Cabbage And Beans

When I first heard, Cabbage and Beans I scoffed and was certain I wouldn't like it. 
You'll never know how wonderful this is until you give it a try.

Ingredients

1 head  Cabbage Cut into eight pieces
3 cans  Canolini Beans
3 cloves Garlic
1 small Sweet Onion, sliced.
1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
About 2 oz. Salt pork or four bacon slices or 1 Tbsp Lard
2 cups chicken stock
2 Smoked Pork Neckbones (Optional)
1/2 lb. Italian Sausage or Andoullie Sausage Cut into 3 inch lengths (optional)

Cook
Boil Cabbage in a pot of boiling water till tender. About 1/2 hour drain and set aside
In a large tall skillet cook onion, garlic, fat and any meat you're going to use except the sauage till onions are translucent.
Add Beans and bring to a boil then slowly stir in cabbage till it's all added.
Add Stock and continue to cook till boiling.
Add Sausage, boil till cooked through, about 20 minutes.
lower heat and simmer for about 20 more minutes.

Serve as a soup with crusty Italian Bread on the side.

Lasagna CUPCAKES

Daina showed me a recipe for lasagna cupcakes, so I altered it a bit and made my own version. To make them, you'll need 1-2 dozen wonton (or gyoza) wrappers, ricotta filling, parmesan & shredded mozzarella cheese and your favorite pasta sauce.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees (a little lower if you're using dark-nonstick cupcake pans) & generously spray cupcake pans with nonstick spray. Trim the wrappers (cut to make them round) to fit into the cupcake pan, making sure the wrapper comes up to the top (and then some) ; pat down firmly onto the bottom & up the sides of each section.

Spoon a heaping teasp. of sauce onto the bottom of each wrapper. Place a heaping tblsp. or two of ricotta filling (one lb. ricotta, a beaten egg, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese) onto the sauce. If you like a little meat, add some grated pepperoni or cooked, crumbled Italian sausage!!  Spoon a little more sauce on top of the ricotta filling, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and top liberally with shredded mozzarella. Bake these little lasagna bites for 20-30 minutes, until the tops are golden. They're quick & easy to make and are tasty & fun appetizers!!

Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta means 'cooked cream' in Italian. The variations on this simple, yet luscious dessert are endless! After making the cooked cream, you might want to spoon some fruit compote or lay fresh berries on the bottoms of the custard cups before pouring in the cream (before chilling it). You may also choose to use different flavorings (instead of vanilla) - grate some lemon or orange zest into the nearly finished dessert - don't be afraid to experiment!

In a small pitcher or bowl, measure 1-1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream. Take a half of a vanilla bean- split it down the side, scrape out the beans and drop the entire bean into the heavy cream. Set aside.

In a 2 cup measuring cup, pour 1 cup (whole) milk and 1/2 C. light cream (half & half). Pour 1/3 of it into a heavy saucepan and sprinkle 4 teasp. unflavored, powdered gelatin over the top. Let it sit until the gelatin softens and swells, approx. 5 minutes. Pour in the rest of the milk and stir in 1/2 cup white sugar- stir well. Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook (around 5 min. or less) - stirring CONSTANTLY with a wire whisk - until the gelatin & sugar completely dissolve and milk mixture is HOT - DO NOT SIMMER OR BOIL - that will deactivate the setting property.


Once the milk/gelatin/sugar is heated and dissolved, remove from heat. Remove the vanilla bean from the heavy cream, making sure it's scraped well - stir it up and slowly pour it into the hot milk in the pan. Mix everything together thoroughly.

Lightly grease custard cups, ramekins or small bowls and place them on a baking pan. Divide the cream equally and pour into the little cups (leaving 1/2" space from the top). Loosely cover the ramekins and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours (or overnight) until the panna cotta is completely set.

You could serve it right in the ramekins or gently unmold them (as you would do with jello). This is a delicious dessert plain, or with fresh berries, sweet sauces or melted chocolate.

