Tag Archives: Parmesan cheese

Bolognese Penne Pasta

Bolognese is another name for a meat sauce with milk or cream. This recipe develops flavor by reducing the milk and wine while leaving all the flavor. If you turn the heat up and stir constantly, it does not take long and well worth the flavor imparted. I have included two types of pasta; one using regular penne pasta and another low calorie option of pasta made with zucchini and a Veggetti. Topping with Parmesan cheese packs a lot of flavor in one tablespoon. Both are delicious and nice to have as options when trying to reduce calories. Enjoy!

Bolognese over Pasta
  • Zucchini noodles made with Veggetti
  • Lower calorie Bolognese served over Zucchini noodles
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Bolognese Meat Sauce

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword heavy cream, meat sauce, pasta
Servings 4
Author Sarah Stevens

Equipment

  • Veggetti for making squash pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 small yellow onion chopped
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • Black pepper ground fresh from mill
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 T pesto or Italian Seasonings to taste
  • 1 packet of Truvia Sweetner or 1 T sugar
  • Cooked Zucchini Pasta or regular cooked spaghetti
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

  • Brown beef and onion on high in heavy bottom pot. Stir until brown and meat begins to stick and brown on sides of pot. Add pepper, red pepper and a pinch of salt.
  • Add the milk and let it simmer until it has evaporated completely. Stir frequently.
  • Add the wine and simmer until evaporated. Stir frequently. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add pesto and sweetener and salt to taste. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn down heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours to develop flavor. Add ½ cup water if necessary to prevent sticking.
  • Serve over Penne Pasta or Zucchini Pasta made with a Veggeti and topped with Parmesan Cheese

Zucchini Pasta

  • Make zucchini pasta with Veggetti using one zucchini per person.
  • Place in pasta bowl and microwave for one minute or until desired doneness.
  • Serve Bolognese Sauce over zucchini.

Notes

Notes: Milk protects from acidic bite of tomatoes.
Evaporating the wine retains the flavor but not the alcohol. Can substitute cooking wine but be sure to reduce salt.

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    Scalloped Potatoes

    Scalloped Potatoes have always been one of my favorites but I rarely made them because they were so labor intensive. But this recipe is relatively easy compared to making a sauce for other versions. Caramelizing onions takes a while but can be done early while working in the kitchen. A bunch can be cooked and stored in the freezer for a variety of uses.

    There is no sauce to make in this recipe. The heavy cream and Parmesan cheese will make its own sauce while the potatoes cook. The result is creamy potato slices with a flavorful cream sauce. You must try this recipe. Enjoy!

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    Scalloped Potatoes

    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword heavy cream, onions, Parmesan cheese, potatoes
    Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings 8
    Author stevens1951

    Equipment

    • 9×13 baking dish

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds white potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
    • 1 medium onion sliced 1/4 inch thick
    • 1/2 stick butter
    • 1 quart heavy cream
    • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    • Heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onions and slowly cook until caramel color, stirring often.
    • Butter a 9×13 baking pan. Layer 1/2 of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the pan. Spread on the caramelized onions. Layer rest of potatoes on top.
    • In a bowl, mix cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes.
    • Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes until done.

    Notes

    Potatoes are sliced quickly in a food processor using the slicing blade.

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      Polenta with Confetti Polenta Variation

      Polenta
      Confetti Polenta

      Polenta always sounded kind of fancy to me until I realized it is simply cornmeal mush with Parmesan cheese. I love how you can take simple ingredients and make them into an elegant dish.

      Polenta has to be served immediately to have it in it’s fluffy state. But Confetti Polenta is your answer to making it ahead and holding until serving time. Placing the hot polenta on the red and green peppers cooks them. Then after the polenta seizes, it is firm and can be picked up and placed in a skillet to brown. The result is a crusty bottom, creamy polenta center with colorful, tasty peppers on top. Enjoy!

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      Polenta with a Confetti Polenta Variation

      Course Side Dish
      Cuisine Italian
      Keyword corn meal, Parmesan cheese
      Cook Time 15 minutes

      Equipment

      • large sauce pan
      • half size sheet pan

      Ingredients

      • 3 cups water
      • 3 cups milk
      • 1 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
      • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
      • 4 ounces Parmesan cheese grated (optional)

      Confetti Polenta

      • 1 green bell pepper
      • 1 red pepper
      • olive oil

      Instructions

      • Bring the water and milk to boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.Remove from heat and add the butter. Stir until melted.Stir in Parmesan cheese if desired and serve immediately.
      • Confetti Polenta: Before making polenta, chop peppers and place in half sheet pan. Make polenta according to above instructions. Pour finished polenta over the peppers. Allow to cool then cut into square servings. Heat saute' pan and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Use a spatula to lift up polenta and place in hot pan unside down. (The side with the peppers becomes the top.) Cook the polenta until the bottom is slightly brown and crunchy. Place on serving plate and enjoy.

        Squash Ribbons

        Summer squash is coming in now so if you have a garden, you have plenty and are looking for different ways to cook it.

        • Peel squash to the core
        • 5 cups of peel squash is needed
        • Peel until you see the seeds and core. This is where you get most of the moisture in squash dishes
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        Squash Ribbons

        Leaving the core and seeds out makes for a less mushy product and well worth the “peeling”. Enjoy!
        Course Side Dish
        Cuisine American
        Keyword cheese, saute’, squash, cheese, saute
        Servings 4
        Calories 84kcal
        Author Cooking Light June 2005

        Equipment

        • vegetable peeler

        Ingredients

        • 4 each yellow or zucchini squash about 1 1/2 pounds
        • 1 teaspoon olive oil
        • 1 cup onion, thinly sliced optional
        • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
        • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
        • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

        Instructions

        • Slice yellow and/ or zucchini squash into ribbons by using a vegetable peeler just until you get to the seeds. Keep peeling until you only have the core of seeds left. You will need about 4 or 5 squash to get about 5 cups.
        • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté squash, onion and red pepper flakes in olive oil or butter just until tender. Finish off with a handful of Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Be careful with salt. The Parmesan usually gives it enough.

        Note: This post includes affiliate links where I get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sarah Stevens.

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