Healthy Lasagna with Turkey, Pesto and Peppers

Let me first preface this post by saying that not everyone will like this lasagna. If you grew up like my husband and his family with down-home, butter-filled cooking, you definitely won’t like this healthy turkey lasagna, because for starters it has turkey instead of ground beef.

Meat and potatoes people, you can just skip this post, and instead visit my one for traditional lasagna (also called The World’s Best Lasagna) here.

HOWEVER, if you’re like my family and me, and don’t mind trying new foods or eating healthy, this is probably the healthiest lasagna you’ll ever make; and it doesn’t taste like cardboard. Yay!

What makes it so healthy you ask? You ought to get an idea just by scrolling through the colorful pictures.

For one, whole wheat lasagna noodles are used instead of traditional white ones. Lean ground turkey is used instead of ground beef. There are THREE bell peppers – yellow, red, and orange – all of which pack the most nutrients and vitamin A.

We also used basil and low fat ricotta cheese. Marinara sauce is already low it fat, and instead of mozzarella, this recipe uses Parmesan cheese.

I seriously don’t feel bad pigging out on this colorful lasagna. Feed your body the good stuff this time! #cleaneating

healthy turkey lasagna

How can you not smile by looking at that sweet face? 🙂 Enjoy!

Healthy Lasagna with Turkey, Pesto and Peppers

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 80 mins

Total time: 1 hour 50 mins

Serves: 10

Adapted from: Cookin Canuck

Ingredients

1 package (14 oz.) whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 tsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
15 oz. low fat ricotta cheese
6 Tbsp. pesto
5 cups marinara sauce (your favorite kind)
2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare lasagna noodles per package instructions, rinse with cold water and lay in a single layer on kitchen towels.
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and red chile flakes, and cook for 1 minute.
Turn the heat to medium-high and add ground turkey meat. Cook, breaking up the turkey meat with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Pour off and discard juices. Transfer the onion/turkey meat mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Warm 1 teaspoon olive oil to the same skillet, set over medium heat. Add diced bell peppers and cook until beginning to soften.
Mix ricotta cheese and pesto.
Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Lay a few lasagna noodles in a single layer, slightly overlapping, over top of the sauce. When fitting in the lasagna noodles, it may be necessary to cut some in half lengthwise or crosswise so that they fit properly.
Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with 1/3 of the turkey mixture, 1/3 of the pepper mixture, 1/3 of the sliced basil, and additional 1 cup of marinara sauce and 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese.
Repeat these layers 2 more times, starting with the lasagna noodles. End with an additional layer of lasagna noodles and the remaining marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and cook until the lasagna is bubbling, 55 to 60 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted and just beginning to brown.
Let rest for 10 minutes, cut into squares and serve.

Serving size: 1/10 Calories: 386 Fat: 14 Saturated fat: 4.3 Carbohydrates: 37.7 Sugar: .5 Sodium: 1066.6 Fiber: 5.5 Protein: 27.8

Spicy Spaghetti with Beef & Vegetables

While the pictures I took don’t do it justice, this is the perfect pasta recipe to make this summer. Loaded with freshly picked cherry tomatoes from our garden and diced zucchini, you can’t get much healthier than this twist on the traditional spaghetti with bolognese sauce.

Our family likes to eat healthy, buy organic, and cut out as much processed foods as we can. This day and age, our meat is injected with hormones, and our produce is sprayed with insecticide and chemicals; it’s just downright scary.

I used to buy the jarred marinara sauce to make my spaghetti sauce, but the more and more I ate it, it tasted sugary and somewhat “old”. I’ve been making my own meat sauce using The Meat Ball Shop’s classic tomato sauce recipe and I’ll never go back.

This is another great recipe for homemade meat sauce from Taking on Magazines blog, but it has a bit of heat from the red pepper flakes, and is loaded healthy summer vegetables.

If Harper could eat adult food, she’d give it two thumbs up! lol. Enjoy!

Spicy Spaghetti with Beef & Vegetables

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 6

Source: Ground Beef Cooking 2015

Ingredients

8 ounces dry spaghetti, uncooked
1/2 pound ground lean sirloin beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (1 med = about 1 cup)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped (2 med = about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain; set aside.
Combine meat and onions in medium nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink; stirring frequently. Drain, if necessary.
Stir in tomato sauce, vinegar, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic and red pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Add pasta and zucchini; mix well. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and parsley; heat through.

