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Tag: italian food

Penne with Tomato Sauce and Burrata

When it is super hot outside and you want to eat something yummy!! This is this the thing to make…

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ¼ cup basil stems, chopped
  • 3 cups fresh or bottled tomato sauce
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • 1 pound penne, cooked al dente with 1 cup pasta water to spare
  • 1 burrata ball, torn into small pieces
  • 1 cup basil leaves, sliced

Heat a large frying pan with the oil. Add the onion, garlic and basil stems. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook on a simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Add the cooked pasta, burrata cheese and some pasta water if desired. Mix and cook till everything is warmed through. Add the basil, cook for another few minutes. Check for seasonings and serve.

Garlicky Pasta with Broccoli Rabe

This is one of my favorite pastas to eat- I love the earthy, slightly bitter broccoli rabe and lots of garlic… plus it is a perfect Meatless Monday dish!!

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 to 10 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped with stems off
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ pound pasta of choice, cooked al dente with 1 cup pasta water
  • ½ cup cheese, a variety is ideal- I used a combination of Parmigiano, Asiago and Pecorino

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the garlic and nuts and cook on a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and cook on medium high heat till the greens wilt down. Add the cooked pasta and ½ cup pasta water. Mix well and add the cheese. Stir and check for seasonings. Add more salt and pasta water if needed. Serve warm.

Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings

I think I will call these vegetarian meatballs! They were really delicious and no one missed the meat! Make sure to buy a good quality ricotta- preferably fresh and drain in for a couple of hours so the extra liquid comes out before forming your dumplings. I always have fresh tomato sauce on hand – which is quite handy with a number of dishes.

  • 1 pound fresh ricotta cheese placed in a strainer above a bowl for 3 to 4 hours
  • ½ box 9 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out and chopped
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup all purpose flour (plus more)
  • Semolina for holding dumplings

Ricotta and Spinach Dumplings

Take the ricotta out of the strainer and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, parsley, eggs, cheese, nutmeg, salt. Mix well. Add ¼ cup flour, mix, if the mixture is still wet, add in the remaining ¼ cup. I added the entire ½ cup.  Using a spoon take about a tablespoon of the mixture and place them on a platter with some flour. Form into a ball and transfer them to a tray lined with semolina. Form all the dumplings and keep aside.

 

 

Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 cups fresh tomato sauce or a 28 ounces can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
  • Salt

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and some salt and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste for seasonings.

In the meantime, bring a large pot full of salted water to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and gently add the dumplings to the simmering water. Cook until the dumplings float and swell, about 3 to 4 minutes. You may need to cook them in badges in order not to over crowd. Using a slotted spoon remove the dumplings from the water and add to the sauce. Serve warm.

 

Mushroom Pasta with Marsala Sauce

I’ll start off the New Year with a delicious mushroom pasta- my daughter loves, loves mushrooms- she sneaks away some as I am slicing them to prepare the dish… she loved this one…

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
  • 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup Marsala wine
  • 1 cup chicken/mushroom or vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • ½ pound farfalle, cooked al dente with ½ cup pasta water spared
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped

Heat a large frying pan with butter and olive oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Cremini mushrooms and sauté on medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes. Add thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl. Add the Marsala wine and scrape off the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Take off heat and add the cream and mix well. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta, cheese, mushrooms and parsley and cook over medium heat until pasta absorbs most of the liquid, about a minute or two. Adjust consistency with spare pasta water. Taste for seasonings and serve.

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

My daughter loves baked ziti and she loves pasta with meat sauce- so I made baked ziti with meat sauce. Why not?? It is easy to make and yummy!!

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground dark meat turkey
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 3 cups fresh tomato sauce
  • Salt
  • 1 pound penne, cooked al dente
  • 1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the turkey meat and brown at a high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme and rosemary and tomato sauce. Add salt and bring to a boil and simmer at a low heat covered with a lid for 20 to 25 minutes. Take the lid off and add the al dente pasta and mix well and check for seasonings.

Transfer half of the pasta mixture to an oven proof dish. Top with the fresh mozzarella and basil, distributing evenly. Top with the rest of the pasta mixture. Add the shredded cheese and top and bake, covered for 45 minutes. Take the foil off and bake to brown the top for another 15 minutes. Serve warm.

 

 

Mushroom and Spinach Meatless Balls

This is a great dish for Meatless Monday or really any other day you want to eat healthy… try it for a get together.. no one will guess this is meat free

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 pound Cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • Salt
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 10 ounces spinach, chopped
  • ½ cup quick cooking oats
  • ½ cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten

 

  • 4 cups fresh or store bought pasta sauce

Heat a skillet with the olive oil and butter. Add the mushrooms and some salt and cook over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a minute or 2. Add the spinach and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or till all the spinach is wilted and cooked. Take the mixture out into a mixing bowl and let cool.

Add the oats, cheese, bread crumbs, basil and parsley. Mix well. Add the eggs and 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet.

Form mixture into balls using a small scoop. Roll the balls lightly and bake for 15 minutes. Take out and keep aside.

Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Gently add the balls and cook on a simmer for about 45 minutes. Serve with pasta.

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Meatballs

How can I repost recipes and not include a meatball one??? This is particularly delicious!

  • 1 large red pepper
  • Drizzle of olive oil

Drizzle the olive oil on the red pepper and roast under a broiler until the skin is charred on all sides. Let cool and remove the skin and chop the pepper and keep aside. You can eliminate this step and use some jarred peppers instead- but nothing like fresh!

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 medium shallot, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ cup basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup panko crumbs soaked in ¼ cup milk
  • 4 cups marinara sauce

Transfer turkey, shallot, garlic, basil, red pepper, salt and egg into a medium bowl. Mix well and let it sit for 2 to 3 hours. Add the panko crumbs and mix well. In the meantime, add the tomato sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Form the meatballs and add to the simmering tomato sauce. Cook the meatballs covered with a lid for about 20 minutes. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Serve with spaghetti.

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