Broccoli Pesto Pasta

I found this recipe in a magazine, and thougth it sounded and looked great. I love bright colorful food, especially on a dark winter night, it lights up the night and the dinner table. I couldnt find my recipe, so I just made it up, and it came out pretty good I thought. I just dont know how one can go wrong with pesto. A few of the key ingredients are garlic, olive oil, parmesean cheese, nuts(optional, but we like) and then main ingredient of choice-basil, olives, roasted pepper, murshroom etc....broccoli sounded healthy and flavorful, and it was.
Here is my less then 5 minute recipe:
1 lb tubular pasta
boil according to direction
2 cups frozen broccoli thawed
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1 half cup parm
1/4 cup almolds
salt and pepper
put all in food processor or blender and pulse until creates a paste(keep in blender until pasta is boiled)
when noodles are cooked, drain and keep 1/2 cup water for reserve
pour 1/2 cup pasta water into pesto and pulse for 20 seconds
toss pesto and pasta together, serve with fresh parm


and that's your simple broccoli pesto pasta meal.

Pasta with Spinach, Brocolli and Cherry Tomato

Once in the while I have to clean out the fridge. I didnt intend on1 1 making this pasta dish, I had another one in mind, but I dont always buy fresh vegetables, I usually buy frozen, but we had a catering job, and had these foods left over, so I thought, a primavera type pasta on a cold night would hit the spot, and it did. Meal was quick, easy and healthy!
12 ounces pasta(your choice)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 lb fresh or frozen spinach
2 cups brocolli
2 cups cherry tomatos
heat skillet with olive oil add garlic on low, saute for 5 minutes - careful not to burn
add spinach if fresh, and saute on low until it begins to wilt
add brocoli and cherry tomatoes
saute together
drain pasta
saute pasta and vegetable together
serve with fresh parmigiano

Rigatoni Al Forno

"oh the weather out side is frightful", "but the food coming from our kitchen is delightful" What a great way to escape from the brutal winter-a little Italian comfort food. Rigatoni Al Forno can actually be made with any pasta noodle, we happen to think tubes or smaller noodles work best, but use what you have or prefer. The dish is simple to make and is great spin on a basic pasta dish.

1 lb pasta
1 can tomato sauce 15 oz
1 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 onion diced
2 garlic clove
1 1/2 cup mozarella cheese

for sauce:
heat sauce pan with oil
add onion and saute on medium
add garlic and saute 5 minutes(careful not to burn)
pour in sauce and paste
add in salt and pepper to taste
stir well, and simmer for an hour
boil noodles
drain and transfer to a oven safe baking dish
toss in sauce and coat evenly
add cheese in a layer on top of the pasta
bake at 300 for 30 minutes
for an even crispier effect, place under the broiler for a few minutes on high

Thai Peanut Noodle Bowl

Ah, recipe two from the desktop cleanup!  This picture looks so yummo, and easy!  AND healthy.  Under 500 calories for sure.  Man, I oughta clean the desk more often :-).

Thai Peanut Noodle Bowl.

8 oz whole wheat pasta (spaghetti type)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cloves garlic
ginger to taste, peeled and grated
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
8 cups frozen stir-fry veggies (buy the ones from Aldi, throw the sauce away!)

4 tablespoons chopped peanuts
scallions or green onions, sliced.

COok pasta according to directions.  In a skillet, saute' peanut butter, lime juice, garlic, and ginger for one minute.  Add adamame and veggies and cook for 12 minutes until veggies are tender.  Pour over pasta.  Top with peanuts and scallions.

(So, here's a meatless version for Barbara - I'm thinking of adding shrimp to mine for protein! - sorry B, gotta do it!)

Shrimp Scampi

mmmmm.  another one of those Body For Life/Eating For Life cookbook recipes that I absolutely love - the reasons 1) it's easy  2) it's an equal balance of carbs and protein, 3) pretty low fat - subbing olive oil of butter and 4) it looks great on the plate!

I had sort of forgotten this recipe until Lucy reminded me how flavorful the butter buds make this dish.  They're another trip to the real supermarket, but the health advantages - plus the amount of time one bottle of Butter Buds lasts vs. a pound of butter (which costs almost the same price) - it's pretty darn great!

