ITALIANCOOKINGMADESIMPLE

CookLikeAnExpertBeginningWithYourFirstMeal.

TheworldisenamoredwiththecuisineofItaly.Themarvelousentreesareacclaimedsuperbbyallthathaveeverhadthepleasureofeatingthesedelectablefoods.WhethertheencounterwasinRome,Venice,Naples,asmallfamilyrestaurantintheUnitedStatesoranItalianrestaurantinanycountryintheworld,theincrediblearomaofItalianfoodimmediatelycaptivates.Onceyoursensesofsmellandtastehavebeentitillated,yourappetiteforthepresentationwillmakeyouanabsolutedevotee.

Letyourimaginationcarryyoutoasmalltablecoveredwithafreshwhite

cloth,yourfavoritedinnerware,wineinastemglassandaflickeringcandleproviding

theonlylight.Inthebackgroundthereisinstrumentalmusic,perhaps“Ah!Marie”or

“ArrivederciRoma”.NowpictureyourItaliancreationonthistable!Yes,yourown

creation.

Youwillmarvelatyourcreationanditwillsmellgreatandthetastewillbe

fantastic!Therewillbenofancycreamsaucesorcomplicatedentrées,justeasyto

createfoodasitiseatenintheItaliancountryside.Inexpensiveanddelicious!

ThisbookwillexplainthebasicsforpreparingfineItalianfood.You’llfinditeasy

andexciting.We’lluseaconceptthatwillquicklymakeyouanexpert.Manyrecipesin

thisbookhavethesamebeginning,eitherfromsectionnumberone,orsectionnumber

two.NumberOne(Marinarasauce)iswithatomatobaseandNumberTwo(agliaeolio)

iswithout.Thereforewhatwewilldoisusethisstarterportionoftheindividualentreeto

completemanyoftherecipesinSectionThree.Easy!Foreachofthetwogroupsyou

preparethebasic.Nextyousimplyaddtheadditionalingredientsthatwillgivethedishits

Italianname.It’sassimpleasthat.Oneortwo,andthree.Youcreateexactlywhatyou

want!We’vecalledthebasicstartereitherNumberOne(Marinarasauce)orNumberTwo

(AglioeOlio).Youthensimplylookupthedinnerofyourchoiceintheindexthatwe

willcallSectionFive.ThiswillthendirectyoutousetheappropriatesauceinSections

OneorTwo.AddthosecompatibleitemsyoulookedupintheindextotheMarinara

sauceortheAglioeOlioasdirectedinsectionThree.

Compatibilityofvariousitemsineachsectionislistedintheindexwitheach

entrée.Thelongestsectionwillbedevotedtorecipes,whichwewillcallSection

NumberThree.WewilllooselycalltheindexSectionNumberFivesincethisis

wheretheparticularnameddishyoudesirewillbelisted.SectionNumberFourwill

introduceashortlistsomeofanalmostendlessvarietyofpastasfromwhichtochoose

aswellasentréeswhichdefysimplecategorization.Youwillfindlistedpastasof

differentsizes,shapesandcolors,riceandspecialtyentrées.Thechoiceofanyoneof

theseitemsisyours.YouwillbecreatingItalianfoodatitsbest,simply,andallon

yourown.So,lightthedinnercandle,playyourfavoriteItalianCDandwhenyou

placeyourpersonallypreparedentréeonthetable,youandyourguest(s)willenjoya

greatpartofItaly.Itscuisine!You’llsurelybetheenvyofyourneighborswhomay

onlyhavethepleasureofsmellingthefantasticaromaofthefoodyou’vejust

prepared.Theywon’tknowthesecretofyourcuisinelieswithinthepagesofthis

book.

FirstthereisalistofFundamentalsusedinthisbook,whichyouwillneedat

onetimeoranotherwhilepreparingthevariousmeals.Followingthisisasection

calledthePantryList.Thisisaninvaluablelistofingredientsyouwillwantinyour

pantryatalltimes.ThesewillenableyoutocreateanItalianmealatafewmoments

noticewithoutgoingshopping!NextisalistofKitchenAiditems,whichdescribes

thenecessarytoolsneededforfoodpreparation.

Let’sgetstarted!

TheFundamentals

Therearefundamentalcookingrequirementsthatyoushouldalwayshaveinyourfood

pantry.Theseitemsarereadilyavailableinmostsupermarketsandcanbestoredinyour

pantryindefinitely.Thus,iftheneedshouldsuddenlyarise,youwouldbeabletoprepare

anItaliandinnerinaveryshorttimeentirelyfromyourpantry.Youcansurpriseyour

unexpectedguestswithanexquisitefreshlypreparedItaliandinneranddoitquickly.At

thesametimeyou’lldemonstratetothemthegeniusofyourcooking.Thenecessary

ingredientsneededtopreparethebasicportionoftheentreesmentionedinthisbookare

simpleandeasytokeeponhand.KeepinmindthatthesebasicsmentionedinNumber

One(Marinarasauce)andinNumberTwo(AglioeOlio)canbeused,withoutfurther

embellishing,overtheitemsmentionedinSectionFour(PastaanditsVariety.)

Thefollowinglistisoffoodandspiceitems,mostofwhichareinpackages

thatcanbeusedmultipletimes.Agoodpracticeistoalwaysusethesamebrandname

foreachitem.Thiswilleliminateapotentialproblemthatmightresultindifferences

intastefromonebrandtoanother.Admittedlythedifferencesmightbeslightwhen

onlyoneitemischanged,butthistastedifferentialcanbesignificantlyalteredwhen

therearemultiplebrandchanges.Thelistwillrepresenttheauthor’spersonalbrand

preferences,whichsatisfyhisacquiredtastes.Youmayfindotherproductsnamesthat

areeithermoresatisfyingtoyourtaste,cheaperormorereadilyavailableintheareain

whichyoulive.Whateverthereason,staywithsameitemsandyou’llbesuretohave

aconsistentwinner.Thespiceswewilluseinthisbookwillbethedriedvarietythat

willallowyoutheadvantageoflong-termstorage.Theexceptionstousingthedried

spicesareBasil,ParsleyandGarlic.Theflavorofyourcookeddisheswillbe

enhancedwhenusingthefreshinanyofthesethreespices.Wheneveravailable,the

freshspicemayalsobesubstitutedforallotherspicesandwillfurtherenhancethe

flavorofyourentrée.*Afewwordsofcaution.Mixingdifferenttypesorbrandsof

pastaisdiscouraged.Example:AngelHairpastawillcookin6minuteswhile

Mostacciollirequires20.Theexampleisextremebutdoesdemonstratethepoint.The

cookingtimeofthesamenamedpastasmayalsobeatvariancewithdifferentbrands

duetotheirinherentcompositionbeingslightlydifferent.Atanyonetime,therefore,

onlycookthesametypeandbrandofpastainonepan.

Now,let’scallthisnecessaryinventoryTHEPANTRYLIST.Keepatleastone

ofeachlistediteminyourpantryinventoryatalltimes.Thecostisminimalandyou

willalwayshaveyourpersonalItaliandelicatessentoselectfromforwhateverneed

suddenlyarises.TheingredientsforcreatinganexquisiteItalianmealwithoutprior

noticewillalwaysbeatyourfingertips!

*Forthosewhohavefreshgarlicandpreferusingitversusthegroundvariety,

pleaserefertopage7fortheconversiontable.

ThePantryList

Anchovies

AnchovyPaste

Artichokehearts

BreadCrumbs,ItalianStyle

CannelliniBeans,twocans

Capers(bottleorcan)

Cheese,seeParmesan

Clams,chopped(notminced),4-5cans

Lentils,onebag(1pound)

Meatthermometer

Olives

Calamata,Greek

Blackpitted,inwater

Sicilianstyleinoliveoil,pittedplainorstuffedwithgarlicorpimento

OliveOil,Virgin

Parmesancheese,grated-Kraft(Onceopened,refrigerate)

Pastainseveralvarieties,suchasAngelHair,Linguini,Spaghetti,Mostacciolli,

SmallElbows,etc.Allhaveaverylongshelf.

Roastedpeppers

Spices,dry

Basilleaf(Forbettertasteusefreshbasilleaveswheneverpossible)

BlackPepper,Bothcoarsegroundandfinegrind

CrushedRedPepper

Garlic,CoarseGround

Oregano

Parsley(Forbettertasteusefreshwheneverpossible)

String(Ordinaryhousehold)

Sundriedtomatoesinoil

Tomatoes,CrushedCannedwithaddedpuree,twotofour28ozcans

Tomatopaste,1can

Tomatosauce,twocans

Tomatoes,sundriedinoil

Tuna,whitemeatpackedinwateroroil,twocans

Vinegar,redwine

Keepthelistcurrent.Whenanitem(s)has/havebeenusedand/orexhausted,replace

it/themandyouwillalwaysbereadytoprepareyournextItalianmeal.

HelpfulHints

ConversionTableforGarlic

½teaspooncoarseground=2teaspoonsminced=2clovesgarlic(smallsize)

¾teaspooncoarseground=3teaspoonsminced=3clovesgarlic(smallsize)

1teaspooncoarseground=4teaspoonsminced=4clovesgarlic(smallsize)

ConversionTableforLiquids

4tablespoons=2ounces=¼cup

8tablespoons=4ounces=½cup

YourFreezercanbeapartofyourpantrylist.Amongotheritems,useyourfreezerto

storefreshparsleyandbasil.Afterremovingthestems,parsleyleavescanbemade

intoarollinaclearplasticwrapandputinthefreezer.Whenparsleyisneeded,this

willbecomeyourreadilyavailablesource.Cutthedesiredamountfromoneendfor

currentuse:resealandreplacetheremainingrollinthefreezer.

Freezingbasilwithoutthestemsalsoallowsyoutohaveanavailablesourceat

anymoment.Usethefrozenleavesasyouwouldthefresh,butonlyincooking.

Whenthawedtheleaveswillbewitheredandbeapoorrepresentativeforfreshbasil.

KitchenAids(Utensils&necessities)

Havingtheitemslistedherewillmakepreparationofeachofyourmealseasier.Forlarge

guestorfamilymealseachonemaybecomeanecessityatthesametimebecauseofthe

quantityyouarepreparing.Onceyouhaveusedeachitemyouwillhavelearnedwhenit

willbeneededtofulfilltheneedsoftheparticularmealyouareabouttoprepare.

1)Bakepanorovensafedish(suchasCorning),10-12inchand3inches

deep

2)Colander,largesize

3)Foodprocessor.Thisisnotanabsolutenecessitybutwillmake

preparationofsomeitemsconsiderablyeasier.Itisexpensivebutahandheld

gratermightservethepurposeaswell,albeitwithaddedeffort.

4)Handheldcheesegrater

5)Ladle,mixingspoonandfork,allwithlonghandles.

6)Largeservingbowlforpasta

7)Measuringcup

8)Measuringspoons

9)Pastapan(6quart).2quartpanissufficientforonepoundofpasta

10)Skillet,10-12inchand3inchesdeep,aluminum(preferredsincetheheat

distributioninthepanisconsideredbetter)ornon-stickvariety.

11)Smallservingbowlstoholdcheeseandcrushedredpepperonserving

table.

12)Tablewaremustincludealargesouptypespoon,alsousedfortwirling

pasta.

SectionOne

BASICSTARTER(NUMBERONE)

MARINARASAUCE

And

BOLOGNESESAUCE

Ingredients:

1)Oliveoil,3tablespoons

2)Garlic,½teaspoonofcoarsegroundgarlicpowder.(Youmaysubstitute

twoclovesoffinelyslicedfreshgarlicor½teaspoonofbottledchopped

garlic).

DONOTUSEGARLICSALT.Thismightgivetheitemyouare

preparinganunwantedtastebecauseofunnecessarysalt.

3)Tomatoes(Two28oz.canscrushedwithpuree,orequivalentfresh,diced

intoone-quarterinchcubes).Useanadditionalcaniflargervolumeneeded.

4)Basil1teaspoondried(eighttotenfreshbasilleaves,preferred,

cutintofourorsixsmallerpiecesdependingonleafsize).

5)BlackPepper,¼teaspoon

6)CrushedRedPepper.Useasmallamounttosatisfyyourtasteforahot,

(arrabbiato),sauce.

Options:Selectone(Meatsrequire20-30minutesadditionalcooking)

1)Oregano,1½tsptochangetoapizzaiolasauceonly.

2)Tomatopaste6ozplusitscanfilledwithwaterforathickersauce.

3)½lbgroundbeef,(ThiswillmakeitaBologneseSauce)

4)Italiansausage,½-1linkperperson,eachcutin¾inchlongpieces

5)Meatballs,(Seepage60)

Preparation:

1)Placeoliveoilintoaskillet(fryingpan.)

2)Addgarlic.

3)Sauté(fry)overlowheatfor2-4minutesoruntilgarlicjustbeginsto

turnbrown.REMEMBER,thecoarsepowderedgarlicburnseasilyand

cooksquickly.Thetimevarieswiththeheatbeingusedbutisveryshort.

4)Additems3-5.Thetomatoesstrikingthehotoilmaycausesplattering

ofoil.ADDSLOWLYANDCAREFULLY.

5)Crushedredpeppertoyourtasteonlyifyouwishahot(arrabbiato)

sauce.Thiswillvarywiththeamountused.Beginwith¼tsp

6)Cookatlowheatfor35-45minutes.

*Optionsasmentionedabove.

1)AddingOreganocreatesaPizzaiolaSauce.

2)Addinggroundbeef,foraBologneseSauce,(and/orItaliansausagesand/or

meatballstocreateothervarietiesofBolognesesauce.)

