Easy Hybrid Vegetarian Spinach and Beef Ricotta Pasta Bake and Pecan Squash Rolls Appetizer

Episode 27: Easy Hybrid Vegetarian Spinach and Beef Ricotta Pasta Bake and Pecan Squash Rolls Appetizer. Yummy recipes for fall! An easy quick prep recipe for an oven baked pasta bake and a delicious recipe for a fall appetizer, great for fall, parties, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or a side dish (it tastes like a dessert!).

Easy Hybrid Vegetarian Spinach and Beef Ricotta Pasta Bake
Ingredients: Pasta and cheese mixture
16 ounces pasta Rigatoni, Ziti, or Penne, cooked and drained
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided, reserve 1/2 c. for topping
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz frozen spinach, thawed and moisture drawn out with paper towels
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1 pound pound ground beef (don't mix into sauce, keep it separate)
Instructions:
Mix all cheese mixture ingredients together and stir. Add cooked pasta. Stir.
Mix all sauce ingredients together, keeping the meat in a separate bowl. Cook sauce.
Press pasta/cheese mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top 1/2 to 3/4 of pan with browned ground beef. Pour sauce over the top. Top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove cover. Cook another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

Pecan Squash Rolls Appetizer
1 butternut squash cooked, 2 1/2 cups squash
1/4 c. water (to cook squash)
10 burrito size torillas
1 cup butter
1/4 cup skim milk
6 oz. chopped pecans
10 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions:
Cook squash (water in pan). Scoop  cooked squash from rind. Blend with milk and butter until smooth. Crush pecans. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Lay tortilla across. Spread 1/3 c. squash mixture across. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp crushed pecans, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Roll tightly. Place roll on cookie sheet open side down. Place 5 rolls per cookie sheet. Bake each batch of 5 rolls 22-25 mintues. Remove and allow to cool 10 minutes. Slice into 1 inch rolls. Makes 80 rolls. Serve immediately for crispy rolls.

Recipe taken from One Dish, Two Diets Cookbook. https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/36b9ce90-6b57-11ec-837f-8f2460b6a963

Check out my cookbook American Midwest Cooking: Quiches  https://amzn.to/3DpQoaE

40 Ways to Honor Your Mom After She Has Passed Away https://amzn.to/459Yyzv

Thanks for listening! Happy fall!

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