Spicy Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Spicy Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

CopyCat Buca di Beppo Restaurant Recipe

Makes 2 full 11" Casserole dishes [ 2 full boxes of jumbo shells]- [feeds 8-10]

1 box of large pasta shells

1 pound Italian sausage
1 (32 oz.) carton of Ricotta cheese
1.5 tsp dried basil
12 ounces frozen spinach with the water squeezed out
5 cloves garlic minced [1.5 tsp garlic powder]
3 cups Italian blend shredded cheese
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

2 quarts of your favorite pasta sauce-- or my Traditional Italian Marinara Sauce [like they serve it with at the restaurant]

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the shells and cook for 15 minutes. The shells will not be done completely. Drain the shells and run cold water over them.

Put a large frying pan over medium heat, add the sausage and crushed red peppers (depending how spicy you want it you can use as little or as much red pepper as you desire) and cook sausage thoroughly, breaking into very small pieces.
In a large bowl combine the ricotta cheese the shredded Italian cheese blend, garlic, basil and spinach then mix well. Add cooked [and drained] 1 pound Italian sausage with 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper already added.

Place 1 cup cup of pasta sauce into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. With a spoon coat the bottom of the pan with the pasta sauce.
Take each pasta shell individually and stuff with the cheese mixture, it will take about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the mixture for each shell. Lay the shells into the pan coated with sauce, open side up. Continue until the baking dish if full. Pour what remains of the first quart of pasta sauce over the top of the shells. You will have enough ingredients to fill another pan so repeat the above steps.
Cover baking dish in foil and place into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan Soup

(4-6 servings)

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

24 oz diced tomatoes

8 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes optional

4 C chicken broth

2 bay leaves

8 oz. penne [small pasta of choice

1/2-3/4  lb. cooked chicken breast

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

*Optional*: 1 cup zucchini diced

Topping: shredded mozzarella, seasoned croutons

In a large pot over medium-hi heat, heat chicken broth, add chicken, onion, garlic, seasonings --bring to boil and lower heat to medium--and cook 30 minutes on medium-medium low temp stirring occasionally. Remove chicken, cool in ice water for 10 minutes [or until easily handled], shred and return to pot.

While chicken is cooling: Stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes then add pasta and simmer additional 10 minutes.
Add Parmesan let cheese melt, then ladle into bowls. Add croutons and Mozzarella then serve.

Fresh Tomato Shrimp Pasta

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces dry pasta of choice [cooked al dente’]

3 cloves garlic

1/2 onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 TB butter

1/4 cup red wine of choice

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup spinach leaves [optional- *because really 1 cup of fresh spinach equals about 2 bites per serving, so it's mostly for color]

1 pound cooked shrimp - peeled

and deveined

8 ounces fresh mozzarella or parmesan cheese, grated- *I use twice this, or 2 cups*

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to box directions. Drain.

2.

In large skillet, add butter and olive olive, heat on medium-high until butter is mended, add onion and garlic to the pan. stir well. cook about 4 minutes stirring often, until onion is clear. Add wine.  cook, stirring often about 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.

Mix in spinach until it wilts [1 minute], then stir in the shrimp. Cook until shrimp are pink [ 2-3 minutes]. Toss with pasta in a large serving bowl, and mix in mozzarella or parmesan cheese.

*Garnish with chopped fresh basil if desired.*

Zuppa Toscana: Tuscan Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

Servings: 6

So much better than Olive Garden's!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb hot Italian sausage 
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices [3 cups sliced potatoes of choice *I used baby reds, cut in half*]
1 large onion, chopped
1 TB bacon bits- turkey bacon is tasty too]
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups kale,( or spinach) chopped [ has a surprisingly mild flavor, so go ahead and add more for more vitamin and mineral goodness]
4 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk 2% or whole

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese. [I used a whole wedge which made about 1.5 cups shredded]

Directions:

Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces. [*I boil mine in about 2 cups of water, so it falls into smaller pieces more easily, and the water separates the meat from the grease much better, makes for easy draining, and significant cut in fat grams in the final dish*]
Brown sausage in your soup pot. Drain well.
Add chicken broth to pot and stir.
Place onions, potatoes, bacon bits and garlic in pot.
Cook on medium heat until potatoes and onion are done [about 30-40 minutes].
Reduce heat to low, add cooked bacon[*optional*] and kale( spinach), heat about 20 minutes.
Add milk.
Heat through, about 2 or 3 minutes, and serve with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan.

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells with Alfredo Sauce

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

serves 5-6 adults
Makes about 20-30 jumbo pasta shells

Filling:
1 can petite diced tomatoes [drained]
2 cups grated mozzarella [Italian blend] cheese
15 oz ricotta or cottage cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup prepared pesto (homemade** or store bought)
1.5 cups shredded cooked chicken

Alfredo sauce:
1/2 stick butter
2 cups half and half 
1/2-2/3 cup grated [powdered] Parmesan cheese 
1 tsp salt [ or I really like Adobo seasoning --made up of salt, pepper, garlic powder and Turmeric]
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Melt butter and cream in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese, stirring frequently until cheese is melted, then add lemon juice and garlic powder and whisk until smooth. Cover and remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency.

**Homemade Pesto:
* 3 cloves minced garlic [1 tsp garlic powder]
* 3 TB olive oil
*1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
* 3 tablespoon dried basil - or 2 cups freshly picked young basil leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* ground black pepper to taste

*optional--add in* 1.5 cups chopped Spinach or Kale [frozen, thawed and squeezed out thoroughly]

    **if adding spinach or kale: also add 1/2 tsp salt, dash of red pepper flakes and 1 TBSP lemon juice**

1] Cook shells according to box directions, and rinse with cold water.
2] In a large bowl, combine ingredients [NOT SAUCE]. I use my hands, but a large spoon would work too.
3]Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.
4]Pour Alfredo sauce over filled shells.
5]Sprinkle with Paprika for color.

I used a 9x11 glass casserole dish [sprayed with non-stick cooking spray].

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and lightly golden.

Rosemary Bread

*makes 4 small loaves*

Ingredients
1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast [2.25 tsp yeast]
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and serving
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions
Stir the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary, the fine salt and 3/4 cup warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.)

Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with pepper.

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

makes 1 - 12 inch pizza crust

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast [2.25 tsp]
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 cups bread flour [all-purpose is ok too]
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

*I like to add a tsp of garlic powder to my dough too.*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil [and garlic powder, if you're using it]. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. 
4. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Baked Bruschetta Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts [I like to pound my to about 1/2 inch thickness, if you do this, reduce cook time to 20-25 minutes]

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted


*Topping*
2 large tomatoes, sliced or diced

2 TB dried basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

 1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

*Optional* 1 cup [at least] Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Place chicken into baking dish. Combine parmesan cheese, Panko, garlic powder, & melted butter then sprinkle on chicken. 30 minutes, or until top is browned and chicken is cooked through. Chop tomatoes and combine with last 4 ingredients. Spoon mixture over chicken, and return to oven for 7-10 minutes or until tomato mixture is heated through.
*I like to add a nice layer of shredded or sliced Mozzarella cheese over the pesto tomatoes in the final step* Nom,nom,nom!

Italian Herb Bread

Makes 1 14-16 inch loaf or two 10 inch loaves

Ingredients
1 cup hot water or milk
2 TB olive oil or butter
3 cups flour
1 package dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp [each] : marjoram, thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil
1/4 tsp black pepper *optional*

1. Mix yeast, warm water, and white sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside for five minutes, or until mixture becomes foamy.

2. Stir olive oil, salt, herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, cheese, and 1.5 cups flour into the yeast mixture. Gradually mix in the remainder of flour. Dough will be stiff.

3. Knead dough for 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and rubbery[ adding a bit more flour if necessary]. Place in an oiled bowl, and turn to cover the surface of the dough with oil. Cover with a damp linen dish towel. Allow to rise for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

4. Punch dough down to release all the air.  Place in a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, or make free form loaf/loaves and place them on a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about a 30 minutes.

