Basil and pea pesto

As a general rule, I don't really care much for peas.  But when they're in this pesto recipe, I LOVE them.  There's something about the taste and texture when mixed with traditional pesto that really works for me.

You simply start with your basic basil pesto recipe, https://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2013/10/pesto-sauce.html, and then add a cup of cooked (and cooled) peas and other 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Voila!  

This is great as a dip, a spread on sandwiches or, of course, as a pasta sauce.

From-Scratch Marinara Sauce

I've previously posted my marinara sauce recipe and this doesn't vary too much from that.   But at the end of every summer, I buy up pounds and pounds of peak-season tomatoes and I turn them into sauce.  I freeze it up for the winter, adding meatballs and sausages when I'm ready to eat it, or sneaking some into sauce made from canned tomatoes to make it even fresher.   You shouldn't be intimidated to make sauce from scratch -- it's REALLY easy and here's how.

5-7 pounds of tomatoes -- they're best when they're a little bit over-ripe, cut into roughly 2 inch chunks
1 small can of tomato paste
1 large onion, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Either 2 tablespoons each fresh basil and oregano or 1 tablespoon each of dried basil and oregano
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, garlic and a pinch or two of salt.   Saute until they are soft and translucent.

Add the tomato paste and saute for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes very dark red, verging on auburn/brownish.

Then add the tomatoes, with a pinch or two of salt after each layer of tomatoes.

Stir well, keeping the heat on medium.  Let them cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.   Then add the basil and oregano -- no need to chop them up if they are fresh.

By now the tomatoes should have broken down some and let go of some water/juice.   If you have an immersion blender, you can use it now to puree the tomatoes and herbs.  Then add the sugar and let it simmer with just a slight bubble in the middle for about 3-4 hours so some of the liquid evaporates and the flavors can meld together.  Add pepper to taste.

If you don't have an immersion blender, cover the tomatoes for about an hour and let them really break down.   Then crush them some with a potato masher or large whisk and cook for a 2-3 more hours.  When it's done and cooled off, if you'd like it to be a smoother texture, you can puree it in a food processor or blender.  BUT BE SURE IT'S ROOM TEMP BEFORE YOU DO THIS!  Trust me on this one!

This freezes beautifully -- put it in plastic wear, leaving just a little room for expansion as it freezes, but so that it will freeze up to top of your container -- this way, you won't have any freezer burn.

As a little end-note, many people go to the trouble of peeling their tomatoes before making the sauce, and some even remove all the seeds.  I don't bother -- takes a LOT of time to do each and I've received raves for the sauce made this way.   So peel and de-seed if you must, but I don't think it's necessary at all.

White Lasagna

Start by making a basic bechamel sauce: 

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan and then whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour.   Let this cook for about 1 minute, whisking gently so it doesn't burn.  Then slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk, add a pinch of pepper, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg (go easy on the nutmeg, a little goes a long way).  Continue to whisk over low heat for about 5-7 minutes until it gets thick  and then take it off the heat and let it cool and set a bit.  Optional: You could also crush a clove of garlic and let it cook in the sauce to add some additional flavor.

Once the sauce is done, line a baking dish with a thin coating of the sauce, and cover it with no-bake lasagna noodles (Barilla and San Giorgio brands are both very good).

Now your imagination is your guide -- you can make your next layer any combination of ricotta, mozzarella, fontina, shredded chicken, shredded proscioutto, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, or anything else you think would be tasty in your creation.

Continue layering the fillings, noodles and sauce till you get to the top of the baking dish.  Cover the top layer of noodles with more sauce, and sprinkle with parmigiana reggiano cheese or a good romano (I like locatelli best).

Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until it's bubbling around the edges and the cheese on top forms a nice light brown crust.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Pasta alla Putanesca

This is an extremely flavorful and bold pasta sauce and the name literally means "of the whore" because of no holds barred flavors.   It's also very easy to make, so I suggest you cook up a pot and enjoy!

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
8 anchovy filets or two tablespoons of anchovy paste
2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of capers, drained
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 tablespoon of red pepper flakes

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and anchovies -- saute until the veggies are translucent and the anchovies have all but dissolved into the oil (they'll take on a wonderfully toasty flavor).  Add the red pepper flakes at this point and saute for another minute.

