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looking for quick Monday through Friday family dinners or
slower-paced weekend cooking plans, you're in the right place.
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Lasagna in
an Hour
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After nine years
as half of our "30-Minute Main Courses" team, Melanie
Barnard is an expert at making delicious entrées in no
time. So naturally we knew she would come up with a
lasagna recipe that wouldn't require hours in the
kitchen. What we didn't know is that it would be twice
as good as many lasagnas that take twice as long to
prepare.
Melanie uses no-boil noodles — they cook
right along with the rest of the lasagna. And instead of
making a fussy béchamel sauce, she created a flavorful
three-cheese filling. A tomato sauce with red pepper and
sausage is a spicy complement.
Never made lasagna
before? This is an ideal recipe for beginners. Always
slave for hours making the classic? Here is the perfect
alternative: Melanie's clever shortcuts have resulted in
a dish that takes only about 45 minutes to put together
— and that includes making the sauce and the filling. It
needs only about an hour in the oven after that. And the
way we see it, that's a whole hour of free time for
you.
SAUSAGE,
CHEESE AND BASIL LASAGNA
6 to 8 servings
SAUCE 2
tablespoons olive oil 1 pound spicy Italian sausages,
casings removed 1 cup chopped onion 3 large garlic
cloves, chopped 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1/4
teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 1 28-ounce can
crushed tomatoes with added puree 1 14 1/2-ounce can
diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion (do not
drain)
Heat oil in heavy large pot over
medium-high heat. Add sausages, onion, garlic, oregano
and crushed red pepper and sauté until sausage is cooked
through, mashing sausage into small pieces with back of
fork, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced
tomatoes with juices. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat
to medium and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Season
with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill
until cold, then cover and keep
chilled.)
FILLING 1 1/2 cups
(packed) fresh basil leaves 1 15-ounce container plus
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1 1/2 cups (packed)
grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces) 3/4 cup
grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces) 1 large
egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black
pepper
Using on/off turns, chop fresh basil
leaves finely in processor. Add ricotta, mozzarella,
Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon
pepper. Using on/off turns, process filling until just
blended and texture is still chunky.
ASSEMBLY 12 no-boil lasagna
noodles from one 8-ounce package 3 cups (packed)
grated mozzarella cheese (about 12 ounces) 1 cup
grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces) Nonstick
olive oil spray
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1
1/4 cups sauce in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange
3 noodles on sauce.
Drop 1 1/2 cups filling over
noodles, then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with 3/4
cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Repeat layering of sauce, noodles, filling and cheeses 2
more times.
Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spoon
remaining sauce atop noodles. Sprinkle with remaining
cheeses.
Spray large piece of foil with nonstick
olive oil spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side
down. Bake lasagna 40 minutes. Carefully uncover.
Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Bake until noodles
are tender, sauce bubbles thickly and edges of lasagna
are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Transfer to
work surface; let stand 15 minutes before
serving.
— Bon Appétit, February
2000
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PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS WITH
RATATOUILLE AND SPINACH
1 cup chopped onion 5 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon
plus 3 teaspoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin) 1 1-pound
eggplant, trimmed, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 cups
1/2-inch pieces zucchini 1 cup 1/2-inch pieces red bell
pepper 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoons red wine
vinegar 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme Pinch of cayenne
pepper 4 4- to 5-inch-diameter portobello mushrooms, stems
removed 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 10-ounce package ready-to-use spinach leaves
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix onion, 3 teaspoons garlic and 1
tablespoon oil in large ovenproof pot. Cover; cook over medium-low
heat until onion is very tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes.
Stir in eggplant; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in
next 6 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; bake until
vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add mushrooms, rounded side down. Cook until bottoms are golden,
about 10 minutes. Turn mushrooms over; cook until just tender, about
6 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and 2 teaspoons garlic; cook until
mushrooms are very tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over
medium heat. Add spinach; stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Divide
spinach among 4 plates. Top each with 1 mushroom, rounded side down.
Fill mushrooms with ratatouille.
Per Serving:
calories, 153; total fat, 8g; saturated fat, 1g; cholesterol,
0mg.
Serves 4.
Bon
Appétit
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