss. ********** BAKED MOSTACCIOLI AND VEGETABLES 1 pound mostaccioli noodles or rotini 2 each, small: zucchini, yellow squash 1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced, about 1 cup 1 small onion, halved, thinly sliced 1 medium green pepper, julienned 1 inch long 4 cups homemade meatless spaghetti sauce or one 32-ounce jar Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste 1/2 pound shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse, drain again. Cut zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into quarters. Then cut each quarter crosswise into 1/8 -inch thick slices. Mix cooked noodles, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, onion and green pepper in large bowl. Stir in spaghetti sauce, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to an oiled 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Top with cheeses. Bake until hot and top is golden, 25 to 35 minutes.