Then add the rest of the ingredients, and once it comes up to a low boil, turn the heat down to medium/low and simmer for 40-60 minutes.

Can be served over any pasta, but I like it with spaghetti, bucatini or some other hearty long past.

Fettucine Pasta Salad

Nothing ground breaking in this recipe, but it was a tasty make-ahead for a crazy night, and the leftovers are great too.

1 pound of Fettucini
16 ounces of grape tomatoes, cut in half
3 medium zucchini, cut into cubes
1 cup of baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the pasta and spinach and mix well.

Break the dried fettucini into three pieces before boiling, and cook until al dente.

Drain the fettucini and while still steaming hot, pour it over the tomato/zucchini/herb mixture and let it sit for a minute or two.   Then toss it together, allowing the hot pasta to "cook" the mixture a bit.

Either let it sit till room temperature, or cool in the fridge until about a hour before serving.  

Then toss in the spinach right before serving, so it doesn't wilt too much.

Enjoy!

Orzo Pasta Salad

I have to thank my friend Kristin for this recipe -- she made it for me years ago and I've fully appropriated it into my regular routine both for our own meals, and for parties. It's a vegetarian delight, but can also be supplemented with chicken and seafood.

1 pound of orzo, cooked and cooled (you can really use any type of pasta that you like in a pasta salad, but because the flavors are Greek themed, I like to use the orzo to keep with the theme)
1 cup of diced tomatoes (if it's not summer and you can't get good fresh tomatoes, use grape tomatoes)
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced thin (peeling isn't necessary, but if you don't like the peel, go ahead and get rid of it)
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese (low fat varieties work nicely)
3 tablespoons of fresh dill, minced (dried dill is so poor of a substitute that it's not worth making this salad if you don't have fresh dill -- it's easily found in the produce aisle of most any supermarket these days)

Preparation couldn't be easier - you simple toss all the ingredients together with the cooked and cooled pasta. (Once the pasta is done, run it under cold water and toss in a bowl with the olive oil until you're ready to add all the other ingredients). Be sure to taste it when it's all mixed and add more seasoning, oil or vinegar if needed. It should suit your taste.

This will keep for at least a week in your fridge. It makes a great side-dish at a picnic or party, or can be a main course for lunch or dinner.

Pasta of the Seven Fishes

It's a grand Italian tradition to have the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. (For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Seven_Fishes.) Many still keep this tradition alive and make seven distinct seafood dishes on Christmas Eve like my Grandmother used to do. I've never had the time or bandwith to go all out and prepare the seven dishes, though I hold out hope of doing so someday.  But I've improvised in the past with a delicious pasta dish made with a light tomato sauce with seven different types of fish/seafood in it. It's an easy meal to make, and doesn't need to be saved for simply Christmas Eve. Proportions below are for 6 people

Ingredients:

1/4 pound of small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 pound mussels
1/2 pound small clams
1/4 pound small scallops
1/4 pound of calamari (rings and tentacles)
1/4 pound salmon
1/4 pound firm white fish like halibut or sea bass
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbs. each of fresh Italian parsely and basil, minced
1 cup dry white wine
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of pasta

Before making the sauce, steam open the clams and mussels and remove the meat from them. If any of the shells do not open after being steamed for 5 minutes, throw them out. Also, have all your seafood pre-prepped -- it should all be cut into bite sized pieces if it's not already small enough to eat in one bite.

Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet or sauce pan, and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Turn up the heat and immediately add the white wine and let it boil and reduce by one half. Once that happens, add the crushed tomatoes, pepper and 1/2 of the herbs and once it starts to boil, reduce it to low heat.

Once this is done, bring the pasta water to a boil and add your pasta. 5 minutes before the pasta is done, add the fish to the sauce (which should still be on low heat). After another minute, add the scallops. One minute later add the shrimp. and then one minute later add the calamari.

Before draining the pasta, take 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and hold it aside. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and then pour the sauce over it, adding the already cooked mussels and clams to it. Toss this all together for about a minute, adding some pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce a bit.