Here you go...

8 oz uncooked whole-wheat penne pasta

2 Tbsp olive oil
lots of garlic (recipe calls for 6 cloves)
1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup Butter Buds - divided
1/3 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 lemon
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped.

Cook penne per package

MEANWHILE... heat olive oil and garlic in large skillet over medium heat until warm and fragrant.  Add shrimp and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.  Add 2 Tbsp Butter Buds and white wine to shrimp - saute another 2 minutes.  Place cooked pasta in large serving bowl and mix it with remainder of Butter Buds and black pepper.  Mix, then toss fresh shrimp in and gently mix a bit longer.

Divide into four portions, and squeeze with lemon juice, parm, and parsley - serve it up!

Baked Polenta With Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

Still on my quest to find ways to use up my cornmeal, so Im back to another creative way to make Polenta. This time, this way was a bit of a process, and baking the polenta gave it a bit of a different texture, it was kind of like polenta toasts. My polenta squares were thinner then I will do next time, but other than that, I liked them.
inredients:
1 cup cornmeal
3 cups water
1 1/2 cup prepared marinara
1 cup mozarlla cheese

boil water, add bullion

slowly add cornmeal and stir constantly
stir for approximately 20 minutes or until cornmeal and water are a smooth consistency
remove from heat and pour into a 9x9 bake dish
smooth out so the whole pan is an even sheet of polenta
cook at 300 for 40 minutes
while polenta is baking heat sauce in pan
remove baking pan from oven and pour sauce over evenly
sprinkle with cheese and bake in oeven for 10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted
remove from oven let stand for 10 minuted and cut into squares

Manicotti

This is for sure a dish from my past. By past, I mean like 30 years ago. This pasta dish was a "go to" to order at the only Italian resturaunt around when I was growing up. Can you imagine only a few Italian resturaunts years ago, where there is now 100's?? Manicotti absolutely dates me, you just dont see it on many menus anymore, I cant imagine why. It is probably easier to make then lasagna, the ingredients are pretty much the same, it can be made as heavy or light as one would want. I made a spinach version, and opted to make it meatless, but a ground beef filled manicotti would be delish and very kid friendly in my house. Now that I have been reminded of Manicotti and how good it is, we will be making it again Im certain.

iongredients
1 box manicotti shells(you will have to go to local grocerystore for these)
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parm cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup frozen spinach(thawed)
1/2 jar favorite prepared sauce
1 cup mozarella cheese

boil noodles according to instruction
thaw spinach and drain any excess moisture as good as possible, I usually place spinach in a collander and put it in the sink and press down on spinach to release all the liquid, I will do that for a few minutes
in bowl combine ricotta, parm, bread crumbs, and spinach
season with salt and pepper
when noodles are cooked, drain them and let cool
coat bottom of baking pan with tomato sauce
start to fill shells with ricotta mixture
as they are filled, line then up in baking pan vertically, if there is room on ends place remaining horizontally
top with sauce and cheese
bake in oven for 40 minutes at 350
remove from oven, let stand 10 minutes to cool

slice and serve

pumpkin Tomato Sauce Pasta

This is a first for myself and my family and I have to say, it was a success. I have often thought of cooking with pumpkin because I do love pumkin pie, but never really came close to doing so until now. I found a recipe for a yogurt smoothie I want to make, but I thought I would start with a savory dish first. Upon scanning the internet for a recipe I did discover how incrdibly nutritious pumpkin from a can is. It is also gives the illusion of a creamy sauce without all the fat or calories.
The recipe was very simple

8 ounces pasta(your choice)
1 cup pumkin puree
1 can 16 oz tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 onion sliced thin
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon olive oil
fresh parm
salt and pepper to taste

Boil noodles according to instruction
in skillet heat olive oil on medium add onion, and saute until slightly glassy
add minced garlic and saute until cooked, careful not to burn
add pumkin puree, chicken broth and tomato sauce to pan and turn up heat
cook until sauce boils, stirring constantly
lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes
add salt and pepper to taste
drain pasta noodles
toss noodles and sauce together in pan
serve onto plates with fresh parm

Pasta Primavera Fall Style

This pasta was a fun dish because it truly was made as quick as the pasta noodles boiled(hey, btw, just discovered water boils much quicker on an electric stove than a gas stove.) This was a clean out the fridge for my friend and I, and I love those kind of nights because the old me would usually just let the food get rotten, but the new thrifty me tries never to waste. I had carrots, onion and zucchini that needed to be used and my friend had brussel sprouts that needed a meal to be part of, so our "Fall Primavera" was created. The meal was simple, fresh, and light. I even got Michael to try a brussel sprout.

Ingredient
2 carrots pealed and cut into 2 inch(approx) match sticks
1/2 lb brussel sprouts
2 zucchinis pealed and sliced horizontally
1 medium onion sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 tablespoon olive oil
s(alt and pepper to taste
parm cheese
1 lb pasta

boil noodles according to instruction
in large skillet heat oil on medium and add onions
cook onions until glassy
add garlic on low, saute for 5 minutes, stirring and careful not to burn
add remaining vegetables
saute 10 minutes, or until pasta is done
drain pasta noodles leaving 1/4 cup pasta water aside
add water to vegetable saute
salt and pepper to taste
toss pasta in skillet with the vegetables
and serve
parm cheese optional

Spaghetti Squash with Zucchini in a Sage and Butter Sauce

Thumbing through our recipes, I didnt realize we just had spaghetti squash a few weeks ago. This dish will be totally different becuase the squash really takes on the flavor of the sauce and we are going to do a butter sage sauce instead of a red sauce. The biggest draw to this dish for me is the illusion of eating pasta but not being weighed down by the gluten.
This squash can be boiled or baked, we are going to bake the squash.
ingredients
2 squash cut in half lengthwise, scoop out insides including sead and discard
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sage
1 tablespoons butter

1 medium zucchini, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
parm cheese

preheat oven to 375
place squash on a bake pan cut side up, brush olive oil on top and salt and pepper
bake for 35-40 minutes
remove from oven and remove all the spaghetti squash with a spoon or hand
in a skillet melt butter add zucchini and sage saute until zucchine soft

add squash and saute together for 5 minutes
remove from stove and top with parm cheese

Farfalle in a Creamy White Wine Sauce with Brocolli, Plum Tomatos and Bacon

I looked high and low for a cream recipe that didnt involve cheese like an Alfreddo sauce or tomato, and finally just decided to create one myself. Ive also become a big fan of using evaporated milk, especially the lowfat variety, it is very high in vitamin D and doesnt have high fat calories as does whipping cream and half and half.
Ingredients
8 ounces pasta-we used farfalle
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 onion sliced thin
3 strips of bacon
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup evaporated milk
8 ounces frozen brocolli thawed
8 ounces cherry tomatoes

boil noodles according to instruction
cook bacon in a pan, when crisp, remove bacon and put it asside, discard all by one teaspoon (approx) of bacon grease.
using same pan add olive oil and heat pan
add onion and garlic and saute on medium until onion is glassy, take care not to burn garlic
add brocolli, bacon and wine, saute 5 minutes
slowly add milk, stirring constanty
add salt and pepper to taste saute 5-10 minutes
add cherry tomtoes for the last minute
when pasta is cooked, drain and keep 1/4 cup of pasta water
add water to sauce
toss pasta and sauce and serve
parm cheese optional

Zucchini Lasagna $7.26

The name of this gives the implication that it is a lasagna with zucchini, which it is, however the trick here is the zucchini is used in place of pasta noodles. It is strictly a coincidence this week that we replaced two typical pastas with imposters, which happens to be vegetables! The first time I made this, it was a soupy mess, good, but a mess. I had read that sprinkling the vegetable with salt and letting them sit for 10 minutes or so, helps to eliminate of a lot of liquid that vegetables tend to contain, and it does, however, their was still more liquid to be had, and when baked in a pan with sauce, which is a liquid and cottage cheese, the zucchini became even wetter and the rest is history-soupy mess! So not to be daunted, I was thinking about it all night, and although the recipes I found did not say to cook the zuchini prior, I decided it was a good idea, and that is exactly what i did second time around, I lightly salted the zuchini strips, let them sit 10 minutes, then broiled them. This eliminated much of the moisture, but shrunk the zucchini, so I did have to go get another zucchini at the grocery store(and running to the store last minute is my pet peave in life, but I was on a mission) So I grabbed another zucchini, sliced it thin, salted, and broiled the stripes. assembled Lasagna, and baked. The result- less of a soupy mess, but still didnt hold up like I would want a lasagna to. Im on a mission though, and I am going to make it again, this time adding more parm cheese and bread crumbs with the cottage cheese, and eliminating the egg, so it will be drier..... I really want to master this lasagna because it was delicious, and very light tasting, yet it gave me the illusion of eating a pasta dish, but without all the gluten!