3)Add15minutescookingtimeiftomatopasteisusedtothickensauce.(Add

onepastecanfullofwaterwiththepaste.)Ifitbecomestoothickduring

cooking,addadditionalwaterandmixitinthoroughlytodesiredconsistency.

Serves4-6

Enjoy

Youmayusethestarter(basic)Marinarasauce,oroneitsvariants,asitisoverthe

pastaofyourchoice(thoselistedinsectionfour.)Youmayaddoptionsoranyother

item(s)tothissaucefromsectionnumberfive,theindex,beforeusingitonthepasta

youchoose.Simplylookuptheentréeyouwishtocreateintheindex.Addtheitem

mentionedtothisMarinarasaucebyfollowingthecookingdirectionsgivenwiththe

meat,poultry,vegetableorseafooditemyouhaveselectedandarereferringto.

SectionTwo

BASICSTARTER(NUMBERTWO)

NOTOMATO

AGLIOeOLIO(GarlicandOil)

Ingredients:

1)OliveOil,¾cup

2)Garlic,oneteaspoonofcoarsegroundgarlicpowder.(Youmaysubstitute

foursmallclovesoffinelyslicedfreshgarlicortwoteaspoonsofbottled

choppedgarlic)

DONOTUSEGARLICSALT.Thismightgiveanyitemyou’re

preparinganunwantedsaltytaste

3)10-12freshBasilleavescutintopiecesofapproximately¾inch.Savetouse

asgarnishovercompletedchoicefromSectionnumberfive(Index)orsimply

addtotheoilandgarlicmixturenearthecompletionofcooking.

4)Blackpepper,¼teaspoon

5)Parmesancheese,1½cups

6)Crushedredpepper,smallamounttosatisfyyourtasteforanarrabbiato

sauce.Remember,youcanalwaysaddmorepepperbutonceaddedtoyour

preparationitcannotberemoved.Beginwith¼tsp.

7)Optional:Sundriedtomatoes,2tablespoonschopped,withtheiroil.

Preparation:

1)Placeoliveoilintoafryingpanoverlowheat.

2)Addgarlic

3)Sauté(fry)overlowheatfor2-4minutesoruntilgarlicjustbeginstoturn

brown.REMEMBERifyouusecoarsegroundgarlicittakeslesstimeand

mayeasilyburn.

4)Option.Addsundriedtomatoes

Thesaucethuspreparedwillbesufficienttobeputoverpastathatwillservefour.

Youmayusethisstarter,asis,overthepastaselectionofyourchoicefromsectionnumber

four(Index)orfromyourpantrypastalist,(thisiscalledpastaaglioeolio).Addthe

Parmesancheeseatthistime.Theamountofcheeseusedwillvarywithyourtaste.MIX

WELLINTOTHEPASTA.GarnishwithfreshcutbasilleavesyouhaveheldoverOR

youmayaddyourchoiceofvariationslistedintheindexasyourparticularentréeduring

preparationbeforeputtingitoverthepasta.Simplyfollowthedirectionsgivenforyour

selection.

*Ifyoulikeyourfoodspicy,addcrushedredpeppercautiouslyoverthepastato

satisfyyourtasteandthetasteofyourguests.Remember,youcanalwaysaddmore

pepperbutonceuseditcan’tbetakenback.

Afewwordsaboutusingpasta.Sincetheshape,size,lengthandcolorareall

variables,youwilldiscoverthatcertainoccasionscallforaparticulartypeofpasta.For

example,ifyourguestlistislong,youmayfinditmucheasiertousethecuttubepasta

varietiesforseveralreasons.Cookingislesschallengingandservingportionsusinga

largespoondiscouragessplatter.Thiscanbedoneeasilybyyouorpersonsofanyageif

dinnerisfamilystyle.Thisisespeciallytruewithchildrenwhofindeatingwithaspoon

muchlesstroublethanthechallengeoftwirlinglongstrandsofpastawithafork.The

thickerlongtypes(versusthinnertype)aremoredifficulttotwirlinaspoonoronyour

plate.Thus,youwillhavemoresplatterofsaucewiththickpastathanwithathinner

varietysuchasangelhair.Inaddition,thethinnerpastaswillremaininatightballafter

twirlingonaforkasopposedtothethickerpastavarieties.Thecolorofthepasta(red,

green,blackorgolden)mightbeanimportantconsideration,especiallyforchildren.To

summarize,yourguests,theoccasion,andtheformalityofdinnerwillguideyoutothe

properchoice.

RECIPES

Peppers,onionsandtomato

Thisisawonderful,tastycombination,whichmaybeusedasasandwichfilling

aloneinaluncheonrollorincombinationwithItaliansausage,slicedmeatsoravarietyof

cheeses.Itcanalsoserveasavegetableaccompanimentwithanyentrée.Itwilladdzest

whenspreadoverpotatoorrice.Somefindthisachoicesaucetoputovertheirfavorite

pasta.Onceyouhavediscovereditsutility,itwillbecomeaculinaryfavorite.

Ingredients

1)Twogreenbellpeppers

2)Onemediumsizedwhiteonion

3)Two28ozcansofcrushedtomatoes

4)CoarsegroundGarlic(NotGarlicSalt),½tsp

5)Oliveoil,3-4tbsp

6)FreshSweetBasilleaves(eight-tenleaves)

7)Blackpepper,finegrind,½tsp

8)Skillet(fryingpan)approx10inchesindiameter.

PreparationofIngredients

1)Slicepeppersthinfromstemtolowertip.Discardstemanditsbase.

Removeallseeds.Cuteachofthesesectionsintolongthinslices

2)Slice1onionlengthwiseintolongthinpiecesandcuttheseslicesinhalf.

3)CutBasilleavesintoapprox½inchpieces

Cookingassembly

1)Coverbottomoftheskilletwitholiveoil

2)Sprinklegarlicpowderovertheoil

3)Putskilletovermediumheat

4)Addapproximately1½cansofcrushedtomato.Reservetheremainderfor

adifferentlateruseordiscarditwhenthereisnofurtheruse.

5)Sprinkleblackpepperlightlyovertomato

6)Addslicedpeppersandonion.

7)Spreadthebasilovertheingredients.Mixwell.

8)Cookovermediumheatfor2½hours.Stiroccasionally.Youmayhaveto

addwaterlostbyevaporationascookingprogressesandthickensmixture.

Allowthefinalcookedproducttobethick,notwatery.

9)Usewarmorhotinasandwich,overmeatsorasasidevegetable.

Serves6-8

Enjoy

ChickenCutlets(VealorPorkmaybesubstituted)

Ingredients:

1)Chickenbreasts,threelarge(Youmayusebonedporkchopsorveal

instead)

2)Egg(1or2)dependingonamountofchickenormeatyouprepare

3)Flavoredbreadcrumbs,(oneboxwilllastseveralmeals)

4)Coarsegroundgarlicpowder,½tsp

5)Oliveoil,3-4oz

6)Skillet(fryingpan)

Preparation

Thepreparationforthevealorporkwillbethesameasdiscussedforchicken

1)Holdachickenbreastdownfirmlyflatonacuttingsurfacewithaplate.Cutthe

breastwithathickhandledknifeheldflatandparalleltothecuttingsurfaceand

platethatisholdingthebreaststill.Usingahorizontalsawingmotioneachculet

willbethesamethicknesssincethisisrepeatedforeachcuttingofthebreast(or

othermeat).Theresultisactuallythethicknessof½theknifehandle.Thus,itis

bettertouseathickerknifehandletoproduceathickercutlet.Thesamemethodis

usedforcuttingathickbonelessporkchop.Sincevealwhenpurchasedisusually

cutthin,thisinitialpreparationmaynotbeneeded.

2)Pour¾cupofbreadcrumbsintoashallowplate.Ifmoreisrequireditcanbe

addedwhenthisinitialamounthasbeenexhausted.

3)Layadoublethicknessofpapertowelonaseparatedinnerplate.

4)Bringasmallamountofoilinafryingpantomediumheat.

5)Beatoneegginashallowbowl.Usingafork,pickuptheuncookedprepared

cutletsoneatatime,dipinthebeateneggcoverallsidesandallowexcesseggto

dripoff.

6)Turneacheggcoveredcutletinthebreadcrumbs.

7)Carefullyplaceeachpreparedcutletintotheheatedoil.Theywillcookquickly

sowatchthemcloselytoavoidburning.Turneachcutlettoitsoppositeside

allowingbothsidestobecomegoldenbrown.

8)Wheneachcutletappearstobecookedonbothsides,removeitandplaceitin

theplatepreviouslypreparedwithpapertowel.Thisallowstheexcessoiltobe

absorbedbythepapertowel.Youmayhavetoplaceanadditionalrowofpaper

toweloverthenewlypreparedcutlets.Thesewillservethesamepurposeasthe

firstrowfortheadditionalcutletsastheyarefried.

Thesemaybeeatenasisbeforeaddingasauce.(SeeChickenParmigiana,below.)

Ifyoucooktoomanycutlets,freezetheexcessforanothertime.Laterwhenreadytouse,

allowthemtothawbeforeuse.

ChickenParmesan(VealorPorkParmesan)

(ThisentréeismadeusingonlyParmesancheese.Parmigianomeansthe

entréeistoppedwithmozzarellacheesebeforebaking.)

Consideredbysomeadifficultbutdelightfulentréethisrecipewillprovideyouaneasywaytothisfamousdish.Yourfriendswillmarvelatyourmasteryofthistasty,acclaimedmeal.

Usethecutletsyouhaveprepared(seechicken,vealorporkcutlets)orhavefrozen.

Assembly

1)SpreadasmallamountofMarinarasauceinyourbakepan.

2)PlacethecookedculetsinthebakepanandcoverwithaMarinaraSauce.Seesectiononeforpreparationofthesauce.

3)CoverwithParmesancheese(orshreddedmozzarellacheeseifyou

prefer).

4)Bakeinapreheatedovenat325degreesfor15-20minutes.

Moretimeintheovenwillberequiredifthecutletsareusedfrozen.Avoidsignsof

overcooking(burnedorblackenedcheese.)

5)Removefromtheovenandserve.

6)Anaccompanimentofpastaonthesameservingplateiscustomary.Angel

hairpastaispreferredsinceitcooksquickly.Thechoice,however,is

yours.Distributethepastaoneachplateandcoveritwithasmallamountof

Marinarasauce.(Yourinitialsaucepreparationmayrequiredoublingtheoriginal

basicMarinararecipedependingonthenumberofcutletspreparedandtheamount

ofpastayouwilluse.)

7)Thevegetableaccompanimentisofyourchoice

8)HardcrustedItalianbreadwillcompleteyourmaincourse

Serves4-6Enjoy

RosemaryChicken

Ingredients

1)WholeChickenwithskin,4-5pounds.Cutintopiecessuitableforserving

2)OliveOil,3-4oz

3)Rosemary,dried2tspor2freshstemsfromplanteach3”long

4)CoursegroundGarlic,½tsp

5)Blackpepper,¼tsp

6)Redtablewine,½cup

7)Bakingflour,1cup

8)Buttonmushrooms,1cup

9)2largepotatoescutintolargesteakfrysizedpieces.(Potatoneednotbe

peeledbut,ifnot,theymustbethoroughlyscrubbedandfreeofanydirt.)

9)Skilletapprox12inchesindiameter

Preparation

1)Lightlydustthechickenpiecesinflourwhichhasbeenplacedinaflat

dish

2)Sprinklelightlywithgarlicandblackpepper.

3)Placeinafryingpanthathasapproximately¼inchofoil,whichhasbeen

broughttotemperatureforfrying.Alloweachpiecetobecomegoldenbrownon

theoutside.Removeeachpiecewhenitiscookedsincetheskilletmaynothold

allthepreparedchicken.

4)Whenfinished,replaceallcookedpiecesofchickenintotheskillet.

5)PlaceRosemariestemsorsprinkleRosemaryflaksoverthechicken

6)Option:Addpotatoesandmushroomsifyouwish.Mixthoroughly.

7)Addthetablewine

8)Partiallycoverskilletandletsimmerfor45-60minutes.

Serves4-6

Enjoy

Sausage,Peppers,OnionsandTomato

Ingredients:

1)Crushedtomatoes—1½,28ounce(byweight)cans

2)FreshSweetBasil,8-12leavesdependingonsizeofleaves

3)TwolargeBellPeppers,green

4)OnemediumsizedwhiteOnion

5)CoarsegroundGarlic*

6)Finegroundblackpepper*

7)Italiansausage(hotormild)–Twopackageswithfivelinkseach.Cut

eachlinkinhalf,acrossthemiddle,(NOTtoptobottom)orintoone-inch

pieces.

Option:TurkeysausagesmaybeusedinlieuofItalianporksausages.

8)Oliveoil,3-4oz

9)Dryparsley*

10)Bakingpan,approx10x12inches.

*TheamountsofGarlic,parsleyandblackpepperaredeliberatelynotmentioned.

Sprinklingthesespiceslightlyoveryourpreparation,asdirected,isnotreally

measurable.Theapproximateamountsyouwilluseare.Garlic,½tsp;Blackpepper,

¼tsp;Parsley,3tbsp

Preparation

1)Thinslicepeppersfromstemtolowertip.Discardstemandremoveallseeds.

2)Cuttheslicedpiecesinhalf

3)Thinsliceonionandcuttheseslicesinhalf

4)Openbothcansofcrushedtomato

5)CutBasilleavesintoapprox½inchpieces.

Cookingassembly

1)Lightlysprinkleoliveoilintothebottomofabakingpan.

