BAKED SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

BAKED SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS
6 cups cooked thin spaghetti noodles
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Alfredo sauce (recipe below)
Italian Meatballs (recipe below)
Roasted Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce or your favorite red pasta sauce

Prepare your meatballs.
Prepare your red sauce.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the holes of a mini loaf pan.
Toss together the cooked spaghetti with the Alfredo sauce.
Fill each of the mini loaves with the pasta and press down on the top to pack in it, adding more as necessary.
Sprinkle the tops with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Put a little sauce in each bowl, add one of the baked spaghetti loaves, top with Italian meatballs and more marinara sauce.
Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley.

ALFREDO SAUCE
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons crumbled bacon
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a saucepan.
Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
Gradually add heavy cream, stirring constantly.
Stir in salt, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese and stir constantly until melted.
Whisk in egg quickly and heat through.
Toss and serve immediately.

MEATBALLS

1 pound hamburger

1 pound ground pork
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup Panko crumbs or crushed saltines
2 eggs

1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using your hands blend all the ingredients together.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Roll meatballs into golf ball size meatballs.
Bake for 30-45.
Bake how ever many you need today and freeze the others for future meals. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.

ITALIAN BAKED CHICKEN

ITALIAN BAKED CHICKEN serves 8

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in halves)
salt and pepper to taste
provolone cheese slices
prosciutto slices
1 large bunch green onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
fresh basil
1 cup white wine (I used zinfandel)
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously salt and pepper each piece of chicken.
In a large skillet melt butter until frothy.
Add chicken pieces, searing each side quickly. Drain on a paper towel. Do not discard butter.
Warp each piece of chicken in a slice of prosciutto and then lay a slice of provolone on top.
Arrange chicken pieces in a baking dish.
In the skillet add the garlic and green onions, sauteing until soft and fragrant.
Add the wine and lemon juice, simmering until starts to thicken.
Pour sauce over and around chicken pieces.
Bake 30 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

NEAPOLITAN CHICKEN

NEAPOLITAN CHICKEN
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Panko crumbs
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/8 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
4 slices sliced provolone
3-4 cups marinara sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350˚.
In a shallow bowl mix together the 2 beaten eggs and milk.
In a medium mixing bowl cream together the ricotta cheese, 1 beaten egg, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Generously salt and pepper. Set aside.
Flatten chicken breasts to uniform size.
Bring butter to a melt over medium heat.
Coat chicken in flour.
Dip chicken in egg wash.
Coat in panko crumbs.
Brown chicken breasts on both sides.
Drain chicken breasts on paper towels.
Place half the marinara sauce in a baking dish.
Add the chicken breasts.
Top with a thin layer of marinara.
Spread a generous portion of the ricotta mixture on each chicken breast.
Top each breast with a provolone slice.
Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Serve with pasta.

STUFFED MEATBALLS & ROASTED VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

I start with whatever vegetables I have in the vegetable bin. Today was Roma tomatoes, celery stalks, green onions and snap peas.
Then I drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper over it all and bake it for an hour at 400 degrees.
I started the sauce with a can of Contadina tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Better than Beef Bouillon paste, 2 cups orange juice and a V8. This truly was a clean out the fridge day.
When done roasting add the vegetables to the sauce and set to simmer all day. The vegetables will continue to cook down into a uniform consistency with the sauce. Salt & pepper taste.

For the meatballs:
1 pound hamburger
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 large slices sourdough bread, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1 bunch green onions, finely minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
mozzarella cheese, about 4 ounces, cut into 1 inch cubes

Crumble bread into a large bowl.
Toss in Parmesan cheese, parsley, green onions and garlic.
Add meat and with your hands mix extremely well until you have a uniform mixture.
Roll meatballs around a Parmesan cheese cube.
Chill Meatballs until sauce is done.
Just before the sauce is finished, brown meatballs.**
Add the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a medium high simmer until meatballs are cooked though, about 20 minutes.
Prepare pasta and Parmesan Cheese Bread while meatballs are cooking.
Enjoy

**If you prefer you can add the meatballs directly to the sauce and SLOW simmer for a couple hours instead of browning.

Ricotta Herbed Manicotti with homemade Bolognese Sauce

One of our favorites is Herbed Ricotta Cheese Manicotti with Bolognese sauce. Anyone who knows me knows when I make Bolognese, that I make it by the vat full and then freeze it in easy to use sizes. That step makes this a super easy dish to make.

