Cavatappi with Spinach, Beans, and Asiago Cheese

8 cups coarsely chopped spinach leaves
4 cups hot cooked cavatappi (about 6 oz uncooked spiral shaped pasta)
1/2 c. shredded Asiago Cheese
2 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (19oz) can cannellini beans or other white beans (drained and rinsed)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper, if desired. Makes 4, 2 cup servings.

*I think this is a Cooking Light recipe, but it was just a clipping from a magazine that I had saved from years ago, so I'm not certain on that.

My husband and I both enjoyed this recipe much more than I thought we would. The flavor is wonderful and the dish feels light. We both felt you could easily add grilled chicken to the recipe. We ate this as a meal, but it could easily be a terrific side dish. *I did not find Cavatappi pasta at the store I went to the day I bought ingredients for this dish so I used Penne instead.

Cheese Lovers Pasta Roll-Ups

1 egg, beaten

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

2 c. shredded italian cheese blend

4 green onions, chopped

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 jar (26 oz) pasta sauce, divided (my family loves Ragu Chunky Garden Comination)

16 lasagna noodles
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Mix first 5 ingredients until well blended. Spread 1/2 c. of the pasta sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spread each noodle with 3 Tbsp. cheese mixture. Roll each noodle. Place the noodles seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce and parmesan. Cover. Bake 40-50 minutes or until heated through. Uncover for the last 10 minutes.

*This recipe comes from the Kraft Food and Family magazine.

**This recipe took me about 30 minutes to put together. I made it a few hours ahead of time and placed it in the refridgerator until I was ready to cook it. The magazine gives directions for refridgerating up to 24 hours or freezing for up to 1 month. Really only difference is that it may take slightly longer to cook and if you freeze it, you need to thaw it before cooking it. A person could easily add ground meat to the cheese mixture if desired. This is a huge dish. Could easly feed a family of 6!

***A note about the roll-ups: Cook the noodles so they are al dente (soft, but still firm). I added some olive oil to the cooking water to keep the noodles from sticking. When I did the roll-ups, I place three noodles on waxed paper and eye-balled the amount of cheese (it came out perfect). I used my fingers to spread the cheese out and then rolled them and placed them in the pan. It worked great!

Quick Pizza Bread Sticks

1 (10 oz) package refridgerated pizza dough
2 T. butter, melted
1/2 c. Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tsp. dried Italian Seasoning, crushed
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 (8oz) jar pizza sauce, warmed

Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Unroll pizza dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, press the dough into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the butter.

In a small bowl stir together the cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper. Sprinkle mixure over dough. Using a sharp knife, cut dough crosswise into 12-inch strips. Cut dough in half lengthwise to make 24 strips.

Bake at 425 for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with warm pizza sauce. Makes 24 bread sticks.

*My family loved these. My 2 year old liked that he could dip them (anything he can "dip", he loves right now). I didn't have enough Parmesan cheese so I sprinkled on some mozzarella too.

This recipe is from the Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book.

Baked Ziti

Olive oil spray*

1 (14.5 oz.) box fiber-enriched ziti or penne rigate (I use Ronzoni Smart Taste)

1 (15 oz.) container fat-free ricotta cheese

2 large egg whites

8 oz (4 cups) finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Salt- to taste

Ground black pepper -to taste

Crushed red pepper flakes- to taste

3 1/2 c. Main Event Marinara Sauce (found on previous post)

or other low-sodium marinara

2 T. grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 450. Lightly mist a 13x9x2" ceramic or glass baking dish with the olive oil spray.

Cook the pasta noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, egg whites, and all but 1 c. of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combine.

Spread 1 c. of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Add half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the pasta evenly with another 1 c. of sauce. Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 c. sauce evenly over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan over the top.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces or spoon in to bowls and serve. Makes 8 servings.

*The cookbook recommends not using the canned olive oil spray. I have a pump type sprayer that works great. You can find them at Pampered Chef, and other special cooking stores. You may be able to find one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (though I have not found luck there).

**My family loved this recipe. It was so easy to make. I'm sure you could add ground turkey or chicken for some extra protein. If you don't like reduced-fat cheese, used the regular kind...it will just add more fat and calories to the dish.

This recipe is from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook.