Category: Italy

Posted on

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved, tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 medium onions, peeled, halved through root end
  • 1/2 teaspoon (or more) salt

Meatballs:

  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French or country-style bread
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 8 ounces ground beef (15% fat)
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 1 cup finely ground (not grated) Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Preparation

For sauce:
Combine tomatoes with juice, butter, onions, and salt in large wide pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard onions. Using immersion blender, process sauce briefly to break up any large pieces of tomato (texture should be even but not completely smooth). Season sauce with more salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat.

For meatballs:
Combine breadcrumbs and milk in small bowl; stir until breadcrumbs are evenly moistened. Let stand 10 minutes.

Place beef and pork in large bowl and break up into small chunks. Add 1 cup ground Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Posted on

Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce

  • Cook Time:  5 min
  • Level:   Easy
  • Yield:   6 servings
  • Close Times:
  • Prep 15 min, Inactive Prep
  • Cook 5 min
  • Total:  20 min

 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds spinach ravioli or tortelloni
  • 1 cup purchased marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

 

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil to the water to help prevent pasta from sticking. Add the ravioli and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain the ravioli, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss the ravioli with the remaining oil to coat.

Meanwhile, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking often. Whisk in the ricotta and enough reserved cooking water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. For a thicker sauce, use less pasta water; for a thinner sauce, add more water. Return the sauce to a simmer. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of sauce over the bottom of each of 6 bowls. Arrange the ravioli over the sauce. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the ravioli. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and the basil, and serve.

Posted on

Ravioli with Butter and Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 packages (11 oz) ravioli
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 6 tbsp toasted pine nuts
  • 1 whole nutmeg or ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water for approximately 5 – 6 minutes. Drain well and transfer it to a platter. Take a medium sized fry pan, heat butter at medium high flame and add basil leaves. Cook until lightly fried, for 2 – 3 minutes. Put pine nuts and pour the ravioli butter sauce over the cooked ravioli. Sprinkle nutmeg and cheese over it and serve hot. Read more on lobster ravioli recipes.

These were easy to prepare ravioli sauce recipes that will surely satiate your taste buds. I hope the aforementioned ravioli sauce ideas and recipes prove to be helpful in preparing a delicious and yummy dinner meal for your party tonight. Enjoy!

Posted on

Ravioli Sauce

Ingredients

How to make it

  • Using a medium sized, heavy based pot, fill the base with olive oil to the depth of approximately halfway up your index fingertip. Peel and dice the garlic lengthways. You can add 2 extra cloves if you wish, it only intensifies the flavour (in a good way). Add the diced garlic to the pot with oil and gently fry the garlic at a low heat being careful not to burn them.
  • Fill a separate small pot with water and bring it to the boil. Add the tomatoes and boil for approximately 3 minutes, until you begin to see the skin peeling away from the flesh. Remove from the boiling water, discard water and then peel tomatoes.
  • Add the tomatoes to the pot with oil and garlic and chop them into small pieces with sharp knife. Simmer at a low heat and stir continually as the sauce begins to thicken and reduce. Gradually add a few drops of water, then add the stock cube and the bay leaves. Stir and simmer for a further 10 minutes then add the tomato paste, sugar and salt and pepper. Keep on a low simmer for a further ten minutes for the sauce to reduce and flavours intensify. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Posted on

Porchetta-Style Roast Pork

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1 5 1/2- to 6-pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), excess fat trimmed with thin layer left intact
  • 6 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

 

Preparation

Stir fennel seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darker in color and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to spice mill and cool. Add kosher salt, peppercorns, and dried crushed red pepper. Grind to medium-fine consistency (not powder).

Place pork in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Rub garlic all over pork, then coat with spice mixture. Loosely cover pork with waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with oil. Place roast, fat side up and coating intact, in center of sheet. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast pork 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Roast pork until very tender and thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 190°F, about 3 hours 15 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board; reserve baking sheet. Let pork rest 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour all pan juices into 2-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat that rises to top. Place reserved baking sheet across 2 burners. Pour wine and broth onto baking sheet and bring to boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until wine mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Add degreased pan juices and whisk to blend. Pour pan sauce into small bowl (sauce will be thin).

