Pasta e Fagioli Soup

 

Who remembers the Pasta e Fagioli soup from Olive Garden? That was my go-to over the other soups (but of course the salad is most popular). I was having a craving for the soup, but didn't feel like leaving the house :) So I did a little research and came up with this one! I know spring is (hopefully) in the air, but you can still enjoy this anytime!

Pasta E’ Fagioli Soup

Ingredients:
¾ cup whole wheat ditalini or macaroni pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground turkey
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and slices into ¼ inch thick circles
3 stalks celery, diced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or great northern beans
½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Instructions

 Cook the whole wheat pasta till al-dente. Drain and set aside.
 In a large deep skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the lean ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery, continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir while adding in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the stockpot to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer covered for 15 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, beans and basil, let heat through.  Serve immediately or freeze for a later meal. You could also store personal sized portions in mason jars for a quick on the go meal.

Veggie Lasagna Soup w/Cheese Bomb

 

Ok, I know I'm on a soup kick, but hear me out :) IT'S SO EASY!! AND IT'S COLD WHERE I LIVE!

Is that reason enough? Unless you can't eat tomatoes, everyone loves a good hearty lasagna. However, to make one from scratch really does take some time. (Well, unless you make the sauce from scratch too...then you're talking alllll day!) Regardless, the family was craving the lasagna, and I was happy to make it~but typically the main ingredients are pasta and cheese. Those two things are great, but can be difficult to keep in a proper portion. I think this lasagna soup does the trick. The best part? A. cheese. bomb.   OH yes!

Soup ingredients

• 2T olive oil
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 1 ½ cup celery, diced
• 1 ½ cup carrots, diced
• 6 cups kale, finely chopped
• 6 cups water
• 1T of each spice: oregano, basil, and Italian seasoning
• 6 tsp of “Better than Bouillon” 
• 6 ounce tomato paste, canned
• One (24 ounce) jar of pasta sauce (Marinara)
• One (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
• 8 ounces pasta of choice

Cheese Bomb ingredients

• 2 cups of 2% cottage cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and 1/2 cup water over high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic; cook about 5 minutes or until onions have softened. Add kale and six cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and add all of the spices and Better Than Bouillon.  Maintain a simmer as you add tomato paste, pasta sauce, crushed tomatoes, and pasta.  Cover and simmer for ten minutes or until pasta are al dente.  Remove from heat. Mix Cheese bomb ingredients together in one bowl.  Assemble soup:  In each bowl, place a ¼ cup of cheese bomb in each bowl and then pour 1 ½ cups of the soup on top of the cheese bomb.  Serve warm and allow each person to mix up their soup at the table. Enjoy!

Jumbo Stuffed Shells

Pasta is one of those foods that can EASILY be overeaten. While the ingredients of pasta noodles are usually simple, the amount we tend to eat can be 3-4 servings instead of just one. This recipe helps fill your plate with more than just pasta and sauce. Believe it or not there are even a few veggie servings in there! Couple that with lean turkey Italian sausage and cheese, and you've got quite a hearty, filling dish to serve without the extra pasta.  Of course it can be paired with a green salad or other vegetable of choice. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

~12 dry pasta shells

~1 lb raw lean ground turkey

~1/2 tsp ground black pepper

~1 tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

~1/2 tsp fennel seeds

~1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

~1 Tbsp ground paprika

~3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

~2 tsp cold water

~1 Tbsp olive oil

~2 cups marinara sauce (preferable low-sugar low sodium)

~4 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach

~1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)

~1 cup freshly graded low skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cook shells according to package directions; rinse in cold water and set aside. To make sausage mixture, combine turkey, salt, pepper, fennel seeds, red pepper flake, paprika, garlic and water in large bowl and mix with hands (or wearing gloves) until sticky and thoroughly mixed; set aside.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Add sausage mixture; cook, breaking up pieces until brown and cooked through, approx. 4-6 minutes. Add 1 cup marinara, spinach and basil. Bring to gentle boil; boil for 2 minutes. Spread remaining cup of marinara in bottom of 9x9 baking dish. Set aside.  Fill each shell with 2-3T of turkey mixture; place in casserole dish seam side up. Top with cheese and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. 

*Note: It's best to slightly undercook the shells, as they will continue to cook in the oven. If the shells will be sitting for awhile after boiling, it's best to separate them so they will not stick together as they cool. Also, when I made this, I DOUBLED recipe; that way we could enjoy leftovers (which could also be frozen for another meal later).  This is why my picture shows a 9x12 pan instead of the 9x9 mentioned in the recipe. 

 

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Here’s a clean whole food ingredient for you: Alfredo! I only used 1/2 cup in the entire casserole and there are eight one cup servings per container.

Ingredients:

-1 head of broccoli

-3 cups cooked quinoa

-2 lb chicken

-one medium white onion, chopped

-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

-1/2 cup Rama Alfredo

Instructions:

1. Roast one head of broccoli


2. Cook quinoa according to package directions


3. Grill and chunk two cups of chicken


4. Add half cup mozzarella and half cup of Rama Alfredo.


5. Enjoy!