I was game. Along with the ubiquitous “baked chicken”, (which, by the way, was very moist and juicy), there’s a recipe for roasted vegetables, an omelet, a shrimp stir fry and this slow cooker beef lasagna.

This is a take on classic lasagna: it contains ground beef, cheese and tomato sauce, and no vegetables other than onion and garlic. I suppose by those standards you could say that it’s kid-friendly.

Although I usually prefer lasagna that’s packed with veggies, (see the recipe for “Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna), I made this just to see how the two versions compared. Plus, I’ve got to admit that every once in awhile, plain old beefy lasagna hits the spot for this vegetable-eating carnivore.

If you allow this to set up for a few minutes after it’s finished cooking, it slices nicely into single servings. The directions say to cook it on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. Mine was done in 4 hours.

For a fresh taste, chop some fresh basil and sprinkle it on top when you serve this. Champ and I had  leftovers for dinner last night (a consequence of grown children) and Champ commented that it was even better the second night.

Instructions

Heat a large nonstick skillet  and add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes.

Serves: 6

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Her version was geared for kids and thus was loaded with cheese, so I searched for a recipe that was lighter yet still delicious. Frankly, I didn’t have high expectations for the whole concept of slow-cooked pasta. Once again, the Cooking Light Slow Cooker cookbook provided the inspiration.

Well, well, well. Surprised again. Now, if I were to objectively critique the texture of the pasta regardless of how it was cooked, I’d say that it was just a bit soft, but otherwise this lasagna was entirely respectable, not to mention easy as pie. (Would someone tell me what’s so easy about pie? I don’t think pie is easy.)

All in all, another slow cooker winner. Yo, havin’ FUN on LOW!

Imagine my surprise when I cut into the lasagna and it came out in a perfect slice!

4 cups baby spinach**
2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
1/2 cup commercial pesto sauce
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Italian blend cheese (or mozzarella)
1 15-oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1 26-oz. jar tomato-basil pasta sauce
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 8-oz. package precooked lasagna noodles

Steam spinach until it wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain, squeeze dry and coarsely chop. Combine spinach, mushrooms and pesto sauce in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine shredded cheese, ricotta and egg in a medium bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and set aside. Combine pasta sauce with tomato sauce in a bowl.

To assemble: spread 1 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of an oval slow cooker. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce, breaking up noodles if necessary to fit. Top with 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup spinach mixture.

Repeat layers once, ending with remaining 1 cup spinach mixture. Arrange 3 noodles over the spinach mixture, top with remaining cheese mixture and 1 cup pasta sauce.

Place 3 noodles over pasta sauce. Spread remaining pasta sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours or until done. My lasagna was done in just over 3 hours.

*Slow Cooker

** You can use 2 packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, in place of the fresh spinach.

Serves: 8

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I gilded the lily and doubled up on the tomatoes and zucchini.

I thought I had eaten nearly every configuration of tomatoes possible, but this simple one, from the folks who founded Earthbound Farm (think all those organic salad bags at the supermarket) was new to me, at least in this pasta rendition.

Zucchini and tomatoes go together like cookies and milk (OK, how about celery and carrots?). The most classic combination is ratatouille, which includes both of the aforementioned plus eggplant and bell peppers. I guess I just hadn’t thought of preparing these two alone with pasta, which was so fresh and summery and delicious, we’re going to eat it as many times as we can before the good tomatoes disappear.

Biggest plus: weeknight fast. While you’re eating it, I bet you’ll keep saying something like, “This tastes like it came from a really good restaurant.”  If you don’t say that then you made it wrong, in which case I want you to email me for virtual cooking lessons.

2 to 3 fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups) cut into 1/2″ cubes (or halved grape tomatoes)
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh basil (NOT optional)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (optional)
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional for you, mandatory at our place)
12 oz. spaghetti (I like linguine)
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper

Put tomatoes, 2 T. olive oil, basil, parsley and red pepper flakes into a medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt and allow to marinate for about an hour.

While pasta is cooking, heat remaining 1 T. olive oil in a nonstick skillet and add zucchini and garlic. Cook, shaking pan, until zucchini is crisp-tender and beginning to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season well with salt and black pepper.

Drain pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add tomato and zucchini mixture and toss to combine. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

This can be served warm or at room temperature.

Serves: 4 generously

Note: I halved this recipe and used 6 oz. of dry pasta.

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Who can blame her? Mac and cheese, when made the traditional way, is a creamy and delicious comfort food with a calorie knock-out punch.  Cooks Illustrated experimented with reduced-fat versions and came up with this one as the best compromise–about half the calories of regular but almost all of the rich creamy flavor and texture.

I used a white cheddar, which is why this is so light in color.

1/2 lb. elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)*
1 (12-oz.) can reduced-fat evaporated milk
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/8 t. garlic powder or celery salt (optional)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2. t. cornstarch
8 oz. 50% light cheddar cheese, grated, (about 2 cups)**

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in 2 t. salt and macaroni and cook until pasta is completely cooked. (You don’t want it al dente.) Drain pasta and leave it in colander.

In the now empty pan, add the evaporated milk, 1/2 cup of the 2% milk, mustard, garlic powder, cayenne and 1/2 t. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch into remaining 1/4 cup milk and whisk into simmering mixture. Continue to simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the grated cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Stir in the cooked macaroni and let the mac and cheese sit off the heat until it is thickened slightly, about 2 to 5 minutes, before serving.

