Some of my family's favourites. Some variations they like are adding a meat layer to the lasagne, and adding pre-cooked chicken to the fettucine. I also make the cannelloni and substitute pumpkin for the spinach - just cook it and mash it before mixing it with the ricotta.

Vegetarian Lasagne

Instant Lasagne Sheets

Cheat's Béchamel Sauce (much easier than proper roux béchamel )-
2 cups milk
2 tbsp cornflour
Nutmeg
Pepper

Filling -
Sweet potato, diced
Pumpkin, diced
Zucchini, diced
Carrot, diced
Onion, chopped
Jar of pasta sauce

Tub of ricotta
Shredded spinach

To make béchamel sauce, mix corn flour with enough milk to turn into a smooth paste. Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan, then add milk/cornflour paste. Stir constantly over low heat until sauce thickens, then add nutmeg & pepper to taste.

To make filling, fry the onion in a little bit of olive oil, then add all the other vegetables. Pour over a bottle of pasta sauce and simmer until the rest of the vegetables are cooked.

Combine spinach and ricotta.

Put lasagne sheets on the bottom of the pan, then cover with a layer of vegetables. Spread the spinach/ricotta mix onto the underside of the next pasta layer and put on top of the vegetables. Repeat layers. Pour over the béchamel sauce, making sure that all the pasta is covered.

Cover with foil & bake for about 30 mins at 190°C. Remove foil, sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake another 20 mins or so, or until the pasta is soft.


Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

250g instant dried cannelloni tubes

Sauce -
2 cans of tomatoes
½ cup water
2 tsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
(Or a jar of pre-made pasta sauce!!)

½ cup coarsely grated reduced-fat mozzarella

Filling -
800g low-fat ricotta
250g frozen spinach, thawed, excess liquid removed
Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 3L baking dish.

Combine ricotta, spinach and nutmeg and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the ricotta mixture into a piping bag and pipe the mixture into the cannelloni tubes.

Combine the tomatoes, water, basil, parsley and garlic in a saucepan, and simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon half a cup of the tomato mixture over the base of the prepared dish. Arrange the cannelloni tubes, in a single layer, over the tomato. Spoon over the remaining tomato mixture.

Sprinkle the mozzarella over the tomato mixture. Cover loosely with foil and bake in oven for 45 minutes or until the cannelloni is tender. Set aside for a few minutes before serving.


Fettucine Alfredo

50g butter
1tbsp cornflour
300ml milk
150ml cream
4tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
450g dried fettucine
Black pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan and when foaming remove from heat and stir in the cornflour. Mix in a small amount of milk until evenly blended. Add remainder of milk. Return to heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened and smooth. Remove from heat, add cream and parmesan, and set aside.

Cook fettucine according to packet instructions and drain well. Return fettucine to pan, place over a low heat and add cheese sauce. Toss pasta until well coated in sauce and season with pepper.

I found this in a Women's Weekly cookbook from the '70s... it's really nice!

Creamy Spinach Macaroni
Serves 6

250g (8 oz) shell macaroni
315g (10 oz) pkt frozen spinach
30g (1 oz) butter
6 shallots or spring onions or green onions
½ cup water
1 chicken stock cube
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ cup cream
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped chives
Salt, pepper

Cook macaroni in large quantity of boiling, salted water 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Cook spinach as directed on packet. Heat butter in pan; add chopped shallots, water and crumbled stock cube; bring to boil; reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Add sour cream and cream; stir until combined. Add well-drained macaroni and cooked, drained spinach; cook until heated through. Remove from heat; add grated parmesan cheese, chives, salt and pepper; mix well.

This is another favourite of mine:

Zucchini Pasta II

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

* Enough pasta to serve 4, any kind you like
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped red capsicum (bell pepper)
* 1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
* 2 medium or 3 small zucchini, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 3/4 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken (optional – I think it’s better without actually)
* 2 tablespoons cream cheese
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, according to package directions, until al dente, and drain.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion, capsicum and garlic until tender. Mix in the zucchini, and season with oregano, salt and pepper, and red pepper. Cook 10 minutes, until tender.
3. Stir the chicken broth into the skillet, and cook 5 minutes, until heated through. Mix in the chicken and cream cheese, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Serve over the cooked pasta, and top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

I also love Alfredo! You reminded me it existed! *makes note to make it again soon* :D

I'd like to share if you don't mind a traditional dish that is very common where I live, it's quite simple. (But I'm warning you, we are not renowned for our low-calorie slimming diet )

You need:
300g dried pasta (square shape usually)
200g smoked bacon, cut to small dices
400ml sour cream
500g cottage cheese (I'm not sure of the name here, it's that white grainy stuff pictured below)
salt and pepper to taste
Serves 4.
(measures are approximate, I don't really pay attention to amounts when cooking it )



Cook pasta in boiling salted water, then drain. Mix the sour cream with the cottage cheese and salt and pepper.
Fry the bacon until crisp. Put the pasta and the cottage cheese mix into a heatproof dish and bake it in the oven just until thoroughly hot.
Serve with the drained bacon on top.


Can be enjoyed as a full meal or as a side to some meat dishes as well.