14 Dinners That Start with a Jar of Pasta Sauce
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Amanda Stanfield, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle
Whether you prefer a homemade version or your favorite jar of store-bought marinara or vodka sauce, dinner can be super easy and delicious when it starts with pasta sauce. From tortellini bakes to lasagna soup, every dish in this collection has a flavorful tomato base. Make one-pot recipes like our 15-Minute Eggs in Vodka Sauce for a quick dinner or enjoy our Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna for a cozy Sunday supper.
Spinach & Tortellini Casserole
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl
This tortellini casserole is comfort food at its finest. This easy-to-make dinner takes only 20 minutes to prep and is finished in under an hour. We use refrigerated tortellini, but frozen tortellini would also shine in this dish. If you’ve got leftover cooked vegetables, stir those into the mix or add chopped sun-dried tomatoes or olives for a boost of flavor.
Vegetarian Lasagna Soup
photographer: Jennifer Causey, food stylist: Ali Ramee, prop stylist: Claire Spollen
All the delicious flavors of a vegetarian lasagna can be found in this cozy soup. Mushrooms, zucchini and spinach provide color and nutrients, while a ricotta-and-mozzarella topping provides the signature cheesiness and creaminess. Serve with a side salad or crusty bread for dipping.
15-Minute Eggs in Vodka Sauce (Quick One-Pot Dinner)
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Amanda Stanfield, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Drawing inspiration from the classic Italian recipe Uova al Purgatorio (Eggs in Purgatory), this easy one-pot meal melds tangy tomato sauce with perfectly poached eggs, ideal for sopping up with crispy toasted bread. We like to add a dash of heavy cream to give the sauce some added richness, but you can leave it out if you prefer. A garnish of chopped fresh basil or parsley, if you have it on hand, would be a welcome addition.
Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna
Thanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour.
Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake
This chicken pasta bake is cheesy with a smoky kick, thanks to the combination of chipotle peppers and smoked Gouda cheese. If you want to mellow the smoky flavor, regular Gouda works just as well. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray or brush it with a little oil to prevent the cheesy topping from sticking. Serve with a simple side salad or garlic-roasted broccoli.
Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells
Our stuffed shells are filled with spinach, sautéed onions and part-skim ricotta and topped with prepared marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. The shells hold and reheat well, which makes them great for entertaining.
Veggie Lasagna
Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Every layer of this delicious veggie lasagna has its own flavor profile. Cooking the vegetables before assembling the lasagna ensures the dish won’t be soggy. Be sure to squeeze the spinach well—spinach holds a surprising amount of water that will make your lasagna soupy. Lightly coat the foil with cooking spray before covering the lasagna to prevent the cheese from sticking. Serve with a mixed green salad and crusty garlic bread.
Spaghetti Lover's Soup
This easy slow-cooker soup has all the great flavors of your favorite dish of spaghetti with beef sauce, without a lot of fussy preparation.
Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale
You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.
Rigatoni Amatriciana
Created by chef Fabio Viviani of Siena Tavern in Chicago, this Amatriciana sauce is a classic of modern Roman cooking (though it most likely came from the town of Amatrice about 90 miles away). Typically, it's made with few ingredients: garlic, guanciale (cured pork jowl), cheese and tomato. This version doctors up jarred sauce to keep it quick and calls for easy-to-find pancetta in place of the guanciale. This tomato sauce is sometimes paired with bucatini; here, Fabio dresses up rigatoni with it.
Quick Chicken Braciole
In this healthy stuffed chicken recipe, pounded chicken breasts are stuffed with a flavorful chard, prosciutto and mozzarella filling and then simmered in store-bought marinara sauce. Serve over whole-wheat fettuccine tossed with parsley or on polenta.
Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce
This simple lasagna is perfect for when you're short on time, but craving a comforting meal. Ready in just over an hour, it requires only 50 minutes of cooking in the oven. Extra-lean ground beef (which sometimes cooks up dry) works well here because it's combined with marinara to keep it moist. For a quick and easy variation, feel free to use 9 whole lasagna noodles instead of 6 broken noodles, using 3 noodles per layer. You also can sub fresh basil leaves for the parsley sprinkled on at the end.
Creamy Chicken & Penne alla Vodka Casserole with Peas
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
This cheesy chicken pasta casserole is perfect for a busy weeknight when you need a fast and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. Vodka sauce adds a creamy note to the sauce. If you don’t have vodka sauce on hand, add a few tablespoons of cream to regular marinara.
Spinach & Mushroom Tortellini Bake
This cheesy tortellini bake is a dish the whole family will love--it's filled with sweet-tasting marinara, mushrooms and spinach and topped with melted cheese. Complete the meal, plus get in another vegetable serving, by adding a side of broccoli or a small green salad.
EatingWell.com, March 2024
Read the original article on Eating Well.