Vegetable Not-sagna Pasta Toss Like the title says, this is lasagna but it's not. Veggie lasagna is often served up layered with a creamy white sauce and seasonal vegetables. This dish incorporates vegetables, ricotta, and a just-creamy-enough sauce tossed with pasta-without all the work and the long baking time.

4 SERVINGS.

Coarse salt

1.

pound curly pound curly short-cut pasta short-cut pasta, such as campanelle by Barilla, or cavatappi (hollow corkscrew pasta)

1.

10-ounce box 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach frozen chopped spinach

3.

tablespoons tablespoons EVOO EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) (extra-virgin olive oil)

1.

medium medium zucchini zucchini

12.

cremini cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

1.

medium medium onion onion, thinly sliced

3.

garlic cloves garlic cloves, chopped

Black pepper

1.

jarred roasted red pepper jarred roasted red pepper, drained, patted dry, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced

1.

tablespoon tablespoon butter butter

2.

rounded tablespoons rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour all-purpose flour

1.

cup cup chicken stock chicken stock

1.

cup cup milk milk .

teaspoon freshly teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg grated nutmeg (eyeball it) (eyeball it) 1.

cups cups part-skim ricotta cheese part-skim ricotta cheese .

cup grated cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at the table cheese, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at the table

1.

cup fresh cup fresh basil basil, about 20 leaves

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need a ladle of the hot cooking water just before you drain the pasta.

Place the frozen spinach on a plate and microwave on high for 6 minutes to defrost it. Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring the liquid out of it.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, twice around the pan. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then thinly slice it into half moons and add it to the pan with the mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the onions and garlic. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. When the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, add the defrosted spinach, separating it into small bits, and the roasted red peppers. Toss to heat them through. Transfer the veggies to a dish and return the skillet to the stovetop. Add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO and the butter. When the butter melts into the EVOO, add the flour to the fat and cook for a minute or so, then whisk in the stock and the milk. Bring the sauce to a bubble and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced and thickened. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Slide the vegetables back into the sauce.

Place the part-skim ricotta in a large shallow bowl and combine it with a ladle of boiling, starchy pasta cooking water. Add a couple of handfuls of the grated Parm cheese.

Drain the pasta and toss it with the cheeses. Add half the vegetables and sauce to the pasta and toss them to combine. Tear or shred the basil and toss it into the pasta. Adjust the seasonings. Top the bowlfuls of Vegetable Not-sagna with the remaining veggies in the sauce and pass the extra grated cheese at the table.

EXPRESS LANE SHOPPING LIST.

- [image]1 medium zucchini zucchini - [image]12 cremini cremini or baby portobello mushrooms or baby portobello mushrooms - [image]1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese part-skim ricotta cheese - [image]1 bunch fresh basil basil And make sure you have the following On Hand: - Coarse salt - Short-cut pasta - Frozen chopped spinach - EVOO - Onion - Garlic - Black pepper - Jarred roasted red pepper - Butter - Flour - Chicken stock - Milk - Nutmeg - Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Crisp Red Snapper and Sweet Winter Stir-Fry Vegetables I often throw holiday parties with a casual theme. This dish was the centerpiece of a holiday-style Make Your Own Take-out gathering. You will never find anything like this delivered to your door in a brown paper sack, but if you do a little bit of chopping you'll be famous for many holidays to come. P.S. Don't wait for a holiday to make it.

4 SERVINGS.

3.

beets beets, medium to large, yellow, orange, or red

Salt

4.