Stovetop Chicken Spaghetti

The first Aggie football game against the South Carolina Gamecocks was this past Thursday, and we couldn’t have been any more pumped!

Since Matt’s dad and uncle were coming over to watch the game at our house, I figured I’d make them a tasty and not necessarily healthy meal. 🙂

Chicken spaghetti is one of those comfort foods that is a crowd pleaser. I’ve made the Pioneer Woman’s chicken spaghetti before, but wanted something a little different this time.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and liked how only one pot was needed to make this meal, and it didn’t involve the oven. It was absolutely delicious and made a ton!

Matt, his dad Tony, and his uncle Rusty filled their plates completely with the chicken spaghetti, and even after going back for seconds, we STILL had tons of leftovers. I put one small dish of leftovers in the fridge to eat for the rest of this week, and a larger dish in the freezer for a meal to have later on.

Serve the chicken spaghetti with crusty bread and a salad, and you’ve got yourself a meal! Plus, how could you forget dessert? I made Matt’s all-time favorite 4-Layer Pudding Dessert.

Yum!! Can’t wait for more football and good food to come this fall season!

Stovetop Chicken Spaghetti — Saute onion, bell pepper and butter in a large pan.

Enjoy!

Stovetop Chicken Spaghetti

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

2 – 2 1/2 cups cooked, cubed
1 lb velveeta cheese
1 can Rotel, original
1 lb spaghetti pasta
1 stick butter
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used 98% fat free)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil spaghetti pasta in water according to package directions. Drain pasta after done and discard water. Set aside the pasta. Do not rinse.
Melt the butter in the same (empty) pot and sauté the onion and bell pepper.
Add Rotel, soups, cooked chicken, and spaghetti to the sautéed onion mixture, one at at time, and gently mix together.
Add velveeta and stir together, mixing well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Heat until cheese in melted thoroughly, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching.
Serve immediately.

World’s Best Lasagna

Matt is a huge fan of lasagna and until now, I had never found a recipe that I truly loved until this one by Dallas’ own John Chandler.

While sitting in the lobby at Goodyear Tire a few months ago waiting for an oil change, I saw a segment on Good Morning America for the world’s best lasagna. (Watch the clip HERE). The man behind the recipe is John Chandler, a Dallas home cook who posted his lasagna recipe on AllRecipes.com 11 years ago, never thinking it would be the most popular recipe of all time on that website!

With more than 8,000 five-star reviews, it definitely lived up to it’s name “world’s best lasagna”. After watching the GMA segment and leaving Goodyear Tire craving lasagna, I made it a point to make this lasagna for Matt and I later that week.

And the verdict was??? We LOVED it!

The recipe is actually quite simple and uses simple, easily found ingredients from your typical grocery store… nothing weird of fancy; just fresh mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta cheese, Italian sausage, lean ground beef, garlic, tomato sauce and paste, Italian seasonings, and lasagna noodles. It’s definitely a winner and we’re definitely eating this again!

Plus it serves 12 so it would be perfect for a large family get together or party. Enjoy!

World's Best Lasagna — Brown sausage, beef, onion, and garlic.

Heat until meat is browned and cooked through.

World’s Best Lasagna

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 2 hours 30 mins

Total time: 3 hours

Serves: 12

Adapted from John Chandler

Ingredients

1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles (or can use no-boil lasagna)
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. (Or use no-boil lasagna noodles). Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and baking an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Working full-time and not getting home until after 6 pm many days of the week, I’m usually starved and ready for food! As you all know, I love to cook, so eating cereal for dinner is not my idea of a great dinner. When Matt’s home, I will almost always prepare a homemade dinner. That’s where this quick and easy chicken pesto pasta dish comes in hand!

With only 5 main ingredients plus a few pantry staples, you’ll have a delicious Italian meal sitting on your table in less than 30 minutes.

If you know Matt, he can be very direct, which is good if you’re wanting an honest opinion. There’s been many a nights that I’ve cooked dinner, and he says “I don’t like this”, or “the chicken is dry”. Need I say more? Hahaha?

While I don’t always like to hear it, it helps me to become a better cook because I definitely know what I need to work on.

With this dish, Matt loved it every bit of it! No complaints, only praise. I think he went back for seconds, maybe thirds. While the pictures don’t do it justice, the pesto combined with the chicken broth, crisp pine nuts, juicy rotisserie chicken and fresh lemon juice makes for a perfect combination.