*I used Barilla Piccolini (Mini-penne), just for fun. Use whatever small pasta you like.

**Cooks Illustrated highly recommends Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar cheese, which is available in 8-ounce blocks. Do not use pre-shredded cheese. Cabot makes this cheese in both white and orange. I used the white.

Note: The first time I made this, I poured the mixture into a sprayed gratin dish, topped it with dry bread crumbs and a bit of leftover shredded cheese and ran it under the broiler until the top was browned.

Serves: 5

Note that the calories for traditional macaroni and cheese have been reduced from 650 calories per serving to 360 calories. Total fat grams have gone from 40 to 10. In this case, you don’t get what you pay for, you get more (or less, depending on how you look at it!)

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Her entry was a meatless lasagna using Newman’s Own Marinara Sauce with Mushrooms and filled with vegetables that cooked along with the noodles in the pasta water. Easy, delicious, and healthy too. I hadn’t made it in years, but then one day recently as I was looking through cookbooks for interesting recipe ideas, something tweaked my memory and this lasagna came to mind. I immediately phoned Rita, my mother’s next-door neighbor in Sacramento and the cook who introduced it to me way back when. She emailed me the recipe that day. I love the Internet.

Isn’t it funny how you can own loads of wonderful cookbooks and yet when you want something good to eat, it’s often a dish you remember from years past that came from a friend? Actually, I’m glad our memories work that way. Besides, how could one forget a recipe that won $50,000?

Lasagna Primavera

1 8-oz. package lasagna noodles
3 carrots, sliced 1/4″ thick
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup zucchini, cut into 1/4″ slices
1 cup crookneck squash, cut into 1/4″ slices
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz. ricotta cheese (I used low fat)
*1 26 oz. jar Newman’s Own Marinara Sauce with Mushrooms
12 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

* I use Bertolli Tomato-Basil sauce. It has no added sugar and isn’t as sweet as other major brands.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add lasagna noodles and cook 5 minutes. Add carrots and cook 2 more minutes. Add broccoli, zucchini and crookneck squash and cook the final 2 minutes or until pasta is almost tender. Drain all in a large colander and separate out the noodles.

Squeeze liquid out of spinach. Combine spinach with ricotta cheese. In a 3-quart rectangular baking pan, spread 1/3 of the pasta sauce. Line pan with 3 or 4 lasagna noodles. Top with half of each of the vegetables, half of the spinach mixture and half of the mozzarella cheese. Pour half of the remaining pasta sauce over these layers. Repeat layers and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place on a 10″x15″ baking sheet which has been lined with foil. Bake uncovered in a 400°F oven approx. 30 minutes or until hot in the center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (Lasagna may be prepared up to 2 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator until 1 hour before baking. If cold, bake for 1 hour at 350°F.)

Note: I find that a 26-oz. jar of pasta sauce is just enough to cover the lasagna. When reheating this, I sometimes open another jar of pasta sauce, heat it up and pour a little over the top of each serving.

Serves: 8

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I know it’s summer, but I am frequently asked for a healthy recipe for classic spaghetti and meatballs.  This is adapted from the Weight Watcher cookbook, “Quick Italian Favorites”. It is fabulous! I think it’s the turkey sausage in the meatballs that gives it such rich flavor. Don’t pass this one up.  You’ll be amazed. To give it a touch of summer freshness, I added chopped fresh basil. And always, freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

1 slice whole wheat bread
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 pound ground turkey (93% lean, such as Honeysuckle White )
2 (4 oz.) links turkey Italian sausage, (same brand) casings removed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 large egg
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
12 oz. spaghetti (I use Ronzoni Healthy Harvest)
2 (24 oz.) jars pasta sauce  (I like Bertolli’s Tomato Basil sauce)
Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place bread in food processor and process into crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and add garlic, onion and parsley. Toss together and add ground turkey, sausage, Parmesan, chicken broth, egg, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Mix well.

3. Form into 48 meatballs (each about 1 1/2 in.) and place on foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until no longer pink.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water and drain.

5. Bring pasta sauce to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add meatballs and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Serve with pasta and Parmesan cheese.

Serves: 8 (each serving equals 3/4 cup pasta and a generous one cup sauce)

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1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 t. minced pickled jalapeno peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. salt
1 lb. flank or sirloin steak
12 oz. penne pasta
1/3 c. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 red onion, halved lengthwise and cut into think slices
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Additional pickled jalapeno peppers
Dried, crushed red pepper (optional but colorful and spicy!)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine 2 T. lime juice, 1 t. of the jalapeno peppers, 1 minced garlic clove and salt in a large zip-lock bag. Add steak, press out air, seal and refrigerate at least one hour.

2. Grill steak until medium rare, about 5 minutes per side. Do not overcook. Let sit a few minutes and then slice into thin diagonal slices.

3. While steak is grilling, cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and place in large serving bowl.

4. Whisk together remaining lime juice, garlic clove, olive oil and salt to taste. Additional pickled jalapeno peppers and a splash of juice from their jar adds flavor.

5. To the serving bowl with the pasta, add steak, dressing, bell peppers, onion and cilantro. Toss to blend and adjust seasoning, adding freshly ground black pepper, more fresh lime juice and/or salt to taste.

Serves 8

Note: This is a great summer outdoor dinner; it’s a meal in one dish and it can be served at room temperature. You can adjust seasonings to please picky palates, leaving out the jalapenos (and serving them as a condiment on the side).

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