HERBED RICOTTA CHEESE MANICOTTI with BOLOGNESE SAUCE
16 ounces part skim Ricotta Cheese
4 ounces Manicotti shells (1 tray)
2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
2 servings of your favorite BOLOGNESE sauce or marinara sauce
4 ounces Italian blend* grated cheese

Prepare pasta according to directions. Rinse in cool water and set aside.
With a hand mixer whip the Ricotta Cheese and add seasoning until well blended.
Gently stuff the cooled shells and place in a baking dish.
Top with sauce and cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Personally I like to bake these a day ahead of when I want to serve them and let the flavors meld together. I think they are better the next day.

Italian blend cheese ~ Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, Asiago, Parmesan

BLANCO ROSA PASTA

BLANCO ROSA PASTA
¾ pounds Penne pasta (I used linguini tonight)
1 pound chicken, cubed
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 small Vidalia Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup White Zinfandel Wine*
1 8 ounce can Contadina tomato sauce
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Asiago Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook the Penne pasta until al dente per package instructions.
Heat 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a skillet.
Add the chicken and saute until just done. Do not overcook them.
Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
In a large skillet heat the remaining butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and onion sauteing until translucent and fragrant, stirring occasionally.
Add the wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the can of tomato sauce. Stir until well combined.
Add heavy cream. Continue stirring until well blended.
Lower heat to a simmer.
Add chicken pieces back in and heat through.
Toss with prepared pasta.
Top with basil, parsley and grate Parmesan cheese.

*Can substitute chicken broth if you prefer.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

1/2 pound bacon /Pancetta, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoons Classico sun dried tomato pesto

3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small-medium onion, chopped fine

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, if necessary depending on bacon

1 teaspoon white pepper

3 tablespoons butter, melted

fresh parsley

1/2 pound spaghetti, linguine or pasta of your choice

Saute’ the bacon and brown until crisp.
At the same time bring the pasta water to a boil. Timing is crucial on this dish, the pasta must be ready when the rest of the ingredients are.
Chop the onion into small bits.
Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon from the grease and drain on paper towels.
Add the onions to the bacon grease and saute. Add the garlic.
Using a slotted spoon remove the onions and garlic and add to the bacon.
Pour off excess bacon grease.
Seriously scrape bottom of pan to loosen the stuck on bits – we NEED those for flavor. Make sure the pan cools slightly so as not to curdle the cream.
Add the sun dried tomato pesto and let heat to thin slightly.
Add the heavy cream, cooking until heated through and bubbling.
Add back in the bacon, onion and garlic. Lower heat. Simmer a few minutes to heat through and reduce liquid.
In a large serving bowl whisk the egg yolks together. Add the majority of the Parmesan cheese and Parsley, saving just enough for garnish. Mix it together well.
Add the drained HOT** pasta and mix well.
Add the butter, pepper and the bacon mixture. TOSS, TOSS and TOSS again until well mixed.
Garnish and Serve immediately.

**Pasta MUST be hot in order for this to coagulate well.

ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME PIZZA

ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME PIZZA

CRUST
1 cup of warm water (105F)
3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of honey
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of yeast

Put warm water into a bowl. Add salt, sugar and honey and mix well. Add the yeast, mix and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Gradually add the flour and olive oil until well blended.
When the mixture gets too heavy to mix, start kneading the dough with your hands.
Knead the dough until you have a smooth ball. If the dough cracks it is too dry. Add water bit by bit until if forms a nice smooth ball. If you need to add water or flour, do it by small amounts.
Coat the dough with olive oil, place it in a large bowl and cover it with kitchen wrap and a flour sack towel. Let the dough rise for about an hour at room temperature, then push it down again so it deflates. Let it sit for about another hour. Either bake it or refrigerate for later use.
Put the dough on a lightly floured surface, put a bit of flour on top and make it into the shape of a pie by stretching it out from the center outwards. Use a rolling pin until the dough is about 1/4″ thick. Punch some holes in the dough with a fork to let the air escape while the pizza is in the oven.
Lightly oil a cookie sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Pre-Bake dough at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.

