Fettuccine Alla Carbonara
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fettuccine
8 Strips Bacon
8 Ounces Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Onion
6 Ounces Thickly Sliced Prosciutto
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Parsley
½ Cup White Wine
½ Cup Heavy Cream
½ Cup Milk
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg Yolk
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
While the water is set up to boil, cook the bacon and drain it thoroughly. Cut the prosciutto and bacon into half inch squares. Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan. Add the minced onion and sauté over a low heat until the onion is translucent. Add the cut up bacon and prosciutto and stir over a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the wine into the saucepan and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil for 5 minutes while stirring. Add the cream and milk and bring to a low boil again for 5 minutes. Cook and drain the fettuccine. Lower the heat and add the parsley and ½ of the grated Parmesan cheese. Pour the mixture over the boiled and drained fettuccine. Add the whisked egg yolk and toss the pasta and sauce together thoroughly. Add the grated cheese and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Spaghetti With Mussels
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 Thinly Sliced Garlic Cloves
1 Cup White Wine
2 Pounds Small Mussels (Scrubbed & Debearded)
1 Pound Spaghetti
¼ Cup Finely Chopped Italian Parsley
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons of salt. In a 12 inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until light golden brown (for about a minute). Add the wine and raise the heat. Bring to a boil and then add the mussels. Cook, stirring and tossing, until all of the mussels have opened up (about 4 minutes). Meanwhile, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain well. Add the pasta to the pan with the mussels and cook over high heat for 1 minute. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve immediately.
Camille’s Black Friday Pasta Salad
If you’re tired of cooking and want to lighten up a bit try making this Pasta Salad. It’s easy to make and is delicious. Happy shopping today!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Corkscrew Pasta
12 Ounces Marinated Artichoke Hearts
8 Ounces Cubed Smoked Mozzarella
8 Ounces Cubed Pepperoni
3 Tablespoons Chopped Peperoncini
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves
½ Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
¼ Cup Chopped Kalamata Olives
Dressing
1 Clove Finely Chopped Garlic
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1/3 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/3 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as directed on the package. Make sure that you don’t overcook the pasta as you always want it al dente. Drain well and cool. Drain and quarter the artichoke hearts. In a large bowl combine the pasta, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, pepperoni, tomatoes, peperoncini, olive and basil. Combine well. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the pasta mixture. Serve chilled or room temperature. Serves 4
Italian Mushroom Risotto
This is such a simple yet elegant dish to make. If you want to impress your friends and family then serve them this Italian Mushroom Risotto dish. Works as a side dish or a main course.
INGREDIENTS
½ Ounce Dried Porcini Mushrooms
14 Ounces Chicken or Vegetable Broth
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Pound Sliced White Mushrooms
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Finely Chopped Small Onion
2 Cups Arborio Rice
½ Cup Dry White Wine
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
Take the dried porcini mushrooms and combine the mushroom with ½ cup of boiling water in a small bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes. With a spoon remove the mushrooms, dry and chop. Strain the soaking liquid through a sieve. Heat the vegetable or chicken broth, 3 ½ cup water and porcini mushroom liquid to a boiling over a high heat in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cover. In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the white mushrooms, pepper, salt and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in the porcini. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl. Set aside. In the same saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until the grains are opaque. Add the white wine and cook until absorbed. Add 12 cup of the simmering broth and stir until absorbed. Continue cooking, adding more both ½ cup at a time. Stir after each addition. Cook for 25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender and creamy but still firm. Stir in the mushroom mixture and Parmesan cheese. Heat through and stir in the parsley. Serves 4 main dishes.
Tomato Sauce Naples Style
Tomato sauces vary from region to region in Italy. Here is the Neapolitan version.