Thinly slice roast. Serve with sauce.

Posted on

Pork Loin with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Sage

  • 2 1/2 pound New York (top loin) pork roast, boneless
  • 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs, (Japanese bread crumbs)
  • 1/3 cup Fontina cheese, shredded (about 1 ounce)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
  • To taste salt and pepper
  • 4 thin slices prosciutto

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine panko, fontina, and sage. Stand roast on end and insert thin-bladed knife down center of loin to make 2-inch opening all the way through. Use your fingers to force the slit into a long 1-inch-diameter hole. Pack panko mixture into hole, working from both ends of roast. Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Place roast, fat side up, on work surface. Arrange prosciutto slices across top of roast. Tie with kitchen twine at 1- to 1 1/2-inch intervals. Place in shallow roasting pan, prosciutto side up, and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.

Remove roast from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Remove twine. Slice roast and arrange on serving platter. Serve drizzled with any pan juices.

 

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Posted on

Italian Meatloaf (Polpettone di Carne)

Mary Ann Esposito

Is there such a thing as Italian meat loaf? Yes, but not cloaked in ketchup, oozing cheddar cheese and accompanied by mashed potatoes. Italian meat loaf (polpettone) means meat roll or meat ball and recipes vary by region. In Emilia Romagna ground beef, pancetta, cinnamon and nutmeg are typical ingredients. While in Tuscany, ground veal, carrots and onions are frequent ingredients and in Rome, lamb, eggs, white wine and celery are popular. My mother insisted that beef, veal and pork gave the best flavor, and I have taken a little liberty with her recipe and started my own meat loaf tradition.

SERVES 8

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 medium baking potatoes, cooked, peeled and riced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 cup grated carrots

6 thin slices prosciutto di Parma or boiled ham
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a bowl combine the beef, pork, potatoes, eggs, garlic, salt, parsley, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and carrots. Do not over mix or the texture will be tough.

Transfer the mixture to a large sheet of parchment paper and flatten the meat into a 14 x 10 inch rectangle with wet hands or lay a sheet of wax paper over the meat and flatten with a rolling pin.

Posted on

Ham & Cheese Calzone

Ingredients:
2 tbsp (30 mL) mayonnaise
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 cup (250 mL) fresh broccoli florets
(about 2 oz/60 g)
1 8-oz (250-g) slice smoked deli ham (about ½ in./1 cm thick)
½ small onion
8 oz (250 g) Swiss cheese, grated, divided
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil, divided
2 pkg (13.8 oz/283 g) refrigerated pizza crust
1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Combine mayonnaise and mustard in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well with Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. With Utility Knife, cut broccoli into small florets; dice ham. Using Food Chopper, coarsely chop onion. Grate Swiss cheese with Ultimate Mandoline fitted with grating blade. Combine broccoli, ham, onion and half of the Swiss cheese in batter bowl; mix well.
2. Lightly brush Large Bar Pan with 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush. Unroll one package of dough onto bottom of bar pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese to within 1 in. (2.5 cm) of edges; spoon ham mixture over cheese. Unroll remaining dough directly over filling, matching edges of dough and shaping to fit as dough is unrolled. Trim ½ in. (1 cm) off sides of dough with Utility Knife. Press edges to seal with Mini-Tart Shaper. Brush remaining oil over dough. Using Utility Knife, make 12 slits, in three rows of four each, into top crust.
3. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese using Microplane® Adjustable Grater-Fine; sprinkle over calzone. Return calzone to oven; bake 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is deep golden brown. Slice with Pizza Cutter; serve with Mini-Serving Spatula.
Yield: 8 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 440, Total Fat 18 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Sodium 1240 mg, Carbohydrate 49 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 22g
Cook’s Tips: Choose smoked rather than boiled ham to keep the crust from becoming soggy.

© 2011The Pampered Chef used under license.

www.pamperedchef.com