5. If using loaf pan: bake at 335 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45-52 minutes. Remove loaf from pan,
[brush with 2 TB melted butter and a sprinkling of garlic powder and parmesan cheese, if desired] and let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes before slicing. *the thicker, in pan, loaf needs to cook at a lower temp to be sure middle cooks all the way through without top over browning.*

*If making free form on greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet: bake at 375 degrees for about 18-22 minutes. [until lightly golden and knife inserted into thickest part comes out mostly clean.]*
**For two medium sized free form loaves bake at 375 degree for 12-15 minutes.

Chicken and Shrimp Penne Rustica

If you like Romano's Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica, this is for you.

*DISCLAIMER* This is NOT their original or even a copycat recipe. This is my own recipe that simply tastes like what you get at the restaurant.

Gratinata Sauce

3 tablespoons butter 

2 tablespoons minced garlic [1 tsp garlic powder]

1/4 cup marsala wine [or any good white wine, heck or none at all, it was good when I made it without too]

2 cups heavy cream  [I used 2 % milk]

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese from Block

1/2 cup cream cheese 

1 cup chicken broth 

2 TBSP cornstarch , or 2 TBSP flour

1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary 

1/8 tsp [pinch] dried thyme 

1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked 

12 large shrimp [or 1 lb], peeled and deveined 

2 large, skinless chicken breast fillets  [grilled or pan seared, and sliced thin]
1/2 cup red bell pepper, slided thin [I used fire roasted from a jar]

1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) thick-sliced smoked prosciutto, chopped [*didn't use it, didn't miss it*]

Topping

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

1 teaspoons paprika

1. Prepare gratinata sauce by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. Be sure the garlic doesn't brown.
[* I used garlic powder and skipped that step.]

Add the marsala wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk well until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer and keep it there for 10 minutes or until it's thick. Cover sauce and remove it from the heat.

3. Cook pasta following directions on the package. You want the pasta tender, but not mushy (al dente). Strain pasta and set it aside.

4. Pound the thick end of your chicken breasts a bit with a kitchen mallet [side of hammer] to make them a uniform thickness. Rub chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper.  Pan sear the chicken for 2 minutes per side on medium-hi heat. If there is any pink in chicken when slicing, don't worry, there will be plenty of time for it to cook completely through in the oven.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Grease  9X11 [ or similar size] casserole dish. Add all of pasta, top with sliced chicken, raw shrimp, and red pepper slices. Pour all of the sauce over the top.

Sprinkle with 1 cup grated Parmesan and dust top generously with paprika. [The Paprika is mostly for color].

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Then broil for 2 or 3 minutes --WATCH IT during this phase, bake until cheese starts to brown slightly. Remove immediately, and serve with hot, crusty Italian bread and a side of broccoli or spinach.

Feeds 4-6 adults.

No Wait Flat Bread Pizza Crust

All the goodness, NONE of the wait!!!

If you are like me, sometimes "wait" is a 4 letter word. For those times when you want pizza, and want it N-O-W, this is the perfect crust for you!

Ingredients:

Makes one  12" thin crust pizza 

• 1 1/2 cups self rising flour **if you don't have self-rising four see note below** 
• 2 TB melted butter 
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

**Note: Recipe for 1.5 cups Homemade self rising flour**
1 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder

I REALLY like to add herbs to my crust. If you do too, add: 

• 1 tsp oregano 
• 1/2 tsp basil 
• 1 tsp thyme 

How to make it :

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. 
3. Pour melted butter in , add milk and stir until all flour is incorporated Add Parmesan and garlic powder, and*Now is when you add herbs if you’re going herbal with me.* 
4. Turn out onto a floured surface. Knead 3 or 4 times. 
5. Press dough into a 12 inch circle --about 1/4 inch thick[ it puffs a bit while cooking] on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Use immediately. 
6. Add thin layer of sauce and heap with toppings of your choice, then bake  about 20 minutes. 

