Sicilian Pasta

Last spring, my husband and I took a cruise around the Mediterranean. Our stop on the isle of Sicily left us in the town of Taormina. A gorgeous coastal town, high up on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea. Well, I'm sure its gorgeous when it's not raining, which it was when we were there. As it was our first day in Italy, we were determined to find a delicious authentic Italian lunch. We decided to get lost in the back alleys of the town and avoid the restaurants right on the main drag. When it started to pour, we decided to duck into a little restaurant whose name escapes me right now.

Prior to our trip, I had read that eggplant is a major staple in the Sicilian diet. After reviewing the menu, I settled on the Pasta alla Siciliana—pasta tossed with eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, and a little cheese. It also had lots of garlic, crushed red pepper, and fresh basil. It was one of the best meals I ever had.

Having made eggplant for one last night (according to my husband, he is "over" eggplant), I had plenty left over so I decided to recreate this memory.


1 large eggplant
coarse salt
8 oz whole-wheat penne or rigatoni
1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
non-stick cooking spray (olive oil flavor if available)
4 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped and loosely packed

Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/2" thick rounds. Salt both sides generously and allow to sit for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, blot the moisture from the eggplant and cut the eggplant into cubes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta to desired tenderness. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.

In a large skillet, heat half of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper and cook for one minute. Add the eggplant and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray. Saute until the eggplant is soft, cooked through and brown on the outside. Add the remaining the olive oil and the garlic. Toss and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the marinara sauce and drained pasta. Add reserved pasta water if necessary to help the sauce coat the pasta. Stir in cheese until melted. Toss in fresh basil right before serving.

Yields 4 servings.

WW info:
core - included
flex - 5 points

Fried Mozzarella Caprese

This is my husband's favorite. I've been feeling bad that I haven't cooked any of his favorites since I've been so focused on healthy cooking. I haven't fried a thing in about 8 months. Tonight I gave in because he's been having a bad week. And since I've been so good, I indulged myself in one piece of cheese. Damn, that was good.

1 egg, beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
8 oz whole milk, low moisture mozzarella ball
extra light olive oil
1 cup marinara sauce
fresh basil to garnish

Add egg to a wide, flat bowl and mix the breadcrumbs and flour in a second wide bowl. Slice the mozzarella ball into 8 equal slices, about 1/4" thick. Dip each slice into the egg and then dredge through the breadcrumbs and coat evenly.

Pour olive oil (1/4" deep) into a skillet. Heat over medium heat. Add slices to oil and cook for 30-60 seconds per side, until golden brown.

Serve with marinara sauce and fresh basil.

Yields 4 servings (2 slices and 1/4 cup sauce per serving).

Eggplant Towers with Herbed Ricotta

This dish is like a mini version of my Eggplant Lasagna and can be modified all the way down to one serving (which is actually how I made it for dinner tonight and just refigured the amounts for the recipe below). Serve either 2 towers as an entree or one tower with a side of pasta.

1 large eggplant (at least about 4" in diameter and 9" long)*
coarse salt
non-stick olive oil cooking spray
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 cup fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups marinara sauce, divided
*The size of the eggplant will determine the number of servings

Peel eggplant and slice into rounds 1/4" thick, making . Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant rounds with salt and lay flat for about 30 minutes, allowing the moisture to rise to the surface of the eggplant.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blot moisture from both sides of the eggplant with a paper towel. Spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray and light spray both sides of the eggplant rounds. Bake for 15 minutes, flip eggplant, and bake another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a small bowl.

Remove baking sheet from oven. Place about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture in the center of one eggplant round. Stack a second round on top of that. Spread another tablespoon of ricotta on top of that, finishing with a third eggplant round on top. Repeat process until there are 8 towers total.

Spread about 1 tablespoon on marinara sauce over the top of each tower. Return baking sheet to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle about 1/8 cup of shredded mozzarella over the top of each tower and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To serve, divided remaining marinara sauce between 4 plates and plate 2 towers per plate on top of sauce. Garnish with a sprinkle of dried or fresh minced basil.

Yields 4 servings (2 towers per serving).

