Giada's Pasta Sauce

Simple Tomato Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 cups

*To spice it up, infuse garlic and red pepper flakes into oil and add some sauce and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Giada also adds mixed olives to the sauce while infusing/simmering.

Chicken Taco Pasta Salad

1-12 oz pkg. Tri-color Pasta (I like radiatori or rotini)
3-4 Chicken Breasts
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can Kidney Beans-drained
1 can Garbanzo Beans-drained
1 pkg. Frozen Petite Corn
1 small Onion, finely chopped

Chopped Tomatoes
Grated Cheese
Corn Tortilla Chips
Olives

Dressing:
2 Cups Mayonnaise
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch Dip Mix (if you can't find this, use a pkg. of regular Ranch Dressing mix and 1/2 a pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix).
Mix together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Brown in small amount of oil. When chicken is cooked, add taco seasoning mix and 1/4 cup water. Simmer about 5 minutes. Drain and cool. Cook corn in small amount of water, drain and cool. In large mixing bowl, combine pasta, chicken, beans, onion and corn. Mix with dressing. Place salad in bowl. Arrange chips around edge of salad. Garnish with grated cheese, olives and chopped tomatoes.

*Notes: To make this easier, I either use chicken I have already cooked, or I throw the chicken and the taco seasoning and water in the crockpot and cook on low until done.
You can substitute milk for the buttermilk in the dressing. I usually make the dressing a day ahead.

I serve the tomatoes, cheese, olives and chips on the side and let people add their own...otherwise the salad can get kind of soggy if you have leftovers to store.

Ravioli Lasagna

Ravioli Lasagna

1 pkg. frozen cheese ravioli (I like the square kind =)
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar (26-28 oz.) favorite spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Brown the ground beef. In the bottom of the 8x11 in. pan spread about 1 c. of the spaghetti sauce. Put in one layer of frozen ravioli and cover with 1/2 of the meat and then 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat the layering with one cup sauce and remaining ravioli and ground beef. (sometimes I add more cheese here) Top with the remaining sauce and bake uncovered in 425 degree oven for 30-35 min. Top with the remaining cheese and continue to cook until the cheese is melted.

Baked Ziti

1 - 16 oz package ziti
1 - 26.5 oz jar prepared spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
6 oz sliced provolone cheese
1 1/2 C sour cream
1 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion
grated parmesan cheese (to taste)

1. Brown ground beef and onion.
2. Add spaghetti sauce, basil and oregano and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. As sauce simmers, cook ziti.
4. In a buttered, 9x13 baking dish layer 1/2 ziti, provolone, sour cream, 1/2 meat suace, remaining ziti, moz and sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
5. Bake 350* for 30 minutes or until hot and melty.

Serves 8 heartily.

*image thanks to penzeysone.com