Tag: Italian Cuisine
Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Asparagus & Broccolini with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Another pasta dish but completely different from yesterday… this has spring vegetables and is topped with the most delicious toasted breadcrumbs…
- 1 lb plum tomatoes, cut in half and seeds scooped out
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Place the tomatoes face down on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Roast them for 3 hours until soft. Let cool and scrape off any lose skin. Chop the tomatoes and set aside.
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 1 bunch broccolini, trimmed and sliced in half
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Transfer the vegetables to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes. Take out and keep aside.
- ½ pound cooked pasta plus 1 cup of pasta water, penne or any kind
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil and butter. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and pasta water. Bring to a boil and simmer for a minute. Add the pasta and the vegetables. Mix well and season accordingly.
Toasted Breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Heat a medium frying pan with the olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic with the salt. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly, making sure the breadcrumbs don’t burn. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and keep aside and let cool. Once cool, add the parsley and cheese. Mix well and top the pasta before serving.
Chicken Parm with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
- 6-8 chicken tenders
Marinade
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and marinate the chicken tenders for 4-5 hours.
Breading
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. On a third plate, combine the breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken tenders on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken tenders on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken tenders.
Lay the cooked chicken pieces in an ovenproof casserole. Ladle spoons of marinara sauce over all the chicken pieces. Add the shredded mozzarella on top and bake for 5-10 minutes in a 350 degrees oven until cheese is melted. Add some more sauce and keep aside.
Pesto
- 2 cups broccoli rabe leaves only, roughly chopped
- 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
Process the broccoli rabe and spinach leaves till smooth. While the processor is on, drizzle the olive oil into the pesto. Add the salt and keep aside.
1 pound pappardelle, cooked al dente with some pasta water saved.
Once the pasta is cooked, return it to the same pot with ½ cup pasta water. Add ½ cup broccoli rabe pesto and mix well. Adjust seasonings and serve with chicken tenders on top.
Penne with Basil Pesto and Cremini Mushrooms
- 2 (10 ounces) packs cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the mushrooms. Saute on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, till the mushrooms are golden brown. Add salt and turn the heat off.
- ¼ cup fresh or store bought basil pesto
- ½ pound cooked penne with ½ cup spare pasta water
Add the pesto, penne and the pasta water to the mushrooms. Stir well without turning the heat on. Check for seasonings and serve.
Bucatini with Salted Pork and Shrimp
½ cup salted pork, cut into chunks less than ½- inch
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped
28 ounces can of San Marzano tomatoes
½ pound medium shrimp, deveined and cleaned
Salt
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
½ pound cooked bucatini, cooked al dente with 1 cup spare pasta water
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Heat a wide skillet with the olive oil and salted pork and fry over low heat for 15 minutes or till the fat is rendered out and the meat is crisp. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion and garic and sauté over medium heat for five minutes. Crush the tomatoes with hand in the can and add to the onion mixture. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat with the lid on. Check for seasonings and add salt and the red pepper flakes.
Add the raw shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the al dente pasta and cook on medium for another 2 to 3 minutes, till the shrimp is cooked through- careful not to over cook. Check for seasonings and garnish with parsley.
Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches with Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta Cheese
½ cup full fat ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pack chicken sausages (I used roasted garlic ones from Trader Joes), sliced
1 large or 2 medium red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1 inch squares
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups tomato sauce (jar, bottle or fresh)
Salt
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the sausage pieces and sauté on medium high heat and brown both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes. Take the lid off, add the peppers and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or till the peppers are soft, but not too soft and falling apart. Check for seasonings and garnish with basil.
4 ciabatta rolls, toasted with a drizzle of olive oil
Add some sausage and peppers into a toasted roll. Top with a dollop of ricotta cheese. Serve with oven fries.
Gluten Free Pasta Bake
I wanted to experiment with gluten free pasta. I actually went shopping for lasagna noodles but couldn’t find the gluten free variety. The store had run out of them, due to their popularity. I instead bought some penne and planned on layering my dish like a lasagna using penne instead lasagna noodles. It turned out delicious!!
- ½ pound gluten free penne (lasagna sheets will be great as well)
Cook 2 minutes short of package instructions. Drain and keep aside making sure
pasta doesn’t stick together.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 yellow squash, chopped
- 2 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 yellow pepper, chopped
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- Salt
Heat a wide saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the squash, zucchini and pepper. Saute on medium heat until the vegetables are golden brown (careful not to overcook them). Add the tomato sauce and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Check for seasonings and keep aside.
Ricotta Filling
- 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup basil
- ½ cup parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Place the garlic, basil and parsley in a food processor and process till chopped well. Place the ricotta in a medium bowl. Transfer the chopped herbs, salt and egg to the ricotta cheese. Mix well.
Layer like a lasagna starting with the vegetable mixture (divide into 3 parts). Top with half the pasta. Place half of the ricotta filling. Repeat the layering. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
Sausage Mushroom Calzone
3 to 4 links sausage of choice, casings off and crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
Heat a frying pan with the oil and add the crumbled sausage. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes till the sausage is golden brown. Turn heat of and keep aside.
10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Heat a frying pan with the oil and add the mushrooms and cook on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt and continue cooking till mushrooms have wilted and golden brown. Keep aside.
½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 garlic clove, grated
Mix all the ingredients and keep aside.
1½ – 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 balls of store bought or homemade pizza dough, each divided into 4 parts
2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll each quarter into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Place 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture on one half of the circle and spread with knife. Add 1 tablespoon of sausage mixture and mushroom mixture. Top with couple tablespoons of cheese and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and create a slit in the middle with a knife for the hot air to escape. Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes till golden brown. Serve with tomato sauce.