1 lb lean beef $2.29

3 cloves garlic .30

1/2 onion .15

1 tsp olive oil .20

salt and pepper .10



28 oz crushed can tomatoes $1.38

2 tbsp chopped basil .20

3 medium zucchini slices 1/8 inch $1.19

8oz shredded mozarella cheese $1.15

1/4 cup parm cheese .20
1/4 cup bread crumbs .10
1 egg .10



In a sauce pan brown meat and season with salt

drain in colender to remove fat

add olive oil to pan

saute garlic and onions

return meat to pan and add tomatoes and salt and pepper

simmer 30-40 minutes

meanwhile, slice zucchini 1/8 inch thick(if you have a mandolin that would be helpful)

salt zucchini and set aside for 10 minutes, zucchini has lots of water, if salted it helps to remove alot of moisture

broil or grill zucchini

combine cottage cheese, parm cheese, breadcrumbs, egg and basil



in a 13 x 9 pan coat bottom of pan with meat sauce

layer evenly with strips of zucchini, cottage cheese, mozzarella and repeat with sauce etc...

sprinkle parm cheese on the final layer

Spaghetti Squash Arrabiatta $4.52

A flourless pasta you say? yep. Ive been thinking of trying spaghetti squash for a long time, and I finally did! It was interesting, and definitely light tasting. I love pasta, always have. I Grew up eating pasta 2 to 3 times a week, but truthfully I cant do that anymore. Carbs are good because they are fuel for the body, but only in moderation. I always feel kind of weighed down after a pasta meal, but not this time. The squash "noodles" kind of take on the flavor of the sauce, which can be good or bad, depending on how good the sauce is. I went with my favorite sauce- arrabbiata, because I knew if I didnt really like the texture of the noodle, the sauce would keep my taste buds happy. I was right. I did make the sauce really spicy for myself and the noodles definitely got over powered by the heat, but I think that is why I liked the squash.
I had to look at the internet for instructions to make the squash, and I had a few options but I went for baking the squash not boiling.

Ingredients needed:
2 medium size spaghetti squash $2,29(purchased at my local grocery store)
2 tablespoons olive oil .60
1 can 15 ounce crushed tomato .69
1 can 10 ounce tomato sauce .49
3 cloves garlic minced .25
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes .10
salt and pepper to taste .10

for squash:
preheat oven to 375
slice both squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the insides including all the seads
drizze with tabespoon olive oil(1 per squash) and season with salt and pepper
place in baking pan or cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes
remove from oven when the sides can easily be separated, scoop out all the "spaghetti" and with a fork or your hand separate the noodles because they clump together
leave noodles aside
For the sauce:
in large sauce pan heat oil
add garlic and saute on low(careful not to burn)
add crushed tomatoes and sauce
simmer on low for 30 minutes
add red pepper flakes and simmer 30 more minutes
add salt and pepper to taste

turn off heat, add squash to sauce and saute together for a few minutes
serve with parmesean cheese

Linguine with Pea Pesto $2.41

We bring you yet another non traditional pesto dish. This time the pesto is green in color, but once again there is no basil in sight. This recipe is inspired by Martha Stewart herself. While I was surfing the web looking for recipes with peas, I stumbled upon this gem, and it looked good, and easy and definitely cheap, so we gave it a shot. The results were great! leaving half the peas whole was a great idea!
Heres what you need:
1 lb frozen peas $ 1.09
8 oz pasta(any kind) .50
1/4 cup almonds.40
2 tablespoons olive oil .20
2 garlic cloves .20
pepper .02