Panna cotta (from Italian cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. It is generally from the Northern Italian region of Piedmont, although it is eaten all over Italy, where it is served with wild berries, caramel, chocolate sauce or fruit coulis. It is not known exactly how or when this dessert came to be, but some theories suggest that cream, for which mountainous Northern Italy is famous, was historically eaten plain or sweetened with fruit or hazelnuts. Earlier recipes for the dish did not directly mention gelatin, but instead included a step in which fish bones were boiled; this is now known to extract collagen from the bones, which turns to gelatin. Sugar, later a main ingredient, would not have been widely available as it was an expensive imported commodity. After years this treat evolved into what is now a gelatin dessert, flavoured with vanilla and topped with fruit or spices, and served chilled.

Italian Wedding Soup (Minestra)

" The term "wedding soup" is a mistranslation of the Italian language phrase "minestra maritata ("married soup")," which is a reference to the fact that green vegetables and meats go well together. The minestra maritata recipe is also prepared by the families of Lazio and Campania during the Christmas season (a tradition started from the Spanish domination of Italy to the present days). Some form of minestra maritata was long popular in Toledo, Spain, before pasta became an affordable commodity to most Spaniards. The modern wedding soup is quite a bit lighter than the old Spanish form, which contained more meats than just the meatballs of modern Italian-American versions. "

In a large stock pot, bring to a good simmer:

6-8 quarts chicken stock (homemade is best, but I often use those mega-cans of chicken stock purchased from GFS)

4 large carrots, peeled & chopped

1 c. diced celery

1 large head of escarole, cleaned and chopped (approx. 6 cups or so)

few cloves of smashed/minced garlic

S&P to taste

Simmer for 30-45 minutes, until the escarole is tender.

Make the meatballs while the stock is simmering:

For meatballs:

1-1/2 lb. ground veal (OR use a 50-50% mix of LEAN ground beef & ground pork)

3 large eggs

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 Tblsp. chopped parsley (fresh or dried)

Form into small balls, an inch or less in diameter. Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Remove the meatballs from the pan and carefully place them into the stockpot.

Simmer for another half hour.

If you like, add 4 cups of COOKED small pasta (any shape - or broken up linguine) If you prefer to put the uncooked pasta right in with the soup to finish cooking, make sure you add an additional 2 cups of chicken stock to replenish the loss of liquid.

Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano puts the icing on the cake... or the cheese on the soup!

Meatballs (Recipe from Rocky's Spaghetti House)

When my sons and I opened a little restaurant called Rocky's Spaghetti House everyone loved our meatballs. We had a signature sandwich called Uncle Mad Dog's Monster Meatball Sandwich and it was a best seller. The boy in this picture is a young man now. I hope he remembers his favorite meatballs as fondly as we remember him. To all of you who liked our meatballs, this is for you.

 Ingredients
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Ground Pork
2 - 3 Cloves Finely Chopped Garlic
1 Tbsp Salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder (optional if you like it really garliccy) 
2 Tbsp Parsley Flakes
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil Chopped... (This is the secret ingredient, shhhh.)
1 C Plain Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
1/2 C Bread Crumbs kept handy if needed. 

Prepare
In a lasagna style baking pan crumble beef and loosely spread across the whole pan.
Repeat with pork
Sprinkle evenly with Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Optional Garlic Powder, Parsley Flakes, Basil, and 1 Cup of the Bread Crumbs.
Mix well by hand making sure every ingredient incorporates with every other ingredient till well incorporated.
Spread meat mixture over the pan once more.
Break eggs onto mixture and mix again by hand till all the egg is absorbed.
If your mixture is too wet, sprinkle some of the leftover bread crumbs and mix in until you have a sort and slightly moist mixture that doesn't cling to your hands.
By hand roll meat mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and set on a clean roasting pan with at least a half inch between meatballs.

Bake at 375 F for 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on paper towel to absorb excess grease.
Drop them into your Sunday Gravy or your favorite Pasta Sauce and have yourself a party. 

Serve with pasta or on Italian or French Bread as a sandwich. 

Escarole and Beans (The Easy Way)

I grew up in a household full of great women cooks. My mother, my grandmother, my aunt, two cousins and my sister. Not to mention my two aunts who lived on the lower floors in our building. This soup was one of my grandmother's specialties. I don't remember my mother ever making it but it was one of my father's favorites. With all those women there, I was seldom allowed in the cooking part of the kitchen except to help with the prep. I didn't start to learn to cook till I was in my 20s. But I learned from years of watching and grating cheese or bread crumbs and helping to flour and drag the cavatelli and whatnot. I loved my home life and I loved the smell of that kitchen.