WW info:
flex - 4 points per serving (2 points per tower)
core - included

Baked Pasta with Tons of Vegetables

In an effort to "sneak" some vegetables onto my husband's plate, I thought I might try this. My plan was both a success and failure. A success because he LOVED it! A failure because he exact words were, "Wow, I like this so much better than your other baked ziti." Turns out he has always hated my plain baked ziti (sans veggies) but never had the heart to tell me. Oh well... at least he really like this. And I don't have to force the veggies down his throat. Amen to that.

2 1/2 cups uncooked penne or ziti (regular or whole wheat)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
1/2 cup orange pepper chopped
1/2 cup zucchini, chopped
1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and peppers and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic. Continue to cook another 5-7 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano, pepper, tomatoes, marinara sauce and spinach. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir cooked pasta and half the ricotta cheese into the sauce. Transfer the pasta mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Dollop the remaining ricotta cheese on top of the pasta and cover. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese oand spry lightly with cooking spray. Return to oven and cook until the cheese has melted.

Yields 6 servings.

WW info:
flex: 5 points per serving
core: all included if using whole wheat pasta

Eggplant Lasagna

I found this recipe in Everyday Food magazine a while back. After slightly tweaking it, its become a staple in our house. You can also grill the eggplant slices, rather than roast them in oven. You also don't have to use fat free cheese, but thats the best way for me to figure out WW points.

1 large eggplant
non-stick cooking spray
2 cups of tomato sauce
8 ounces fat-free ricotta cheese
1 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon basil


Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut top and bottom off eggplant and discard. Stand eggplant up on one end and slice downward, creating ¼" to ½" slices, for a total of 8 slices. Brush each side of the eggplant slices with olive oil and lay flat on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn slices over and bake another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the egg, ricotta cheese, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, basil, and oregano in a medium bowl.

In an 8" x 8" baking dish, pour enough sauce to coat the bottom. Then layer two slices of eggplant, side by side. Spoon cheese mixture on top of eggplant slices (about 2 or 3 spoonfuls per slice) and pour sauce over the cheese layer to coat it. Continue layering of eggplant, cheese, and sauce, making sure to alternate the direction of the eggplant 90° with every layer. Bake for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over dish and bake until melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Yields 4 servings when served on its own, or 6 servings if served with a side of pasta.

WW info:
core - all included if using fat-free cheeses and sauce made from core ingredients
flex - 3 points per serving based on 6 servings; 4 points per serving based on 4 servings.

Chicken Parmesan

No cute story here. Had some extra chicken and I'm sick of grilling it or sauteeing it or throwing vegetables on top of it. And by way of a small miracle, this is 90% core (WW reference, for all you non-WW readers). You can make it 100% core if you use oatmeal as the breadcrumbs. I'm willing to take the 1 point as to not compromise the texture of the breading, since thats my favorite part. I also like the texture of mixing the breadcrumbs and panko together.

4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
(OR 1 cup quick cooking oats instead of breadcrumbs and panko to stay core)
non-stick cooking spray
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1 cup fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour egg in a large flat bowl. Mix breadcrumbs and panko together in second large flat bowl (or oatmeal if following core). Dip one chicken breast in the egg and then dredge through the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat for each chicken breast.

Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Spray each side of chicken cutlets lightly with cooking spray. "Fry" each cutlet on each side just until the breading starts to brown and crisp up slightly.

Place cutlets on a baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Spray reverse side when you flip the cutlets. After 25 minutes, spread about 2 tablespoons sauce over each cutlet and sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over each. Bake until cheese is melted.

Yields 4 servings.

WW info:
core: 1 point (for breadcrumbs; 0 if use sub with oatmeal)
flex: 6 points

Zuppa Toscano

Thanks to Joelen for the inspiration for this. I altered the recipe slightly (even thought I halved most of the amounts for less soup, i kept the original amounts of the mushrooms and spinach and I didnt cook the sausage as ground sausage...I left it in the casings and cut it up itno bite-size pices once it was cooked). I think this might become a new staple around here! My husband won't like it since he doesn't like sausage, but I think its fab. I was sort of hoping for a crsip, fall day today so I could curl up with a yummy bowl of warm soup, but its in the 70s (so bizarre for October in New England!). Don't worry...I'll enjoy it anyway!