2)Put1canofcrushedtomatooveroliveoil.

3)Placecutonionandpeppersinbakingpanandmixwellwithyourhand.

4)Placecutsausagelinksinpansurroundingeachwiththepeppers&onions

5)Coverallingredientswith½canofcrushedtomato

6)Lightlysprinklegarlicandblackpepperoveringredients.

7)Sprinkleapprox3tablespoonsofdryparsleyovermixture

8)Distributecutbasilevenlyoveringredients

9)Coverpanwithaluminumfoilandsecureendsexceptforaventilation

openingatoppositecorners.Placeinapreheatedovenat350degreesfortwo

hours.

AttwohoursCAREFULLYliftendsofaluminumfoil.Ifsauceistoothin,

cookforanadditional30minuteswiththefoilcoverlooseatcornersandedgesto

allowwater(steam)toescape.Removefromovenwhensauceisthedesired

consistency.Thesaucemaybeusedoverthepastaofyourchoiceandthesausagewill

serveasthemeataccompaniment.Later,youmayusethesausagesinsandwiches

usingItalianrollsorsimplyservethemonaplatetobeeatenwithItalianbread.

Serves8-10

Enjoy

Tortellini-MeatballSoup

Thiswonderfulsoupisperfectforlargeparties.Thisrecipeisthereforewrittento

provideservingsfor15-16people.Ifyouwillbeservingonlyasmallnumberofpeople,

youcanfreezetheamountthatexceedsyourcurrentneed.Freezingincontainersholding

anamountyoufeelneededforanothertimewillmakeyournextuseofthesoupquickand

easy.Analternativewouldbetoproportionatelyreducetheingredientsusedinthe

recipe.Sincethisrecipeisrathertimeconsuming,thealternativemethodisnot

recommended.Beawarethatthevolumeoffoodyouarecookingwillrequirealarge

pastatypepan.Havethisavailablebeforeyoubeginoryoumayfindyourself

overwhelmedbythevolumeofthemealyouarepreparing.

Ingredients

1)Egg,two

2)Groundbeef–1pound

3)GroundPork–1pound

4)GroundVeal–1pound

(Youmayusejustonekindofmeat,orgroundchickenorturkeywithonly

minimalchangeintasteofthemeatballs.)

5)LemonJuice–8ozOR1finelygratedwholelemon,(removepits,pulpand

thickskin).*Addasmallamountofwatertothelemonpasteanddiscard

anyresidualpulpfrompaste.Distributeevenlyovermeatmixtureandmix

thoroughly.

6)GratedParmesanCheese(Kraft)–1¼cups

7)BlackPepper–1tsp

8)GarlicPowder(CoarseGround)–¾tsp

9)ParsleyFlakes–3tsp

10)Breadcrumbs(ItalianStyle)–20%ofabovevolumewhenmixedortoyour

owntaste.

11)Swansonorotherchickenbroth,1%fat(ina32-ozbox).4Boxes.

12)Tortellini–Threeboxes(meat,chickenorcheesefilledoranycombination).

Allow4-6perperson.(MaybepurchasedintheDelisectionofasupermarket

13)Large,pastapan.

*Ifavailableusethegratingbladeinthefoodprocessor,thenredotheresulting

materialusingthedoublebladedcuttingattachment.Resultwillbeafinesmoothlemon

paste.Sincethissteprequirestheuseofafoodprocessormorethanonelemonmaybe

usedeliminatingtheneedforthistimeconsumingstepinthefuture.Unusedremaining

pastemaybefrozeninsmallbaggiepackagesequivalenttoonelemoneachforfuture

use.

Preparation

1)Mixitems1-10abovethoroughly.

2)Bring2boxesofbrothtoaslowboilinalargepot.

3)Youmayaddasmallamountofwatertomeatmixture,approximately¼

cup.Themixturewillbecomeslightlymorepliableandeasiertouse.

4)Rollmeatmixtureintomeatballstoyourdesiredsizeanddropeachinto

boilingchickenbroth.Asmallermeatball,½inchindiameter,ismost

desirablesinceatthissizeitwilleasilyfitonaspoonwheneatenwithout

preliminarycutting.Cookingtimeinthebrothwillbeshort(2-4minutes)but

varieswiththesizeofthemeatballused.

5)Whenthemeatmixturehasbeencompletelyexhausted,themeatballsand

brothmaybeusedimmediatelyorportionsmaybefrozenforuseatalater

date.(Donotfreezecookedtortellini.)

Whenreadytouse,addremaining2boxesofbroth,bringtoaboil.Add

Tortellinitofreshorfrozenboilingbroth.Cooktoyourtaste(3-5minutes)

Willserve15-16

Enjoy

Chicken,potatoesandpeas(Baked)

Ingredients

1)Wholechicken,approximately4-5pounds,cutintoservingsizedpieces

2)3largepotatoespeeledandcuteachintolargesteakfrysizes

3)Sweetpeas,1can,drained

4)Salt,¼tsp

5)Pepper,¼tsp

6)Coarsegroundgarlic,¼tsp

7)Oliveoil

8)Parsley,1tbsp,finechopped

9)Bakingpan,suchasaCorningdish(approximately10”x14”inches).

10)Pamorothermaterialthatdiscouragestheingredientsfromstickingtothe

panordish.

Preparation

1)SprayingtheinnerpansurfacewithPamorasimilarmaterialfirstwill

discourageanystickingandfacilitateeaseofremovalwhencooked.

2)Sprinkleasmallamountofoilinthebottomofthebakepan.

3)Spreadthecutchickensectionsinthebakepan

4)Placealltheslicedpotatowedgesbetweenthechickensections

5)Lightlysprinkleoiloverboththepotatoesandchicken.

6)Lightlysprinklesalt,pepperandgarlicoverallitems

7)Sprinkleparsleyoverthecontents

8)Placeuncoveredinpreheated325=degreeovenforoneandonehalfhours.

9)Removebakepan(dish)fromtheoven.Replacefor15-minuteperiodsif

youfeeladditionalcookingisneeded.

10)Removefromovenandevenlyspreadthedrainedsweetpeasoverits

contents.

11)Replacethepanintheovenforanother4-5minutes.

12)Removefromtheovenandserveinthebakedishfamilystyle.

Rememberitishot,sotreatitaccordingly.Usematsunderthedishorpanwhen

settingitonthetable.Yourdelicious,allinone,mealisreadyforalltoenjoy.

Serves6-8

Enjoy

ChickenCacciatore(Hunter’schicken)

Thetermislooselyusedtodescribechickencookedinanyoneofseveralways.In

itsvariousformsofpreparationithasbeencalledHunter’sChicken.Whatwillbe

describedhereisoneofthesemethods,thisbeingdonewithatomatobase.

Ingredients

1)Splitbonedchickenbreastswithskin,approximatelytwopounds,cutinto

servingsizedpieces.

2)Crushedtomato,1can(2cansifyouwishtousethesauceoverpasta.)

3)Paprika,2tbsp

4)Flour,1cup

5)Salt,¼tsp

6)Pepper,¼tsp

7)Coarsegroundgarlic,¼tsp

8)Oil,approx¼inchintheskillet

9)Basil,8-10leaves

10)Italianbread

11)Pastaofyourchoice.

Preparation

1)Mixpaprika,garlic,pepper,saltandflourthoroughlyinflatdinnerdish

2)Putoilintheskilletandbringtomediumheat.

3)Usingafork,liftchickenpiecesoneatatimeandlightlyandevenlycoatall

sideswiththeflourmixture.

4)Placeeachpieceintotheheatedoilafteritiscoatedwithflour.Allowchicken

tobecomeevenlybrownonbothsides.Ifnecessaryremovecookedpiecesto

allowroominthepanforcookingtheremainderofthechickenpieces.

5)Whenallpieceshavebeenfried,returnallcookedpiecestotheskillet.

6)Avoidsplatterbyslowlyadding1or2cansoftomatoandbasiloverthe

chicken.

7)Partlycoverthepan,maintainreduceheatunderskillettosimmer

9)Stirandturnchickenoccasionally.

10)Allowcookingfor1-½hoursoverthislowheat.(Ifthesaucebecomestoo

thickaddsmallamountsofwaterasneeded,mixingwelleachtime.)

11)Spoonoffexcessoil.

12)Cookpastaseparately

12)Servethechickenasis.(Usingtwocansoftomatoesprovidesyouagooddeal

ofsauce,whichmaynowbeusedoveryourfavoritepasta.)

13)Italianbreadfordippingintosauce.

Delicious!

Serves4

Enjoy

PutanescaSauce

UsethebasicMarinararecipeBUTaddthefollowingwhilecookingthesauce

1)Onetubeofanchovypaste

2)¼cupofafinelychoppedwhiteonion

3)15choppedblackolives

4)3teaspoonsofdrainedcannedcapers

5)Redpepper,¼tsptosuityourtasteforahot(arrabbiato)sauce.

6)6-8leavesofbasil.

6)Tomatopaste,asdiscussedundermarinaravariant,forthickersauce.

7)CookasdirectedunderMarinarasauce.

8)Useoverspaghetti,linguini,capellinioryourfavoritepasta.

Willserve4-6

Enjoy

PastaAllaChecca—Sauce

Foralightlunch,thiseasytopreparesaucerequiresnocookingandwillsurelybealowcaloriehittoallwhotasteit.Thetypeofpastaisyourchoice.(ForquickpreparationuseCapellini,whichcooksinabout6minutes)

Ingredients

1)Cherrytomatoes(fifteentotwenty),crushwithforkaftercuttingintosmallpieces.

2)Oliveoil,extravirgin,4tablespoons(1/4)cup

3)Coarsegroundgarlic,1tspor2freshclovesdicedor1tspminced.

4)FreshBasilLeaves,choppedintosmallpieces,8largeleaves

5)Saltlightly(Totaste)

Preparation

1)Mixingredients:Tomatoes,garlic,basil,andoliveoilinabowl.Youmaysalt

lightly(totaste).Coverwithplasticwrap.

2)Allowtositrefrigeratedoratroomtemperaturefor1-2hours

3)Pouruncookedsauceover½poundhotcookedpasta,andtoss.

4)GratedParmesancheeseandcrushedredpepperoverpasta(eachtohistaste)

Serves2

Enjoy

ShrimpSauce,RegularandDiablo

1)UseapreparedMarinarasauceoverasimmerheat.Addapproximately28

mediumpeeledshrimp.Mixwellintosauceasitcooks.

2)Takeskilletofftheheatimmediatelywhentheshrimphaveturnedwhitishpink.

Thecookingtimefortheshrimpis3-5minutes.

3)Optional.IfnotalreadyaddedintheMarinarasauce,add¼teaspoon

crushedredpepperforahotdiablosauce.Youmayusemoreorlesspeppertosuit

yourtaste.Becareful!Onceintroduceditcan’tbetakenback.

4)Spreadoveryourfavoritepasta

5)EachpersonmayuseParmesancheeseonpastatosatisfyhis/hertaste.

Serves4

Enjoy

ShrimpSauce,Clear

1)Tothebasiccookedstarternumbertwo,AglioeOlio,addapproximately

28mediumpeeledshrimp.Stirwellintothebasicstarter.

2)Takeskilletofftheheatwhentheshrimphaveturnedwhitishpink.This

additionalcookingtimeis3-5minutes.Itiseasytoovercook!Becareful.

3)Optional:IfnotalreadyaddedtotheAglioeOlio,add¼teaspoon

crushedredpepperforahot(arrabbiato)whitesauce.

4)Optional:Sundriedtomatoeschopped,1tbsp

5)Serveonindividualplates.

6)Spreadtheshrimpandsauceoverthepastaoneachplate

7)UsegratedParmesanCheese.(Thisdishtastesbestwheneatenwitha

generousamountofcheesesprinkledonthepasta.)

Serves4

Enjoy

FreshClamSauce,Red

1)ToabasiccookedMarinarasauceaddwell-scrubbedcockleshellclams

orotherclamvarietyofsimilarsizesuchasthecherrystonetoremovesand.

Thenumberofclamswilldependontheclamsizeused.Forthesmallest

varietyuse4-6clamsperperson.Musselsmaybesubstitutedforclams.

2)Removeskilletfromtheheatwhenallclamshaveopened.Discardany

thatareunopened

3)Spreadthesauceoveryourfavoritepasta,(linguini,angelhairor

spaghetti.)

4)Dividethecookedclamsevenlyovereachserving

5)Sprinkleasmallamountofcrushedredpepperoverpastatoyourtaste

6)Parmesancheese(grated)isoptional

Servesfour

Enjoy

ClamSauce,Clear

1)Usethebasiccookedstarternumbertwo,AglioeOlio.Addwell-

scrubbedcockleshellclams,orothervarietyofsimilarsizesuchasthe

cherrystoneclam,toremovesand.Thenumberofclamswillingreaterpart

dependonthesizeused.Forthesmallestvarietyuse4-6clamsperperson.

Musselsmaybesubstitutedforclamsaswell.

2)Removetheskilletfromtheheatwhenallclamshaveopened.

3)Spreadthesauceoveryourfavoritepasta;linguini,angelhairorspaghetti,

whilealsodividingthecookedclamsevenlyontoeachserveddish

4)GratedParmesancheese.Thisdishisbesteatenwithagenerousamountof

cheesecoveringthepasta.

5)Ifneeded,eachindividualtohis/herlikingmayaddcrushedredpepper.

Servesfour

Enjoy

ScallopsinRedSauce

1)Tothebasicnearlycookednumberone,Marinarasauce,addapprox1

poundofscallops,(thenumberwillvarydependingonthesizeofthescallop

andnumberbeingserved.Youmaycutlargerocean(Sea)scallopsinhalf.)