Ingredients
2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil
3 – 4 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Head escarole, approximately 1 Lb., washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 14 oz. cans cannellini, drained and rinsed
1 C Chicken Stock
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan

Cook

Heat a pot over medium-high heat
Cover the bottom of a soup pot with olive oil
Add garlic and sauté till lightly browned.
Add the escarole and stir to coat with the oil.
Toss in red pepper flakes and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the escarole begins to wilt.
Stir in the beans. Lower the heat, add up to a cup of chicken Stock (more if you prefer it soupier)
Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for five to ten minutes.

Serve with a crusty Italian Bread

Sausage, Pepper & Cheese strata

A strata is a type of casserole, where you toss bread and everything into one pan and bake it.
Grease a 9x12" pan. Tear up 6- 1" slices of Italian bread and scatter the pieces onto the bottom of the pan.

In a pan over med. heat, saute 1 lb. of Italian sausage (bulk - or just remove casing) along with 2-3 bell peppers (I used yellow ones, but any colors work fine), breaking up the sausage as it cooks. When it's nearly done (total time of 5-7 minutes, tops), drain any excessive grease, lower the heat & cover the pan to let everything steam.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix well & set aside:

6 large eggs

2 Cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 small chopped onion

1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

1 Tblsp. fresh chopped (or 1 teasp. dried) oregano

salt to taste

freshly ground pepper

Pour half the egg/milk mixture over the torn up bread in the pan. Scatter 1 cup freshly grated Asiago (or fontina - I use Asiago) cheese over the bread. Spoon the cooked sausage and peppers evenly over the cheese. Pour the rest of the egg/milk mixture over the top. Sprinkle another cup of grated Asiago (or fontina) cheese evenly over the top.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the strata is set.

Pappa al Pomodoro (Stale Bread & Tomato Soup)

This is a Tuscani style soup which instead of serving with cheese on top 

it is customary to drizzle with olive oil.

Ingredients
1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Plus 1/4c for serving
4 cloves Garlic chopped
1 Lg Sweet Onion halved and sliced vertically
1/2 of 1Lb loaf Day old crusty style Italian bread, sliced thick and torn into large bite sized pieces
2 28oz cans Tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Fresh Basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
pinch Red Pepper

Cook
In a large pot heat onion in oil over medium heat till tender
Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute
Add tomatoes (with liquid), salt and red pepper
Simmer loosely covered over med heat for about a half hour until tender
Add bread pieces stirring until fully incorporated (about 2-3 minutes)
tear up basil leaves and stir in, reserving a few leaves for garnish
Season to taste with salt and pepper

Serve
To serve drizzle a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil over each bowl and garnish with a basil leaf or two

If making soup ahead of time, don't add the bread until soup is hot, then add bread till incorporated. Then serve as directed above

Pumpkin and Basil Ravioli with Sage Butter

I have made this dish two different ways. Both with Sage Butter as it says in the title and also with a Hot Tomato and Onion Salsa. Below you will find the recipe with Sage Butter and below that is the recipe and instructions for the Tomato and Onion Salsa. Use either one you wish. When your ravioli is cooked just top it with your choice of topping.

Filling
4 c Fresh pumkin or butternut squash, peeled and cubed
6 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 c Finely chopped red onion
1/2 c Ricotta cheese
1 Beaten egg yolk
1/4 c Grated Parmesan
1 tsp Grated nutmeg
2 Tbsp Chopped Basil (or 1 tbsp dry basil)

Pasta
1 quantity fresh pasta dough
Rolled out to 1/8 inch thick sheets, keep moist

Sage Butter
2 sticks butter
1/2 C sage leaves

Make the Filling
put pumkin in shallow roasting pan with 3 Tbsp oil
season well with salt and pepper and bake in oven @ 375f for 40 minutes or until soft

In a small skillet gently cook onion in remaining olive oil only till tender, Drain.

In a bowl mash pumpkin with onion. Leave to cool

When cool, crumble in ricotta, mix in egg yolk, Parmesan, nutmeg and basil, whisk with fork or wire whisk till well mixed. Season to taste and set aside.