EASY and Delicious! Makes a nice crunchy thin crust.

Baked Pasta Romana with Pan-Seared Chicken

Layers of steamed Spinach and pasta in a bubbling Romano-Asiago cheese sauce, topped with garlic pan-seared chicken

So, I just went to Olive Garden yesterday and tried their new Baked Pasta Romana with Chicken and this is my recipe for the same at home at considerably less than $13 a plate. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Sauce:

2 cups Italian Cheese blend: Mine contained: Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, and Mozzarella

2.5 cups milk

2 TB butter
3 tb flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp garlic powder

black pepper to taste

1/2 cup powdered Parmesan Cheese

2 chicken breasts pounded flat [about 1/2 thick] and cut into about 2X2 inch pieces
1/2 box favorite pasta [I used 10 Lasagna noodles for mine]

1/2 bag of baby spinach 

1 large tomato diced

Chicken coating:

 1 cup flour

 2 tsp garlic powder

 1 tsp salt

1. To make sauce: In microwave safe bowl add milk, and flour [whisk together until flour is well incorporated] then add: butter, salt, and pepper. Heat on high for 4 minutes [not until boiling, but still very hot.  Whisk, then add Shredded cheese, stir well and heat another minute until all cheese is melted. Stir to combine thoroughly.
2. While cheese sauce is heating, cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Put pasta together in greased pan like you would a traditional lasagna— Sauce, noodles, sauce, spinach leaves, noodles, sauce, spinach, pasta topped with cheese sauce last. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 F degrees.
4. While pasta is baking, dredge flattened [ I hammered mine until about 1/2 inch thick], quartered, chicken pieces in flour mixture.
5. Heat 2 or 3 TB olive [or coconut] oil in large skillet over med-hi [my dial was at between7 and 8] heat. Add chicken in one layer and cook for 3 minutes. Turn pieces over and reduce heat to medium and cook about 3 more minutes until juices run clear.
6. Set chicken aside on plate and keep heated.
7. Serve baked pasta topped with pan-seared chicken and garnish generously with diced tomato.

Lasagna Soup

All of the glorious taste of Lasagna in half the time!

for the soup:
1/4 lb. browned and crumbled, Italian sausage
1/4 lb browned, crumbled ground beef
1 medium chopped onion or 2 TB dried onion flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1
14-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 or 4 c. chicken stock

1.5 cups mafalda or fusilli pasta [or broken up lasagna noodles]
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy goodness:

8 oz. ricotta

3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 [or 1/3 cup of powdered kind from can]
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat 1 cup of water [helps separate the fat from the meat for better draining and lower fat content in the soup] in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and ground beef, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes.
Drain meat, then add onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, plus all seasonings. Stir well to incorporate. Add chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. [about 10 minutes]
Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time after this point, as the pasta will get mushy.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy goodness. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and Parmesan.
To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy goodness in each soup bowl, ladle the hot soup over the cheese, then sprinkle some [ read: Generous heaping tower] of the mozzarella on top

Servings:  6-8
** If you are a Spinach lasagna fan , you can certainly add Spinach to this soup—Delicious!**

Traditional Italian Marinara Sauce

• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TB Olive Oil
• 2 TB Butter
• 1 whole large Onion, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced—FRESH garlic REALLY makes a huge difference here! Use FRESH!
• 1 cup Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)
• 3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 TB dried Parsley

Saute onion and garlic in butter and olive oil on medium-low, about 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer together an additional 5 minutes. Add tomato and parsley, stir well. Cover and let simmer on low about 30 minutes.

