Category Archives: Italian

May 25, 2011 · 12:52 pm

Skillet Lasagna

I LOVE lasagna, but this was way too meaty for me. I changed the recipe a little and will be trying it again in the near future with the revisions I have made below.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
1/4 lb Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
6 lasagna noodles, cooked
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
In a Dutch oven, brown beef, Italian sausage, onion and pepper. Drain fat, if necessary. Stir in ricotta, spaghetti sauce, oregano and basil. Simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes.

In a 10-in. skillet, spread 1/4 cup of the meat sauce. Top with 3 noodles, cutting to fit as needed. Spread half the remaining sauce and half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce and Parmesan.

Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and let stand for 10 minutes covered. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Did I change anything? I changed quite a few things in this recipe like adding the ricotta and Italian sausage and reducing the amount of beef and green peppers. I also didn’t have the herbs that the recipe calls for so I used Italian seasoning instead.

What did the family think? Everybody ate it…no complaining!

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

photo from Great Meals in 30 Minutes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian

May 23, 2011 · 9:07 am

Penne with Sausage Meatballs and Kale

There was very little talking going on at the dinner table last night…we were too busy eating. Seriously. Good.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
12 ounces Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 bunch Italian kale, center rib removed, leaves chopped (about two firmly cupped packed cups)
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
3 T tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions:
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Break off small meatball-sized bits of Italian sausage (1 heaping tsp) and roll between your hands to make into a ball. Place them in the pan.

Reduce heat to medium and saute, stirring occasionally until the sausage is cooked through.

Add the kale and rosemary and saute until the kale is wilted. Add the tomato paste and wine, stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat to low.

Cook pasta per the directions on the package. When you are ready to drain the pasta, reserve 2/3 cup of the pasta water.

Add the pasta and the reserved cooking water to the sausage mixture, bring to a simmer, stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the pasta mixture into a large serving bowl, toss with Parmesan and serve.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for 2T of tomato paste. I added a little more. Also, I added maybe 2T more wine than the recipe calls for. Also, I didn’t use spinach, but I bet if you didn’t want to use kale you could substitute fresh spinach instead.

What did the family think? This was the best dinner we have had in a long time.

Where did this recipe come from? I found it in our local newspaper. They got it from Ivy Manning.

photo from barillaus.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian

April 30, 2011 · 7:10 am

Layered Meatball Casserole

I know my kids will eat anything that has meatballs, spaghetti sauce, egg noodles and cheese. 🙂

Ingredients:
2-1/2 c prepared spaghetti sauce,divided
1 (16 oz) pkg. frozen bite-size meatballs,thawed
1 (.75 oz.) pkg. fresh basil leaves
1 (7 oz.) can sliced mushrooms,drained
2 tomatoes,sliced 1/4″ thick
1 c whole milk ricotta cheese
1 c sour cream
2 large eggs
3 tsp minced roasted garlic
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 (12 oz) pkg. egg noodles,cooked according to directions and kept warm
1-1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 2-1/2 qt. baking dish with on-stick cooking spray.

Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Place meatballs on top of sauce. Top with basil,mushrooms and tomatoes.

In medium bowl,whisk together ricotta,sour cream,eggs and remaining 1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce. Stir in garlic,salt,oregano and prepared noodles.

Pour over layered ingredients in baking dish.

Top with mozzarella. Bake 45 minutes or till bubbly.

Did I change anything? We left out the mushrooms, tomatoes and I didn’t have any oregano so I used Italian seasoning instead. For the roasted garlic, I just roughly chopped up two cloves of garlic and put them in the oven while the oven was heating up and I was getting everything else ready. By the time everything else was done, the garlic was done and was ready to be added to the recipe.

