Dinner Archives · Page 6 of 6 · Jess in the Kitchen

Forget the Meat Italian Vegetarian Pasta Bake

I love me a good Italian dish. Then you put it in bake form and I am essentially in heaven. I hope you enjoy this Italian vegetarian pasta bake as much as my family did!

True confession: This recipe wasn’t supposed to be vegetarian. I browned this fantastic ground Italian venison that my family makes and had it all set on the table. It smelled amazing and I was excited. You see, I had this delightful combination of vegetables simmering and well…I think I got too excited. After I finished layering the vegetables, pasta, and cheese, sprinkling some last bit of mozzarella and some basil and oregano. I marveled at the layers and their beauty. Then I saw it. The bowl of browned venison! How could I forget?! Oh, I forget a lot, so I don’t know why I am so surprised 😀 I looked at my husband and he said, “I don’t need a protein with my Italian and you don’t want to take that apart!” So in the oven it went, and by golly, it was amazing, meatless and all.

It oozes with cheese and has tons of fresh vegetables. My son doesn’t love zucchini, so I knew if I did zoodles or shaved them to replace lasagna noodles, I would have a complainer on my hands. He would eat it, but it wouldn’t be a fun dinner at our house, and I am not a short order cook (no special meals for kids around these parts!). However, I thought I could sneak them in by dicing them up, and he didn’t say a word as he gobbled it up! Give it a try!

Your ingredients for your Italian Pasta Bake

12 ounces tri-color rotini (or other noodle of your choice!)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped green zucchini
1 cup chopped yellow zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, salt free
1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
15 ounces ricotta
3 cups mozzarella, divided
3/4 cup shredded parmesan, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Your Steps

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil and cook rotini to al dentè. Drain and set aside. Cook Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan (I actually just used my pasta kettle!) over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, green pepper, and onion. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until just tender. Add salt, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, allowing to simmer while you mix the cheese mixture.

Speaking of the cheese mixture, is it even Italian if it doesn’t have cheese?! This recipe is creamy and cheesy in all the right ways, but if cheese doesn’t speak to your soul like it does to a Wisconsinite, feel free to cut this down just a touch. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and pepper.

Now to build your Italian Vegetarian Pasta bake!

Layer approximately 2 cups of the vegetable mixture on the bottom of a pyrex pan. Add approximately 1/3 of the noodles and then 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Continue layering until two more times, but end with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Add a little basil and oregano if you’re feeling fancy. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through. I love my cheese browned on top, so I turn on the broiler at 500 degrees and cook for 1-3 minutes more, watching VERY closely. The broiler is AMAZING, but you can go from perfection to burned in a snap!

I loved that this bake stays saucy. Sometimes a pasta bake can become dry over a day or two as the noodles absorb the extra liquid. Serve with some crusty bread and maybe a salad because you know you need ALL the vegetables 😉 A perfect prep on the weekend to enjoy on those crazy weekday nights! Enjoy! —Jess

A small layer of vegetables on the bottom.

Looking for other great bakes and dishes for dinner prep? Check out my cooking page for more ideas or click one of the links below!

Cooking

Tools of the trade

Whenever I am creating casseroles and baked dishes in my kitchen, I have a couple go to tools I need: flexible cutting boards, Pyrex dishes, and good parring knives. I don’t know if I really can live without them, what can I say?

Italian Vegetarian Pasta Bake

No ground protein on hand? No problem! Throw this Italian vegetarian pasta bake together for dinner tonight! Bonus leftovers for smaller families!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Equipment

Ingredients

12 ounces tri-color rotini or other noodle of your choice!
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped green zucchini
1 cup chopped yellow zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil and cook rotini to al dentè. Drain and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, green pepper, and onion. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until just tender.
Add salt, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, allowing to simmer while you mix the cheese mixture.
In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and pepper.
Layer approximately 2 cups of the vegetable mixture on the bottom of a pyrex pan.
Add approximately 1/3 of the noodles and then 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
Continue layering until two more times, but end with the vegetable mixture.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Add a little basil and oregano if you’re feeling fancy.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through. If you loved browned cheese, urn on the broiler at 500 degrees and cook for 1-3 minutes more, watching VERY closely.