Boil noodles according to instruction
in food processor or blender pour 1/2 lb peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup almonds
dash of salt and pepper
blend
when noodles are done boiling, drain and pour 1/4 cup pasta water in food processor with pea pesto
blend again
remove and in a large skillet mix in pasta, pesto, remaining olive oil and peas
saute all together for a few minutes

serve

Meat Sauce for pasta $4.76

When I was growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, where eveyone eats meat for every meal, and dinner is for family and fellowship - and we have funny things like spaghetti feeds and casseroles, i did not know, seriously, that people ate spaghetti without meat. REALLY, a marinara must be something that you pour over chicken on top of your pasta. We ate the following ... and we loved it. and sometimes we doubled up on the mushrooms, and sometimes we used ground venison instead of ground beef. that's total change. And trust me we NEVER used shiritake noodles instead of pasta!

1 1/2 to 2 lbs lean ground beef 2.29
1 medium onion .30
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes .69
1 8 oz can tomato sauce .49
1 can mushrooms .49
1/3 cup brown sugar .10
2 tbsp worchestershire sauce.20
1 tsp oregano .05
1 tsp basil .05
1 tsp minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder .10

in a large frying pan or dutch oven brown the ground beef (which is broken into small pieces) and onion. Drain if necessary. Add everything else and allow to simmer for as long as you can. 30 minutes is pretty much the minimum, 2 hours is ideal. If possible, make, simmer for 30 minutes, then refrigerate and reheat the next day for super flavor-filled meat sauce.

Serve approximately 1/2 cup serving over cooked spaghetti or vermicelli. A salad and garlic bread with this sauce would constitute a Wisconsin Spaghetti Feed...oh, and chocolate milk (really?).

Here it is "Kid style"

Frutti di Mare $7.78

Ah, Frutti di Mare, fruit of the sea, an entres made even easier when the seafood is available in one bag!! I have made pasta frutti di mare from scratch, meaning I purchased the shrimp, scallops, and calamari separately, and although it was amazing, it was very expensive and much more time consuming to prepare. Kim and I were inspired to make this dish this week when we each individually found the seafood all in one handy 1 lb bag at Aldi. There are certain items that are not always available at Aldi, and that is one of the them. There are three ways to make Frutti di Mare-with pasta, over rice, or in a soup. I have had all three, and ofcourse I am partial to the seafood over pasta, but all are good! Also, Frutti di Mare can be done in tomato sauce or a clear agli olio sauce. I like them both, but tonight we did tomato. This is a meal my dad woud make once a year on Christmas Eve, and no matter how hard I try, and good it is, it is never as good as my dear, wonderful dads.

Ingredients:
2 15 oz cans crushed tomato sauce $1.38
2 tbsp olive oil .60
1/2 medium onion diced .15
1/4 cup carrot minced .10
1/4 cup celery .12
2 cloves garlic minced .15
1/2 cup white wine .30
1 lb bag assorted seafood(shrimp, calamari, scallops) $3.99
1b linquine or spaghetti .99

heat oil on low/medium in big sauce pot
Add onion, a few minutes later add minced carrot
when onion begins to soften and become glassy toss in garlic, saute another 5 minutes, on low(careful not to burn garlic)
add parsley
add entire contents of tomato cans
stir constantly for 10 minutes until all the flavors are mixed together
add salt and pepper to taste
splash of red or white wine(optional)
place lid on sauce and simmer for40 minutes
add seafood

Penne Pasta with Pistachio Pesto and Sweet Peas $9.27

Thanks to Rachael Ray and her 365 : No Repeats, we had a fun, unique and healthy dinner tonight that took less then 30 minutes to prepare and had everyone dining saying "yummo!'