Place it all in a large serving bowl and garnish with the remaining 1/2 of fresh herbs.  As with my note following the Linquine Al Vongole recipe, serving grated cheese with this dish isn't terribly authentic, but if you like it that way, go for it!




Buon appetito and Buon Natale!

Manicotti

This is my absolute favorite dish in the entire world. My Grandma used to make it for every holiday meal, and a few other times a year as well. A picky and sparse eater as a child, I nonetheless ate manicotti until I was bursting at the seams. My cousin Sean and I used to delight in having contests to see who could eat more, and my shining moment came when I ate 8 and he only finished 6 :)

This is not a recipe for the dieting type -- while there are some ways to cut calories (using part skim cheeses for example), this is NOT a meal that can be made with non-fat cheeses for the cheeses are the be all and end all of the dish. So if you're going to make it, be ready to splurge and revel in the decadence of this delicious meal.

There are pre-made pasta shells for manicotti that you could use if you must. Similarly, large sheets of fresh lasagna pasta will do in a pinch, but there is no substitute for the real thing -- fresh crepes. The recipe is below, and trust me, they are not hard. Once you get the hang of them, it's a piece of cake. My mom and I can knock them out in an assembly line at the rate of about 60 in 30 minutes.

The recipe below makes 12 manicotti, which easily serves 4, and if you have meatballs and sausages on the side, or some other side-dish, could also serve 6. But be warned, as good as these are right out of the oven, they're equally good the next day gently warmed up, so I always recommend making a generous enough portion that you'll have leftovers.

Crepes:

4 eggs
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup flour
a pinch of salt

Whisk the eggs (either by hand or using a stand or hand mixer), water and salt together until the eggs are thoroughly blended. Sift in the flour a bit at a time, and continue whisking in the flour to make sure there are no lumps. Mix just until the flour is fully incorporated, but do not let the mixture start to get fluffy. Let it sit for a few minutes before cooking.

Take an 8 inch, non-stick frying pan and heat it up over medium heat. Once the pan is warm, lower the heat to medium/low and put a very thin spray of non-stick cooking spray over the pan (you may need to do this again after 6 or so crepes, but if your pan is very good, you might not need to do it again at all). Using a large spoon (the kind you stir a big pot of soup or sauce with), pour the mixture into the pan and roll it around the pan until it forms a full circle on the bottom -- add a bit more if necessary to cover the whole pan. When the edges start to curl ever-so-slightly, flip it over for about 10 seconds, and then remove from heat and put on a plate. If you're going to fill the manicotti right away, there's no need to separate the crepes with anything, but if you are going to wait a few hours or a day or two, separate each crepe with wax paper or saran wrap.

Filling:

8 ounces of ricotta cheese
4 ounces of diced mozzarella cheese (don't use fresh mozzarella -- it's too wet and will make the mixture runny)
1 egg
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsely
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

As an option, you could also add about 1/2 cup cooked, chopped spinach to the filling.

Stir this together, and fill each crepe with about 2 heaping teaspoons of the mixture before rolling them up. Place them in a casserole dish that's generously lined with tomato sauce (I prefer the sauce made with meatballs and sausages because the flavor is richer, but marinara sauce is great too. Do NOT use Bolognese sauce as it's too overwhelming and the meat will over-power the delicate cheese-filled crepes). Once they're all in the dish, cover with more sauce and then sprinkle liberally with shredded mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 35-45 minutes, at 350 degrees, until bubbling on the sides and so hot in the middle that you can't stick your finger into it without immediately recoiling. Be sure to put a few toothpicks in the top so the aluminum doesn't stick to the manicotti.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving so the cheeses can firm up just a bit. It will make serving much easier.

When heating up leftovers, either microwave them at medium power until just warmed through, our put them in a saute pan, with a little bit of water, and gently heat over low heat.

Pasta Al Fresco

Here is a great, easy, fresh pasta sauce that's perfect for summer tomatoes. You can make it in less time than it takes to boil your pasta.

