My favorite food to cook and to eat is Italian. The cuisine is so much more than spaghetti and pizza.
A dear friend attended college in Rome and he learned Italian cooking
from the locals as a hobby while he was there. Since returning to
America, he has worked on perfecting his skill. And he has taught me.
Thanks Brian. You have inspired many wonderful meals and family
favorites. I thought I would share with you some of what I have
learned and some of my favorite recipes. Many of these I got from
Brian, some are my own creations and others I have picked up here
and there. I collect Italian recipes the way others collect bells,
spoons, and salt & pepper shakers. So, if any of these recipes are
copyrighted to you, please let me know and I will remove them or give credit, your choice.
I have prepared every one of these recipes and they are all good
food!! Some are easier than others. One of the things I like about
Italian cooking is that it is so fast. Most of the sauces for the
pasta are started while the water is boiling for the pasta. So, those
of you who have been searching for easy have come to the right spot!!!!
Once you try this, you will never order out again! Start the noodle water boiling before you start the sauce. Really! This is wonderful over any pasta, but fettuccini is the most common. If you add a meat or vegetable to it, I prefer a short noodle. I have included my recommendations for noodles with the variations.
1/2 stick unsalted butter (accept no substitutes--worry about your cholesterol level some other time!)
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Reduce heat and add the cream. DO NOT SCALD OR BOIL
Drain the noodles and return to pan off the heat source. Add the butter & cream sauce. Add the Parmesan gradually until you have a thick sauce. Serve with extra Parmesan grated over the top.
1/2 pint heavy cream (accept no substitutes--worry about your cholesterol level and fat intake some other time!)
1 to 1 1/2 cup FRESHLY grated Parmesan cheese (accept no substitute.)
1 lb. pasta cooked al dente
While heating the butter, add two small jars marinated artichoke hearts (Reese’s brand is my personal favorite) If the idea of artichoke hearts puts you off, try them before giving up on this. They are really a pickled flavor and don’t retain an artichoke flavor at all. (I don’t really care for artichokes, but I love this!) Serve this over Radiatorre!
If you can get spicy hot Italian sausage in bulk, get one pound. If not, take 1 lbs. hot Italian sausage out of it's casing. Crumble the sausage and brown in a skillet along with 6 (at least) cloves of garlic freshly pressed or finely minced, and about 1/2 cup diced onion. Once the sausage is browned and the onion is transparent, add one cup white wine. Simmer until the wine is gone. Add 1/2 pint heavy cream over low heat. Do not boil or scald. (Yes, you do leave the butter out of this one.) Continue as for Alfredo. Serve over farfale (bowties), or radiatorre.
There are as many recipes for variations on Alfredo as there are Italian Grandmothers in Italy. Don’t be afraid to experiment. I made a mushroom Alfredo one time using Portobello mushrooms that tasted wonderful. The mushrooms, however, made the Alfredo kind of brown instead of that beautiful white so I haven’t included the recipe here, but don’t be afraid to experiment. Once you have a feel for this sauce, nothing is easier to cook.
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic--freshly pressed
generous pinch dried red pepper flakes
1/4 cup freshly grated Romana cheese
1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 lb. Pancetta (Italian bacon. American bacon is a poor substitute, but if you must. . .an addition of some ham helps)
3/4 lbs. Fettuccini or Angel Hair (short pastas will not cook the eggs adequately)
In a large metal or glass bowl, grate the cheese. (The smaller amount of Parmesan first as you can add more later easier than trying to take some out!) Add the egg, garlic, and pepper flakes. Blend well with a whisk. Meanwhile, boil the noodles al dente and fry the bacon in a pan until transparent. Pancetta should be cubed. Ham thinly sliced and cubed, American bacon cooked crisp and crumbled. Drain fat on a paper towel. Add to the eggs. When the sauce is all together, add the HOT noodles. (Go straight from stove to colander to noodles rapidly. Speed is the key here.) Mix together rapidly. You may have to make this a couple of times to get the hang of it, but persevere. This is wonderful. It is one of Ed’s favorite quick lunches. If you end up with scrambled eggs instead of a creamy sauce, you had too many hot noodles. If you end up with almost raw eggs, you didn’t have enough noodles.
Leave out the meat and the Romana for a delightful quick meal.
Pronounced ahli oleo, this is garlic and olive oil. It is my favorite quick lunch.
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Get the pasta water started first. Yes, I really mean that!
In a small skillet or sauce pan, heat the oil. Remove from heat and add the garlic right away along with the pepper flakes. When the pasta is cooked and drained, return it to the pan, but not the heat source. Add the oil and the parsley. Enjoy! This pasta is traditionally served without cheese, but Ed always adds it. Try it without the cheese first. If you must, though, don’t let me stop you.
3 or 4 cloves freshly pressed or minced garlic
generous pinch red pepper flakes
about 1 T. freshly chopped Italian Parsley (flat leaf parsley is much more flavorful than that curly stuff which should be used only for garnish or compost.)
1 lbs. Angel Hair
You will need a good blender for this one.
1/2 stick unsalted butter (accept no substitute) melted
Blend everything together and add to 1 lb. of your favorite pasta. This is heaven on a plate.
