Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• Salt
• 8 pieces jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese (can use reduced fat or skim)
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound mozzarella, grated
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 6 leaves fresh basil, torn 
• 1 cup shredded Asiago
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, Crushed
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Egg Beaten

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Pasta:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
• Add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package for Al Dente.   Drain pasta and cool.

Filling: 

• Combine ricotta, with 1/2 of the other cheeses (Mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmasiano.) Add parsley salt, pepper, and egg to the cheeses and stir to combine.

Sauce:

• Over moderate heat add oil, garlic and onions. Saute onions and garlic 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper ( I like to add a little red pepper flakes for an extra kick).
• Simmer sauce 5 minutes and stir in basil leave. 

• * If you have a little Marinara Sauce or prefer Meat sauce, that can ALSO be used.

Assemble:

• Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium sized casserole dish. 
• Fill shells with filling  and arrange them seam side. 
• Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining cheeses. 
• Cook 6 to 8 minutes uncovered, to melt cheeses , or till you see the sauce bubble.

 **Feel free to get inventive with these.  I have added spinach, ham,  to the cheese filling, filled with meat, added a layer of sliced Italian sausage to the bottom of the pan, etc.  Get creative, and ENJOY!!! (BTW.  They freeze WONDERFULLY, I usually make two or three pans and freeze for later..)



Lisa C. . . . .

Italian Bread Dip

 

Ingredients:


4 fresh garlic cloves
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 small bunch fresh oregano
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup fresh basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese






Fresh ground sea salt to taste

Directions:


Place all ingredients together in a small food processor.
Pulse in the food processor until the mixture becomes well mixed.
Sprinkle a bit of the mix onto a small plate.
Drizzle olive oil over the mix.
Dip big pieces of fresh bread into the oil mixture.

Lisa C. . . . .

Stromboli

 

Ingredients

• 2/3 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese .
• 3 oz turkey pepperoni .
• 2 roasted red peppers, sliced .
• 3 oz prosciutto ham .
• 1 (10 oz) can put in the fridge pizza dough

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 and spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.
• On a lightly floured surface, press pizza dough into a 9x12 rectangle.
• Top with mozzarella, leaving a 1/2 to 1 inch border.
• Top with prosciutto, pepperoni & sliced roasted red peppers.
• Roll up jelly-roll style, seal the edges & place seam-side down on the baking sheet.
• Bake at 375 for about 25 mins or until golden.
• Serve with a side of warm marinara sauce for dipping.

** Again creativity is the key... I've made mine with mini meatballs instead of prosciutto and peperoni, I've also made it with cubed ham and cheddar.. Yummmmm ... You know your guests, and what they're into..

Enjoy

Lisa C. . . . .

Turkey meatballs

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground dark turkey meat
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 26 ounces Marinara Sauce, or store-bought marinara sauce.

Directions

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, cilantro, parsley, Parmesan, Pecorino, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Add the marinara sauce, about 3 cups. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Alfredo Sauce (Low Fat Optional)

 

Ingredients:

1 quart heavy cream  (LF? I use fat free cream cheese) 1/4 pound butter (LF? Margarine)   1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese - (LF? Fat free Parmesan) 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic, chopped 1 cup white wine (chardonnay works well) 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 teaspoon white pepper

Directions: 

Over medium-low heat, mix all ingredients (except wine) until evenly blended. Bring to a boil. Cook until the volume is reduced by half. At this point, reduce the heat, add the wine mixture to the sauce and stir for 15 more minutes (do not boil)add salt and pepper to taste.

Marinara Sauce *

 

Ingredients:


1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional


Directions:



In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

Whole Citrus Vinaigrette

You Will Need


3 lemons
2 small oranges
1 shallot
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups pure olive oil


What to Do


1. Cut off and discard stem ends of 2 lemons and 1 orange. Cut into quarters, cut out core, and deseed. Place in blender.

2. Squeeze juice from remaining lemon and orange; add to blender with shallot, salt, and pepper.

3. Pulse, then blend, fruit until as smooth as possible.

4. With machine running, add olive oil in a thin, steady stream. Vinaigrette will be thick like mayonnaise; if too thick, with machine still on, thin with a little hot water. Taste for seasoning.

5. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. If vinaigrette separates, return it to blender and blend until smooth again.


 

Roasted Tomato Bread Soup

Ingredients

5 Vine ripened Tomatoes
Sour dough bread
5 tbls Garlic flavored Olive Oil
1 lrg Can Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
1cup Fresh Basil

Direction

• Preheat oven 400 degrees.
• Quarter and remove the center from tomatoes.
• Place on baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt and toss.
  
• Place in oven for 15-20 minutes till edges begin to caramelize.
• Cut up basil leaves.
• Coat a pan with olive oil and add Basil.
• Add can of tomatoes (I like to add a little water in the can to get ALL the tomato out).
• Let simmer.
• Meanwhile cut up or tear up the sour dough loaf (day out is best) into bite size pieces.
• Add the bread and roasted tomatoes into simmering soup.
• Let cook for a few more minutes to allow all flavors to marry, and enjoy.
  

Simple Lasagne

 

 

Ingredients

• 2-15 oz containers ricotta cheese
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese Shredded
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 box lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh curly parsley
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil
• 2-15 oz jars tomato sauce (or homemade Marinara)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta, drain, and cool. Brown meat, drain, add tomato sauce, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, and basil. Spread 1/4 of meat sauce on bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Cover with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 ricotta mixture, 1/4 sauce, 1/3 mozzarella. Repeat layers twice. Bake 40 minutes. Cool 10 mins. Serves 10–12.