TOPPINGS

1 package John Morrell pepperoni

3 Italian sausages, cooked and crumbled

1 can Contadina tomato paste with basil and oregano

1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 large bunch green onions, thinly sliced including the majority of the tops

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 Roma tomato, diced small

2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese

2/3 cup grated provolone cheese

2/3 cup grated Romano cheese

Extra light olive oil

Whisk together the tomato paste, garlic and 1 teaspoon olive oil to make the sauce.
Brush pre-baked dough with a small amount of olive oil and then an even layer of the sauce.
Evenly sprinkle the crumbled sausage over the sauce followed by half of the pepperoni.
Top with the mushrooms, green onions and tomatoes.
Evenly sprinkle the cheese over it all
Top with the remaining pepperoni.
Bake the pizza at 400-450° F for about 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden.

MEAT LASAGNA traditional

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans diced tomatoes with garlic, oregano and basil
1 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles(I like the Barilla no cook)
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned.
Stir in crushed tomatoes (juice included) and tomato sauce.
Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley.
Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water OR use no bake noodles.
In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce.
Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture.
Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices.
Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

My mom got me this new lasgana pan from Chicago Metallic for Christmas and I have to say it is awesome. Lasagna no longer is a mess to cut and each edge of cheese is crispy and just perfect! Assembly is also a breeze with no overlapping. You can even make 3 different flavors at once. I can’t wait to try it on some banana bread and meatloafs.

BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN BAKE

BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN BAKE

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic & herbs, undrained

1 package Chicken Stove Top Stuffing

1 KNORR chicken bouillon gel tub

1 cup hot water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden Basil paste

4 slices or 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.
Whisk together hot water, bouillon tub, garlic and basil paste until well blended.
In a mixing bowl mix together the stuffing mix, tomatoes and bouillon mixture until stuffing is moistened.
In a 9×9 baking dish sprayed with PAM, layer evenly first the chicken, then the cheese and topped with the stuffing mixture.
Bake 45 minutes – chicken will be cooked through and stuffing will be beginning to crust.
Cut it like a lasagna and serve with salad.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

I think I finally topped myself and found the perfect seasoning combination for bolognese sauce! I made the sauce a couple of days ahead so it could sit and let the flavors meld together.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE
1 pound COSTCO organic ground beef
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
5 large Roma tomatoes, slice thin
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Lasagna Noodles, prepared or oven ready**

Brown ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and garlic. Drain fat.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce.
Stir in sugar, salt, pepper, basil, Italian seasoning and fennel, mixing well.
Lay tomato slices evenly on top. Cover.
Simmer for 2 hours over low heat. Stir in tomato slices until well blended. At this time you can proceed to finish the lasagna or refrigerate the sauce until ready.

16 ounces Ricotta Cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the Ricotta cheese, egg, nutmeg and parsley.
Spray baking dish with PAM.
Spread some of the meat sauce along the bottom. Top with lasagna noodles. Add a layer of the Ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with some of the Parmesan and then the mozzarella cheese. Repeat two more times.
Cover and bake 25 minutes.
Uncover and bake another 25 minutes or until cheese is golden and starting to crisp.
Let rest 10 minutes before cutting or serving.

**I love the oven ready noodles – no pre-cooking and so much less breakage. No one can tell the difference after you bake it!

CHICKEN MARSALA

I loved Italian food long before I met hubby. I’m also a creature of habit. When I find a dish that I absolutely adore I will try it every time I go out to find who makes it best. Unfortunately for this recipe no one makes it quite like it was originally made and I was forced to make my own recipe. I also found out that I have to hide the wine or hubby makes it disappear without benefit of the recipe/meal LOL.

Chicken Marsala

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – pounded 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, sliced into thin rings and then separated
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup sweet cooking sherry

With a mortar and pestle grind the oregano.
Sift together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano.
Coat the chicken pieces well with the flour mixture.
In a heavy skillet, heat oil and butter.
When oil and butter is hot, saute’ onions and mushrooms until just caramelized.
Set aside onions and mushrooms and place chicken breasts in skillet and brown on both sides about 6 minutes per side over medium heat. Remove and set aside, but keep warm.
To the skillet, add the wine, lemon juice and sherry. Stir, reduce heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is partially reduced and begins to thicken.
Return onions and mushrooms to the skillet.
Plate chicken breasts.
Spoon sauce over the chicken.
Cover and cook over low heat for about 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Category: ITALIAN

Chicken Marsala