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of diced tomatoes -- farm grown summer tomatoes are really best, but if you can't get these, substitute grape tomatoes, chopped into quarters
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (you can substitute dried herbs, and if you do so, use half of these amounts. It'll still be good, but it's infinitely better and brighter with fresh herbs)
1/3 cup of dry white wine (optional)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and quickly saute the garlic, taking care not to let it brown at all. Once its translucent, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly. Cook this over medium to medium-low heat until the tomatoes start to break down. Add the rosemary and pepper and continue to saute until a nice liquid forms. If the sauce doesn't form enough liquid to coat the pasta you're cooking, you can either add the 1/3 cup white wine, or the same amount of pasta water, right before you drain your pasta.

Toss this sauce with 1 pound of your favorite pasta, throwing the basil in as you toss. Serve with grated cheese.

You could also add shrimp or sliced chicken if desired.

Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Vodka sauce has become very popular in the last decade, with good cause -- it's rich, delicious, but doesn't have to be too heavy. And best of all, REALLY easy to make! The recipe below will easily cover an entire pound of pasta.

1 large can of crushed tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, well crushed, but not cut up any further
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (Optional)
1 pint of half and half (you can use heavier cream, but I prefer the lighter texture of half and half)
1/2 cup good vodka (doesn't have to be the most expensive kind, but don't use rot-gut quality)
1/3 cup of freshly grated pecorino or locatelli romano cheese
3-4 ounces of diced and browned pancetta (optional)

Saute the garlic in olive oil, over medium heat, just until it starts to turn every so slightly brown. Then remove the actual pieces of garlic but leave the flavored oil. Add the pepper (black and red) to the oil and saute for 30 seconds. Then turn the heat up to high and add the vodka -- let it come to a rapid boil and immediately turn the heat down to medium/low. (It may flame up on you if you're using a gas stove so stand back and be careful.) You want to boil off the alcohol, but not evaporate the liquid. Then add the tomatoes and once that is heated thru and starting to bubble a little, turn the heat to low and add the half and half. Let it warm through, but do not bring to a boil or it may curdle. Once it's warm, mix in the romano cheese and then toss with pasta.

Any kind of pasta is fine, but I like penne or rotini best. But it's also wonderful on stuffed pastas such as ravioli and tortellini.

Serve with more romano on the side for those that like their pasta extra-cheesy.

Pasta al'Amatriciana

This is a fabulous and easy sauce that is native to Rome. It's often the dish I order in a new Italian restaurant to determine whether it's ever worth coming back again.   Some places try to complicate it with mushrooms, or spinach, or some other thing that I love, but not it this sauce.  It should be simple.

It's not one that needs to be simmered for a long time and the ingredients are minimal -- so it's a great week-night meal for us, especially if we have anyone joining us for dinner. It's that easy, and that good . . . .

3-4 ounces of pancetta, diced
1 medium onion (I prefer red, but white or yellow are fine too), diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Saute the pancetta in the olive oil until it starts to brown ever-so-slightly. Add the onion and continue sauteing until the onion is translucent. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium-low flame for about 10 minutes.

Toss with one pound of pasta and serve with fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese on the side.

Bucatini (a thick spaghetti with a microscopic hole in the middle) is the traditional pasta served with this sauce, but whatever pasta you like best or have on hand will work just fine.

Linguini Al Vongole (Linguini and Clam Sauce)

Linguine with clams is one of my favorite dishes. I prefer white sauce, and that's the recipe that I'm posting here, but at the bottom, I'll let you know how you can make it really quickly.

I'm going to give you the cheap and easy way to do this -- with canned clams, which if not overcooked, are really quite good. If you want to go more gourmet and high end, you could definitely use fresh clams from your local fishery. If so, figure that you'll need 1 pound of clams for every two people you're feeding.

1 large can of whole baby clams
4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of fresh Italian flat leave parsley, minced
1 cup of dry white wine
1 small bottle of clam juice
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
A pinch or two of red pepper flakes (optional)
The juice of 1 lemon, and the zest of half of that lemon
1 pound of linguini

About 10 minutes before your pasta is done, saute the garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil and add the salt so that the garlic will essentially melt, but not burn. Once the garlic is fully soft and translucent, add the red pepper flakes if desired, turn up the heat to high, add the wine, and boil rapidly for a minute to cook off the alcohol. Then turn down the heat, add all the rest of the ingredients except for the remaining olive oil and clams and stir.