**Tip: Ground beef can be substituted or mixed with pork, turkey or Italian sausage...

Grilled Chicken w/ Arugula Salad

 Ingredients:

• 2 bone-in whole chicken breasts, halved
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
• 3 cups packed arugula
• 1 1/2 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh oregano
• About 1/2 cup Whole Citrus Vinaigrette
• 1 1/2 oz. Pecorino cheese

Directions:


1. Prepare grill and let burn down to medium-hot coals. Brush chicken breasts on both sides with olive oil; season well with salt and pepper. Grill over coals, skin side down, until well browned, about 2 minutes. Move to edge of grill, away from direct heat; cover grill loosely and cook, turning once or twice, until opaque throughout, about 20 minutes.

2. While chicken is cooking, make salad. Combine corn kernels, arugula, and oregano in a bowl. Add vinaigrette, toss, and season with salt and pepper. With vegetable peeler, shave cheese onto salad. Toss lightly.

3. To serve, arrange chicken on plates and pile salad alongside.

Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 envelopes (1/4 ounce each) rapid-rise yeast
• 4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing

Directions

1. Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together flour, cornmeal, yeast, and salt. With processor running, add oil and then 2 cups cold water in a steady steam; process until dough just forms a ball.
2. Turn out dough onto a floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 3 to 4 minutes. Place in a resealable plastic bag; let rise until doubled in bulk, 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator (let come to room temperature before proceeding, about 40 minutes).
3. Divide dough into four equal portions; roll into balls, and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap until puffed, about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 500° . Place each dough ball on a baking sheet; using your hands, gently flatten, and pull into 8-by-10-inch ovals. Top as desired.
5. Bake until crust is golden brown and toppings are hot, rotating sheets halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Bruchetta

Ingredients

• 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs) diced
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread sliced
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Method

1. Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.
2. While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. and sprinkle the other 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic.
4. Place on a cooking sheet, . You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
5. Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

****** Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

Cheesy Penne

 

 Looking to overhaul your Mac and cheese?  This is sooooooo yummy, it's like the bastard child of Macaroni and cheese and Fetuccini Alfredo... Totally not on my diet list, but worth the little cheat.. hehehehe

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh penne pasta
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces aged English white Cheddar, grated
• Kosher salt
• Fresh finely ground black peppercorns

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta, cook until al dente, and drain. Return pasta to the saucepan.
Whisk milk with Dijon in small bowl and add to the pot with cooked pasta, along with cream and grated Cheddar. Stir over medium-low heat until the cheese melts and the mixture is nice and thick. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve. Happy indulging!

Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson

Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 10 ounces ground pork shoulder
• 10 ounces sweet Italian sausage
• 2 ounces prosciutto or pancetta, minced (helps to put in freezer for 15 min first, before mincing, will make it easier to cut)
• 4 cups cubed white bread, crusts removed first.
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (high quality, either San Marzano or Muir Glen)
• 1/4 cup chiffonaded* fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

* if fresh is NOT available, you can substitute w/ 1 Tablespoon of dried basil...

 

Method 

In a large bowl, add the pork, Italian sausage, prosciutto or pancetta, bread cubes, parsley, oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, and salt. Use your hands to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not over-work.Whisk the beaten eggs and ricotta together in a separate bowl until there are no more large clumps of ricotta. Pour into the bowl of the meat mixture. Mix with your hands until just incorporated. Again, do not over-mix.

If you want, to test seasoning, you can take a small bit of the mix, form into a patty, and heat in a small skillet on the stovetop until cooked through. Depending on how this test patty tastes to you, add more herbs, chili, or salt to taste to the meat mixture. Keep meat mixture in refrigerator while doing this.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat the bottom of a large roasting pan with olive oil. Form meatballs in your hand, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, using about 3 Tbsp of the mixture to form each meatball. Arrange in pan so there is some space between them. If too crowded they will steam and not brown.

Roast meatballs in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning the meatballs after about 20 minutes, until the meatballs are beginning to brown.

Remove pan from oven. Use a metal spatula to dislodge meatballs from being stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan. Carefully cover the pan with aluminum foil (carefully because the pan is still hot!) Return the pan to the oven. Lower the heat to 300°F. Cook for an additional hour to 1 1/2 hours.

Sprinkle basil into sauce before serving.



Makes about 24 meatballs. Top with grated Parmesan.

Spaghetti w/Italian Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 Package of Italian Sausage (we like HOT)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (high quality, either San Marzano or Muir Glen)
• 1/4 cup chiffonaded* fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small onion minced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 box of Spaghetti

* if fresh is NOT available, you can substitute w/ 1 Tablespoon of dried basil...

 

Method 

In a Crock Pot Add Crushed Tomatoes , add parsley, oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, and salt.. Set to high.  

In a skillet heat 1 tsp of olive oil and add sausages.... Brown... add Onion and Garlic till translucent and then incorporate everything in the skillet into the Crock pot...

Cook on Low for a few hours.. Taste for QC purposes and add salt and pepper to taste...

 Make Spaghetti according to package directions once ready to eat..

Sprinkle basil into sauce before serving.

Top with grated Parmesan.