Loaded BBQ Chicken Pizza- with NO WAIT Crust

 Toppings:

• 1/4 pound chicken [baked topped with BBQ sauce for about 25-30 minutes at 400]. Diced.
• 2/3 cup barbecue sauce (recommended: Bullseye Original)
• 2 or 3 cups shredded or thin sliced mozzarella
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar Cheese
• 1 half of medium red onion, thinly sliced, or diced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2/3 cup sliced, or diced plum tomatos
1/2 green pepper , sliced in pieces that appeal to you

Crust:
*enough for 2 9 inch, thin crust, medium or 1 15-17 inch, regular thickness, large Pizza*

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2.5  cups all-purpose flour
2 TBSP oil of choice: extra virgin olive, canola, vegetable, or even melted butter
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and salt in warm water. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Add 2.5 cups stir with wooden spoon until smooth. [I did all mixing with my hands]

Turn onto a floured surface; just until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes. --I just hold it in my hands and knead it which avoids the floury mess and makes it easier to judge the elasticity.

No need to wait around, dough does just fine as is.
[Divide dough in half if making 2 medium pizzas] roll out into thin 15-in. circles. - For large rustic pizza, I just spread my whole ball of dough out by hand until the size I wanted and about 1/4 inch thick.
**I rolled mine out on lightly floured parchment paper, witha  light sprinkling of flour on top if the rolling pin wanted to stick.**
Transfer to large enough baking pan-- or edged cookie sheet for Large Pizza,  letting dough drape over edges. **If making pan-pizzas I drape the dough over pan edges and fold over for crust, but for my large pizza, I just left the edges a little thicker when I spread out the dough.**

Spread sauce over crust, thin and even, then add shredded cheddar, then tomatoes, then rest of cheeses. Then add all desired toppings.

Bake for 400° for 23-25 for Medium--until crust is browned/ 28-30 for a large pizza.

Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. —NO EASY FEAT, I ASSURE YOU!!

Homemade Baked Italian Meatballs

Baked Italian Meatballs 

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef or turkey, or half of each
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion, diced , or 1/3 tsp onion powder
1/3-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 TB Italian seasoning [oregano+thyme]
1/2 tsp basil or marjoram
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1TBSP milk

1 Egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese , or 1/4 cup powdered from can
1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko crumbs

Makes 20-24 meatballs , *Mine were about 1.2-2 inches in diameter and it made 16 DIRECTIONS:  1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and line baking pan with parchment paper [ or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray] 2. Place everything in bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto baking sheet.  3. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 22-25 minutes.  Instead of baking these, you can simmer them in Maranara or meat sauce, Covered, for 30-35 minutes on medium low .

Italian Meat Sauce

1/2 lb. Italian Sausage 

1 medium onion chopped, or 2 TBSP dried, minced onion, or 1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder, or 3 cloves, minced, or 1 TBSP minced
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 TBSP oregano
2 tsp basil
1 tsp Marjoram
1 tsp thyme

1 tsp crushed Rosemary
1 tsp salt

*If using Italian sausage, peel casing from sausage before cooking*, then cook in medium sauce pan until browned. Chop with spoon while cooking so it forms small bite sized chunks.

**I cook sausage in about 2 cups of water and mush it by hand in the water before cooking so it breaks up into fine pieces instead of chunks. then drain when done to remove a large portion of the fat**

Remove meat, set aside in bowl lined with paper towels to drain. Pour out fat from pan.

Add all ingredients in together and simmer, covered, over med-low [ #2 or #3 on my dial] heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shrimp Scampi

serves 2 or 3 over pasta
2 TB butter
2 TB Extra virgin Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup white wine
1 TB lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2TB-1/4 cup Panko crumbs [ or abt 2 TB dry bread crumbs]]
2 Tsp dried Parsley
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese [or roughy 1/2 cup dry kind in can]

In a large saucepan, melt butter with olive oil, saute garlic until tender. Add salt, lemon juice, pepper, wine and parsley, then add shrimp and cook until colored pink. The bread/Panko crumbs are used as thickening, so stir in a little at a time until desired thickness is reached. I also added about 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan to shrimp sauce, as well as the rest added on top. [or just go ahead and toss it all in the sauce, don't be scared!]