2)Removetheskilletfromtheheatwhenthescallopshaveturnedmilky

whiteoropaque.Cookingtimeisapprox3-4minutes.

3)Spreadthesauceoveryourfavoritepasta;linguini,angelhairorspaghetti,

whiledividingthescallopsequallyontoeachserveddish

4)UsegratedParmesancheesetosuityourtaste.

5)Crushedredpeppermaybeaddedbyeachindividualtohis/herliking.

Servesfour

Enjoy

ScallopsinClearSauce

1)Tothebasiccookedstarternumbertwoaddapprox1poundofscallops.

Thenumbervariesdependingonscallopsizeandnumberbeingserved.

2)Additionalbasilleaves(4-6),cutintosmallpieces

3)Removefromheatwhenthescallopshaveturnedmilkywhiteoropaque.

Cookingtimeisapprox3-4minutes.Itiseasytoovercook!Becareful.

4)Option:Sundriedtomatoeschopped,2tbsp

5)Spreadthesauceoveryourfavoritepasta;linguini,angelhairorspaghetti.

6)Dividethescallopsontoeachserveddish.

7)UsegratedParmesancheesegenerouslytosuityourtaste.Thisdishisbest

eatenwithagenerousamountofcheeseoverthepasta.

8)Ifneeded,crushedredpeppermaybeaddedbyeachindividualtohis/her

liking.

Serves4

Enjoy

Calamari(Squid)inRedSauce

Preparation

1)Tothebasiccookedstarternumberone,Marinarasauce,addapproxone

poundofpreparedsquid.(Thesquidshouldbecleanedandthespineandeyes

removed.Eachisthencutintoringsofapprox¼to½inchthick.The

tentaclesarealsocutattheirbaseintobite-sizedpieces.)

2)Allowcookinginthesauceuntilthecalamariturnpinkincolorand/orthe

cutedgesbegintocurl.Cookingtimeis4-5minutes.Don’tovercook!

3)Removefromtheheat.Ifnotusedimmediatelytheywillcontinueto

cookinthehotsauce.

4)Spoonoutthesauceandcalamariontoyourfavoritepasta

5)Additionalcrushedredpeppermaybeaddedbyeachindividualtosuit

his/hertaste.

Serves4

Enjoy

StuffedCalamariinRedSauce

Ingredients

1)Calamari(Squid)onepoundoratleastsixcompletebodies.Thecalamari

shouldbecleanedandtheinnerspine(shell),eyesandtentaclesremovedorcut

short.Drainwell.

2)Breadcrumbs,amountsufficienttoHALFfillallthesquidbodiesbeing

used.Overfillingmaycausethebodiestoexplodeallowingduringcooking

allowingthefillingtooverflowintothesaucefromtheopenendsduring

cooking.

3)OPTIONAddchoppedshrimpandcrabmeattoyourtastebutkeeptotal

volumeofstuffingthesameforeachcalamaribody.

4)Cuttheremovedtentaclesintosmallerpieces.

5)Coarsegroundgarlic,½tsp

6)Blackpepper¼tsp

7)Parsley(dry)2tbsp

8)Egg,1

9)GratedParmesancheese,2tbsp

10)Oliveoil,2tbsp

11)Water,2tbsp

12)Toothpicks,toholdopenendstogether

13)Marinarasauce.

Assembly

1)Combineingredients2-10.Mixwell.

2)Insertthemixtureintothebodycavityofeachsquid.Useanamountthat

willonlyhalf-filleachcavity.Donotpackintightly.Seeabove.

3)Closetheopenendsandsecurewithtoothpicks.Asaprecaution,usethe

samenumberoftoothpicksoneachbodyandcountthenumberused.Thus

thereislesschanceoflosingatoothpickinthesauceaftercooking.

4)PlaceeachcompletedsquidincookedMarinarasauce.

5)Addtentaclesandcutcalamariringsstirintothesauce.

6)Allowcookingforanadditional4-5minutes.

7)Removefromheat

8)Carefullyremovethesquidfromthesauceandplaceonaseparateplateto

besliced.Removeandcountthetoothpicksused.

9)Spoonoutthesauceoveryourfavoritepasta;linguini,angelhair,or

spaghetti.

10)Sliceanddividethestuffedsquidbodiesequallyontoeachserveddish.

Serves4-6

Enjoy

PorkRoast

Ingredients

1)Porkloinroast,approx4-5pounds

2)FRESHparsley,finelychoppedwithoutstems,½cup

3)Parmesancheese

4)Pepper

5)Seasonedbreadcrumbs,½cup

6)Oliveoil

7)Garlic,coarseground

8)String

9)Meatthermometer

Assembly

1)Butterflytheporkloin.(Theloiniscut¾ofthewaythrufromtiptotip

almostdividingitinhalf.Eachstillattachedhalfisthenslicedfromtiptotip

alongitsmidsurface¾ofthewaythrough.Whenthisporkloinisfully

openedyouwillbelookingat6cutsurfaces)

2)Applysomeoliveoiltoyourhandsandworkthemasifwashingthem.

Theresultwillbeafinecoatingofoilcoveringbothhands.RubALLmeat

surfaces,aswellastheoutsideandtheendsoftheroasttransferringasmall

amountofoilfromyourhandstotheroast.Ifyourhandsaredryusemoreoil

beforerubbingthemtogether.Whendonewiththeroast,washyourhandsto

ridthemofoil.

3)Lightlyapplypeppertoallsurfaces

4)Sprinklegarliclightlyoverallsurfaces.

5)Evenlyspreadbreadcrumbsoverallcutsurfaces.

6)Sprinkleasmallamountofoiloverbreadcrumbs.(Thiswillpreventthe

cookedroastfrombecomingtoodry.)

7)Sprinklecheeseoverallcutsurfaces

8)Uniformlydistributetheparsleyoverthecheese

9)Closetheentirebutterflyroastandholdtogetherwithstring.Tie,butnot

tootight,allowingroasttoremaintogether.Countthenumberofstringsused.

10)Placeincoveredbakepanwhichhasbeenrubbedwithasmallamountof

oil

11)Insertthemeatthermometerintoroast

12)Placeintheovenat350degrees.Cookingtimewillbeapprox1houror

untilthemeatthermometershowsaninternaltemperatureof145degrees.

13)Immediatelyremovefromthepanwhencookedandplaceitonaflat

servingplateformeat.Remembertheroastwillcontinuetocookifleftina

hotpan.Cutandremovethestrings.Besureyourcountisasitwaswhen

started.

14)Youwillfindtheroastretainsitsshape.Slicetheroastcrosswisefromside

tosideinthicknessofapprox½-1inchwhenreadytoserveandeat.

15)AnaccompanimentpastaofyourchoicecoveredwitheitherMarinaraor

AglioeOliosauce.

16)Avegetableofyourchoicewillcompleteyourentrée.

Serves4-6

Enjoy

TunaInRedSauce

Forthosewholiketunathisisanespeciallytastyandeasysaucetoprepare.

Thisisthepoorman’sversionsincewewillusecannedtuna.Nonethelesseveryonewill

stillappreciateit.

Ingredients

1)Marinarasauce

2)2,7ozcansoftunainoil.Drainiftunaisinwaterandadd2tbspoil.

Assembly

1)Onceyouhaveincorporatedallthenecessaryingredientsforpreparation

oftheMarinarasauceyousimplyaddbothcansoftuna.Allowthesauceto

cookslowlyinanuncoveredskilletfor30-40minutes.Duringcookingyou

mayneedtoaddasmallamountofwaterifthesaucebecomestoothick.

2)Ontheotherhand,ifthesauceseemstoothinsimplycookforanaddition

fewminutesintheuncoveredskilletuntilitreachestheconsistencyyoudesire.

3)Removefromtheheatandserveoveryourfavoritepasta.

4)Tosatisfyyourtasteyoumaywishtouseadditionalcrushedredpepper

Serves4-6

Enjoy

BologneseSauce

ThiswonderfulsauceismadebycombiningbeefwiththebasicMarinarasauce.

Ingredientsandpreparation

1)Add½poundofgroundbeeftoyourpreparedMarinarasauceandletcook

anadditional30minutes.Crumblethemeatasyouputitintothesaucesono

largepiecesremain.(YoumayusegroundTurkeyorsmallcutsofbeefinlieu

ofgroundbeef.)Totalcookingtimeis45-60minutes.

2)Afterremovingfromtheheat,spoonthesaucegenerouslyoverthepastaof

yourchoice.

3)Gratedcheeseandcrushedredpeppermaybeusedtoeachperson’staste.

Serves4-6

Enjoy

Bolognesesaucevariations

Thetasteofyoursaucewillvarywiththetypeandamountofmeatyouputinit.The

meatvarietyisentirelyuptoyou.Asastarteryoumightconsideryourselectionfromone

orseveralofthefollowing:Italiansausages,chickenwithskin,piecesofporkorbeef,

meatballsandbraciola(eachoftheseitemsarediscussedseparatelyinothersectionsof

thisbook).Findeachoftheseintheindexandfollowdirectionsgivenforpreparingthe

oneyouselect.Ifaconsiderableamountofmeatisusedyouwillhavetoaddan

additionalcanofcrushedtomatoeswhilecookingtohavesufficientsauceforyourneeds.

Afinalimportantitemofimportancetorememberistouseapan(skillet)thatis

deepenoughtoaccommodatewhateveryouarepreparing.Thishasbeenmentioned

previouslyaspartofyourpantrylist.Whateveryoudowillbeyourcreationandnow,

sinceitmaybenameless,youmayapplyyourown!

PizzaiolaSauce

RefertotheoptionsunderMarinarasauceforpreparation.Thesimpleadditionofdry

Oreganoflakeschangesboththearomaandthetasteofthisdelightfulsauce.Thename

hasitsoriginfromthetoppingofpizzaswhichusethisverysauce.Twoverydifferent

useswillnowbedescribed.

Steakpizzaiola(pork,steak,veal,orchicken)

1)Placethinlyslicedsteakinthecookedpizzaiolasauce(Marinarasauceto

whichyouhaveadded1½tspdriedoregano).

2)Allowmeattocooktothedonenessyouprefer.

3)Removefromheatandserve,spooningsauceovereachportionofmeat

served.

4)Vegetableandpastaaccompanimentsofyouchoicewillcompletethe

entrée.Youmaychooseanysauceoverthepasta.Ageneroususeofparmesan

cheesewillmakethisawonderfulfit,(SeeNumberTwo,onpage10.)

5)Youmaypreferusingrice.Whencooked,theremainingpizzaiolasauce

maybespreadoverthericetocompleteyourentréevariation.

6)Thesameproceduremaybeusedforpork,vealorchicken.

Serves4-6Enjoy

BreadPizza

1)Preparationofthesauceisdoneasmentionedforthesteakpizzaiola.

Shreddedmozzarellaisanadditionalingredient,asin7below.

2)Italianbreadwitheachloaflargeenoughtobecutlengthwiseintothree

longsectionsofequalthickness.

3)Placethecutsectionsofbreadonabroilerpanandputinthebroilerfor

lighttoasting.Toasteachside,beingcarefulnottoburnthem.

4)Coverthetoastedpieceswithpizzaiolasauceinabakepan.Putanamount

oneachslicethatyouwouldwantonyourrestaurantpizza.

5)Evenlydistributeshreddedmozzarellaovereachpiece.

6)Options:Ifyouwishtocreateamorecomplicatedtoppingyoumayadd

anyorseveralofthefollowing;pepperoni,onions,peppers,olives,anchovies,

andanynumberofthingsyoumaythinkof.Thechoicesareyours!

7)Putbakepanina350-degreeovenandallowthemozzarellatobecome

completelymelted.

8)Removeandserve.

9)Thisisacasualandinformallightlunch.Childrenwillloveitandsowill

you!

ThenumberitwillservewilldependonthenumberofItalianloavesofbreadyou

useandthevolumeofsauceyoumake.

Serves:Thiswilldependonthenumberofbreadpizzasyoumake.

Enjoy

EggplantinMarinaraorBolognese(meat)sauce

Ingredients

1)PreparethebasicMarinaraorBolognesesauceasoutlinedinBASICS

NUMBERONE

2)Peeltheskinfromasmalleggplant.Cuttheremainingeggplantintoslices

of½to¾inchesthickfromsidetoside.Cutintocubes½to¾inchsquares.

Use¾to1cupofcuteggplant,dependingonyourtaste,inthesauceyouare

preparing.

Assembly

1)CombineallingredientsinaskilletasfortheMarinaraorBolognese

sauce.

2)Addtheeggplant

3)Allowsauceandeggplanttocooktogetherfor45minutes

4)Removefromheatandserveoveryourfavoritepasta

5)Serves4-6

Enjoy

Pastaefagioli

Thenameofthisdishsimplymeanspastaandbeans.Eachadditionalitemyouusewould

obviouslychangethename.Variantswillbediscussedfollowingthisrecipe.)

Ingredients

1)Marinara,Bolognesesauceor(clearsauce).Doublesauceingredients.

2)Pasta(shortelbowortubevarietyofyourchoice)1pound

3)Canellinibeansandredkidneybeans,1canofeach,undrained.Ifbeans

arenotsoft,heatandallowfurthercookinginaseparatepan.

Assembly

1)PreparetheMarinara(meatless),Bolognese(Meat)sauceorWhiteSauce

asdirectedinanearliersection.

2)Cooktheshortvarietytubepastaofyourchoice

3)Drainpastawellwhencookedandplaceinpastabowl

4)Addthesauceofyourchoice

5)Addallbeans.