Top it off with some fresh Parmesan cheese and a side salad, and you’ve got yourself a meal. Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

Recipe adapted from Prevention Magazine

Ingredients

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup basil pesto
10 oz. bow-tie pasta (can use fettuccine, rotini, or pasta of your choice)
1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil, optional

Instructions

Stir together chicken, broth, and 1/4 cup of the pesto in a large, deep skillet.
Cook pasta, drain and add to skillet with lemon juice to taste. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with pine nuts. Drizzle with oil, optional, and remaining 1/4 cup pesto.

Calories: 497 Fat: 15.5 Saturated fat: 3 Carbohydrates: 55 Sodium: 354 Fiber: 7 Protein: 34

Meatless Mondays: Browned Butter Gnocchi

As you can guess, Matt was not home when I made this Meatless Monday dish of browned butter gnocchi with broccoli and pine nuts. I say that because I would consider this dish “fancy”, a word that Matt does not like to classify his food with. 🙂 Matt is from the country and hence, likes good ‘ole southern comfort meals with lots of meat!!

I on the other hand, like trying new foods, especially ones with a touch of sophistication. While I hate mashed and baked potatoes, I LOVE gnocchi. (The gnocchi I used actually contains potatoes!) For those of you who don’t know, gnocchi is an Italian type of pasta, resembling thick, soft dumplings. Gnocchi can be made from ricotta, flour and egg, potatoes, or other similar ingredients.

If you’re like me, you’ll really enjoy this dish with the chewy gnocchi, sweet broccoli and crunchy nuts. The red pepper flakes and pecorino Romano cheese add a nice flavor to the already lightened-up sauce. Enjoy!

Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Add broccoli during last minute of cook time.

Brown butter in large skillet. Add drained gnocchi and broccoli. Add freshly ground pepper, red pepper flakes and pine nuts.

Off the heat and stir in Pecorino Romano cheese.

Browned Buttered Gnocchi with Broccoli and Pine Nuts
INGREDIENTS
2 (16-ounce) packages prepared gnocchi
5 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
1.5 ounces shaved fresh pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/3 cup)
2 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook gnocchi in a large Dutch oven according to package directions. Add broccoli during last minute of cooking; cook 1 minute. Drain.
2. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and oil; cook 7 minutes or until butter browns. Add gnocchi mixture and pepper to pan; toss to coat. Turn off the heat and add pine nuts and Pecorino Romano cheese.
3. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups gnocchi mixture into each of 6 shallow bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 6 servings

Baked Penne with Sausage, Mozzarella and Tomatoes

Here’s a great penne pasta recipe that you’ve got to try! My mom and I got together this weekend to cook since our husbands were both out of town and we discovered this great new recipe from the October 2012 issue of Departures magazine.

I’m not sure of the exact calorie count, but I do believe this baked penne pasta is fairly healthy, especially when you make a few substitutions like we did. The recipe calls for sweet Italian sausage and to cut fat, we bought Jennie-O lean sweet Italian turkey sausage. One whole link is only 10 grams of fat and 160 calories. By comparison, most single serving portions of regular sausage contains 30 plus grams of fat!

In addition, the béchamel sauce, also known as a white sauce, has only two tablespoons of butter and one cup of milk (we used skim). All that’s left in this dish is penne pasta, diced tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, basil, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes.

As far as taste goes, we loved it! The recipe is simple, and the combination of Italian herbs, tomatoes, cheese and sausage is outstanding. When Matt returned to town, I reheated him a small bowl of the baked penne. To my surprise, he requested seconds because he liked it so much! Yes! A recipe that is “man” approved! Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Cook sausage until firm.

Cut sausage into thin slices and return to pan to finish cooking.

Saute until sausage is lightly browned. Add sliced garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, oregano, and pepper flakes.

Melt butter and add flour. Whisk in hot milk. Stir constantly until béchamel sauce has thickened.

Add béchamel sauce to tomato-sausage mixture.

Stir in chopped basil. Then add penne.

Pour half of the pasta mixture in a greased baking dish.

Add Mozzarella.

Topp with remaining pasta mixture and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Let cool for 5 minutes then serve.