*Check the fresh produce market for this. What you get in the store will not be very fresh and will be very expensive. This much basil will cost between $5 and $10 anyway. Discard any leaves with black spots. They are spoiled and don’t taste good.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
about 1/2 lb. fresh basil*
4 to 6 cloves garlic
2 to 3 T pine nuts
1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For 1 lb. Penne Rigate (A short tube with ridges)
If you are using dried tomatoes that come in a bag instead of in a jar, you must reconstitute them before adding them to the recipe. To do this, put 1/2 bag in boiling hot water and soak for about 10 minutes. Drain and julienne.
Start the water boiling. Once it is at a full boil, add the tomatoes whole for exactly one minute. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon to a bowl full of ice water. Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and remove the skins. (They should peel off very easily.) Cut them in half length-wise and remove the pulp and seeds, rinse in cold water. Dice. Set aside.
Meanwhile, the water should be returning to a boil. Add the pasta. It takes about 10-12 minutes to cook. Al dente!
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms, thinly sliced. Sauté for about 4 or 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the julienne sun dried tomatoes. Sauté for about another 5 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the tomatoes. Do not overcook. Add the garlic and parsley. (If you like less garlic taste, add them when you add the tomatoes.)
Drain the cooked noodles, return to the pan, but not the heat source. Add the sauce and stir well.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 medium fresh Roma tomatoes
1 lb. Portobello mushrooms
1/2 jar sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (see instructions if you substitute dried tomatoes in a bag)
4 cloves garlic, freshly pressed
3 T freshly chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (not the curly, tasteless stuff)
A friend of mine who used to live in Rome gave me this recipe. I have never seen it anywhere else. This is not your usual Primavera. I like this one with Radiatorre.
3 cloves garlic, freshly pressed
Boil the noodles until al dente. Add the rest of the ingredients while the noodles are hot! Top with freshly grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
1/3 c. freshly chopped arugula
1/2 jar sun dried tomatoes (see recipe above for instructions if you are using the dried tomatoes in a bag.)
1/3 c. freshly chopped basil
1/2 c. freshly grated smoked mozzarella (this will not be nearly as good with plain mozzarella, but the recipe will work)
6 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
Combine the tomatoes, olive oil and arugula in a large serving bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, make thin slices of the Parmesan over the vegetables. Season with salt to taste. Add the cooked, drained hot pasta. Stir well. The pasta will adequately wilt the arugula and cook the tomatoes. Top with grated Parmesan
1/4 C extra Virgin olive oil
2 bunches fresh arugula rinsed stems removed, and coarsely chopped
3 oz piece of Parmesan cheese
1 lb. dry angel hair pasta
Here it is. The recipe you have all been looking forward to! This makes a lot! So I make it for company.
1/4 c. olive oil
Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil. Sauté the garlic and mushrooms. Remove from heat and place in a large mixing bowl. Blanch the washed, chopped spinach for one minute in boiling water. Drain well, squeezing out excess moisture. Add the spinach to the mushrooms. Let cool. Add the mozzarella, rice, ham or proscuitto, parsley, Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
To prepare the chicken breasts, place each individually, one at a time between two sheets of durable plastic wrap. Hit with a meat mallet or rubber mallet until they become very thin and about double in size. Place 1/11th of the filling in each one and roll up and secure with toothpicks. Roll these first in flour, then the beaten egg, then the Italian bread crumbs. In a very large skillet, fry them in the butter until golden brown. If you do not have a big enough skillet, fry as many as you can at a time and remove them to a pan with a rack and place in the oven while you fry the rest. If you have a very large skillet, the next step can be completed in the skillet. If not, place all of the breasts in a large pan such as a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the wine, shallots, and Italian plum tomatoes. Simmer for about 1/2 hour.
If you can’t find smoked mozzarella, ask your grocer if he can get it for you you. If not, sadly substitute plain mozzarella and continue your quest for smoked mozzarella. Every time I move, I start the quest over again.
I like to serve this dish as the main course at a dinner party. You will spend all day cooking, so make it for your family once so you get a feel for it before trying it for guests. I like this with a good crusty garlic bread, Caesar salad, pasta aglio e olio, and a dish of fresh vegetables. If you still have room, try some Streusel Cake for dessert.
3 cloves garlic
1/2 lb. mushrooms
1/2 lb. fresh spinach
1/2 lb. smoked mozzarella
1/2 c. cooked rice
2 oz. proscuitto or smoked ham, diced*
1/4 c. Italian parsley, chopped
1/8 c. Parmesan (2 T.)
salt and pepper to taste
*Proscuitto is a very thinly sliced Italian ham. If you must use American smoked ham, have the deli slice it very thin for you.
Unlike the recipes above, which are pretty authentic Italian, this recipe is my very own. I experimented for years to get this sauce, which is always a hit with my family. It is spicy and thick. The measurements, however, are an estimate as I cook this sauce with a pinch of this and a dash of that. (OK my pinches and dashes are really generous. *lol*) I've estimated as closely as I can.
1 lb. ground beef
In a large sauce pan brown the ground beef with the onions. Drain fat well. Add the tomato sauce and paste and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for a couple of hours.
1 15oz. can Hunt's tomato sauce
1 8oz can Hunt's tomato sauce
1 6oz can Hunt's tomato paste
2 4oz cans mushrooms or 1/2 lb. freshly sliced mushrooms
3 cloves fresh garlic pressed
1 med onion diced
6 green olives pressed through the garlic press or finely chopped
1 T brine from the olives
about 2 T. dried parsley
about 1 t. each tyme, marjoram, Italian seasoning, basil,and oregano
about 1/2 t. paprika
generous dash red pepper flakes
Guestbook courtesy of Guestworld
Do not use or remove without prior written permission