Cook you pasta for one less minute than al dente, and add the clams, which should be drained from the liquid they're packed in. Toss together over low heat for about a minute or two, add the last of the olive oil before the last few tosses, and serve.

If you are using fresh clams, once your wine and clam juice is boiling, add the clams, put a cover over the pot, and let them steam for about 4 minutes until all the shells are open (discard any that don't open as those clams aren't good to eat). Then finish off as above. You may need to add a bit of bottled clam juice to the mixture if it's not "wet" enough to really coat the pasta.

For red sauce: Bring 1/2 cup of white wine to a boil for 1 minute and then add 1 cup of marinara sauce from the recipe, http://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2013/10/marinara-sauce.html, and a can of whole baby clams. Warm this up and toss with a pound of pasta.

A comment on grated cheese:

In Italy, it's practically sinful to put grated parmigiana on anything that has fish or seafood in it, the thought being that the cheese overwhelms the delicate taste of the fish or seafood. This sauce is definitely not lacking in flavor, so you can do without it. That being said, I LOVE grated cheese on my pasta and indeed, have often been accused of loving pasta so much just because it gives me an excuse to use grated cheese. I routinely put it on my linguine with clam sauce (except in the most upscale of Italian restaurants where I know better than to even ask), and absolutely love it :)

Alfredo Sauce

In Italian, Alfredo should mean heart-attack on a plate because that's how rich this sauce is :) While I'm not a fan of cream sauces, I've made this many times to much praise. It's REALLY easy to make and horrifically decadent.

1/2 stick of butter
2 cups of cream (you could substitute half and half, but not whole milk)
1 cup of grated parmigiano cheese
1 tablespoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 pinch of (preferably fresh) ground nutmeg

Melt the butter and stir in the cream. Don't let it boil, but heat it until it becomes very warm, just shy of boiling. It can bubble ever so slightly without ruining the sauce. Gradually whisk in the cheese until it dissolves into the cream and butter. Add the seasonings (there should be no need for salt as the cheese has plenty in it), and toss with pasta. Fettucini is the traditional pasta of choice for this sauce, but don't let yourself be limited -- tortellini, gnocchi, and many other types of pasta are also great.

Pasta Fagiole

Often pronounced "pasta vazool," this is a great Italian staple that can be made either as a soup, or as a sauce for pasta. I have a slightly unconventional recipe that I've developed -- I hope you like it!

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of dry white wine
1 can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 can of artichoke hearts (quartered)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Start making the sauce only after your pasta is boiling away, as it's not something that should cook very long.

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes and turn the heat up high for a few seconds -- just as the onions and garlic begin to get the faintest bit brown, add the white wine and get it up to a quick bubble to burn off the alcohol. Let it cook for about a minute and then add the rest of the ingredients. As soon as you have the sauce stirred together, add the pasta and toss it all together, continuing to cook for another minute or so. (You should drain your pasta at least 1 minute before the recommended time for al dente pasta, as this process will finish the cooking process).

Serve with grated cheese and enjoy!

Kale Pesto

So good, it gets a posting all its own.  And thanks to my friend Claire for the recipe in the first place!

So easy to make -- it's even more flavorful than basil pesto, has a bit of that great bitter tang that I love about kale, and is so packed with nutrients from my favorite superfood. Plus, takes 3 minutes to make.

In a food processor, add:

4 cups of kale (take out the stems)
6 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (walnuts would work too)
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup of olive oil.

Turn on the processor and once it gets going, slowly drizzle in enough extra olive oil so that it forms a smooth, brilliant green paste. Remove from processor and if you want, stir in 1/3 cup of grated parmigiana cheese (don't add this to the processor because the cheese becomes kind of gummy when processed into the sauce this way).

Serve as a dip, toss with pasta, use as a sauce for meat, fish or seafood, or add a dollop to your favorite soup.

Pesto Sauce

The most popular pesto sauce is one made with basil, and I'll include a recipe for that below, but there are infinitely many ways to make a great pesto sauce, so there will be a number of variations below as well. They can be made ahead of time, frozen for a good long time, and are great to pop out for a quick week-night meal, used as dips, or also used to stuff meet such as boneless chicken breasts, or pork chops.

