Category: Italian

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Marinara Sauce Number Two

I have a lot of cookbooks and one of my favorites is Cooking from an Italian Garden by Paola Scaravelli and Jon Cohen.  There are over 300 vegetarian recipes in this book.  Over the years I’ve made virtually none of the recipes in the book.  Yes, virtually zero.  This cookbook remains a favorite because it is inspirational.  You can prepare simple healthy meals without animal proteins.  The section on sauces alone is worth the price of admission.

The following is my adaptation of a flavorful marinara sauce that I recently prepared for a Stack Project recipe.

  • 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 1 stalk celery diced
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
  • handful fresh basil, chopped (or healthy pinch of dried basil if fresh is not available)
  • handful fresh parsley, chopped ( or dried, if fresh is not available)
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  1. Saute the vegetables until wilted.
  2. Add the canned tomatoes, herbs and simmer uncovered for one hour.
  3. Salt lightly and add just enough sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
  4. Done.

Tips

Garlic???  By all means if you have to have garlic, use some.  The quality and acidity levels of canned tomatoes vary tremendously.  Use sugar only when necessary.  This sauce freezes well.

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Lasagne Stacks

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I know, it’s been a while since I posted a recipe.  The problem is that the original intent was to post family recipes from a time long long ago so that they would be preserved for future generations to enjoy.  But I ran into some problems.  I can’t remember what I cooked 25 years ago.  Sometimes I can’t remember what I fixed yesterday.  Life changes and you change too.  I can’t remember the last time I made lasagne.  If I made a tray of lasagne now, we would be eating it for a week.

Then I discovered a unique concoction called the lasagne stack.  For the noodle layers you use those refrigerated won ton wrappers that you’ve never bought before because you vowed at one point in your life never to make won tons from scratch.  But the wrappers are just pasta.  And you don’t have to boil them first.  You layer, bake, eat.

I feel guilty about never progressing past six or seven dishes you can make with a cooked chicken.  So I’m not numbering these recipes.  And the kids never ate anything similar to this dish when they were little.  I made this up because I was in the mood for lasagne and for the first time in my life, bought won ton wrappers.  Welcome to the first recipe in The Stack Project.

Quantities are for four stacks.

  • 24 won ton wrappers – six per stack
  • a handful of fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 cup bechamel sauce
  • 1 cup ragu
  • grated parmesan
  • shredded mozzarella
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a baking dish large enough for the number of stacks to be made, cover the bottom with several spoonfuls of ragu.
  3. Arrange four won ton skins in the baking dish. Leave enough space between each so when fully baked they won’t all glump together.
  4. Start stacking.  Spread some sauce, spinach, cheese on each wrapper.  Add another won ton wrapper and repeat.  Alternate between white and red layers.  Get creative.
  5. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.
  6. Uncover, add more mozzarella to the top of each stack and bake for another five minutes or until the cheese melts.
  7. Enjoy.

This dish came into being because I had leftover homemage ragu and an urge for lasagne.  I wish I had this concept when the kids were little.  Including prep time, this took all of 45 minutes.

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One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #6 Pasta with Chicken, Vegetables, Oiive Oil and Garlic

Pasta with Chicken, Vegetables, Olive Oil and Garlic

Parmesan cheese (lots)
3 medium carrots
2 small zucchini

2 small yellow squash
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

4 oz mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil for sauteing, 3-4 tablespoons for dressing the pasta
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 – 4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb cooked, drained bow tie pasta

One Rotisserie Chicken, carved off the bone, cut into pieces that match your pasta shape.

  1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package for al dente.  Drain and set aside.
  2. Cut carrots and zucchini on the diagonal into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick.
  3. Heat 1 T olive oil (preferably extra virgin) in a frying pan.  Saute the carrots and squashes for several minutes on each side until golden brown and caramelized.
  4. Add the onion, red pepper, mushrooms and garlic.  Saute for several minutes until the onions are translucent.  Add more olive oil if necessary to prevent sticking.
  5. Toss chicken into the pan and stir until the chicken is warmed through.
  6. Add pasta to the vegetable chicken mixture and stir to mix well.  Add remaining olive oil.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh basil and grated Parmesan.  Salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Top each serving with more shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

 

It was hard figuring out how this dish started.  When the kids were little time was always limited, especially around dinner time when they needed to eat RIGHT NOW.  One night there was leftover spaghetti in the fridge.  It got tossed with some sautéed onion and garlic, topped with cheese and served.  Not only did the pasta get eaten, but the kids requested the dish again.  We had discovered a fast meal without resorting to fast food.