Baked Penne with Sausage, Mozzarella and Tomatoes
Ingredients
2 tsp. olive oil
3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage (we used Jennie-O lean sweet Italian turkey sausage)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup hot milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil
8 oz. penne pasta
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the sausage and cook for a few minutes until firm. Remove them from the pan and allow to cool. Cut them into thin slices, return to the skillet and cook until they start to brown. Add the garlic and sauté briefly, then add the tomatoes, pepper flakes and oregano and cook for a few minutes. Do not allow the tomatoes to break down; they should remain in chunks.
3. Make the béchamel: Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook for about 2 minutes before gradually whisking in the hot milk until the sauce is smooth. Continue cooking until it begins to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add the béchamel to the sausages and tomatoes and stir until well combined. Stir in the basil.
5. Once the salted water reaches a boil, cook the penne until it is about a minute away from al dente. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water; add the pasta to the sausage-tomato sauce and mix well. If the mixture is dry, add some of the water.
6. Transfer half of the pasta to a greased baking dish, layer with the mozzarella and cover with the remaining pasta. Sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top and place the dish on the oven’s upper rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a light golden crust forms. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Recipe from: Departures | October 2012

Renee’s Pesto Pasta Salad

The summer is quickly winding down as Dallas area kids go back to school next week, but before the fall season gets underway, you’ve got to try this wonderful pesto pasta salad! It’s a perfect salad that’s easy to make and light & refreshing for the hot summer months.

I don’t know about you, but quite of few of my summer weekends were spent at the lake house jet-skiing, getting a tan, and just relaxing by the water. Between the in-laws and Matt’s aunt and uncle, we were blessed to have had the opportunity to enjoy two Texas lake houses at two Texas lakes!

Whenever we visit my in-laws (Tony and Paula’s) lake house, the staple of “lake house” food includes 4-layer dessert, banana pudding, Boog’s chocolate chip cake, handfuls of chocolate peanut butter M&Ms, Paula’s chicken salad, and burgers/hot dogs. Did you catch how many desserts that was!?! Haha….we LOVE sweets and anything Paula makes.

When we visited Matt’s aunt and uncle’s lake house, the theme was pasta salad! Aunt Renee is a great cook, and her type of cooking is right up my alley… simple yet elegant, healthy, and delicious! The night we arrived, she had made rosemary chicken, an Italian salad, roasted potatoes, and pesto pasta salad. She had actually made the pesto and pasta separately, and conveniently was able to serve very different meals using the same ingredients throughout the weekend. Here’s how:

On the second day at the lake, we took the huge pot of cooked tri-colored pasta and added chopped onions, bell peppers, scallions, celery and pesto to create a filling salad for lunch served with oven roasted turkey and sausage.

For dinner, we made salmon. What was neat about the Renee’s pesto was that she was able to create two types of sauces using the same base. One was a sweet pesto sauce that was served over the salmon and green salad. The other sauce was the traditional Italian-infused pesto with the nutty Parmesan, olive oil and pine nut flavorings that I just love. In addition, we also served leftover pesto pasta salad with the fish.

Salmon, pesto pasta salad, and a green salad with sliced red onions, chopped cherry tomatoes, blueberries, fresh mozzarella and sweet basil pesto sauce.

Breakfast the next morning was also a treat. Matt’s cousins made chocolate chip pancakes, while uncle Dale and aunt Renee made eggs benedict. In addition we had sliced tomatoes, provolone, Canadian bacon and more pesto sauce to create breakfast sandwiches. It was delicious!

As you can see, Renee’s homemade pesto and pasta salad lasted us a weekend for sure! If you can be creative with meals using the same ingredients, you’ll save money on grocery bills, not waste food, and enjoy gourmet food numerous days in a row!

Enjoy what’s left of your summer and be sure to try Renee’s homemade pesto and pesto pasta salad recipe. 🙂

Add chopped red onions, celery, scallions, and peppers to cooked pasta.

Combine all ingredients. Then add pesto sauce. Refrigerate until cold.

Serve salad cold, as an accompaniment to meat, fish, or poultry.

Renee’s Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
*Ina Garten’s Pesto (or you could substitute store-bought pesto)
12 oz. tri-colored pasta
red bell pepper, diced
red or white onion, diced (I used red)
scallions, chopped

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Let cool.
2. Fold in peppers, onion, scallions, and pesto.
3. Place pasta salad in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.

Yield: 6 servings

*Ina Garten’s Pesto
Ingredients
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
3 Tbsp. chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
1. Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds.
2. Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed.
3. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Yield: 4 cups

Note: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top of the air pressed out.

Dinner at L’Hostaria – Aspen, Colorado

After hearing from both the concierge and driver at the Grand Hyatt that Aspen’s L’Hostaria was their favorite restaurant in town, we had to try it. What did we think? It was amazing and probably our favorite dining spot in Aspen!