Basil Pesto

2 cups of fresh, clean basil leaves, packed tightly
6 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup of pine nuts (walnuts can be substituted, though they don't taste quite as good)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese

It's best to make this in a food processor, though a blender can work with a little coaxing.

Put the basil, garlic and pine nuts into the bowl of the food processor and start the blade running. Drizzle in the olive oil a bit at a time until the ingredients are well blended, and the sauce has a barely liquid quality to it. You might need less oil, but you might need a bit more -- you'll have to get a feel for this as you make it multiple times. When this is done, put it into a bowl and stir in the cheese (using the food processor to integrate the cheese can turn it gummy).

Taste it when it's done. Because of all the cheese you likely will not need any salt, but if it doesn't taste salty enough for you, add a pinch of salt. Pepper is optional -- I prefer basil pesto without it.

When tossing pesto with pasta or gnocchi (in my mind, there is NOTHING that goes better with pesto than gnocchi), put the uncooked pesto in the bottom of your bowl, the pasta or gnocchi on top of it, and toss. Don't put the sauce over heat as it will cause the cheese to clump up and mar the texture and flow of the sauce.

Pesto Variations

In place of, or in addition to basil, you could use Italian flat leaf parsley (NEVER use curly parsley in Italian cooking) or spinach leaves. Keep the overall proportion of leaves the same to the other ingredients, but you could combine two or three of these and make an interesting sauce.

Sundried tomatoes also make a delicious pesto. If you use them, add 1 and 2/3 cup of sundried tomatoes and 1/3 cup of packed basil leaves. If you are using sundried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, then put them in hot water for about 5 minutes and squeeze out the excess water before you put them into the processor. In either case, you will likely need a little bit less olive oil to bring the sauce to the right texture.

Other options (either in whole or in part) include crimini mushrooms, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts.

Pasta with Broccoli and Garlic

While this is a vegetarian recipe, you could easily toss in some chicken or shrimp and it's every bit as good.

Ingredients:

1 pound of whatever kind of pasta you like. I really like whole wheat pasta for this recipe.
1/4 cup of olive oil
5-6 large cloves of garlic, minced (If you're a total garlic fiend, as I am, feel free to add even more)
1 teaspooon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Approximately 3 cups of broccoli florets, chopped up into fairly small pieces (one bag of pre-cut broccoli florets is perfect).

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add your pasta. When it's 3 minutes away from being al dente, add the broccoli florets to the water and cook them along with the pasta.

Right before you drain the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water for use in the sauce.

After you drain the pasta, add the olive oil to the pot, and when it's hot, add the garlic and seasonings. Keep the heat fairly low and don't let the garlic brown. Once the garlic is translucent, add the pasta and broccoli back into the mix, and stir thoroughly, cooking the flavor of the garlic and seasonings into the pasta.

Add at least 1/4 cup of the pasta water to this mixture, as it will cause the sauce to adhere better to the pasta. If it seems to dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup.

Serve with grated cheese if desired and a glass of good Italian wine.

This meal would easily serve 4 people, and if any of the diners are light eaters, 5 is possible too.

Lasagna

I've given you all the sauce options you need to make lasagna -- now it's simply time to assemble one.

For a lasagna that will feed 8 people, here's what you need.

Any of the tomato-based sauces I've previously posted.

1 box of San Giorgio no-boil lasagna noodles
32 ounces of ricotta cheese -- part skim is fine
32 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese. You can use the pre-shredded cheese in a bag, but it's not as good as shredding it yourself from the block. If you do use the bagged cheese, don't get the finely shredded -- just the regular shredded. And don't waste the money on fresh mozzarella -- it won't taste any different and will leave the lasagna too watery.
2 eggs
1 tbsp Minced Italian flat leaf parseley -- fresh is best, but you can use dried.
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese
Optional -- chopped spinach, broccoli flowers, thinly sliced zucchini or eggplant

Take your baking dish and spray it thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray.

Spread a generous layer of sauce on the bottom and line the pan with a layer of lasagna noodles.