What did the family think? Yum! I think just about all of us went back for seconds, too.

from grouprecipes.com

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April 20, 2011 · 11:25 am

Sausage Vesuvio

I rarely get pasta dishes at Italian restaurants because they usually seem like something I could probably make at home. When I go out to eat I like to order something I probably wouldn’t make myself. I saw this dish on the menu at The Macaroni Grill…the ingredients seemed to be all there, so I made it myself. Note: I have never actually eaten this dish at The Macaroni Grill, so I could be WAY off.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T olive oil
2-3 Italian sausage links
15 oz. can roasted tomatoes
15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh spinach
3/4 lb. penne
Parmesan (garnish)

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Fill a medium pot with water and wait for it to come to a boil. Add sausage links and let them cook for about five minutes. Take them out of water and slice into coin-sized pieces.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.

Add garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add sausage pieces and saute until cooked through.

Add tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach to skillet and cook until heated through and spinach is wilted.

Serve bean mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan.

What did the family think? Everyone liked it…the only thing that drew some complaints were the beans. So maybe next time I will make it without the beans?

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Uncategorized

April 18, 2011 · 8:41 am

French Bread Pizza

This is just something I threw together because the boys seem to think that French Bread Pizza day in the school lunchroom is THE best thing ever. I wanted to show them what French Bread Pizza is supposed to look like because the ones they are serving at school look like charred bricks.

Ingredients:
Loaf of French bread
Italian seasoning (optional)
1 jar pizza or spaghetti sauce
Favorite Pizza toppings
Mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut bread in half so it looks like a hot dog bun. I then cut it into smaller rectangular pieces so that I could make individual pizzas.

I sauteed some Italian sausage and peppers together. While that was cooking I sprinkled Italian seasoning on each piece of bread and spread pizza sauce on top of that. I then topped some of the bread pieces with the Italian sausage/pepper mixture and cheese and then the others I just sprinkled with cheese.

We had this with strawberries and salad.

What did the family think? Well, I made the Italian sausage pizzas for me and hubby and the cheese ones for the boys, but when the boys saw the Italian sausage ones THOSE were the ones they wanted. Luckily, there was enough of those for everyone and everyone was happy.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

April 6, 2011 · 11:44 am

Sausage Calzones

Over Spring Break, we ate at this great little Italian restaurant in Vista, CA. I had a calzone which quickly became the focus of everyone at the table’s appetites. I did get to eat about half of it, the other half I happily shared with the rest of my family. Since they seemed to like it so much, I thought I’d better make some for dinner at home. I tried a different recipe than the ones I’d made before, too, just to see how they would turn out.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 pounds raw Italian sweet sausage, casing removed
A drizzle olive oil
2 cups ricotta
2 cloves garlic, chopped
A handful grated Parmigiano, plus extra, for knots
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or a couple pinches of ground
A few grinds black pepper
2 (10-ounce) tubes prepared pizza dough
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Garlic oil (1 or 2 cloves chopped and heated in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)
2 cups marinara or pizza sauce for dipping

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 F.

Brown sausage in a small skillet in a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer the cooked crumbled sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Combine sausage with ricotta, garlic, Parmigiano, nutmeg and pepper. Roll out dough and halve cross-wise. Place a dough rectangle on a nonstick cookie sheet. Use 1/2 cup mozzarella on half of each dough rectangle and pile a mound of filling on half of the total area. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. The result is a rectangular turnover.

For half-moon shaped calzones, trim excess dough. Roll dough bits into strips, tie in knots and brush with garlic oil and cheese. Garlic knots are fun to dip at the table.

Bake calzones 10-12 minutes or until golden all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato, marinara, or pizza sauce for dipping.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for pimentos. Yuck. We left those out. I added about 1/4 finely chopped zucchini.

What did the family think? Yummo! I will say that I liked the calzones I made back in November better though.

from Food Network

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March 29, 2011 · 7:58 pm

Creamy Italian Sausage Chili

This was so super good…hubby kept ooohing and aaahing over it all through dinner.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground Italian sausage
2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chicken broth
3 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans diced tomatoes, lightly blended
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 can of each: black beans, pinto beans, chili beans
4 oz. cream cheese
Tortilla chips, crumbled (optional)

Instructions:
In a large pot, cook Italian sausage until no longer pink.