48 ounces fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
8 ounces sweet Italian chicken sausage (2 or 3 links depending on the size of each link)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teapsoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup half and half

Boil potatoes in chicken broth in a 4 quart pot for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place sausage links in a non-stick frying pan and heat over medium-high heat until browned on the outside. Transfer links to a plate and carefully slice each one down the center, lengthwise (be careful, since the inside won't be cooked through and still a little messy since it hasn't solidified yet), and transfer back to the pan, placing the inside face down to cook. Cook until brown. Transfer links back to plate (wash it first since the chicken was partially raw the alst time we used it!) and slice link halves into bite size pieces. Add sausage pieces to broth and potatoes. Add seasonings and mushrooms to soup and stir. Bring back to a boil and simmer until potatoes are fork tender and mushrooms are soft.

Stir in the spinach leaves; cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in half and half; cook for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Yields about 4-6 servings.

WW info:
3 points per serving if yielding 6 servings.
4 points per serving if yielding 4 servings.

Baked Ziti

This is comfort food to me. I'm not Italian but I swear that somewhere I have Italian blood running through my veins. There is nothing better than pasta, gravy and cheese all melted together. Before I knew how to "cook" (I'm using quotes ebcause there is really no skill involved in this particular recipe), I'd ask my mom to make trays of it and freeze it for me...and then bring it to me 200 miles away. Ahhhh...the good old days before I had any kind of resposibility. Feel free to throw in some sweet Italian sausage like my mom does. I don't because the hubby doesn't like it, but its really good with it.

8 oz. ziti or penne (with ridges)
non-stick cooking spray
1.5 cups pasta sauce (homemade or jarred)
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 cup fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup egg beaters or 1 egg white
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook pasta per directions on package. Spray an 8x8 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour 1/2 cup sauce in dish. Spread to coat the bottom of dish evenly.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup mozzarella, 1/2 tablespoon Parmesan, egg, and seasonings. Mix until well blended and creamy. Add cooked, drained pasta and mix until the pasta is throughly coated with cheese mixture.

Add half the cheese/pasta mixture to the baking dish. Pour another 1/2 cup of sauce over that pasta and another 1/4 cup of the mozzarella over the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta and then the last 1/2 cup of sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of Parmesan on top and cover with foil.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Remove foil and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Lightly spray the cheese with non-stick cooking spray (unnecessary if you aren't using fat-free cheese) and bake for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Yields 4 servings

WW info:
core: all included if using whole-wheat pasta and homemade sauce
flex: 7 points per serving (if using a sauce that is 1 point per 1/2 cup serving)

Chicken Cacciatore

Or as my mom calls it, Chicken Catch-My-Dori (I still get a giggle out of that!). Try the Pastene San Marzano tomatoes. They taste like they were picked right off a sunny field in Italy! You can also use roasted peppers for an extra level of flavor.

4-6 chicken breasts
pepper, basil, garlic powder to season
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 large portobello mushroom, chopped
non-stick cooking spray
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
1 large carrot (or 6-7 baby carrots), diced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 6 oz can tomato paste (i used the kind with italian seasoning in it)
1 14 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced

Season chicken with basil, garlic, powder, and basil. Set aside.

Sautee mushrooms in a teaspoon olive oil till soft and brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Add spray pan with non-stick cooking spray and add chicken. Cook over medium-high heat until brown on both sides (doesn't have to be cooked through, just brown). Remove and set aside.

Add a Tbsp of olive oil and cook garlic, onions, celery, and carrots until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Keep pan covered to keep the moisture in. Add wine and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth and paste and mix well. Add tomatoes (with juice from can), peppers, and cooked mushrooms. Stir. Add back chicken and bury under sauce. It might not seem like enough sauce, but it will increase as it cooks. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for about 30-35 minutes. Keep covered.

Serve over pasta.
Yields 4-6 servings.
If you use 4 chicken breasts, cut down to 1/2-2/3 of each pepper. You may have sauce and veggies leftover, but its not enough to try to cut down the whole recipe. Great over pasta without the chicken!