Keyword pasta, pasta bake, vegetarian

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great dinner ideas?

Check out the recipes below or head right to my Cooking page!

March 5, 2020February 4, 2023

JessLeave a comment

Stick to Your Ribs Venison and Barley Stew

Living in Wisconsin, it is chilly from mid-October through April. But don’t get me wrong, I love everything about Wisconsin, even the chilly season. I embrace and enjoy it all, from the -30 windchills to the humidity and mosquitoes. Perhaps I love the winter months because it gives me five solid months where it is 100% acceptable to eat soup every week. It’s my go to meal prep option and this venison and barley stew is a great one! Reasons why soup is the best (in no particular order):

It’s comforting, they way it just warms your belly and soul.
It makes fantastic left overs and reheats in no time.
You can get all the color and vegetables you could ask for.
I get to chop all those said vegetables, which is one of my favorite parts of cooking.
Soup making is SO versatile. You don’t like a certain veggie? Cut it. You have extra of something else? Throw it in the pot.

We are just beginning the crazy life of kids having after school activities and sitting down together for meals is a big priority for my husband and me. I want to know about my kids and their days and I want them to know about ours too. Because of this, I try to put together a kettle of soup to feed an army every other week or so. (okay, not an army, but maybe enough for 2-3 meals for our little family) I also like to make food with what I have on hand. Yes, I keep a stocked pantry, but there aren’t any crazy “one time use” ingredients here, I promise. This is filling and wonderful and does everything a good soup should do: warm your heart and belly, leaving you feeling full and satisfied. Give it a try!

Your ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups celery
1 cup diced onion, divided
1 pound ground venison (We grind our own and do not mix anything with it. Feel free to use any version of ground meat that your family loves)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1/2-1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, ground sage (to taste)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour (If you are gluten free or like a soup rather than a stew, you can totally leave out the butter and flour)
9-10 cups low sodium beef stock (I always make my own base using Orrington Farms base. You can easily control how much sodium you add this way)
1 cup pearled barley, uncooked

Your Steps to Venison and Barley Stew

Heat a large dutch oven on the stove. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add 1/2 cup diced onion and 1/2 tablespoon garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add ground venison. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking into larger pieces, taking about 7 minutes or so. Remove from the kettle, but keep it warm. Add remaining olive oil. Once hot, add remaining onion, carrots, and celery. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and sage. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes, until just tender, stirring often.

Remove the vegetables from pan. Put the meat and onions back into the pan with the butter. Once the butter has fully melted, stir in the flour. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. The SLOWLY stir in the beef stock, 1/2 cup-1 cup at a time, allowing to thicken as you go. (I suck at this game. I am not patient when it comes to maintaining a rue, but when you are able to, it’s magic, so try your best. You can always grow here, right?! Or maybe I just need to…maybe you rock. Go you!).

Stir the vegetables back in, along with the peas and corn. Bring up to a low boil and stir in the barley. Allow to simmer for 40-50 minutes, until the barley is cooked through. This stew becomes so creamy over the next few days as you allow the barley to settle in. Sometimes soup and stew need another side to make a meal, but believe me, this wonderful venison and barley stew is a meal in and of itself. Yum!

Note: You can watch the stock and allow the thickness to suit your needs. It will thicken over time, so you may want to hold onto a cup or two of stock and add it later if you are serving this over a few days like I like to do.

Looking for other recipe inspiration?

Check out my cooking or my baking pages or click the links below!

Stick to Your Ribs Venison and Barley Stew

Ground venison and barley combine for a comforting soup perfect for those cool winter nights.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Servings people

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic divided
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups celery
1 cup diced onion divided
1 pound ground venison
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon ground sage
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
9-10 cups low sodium beef stock
1 cup pearled barley uncooked

Instructions

Heat a large dutch oven on the stove. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add 1/2 cup diced onion and 1/2 tablespoon garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Add ground venison. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking into larger pieces, taking about 7 minutes or so.
Remove from the kettle, but keep it warm. Add remaining olive oil. Once hot, add remaining onion, carrots, and celery. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and sage. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes, until just tender, stirring often.
Remove the vegetables from pan. Put the meat and onions back into the pan with the butter.
Once the butter has fully melted, stir in the flour. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
The SLOWLY stir in the beef stock, 1/2 cup-1 cup at a time, allowing to thicken as you go.
Stir the vegetables back in, along with the peas and corn.
Bring up to a low boil and stir in the barley. Allow to simmer for 40-50 minutes, until the barley is cooked through. This stew becomes so creamy over the next few days as you allow the barley to settle in.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

