Ravioli 'Lasagna' with a Chunky Red Sauce

Partially cook 1# spinach-cheese ravioli. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

Put a couple tablespoons of the red sauce and half the ravioli in a 8"x12"x2" glass baking pan. Top with half the remaining sauce, then half of the cheese mixture.

Repeat with another layer of ravioli, sauce and cheese.

Red Sauce:
5oz. lean beef stew meat
2T single source EVOO

Finely chop the meat and sauté it in the oil until browning. Add the well chopped vegetables shown in the pan, and cook them until almost tender. Transfer this to a bigger pot. Pour in the sauce, add 1t sugar, and simmer 5-10 minutes.

Cheese Mixture:

1+c cottage cheese
1 big clove fresh garlic
1 lg. fresh egg
1t garlic salt
1t black pepper
1t Italian seasoning

8oz. havarti cheese - cut in tiny pieces.

Using an immersion blender, blend the first group of ingredients until smooth. Stir in the well chopped cheese. Once layered, sprinkle a little dry dill on top. (photo was taken before baking) Bake 30 minutes at 375°, or until everything is bubbling and the top is lightly browning. Cool a while before cutting. . .Lin

Bison Bolognese

1# ground bison

⅔c crispy cooked bacon

26oz. crushed tomaotes

13.5oz petite diced tomatoes

8oz. strong black coffee (!)

1½-2c chopped celery

8oz fresh mushrooms

lots of fresh garlic

2 med. carrots

1 med. onion

⅓c green onion tops

⅓c chopped red pepper

1T Rosemary Seasoning

Cook the bacon in a regular pot or pan, not a non-stick.  In a 3-5 quart pot, slowly saute' the bison, breaking it up as it cooks.  Add the bacon, tomatoes and coffee when the bison is no longer pink.  Simmer while preparing the vegetables.

Hopefully, the pan the bacon was cooked in has a layer of browning on the bottom.  If so, pour in a little water, stir, heat it then add the chopped vegetables and saute' until they're crisp-tender.  Combine these with the meat in the bigger pot, stir, cover and simmer on low heat about an hour to bring out and blend all the flavors.  Serve over regular pasta or spaghetti squash.  Coffee in red sauce!  Who knew!?! . .Lin

Coffee In Red Sauce!

Who knew!

I've added a few chocolate chips and cinnamon to chili to give it a more authentic Mexican (Mole' - moh-LAY) sort of kick, so I guess this makes sense, but I never would have thought of it!

Here are a couple go-to links for more info:

Coffee In Red Sauce

Another Coffee In Red Sauce

Chicken Zucchini with Pasta and Pink Sauce

12oz. lean chicken cut in cubes

5 cloves sliced garlic

½c dry white wine

Tuscan seasoning

Salt and Pepper

2T butter

Combine these ingredients in a 4 quart heavy-bottomed pot, simmer-saute' 10-15 minutes then add:

½c chopped purple onion

another ½c dry white wine

1 sliced mini yellow pepper

1 sliced mini orange pepper
½c chopped sun-dried tomatoes

12oz. of your favorite red sauce

4 sm.-med. zucchini - quartered lengthwise

Simmer all this together, covered, over low-medium heat.

¾c dry medium pasta

8-12oz. Alfredo sauce

Meanwhile, cook the pasta separately, in a 2 quart pot, until barely tender.  Drain, then add the pasta to the pot, saving a little of the pasta water to add if needed.

When the zucchini is turning translucent, but not mushy, add the Alfredo sauce, stir, heat again, to a slow bubble, before serving.  The combination of Alfredo and red sauce is called 'pink' sauce, which I feel is a misnomer.  It's actually orange.  Regardless, it's really good.😊. . .Lin

Potato Basil Gnocchi

I went to one of my favorite places the other day, the Duluth Kitchen Co. * in the Fitger's Building here.  Oh my. . .  Of course there were several things calling to me there, but one that was a complete surprise!  I've never been much of a bread-potato-pasta-dumpling person, but when I saw the Cucina Viva Basil Gnocchi, and the Tri-Color Gnocchi. . .for $2.89 each!!  I knew I would be buying those.  Gnocchi's, basically, are small potato dumplings.  Simple recipe and very easy to make from scratch I'm told.  However, at this price, I might opt to just buy them. :-)  Yet, I could see these would be so easy, fun and flavorful to make!  I'd probably skip the flour, and make mine with Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs, finely grated flavorful cheese, an egg or two, some baby red mashed potatoes, a little half and half if needed, salt and pepper, and probably not much else.