Over the years this simple meal evolved.  More vegetables got added.  The browning of the squashes came later, spurred by a memory of a dish eaten in some Italian restaurant a long time ago.  Chicken was added to make the dish more substantial and to take advantage of the cooked birds that every market started to prepare and sell.

TIPS – use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.  Add crushed red pepper in Step 4 if you want some zing.  You’ll need a nice loaf of bread and a salad to complete the meal.  Either red or white wine will work but if you choose red, get a lighter bodied Italian red like Bardolino.

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Italian Sausage and Beef Meatballs

I was at the grocery store this past weekend and found sweet Italian Sausage and Aged Angus Ground Beef both on sale for $3 a pound.

I’ll have a pound of each please.

When I got home I started thinking about what to make with a pound of Italian sausage and a pound of ground beef.  Meatballs!
Toss these into some Tomato Sauce 2.  You really didn’t want a vegetarian meal anyway.

Italian Sausage and Beef Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (80/20)

1 lb sweet mild Italian sausage, bulk

Leftover Italian or French bread, coarsely chopped

Milk

1 egg

1 cup Parmesan cheese

White wine

  1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the coarsely chopped Italian bread with just enough milk to moisten.  Beat in the egg, add a pinch of oregano or basil (optional) and incorporate the Parmesan cheese.
  2. Mix in the meats and blend well.  Chill for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  3. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Form 1.5 – 2 inch meatballs and spread evenly in a roasting pan large enough so that the meatballs don’t touch one another.
  5. Add a little white wine and water to the bottom of the roasting pan and bake the meatballs for 40-45 minutes.
  6. Cool and drain the meatballs on paper towels to absorb as much grease as possible.
  7. Toss into Tomato Sauce 2 and simmer for two hours.
  8. Serve over pasta or make into sandwiches.

 

Tips – note the basil and oregano are optional.  Go light on the herbs and spices because any Italian sausage you buy will already be seasoned well, and perhaps salted fairly well also.  When using sausage in meatballs, you won’t need a lot of additional spices.  When I was younger, I fried my meatballs.  Nowadays I prefer roasting my meatballs in the oven with a little wine.

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Tomato Sauce 2

Tomato Sauce 2

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 28 oz can tomatoes, puree
1 28 oz can tomatoes, crushed
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Brown sugar

  1. Heat olive oil in an 8 quart stock pot.
  2. Saute the carrot, onion, and celery until limp.
  3. Add garlic, mushrooms, basil, and oregano.  Saute for another minute.
  4. Add both cans of tomatoes, simmer for 30-45 minutes.

 

This sauce recipe is a rough adaptation from the cookbook Cooking From an Italian Garden by Paola Scaravelli and Jon Cohen.  The cookbook contains Italian vegetarian recipes (long story here).  I’ve served this sauce on pasta and it’s OK.  But rather than use this sauce as is, I’ve always used it as the base for my version of Sunday Gravy.  My family never really cared for giant chunks of animal protein in their sauce.  So Tomato Sauce 2 became my base for meatballs and sausage.

Tips – salt and pepper to taste.  Use sugar only if the tomatoes are overly acidic.  You’ll be glad you used an 8 quart pot once you toss in the meatballs.  Italian Sausage and Beef Meatballs

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One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #4 Pasta Primavera with(out) Chicken

Pasta Primavera with Chicken

Grated Parmesan cheese (lots)
3 medium carrots
2 small zucchini
1 small head of broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb cooked, drained pasta (fettuccine, bow ties)

One Rotisserie Chicken, carved off the bone, cut into pieces that match your pasta shape.

