Italian Recipes

Better late than never eh?

Italian Wedding Soup


8 cups homemade chicken broth
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
3 eggs, plus 5 eggs
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 cups grated Ramono or Parmesan, plus 1 cup I use Ramono
2 medium heads endive, cleaned and chopped

Bring broth to a boil over medium heat.

Combine the ground beef, ground pork, 3 eggs, bread crumbs, basil, parsley and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Mix well and form into bite-size balls, about the size of a marball. Drop the balls into the broth.

Add edive into broth.

(When meatballs rise to the top, they are cooked, about 6 to 7 minutes. When endive is wilted it is done.)

Combine the remaining 5 eggs with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Pour this mixture into the soup, stirring continuously, until the egg is cooked.

Enjoy, and sorry it took SO long

Anyone have a tomato sauce recipe using fresh tomatoes??? My kitchen is over run with the red devils!!!

Pizza Crust recipe posted by a Swede.

One warm bottle of beer. I prefer Liennie's Honey but thats personal taste
One package of Rapid Rise Yeast.
Two tablespoons of Canola oil
Two tablespoons of Honey
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Two tablespoons of butter
4 cups of unbleached flour.

Mix in bread machine and use dough cycle but don't let in rise in machine or use a Kitche aid mixer with dough hook. knead for 15 minutes.
Makes two 18 inch pizzas for me.
Make the day or night before. Put in container and cover with plastic wrap and put in refrig until your ready to use. Take out and divide it to your taste. Let it warm up and rest and it will spread easier by hand. Spray your pans.
I pre-cook dough at approx. 450 degrees. Prior to putting it in the oven you fork it to eliminate bubbles. Like a cracker. When the crust gets brown on the bottom rack take it out and brush with melted butter. Watch when browning; pick up dough edge with a fork to see if its browning.
Lately I've been hung up on Bertolli Mediteranian garlic and oil spagetti sauce for my pizza sauce. I like to lay it on thick.
If your pizza dough is getting two brown during the final cooking and the topping isen't; Turn the oven off and turn on the broiler. That will brown the cheese.

Enjoy. I've tried a lot of recipes and this one is tried and true

Recipe Name: BASIL PESTO
Category: SAUCES
Serves: 6

1 teaspo Garlic minced
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 1/2 cup Basil fresh stems removed
Salt to taste

This is a great way to preserve a lot of fresh basil. Simply add to freezer bags and place in the freezer until needed. Defrost and add to pasta sauces (cream or wine) or use as a sauce over fish.

Makes about 2 1/4 cups

Add the garlic, walnuts, cheese, and olive oil to a food processor bowl. Pulse until a course paste begins to form. Add the basil and pulse until blended. Check the seasonings

Shadows! I am half Italian, 2nd generation, and my family have been making sauce for years. I have used fresh or canned tomatoes because my mother used to grow them in her garden. When I don't have fresh tomatoes, I use Contadina crushed tomatoes! So I would just use the tomatoes you have with your favorite sauce and I bet it would be wonderful! Go for it and let us know how it works. I am going to California in a few days and my sister grew beefstake tomatoes and we plan on having tomato sandwiches! yummy!

CAPONATA



2 pounds eggplant, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 8 cups)

Salt

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cups finely chopped celery

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup red wine vinegar, mixed with

4 teaspoons sugar

3 cups drained canned Italian plum or whole-pack tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

6 large green olives, pitted, slivered and well-rinsed

2 tablespoons capers

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons pine nuts



Sprinkle the cubes of eggplant generously with slt and set them in a colander or large sieve over paper towels to drain. After about 30 minutes, pat the cubes dry with fresh paper towels and set them aside.

In a heavy 12 to 14 inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Then stir in the onions & cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the celery and onions are soft & lightly colored. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil into the skillet and over high heat, saute the eggplant cubes in it, stirring and turning them constantly for about 8 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Return the celery and onions to the skillet and stir in the vinegar and sugar, drained tomatoes, tomato paste, green olives, capers, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grindings of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts. Now, taste the mixture and season it with salt & pepper and a little extra vinegar, if necessary. Transfer the caponata to a serving bowl and refrigerate it until ready to serve.