Make pasta and roll into long sheets about 6 inchs wide.

Fill Ravioli
If you have a ravioli form and wish to use it fill each well with about 1 teaspoon of filling.
I prefer to form ravioli individually
To form ravioli lay out pasta sheet and starting at about one inch from end of sheet place a well rounded tsp about 1 inch from one side of pasta sheet at with about 1 1/2 inch space between each spoonful continue till you get to opposite edge once more leaving at least an inch of pasta sheet.
Gently fold opposite side of sheet over filling and gently press down between mounds with fingers.
Cut raviolis with pastry wheel of knife.
On a floured surface using a fork, press edges of around fillling to seal ravioli.
Place on cookie sheet and store in freezer till ready to cook

Cook Ravioli in boiling salted water for about five minutes, remove to serving platter with slotted spoon.

Make Sage Butter

Melt butter slowly with sage leaves and leave to infuse for at least 5 minutes. Pour over ravioli, serve.

OR

Tomato and Onion Salsa
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Lg Clove Garlic (chopped)
1 cup of fresh ripe tomato cut into cubes
1/2 cup sweet onion diced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp capers (optional)
Lightly Brown Garlic in Olive Oil
Add onion and toss till coated with oil
Add tomato and basil, saute till warm, add capers and toss well

Cook Ravioli in boiling salted water for about five minutes, remove to serving platter with slotted spoon.
Top with Salsa and serve

Serves 6

Chicken Florentine

Ingredients
2 Boneless, skinless chicken Breasts, cut in half horizontally
1/2c Seasoned flour
1 Egg, beaten
1/2c Bread crumbs
2c Spinach leaves, stems removed tightly packed, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
4 oz Provolone, sliced
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1/2 stick Butter
2Tbsp Flour
1/2c Chicken stock
1/2c Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Chopped basil
Prepare
Heat Garlic in olive oil over med heat sill slightly tender
Add spinach and saute till tender
Separate into four equal portions
Place each chicken piece between two sheets of waxed paper and pound with meat mallet till thin and even, (be careful not to mangle chicken)
Place chicken piece on flat surface cover surface with spinach portion and 1oz of Provolone then roll up and secure with toothpicks
Repeat this step with the other three breast pieces
Dredge chicken roll in flour then coat with egg and roll in bread crumbs
Cook each chicken roll over low heat turning often about 8 minutes total till golden brown all over.
Drain on paper towel.
Keep Warm
Cream Sauce
In a saute pan melt butter over low heat, stir in flour till smooth, stir in chicken stock till mixed then add cream.
Cook to desired thickness.
Add Basil and pour over Chicken and Serve

Italian Sausage & Peppers

This is SUPER QUICK & easy - a total no-brainer!!  Takes about an hour from start to finish.

Heat the oven to 450º.
Have 6-8 cooked Italian sausages ready (broiled, baked, fried or grilled ... cook them while the potatoes and vegetables are in the oven).
Spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray.  If you plan to make a LOT, use two pans - you don't want to crowd the vegetables or they won't cook well and brown properly (instead, they'll steam if they're too close together).   Chop up 4-6 red potatoes and spread them onto a prepared pan, season with S&P and bake for 20 minutes.

Slice up a med. red onion and a couple sweet peppers (red and/or green). Spread them out onto the pan next to the potatoes and return to the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and stir.  Lay the Italian sausage (whole OR sliced up) on top of the vegetables and Put back in the oven and bake a final 20 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with a scant tsp. of balsamic vinegar.

Pasta Fagioli (with beans)

In a pot, heat 1/2 cup olive oil until hot.  Add 1 cup sliced celery, 1 cup sliced onions, 5 cloves crushed garlic - saute on medium heat, stirring until softened.  Add 3 cups diced tomatoes (I used fresh, but canned ones are fine) and 3 Tblsp. tomato paste.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper and a couple tblsp. chopped parsley. Stir well and add 3 cups water.  Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.

In another pot, bring water to a rolling boil and add 8 oz. small pasta (shells, ditalini...) and cook until ALMOST done. Drain and set aside.