Serve shrimp over pasta of choice, sprinkled generously with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

**What I also like to do is double the sauce and add a thinly sliced large zucchini, or 2 cups of broccoli florets.
I cook the broccoli or zucchini about 5 minutes, covered,  in the wine, butter, oil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice before adding shrimp. Then add bread crumbs, once incorporated add the cheese and Parsley. Combine with pasta and serve with side of fresh Italian or French bread.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Ingredients

1/2 box spaghetti, angel hair, or linguine Pasta

3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed

1 medium onion, diced

3 TBSP fresh parsley

1 tsp dried basil, or 3 TBSP fresh, chopped

1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled

1 cup white wine

Coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

 1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

garnish with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan

  

Procedure

1. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add the oil and the garlic.
2. As soon as the garlic turns a light golden brown, add the white wine, salt, tomato, a teaspoon of parsley, basil, and pepper to taste. When sauce is well blended, toss in all of the thoroughly washed shrimp and simmer all together for 10 minutes. 
3. Cook pasta while sauce is simmering.
4. Finally, add cooked pasta to sauce and toss until well coated, or serve sauce and shrimp over cooked pasta.

Deep Dish Pizza

Three Cheese, Sausage, Green Peppers and Onion

*This made some of the BEST pizza I have EVER tasted!*
For us this made 2  Nine inch pizzas. 


Ingredients:
CRUST: 

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2 TB vegetable oil, extra virgin olive oil works too!
• 2 TB Butter
• 1 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil and marjoram/thyme [the two taste very similar in my opinion. I actually used both and halved the amount of basil.]
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 Tsp salt

SAUCE:

• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree *original recipe called for diced, but mine were REALLY juicy even after I squeezed the juice out, so NEXT time I’ll go with crushed/puree blend.
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 small onion, chopped [ for kid friendly sauce, next time I'll use 1 tsp onion powder, or rounded TB onion flakes. But the adults loved the real onion.]
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil and marjoram *I also added Thyme*
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

TOPPINGS:

• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 pound sausage, cooked and drained [I used turkey sausage which tastes a lot like italian sausage with 1/2 the fat] — *I only used 1/4 lb since only 1 pizza needed meat*.
• *optional* 2 ounces sliced pepperoni, ham, bacon, etc.
• **have also made with 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and added to pan with onions and green peppers to cook off extra juice. **YUMMY!

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Add 1.5 cups flour, oil and seasonings; beat until smooth. [I did all mixing with my hands]
2. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
3. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-5 minutes. 
4. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to greased top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 min-1 hour. [in oven with oven light on , I find is a great place]
5. Punch dough down; roll out into a 15-in. circle. Transfer to a well-greased 12-in. heavy ovenproof skillet or round baking pan,  letting dough drape over edges. 
6. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.
7. In a skillet, saute half of onion, the green peppers, and sausage until tender/ browned; drain. 
8. Layer half of the mixture over crust. Layer with half of the Parmesan, sausage and green peppers. 
9. Sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella. Repeat layers. ending with sauce on top. Fold crust over to form an edge.
10. Bake for 400° for 20-35 -until crust is browned [20-25 minutes for the 9 inch pizza/ 35-40 for a 15 inch large pizza]. 
11. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. —NO EASY FEAT, I ASSURE YOU!!

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Here’s what I actually DID for the below goodness:

1. I divided the dough in half and lined 2 Pam Sprayed 9 inch Pie Plates. I don’t have any cast iron *GASP!*
2. I folded the edges down so they all stood about 1 inch tall, then cooked them for 5 minutes at 400 degrees.
3. Then sprinkled each with about 1/2 cup of Mozzarella, and 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan.
4. Next, I liberally sprinkled sausage, peppers and onions over the one crust,  and about half cup of cheddar cheese on the second crust since it was for the kids and was a simple 3 cheese pizza.
5. I made a sauce of the tomato, seasonings, and half of the onion— I also added an additional 1/2 tsp garlic powder to the sauce. Then prepared the sausage, 2nd half of the onion, and green pepper separately.
6. I added a solid layer of sauce, then topped with rest of mozzarella and parmesan.
7.  Finally, I cooked them for 25 minutes. Could have gone with anywhere between 20-25.

3 Cheese Deep Dish

They were magnificent!!!