February 29, 2020March 6, 2022

JessLeave a comment

Pork Burrito Bowl

Our family is entering the life of crazy evenings due to kiddo commitments. I am not ready for that season of life, but it’s coming whether I like it or not. Sitting down to a family dinner that is healthy and wholesome is important to my family and me. We plan on holding tight onto those meals around the table as long as we possibly can and is just the reason I put together this Mexican Pork Burrito Bowl.

So enter this week where we have engagement after engagement after school. We have some go to “quick” meals, but I wanted to switch it up. After an early morning wake up, I starting researching pork loin Mexican-inspired recipes, and couldn’t find anything I loved so I developed this little guy that has tons of flexibility! Love a stew? Maybe add a little more broth and top with some fun tortilla chips. Need more substance? Make a few cups of rice or couscous, put a 1/2 cup in a bowl and top with the pork. And what makes it even better? It all goes in a slow cooker so you’ll walk into a house that just smells marvelous and dinner will be totally ready in 10 minutes flat! Doesn’t get much better than that!

Your ingredients

1 pound pork loin
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, dried minced garlic, and cumin to season pork
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used unsalted)
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (this had added salt)
16 oz (2 cups) chicken stock, low sodium
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup diced onion, diced (about 1 small)
1 jalapeño, diced (I am not a lover of spicy food, and this was perfect. Don’t let the whole jalapeño scare you)
1 cup diced pepper (I used yellow)
1 cup frozen corn
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic (feel free to do fresh!)

Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla strips, it’s endless!

Optional sides: brown rice or couscous. Awesome to serve under or mix in as a stew.

Your Steps to Pork Burrito Bowl

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Then mix the 1/2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, cumin, and dried minced garlic in a small bowl. Massage seasoning into the pork loin and place into the slow cooker.

Stir in the remaining ingredients into the crockpot. Set on low and cook for 8-10 hours (I did 10, and the pork just fell apart). Remove the pork loin from the slow cooker and shred. Stir back into crockpot. You’re ready to serve!

I made some quick brown rice to serve underneath the pork burrito stew and we topped it with cheese, but I wished for some cilantro and tortilla strips. A few days later, I found some left over couscous in the fridge and it needed to get used up. I put some pork burrito stew on top of it and brought it for lunch. I actually think the couscous was better than the rice. Either way, they make it hearty enough to be a solid meal while still being healthy and wholesome.

Pork Burrito Bowl

Craving some Mexican-inspired food? This Pork Burrito Bowl comes preps together quickly and goes right in the crockpot for an easy meal!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings

Equipment

slow cooker

Ingredients

1 pound pork loin
1/2 teaspoon each: salt pepper, dried minced garlic, and cumin to season pork
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes unsalted
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
16 oz 2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
1/2 cup diced onion diced (about 1 small)
1 jalapeño diced
1 cup diced pepper yellow or orange
1 cup frozen corn
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic

Instructions

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Then mix the 1/2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, cumin, and dried minced garlic in a small bowl. Massage seasoning into the pork loin and place into the slow cooker.
Stir in the remaining ingredients into the crockpot. Set on low and cook for 8-10 hours (I did 10, and the pork just fell apart). Remove the pork loin from the slow cooker and shred. Stir back into crockpot. You’re ready to serve!

Notes

Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla strips
Optional sides: brown rice or couscous. Awesome to serve under or mix in as a stew.

Keyword crockpot, pork, slow cooker

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

February 15, 2020January 23, 2022

JessLeave a comment

Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

I love chicken. But we are a hunting family, so our primary protein source is venison. And chicken can be expensive. But when we have it, I am all about seasoning it with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and minced onion, and sticking it under the broiler with some veggies. It’s the perfect, no-nonsense meal that I could eat multiple times a week. My kids, on the other hand, get sick of the quick and easy meal. So when I said I wanted chicken for dinner the other night, they moaned and groaned. I am not a mom who is a short order cook. We all eat the same thing at our house unless it’s leftover night. Thus, this delicious and simple honey and soy garlic chicken was born.