Stir in 3-4 cups of COOKED cannellini beans (white kidney beans, rinsed and dried) or any other type of white beans (great northern, navy). Cover and cook another 30 minutes. Add the cooked pasta, stir.

Scoop into bowls and have fresh grated parmesan & Italian bread ready to make this complete!!!

Italian Sesame Seed Cookies (giugiuleni)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well"

4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3-1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cut into mixture:

1/2 lb. softened butter

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

(Have a small bowl of milk - approx. one cup - on the counter for dipping. Also, have another bowl filled with sesame seeds - approx. 1-1/2 cups, more or less, depending on how loaded with sesame seeds you want these cookies.)

Pinch off scant Tblsp. of dough and shape into small 1-1/2" logs or 1" rounds. Dip quickly into milk and then dip into the sesame seeds, covering the entire cookie. Repeat until all dough is rolled out. Place cookies on parchment lined baking pans and bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on how dark you like them) until golden.

Gnocchi alla Romana

Quite different from the well known potato gnocchi we serve with pasta sauce, these gnocchi are made from semolina and cut in circles then baked.

3 Tbsp Unsalted butter, melted
1/3 C Grated Parmesan
3 Egg Yolks
4 C Milk
Pinch Nutmeg
1 2/3 C Semolina flour
Prepare
Line a 12 X 10 inch cookie sheet with baking paper or parchment
In a small bowl beat together butter, egg yolks and grated parmesan
Season Lightly with salt and pepper and set aside
In a large saucepan heat milk, add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
When milk is just beginning to boil lower heat and add semolina in a steady stream stirring as you pour.
Over low heat continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until all milk has been absorbed and mixture pulls away from side of pan in one mass.
Remove pan from heat
Beat in egg yolk mixture till smooth.
Spoon mixture quickly onto lined cookie sheet
Smooth with knife dipped in cold water to achieve an even thickness.
Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 f and grease a 7 X 10 shallow baking pan (lasagne pan)
After cooled enough to handle lift semolina slab from cookie sheet
Peel off parchment and cut into circles using a 1 1/2 inch round cookie cutter dipped in cold water.
Arrange Circles slightly overlapping in lasagne pan.

Topping:
3 Tbsp Butter, melted
1/3 C Heavy Cream
1/3 C Parmesan, grated

Blend butter and heavy cream.
Pour over Gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmesan

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown
Serve
Can be prepared up to 2 days previous and stored in refrigerator in either slab form or ready cut circles.

Eggplant w/parmesan & fresh mozzarella

This is a VERY, VERY lightened up version of the classic Eggplant Parmegiano. There's no heavy breading, frying involved but it's every bit as luscious and satisfying as the classic version.

Wash, dry & slice up a large eggplant (1/3 to 1/2" thick). With a pastry brush, generously brush one side of eggplant with olive oil.

In a frying pan, or a stove top grill (I use my Nordic Ware 2-burner stove top grill), grill sliced eggplant, oil side down, until tender. After 10 minutes, brush oil on the tops, season with salt and pepper and flip over. (Approx. 10 minutes per side).  If you'd like to eliminate frying altogether, lay the eggplant slices on a (nonstick spray) greased baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake @350 for 20-30 minutes (check after 20 minutes) until it's softened and cooked.

Make a simple marinara sauce by sauteing a small chopped onion in a few Tblsp. olive oil in a small, heavy pan. Add a couple cloves of smashed, chopped garlic to pan and saute until tender, but not golden. To the onion/garlic, add 2-3 cups fresh, chopped tomatoes and let it simmer for 1/2 hour. Season with salt & fresh ground pepper. Add a few torn up basil leaves.

Arrange the cooked eggplant on a baking pan. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese, spoon some marinara over the eggplant and top each with a thin slice of fresh mozzarella. Return to the hot oven for another 10 minutes and if you'd like the cheese bubbly, run it BRIEFLY under the broiler.

Timballo

From the first time I saw the movie, "The Big Night" and saw the delicacy the brothers brought from "The Old Country" and called Timpano I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the dish. I found a couple places online that pretty much made up their own recipe from seeing it in the movie and then I did the same and called it, Timpano. Then after more research I learned the traditional recipe was called Timballo and found a handful of recipes. I played with them till I came up with the best tasting version of Timballo I could. No special equipment is needed for this except a springform pan. Use the biggest and tallest one you have. This has become a signature dish for me. If I want to impress someone with food, this is what I serve. Enjoy, it's definitely a wonderful and beautiful thing to serve for guests. 

