Spaghetti Aglio E Olio UPDATED

Photo source: Food Network

My nana often made this meal for lunch with homemade garlic bread, salad (with oil and vinegar dressing and parmesan cheese) and iced tea with lemon.  It was such a treat for me and it still remains one of my favorite meals.

The photo and the following link to recipe and video comes from Ina Garten, but I make mine a different way . . . I think much easier!

My version starts off by getting my pasta water boiling and get the pasta cooking.

At the same time, I heat up a pan and melt about 1/2 stick of butter (depends on how much pasta you are making).  Add about 2 garlic cloves, making sure the garlic does not brown.

Angel hair pasta is what I prefer and the best thing is that it is ready in three minutes, so I have to work fast to put this all together.

As the garlic is sautéing in the butter, I start adding pasta water little by little.  (You'll need to experiment with how much pasta water you add.)  I love the way the pasta water slightly thickens the butter and also brings lots of flavor!  Right before the pasta is done, I throw in a handful of parsley.

Add drained pasta to the mixture, along with about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  Mix together!  I always make sure that I have enough mixture to add to the pasta so that the pasta doesn't stick together.  I hate when that happens! Reserve some of the pasta water when draining in case you need more.

A note about my recipe . . . I prefer butter over olive oil because I really don't like the taste of olive oil.  You can use olive oil or a combination of both.  Whatever you prefer!  

All in all, I've got this recipe down to just five minutes from start to finish.  I've had lots of practice making it since I was a little girl!

Click here to get to Ina Garten's recipe.

The Food Network
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?, All Rights Reserved
SHOW: Barefoot Contessa
EPISODE: Off Duty

Stromboli

 

Photo source: Sip and Feast

"My classic Stromboli combines pizza dough rolled with ham, pepperoni, and provolone cheese and baked until golden.  Sliced and served with a marinara sauce for dipping, stromboli is a simple but impressive addition to any appetizer spread."  Comment from Jim of Sip and Feast

Love this stromboli recipe that is completely made from scratch.  One of the most delicious meals or appetizers that you will ever experience.

Click here to go to Jim's recipe page.

Grilled Pizza with Hot Sausage, Grilled Peppers and Onions and Oregano Ricotta

 

Photo source: The Food Network

RECIPE COURTESY OF BOBBY FLAY

FROM BOY MEETS GRILL

THE FIREHOUSE GRILL EPISODE

THE FOOD NETWORK

In this episode, Chef Bobby Flay cooks an Italian feast for a group of firemen from the FDNY. He shops and cooks up some hot firehouse favorites, including this grilled pizza.

Looks delicious!

The Best Way to Make Lasagne

 

Photo source:  Sip and Feast

There are so many ways I've seen people make lasagne.  I make mine the way my nana did, much like Jim of Sip and Feast does.  The differences are . . . I make little bite sized meatballs made with beef and pork, and I make italian sausage and cut it up in small bite size pieces . . . pure ricotta goes in by the spoonful in all layers and I use a lot since I love it.  And I love chunky lasagne.  

Click here to go to Jim's recipe page to print out or check out his video below.  Subscribe to his You Tube channel if you love italian food, he is one of the best I have seen!

Italian Crescent Casserole

 

Photo source: Real Mom Kitchen

Another delicious recipe using crescent rolls.  I'm going to try Laura's recipe that looks quick and easy.

The only thing I would do different is add italian sausage.

Click here to go to the recipe source page at Real Mom Kitchen.  It is a great source for delicious recipes!

Pastina

 

Photo Source:  La Bella Vita Cocina

Pastina is one of my favorite childhood foods.  Maybe the fascination was the little tiny star noodles, however, it was also very delicious.  

It conjures up memories of my nana in the kitchen taking care of everyone.  Pastina would be served to anyone who had the flu or a cold, even though I would ask for it on a normal day.  Guess you could call it italian chicken soup.  

It has been decades since I've had Pastina since I have had no idea of how to make it.  My mom doesn't even remember.  It was one of those things that was so normal, the mindset was that it would always be there, like my nana.  We all loved it.  This reminds me how much I miss my precious nana, she was a treasure. 

Now, thanks to Roz at La Bella Vita Cucina, I can make pastina myself.  I would love to make a large batch and freeze it in portions.  

I mentioned Pastina to The Captain all the time and told him how special it was.  It makes me sad that he will never know.

Click here to go to the recipe page source.  Thank you so much Roz!

Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Pie-Copycat Recipe

 

I love Olive Garden but never had this dish.  

For sure I will be trying this recipe.

Love the blog Clarks Condensed which covers so much more than recipes.  Check it out!

Click here for the source recipe page.

Source: https://www.clarkscondensed.com/copycat-olive-garden-spaghetti-pie-chicken-alfredo/

Easy Stromboli

Photo source:  Pillsbury

"This easy pizza stromboli recipe is a family favorite, made even simpler with Pillsbury™ Classic Crust Pizza Crust and just five more ingredients. Quick, flavorful, and homemade, it's a delicious twist on traditional pizza. Ready in under an hour (20 minutes prep, 15 to 20 minutes bake time), this pizza stromboli recipe saves you time so you can take those extra minutes to sit down and enjoy the meal with your family."  Comment from Pillsbury

Yum!!!  Looks delicious . . . great as a main meal or appetizer.

This is a fast and easy recipe that comes from Pillsbury and utilizes convenience foods to make it easy enough for a beginner.

One of the things I would change is the addition of italian sausage and mushrooms.  The beauty of this recipe is versatility . . . use it as a guide and add what your family loves.  

You can use your own pizza dough, use leftover spaghetti sauce, make a delicious ham and cheese stromboli . . . you get the idea!

Click here to go to the Pillsbury recipe page.

Spinach and Ravioli Lasagne

Would you believe this is a 30-minute meal?

The Pillsbury kitchens have developed this awesome recipe that is so quick and easy, even beginner cooks will appear to be experienced in the kitchen and impress their dinner guests.  Add a salad and a crusty loaf of bread and you are good to go!

One of my favorite convenience foods is frozen ravioli.  We always keep it in the freezer for meals or snacks. Of all my favorite snacks and/or quick meals, frozen ravioli pan fried with butter and garlic is one of my favorites.  Simple and easy.  You must try them if you haven't yet.

Everyone seems to love italian pasta meals . . . try this one today.  It is a versatile recipe, so add your own spin . . . like adding italian sauce, which is what I am going to try out.  Happy cooking!

Ingredients

1 bag (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

1/3 cup refrigerated basil pesto 

1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce

1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 package (25 oz) frozen cheese-filled ravioli (do not thaw)

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (4 oz)

Chopped fresh basil leaves, if desired

Paprika, if desired



Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Toss spinach and pesto in a medium bowl. 

Mix Alfredo sauce and broth in another bowl. 

Add one-third of sauce mixture (about 1/2 cup) into baking dish and top with half of spinach mixture. 

Add half of ravioli in single layer over spinach mixture. 

Repeat layers. 

Top with remaining sauce mixture.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. 

Sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake 5 minutes longer or until bubbly. 

Garnish with basil and paprika.

http://www.pillsbury.com

Sicilian Casserole

While I love the convenience of commercial pasta sauce, I love making my own sauce with tomato sauce.  

In order to get a great tasting sauce, you need to taste it to determine if it is done since tomato sauce tends to be acidic.  The acidity calms down with time as it simmers, but I also add a little brown sugar (1/4 tsp at a time) to the sauce . . . don't forget to taste, that is the secret to great sauce.  

So the cooking time will depend on your taste!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup milk
1 chopped green pepper
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 7-ounce can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 cups uncooked pasta/macaroni
1/3 cup sour cream 
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping


DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. 

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks.  Add onion When the beef starts to render some fat.

Place cubed cream cheese in a microwave-safe medium bowl along with 3/4 cup milk. Microwave 1 minute, then remove.

Whisk to stir the mixture and return to the microwave for another 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and whisk until the sauce is thick and smooth. Set aside.

Add chopped green pepper to the beef mixture when the beef is almost cooked and continue cooking until the green pepper has softened slightly.

Drain the beef mixture and return to the heat.

Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, 3/4 cup water, and 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning to the drained beef mixture. Simmer over medium heat, stirring until sauce combines and thickens. Let simmer over very low heat while preparing pasta. 

Boil pasta/macaroni in salted water following package directions, until almost cooked.

Drain pasta and add to the cream cheese mixture, along with sour cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until pasta is coated.

Place all of the cream cheese/pasta mixture in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with all of the beef mixture. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese. 

