This pasta is a super easy dish if you haven't figured out your dinner plans. The best thing about it for me was Michael actually ate it! I guess I shouldn't be surprised since it involved pasta and cheese, but he even ate the spinach... and it's not like it's exactly hidden in there.

Ingredients:

- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 to 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5 to 15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- dash of red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 lb penne pasta
- 1 to 2 C spinach
*Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 C parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to Taste*

Directions:

- Cook your pasta according to directions on package.
- While waiting for you pasta, heat your oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your onion and garlic. Sautee for five minutes or so, until tender and starting to brown.
- Add your tomatoes (with juice), herbs/spices, and tomato paste. Mix and let cook for a couple of minutes.
- Cut your cream cheese into pieces (or scoop it out in sections) and whisk in your tomato mix until nice and creamy. Add around 1/4 of your *optional* parmesan cheese if desires, whisking in to the sauce.
- Add your fresh spinach, gently stirring until it is wilted in to the sauce.
- Last, but not least, add your pasta. (Make sure you've drained it before doing this, of course.) Mix gently so it soaks into the sauce and you don't have any of it flying out of the skillet.


Remove, sprinkle with more parmesan, add some salt and pepper, and serve directly.

Before you even ask, the hubby wasn't home when I made these. I tried talking to him about this idea, and he turned up his nose at it. This was a bit much for him. He'll do things without meat... but try to give him something instead of meat and it's an immediate shut down.

However, these are delicious. I'm pretty sure they could easily be made vegan, too. Just leave out the cheese and use an egg substitute.

These aren't that time consuming. But when you have a toddler who's afraid of the food processor... it gets a bit interesting.

Ingredients:

- 1.5 cans (15 oz each) Bush's Cannellini Beans

- 1 green (or red) pepper
- 1/2 onion (white, yellow, red-- your preference)
- 1/4 C chopped parsley
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 egg
- 3/4 C breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper

Your favorite Marinara
Parmesan Cheese, if you want it
Favorite Type of Pasta

Directions:

- Combine your beans, pepper, and onion in your food processor. Pulse until well combined, but not completely pureed. You want them to be somewhat course. Not like whole-beans-course, but bean-pepper-onion-pieces course.

- Move the mix to a bowl and add your spices, egg, and breadcrumbs. Stir until well combined, but don't kill the mix. You are making "meatballs" after all.

- Scoop the mix (about 2 tablespoons for each one) and round them out. Place them on a baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray (optional). *Note: As you can tell, I did not take the time to round mine out because Michael was about ready to kill me for taking so long preparing these. Don't let it fool you! I'm sure they are easily made "pretty" (aka to look more "meat-like").

- Bake until they are ever so slightly golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes.

- While they are cooking, heat your marinara in a large saucepan. When they are finished cooking, add the "meatballs" to the pan and stir gently so they are coated with sauce. Cover and let it simmer for another five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.*This recipe makes around 30 "meatballs"... I was just preparing a single serving for myself with the sauce. And I actually only ate half of what is shown-- they are VERY filling!*

- Serve with your favorite pasta and *optional* Parmesan cheese.

Michael actually really liked these! They did do a bit of a number on his belly, but nothing that made him cry like he was hurting... it was just noisy... if you know what I mean!


Check out the original recipe at: Cookin' Canuck.

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It's a guaranteed way to get Clark to eat his veggies, too, which is always nice. I'm hoping the trick also works on Michael (and future kids) when he's (they're) older, too!

This comes straight out of the South Beach Diet Cookbook, with a few alterations.

Ingredients:

- 1 lb hamburger, turkey, or other ground meat
- 1/2 C whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1.5 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

- 2 zuchini, halved and sliced
- 1/2 C chopped onion
- 1.5 (16 oz) can Italian-style cut tomatoes
- 1/2 C Marinara sauce (whatever kind you like!)

Directions:

- Mix together the meat, breadcrumbs, egg, cheese, and spices in a bowl.

- Form into meatballs of your desired size.
- Spray a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Work the meatballs in batched, cooking for fifteen minutes or until browned and no longer pink-ish in the middle. Remove to a bowl.

*As you can see, I let mine stay a little pink because then when they cook for the last 20 minutes they end up perfectly cooked!*

- In the same skillet/bowl, add the onion, zucchini, tomatoes, and marinara sauce. Cook for five to 10 minutes, until the onion/ zucchini is tender.

- Return the meatballs to the mix, reduce heat, cover, and cook for twenty minutes.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese or basil if desired!

VOILA! Wasn't that easy? Not to mention delicious. Clark says they're even better heated up the next day (if you have any left)!