ingredients:
1 lb pasta .99
3/4 cup shelled pistachios $1.99
3 tblsp olive oil .60
1 lb frozen peas
2 garlic cloves .20
1 tbsp dried parsley .10
1/3 c grated Parmeasan cheese .40
salt and pepper .10


boil water for pasta, salt water when the water boils(save 1/4 cup boiling pasta water)
in skillet add all pistachios and heat to bring out flavors(5 minutes)
when done remove from pan and let cool 5 minutes
in same skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil
add 1 garlic clove minced
add tsp salt and pepper
saute for 5 minutes
remove from heat
in food processor or blender combine 1/2 cup pistachios, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/3 cup grated parm cheese, pepper, 1 garlic clove, 1 tbsp parsley, 1/4 cup boiled water from the noodles

in large skillet combine cooked pasta, pistaccio pesto and toss for 2 minutes until all noodles coated.
top with remaining pistachio nuts

more parm optional

Penne with Canelloni Beans, Black Olives, Cherry Tomatoes, and Tuna$ 3.86

A lovely combo that is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and quick easy and cheap. If you time it right you can boil the noodles as you saute all the ingredients and have this meal made in 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 lb penne pasta .99
2 tablespoon olive oil .60
2 medium tomatoes diced .60
1 can 15 ounces canelloni beans .69
can tuna .98

1 small can 10 ounces black olives
add salt and pepper to taste

Boil noodles according to instruction

heat olive oil in skillet add garlic on low

add tomato, beans, tuna and olives, saute for 15 minutes

remove from heat when noodles are ready
toss together

Sometimes we don't have everything we need to make a dish. Here's Barbara's ... "used what I had" ... version. She subbed cherry or grape tomatoes for diced, omitted the black olives rather than open a fresh can, and since the spaghetti pasta was closer than the Penne, she went with that. Still beautiful, economical, and fresh, but slightly different.

Penne with Spinach, Tomatoes & CHICKPEAS $3.60

I found this recipe on the internet and it so fits with what I'm doing. Simple, nutritious, and no artificial stuff or hard to acquire things. Just...

Ingredients

Spinach, frozen, 1 package (10 oz) yields - or 10 oz bag fresh $1.19

1 Tbsp Olive Oil .30
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic .10
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes .02
1 medium, whole, Red Ripe Tomato .40
1 can Chick Peas .89
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated .20

8 ounces Penne Pasta .50

Directions

1. If Fresh Spinach is used, place the spinach in a large skillet with just the water that clings to it after thoroughly washing, cover, and cook over medium heat just until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain, cool, then squeeze dry with your hands. (If you are using frozen spinach, just squeeze out all the moisture with your hands.) Set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the penne. Cook until al dente, 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chick peas and cook 2 minutes more. Add the spinach, salt, and 1/4 c of the boiling pasta water and stir well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

4. When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly in a colander. Return it to the pot or put it in a large serving bowl. Spoon on the sauce and toss well. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese, toss again, and serve with additional cheese to pass at the table.

Makes 4 servings.

Another night where Barbara and I made the same dish and they both turned out BEAUTIFUL! I used cherry tomatoes from a friend's garden - they were so amazingly sweet and yummo! I could probably get to like those!

Risotto Milenese $3.79

Im thinking I shouldnt be calling this dish Risotto Milenese because although my family has always called this rice dish by this name, I couldnt find a recipe that did the same. There are tons of versions of this dish on the internet, but I didnt find any of them made the way we make ours. Ours has always been strictly a tomato based rice dish, and any Risotto Milenese recipes I found on the internet were basically plain dishes with chicken broth, sometimes white wine and lots of times saffron. So, Ill put up our recipe, but bearing in mind, that it is litterally our family recipe only...I have never made a risotto dish with a recipe, I usually just keep adding broth and stirring until the rice is cooked to an even creamy consistency. I did measure and use a recipe this time for blogging purposes. I thought it came out pretty good, and as usual was much easier to make then I thought.
1 1/2 cups Aborio Rice $1.25
2 1/2 cup chicken broth $1.20
1 cup tomato sauce .59
1/2 medium onion sliced thinly .15
1/4 cup oil -30
1 tablespoon butter.20
salt and pepper .10
fresh parm cheese

simmer chicken broth, tomato sauce and oil in a sauce pan
in a large pot on low heat, melt butter and saute onions
add rice and a cup of liquid mixture, keep heat on low and stir constantly, slowly add more liquid(approx-in increments of a cup,) constantly stirring. The rice will slowly absorb the liquid and become creamy. remove from heat when there is no more liquid.
serve with fresh parm cheese