Sunday, October 31, 2010

Mmmmm...Marinara Sauce

So I channeled my inner domestic goddess the other day and made home-made marinara sauce. My house smelled so good!! It is a bit of work, but well worth it. I use Giada De Laurentiis' recipe and it is so yummy! I double it and store the rest in the freezer for future fabulous meals.

I learned a really cool trick about storing sauces and soups in the freezer not too long ago. Measure the sauce into 2 cup portions into freezer zip-top bags and lay them down flat to freeze. Once they are solid, you can stand them upright and they don't take up as much space in the freezer. They are easy to defrost this way also, just throw them into warm water for a few minutes. These type of things appeal to my type-A organizer personality.

By the time It got done simmering the kiddos had gotten up from their nap, so all I did with it for dinner was put it over some penne and add some Parmesan cheese. I think it was a hit though.




I think I'm going to make some healthy baked ziti with the marinara sauce this week. Here is what I put in it:

1 lb ground turkey
1lb penne pasta, cooked and drained)
1 10oz box frozen spinach ( thawed and squeezed dry)
2 cups mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan
4 cups marinara sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)

Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Mix all of the ingredients together, reserving 1 cup of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-fat cooking spray and pour in pasta mixture.
Level the top and sprinkle with the reserved cheeses.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned.

This recipe is a family favorite in my house. It's a great way to sneak in all of those healthy vegetables!

Enjoy!

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