La Minestra (Minestrone Soup)

1/2 lb bacon

1 whole onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

2 cans (14.5oz) stewed tomatoes

2 cans beef broth (14 oz)

1 can (11.5 oz) tomato juice (or 2 small 6 oz cans)

1 can (150z) Northern (white) beans, Drained

1 can cut green beans, Undrained

3 whole carrots, sliced

2 cups shredded fresh cabbage, not the bagged kind, it gets too stringy.

2 cups water

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp oregano

1 cup pasta (shells, farfalle, macaroni, etc)

Cook up the bacon, saving a little grease. Cut it up.

Saute the celery and onion in bacon grease. Add everything to a soup pot, except for the pasta. Bring to a boil, then simmer until veggies are tender. Add pasta and cook until done.

Serve with grated parmesan.

This recipe is from Tasty Kitchen website.

Cheese and Spinach Manicotti

This is a combination of mom's recipe and one on the back of the American Beauty pasta.

1 box Manicotti (the box I bought had 14 pieces)
3/4 C low fat Cottage Cheese
3/4 C low fat Ricotta
2 C Grated Mozzarella (separated)
1/4 C shredded Parmesan
1 10 oz. box frozen Spinach
Tomato Sauce (I used a bottle of Ragu)

Boil the Manicotti noodles about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Defrost the spinach and drain of any water. Mix together all the cheeses (leave 1 cup of the mozzarella out) and the spinach.
Fill the manicotti with the cheese mixture put in a 13x9 glass baking dish with a little sauce on the bottom. After you have all the pasta filled and in the pan, pour more tomato sauce on the top and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella on top. Bake 350 for 40-50 minutes until bubbly.


Can't remember where I heard this tip:
It takes a little bit of time to stuff the manicotti, if you are in a hurry just cut the pasta down the side and fill it then roll it back up and put it in the pan with the cut side down to keep it closed. It looks the same you just have to be a little more careful when you dish it up so you don't lose all your filling.


You can freeze this recipe before you bake it. It will keep for 2 months. When you want to cook it just take it out of the freezer put it in at 350 and double the cooking time.