Ingredients
1/2 Lb Pizza Crust Dough, (1/4th recipe) dough recipe
1 Lb Ziti pasta cooked very al dente. (pasta will cook more as it bakes in the oven.
4 C Red Gravy or Marinara Sauce
1/2 Lb Italian Sausage cooked in pasta sauce and cut into bite sized pieces. about 1 inch
1 C Ricotta
1 Raw Egg
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Parsley Frakes
1/8 Lb Cooked Bacon strips cut into 1 inch lengths. Browned but not crispy.
20 Slices Pepperoni
3 Hard Boiled Eggs peeled and left whole
2 Tbsp Early sweet peas
1/2 C Sliced Mushrooms (optional)
1/2 C Mozzarella
1/4 C Parmesan
6-8 Basil Leaves, Chopped.
Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste
And anything you'd like to add. (Be careful not to add anything that will make it watery)

Prepare
Cook Pasta very al dente, drain and mix with 1 cup of sauce and set aside (pasta will cook more during baking so leave it nice and firm)
Prepare Ricotta, whip ricotta with egg, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and Parmesan

Prepare Crust
Proof dough for 1/2 hour then roll out to about a 20-22 inch circle.
Place dough loosely in an 8 1/2 inch springform pan. Let dough fill bottom of pan to edges and overlap rim to fold over when filled.

Spoon a shallow layer of pasta into bottom of crusted pan. spread evenly
Add a ladle of sauce and spread to fill.
Place a layer of bacon over pasta.
Spread ricotta mixture over bacon.
Add layer of pasta
Place sausage pieces on and into pasta.
Sprinkle basil over all
Add enough pasta to even out layer of sausage.
Ladle sauce over layer till filled.
Spread Sliced Mushrooms over layer.
Place hard boiled eggs well spaced on mushrooms
Fill layer with pasta, sprinkle in peas and add some sauce
Cover layer with half of the Mozzarella
Add layer of pepperoni
Add remainder of pasta and cover with remaining Mozzarella.

Close carefully by folding edges of dough up over top all around. Overlap where needed and pinch ends together to close

Bake at 450F for 20 - 25 minutes till medium brown.

Let stand 5 minutes then remove spring form pan,
Cut into wedges and serve.

Makes 6 generous servings

Chicken Parmigiana (chicken parmesan)

Pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they're uniform in thickness (1/4-1/2").  One chicken breast (a large half, actually) can be sliced into 3 nice, thin cutlets. 

Get 3  soup-type bowls and fill each bowl accordingly:

1.) approx. 1 cup flour, seasoned with S&P

2.) 2 beaten eggs with 2 Tblsp. water, seasoned with S&P

3.) 2 cups breadcrumbs (I use half regular unseasoned and half panko crumbs) - season generously with garlic powder, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, a shake of seasoned salt (be liberal with the seasonings!!) If desired, add 1/3 cup grated parmesan to the breadcrumbs.

Dip each breast in 1. (shake off excess flour)- then 2. - then 3. Put on a plate and chill for an hour.

Heat a cup or so of olive or vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet until hot. Lower chicken in the hot oil & fry until each side is golden brown - don't crowd them in the pan!! If necessary, when one batch is done, clean pan & heat some fresh oil for the next batch.

To assemble -  spoon a thin layer of marinara (or your favorite pasta sauce/gravy) onto the bottom of a baking pan.  Lay the chicken cutlets on the sauce, leaving a little space between each. Sprinkle each cutlet with grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese (parmesan)- spoon some sauce over the cheese, drop shredded mozzarella (or sliced, fresh mozzarella or scamorza) over each cutlet. LOOSELY cover with foil making sure there's room on top so the cheese doesn't stick.

