Tasty Tuesday

We love baked ziti in our house, and with the 20 boxes of pasta I got for free from Kroger, this recipe fit the bill. I liked the fact that this recipe only used one pan, making easy cleanup for a weeknight meal.

Skillet Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 12 ounces ziti pasta ( 3 3/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream *I used half and half*
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced *I left this out, since it's not basil season*
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475.
2. Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. (If your skillet is not ovensafe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the cheese and baking).
3. Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.
5. Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Yes, I made homemade crackers. Ryan was skeptical, but changed his mind once he tasted them. I had all the ingredients and figured why not give it a try. It was easy to mix up in my food processor.

Homemade Wheat Thins Style Crackers

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Salt, for topping

Instructions:

1. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, and paprika in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender, until small crumbs form. Or, combine the dry ingredients and butter in a food processor bowl and pulse until crumbly.

2. Make a well in the center, and add the water and vanilla. Stir to mix, then use clean hands to knead a few times, just enough to form a ball of dough. (Add just a tad more water, only if needed.) Divide dough into two pieces and cover with a clean towel.

3. Lightly grease two 11x15-inch baking sheets and sprinkle lightly with salt. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. On a lightly floured counter, roll each piece of dough into a thin rectangle approximately 11x15 inches. (Be sure to lightly flour the dough as you roll, so it doesn't stick to the counter!)

5. Transfer the sheet of dough to the baking sheet. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut dough into squares. Trim edges if desired. Sprinkle tops with salt.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned. Crackers will become more crispy as they cool, so don't over-bake! (Remove edge crackers that are getting too dark if the middle crackers aren't quite done yet, and continue baking.)

7. Remove baked crackers from sheets and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool, plain or with dips or and store leftover crackers in a sealed bag or container.