6)Mixthoroughly.Mayneedadditionheatinginthemicrowaveoronthe

stove

7)Providegratedcheeseandcrushedredpepperforeachperson’suseto

his/hertaste.

Serves6-8

Enjoy

Pastaefagiolivariations

Tothepastaefagioliaddpeas.ThenamenowbecomesPastaefagioliepisselli.

AddpotatoesanditbecomesPastaefagioliepatate.

Ingredients

1)Asforpastaefagioli,(RedorClear)

2)Sweetpeas,1candrained,heated

3)Option:Potatoes(1/2cup)cutintocubesof½to¾inch(Pre-cook

untiltender)

Assembly

1)Addpeastothepastaefagioli

2)Option:Addpre-cookedanddrainedpotatoes

3)Entiremixturemayneedadditionalheating.

4)Providegratedcheeseandcrushedredpepperforeachperson’suse

tohis/hertaste.

Serves6-8

Enjoy

SeafoodSalad

Avarietyofseafoodmaybeusedinpreparingthisdish.Whatareconsideredthe

basicingredientswillbementioned.(Dependingonindividualtaste,otherseafoodmay

beadded.)Thissaladtastesbestifthecookedandmixedingredientstobeusedare

fresh.

Ingredients:

1)Calamari½lb(cutintoringsapproximately½inchwide,)

2)Shrimp¼lb(50-60/lbcount,cooked,eachcutinto3pieces.)

3)Bayscallops¼lb(Ifseascallopsareused,cuteachinquarters.)

4)Imitationcrab¼lb,(cutinto½inchpieces.)

5)Oliveoil(forsautéing)1/8cup

6)Garlicpowder¼tsp

7)Blackpepper¼tsp

8)Optional:Clams:24cherrystoneorcockleshellclamsofequivalentsize

Preparation

1)Placeoliveoil,garlicandblackpepperinaskilletoveramediumheat.

2)Cookseafooditemstogetherandcookforonlytwoorfourminutes.

Overcookingwillresultineachitembecomingtoohard.Putallasideinabowl

tobecombinedwithmarinadelater.(Calamariiscookedwhenedgesbeginto

curl.Scallopsarecookedwhentheybegintochangecolororbecomeopaque.

Youmayalsotestdonenessbytaste.Crabandshrimpareplacedinthesame

skillet.Shrimpbegintochangecolorwhendone.)

3)OptionalClamsaresteamedinasmallamountofwaterwithparsley.Save

liquid.Discardanyclamsthatfailtoopenafterboiling.Shucktheopenones

andcutclamintosmallerpieces.

Additionalingredientsforpreparationofmarinadeintheseafoodbowl

1)Oliveoil1/8cup

2)Redwinevinegar¼cup

3)Lemonjuice3tbsp

4)Blackpepper¼tsp

5)Crushedredpepper1/8tsp

6)Crushedgarlicpowder1/8tsp

7)Freshparsleyleaves,finelychopped,½cup.

8)Optionalitems:Non-seafood:Finelychoppedcelery¼cupand1/8cup

pittedslicedblackolives.

Assembly

Combineallingredients(Plusoptionsifused)andmixthoroughly.Coverthebowl

andallowmarinatingintherefrigeratorfortwotofourhours.(Mixthe

refrigeratedsaladonceortwicewhilemarinating.)

Removefromtherefrigeratorwhenreadytoserve.Servecold.(Anyunused

portionmaybereturnedtotherefrigeratorforalateruse.)

Serves6-8

Enjoy

FettuccinealPesto

ThisItalianfavoritewillshowyouhowtocreatethepestosaucefromitsbasic

ingredients.Relax,it’seasyandalsoallowsyouthelatitudeofvaryingthepesto

ingredientstosuityourowntaste.

Ingredients

1)2cupsoffreshbasilleavescutintosmallerpieceswithoutthestems

2)¾tspcoarsegroundgarlic

3)2tbsppinenuts

4)½cupParmesanCheese

5)½cupvirginoliveoil

6)Fettuccine,onepound

7)Optional:Heavycream,onepint

Preparation

1)Blenditems1-5inafoodprocessoruntiltheybecomesasmoothpaste.

ThisisnowyourPestosauce.Reserveforlateruse.

2)Addfettuccinetoboilingwater.Cookaldente(firm).Removeandsavea

smallamountofliquidtobeusedasneededin#3belowtothinthepesto.

3)Tossthepestoandthefettuccine.(Add1cupofheavywhippingcream

tothepesto,beforemixing.)

4)ServewithextraParmesancheese.It’sverydifficulttoaddtoomuch!!

5)Servewithafish,fowlormeatpreparationaccompaniment.ofyourchoice

6)Crushedredpeppertoeachperson’staste.

Serves4-6Enjoy

BeanandCelerysoup

Easytoprepare.Thisdelightfulsoupwillbeenjoyedasanaccompanimenttoanymeal

orlightlunch.Iftwotypesofbeansareused,thesoupwillbecomeabeansoup

Ingredients

1)¼lbbaconslicedintosmallpieces

2)Crushedtomatoes,1,28ozcan

3)¾cupcelerycutintopiecesof½inch

4)Coursegroundgarlic,½tsp

5)Blackpepper,fineground,¼tsp

6)Water,1cup

7)Cannellinibeans,1can

8)Redkidneybeans,1can(optional)

Preparation

1)Sautéthebaconina4-quartcookingpan.

2)Whenthebaconiswellcookedadditems2-6(tomatoes,celery,garlicand

pepper)

3)AddCannellinibeanswithitsliquidwhentheceleryiswellcooked.

4)Addoptionalitem7(Redkidneybeans)withitsliquidalongwithitem#3

5)Addwatertosatisfyyourtasteforthicknessofthesoup.

6)Allowbeanstoreachservingtemperature

Serves6-8

Enjoy

VealScaloppini

Adelightfulentréethatiseasytoprepare,isalwaystasty,andisalwaysasuccess.The

recipelendsitselftomultiplevariationsbasedsolelyonthetypemeatused.The

preparationofothermeatorfowlisdoneinthesamewayasitisforveal.

Ingredients

1)Crushedtomato,½cancrushed

2)OliveOil,¼cup

3)Onion,½ofmediumsizedwhitecutintosmallthinpieces

4)Bellpepper½(red,yelloworgreen)cutintosmallthinpieces.Discardstems

andseeds.

5)Garlicpowder½tsp

6)Blackpepper¼tsp

7)Sixbasilleavescutintosmallerpiecesor1tspofdriedbasil.

8)Veal,1lbcutintothinlyslicedpieces

Preparation

1)Placeitems1–7intoadeepuncoveredskilletandallowcookingovera

mediumheatuntiltheonionsbecometranslucentandthepeppersbecomesoft.

Cookingtimewillbeapproximately30-35minutes

2)Asmallamountofwatermaybeaddedperiodicallytooffsetwhatislostto

evaporationduringcooking.

3)Addtheveal,orsimilarlyslicedmeatofyourchoice.3-5minuteswill

allowthemeattobethoroughlycooked.(Overcookingmaymakemeattough.)

4)Removefromheatandserve.

5)Thesaucemaybeusedoverasmallsideportionofpastaorriceoneach

individualplate.

6)Parmesancheesetoeachperson’stasteisoptional

Serves4-6

Enjoy

RisottoRusticawithShrimpand/orScallops

Aneasilypreparedseafoodentréethatissuretosatisfyboththetasteandappetite.

ShrimpaloneorwithScallopsareusedinthesaucethatisspoonedoverrice.Notethatthe

amountofseafoodwillvaryiftheyareusedtogetherorseparately.Althoughthisisnot

trulyclassicrisotto,thisrice-baseddishwillticklethetastebudsofanygourmet.

Ingredients

1)Celery,cutintosmallpieces,1/3cup

2)Carrots,thinlyslicedbabyvariety,1/3cup

3)Onion,cutintosmallthinpieces,1/3cup

4)Bellpepper,green,redoryellow.Use½oftheselectedpeppercutinto

thinshortpieces.Discardstemsandseeds.

5)Oliveoil,1/3cup

6)Garlic,½tspcoarsegroundor1clovefinelychopped

7)Blackpepper,½tsp

8)Crushedtomato,½28ouncecan

9)Rice,3cups,shortgrain,superfino.

10)Shrimp,cooked,1lbcleanedandcutinhalf.½lbifusedwithscallops.

11)Seascallops,1lbocean,cutintoquartersections.½lbifusingwith

shrimp.

Preparation

Thereshouldbesimultaneousandseparatepreparationofitems1-8and9-11

1)Combineitems1-8andsautéinanopendeep-sidedskillet.Allow

cookingslowlyfor15minutes

2)Toavoidsplatter,SLOWLYADDthecrushedtomato.Allowcookingover

lowheatforanadditional20-30minutes.

3)Shrimpand/orScallopsarethenadded.Cookingtimeforeachisjusta

matterofminutesandiscompletewhentheshrimpturnpinkincolorandthe

scallopsbecomeopaqueormilkywhite.Don’tovercookorbothwillbecome

verytough.

4)Riceiscookedinaseparatepan.Allowricetocookslowlyoverlowto

mediumheat.Addsmallamountsofwaterduringcookingtoavoidhavingthe

ricedryout.Allowricetoreachthenon-drytextureyoudesirebyperiodic

tastingwhileitstillretainsacreamyconsistency.

5)Spoonthecookedriceonindividualdishesandcovereachwiththetomato-

seafoodmixture.

6)Optional.Crushedredpepperforeachpersontosatisfyhis/hertaste.

7)Optional:Addavegetableofyourchoiceasanaccompaniment.

Serves8-10

Enjoy

Meatballs

ThroughouttheworldthisisthemostfamousingredientinanItaliansauce.Youwill

enjoytheflavor,especiallywhentheyremainsoftaftercooking.Thesuperbtastewillbe

thesameeachtimeyoupreparethembyusingthissimplerecipe.Theyareeasytocreate

andalwaysafavorite.

Ingredients

1)Groundpork,½lb

2)Groundbeef,½lb

3)*Alternate:1or1½poundsofgroundturkey.(Preferabletoground

chicken.)

4)Oneegg

5)Seasonedbreadcrumbs,volumenottoexceed20%ofmeatvolumeused.

Thisisapproximately¼cup.

6)Garlic,½tspcoarseground

7)Blackpepper,½tsp

8)Parsley,fresh,finelychopped,¼cupor⅛cupdried

9)Marinarasauce.(SeeBasicStarterinSectionOne)

10)Water¾cup

Preparation

1)Combineallitems,1-8,andmixthoroughly

2)Addwater,½to1cup,ifneeded,tokeepmeatmixtureeasilypliable

3)Preparemeatballs,eachapproximately1½”indiameter

4)Carefullydropthemeatballsintothemarinarasaucewhileitiscooking.

PRELIMINARYFRYINGORBAKINGISUNNECESSARY

5)Allowcookingforanadditional30-45minutes.Totalcookingtimefor

sauceandmeatballsisapproximately60-75minutes.

6)Removethecookedmeatballsandplacethemonaseparatemeatdish

7)Spoonthesauceovercookedpastaofyourchoice.

8)Addthenumberofmeatballsfromthemeatdishaseachpersondesireson

his/herplateorallowself-servefamilystyle.

9)*Leftovermeatballs,usecoldandcutintosmallerpieces.Addasmall

amountofsauceandlettuceandplaceinanItalianroll.Thisbecomesa

delicioussandwich!OR,youmaywanttocrushthemusingaforkanduse

themasthemeatfillerinlayersofLasagna.OR,greatadditiontoyourpasta

efagioli

Serves4-6

Enjoy

EggplantParmesan(Parmigiano)

(ThisentréeusesonlyParmesancheese.Parmigianomeanstheentréeis

toppedwithgratedparmesancheesebeforebaking.)

Ingredients

1)Preparedtomatosauce(SeeMarinaraorBolognesesauce(withbeefor

turkey)

2)Twoeggplantsapproximately8-10long(Mediumsize)

3)Foureggs

4)Salt

5)Seasonedbreadcrumbs

6)Oliveoil,½cup

7)ParmesanCheese(GratedKraft)

Preparation

1)Peeltheeggplant(Optional)andthencutcrosswiseintoslicesapprox.½

thick

2)Laytheslicesonpapertowelandsprinklelightlywithsalt.Allowsitting

for1-2hours.Whenreadytousebrushexcesssaltoffandpateachpiecedry.

3)Beateggsinashallowbowl

4)Dippreparedeggplantslicesintoegg.Shakeoffexcessegg.

5)Breadcrumbsshouldbespreadonadinnerplate.Turneachslice,which

hasbeendippedinegg,ontobreadcrumbscoveringeachslicelightlyonboth

sides.Fryinoilinaskilletuntilgoldenbrown.Removeeachsliceasitis

cookedandplacedonanabsorbentpapertowel.Continueuntilallhavebeen

preparedandallowedtobecomedry.

6)LinethebottomofabakingdishwithpreviouslypreparedSauce

(MarinaraorBolognese)

7)Placealayeroffriedeggplantinpanandcoverlightlywithyourprepared

sauce.GenerouslysprinkleeachlayerwithParmesancheese.Continue

buildinguplayersinthesamewayuntilalltheeggplantisused.

8)Placeinapreheatedovenat350°Ffor30minutes.Servehotorwhen

partiallycooled.

9)Servewithavegetableorpastaandsalad.Thechoicesareyours.

Serves6-8

Enjoy

Braciola

Thisisathinpieceofsteakwhichhasseveralingredientsplacedoveritandisthen

rolledandcookedinatomatosauce.