You can refrigerate the casserole until you want to eat.*

Bake the casserole at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly around the edges and the cheese on top melts and begins to brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

*If you're baking the casserole straight from the fridge, add about 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

Photo and Recipe Source

My favorite italian chefs

Between all the food related televisions shows I watch and my obsession with Pinterest, I'm on recipe overload!  So, rather than share awesome recipes, I thought I would share my favorite italian chefs with you instead.

My #1 favorite italian chef is David Ruggerio.  His PBS cooking show from back in the day, Little Italy, remains my favorite cooking show ever.  He briefly went on to the Food Network, however, he ran into some personal problems that kept him in the headlines, but not in a positive light.  He disappeared from the Food Network and I haven't been able to find old episodes of Little Italy on PBS.  His recipes most closely resembled those of my nana, which is probably the reason he is my favorite.  I'm hoping he can overcome the obstacles and make a triumphant comeback.  Until then, he has a page on Facebook . . . and I found a video on You Tube . . .






Nick Stelleno spent the first 17 years of his life in Palermo, Sicily.  He enjoyed a successful Wall Street career after immigrating to the United States, but a culinary career kept calling him.  With no formal culinary education, he went from a dishwasher to one of the most popular chefs in the United States.

Click here for one of my favorite recipes from Nick Stelleno, which includes a video.  Check it out if you have never experienced Nick Stelleno, he is very entertaining!

Lidia Bastianich is an Emmy award-winning public television host, a best‐selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business.  I've enjoyed her television series for as long as I can remember.  What I love most about Lidia is the way she weaves stories of the old days in Italy, her travels, and her recent series features Italian-Americans and how they have brought the Italian culture to their communities . . . along with her delicious recipes and cooking tips.





What a busy lady!  Her zest for life and a passion for everything Italian is delightful and makes me so very proud to be an Italian-American.

There you have it, my top 3 favorite italian chefs . . . each of them has influenced my italian kitchen!

Meatball Casserole

This is one of those recipes that you can vary in so many different ways.

It is quick and easy . . . and could even be used as a meal to use up leftovers!

Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/8 of 9X11 baking pan
Calories per serving: 368
Fat per serving: 8 grams

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian Blend cheese
• 1 (24 or 32 oz) spaghetti sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the onions, bread crumbs and 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese and egg.
2. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
3. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan.
4. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink.
5. Meanwhile, arrange bread in a single layer in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish (all of the bread might not be used).
6. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and 2 tbsp Parmesan
7. Spread over the bread.
8. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella.
9. Scatter meatballs over the cheese, pour sauce over the meatballs and top with remaining cheese
10. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Variations:

Use ricotta cheese instead of mayo and cream cheese.

Use italian sausage instead of meatballs.

Add strips of green pepper if italian sausage is used.

Use leftover spaghetti sauce

Creamy Cavatelli

I'm always looking for new pasta recipes

that are quick, easy and relatively inexpensive.

This one is perfect with combinations that

are new to me.

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen cavatelli pasta
• 2 (10-3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of celery soup
• ¹/2 cup milk
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (3-ounce) package sliced pepperoni, each slice cut in half
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¹/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 
  

Instructions

1. In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside in a colander.
    
2. In the same pot, combine remaining ingredients and heat over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until bubbling.
    
3. Return pasta to pot and toss to coat. Heat 2 to 3 more minutes, or until heated through. Serve immediately.

Source:  Mr. Food

Broccoli and Cheese Manicotti

Manicotti is one of my favorite meals.  

This recipe is my basic way of making this dish 

. . . what I like about this recipe is the addition

 of broccoli to the cheese mixture.  Check out

the tips at the end of the recipe!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces manicotti shells
• 1 (32-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 ¹/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella chesse, divided
• ¹/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• ¹/4 teaspoon salt
• ¹/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    
2. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions; drain, rinse, and drain again.
    
3. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, the Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Add broccoli; mix well.
    
4. Fill each manicotti shell with about 1/3 cup cheese mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over stuffed shells and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
    
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbling.

Notes

• For an easy way to fill the manicotti shells, place the cheese mixture in a resealable plastic storage bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and squeeze the cheese mixture into the shells.
   
• For an extra burst of flavor, add 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the cheese mixture.

Source:  Mr. Food

Italian Cheese Puffs

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesean cheese

Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the water and butter in a medium-size
saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour, bread crumbs, salt, and
pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture
to a medium-size bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after
each addition. Beat in the mozzarella cheese.

Drop the mixture by teaspoons full on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle
with the parmesean cheese. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15
minutes.


This recipe comes from my personal recipe files I have collected through the years.