Mix the ricotta cheese, 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese, the parmigiano, eggs, pepper and parsley together.  (I don't add salt because there's already enough salt in the cheese and tomato sauce).

Spread 1/3 of this mixture on the noodles, cover with another layer of noodles, and push it down to spreadout the cheese mixture. Add another thin layer of sauce, and repeat twice. The last layer of sauce should be generous. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top of the dish.

Bake this in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour. Keep covered with foil for the first 45 minutes.

When it's done, take out, cover with foil again, and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

If you want to add layers of any of the veggies mentioned above, especially if you're using marinara sauce and want a really rich veggie lasagna, go ahead -- add any or all of them to each layer and cook the same as above.

This can be prepared as far as 3 days ahead of time and put into the over whenever ready. Just be sure to take it out of the fridge an hour in advance so it comes up to room temperature a bit. If it's still cold when you put it in the oven, make sure it's bubbling around the edges and very hot in the middle -- if you try to stick your finger into the middle and instantly recoil, it's done!

Bolognese Sauce (Meat Sauce)

This is my recipe for meat sauce --it may not be the most authentic version of a Bolognese sauce, but those who have eaten it have raved, so hopefully you'll like it too!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb Italian sweet sausage
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion diced
6-8 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup of dry red wine
3 large cans of Italian crushed tomatoes
2 - 3 tbsp. dried oregano
2 - 3 tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. of salt

Brown the beef and sausage (which you should remove from the casings) in olive oil, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon as you cook it. When it's fully cooked, add the onion, garlic, and all the spices, and continue to saute until the onions and garlic become translucent, but not browned.

At this point, drain off the extra fat from the oil and sausage, and add the red wine and simmer until it's just about fully absorbed by the meat and veggies. Then add the tomato paste, and stir thoroughly through the mixture. Cook this for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until it takes on an auburn color -- it really riches up the flavor a lot.

Then add the crushed tomatoes, stir through thoroughly, cover the pot, set the flame or burner as low as it will go, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Toward the end of the cooking time, taste the sauce and see if you think it needs more of any seasonings -- add to taste. If for some reason, the sauce is a bit bitter or "sharp" add a tablespoon of honey and stir throughout.

NOTE -- if you don't want pork, just add more beef, but sprinkle in 1 tbsp. of fennel seeds to get that sausage flavor.

Baked Ziti

This is, without doubt, the best dish to make for someone else -- birth in the family, someone in the hospital, friend working long hours . . . whatever the occasion, happy or sad, everyone loves it, it reheats beautifully, and it goes a long way! Where a pound of pasta usually feeds 4-6 people, baked ziti made with a pound of pasta will feed at least 8, if not more.

Boil a pound of ziti (or the tubular pasta of your choice), but cook it for about 2 minutes less than the shortest time recommended on the box. (You're going to cook it more in the oven and if the pasta is too well done to begin with, it all will turn to mush.)

Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl. Let it cool for a few minutes, but do not rinse in cold water to cool it down. Add 1 pound of ricotta cheese, 8 ounces shredded mozzarella (or more if you want it REALLY gooey), and 1/2 cup grated parmigiana cheese. Stir all that together.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and cover the bottom liberally with sauce. You can use marinara or the sauce that was made with the meatballs and sausage in it -- and then serve the meat as a side dish. Some people also like to make theirs with a Bolognese (meat) sauce, but I prefer baked ziti without all the meat baked in with the ziti and cheese. If you are not feeding vegetarians, the sauce made with the meatballs and sausage is better, in my humble opinion -- it's much richer and more flavorful.

Put about 1/2 your pasta and cheese mixture into the dish and cover liberally with sauce. Then repeat the process with the remaining pasta/cheese mixture. Make sure there's enough sauce that this comes out nice and juicy, but isn't drowning in sauce. Stir it a gently from the top just to incorporate the sauce a little bit.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and put your finger right in the middle of the dish. If it's so hot that your finger immediately recoils, then it's done. If not, cook for continuing 5 minute intervals until it's steaming hot.

Let it sit for about 5 minutes, covered with foil, before serving. And whatever is left over can be reheated in the microwave for days and it just keeps tasting better and better with each passing day.