INGREDIENTS
3 Pounds Fresh Tomatoes
1 Minced Yellow Onion
1 Minced Celery Stalk
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
8 Basil Leaves
Wash, dry and seed the tomatoes. Dice into large chunks and place them in a large cooking pot. Add the onion, garlic, celery and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes until the tomatoes begin to fall apart. The pot should be without a lid on it. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Place the tomato mixture into a food processor or blender (you can also use a food mill) and puree. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to the pot and return the tomato sauce to the pot. Simmer over a medium low heat for 5 minutes. Chop or tear the basil leaves and add to the pot. Turn the heat off and serve over the pasta of your choice. This sauce is also great on meatballs or as a pizza sauce. Serves 4
Penne alla Vodka
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ Pound Diced Pancetta
1/3 Cup Vodka
28 Ounces Whole Tomatoes With Juice
1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Pound Penne Pasta
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmigianino Cheese
Italian Parsley For Garnish
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and stir until lightly colored. Turn the heat down and slowly add the vodka. Stir until most of the vodka has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and cream. Season with the salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes until the sauce has become somewhat thick in consistency. In the mean time, cook the penne in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and place in the skillet with the sauce. Add half of the Parmigianino and mix over a low heat until the pasta and sauce are combined. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with a sprig of Italian Parsley. Serves 4
Penne With Garlic & Broccoli
I love pasta dishes of any type. Here is a simple vegetarian pasta dish that is easy to make a great for both weekends and week nights.
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Penne Pasta
4 Cups Broccoli Florets
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Cloves Sliced Garlic
¼ Cup Sliced Olives
¾ Cup Vegetable Broth
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Cup Grated Romano Cheese
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook according to the package directions. Add the broccoli to the pot during the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic starts to brown. Stir in olives and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta, broccoli, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until hot. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 2
Sausage Frittata
INGREDIENTS
8 Eggs
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ Pound Italian Sausage With The Casings Removed
¼ Pound Chopped Mushrooms
1 Bunch Chopped Swiss Chard
8 Ounces Diced White Cheddar
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Fold in the cheese and set aside. Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet. You can use a frittata pan if you like, but don’t need to. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook for 9 minutes over a medium heat. Crumble the sausage with a wooden spoon until well browned. Drain off the fat and transfer the sausage to a separate bowl. Set aside. In the same skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 9 minutes over a medium heat. Stir occasionally until browned and tender. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage. In the same skillet heat the final 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the Swiss chard over a medium heat for 2 minutes until wilted. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage. Return the sausage, mushroom and Swiss chard mixture to the skillet. Cook over a medium heat for 1 minutes. Add the egg and cheese mixture. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Cook until the eggs are set and slide the frittata ontio a serving plate. Serves 6
Sausage Stuffed Manicotti
Bet you didn’t know that Manicotti means sleeves in Italian. Traditional manicotti is filled with ham and ricotta cheese. This recipe is made with sausage and spinach. Feel free to double this recipe if you are feeding a larger group or want lots of leftovers. This dish is made with a White Sauce and is delicious!
INGREDIENTS
½ Pound Italian Sausage
1 Medium Chopped Onion
1 Chopped Medium Red Bell Pepper
3 Cups Lightly Cooked Spinach
10 Manicotti
White Sauce
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Milk
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Pound Mozzarella Cheese
2 Cups Tomato Sauce
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
In a large pot bring water to a boil. Plunge the manicotti into the boiling water for 1 minute until al dente. Drain them and as soon as you can handle them stuff with the sausage – spinach mixture.
In a large skillet, sauté the sausage, the onion and the red bell pepper for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and mix well. Remove from the heat.
For the White Sauce melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the milk. Turn the heat back on and whisk until thickened. Season with the salt and pepper. Mix about ¼ of the sauce with the sausage-spinach mixture. Lay them side by side in a oiled baking dish that is just large enough to hold them in one layer. Slice the mozzarella and lay the slices over the manicotti. Spread the remaining white sauce over and then pour on the tomato sauce. Spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 30 minutes. Serves 5
Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
16 Ounces Tomatoes (Canned)
1 Chopped Onion
1 Large Chopped Carrot
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
¼ Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Put all of the tomatoes, onion, carrot, salt, pepper and garlic together in a heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the water if the sauce gets too thick. In the food processor puree the tomato sauce. Use where needed. Makes 1 ¼ Cups
When you need a quick tomato sauce for pasta or to top a meat dish this is a great basic recipe. Sometimes
I make it in advance and keep it on hand.
Quickie Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
16 Ounces Tomatoes (Canned)
1 Chopped Onion
1 Large Chopped Carrot
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
¼ Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Put all of the tomatoes, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic together in a heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the water if the sauce gets too thick. In the food processor puree the tomato sauce. Use where needed. Makes 1 ¼ Cups
