Low Budget Pasta W Cheesy Tomato Sauce Casserole Style Food

TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 10 minutes.
• Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
• Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.
• Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for a slow, steady stream. Add the garlic to the oil. To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped up onion to the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring a lot, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and peppe, to your taste.
• Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells. Add them to a flameproof casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like. You can always serve a little extra at the table, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella as well. Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.

LOW BUDGET PASTA W CHEESY TOMATO SAUCE CASSEROLE STYLE

Steps:

• Dice onion and saute in 1 tbs olive oil in a pot, large enough to also boil the pasta inches.
• Ad uncooked pasta, tomato sauce, water and half and half.
• Season with salt, pepper, basil, oregano and some instant broth to taste.
• Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir frequently.
• While pasta and tomato sauce cook, slice hot dogs into 1/4 inch slices and saute in some butter until browned on both sides and ad too the pasta/sauce mix, continue to cook until pasta reaches preferred consistency. If necessary, ad some more liquid (e.g. water, half and half) should pasta absorbs too much sauce.
• Right before serving, stir in shredded cheese.
• Serve with buttered slices of bread.
• The dish should have the overall texture of a baked casserole: thick, the sauce will be mostly absorbed by the pasta. Leftovers heat up great in the micro wave the next day.

CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH TOMATO SAUCE (POLLO SUDADO)

Steps:

• Take off the skin from the chicken, discard and place chicken in a plastic bowl.
• Quarter the potatoes and also place in bowl with chicken. Add the chicken bullion and mix until all pieces are covered with bullion.
• In a large cooking pot, add the oil and heat. When oil is heated, add the chopped onions, tomatoes and bell pepper. Saute for about 1 minutes or until translucent.
• Add the chicken and potatoes to the pot and brown the chicken. About 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and add enough water to cover the chicken. Add the cilantro. Add salt IF NEEDED.
• Cover and cook for about 30 minute or until potatoes are cooked.
• Serve with white rice.

CHEESY TOMATO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Stir together all ingredients. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 8" square baking dish.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden.

OLD FASHIONED MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Remove ground beef and sausage from refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before cooking.
• Place bread crumbs in large bowl and stir in 1/3 cup water.
• When absorbed, blend together with eggs, garlic, grated Romano, salt, and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Add meats to bread crumb mixture and combine well with fork.
• Form into 12 even meatballs.
• Place in 1 layer in 9x13" baking dish so each is separated by about 1 inch.
• In a separate saucepan, sauté 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil.
• Add crushed tomatoes and water.
• Add fresh basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour tomato mixture over and around meatballs.
• Sprinkle tops with grated Romano cheese.
• Bake in center of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, about 25 minutes.

HOT DOGS & NOODLES

Steps:

• Cook egg noodles as directed on package.
• While noodles are cooking, slice hot dogs into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices.
• Brown hot dog slices and onion in melted margarine in large pan.
• Add tomato soup and cooked noodles and serve.

PASTA W/ SPINACH TOMATO ALFREDO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook pasta (I use Rotini as the spring shape holds the sauce really well).
• In a saucepan combine remaining ingredients and heat until hot.
• Pour sauce over pasta.
• You can use 2 lbs. of pasta if you like less sauce. You can also change the type of prepared tomato sauce to better suit your taste.

BACHELORS TUNA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a 5-quart stove-top pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and hold at a boil until tender (usually once water starts to boil turn heat down to medium heat and let cook for ten minutes). Then turn off the heat and drain pasta in the 5-quart pot.
• Add tuna, peas, and can of soup. Stir gently to not break the pasta. Pour mixture into a 9x12-inch baking dish or an 8x8 baking dish. Distribute cheese evenly over the pasta mix.
• At this point, you can let it cool and cover it after 20 minutes, refrigerate and prepare for dinner the following evening, or put it directly into a 350°F oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove from oven with hot mitts and serve. Can be served alone or with hot bread and a green salad.

EGGPLANT ROLLS W/ TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook onion, mushrooms and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add bulgur and sun-dried tomatoes and stir until coated.
• Add stock and bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
• Preheat skillet to medium heat and add oil.
• Peel 2 inch wide strips of skin from opposite sides of eggplants and discard.
• Cut each eggplant lengthwise into 6 slices about 1/4 inch thick. Brush both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill slices in oiled skillet turning once until golden and tender about 10 minutes. Transfer to tray and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Stir goat cheese into bulgur mixture.
• Lay slice of eggplant on work surface and spread with 1/4 cup bulgur mixture starting at narrow end, roll up. Place seam side down on cooking tray and then repeat with remaining eggplant.
• Pour tomato sauce into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Place eggplant rolls on top seam side down. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling.
• Garnish with chopped basil.

CHEESY TOMATO AND CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a pot over medium heat. Once pot is hot, pour in bacon drippings (can add bacon too, crumbled).
• Add in onions and cook until they start to become translucent, then add garlic and olives, mushrooms, or whatever other vegetables you decide to add to the sauce.
• Once vegetables are soft, add in tomato sauce. Cook until heated through (about 3 minutes), then add cheese and stir until melted.
• Serve this over pasta or stir the pasta directly into the pot. Since this is a thick sauce, the noodles should easily hold on to the sauce.

AFRICAN MEATBALLS W/ TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• SAUCE.
• Heat 3 tblsp palm oil in a frying pan. Fry onions for a few minutes.
• Stir in onions,tomato paste, 3 tomatoes. Add water as necessary to make a smooth sauce.
• Season to taste with bay leaf, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper.
• Stir. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for ten minutes while you prep meatballs.
• MEATBALLS.
• Mix first 7 ingredients together, season to taste then form into 6cm balls.(turn off sauce).
• Chill these in the freezer for at least 10 min,(Boil rice ).
• fry meat balls in enough oil to cover the bottom of a pan.
• Once browned all over, add enough tomato sauce to cover the meatballs then add a few splashes of hot pepper sauce to flavor.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer then tightly secure a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
• Serve on a bed of rice.