Recipe Name: Baked Chicken and Potatoes
Category: POULTRY
Serves: 6

5 1/2 Pound chicken
2 Large white onions
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
10 Medium potatoes
a sprig of fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
Dash cayenne pepper

1. Cut the chicken in pieces and eliminate all the excess fat.
2. Rinse the chicken under running water and then dry it with paper towel.
3. Cut the onions in thick slices.
4. Preheat the oven to 400° and grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
5. Place the chicken on the baking sheet, add the onions, the rosemary sprig and the oil.
6. Sprinkle the meat generously with salt, cayenne and a dash of pepper.
7. Bake the chicken for 40 minutes.
8. Meanwhile peel the potatoes and cut them in pieces, but not too little.
9. Add the potatoes to the chicken and sprinkle them with salt. Cook it for one hour or until cooked.
10. Once in while turn the pieces of chicken and with a spoon baste meat and the potatoes with the juices on the bottom of the pan.
11. The last few minutes you can put the chicken under the broiler.
12. When the chicken and the potatoes are cooked serve immediately.

Breaded Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Slice each, horizontally, into 2 or 3 serving pieces. Dip them in beaten egg, then in Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Quickly brown in a little hot oil. Place in a baking dish and bake for 350, for about 1/2 hour. If you really want a treat, top each piece with a slice of mozzarella, a few minutes before baking time is up. Then serve on top of spaghetti w/marinara.

PENNE CASSEROLE

Your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 lb box of Penne pasta
4 cups of Mozzarella grated cheese
Italian sausage (sliced) or ground meat
Parmesan cheese


Mix together sauce, pasta, meat and 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese. Pour in 13x9 casserole dish. Top with last two cups of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Very quick, easy and very good. Enjoy!

This is really good and if there are leftovers it makes a grand pulled pork to add barbeque sauce to for sandwiches!

Recipe Name: SOUR PORK ROAST
Category: PORK
Serves: 6

SOURCE SCOTT TUCKER

(Western Italian - border of Germany)

3lb Pork Roast
2 oz Lard
1 fresh rosemary sprig
4 bay leaves
4 or 5 cloves
1 large onion finely sliced
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cub white wine vinegar
4 cups broth

Brown the meat in the lard, then add spices, onion, wine, and vinegar. Simmer and turn for approx. 1 ½ hours or until the internal temp. of the meat is 180 degrees. Add broth as needed. Remove spices before service. Slice and serve with sauce and onions.

-Note, putting spices in a flow through bag during simmering makes them easier to remove.

-Recommended sides:
Fried Zucchini
Roasted red potatoes

Pastitsio

Prep Time: 45 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

"An amazing baked pasta dish combining a meat sauce and a cream sauce with a cheesy top."

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound dry ziti pasta or bucatini
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
cheese
1 dash ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add bucatini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and return

to pan.
3. Melt butter until golden brown and pour over bucatini, add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper and toss

well; allow to cool. Add eggs and toss again; set aside.
4. To make meat sauce: Gently fry onion and garlic in butter in a skillet until onion is soft. Increase heat and add ground beef;

stir well. Cook until meat begins to brown. Add tomato paste, wine, broth, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low

heat for 20 minutes.
5. To make cream sauce: Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and cook gently for 2 minutes. Pour in milk all at once and bring

to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 minute. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and cool slightly before stirring in beaten egg.

Transfer 1/2 cup of this sauce to the meat sauce.
6. To assemble pastitsio: Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon half of the prepared bucatini evenly in the bottom and top with

meat sauce. Top that with remaining bucatini. Pour on cream sauce and spread to completely cover bucatini. Sprinkle

remaining cheese on top.
7. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Shadows note: This freezes wonderfully, just wrap the individual squares in waxed paper or freezer paper and place in freezer bags. When the urge hits you for some of this wonderful pasta just take a square out of the freezer , unwrap, and heat in the microwave.