Recipe derived from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook.

WW info: core: all included flex: 5 points (not including pasta)

Sausage & Basil Quesadillas

Yum... leftovers! Had some left over sausage and sauce from the other night, so I decided to make some quesadillas. I used my Foreman grill, but you also use a quesadilla maker, panini press, or stovetop grill.

2 (4 oz.) chicken sausage links
3 basil leaves, chopped
2 whole wheat pitas
1 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese
non-stick cooking spray
1 cup roasted pepper marinara for dipping

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray. Run a knife along the long side of each sausage link and remove meat inside. Heat over medium heat until browned through. Add basil and toss. (Don't add basil until meat is cooked or else it will get limp and lose its flavor). Heat grill. Slice each pita in half forming a total of 4 pockets. Add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese to each and 1/4 of the sausage and basil mixture. Lightly spray each side the pita with non-stick cooking spray and place on grill. Cook until pita is browned and cheese is fully melted. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

WW info:
core-5 points (4 per sausage link; 1 per pita)
flex-7.5 points

Meatballs & Gravy

That's-a one spicy meat-a-ball! (well, actually thats two and they aren't spicy at all)

This recipe was given to me by my Italian friend, Tara, who got her from mom, who probably got it from her mom, and on and on and on. I promise these will be the best meatballs you have ever eaten.

Meatballs:
2 eggs
4 slices of white bread, crusts removed
1 pound ground meat (a veal/beef/pork mix is the best)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
½ tablespoon black pepper
½ tablespoon oregano
½ tablespoon basil
vegetable oil (as needed)

To Make the Meatballs: Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Soak slices of bread in water and squeeze out thoroughly; tear up bread into tiny pieces. Add bread, meat, garlic, cheese, and spices to eggs and mix well, making sure that there aren’t any clumps of bread. Do not overmix.

Heat about a 1/4" of oil at the bottom of a large stock pot. Roll meat into balls that are about 1½" in diameter. Cook meatballs in oil until brown on all sides (about 20 minutes). Remove meatballs from oil and set aside; reserve oil in pot.

Gravy
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste
12 ounces cold water (use tomato paste can to measure)
1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes, with Italian seasonings
1 bay leaf
pepper (to taste)
basil (to taste)
a pinch of sugar

To Make the Gravy: Brown onion and garlic in oil from the meatballs. Add tomato paste and stir. Add water, crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, pepper, basil, and sugar; mix well. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add meatballs, cover and vent.
Simmer over low heat for 1 to 1 ½ hours, stirring frequently. If there is too much oil on top at the end, you can carefully spoon some off, but do not remove all of it (that’s where all the flavor is!). Remove bay leaf and serve over macaroni.

Yields about 12 meatballs.

Turkey Meatballs & Sauce

I like to make meatball subs with these. Use a light multi-grain hamburger bun to keep it light. Also great over pasta. (Obviously! They are meatballs!)

Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1/3 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
pinch of sugar
garlic powder, dried pregano, dried basil, salt, ground pepper (to taste)

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic until soft, but be careful not to brown onions and garlic. Add paste and broth and mix well. Add crushed tomatoes and pinch of sugar. Stir well. Season to taste and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for at least one hour.

Meatballs
1 egg
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (If following Weight Watchers Core plan, substitute with 1/4 cup oatmeal, ground in food processor)
garlic powder, dried pregano, dried basil, salt, ground pepper (to taste)
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg in a large bowl. Add in breadcrumbs, garlic, and seasonings and mix. Add ground turkey and fold into seasoned egg mixture. Don't over mix or meatballs will be tough.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Form balls about 1" in diameter and place on the cookie sheet. You should be able to get 20-25 meatballs out of this batch. Bake for about 15 minutes, until outside surface of meatballs is firm.

Add to sauce and bring to boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for one hour.

Yields 5 servings of 4-5 meatballs with sauce. Serve over pasta or on a bun for meatball sub.
WW info (without pasta or bun):
FLEX: 5 points per serving
CORE: all included (no extra points need to be taken)