So, because I am a good mom, I switched up my normal routine and put together some Asian-inspired chicken in the crockpot and then got to making other creations in the kitchen. (Once I am in the kitchen cooking, I’m hard pressed to leave!). Now to get cooking!

Your ingredients (for 5-6 servings):

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, if you are the spicy sorta person!)
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
steamed broccoli (I am all about the heads and the stems. Use it all!)
cooked brown rice

Your Steps to Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

Spray a crockpot with olive oil cooking spray. Layer the bottom with the chicken. Mix honey, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, garlic, ginger, oil, pepper flakes, and onion. Pour over chicken . Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. I flipped it halfway so it got coated on all sides. After 2 1/2 hours, remove chicken and cut into bite size pieces. It isn’t shred worthy yet, so slicing is the way to go (but it is so moist!) If you wanted to cook the chicken longer, you could get it to shred worthy temperature!

Any who…pour the sauce from the crockpot into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, whisk the cold water and cornstarch together in a small mug or bowl. Once the sauce is boiling, slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue whisking sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour over the chicken. (I combined them back in the crockpot). Serve over rice with steamed broccoli. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if you them for a little texture!

I do hear you…”You only cooked it for 2 1/2 hours? Who has the right timing for a dinner that cooks 2 1/2 hours?” I did get home from work earlier than normal, so this dinner was a cinch to throw together and get to other things. You could totally cook this on low for 4-6 six hours and have a shreddable chicken. You do you and make it work for you and your family. Here’s to a dinner together that everyone enjoys!

Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

A simple Asian-inspired crockpot chicken that pairs well with rice and steamed broccoli

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 30

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
5 cups cooked brown rice
Steamed broccoli

Instructions

Spray a crockpot with olive oil cooking spray. Layer the bottom with the chicken. Mix honey, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, garlic, ginger, oil, pepper flakes, and onion. Pour over chicken.
Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. I flipped it halfway so it got coated on all sides.
After 2 1/2 hours, remove chicken and cut into bite size pieces. If shredded chicken is what you enjoy, cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Pour the sauce from the crockpot into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, whisk the cold water and cornstarch together in a small mug or bowl.
Once the sauce is boiling, slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue whisking sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Pour over the chicken. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if you them for a little texture!

Keyword broccoli, Brown Rice, chicken, crock pot, honey and soy, slow cooker

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

January 18, 2020January 12, 2022

JessLeave a comment

Quick and Easy Lasagna Bake

I may not look it, but Italian blood runs through my veins and I LOVE a good pasta dish. Homemade lasagna warms my soul and my belly, but I hesitate when making it because it’s a labor intensive dish. And the noodles! I spend too much time worrying about whether they will break, stick together, and the like. Because of that, I generally compromise with baked ziti, but it just isn’t the same. Then this quick and easy lasagna bake bake came into my life, and I am forever grateful. The inspiration came from Taste of Home’s Lasagna Toss, but has quite a few modifications by me.

Your ingredients

1 lb ground Italian sausage (I used my Italian-seasoned ground venison)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups chopped, raw spinach
8 oz. noodles of your choice, cooked and drained (I used penne)
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan cheese
parsley

Your Steps to Lasagna Bake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes, until just turning translucent. Add sausage, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Cook until meat is browned. Stir in spaghetti sauce and chopped spinach. Cook until spinach is cooked down, approximately 6-8 minutes. Stir in noodles.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta and 1 ½ c mozzarella together (add more basil and oregano here if you are a spice king or queen!).

Grease a casserole dish. Pour half of the meat mixture into the pan. Spread the cheese mixture on top of that by dropping small spoonfuls onto the meat and breaking apart with your fingers to evenly spread it out. Add remaining meat mixture. Top with 1 ½ cup of mozzarella, grated parmesan, and parsley. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. For perfectly browned cheese, turn on the broiler to 450 degrees in the final 1-2 minutes of cooking. Be sure to watch it though. Cheese can go from perfect to burned crazy fast! I always take the risk because I LOVE me some perfectly browned cheese (I am a Wisconsin girl, you know…we love our cheese.)