Bake @350º for 30-40 minutes - remove the foil covering the chicken, kick the temp. up to 400º and bake another 10 minutes until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

MARINARA:

http://cookitfresh.blogspot.com/2013/09/basic-marinara-and-my-saucegravy.html

Osso Bucco (Braised Italian Veal Shanks)

Maybe my favorite veal dish and a true delicacy

Ingredients
3 lbs Veal shanks
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 lg stalk celery, coarsely chopped
5 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 c dry sherry)
1/3 c brandy
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 sprig rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2 c chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley and lemon juice to sprinkle over servings

Prepare
In a large skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, add 2 T olive oil over medium high heat. Season shanks with salt and pepper on both sides, then brown them on all sides. When browning is done, remove the shanks to a bowl to be added back in later.

In the same pan, reduce heat to low and add 2 T olive oil and butter.

Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir well to coat, then cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. (This will allow the vegetables to release their juices.

Add the Marsala or sherry and the brandy, also the balsamic vinegar. Stir in well, cover again, and let simmer on low for about 6-8 minutes.

Add rosemary, thyme and bay leaves to the simmering vegetables, along with the tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and add the shanks and chicken stock. Stir both in well to mix with vegetables.

When broth is boiling, reduce heat to low again and cover. Cook for about 1-1 ½ hours. Veal should be “falling off the bone” tender after an hour or less.
Sprinkle individual servings with parsley and lemon juice

Serve with pasta, mashed potatoes or risotto (rice)
I like it served right over a bed of mashed potatoes

Pastina Soup

This may be one of the easiest soup recipes to make and it is very versatile. 

My family has always preferred it with eggs poached in it.

Ingredients
1/2 Lb Pastina (Ancini di Pepe) pasta. Usually sold in a 1 LB box or bag, use about half Pkg
1 1/2 Qts Water (no need to salt the water the soup base will make up for it.
3 to 4 tsps Chicken Soup Base. (boullon cubes will work) You can use any flavor soup base you like.
Grated Parmesan
Cook
In a medium saucepan bring water to boil.
Add Soup base Gradually tasting as it dissolves. It's up to you how you want it to taste. If you like it with 3 tsps. fine, if not add another.
Stir in Pastina,  Let cook for about ten minutes till pastina is tender and you will see it swollen in size.

Now comes the time you can customize this soup to your own taste.
I like to poach a few eggs in the soup at this point and serve it with one poached egg per bowl.
Other suggestions for add ons... Small meatballs, pieces of cooked Italian Sausage, Fresh spinach or escarole, I have even crumbled a TBSP of ricotta in each bowl before I put in the soup.
Have fun with it and don't be afraid to experiment.
Serve
Eat as much of this soup up as possible as it will have a tendency to absorb all the broth but you can reserve the left over pastina and add it to other dishes or even to a cup of cooked broth for a new cup of pastina soup

Vesuvio Sandwich

I developed this sandwich for my son's restaurant, Rocky's Spaghetti House. 

It was without a doubt the classiest sandwich in our repertoire and oh so tasty. 

Ingredients
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (flattened) see intructions below for flattening chicken breasts.
1/2 cup seasoned all purpose flour (salt, pepper, garlic powder)
1 egg beaten
Oil for cooking chicken (half inch deep in a skillet)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 clove garlic. Chopped.
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
1/4 cup frozen (organic preferred) green peas
1/4 cup shredded parm.
2 Tbsp parsley
salt, pepper, garlic powder, fresh basil to taste.
Crusty Italian or French bread.

Prepare
To flatten chicken breast place each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them flat with a meat mallet or place a flat side of a cleaver over meat and pound it with the side of your fist till about doubled in size.
Dredge chicken breasts in seasoned flour,
Dip floured chicken in egg till coated on both sides.

Fry Chicken in oil at 375f for 3 minutes per side.
Drain on paper towel.
In another skillet heat Olive Oil and Garlic till you see galic start to fry.
Add Mushrooms till browned
Add Chicken stock and bring to boil
Add wine and bring to second boil.
Continue to cook at a boil for 2 minutes
Lower heat.
Stir in peas and heavy cream.
Remove from heat and stir in parsley and basil.
Dip Chicken breast in wine mixture to coat.
Lay out on bread open faced.
Spoon wine mixture including peas and mushrooms over sandwich and top with half the Cheese
Repeat with other Chicken breast.

Serve open faced. But encourage your diners to fold it up and eat it as a sandwich.
Makes two hearty sandwiches.