Ingredients

1)PrepareaBologneseorMarinaratomatosauce.

2)Steak,½lb.Thetypeofsteakcanvarybutisusuallyathininexpensivecut,for

example,flank,bottomortopround.Cutasthinaspossibleforitsentirelengthby

placingthemeatonacuttingboardthenholdingitfirmlyinplacewithasmallplate.Cut

byusingathickhandledknifeinahorizontalsawingmotionuntileachpieceofsteakhas

beencutintoasmanythinslicesaspossible.Makesteakslicesaswideandaslongas

possible.

3)Eggs,two

4)Freshparsley,½cupfinelychoppedafterdiscardingstems.

5)Blackpepper

6)Garlicpowder

7)ParmesanCheese,grated

8)Oliveoil

9)Toothpicks

10)*Optional:Prosciutto,thinlysliced.Seasonedbreadcrumbs.

Preparation

1)Beateggsandpreparethethinnestomeletpossibleinaskilletusing2tbsp

oliveoil.

2)Sprinklewithasmallamountofpepper,saltandgarlicpowder(lessthan¼tsp

each)

3)Laythecookedegg(Omelet)oneachpieceofpreparedmeat.Youmayhaveto

repeatomeletpreparation.Trimomeletedgesofthemeatoverhangingthemeat.

4)Optional:Spreadslicesofprosciuttooveregg.

5)Sprinkleasmallamountofbreadcrumbsoveregg.

6)SprinkleasmallamountofParmesancheeseoversurface.

7)Coverlightlywiththefinelychoppedparsley.

8)Carefullyrolleachpreparedsteakandsecuretherollinplacewith

toothpicks.Trimtheoverhangingeggedges.(Countthetoothpicksusedand

retrievethesamenumberwhencooked.)

9)Placeeachcompletedrollintomatosauceandsimmerfor45minutes.

10)Removefromsauceandsliceeachrollinto½-1inchringsforserving.

11)Servewiththeothermeatsusedinyoursauce.Covereachslicewithasmall

amountofcookedsauce.Theremainderofthecookedsaucewillbeusedoverthe

pastaofyourchoice.

Serves4-6

Enjoy

GreekSalad,ItalianVariation

Ingredients

1)Iceberglettuce,1head

2)Redonion,½mediumsize

3)Calamatapittedolives,approximately30

4)Tomato,onemediumbeefsteak

5)Fetacheese(crumbled),one4ozpackage

Preparation

1)Removecenterstem(stalk)fromlettuce.Cutheadinhalf,toptobottom.

Cuteachintosmallerpieces0fapproximately2”.Placeinbowl.

2)Cuttomatointobitesizedpieces.Distributeoverlettuce.Donotmix.

3)Cutonionintosmallbitesizedpieces.Distributeoverlettuce.Donot

mix.

4)Distributeolivesevenlyoversalad.Donotmix

5)SpreadFetacheeseevenlyoverlettuce.Donotmix

6)PourItaliansaladdressing(describednextonpage67))oversalad.

7)Mixthoroughlyonlyafteryourguestshaveseenyourmasterpiece.

Serves8-10

Enjoy

ItalianSaladDressing

Ingredients

1)Oreganoflakes,dry,1½tsp

2)Basilleaf,dry,1tsp

3)Garlicpowder½tsp

4)Blackpepper⅛tsp

5)Oil.1oz(2tbsp)

6)Redwinevinegar-7oz

7)Lemonjuice2tsp

8)Sugar,2tsp(oritslo-calequivalent,e.g.,1packetofSweet’nLow)

Preparation

1)Combineallingredientsinalargeglasssuitableforusewithahandheldmixer.

2)Aerateandblendusingmixerfortwominutes.Refrigeratefortwohourstoallow

dryingredientstorehydrate.

3)Shakewellbeforeusingandspreaddesiredamountoverthesaladofyourchoiceor

theGreekSaladmentionedearlier.Dressingissufficientfor10individualsaladserving.

Enjoy

Antipasto

AnItalianappetizerservedbeforethemeal.Therearemanywaystocreatethisdish.

Whatisdescribedisoneversion.Aftermakingitseveraltimesyouwilldevelopyour

ownpresentation.Antipastomaybepreparedonsmallerservingdishesforusebyeach

personoronalargeservingplatterfromwhichindividualportionscanbeserved.When

purchasingitemsnumbered6through10youwillneedatleasttwoslicesofmeatand

Provaloneperperson.

Ingredients

1)Lettuce(iceberg)

2)Wholeripetomato,slicedintobitesizedpieces

3)CalamataandSicilianstyleolives

4)Artichokehearts,1bottle

5)Anchovies(Cannedinoil)

6)Genoasalami(Thinsliced)

7)Mortadella

8)Capocollo(AmildlyspicedthinslicedItalianham)

9)Prosciutto(thinSliced)

10)Provalone(thinsliced)

11)Roastedpepperscutintostripsofapproximately2x4”

12)Winevinegar

13)Oliveoil

Preparation:

Thisnextprocedureisfollowedforbothanindividualplateorforthelargerserving

platter.Thedifferenceinthetwoisthenumberofcirclesofitemsbeingcreatedonthe

servingplatter.Onanindividualplatetherewillbejustonecircle.

1)Covertheplateswithlargesinglelettuceleaves,flattenedsoitwillaccept

otheringredientsplacedoverit.

2)Layernumbers6-11totheouteredgesofthelettuce,overlappingas

necessarytomakecompletecirclesontheplateorplatter.

3)Use½sliceofprovolonehalfwayatthetopandbottomofeachcircle.

Repeatonthecirclesonbothsidesofeachplate.

4)Placetwopiecesoftomatoesslicedaswedgesatoppositeendsoftheplate

overthemeatandcheese

5)Artichokeheartsarethenplacedinthecenteroftheplate

6)Usesix-eightolives,alternatelyCalamataandSicilianaroundtheartichoke

7)Placesixrolledanchovyfilletsadjacenttotheolives.

8)Sprinklewinevinegarandoilverylightlyovercompleteddish.

9)Cutpiesizedsectionsfromthelargeplateandplaceonsmallerindividual

plateforeachperson.

10)Foralargerpartymakeasecondlayeroverthefirstbutdon’thidethefirst.

ServeandEnjoyyourmasterpiece!

BeanSalad

SimplymadeusingcookedcannedCannelliniand/orredkidneybeans.Easytomakeand

hasagreattaste.

Ingredients

1)Cannellinibeans,onecan

2)Redkidneybeans,onecan

3)Numbers4-10areforeachcanofbeansused.

4)Oliveoil,2tbsp

5)Garlicpowder,¼tsp

6)Blackpepper,¼tsp

7)Lemonjuice,1tsp

8)Redwinevinegar,3tsp

9)Finelychoppedparsley,2tbsp

10)Optional,crushedredpepper,¼tsppercanortoyourtaste

Preparation

1)Placebeanswithitsliquidinaservingbowl

2)Addingredientsnumbered4-10andmixwell

3)Refrigeratefor30-40minutesbeforeuse.

4)Alloweachpersontoservethemselvestheamounttheydesire

Enjoy

ItalianStringBeans

Thisrecipeismadewithorwithoutatomatobase

Ingredients

1)½poundfreshorthawedfrozenstringbeans

2)Oliveoil,2tbsp

3)Garlicpowder,¼tsp

4)Blackpepper,¼tsp

5)RedWineVinegar,1tbsp

6)*Optional:¼canofcrushedtomato

Preparation

1)*Optional:Placecrushedtomatoinaskillet,reserving½ofitsliquid

2)Addallingredientsexcept#5

3)Allowsautéingoveramediumheatuntilthebeansarecookedtosuityour

taste.Ifoptionaltomatoisused,cookforapproximately30minutestotal.

4)Addvinegar(#5)

5)Servehotorwarmasanaccompanimenttoyourentrée.

Serves4-6

Enjoy

Bruschetta

Ingredients

1)Ripebeefsteaktomato,cutintocubesofapproximately¼-½inch

2)Oliveoil,3-4tbsppertomatoused.Varieswiththesizeofeachtomato.

3)Garlic,coarsegroundpowder,beginwith¼tspforeachtomato.Usemore

orlesstosuityourtaste.Increaseswiththenumberoftomatoesused.

4)Blackpepper,¼tsp

5)Freshbasilleaves,(twopertomato)eachleafcutintopiecesof¼inch

wide.

6)Redwinevinegar,¼tsppertomato.

7)Italianbread,similartobutlargerthanabaguetteinsize,thinlysliced,

approximately½inch,atleastoneperpersontobeserved.Lightlytoasteach

pieceonbothsides.

Preparation

1)Placeingredients1-6inabowlandmixwell.

2)Refrigerateforatleast1hourbeforeuse.

3)Spoonthetomatomixturegenerouslyovereachpieceoftoast.

4)Serve1or2breadslicesperperson

Serves4ormoredependingonamountofbreadandnumberandsizeoftomatoesused.

Serve

Enjoy

SteamedClams(orMussels)

Verypopularinseafoodrestaurantsandonmanywharfsandpiersasahousespecialty

Ingredients

Clams(ormussels),thoroughlyscrubbedtobefreeofsand.Therecipeisfor4-6clamsor

musselsperperson.Adjustingredientsifagreaternumberofeitherisused.

1)½cupbutter,unsalted

2)½cupwhitewine

3)2cupswater

4)Choppedparsley,nostems,¼cup

5)CoarsegroundGarlicpowder,½tsp

6)Blackpepper¼tsp

7)Optional.Cheeseclothtoremoveanyresidualsandfromreservedliquid

8)Soupbowls

Preparation

1)Placeitems2-6inacoveredsaucepan.Bringtoaslowboilovermediumheat

2)Addscrubbedclams(orMussels)toboilingmixture.Coverpot.

3)Removefromheatwhenallclamsormusselshaveopened.Discardanythat

failtoopen.

4)Dividethenumberofclamsormusselsevenlyintoeachperson’sbowl.

5)Distributethereservedfilteredliquidevenlyintoeachguest’sbowlfor

individualuse.Theliquidmaybeusedtodiptheclamsormusselsintobefore

eatingoritmaybedrunkasabroth.

Enjoy

StuffedClams

Anotherpopularitemonanyseafoodmenu,especiallywherefreshclamsareabundant.

Suretobeahiteverytimetheyareserved.

Ingredients

1)Clams,4perperson,(thisrecipewillbefor16clams).Uselargequahog

variety.Therecipemustbeadjustedifagreaternumberofclamsareused.

2)2cupswater

3)½cupbutter,unsalted

4)½cupwhitewine

5)Blackpepper¼tsp

6)2tablespoonsoffinelychoppedfreshparsley

7)Coarsegroundgarlic,½tsp

8)½cupseasonedbreadcrumbs

9)2tablespoonsgratedparmesancheese

10)Oliveoil,4tbsp

11)Cookiesheet

12)Cheeseclothtoremovesandfromreservedliquid

13)Preheatovento350degrees

Preparation

1)Placeclamsandnumber2aboveinacoveredsaucepanandbringtoboil

overmediumheat.

2)Removefromheatwhenallclamsareopen.Discardunopenedclams.

3)Reservetheliquidafterfilteringthroughcheesecloth

4)Removeclamsfromshellsandsaveinaseparatebowl.

5)Saveallshellsandseparateeachinto2halves.

6)CAREFULLY(watchthefingers)cutclamsintosmallerpieces(dice)

7)Combinethedicedclams,anditems4-10listediningredients.

8)Addreservedliquid(broth),approximately1cup,andmix.

9)Distributemixtureontoeachseparatedcleanedshells.Ifthemixtureistoo

dry,sprinklewithreservedbroth,ifstillavailable,orwithclearwater.

10)Placefilledshellsoncookietin(s)andputinpreheated350degreeovenfor

15minutesoruntilthesurfaceofeachisgoldenbrown

11)Removeandserve(Becarefulnottoburnyourself!Theshellsretainheat

forsometime)

Serves-4personsusing4stuffedshellseachor8personswith2stuffedshellseach.

Enjoy

ManhattanClamChowderwithfreshclams

Thetomatobasemakesthisaredchowder.Inordertocapturethefulltasteofthe

clams,thestrainedwaterusedtosteamthefreshclamsmustbecomeanintegralpartof

thechowderattheonset.Thefinalresultwillbeaflavorful,richtastingclamchowder.

Ingredients

1)24cherrystoneclams

2)16ouncesclamjuice(two8ouncebottles)

3)2canscrushedtomatoes

4)¼tspblackpepper

5)¼tspcoarsegroundgarlicpowder

6)2tbspoliveoil

7)6-8largebasilleavescutintosmallpieces

8)½cupchoppedonion

9)½cupchoppedcelery

10)½cupthinlysliced,bitesizedcarrots

11)Crushedredpepperinasmalldishforindividualtableuse

Preparation

1)Prepareandcookingredients#2-9inaskilletasyouwouldtomakea

marinarasauce.AllowCookingfor30-40minutes.

2)Whilethisissimmering,place4cupswaterinaseparatesaucepanandbring

toslowboil

3)Placecherrystoneclamsinthewaterandremoveeachwhenshellopens.

Discardclamsthathavenotopenedafterboiling.Saveliquidafterstraining

throughcheeseclothorteastrainertoremoveresidualsand.

4)Removeclamsfromshellsandchopthem.Reserveforlateruse.

5)Addreserved,filteredliquidfromcookedclamstoitems(2-10).Allowto

simmerinanuncoveredsaucepanfor20minutesoruntilvegetablesaredesired

tenderness.