  1. Cut carrots and zucchini lengthwise into thin slices. Add carrots, zucchini and broccoli to 1 inch boiling water in medium saucepan. Cook until crisp-tender.
  2. Drain; set aside.
  3. In the same saucepan add olive oil, onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
  4. Gradually stir in broth, cream, grated Parmesan (min. 1/2 cup) and seasonings; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
  5. Add vegetables and heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to vegetables and lightly toss.  Add chicken if desired.
  6. Top with more grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

 

Back in my 20’s I started making Pasta Primavera.  This was always the dish made to celebrate the bounty of fresh, seasonal vegetables during the summer months.  I recall using copious amounts of butter and heavy cream.  Low cholesterol and heart friendly were not in anyone’s vocabulary at that time.  Along the Path I came across a recipe called Pasta with Fresh Vegetables in Garlic Sauce on http://www.theculinarychase.com  It was the first time I had seen someone use a combination of chicken stock and cream in a Pasta Primavera type dish.  Over the years I began using chicken stock with half and half with good results.  Then I started tossing in cooked rotisserie chicken.  The kids ate it so I kept making it.

Tips – try different vegetable combinations.  Mushrooms and red bell pepper are a good addition.  So too are a handful of fresh spinach leaves. A dash of red pepper flakes will add some zip.  If you want less fat in your sauce, cut back on the half and half, increase the chicken stock.  Or if you want a richer sauce, more half and half, less stock.  Toss in a pat of butter.  This dish freezes well.  Don’t make the mistake of using a full pound of pasta.  You’ll end up with enough pasta for 8 people.  Depending upon the size of the chicken, you might need only a half chicken for this dish.

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Italian Meatloaf

Italian Meatloaf

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded, small dice
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
2 pounds ground beef (or 1 pound ground turkey and 1 pound beef)
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs (Italian or Panko)
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.
  3. When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together.
  4. Form the meat mixture into 2 loaf (brain) shapes on an oiled oven tray or baking dish.
  5. Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the middle of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

 

When the kids were little I never made meatloaf.  They hated meatloaf.  When I was growing up as a kid my parents never made meatloaf.  I hated meatloaf.

Time passes, people change, tastes change.  I guess decades of going meatloaf-less made me want meatloaf more.  I only started making meatloaf when MedFed began.  MedFed is the code name for meals that freeze well that can be defrosted, heated up, and eaten by time starved medical school students who would quite frankly probably eat anything you put in front of them.  The only problem with my new found meatloaf craving was finding the perfect recipe.

This recipe is adapted from the Food Network’s Michael Chiarello.  It’s tasty, simple, and hearty.  Serve this up with some loaded mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

TIP – The recipe will make two meatloaves.  There’s nothing better than a cold meatloaf sandwich the next day.  I’ve also heard rumors that you can chop up this leftover meatloaf, heat it up in some marinara sauce, and serve over pasta.  Sounds like something a medical school student would do.

Substituting dried for fresh herbs is OK.  I usually make this with a mixture of beef and turkey.  85/15 is good.  Don’t use ground turkey breast, use regular ground turkey.

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Baked Penne with Two Sauces

Baked Penne with Two Sauces

In the North End of Boston there is a marvelous Italian restuarant named Giacomo’s.  The place is small and cramped, service is brusque.  The food is exquisite which certainly explains this eatery’s well deserved reputation.  My first encounter was many years ago when my brother and I stopped in for dinner.  I ordered Seafood Linguine and the waiter asked

“Red, white, or pink?”

“I know what red is and I know what white is.  What’s pink?”

“Red and white together.”

Imagine a pasta dish with the consistency of a good macaroni and cheese plus a rich hearty ragu.  I bought back my memories and created a baked pasta with two sauces.

Turkey Ragu (about a quart, more if you like your pasta moist)
Parmesan sauce (see recipe below)
One pound box of penne (rigatoni works well also, or use your favorite pasta shape)
Grated parmesan cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese, about two cups
Extra virgin olive oil

1.  Bring several quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  Cook pasta until barely al dente.  The pasta should still be firm to the touch and will cook through during the baking process while absorbing the sauces.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

2.  While the pasta is cooking prepare the parmesan sauce.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour and cook briefly.  Gradually add milk, stirring constantly to remove all lumps.  Add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. When the sauce begins bubbling at the edges and thickens, turn off heat and set aside.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4.  Take a baking pan large enough for the pasta and grease the pan with extra virgin olive oil.

5.  Place partially cooked pasta in the pan, add parmesan sauce, and mix well.

6.  Cover pasta mixture with ragu, mixing gently.  If your family likes pasta moist, use more ragu.

7.  Sprinkle grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses on top.

8.  Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.  If your family likes pasta a little drier, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time.

9.  Serve with a nice fresh green vegetable, salad, and bread.

Parmesan Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Giacomo’s Restaurant
355 Hanover St
Boston, MA

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