Beef and Sweet Pepper Pasta

This beef and pasta recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to one month.


Beef and Sweet Pepper Pasta


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Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients
 
savings in
 
  • 1  recipe  Mealmaker Meatballs (see recipe below)On Sale
  • 8  ounces  dried pappardelle pasta or fettuccineOn Sale
  • 1  medium  fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into thin, bite-sized stripsOn Sale
  • 1  medium  onion, quartered and thinly slicedOn Sale
  • 2  medium  carrots, thinly bias-slicedOn Sale
  • 2  cloves  garlic, mincedOn Sale
  • 1  tablespoon  olive oil or cooking oilOn Sale
  • 1  26-ounce jar  spicy red pepper pasta sauce or mushroom and ripe olive pasta sauceOn Sale
  •     Salt and ground black pepperOn Sale
  • 4  ounces  Italian fontina or mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)On Sale
  • 2  ounces  Parmesan or Romano cheese, finely shredded (1/2 cup)On Sale

Directions
1.
Prepare and bake Meatballs. In a large pot or kettle cook pasta according to package directions until just tender; drain.
2.
Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet cook fennel, onion, carrots, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Return pasta to cooking pot. Add vegetable mixture, meatballs, and pasta sauce to pasta; toss to coat. Heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with the shredded cheeses. Serves 6.

Cooking Club Directions
Prepare as above, except do not heat vegetables and pasta through. Divide pasta-meatball mixture and transfer to 4-quart storage containers or 1-gallon resealable plastic bags for each member of the club. Divide cheese in resealable plastic bags. Refrigerate pasta mixture and cheese up to 2 days. To freeze, transfer to 4-quart freezer containers or 1-gallon moisture- and vapor-proof plastic freezer bags. Freeze up to 1 month.

Make Ahead (Freeze)
Prepare as above, except do not heat through. Transfer to a large freezer container or 1-gallon moisture- and vapor-proof plastic freezer bag. Cover container or seal bag. Place cheese in a self-sealing freezer bag. Freeze pasta mixture and cheese up to 1 month. To serve, thaw pasta mixture and cheese in refrigerator 1 to 2 days or until completely thawed. Transfer pasta mixture to a 3-quart microwave-safe casserole. Micro-cook, covered, on 100 percent power (high) for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through, gently stirring every 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as above.

Test Kitchen Tip
You can cook a double batch of the vegetables by using a 12-inch skillet; the vegetables will cook in 15 minutes

Reheating and Serving
Thaw pasta mixture, if frozen, and cheese in refrigerator for 1 to 2 days or until completely thawed. Transfer refrigerated or thawed pasta mixture to a 3-quart microwave-safe casserole; add 1_4 cup water. Micro-cook, covered, on 100% power (high) for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through, gently stirring every 5 minutes. Serve as above.

Mealmaker Meatballs
1 egg, beaten; 1-1/4 cup soft French or Italian bread crumbs; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano or dried thyme, crushed; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; and 1 pound lean ground beef. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil; set aside. In a large bowl combine the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add beef; mix well. Shape into 24 meatballs (about 1 tablespoon mixture per meatball). Arrange meatballs in prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes or until juices run clear. Drain off fat. Makes 24 meatballs.*Note: Use a blender or food processor to make soft breadcrumbs. About 1-1/2 ounces of break makes 1 cup of crumbs.Test Kitchen Tip: The job is quick when one person makes the meatballs while others perform other tasks. Set aside a spot at the kitchen table for the meatball maker to sit. Each meatball: 41 cal, 2 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 21 mg chol., 71 mg sodium, 1 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 4 g pro.

Nutrition information
Calories 515, Total Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Monounsaturated Fat 8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 112 mg, Sodium 935 mg, Carbohydrate 47 g, Total Sugar 9 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 31 g. Daily Values: Vitamin C 17%, Calcium 33%, Iron 20%. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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