6)Combinechoppedfreshclamswithaboveandsimmerforanother3-5

minutes.

7)Priortoanentréeofyourchoiceservewhilehotusingindividualbowlsand

Italianbread.

8)Forthosewhopreferitspicy,offercrushedredpepperforindividualtaste.

Serves8-10

Enjoy

ManhattanClamChowder(Red)withcannedclams

Thetomatobasemakesthisaredchowder.Onceagainwewillbeginbymakinga

marinarasaucethatwewillultimatelycombinewithallremainingingredientsneededfor

chowder.

Ingredients

1)2cansofcrushedtomatoes

2)¼tspblackpepper

3)¼tspcoarsegroundgarlic

4)2tbspoliveoil

5)6-8largeleavesofbasil,cutintosmallerpieces

6)2canschoppedclams

7)1canmincedclams

8)16ouncesclamjuice(two8-ouncebottles)

9)½cupchoppedonion

10)½cupchoppedcelery

11)½cupthinlyslicedcarrots,bitesize

12)Finelychoppedparsley(nostems)

14)Crushedredpepperinasmalldishforindividualuseatthedinnertable

Preparation

1)Combineitems1-5asifmakingamarinarasauce.Cookfor30minutes.

2)Separatechoppedclamsfrom3cansandsaveliquidfromeachcan..

4)Combineitems8-12,listedunderingredients,andliquidfromcannedclams.

Allowtosimmerfor20minutesoruntilallvegetablesaretender.

5)Combinepreparedmarinarasauce,choppedclamsandmincedclams.

Simmeronlyuntiltheclamsarewarm(3-5minutes).(Addclamjuiceinsmall

amountstoachievedesiredconsistency.)

6)Servewhilehot(priortotheentréeofyourchoice)withItalianbread.

7)Forthosethatpreferitspicy,eachusecrushedredpeppertoindividualtaste.

Serves8-10

Enjoy

ClamChowder,Clear,withfreshclams.(Forseafoodchowder

optionaddshrimp,scallopsand3by½fishfilletcutintobitesized

pieces.

Ingredients

1)Preparationof24clamsasforredchowder(Seepage79).

2)4bottlesclamjuice(8ounceseach).

3)Additionalwatermaybeneededifoptionalseafoodsareused.

3)½cupchoppedonion

4)½cupdicedcarrots

5)2cupsdicedpotatoes

6)½cupchoppedcelery,

7)2tablespoonsoliveoil

8)½tspgroundblackpepper

11)¼cupfinelychoppedparsley

12)1canofcream-stylecorn(approximately8ounces)

13)¼tspcoursegroundgarlic

Preparation

1)Reduceclamjuice(1-2)bysimmeringslowlyinasaucepanfor15minutes

2)Placeremainingingredients,3to13,insaucepanwithsavedreducedliquid.Allowcookinguntilvegetablesaretoyourtaste,(15-20minutes).

3)Combinepreparedfreshchoppedclams,(*includingoptions),cookedvegetablesandliquid.Heatuntilclamsarethoroughlywarmed,3-5minutes.

4)ServeincupsorbowlswithItalianbreadpriortotheentréeofyourchoice.

Serves8-10Enjoy

ClamChowder,Clear,withcannedclams(Option:Addshrimp,scallopsand3inchx½inchfishfilletcutintobitesizepieces.)

Ingredients

1)4canschoppedclams,(Forheavierclamtasteuseatotalof5cans.)

2)4bottlesclamjuice(8ounceseach).

3)½cupchoppedonion

4)½cupdicedcarrots

5)2cupsdicedpotatoes

6)½cupchoppedcelery,

7)2tablespoonsofOliveOil

8)½tspgroundblackpepper

9)¼cupfinelychoppedparsley

10)1canofcream-stylecorn(8ounces)

11)Coursegroundgarlic,½tsp

Preparation

1)Reduceclamjuice(items1-2)bysimmeringslowlyinsaucepanfor15minutes.

2)Placeingredients4-12insaucepanwithreducedliquid.Allowto

simmeruntilvegetablesarecookedtoyourtaste,(15-20minutes).

3)Addchoppedclamswiththeirliquidtocookedvegetables(addoptionalseafoodnow).Continuetosimmeruntilallarecooked,esp.fish,(3-5minutes)

4)Addwaterinsmallamountstoreachconsistencyyoudesire.

Serves8-10Enjoy

Horsd’ouevres-CapresseAppetizer-(FingerFoodforWaitingGuests)

Aperfecttasteservedonashortskewerorlongtoothpick.Easytomakeandequallyeasytopickupandeat.

Ingredients

1)Mozzarella–EasiesttouseifpurchasedinBrickForm

2)FreshBasilleaves

3)CherryTomatoes

4)Longtoothpicks

5)FinelychoppedgarlicinOliveoil.Allowtositforashorttimebeforeuse)

6)AmountofingredientsisdependentonnumberofH’orsd’oeuvresbeingmade

Preparation

1)Eachingredientskeweredinorderlisted

2)Mozzarellacutintocubesof½inch

3)Basilleavecutinto1inchpieces

4)CherryTomato

5)Setonplatethensprinklelightlywitholiveoil-garlicmixture

Servewithsmallplatesandnapkins.Eatallingredientsatthesametime.

Enjoy

Cioppino

Cioppinoisatastyfishandshellfishstewmadewithoutpotatoes.Forbestresultsthe

ingredientsusedshouldbethehighestqualityoffreshseafood.Youwillbenefitfrom

readingthisrecipeseveraltimesinordertobecomefamiliarwithallsteps.Thisrecipe

willserve4-6people

IngredientsSeafood

1)Littleneckclams,10or20.(Oneortwoperperson).Steamclamsin1cupofwateruntilallareopen.Removeclamsandsetasideforlateruse.Strainliquidtoremovesandandreserveforlateruseinsauce.

2)Halibut(orSwordfish)fillet¾pound.Cutintopieces1½x1½inch.

3)Twentyuncookedmediumsizefreshshrimp.Removetheshellsandtailsandtheblackveininthecurvedupperbody.

4)Ten(10)SeaScallops,cutinhalforthirdsdependingonsize.

5)Wholebabyclams,onecanandonecanchoppedclamsandtheirliquid.(Thisrepresentscheatingsincetheyarenotfresh.)Useisoptional.

6)Imitationcrab,¾lb.(Mayusefreshcrabinstead,butthatis

expensive).

Sauceandcontents

1)¼cupoliveoil

2)½tsp.coursegroundgarlicpowder

3)Two28ouncecanscrushedtomatoes

4)Addstrainedreservedliquidfromsteamedlittleneckclams

5)¾cupbitesizethinslicedcarrots

6)½choppedwhiteonion

7)6-8largebasilleavescutintosmallerpieces

8)Saffron,8threads.(Allowsoakinginsmallamountofwaterforatleast2hourspriortouse.Lateryouwilluseallthreadsandwaterinsauce).

Assembly

1)Placesauceitems(1-8)inaskilletandsimmerfor45minutes.

2)Addhalibut,orothersolidfish,andallow3-5minutescookingtime.

3)AddShrimp,Scallopsandcrab.Simmeranother3minutes.

4)Addreservedliquidfromsteamedclams

5)Addclamsintheirshells,forreheatingonly.(Mayaddanoptionalcanofbabyclams)thensimmerfor3minutes.

6)Serveinlargebowlswithoneortwoclamsintheshellineachbowl

7)ServewithItalianbreadandawineofyourchoice.

Willserve4-6persons

Enjoy

Lasagna

AuniversalwordthatinanylanguagemeansauniqueandspectacularbakedpastadishesofItalianorigin.TheactualpreparationofthisfamousdishisnowbasicallythesameforeveryonesinceitwasfirstdiscoveredbyanItalianculinarygenius.Thetaste,however,mayvarybecauseofthecomponentsthatwillbecomeuniquetoyourcooking.Forexample,thesaucecanbemadewithavarietyorofdifferentindividualitemssuchasmeats,orvegetables,eachofwhichwillalteritstaste.

Ingredients

1)Lasagnanoodles,1pound,brandthatisavailable.

2)BasicMarinaraorBolognesesauceanditsmeatvariations.Doubletheingredientscalledforinthepreviousrecipes,keepwarmforlateruse.

3)Deep,8x12bakingdish

4)Largepantocookthenoodles.

5)*Ricottacheese,1pound,placedoncheeseclothinacolanderonaplate.Refrigerateovernight.Excesswaterinricottawillberemoved.DothisthedaybeforepreparationofyourLasagna.

6)2eggs

7)Mozzarellacheese,shredded,2cups

8)Optional-FormeatlessLasagnauseanyorallofthefollowing.Thinlyslicedzucchini,carrots,broccoliandmushrooms,andsmallcubesoftofu.

9)Bakingspray(nonstick)

10)Preheatovento350degrees

Preparation

1)CooknoodlesinwaterONLYUNTILtheycanbeeasilybent.

2)Removenoodlesfromhotwateranddraininacolander

3)Placethericottainabowl.Breakbotheggsoverthericotta.Mixthoroughlyuntilsmooth.Addsauceuntilmixtureremainsthickbutcanbeeasilyspread.

4)Youshouldnowhavebeforeyouforeasyaccess,noodles,ricottacombinedwithBolognesesauce,ormeatlessMarinarasauce,andmozzarellacheese.

5)Coatthebottomofthebakepanwithasmallamountofthesauceofyourchoice.Thisisimportantanddiscouragesanystickingofthelasagnatothepanduringcooking

6)Createonelayerofnoodles,sidebyside,thelengthofthebakepan.Canbeeasilycuttothesizeneededwithascissors.

7)Coverwithricotta-saucemixturetoabout¼inchthickness.Begeneroussincethiswillthickenconsiderablywhenbakedlaterintheoven

8)Vegetarianoption.Spreadthinslicedzucchini,summersquash,eggplantandparboiledskinnedbellpepperoverricotta

9)Spreadshreddedmozzarellaoverentirelayer.NOTTOOMUCHsincethiswillmeltandspreadonitsownwhenbaked

10)Repeatstep7-9,exceptthistimelayerthenoodlesfromsidetosideinthepan.Alternatesubsequentnoodledirectionwitheachlayer.

11)Continueuntilyouhavereachedthetopofthepanorhaveexhaustedyoursupplyofcookednoodles

12)Looselycovertheeggplantandmozzarellawithouttouchingthem.Thiswillpreventstickingtocover.Placeinapreheatedovenforabout¾hour.

13)Removecarefullyfromoven,usingpotholders.Allowsomecoolingbeforeserving.

Serves8-10

Enjoy

Lentilsoup

Leftovermeatballs,sausageorhammaybeusedinmakingthissoup.Requiresa

fourquartsaucepanandwillserveasmallpartyorallowyoutorefrigerateunused

cookedlentilsforuseonanotherday.Reheatedit’sterrificasaquicksnack.Tomakea

smalleramountreduceeachingredientproportionally.

Ingredients

1)½28ozcanCrushedtomatoesor1150zcanofdicedtomatoes

2)Lentils1boxorbag(1pound)

3)Oliveoil,4tbsp

4)Water,2½quarts.Youmayreplacewaterwithchickenbroth,suchas

Swanson’s,whichwillenhancethetaste.

5)Coarsegroundgarlicpowder,¼tsp.

6)Blackpepper,½tsp

7)Salt,½tsp

8)Celerydicedintopiecesofapproximately¼inchpieces,¾cup

9)Carrotscutintopiecesofapproximately¼inch,¾cup

10)Onion,¼cupchopped

11)ChoppedspinachorSwisschard(uncookedmeasure)cutinsmallpieces,

½cup

12)Crumbledmeatballs,sausage,dicedhamorleftoverBolognesesauceif

available.(Anyorsomeoftheseisallright.)

13)WorcestershireSauce3tbsp

Preparation

1)Placeallingredientsintoa4quartormore,saucepanatthesametime

2)Bringtoaboil,thenletsimmerinacoveredpanfor45-60minutes,

3)Tastefordoneness.Lentilsmayrequireadditionalcookingtimetosuit

yourtaste.

4)ServeinsoupbowlswithItalianbread

5)Refrigeratetheremaininglentilsoupforreuseonanotherday

Serves10-12

Enjoy

OnionSoupThisisasmalldeviationfromatypicalItalianmenubutaneasyanddelightful

addition.FromsouthoftheFrench-ItalianborderbutdoneeasilymypersonalItalianway!You’llloveit!

Ingredients

1)Twolargewhiteonionscutinquartersfromstemtobottom.Cut

eachpieceintothinslices.

2)Chickenbroth,four12ozcans

3)Threetablespoonsbutter

4)Twotablespoonsoil

5)¼teaspooncoursegroundgarlicpowder

6)5tablespoonsWorcestershiresauce

7)Cheese;gratedParmesan,shreddedSwissorGruyere

8)One½inchsliceoflightlytoastedFrenchbaguetteforeachserving

Preparation

1)Placeallingredientsinalargecoveredsaucepan

2)Bringtoaboilandthenletsimmercoveredfor1¾hours

3)Distributeinindividualsoupcups

4)Topwithapiecetoastedbaguette

5)Sprinkleathicklayerofcheeseofyourchoice(above,#7)over

eachbaguette.

6)Placeservingsplaceunderbroilerfor3-5minutesuntilcheeseis

meltedand/orbubbly.

7)Servewhilehot.

8)Refrigerateleftoversoup(Reheatforuseatanothermeal)

Serves6-8

Enjoy

CabbagewithBeans

Ingredients

1)Cabbage,onehead,cutinhalf.Removestalkandcutintosmall

pieces.

