Bow Tie Pasta with Proscuitto and Mushrooms

I made this a little while ago and it was an INSTANT hit in our household. Leftovers were fought over, and even the kids at school who Kevin allowed a taste literally hunted me down and demanded the recipe. It's that good!

Adapted from Canadian Living's Make Ahead Meals

4 oz/125 g of prosciutto, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt (I skipped the salt since the prosciutto is salty and it was fine)
1/2 cup white wine
one 28oz can tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup whipping cream
5 cups bow tie pasta (12 oz/375 g)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan or asiago cheese

In a large skillet, fry up the prosciutto in some olive oil until it's browned. Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, basil, pepper and salt. Saute until they are cooked and golden.

Add the wine, and cook until there's almost no liquid left. Stir in tomatoes, and tomato paste, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Bring to a boil and then turn down, allowing to simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and simmer until thickened; about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well and toss into the finished pasta sauce. The sauce may seem a bit runny, but as it bakes and then cools a little, it thickens up to a nice, rich, tomato cream sauce.

Pour it all into a shallow casserole dish and sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 F, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and bubbly; about 30 minutes.

Serves 6

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Karen's Black Bean Salsa Burritoes

I have tried many burrito recipes, but none seemed to be perfect, until I came up with this one. Newman's Own Black Bean and Corn salsa is perfectly seasoned, with a fantastic smoky flavor that just makes these burritos go from ho-hum to amazing! They also make a great freezer meal, or lunch box item. Defrost until the centers are no longer hard, and then bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes.



1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, sliced
1 sweet red pepper, sliced
one 500 ml (approx) jar of Newman's Own Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1 small can sliced black olives (about 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 lime
two 398 ml cans refried beans
2 1/2 cups of aged cheddar (you can also try pepper jack)
2 packages of burrito sized (10 inch?) flour tortillas (about 16)

Brown the beef, onion, and sweet pepper with a bit a oil in a skillet until the beef is brown, no longer pink, and cooked through. Remove from skillet to a bowl. Add olives and stir in entire jar of salsa.

Taste and adjust your seasonings. I think it's good just the way it is, but you can add more spice if you like. Add coriander, cut the lime in 1/2 and squeeze the juice over top, and stir.

Lay the tortillas out on the counter. In the middle of each one, smear about 3 tbsp refried beans, then top with 2 1/2-3 heaping tbsps of the beef mixture, and a sprinkle of cheese. Continue until you have divided the fillings among all the tortillas. Roll them up by following these directions (for the rolling, not the filling)

Place your burritoes seam side down in a baking dish and heat up for about 10-15 minutes at 350 F. Or, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and then tin foil, and put them in the freezer for another day!

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