L’Hostaria is where authentic Italian cuisine meets fresh, healthy, and homemade ingredients. We were absolutely impressed with the service and how fresh, light and gourmet the food was. L’Hostaria is the only restaurant in Aspen that makes their own pasta daily by hand, and you can definitely taste a difference!

L’Hostaria menu

The atmosphere of L’Hostaria was elegant, yet cozy. Designer Italian chairs, terracotta vases, Tuscan antiques, soft lighting and stucco walls created an ambiance you will find only in Italy. The restaurant is underground, so you can choose to eat inside the cool, comfortable restaurant, or sit outside on the underground the porch with the retractible roof letting natural sunlight peak in.

Dining inside L’Hostaria – designer Italian chairs, terracotta vases, Tuscan antiques, soft lighting and stucco walls create an atmosphere you will find only in Italy.

Everything on the menu looked good, so we had a hard time deciding what to order. In the end, Matt and I choose to split the Papparadelle alla Bolognese. The papparadelle (extra-wide pasta noodles) was spinach flavored and accompanied with a light yet filling Italian meat sauce. I say “light” because unlike a lot of meat sauces, this was NOT greasy. For garnish, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and shredded basil was added.

Pappardelle alla Bolognese – homemade spinach pasta with an Italian meat sauce

My mom ordered the Spaghettini with rock shrimp, chopped eggplant, diced tomatoes and garnished with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese in a light tomato sauce. It was excellent…. extremely light, yet packed full of flavor.

Spaghettini with rock shrimp, eggplant, diced tomatoes and fresh basil

My dad ordered the grilled New York steak with green peppercorn sauce, accompanied with a scoop of mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. His steak was nicely seasoned, and even though I hate eating steaks at restaurants since they are so salty and overly seasoned, this was was very good and had a unique flavor. (Sorry, we have no picture… it was blurry!)

Since our main courses were so delicious, we thought we’d finish it all off by splitting a piece of Tiramisu four ways. The tiramisu consisted of marscarpone and cream layered between ladyfingers soaked in coffee, and topped with cocoa sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It was good. If you like dark chocolate, you’ll love this! It was extremely rich and dark. I’m more of a milk chocolate fan, so you know where my preferences land.

Tiramisu dell’ ‘Hostaria – ladyfingers, marscarpone, cream, coffee, and cocoa

***We were all so impressed with L’Hostaria that my mom and I came back the next evening and ordered the potato gnocchi for take-out. We all ate our “own” dinners at the hotel that evening: Matt and my dad split a pizza while my sister had grilled chicken.

The gnocchi my mom and I split was outstanding! It was so fresh, and almost seemed to melt in our mouths. Again, the sauce was very light. The gnocchi was accompanied by freshly diced tomatoes, basil and Parmesan cheese. Yum!

What did I like best? I can’t choose…. it depends on what mood I’m in. All-in-all, all pasta dishes were homemade, fresh, and light. You’ll get full, but won’t have that miserable “stuffed” feeling like many restaurants give off from their greasy, processed food. Next time you’re in Aspen, you must visit L’Hostaria. We will be back for sure!

Potato gnocchi with diced tomatoes and basil

Meatless Mondays: Pasta with Chickpea-Tomato Sauce

Here’s an elegant pasta that you can whip up in under 30 minutes. Matt was out of town when I made this, so you won’t be getting a guy’s point of view this time.

If you’re looking for a light, vegetarian and “meatless Monday” dish, this is one you’ve got to try. The chickpeas take the place of the meat by adding in protein and texture. The tomato-sauce is very subtle, but gets a little heat from the red pepper flakes. Don’t forget to add in my favorite grated Pecorino Romano from Central Market. Pecorino Romano is sooo much better than Parmesan because it’s stronger and has a nuttier flavor.

Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Cook garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chickpeas and cook 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add cooked pasta to the pot and toss.

Garnish with Parmesan and basil

Pasta with Chickpea-Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1/4 tsp. red-pepper flakes

3 cups cooked chickpeas

Coarse salt

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth

Dried or fresh basil, for garnish

12 ounces medium pasta shells

Grated Pecorino Romano, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (do not brown). Add chickpeas, season with salt, and cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth, and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has reduced slightly, 20 minutes. Add basil, and cook 5 minutes more. Remove basil.

3. While sauce is cooking, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain, and return to pot.

3. Add sauce to pasta and toss. Serve with Pecorino Romano, and garnish with torn basil.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe adapted from: Martha Stewart