2)Placecutsurfaceofcabbageoncuttingboardandcutinto1inch

wideribbonsfromtoptobottom.Cutribbonsinto2inchlongpieces

3)Optional:1poundthickbaconstripscutintosmallpieces.

4)Water,8-10cups

5)Beans115ouncecan.CannelliniorNavyBeans(entirecontents),

use1can,2ifyoureallylikebeans.

6)Option:(Youmayaddorsubstitutepotatoesforbeans.)

7)Option:(Crushedtomatoes,¼can)

8)Garlic,½tsp

9)Blackpepper,½tsp

10)Individualuseofcrushedredpeppertotaste.

Preparation

1)Cutbaconintosmallpiecesandsautéwellinsaucepan

2)PlacecabbagewithBaconinsaucepanandcoverwithwater.

3)Cookuntilcabbageispartlycooked.

4)Addchosenoptionalitems6and7plusregularitems8-10.

5)Continuecookinguntilcabbageandbeansaresoftandtender.(If

used,potatoesshouldbecookeduntilsoft)

Serves2-4asmaindishor6-8asvegetablesidewithItalianbread.

Enjoy

SautéedBroccoliRabe(AlsoknownasRapini)

IngredientsandPreparation

1)1lbbroccolirabe,cutinto1½to2inchpieces

2)Chickenbroth,8ounces

3)¼poundchoppedbacon

4)½tspgarlic

5)½tspblackpepper

6)Cannellinibeans

7)Optional,Saltpork,4oz.substituteforbacon.Remember,this

maybetoosaltyforyourtaste.Thechoiceistosatisfyyourtaste.

Preparation

1)Cookrabeinsaucepaninwaterforfivetotenminutes.

2)Remove,drainandrinsewithfreshhotwater.

3)Placebaconinalargeskilletandcookforseveralminutes.

4)Addthedrainedrabeintoskillet(Careful,maysplatterwhile

adding).

5)Sprinklegarlicandpepperoverrabe

6)Addchickenbrothandcannellinibeans

7)Mixwellwhilecookingcontinuesuntildesiredtenderness,

approximatelyfiveminutes.

8)Removefromheatandserveasavegetablesubstitutewithavariety

ofmeataccompanimentsofyourchoice.

Serves6-8

Enjoy

QuickLunchesandLeftovers

Becreative.Combinefoods.Youmaycanuseleftoversandfrozenextras,suchas

saucesandmeats.Yourimaginationwillcreatemanynewdinners.Examples:

LeftoverMarinaraorBolognesesauce,meatballs,andItaliansausagescanbecome

eitherasmallpartoforthemajorpartofpastafagioliorlentilsoup.NeverdiscardItalian

leftoverfood,rather,useitthiswaythenextdayandgiveitasecondlife!Your

experimentationcaneasilyexpandthiscookbooktoathousandrecipesmostofwhichwill

beuniqueandyoursalone.

SandwichescanbepreparedquicklywithItaliandelimeatsandcheeses.Simply

placethedesiredpiece(s)ofmeatandcheeseonthebreadofyourchoiceandaddanyof

thefollowing;roastedpeppers(findtheminyourpantry),onion,eggplant,orchopped

basil.Afewsecondsinthemicrowavewillresultinahotpanini.Asanoptionyoumight

addlettuceandlightlysprinkleonesideofthebreadwithasmallamountofvinegarand

oliveoil,afterheatingthesandwich.Youhavejustcreatedafabuloussandwich!

Leftovercookedmeats,suchasmeatballs,sausages,chickenParmigiana,veal

and/orpork,androastporkcanusedinsandwichbreadwithlettuce.Thiswillbecome

anotherfabulouscreation.Addingasmallamountofmayonnaisewillenhancethetaste.

Cookedbellpeppers,onionsandtomatoes(withorwithoutsausage)inarollor

withItalianbread.MamaMia!Thisissogood!

Nowyou’regettingtheideaaboutusingleftovers.YousimplyinventyourownItaliandishwithwhatleftoverisavailable!

PortobellaMushroomSaladsIfyouarecalorieconsciousthisrecipewillbeperfectforlunchorapreentréesalad.Easytoassembleandinexpensive.Tryit,you’llloveit!Foravegetariandishuseonlyseafood.

Ingredients

1)Portobellamushrooms,slicedinto2inchpiecesitsentirewidth.Youwillusethreeorfourslicesperperson

2)OptionalVariations(Selectone)

Steakstrips,½inchthick,8perservingbeingmade.

ORItalianSausage,eachlinkcutinto1inchpieces

ORSeaScallops,3perservingand3or4mediumsizeshrimpperpreparedserving.

3)Cherrytomatoes

4)SpinachleavesandRomainelettuce

5)RedroastedPeppers,onebottleorequivalentofthreeroastedbellpeppers.

6)Coarsegroundgarlic

7)SaltOliveoil,2tbsp

8)Balsamicmarinade.Youmayuseadifferentmarinadeofyourchoice.

9)Solidpieces(1-1½”by½”)ofprovoloneorcrumbledfetacheese.

10)ItalianBread

Assembly

1)Sauteemushroomsinoliveoil.Sprinklelightlywithbalsamicmarinade,garlicandsalt.Cooklowheatfor4-5minutesoneachsidethenremoveforlateruse.

2)Sauteevariationschosen(#2)insameskilletwithasmallamountofmarinadeofyourchoice.Thiswilltakeonlyafewminutesforeachofthoseselected.

3)Onasaladplateplaceabedofspinachandromainelettuce.Sprinkleyour

chosenmarinadelightlyoverthelettuce-spinach.

4)Placethecookedmushroomstripsinthecenterofeachbedoflettuce

5)Placeroastedpeppers,provoloneorFetaoneachsideofmushrooms

6)Placeyourchosenvariationadjacenttopeppersandcheese.

7)Cherrytomatoes(2)oneachsideofmushrooms

ServewithItalianbreadandredwine.Enjoy

SectionFour

PastaanditsVarieties

Theintentinwritingthiscookbookwastocreaterecipesthataresimpleandatthe

sametimerepresentativeofthefoodsconsumedbythetypicalsouthernItalian.Asa

consequencetherehasbeennomentionofcomplexsaucesandtime-consumingentrées.

YouwilldiscoverthatqualityItalianfoodsarenotthatdifficulttoprepare.Wehave

learnedthatcommerciallyavailableingredientscanbestoredinyourpantryindefinitely

andalwaysbeavailableforquickeasydinners.Itistruethatthefreshingredientwill

provideadifferentandperhapsbettertastebuttheycan’talwaysbeusedwhenyouhave

notimeavailabletosearchforandpurchasethem.

Thecommoniteminmanyoftheentréeslistedinthisbookispasta.So,whatis

pasta?Itisapaste(dough,paste)madefromaproductofthehardestofallthewheats,

durum,whichhasbeenmilledtoremovethegermandbrancreatingthesemolinausedto

makecommerciallysoldpasta.Thisimpartstheyellowcolorweseeinthepackaged

productswepurchaseatthemarket.Thehardnessofthepastathushasanotherdistinct

advantageinthatitallowsforthecreationofmanyshapesandsizesthatwillberetained

whendried.Anotheradvantageofthisproductisthatoncedrieditwillkeepindefinitely.

Thisisaperfectfitaspartofyourpantrylistwhereanumberofdifferentsizedandshaped

pastapackagescanalwaysbeatyourfingertips.Nextweseethatpastareferstoanentire

familyofproducts.Macaronicarriesthesamebroadmeaning.

Whythenaretheresomanydifferentnames?Thenamesareindicativeofa

certainsizeandshapeofpasta.Thevariationsmaybeveryslightforsomeorprofound

whencomparingonewithanother.Thelongstrandsavailableencompassarangeof

names,suchasspaghetti,spaghettini,vermicelli,tortellini,fettucini,capellini,taliarini,

andlinguinitomentionjustafew.Thedifferencesarenotintheircompositionbecause

allusethesamebasicpaste.Whenweleavethestrandswecanfindalongvarietyof

tubularforms.Sincewehaveanewgroupwealsohavenewnames.Penne,ditalini,

mastaccioli,rigatoni,bugatini(lookslikestraws),tubatini,ziti,shortelbows,longelbows

andsoon.Next,let’sconsiderotherdifferentandinterestingshapes.Manyarefavorites

withchildrensincetheyareeasiertoeatandrequireonlyaspoon.Bows(farfalle),

cartwheels,eliche(smallspirals),fusilli(twists),orecchiette(earshaped),ruotiniand

pastina(likerice).Finallytheflatpastathatcanbestuffedandmoldedallowforan

infinitenumberofshapesandsizes.Considerravioli,lasagna,cannelloni,tortellini,

manicottiandcapelletti.

Wehavetouchedonjustafewofthehundredsofnamesassociatedwithpastaand

wehaven’tconsideredtheendlessvarietycreatedbychangingitscolor.Thecolormaybe

greenwhenmadewithspinach,faintorangewithpumpkin,redwithtomatoesorwhatever

whenusingartificialcolors.Lastlythereareseasonedpastassuchasthosemadewith

saffron,squidink,blackpepperoravarietyofotherherbsandspices.

Confused?Youneednotbe.Availabilitywillsharplylimityouchoices.Findthe

particularpastasthatwillsuityourneedsfromwhatisavailableinyourfavoritemarket

andstickwiththem.Whateveryouusewillbeahappyadventureyou,yourfamilyand

yourfriendswillenjoy.

SectionFive

INDEX

Thepagenumber(s)underlinedis/arethemajorreference(s)

Aglioeolio2,4,13-14,34,36

Antipasto69

Anchovy6,32,70

Arrabbiato10,11,13,31,33

Basil4,6,8,10,13,14,17,23,24,30,31,32,3339,55,57,68,73,77,79,83,85,

94

Beans

Cannellini6,55,71,92

Redkidney56,71

Salad71

String72

Beef

Braciola43,46,63-64

BellPeppers16,23,95

Bolognesesauce10,11,45,46,49,50,63,86,88

Braciola43,48,63-64

Bread

Crumbs,prepared6,18,19,26,40,42,43,62,64,73-74

Pizza47

BroccoliRabe(Rapini)93

Bruschetta73

Cacciatore,Seechickencacciatore

Cabbageandbeans92

Calamari

Salad53

Sauce40

Stuffed41

Capresseappetizer81

Checca33

Cheese

Mozzarella20,48,49,83,85,86,87

Parmesan6,13,14,20,25,33-38,40,42,47,54,57,63-66,75

Chicken

Bakedwithpotatoandsweetpeas28

Cacciatore30

Cutlets18,19,20

Hunter’s30

Parmigiana18-20,62

Rosemary21-22

ChowderSeeClams

Cioppino-82-83

Conversiontableforgarlic7

Clams

Chowder,Red,Freshclams77

Chowderred,canedclams79

Chowder,Clear,freshclams81

Chowder,Clearwithcannedclams82

ClamSauce,red33

Cioppino84

Saucered36

SauceClear36

Steamed72

Stuffed73-74

ConversionTable-(GarlicandLiquids7

Egg18,19,25,40,60,62,64,65,

Eggplant,

InMarinaraSauce49

Parmigiana63

Freezer,useofinstoringparsleyandbasil8

Garlic(coversiontable)7

Horsd’oeuvres(Capresse)83

Kitchenaids9

Lasagna

WithMeatandMeatless62,86

Leftovers94

LentilSoup86-87

LemonJuice25,53,67,71

Marinarasauce2,4,10,12,20,32,33,34,35,36,38,40,41,42,45,46,48,50,51,

61,63,65,79,80,86,94

Meatballs

Beef10,11,25-27,61-62,88,94

Soup25

Turkey23,25,46,61

MozzarellaCheese(Shredded)20,48-49,83,85,87

Mussels

InredorclearSauce36

Steamed74

Olives6,32,49,53,67-68,70

Onionsoup88-89

PantryList6-7

Parmesan

Chicken18,20

Eggplant62,63

Pork18,20

Veal18,20

Parmigiana(SeeParmesan)

Pasta

DiscussionandVarieties96-97

Pastaandbeans51

Pastaandpeas52

Pastaandpotato52

Pastaefagioli51

Pastaallachecca33

Pastavariety2,4,5,15,51,95-96

Peppers,onionsandtomato16,23

Peppers,Roasted,6,69-70

Pesto55

PizzaiolaSauce10,11,48

BreadPizza48

WithBeef48

WithChicken48

Withpork48

Pork18,20,25,43,46,63

Cutlets18,19

Parmigiana20

Roast43-44

Portobellamushroomsalads95

PutanescaSauce32

Ricotta86-87

RisotoRusticawithShrimporScallops59

Rosemarychicken21-22

Saffron85

Saladdressing66,67

Salads

Bean71

BeanandCelerySoup56

Calamari(seeseafood)

CappresseH’orsd’oeuvres83

Dressing66

Fetacheese67

Greek66

PortobellaSaladVarieties95

Seafoodsalad53-54

Sandwiches,94

Sauces,lookundermajoringredient

Sauces,Checcasauce33

SauceNumberOne2,4,10

SauceNumberTwo2,4,13

Sausage,Italianwithpeppers,onionsandtomato23,24

Scallops37,38,39,53,59,84-85

Seafoodchowder(Cioppino)84-85

Shrimp34,35,53,59-60,84-85

Sweetener68

Soups

Celeryandbean56

Lentil88-89,94

Meatballsandtortellini25-27

Onion90-91

Spices5,6

Sweetener67

Tortellinimeatballsoup25

Tuna,45

Veal

Cutlets(Milanese)18,19,20,

Parmigiana18,19,20

Scaloppini57-58