However, I'm getting sidetracked here, this time I made a chunky sauce using the ingredients shown, finely mincing the 3 large garlic cloves, plus one large, chopped white onion.  Those were simmered in a little extra virgin olive oil then, when the onion was translucent, I added the tomatoes, and simmered while the gnocchi was cooking.  I kept the sauce simple, and it was fantastic — however, I would also consider adding grated carrot, finely chopped zucchini to the saute' process then a splash of Vodka and stir in a dollop of sour cream at the very end for a Vodka Cream sauce, heavier on vegetables.

Shown here, served with chopped cilantro and some flavorful grated cheese.

OH MY. . .I see, in a Google Image search, Cucina Viva also has cheese, spinach and many other flavors available.  This sort of dinner is so good once in a while.  I made this several days ago and for me, it will make 4-5 breakfasts, lunches or dinners.  Bellisimo! Italian! Comfort! Food!  And the way it scents your kitchen, each time you reheat it!  Awwww, just the best! . . . Lin

Meatballs on Spinach Pasta (with a creamy tomato sauce)

1# - 12 meatballs - purchased or homemade

1/4 lg. purple onion - chopped

2 carrots - grated

1/3 poblano pepper - chopped

3 lg. cloves of garlic - minced

2T butter

28oz. can crushed tomatoes

8-10oz. fresh kale or frozen spinach - chopped

1t sugar  +  1T± *Rosemary Seasoning - recipe

a splash of good dark balsamic vinegar

8oz. spinach linguine or fettuccine

4oz Neufchatel cheese (or cream cheese)

(tomato pesto is shown but wasn't used)

Assemble the meatballs from a favorite recipe, or, like I did buy some that look good to you.  Bake them until about 3/4 done.  Meanwhile prepare the sauce in a heavy-bottomed 3qt. pot.  Sauté the onion, carrot, pepper and garlic in the butter.  When fragrant and the onions are translucent, add the next 4 ingredients.  *Italian seasonings can be substituted.  Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.  Turn off heat and after about 10 minutes, stir in the cheese and meatballs.  These can be left whole or cut in halves or quarters.  Fill a large pot halfway with water, cook pasta until al dente, about 3/4 done.  Drain, then put the pasta in the bottom of a 9"x13" glass pan, or a small covered porcelain roasting pan.  Pour meatballs and sauce over the top of this, spreading the meatballs out to cover the pasta evenly.  Bake at 325° for 20 minutes before serving. . .Lin

Turkey-Elk Red Sauce with Pasta

1# ground turkey

1# ground elk

2 T olive oil

1/2 t ground red and black pepper

2 t ground rosemary and pink Himalayan salt

5 lg. cloves garlic - some minced, some chopped

1 med.-lg. onion - some minced, some chopped

1 lg. can diced tomatoes

1 sm. can tomato paste

1 26oz. jar pasta sauce - not shown

5 oz. sliced, drained kalamata olives

12 oz. dry pasta (brown rice spaghetti pasta shown

~ but I used a medium chunky pasta instead)

Combine, saute' and brown first 5 ingredients with the minced garlic and onion, simmering, cooking and stirring for about 30 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer another hour or more.  Meanwhile, at the end of the sauce cooking time, cook the pasta to the al dente' stage, drain and arrange in a bowl.  Top with the sauce and shaved fresh Parmesan cheese.  Pairs nicely with a fresh green salad.  Leftovers keep well, refrigerated, for several days. . .Lin