Tag Archives: lasagna

Baked Tortellini Skillet

October 2, 2017 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

I’m cutting to the chase with this recipe. This baked tortellini skillet has all the flavors of lasagna without the cumbersome noodle wrangling. Plus the cheese from the tortellini adds some extra flavor to the overall dish.

This is a perfect weeknight meal!

Baked tortellini lasagna

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

6 oz. dried cheese tortellini
6 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2/3 cup whole milk cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
2.5 cups marinara
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the tortellini three minutes shy of their recommended cooking time. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a 12-inch oven-safe pan. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the moisture is evaporated and the mushrooms start to brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Mix together the cottage cheese, 2/3 cup mozzarella, 2/3 cup Pecorino Romano, and salt and pepper to taste.

Coat the bottom of the pan with 1 cup of marinara. Toss in the tortellini and spread out evenly in the pan.

Next add the cheese mixture, spreading it out with a rubber spatula. Layer on the mushrooms, then another 1.5 cups of sauce. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned. Serve with Italian sausage and a simple garden salad.

Cooking, Pasta, recipes

Chicken lasagna with artichokes and white sauce

January 29, 2017 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

Every once in a while I have the wherewithal to make lasagna with homemade noodles. This evening I decided to try something different. Instead of traditional red sauce and ricotta I made a creamy béchamel sauce and layered the spinach noodles with shredded chicken and marinated artichoke hearts. The marinade from the artichokes added a tangy flavor to the dish and the creamy sauce was pure deliciousness. You can of course use store-bought noodles, but there’s something fancy about fresh pasta.

Continue reading Chicken lasagna with artichokes and white sauce →

alaska, Cooking, Italian, Pasta, recipes

White vegetarian lasagna with wild porcini

August 18, 2016 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

This is my favorite time of year in Anchorage. It’s cool, rainy and chock full of mushrooms. It’s a mushroom wonderland out there!

I grew up eating boletus mushrooms and this year they have been abundant. If you’re interested in picking them, check out my handy mushroom guide.

Continue reading White vegetarian lasagna with wild porcini →

Cooking, Italian, recipes

Lazy Lasagna

May 12, 2015 alaskaknitnat 4 Comments

My family requested lasagna for dinner yesterday, but I didn’t get home till 5 p.m. so it would have been a mad dash to get lasagna on the table by 6:30.

Here’s what I made instead. Although it’s about the same ingredients as lasagna I didn’t have to take the time to layer everything out. I just threw it all together, topped it with cheese and stuck it in the oven. Easy peasy.

Lazy Lasagna

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

12 oz. lasagna noodles
2 Tbs. olive oil
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. loose Italian sausage
One bunch of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water boils break up the lasagna noodles into irregular pieces and add to the pot. Cook according to box instructions, about 12 minutes.

In the meantime, heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet. Add the mushrooms and sauté until some of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt. Sauté until spinach is wilted, another minute. Set mushrooms and spinach aside.

Without cleaning the pan, add the sausage and brown. Add the sauce, mushrooms and spinach. Combine well. Drain the noodles and add to the skillet. Add half the cheeses and mix well. Top with the remaining cheese, cover and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.