Add the garlic and the olive oil, then add the broth, spices, tomatoes, vinegar, ketchup and beans. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Let the chili simmer for about half an hour. Lastly add the cream cheese and stir in until completely dissolved.

We had this with breadsticks, some salad and some grapes.

Did I change anything? The original recipe used two separate pans to make this. I only used one and it was just fine. It was hubby’s idea to crumple up some tortilla chips on top of the soup.

What did the family think? Hubby and I thought it was uber delish. Our oldest ate his…it wasn’t his favorite but not everything can taste like mac and cheese. 🙂 Our youngest choked down some Italian sausage and called it a night.

from Family Favorite Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Spicy, Stew/Soup

March 8, 2011 · 9:23 am

Polenta Sausage Mozzarella Casserole

Anything with blobs of melty fresh mozzarella is going to be good.

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 yellow onion, peeled, halved lengthwise then cut into wedges
1 bell pepper (red, green, orange or yellow), cut lengthwise into thin slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pound Italian sausage (removed from casings), sweet or spicy
2 pounds of prepared polenta, 1/2-inch slices if using prepared polenta in a tube
1/2 pound (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch slices

Instructions:
Heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil in a large (2-3 qt) saucepan on medium heat. Add the tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes are cooking, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the sliced onion, bell peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili flakes to the sauté pan. Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through, about 5-8 more minutes. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, coat the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan with a 1 Tbsp oil. Add the cooked polenta (or slices) to the pan. Coat the top of the polenta with a little more olive oil. Broil the polenta about 4 inches from the heating element until golden brown and crispy, about 10-15 minutes.

Pour sauce over broiled polenta, then arrange mozzarella slices over the top and return the casserole to the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Watch is closely. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

We had this with a salad.

Did I change anything? I left out the onion and added an extra bell pepper.

What did the family think? This was super yum. Everyone liked it except our youngest who was a little disappointed that there was polenta under all that sauce instead of regular pasta.

from simplyrecipes.com

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February 23, 2011 · 7:04 pm

Baked Ravioli

This was SO good…just about everyone was asking for seconds.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, oregano or Italian seasoning
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes with basil
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes with basil
2 pounds store-bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

We had this with Italian sausage links on the side.

Did I change anything? I used the canned tomatoes that have basil in them. I left out the salt and pepper and I used about 1/2 as much onion as listed.

What did the family think? Everyone LOVED this!

from Martha Stewart

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Vegetarian

February 10, 2011 · 11:51 am

Spaghetti Frittata

My kids like spaghetti and they like eggs, so I thought I would give this a try.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage (optional)
1 14-ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes, lightly drained
Smidge of crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste (I used sea salt)
6 eggs, beaten
Leftover pasta–about 6 ounces worth (I didn’t have any leftover so I just made some.)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil, if you have it
Parmesan

Instructions:
Preheat broiler and make sure you are using an oven-proof skillet.

Heat butter or oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and sauté about 30 seconds (never brown garlic). Add the Italian sausage and cook until done.

Add tomatoes with about half their juice, season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Simmer for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have broken down some and juice is reduced.

Add pasta and stir to coat. Give it a minute or two to heat through, then reduce heat to low and pour beaten eggs over. Quickly stir things around so you have a somewhat even distribution of egg and pasta.

Sprinkle with parmesan and chopped basil, then just let it heat slowly so the eggs can cook without scorching.

When the eggs have mostly set, stick the whole thing under the broiler to finish cooking.

Cut into wedges and serve!

We had this with a salad.

Did I change anything? The recipe called for just regular diced tomatoes, but I used the Italian-style ones for more zip. I also added the Italian sausage.

What did the family think? Thumbs up from everyone! I love it when that happens. 🙂

from halfassedkitchen.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Uncategorized, Vegetarian