Is there anything better than onions and garlic?

Looking for more dinner inspiration? Check out my cooking page by clicking below!

Cooking

Tools of the Trade

Not too many tools required for our lasagna bake, but I will say, a good Pyrex casserole dish and flexible cutting boards are ALWAYS a must 🙂 Check the links below to add to your cooking collection!

Quick and Easy Lasagna Bake

Love lasagna but not the prep that goes with it? Create a quick and easy lasagna bake to skip the prep but keep all the flavor!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Ingredients

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups chopped raw spinach
8 oz. noodles of your choice cooked and drained (I used penne)
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan cheese
parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes, until just turning translucent.
Add sausage, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.
Cook until meat is browned. Stir in spaghetti sauce and chopped spinach. Cook until spinach is cooked down, approximately 6-8 minutes.
Stir in noodles. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix ricotta and 1 ½ c mozzarella together. Feel free to add more basil and oregano here as well.
Grease a casserole dish. Pour half of the meat mixture into the pan.
Spread the cheese mixture on top of that by dropping small spoonfuls onto the meat and breaking apart with your fingers to evenly spread it out.
Add remaining meat mixture.
Top with 1 ½ cup of mozzarella, grated parmesan, and parsley.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
For perfectly browned cheese, turn on the broiler to 450 degrees in the final 1-2 minutes of cooking.

Notes

Be careful with the broiler. It’s my favorite technique for getting browned anything, but can easily go from perfect to burned. Watch it carefully.

Keyword Italian, lasagna, pasta bake

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

December 29, 2019April 17, 2024

JessLeave a comment

From Scratch Italian Wedding Soup

Soup. It speaks to my soul. If someone said I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, I would choose soup in a heartbeat. Here’s the thing: I love all the parts of the prep; the chopping, the cooking of garlic (because you need all the garlic in your life), the long slow cook on the stove in a Dutch Oven, all of it. And this Italian Wedding Soup fits all the bills.

I may not look it, but I have enough Italian in my DNA to call myself an Italian, and ALL Italian food makes my taste buds do a happy dance; so when I saw a recipe for Italian Wedding Soup, I immediately started looking at all sorts of recipes to pull my favorite parts and make it my own. I was happy with how quickly this got pulled together and everyone in our family loved it!

Ready to get cooking? Let’s get started!

Your Ingredients

1 lb of Italian sausage seasoned ground venison (regular ground Italian sausage would work great!)
2 eggs, beaten
4 Tablespoons bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 cups finely diced carrots
4 cups chopped spinach
minced garlic, 2-3 cloves (I like to do a cereal spoon-ful, but do to taste. I have only experienced too much garlic once in my life)
11 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1 cup orzo
salt, pepper, and basil to taste

Your steps To Italian Wedding Soup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. Set aside.

Mix the eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and ground venison together. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place on the lined baking pan. Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, until cooked through. (If you haven’t cook meatballs this way yet, you have to give it a try! It saves a lot of stress in terms of making sure they don’t burn in a pan as well as the yuck of clean up. I wouldn’t do it any other way now!)

Meanwhile, sauté the carrots with garlic, salt, and pepper until softened. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil.

Once the chicken stock is boiling, add orzo and cook to al dente. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add spinach and meatballs. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Easy and delicious.

I’m loving all the uses I’m finding for this seasoned ground venison. It’s still low fat and healthy, a great alternative to Italian sausage, which we love at this house.

From Scratch Italian Wedding Soup

Looking for a simple but so delicious soup to serve? This Italian Wedding Soup has a little of everything: orzo, meatballs, carrots, and spinach. Give it a try!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings people

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage
2 eggs beaten
4 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
4 cups chopped spinach
2-3 cloves minced garlic
11 cups chicken stock low sodium
1 cup orzo
Salt and pepper to taste
Basil to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Mix eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Italian sausage (venison or regular) together. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until cooked through.
Meanwhile, saute the carrots with garlic, salt and pepper until softened.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add orzo and cook to al dente. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add spinach and meatballs. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Keyword Italian sausage, Italian Wedding Soup, meatballs, soup, soups and stews

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!