Italian Recipes

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Italian Torte

Ingredients:

1 package (16 to 20) sun-dried tomatoes
12 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup pesto
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Place the tomatoes in a medium-size bowl and pour in enough boiling water to cover.  Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened.  Drain well.  Chop finely.

Cut a piece of cheesecloth large enough to cover the bottom and sides as well as extend over the top of a loaf pan.  Dampen with water and arrange in the pan.

Line the pan with 4 slices of the provolone cheese, covering the entire bottom and sides of the pan by overlapping the slices.  Spread half the pesto over the provolone.

Combine the cream cheese and garlic in a bowl.  Layer 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture, 1/2 of the tomatoes and 1/2 of the provolone in the prepared pan.  Spread with the remaining 1/4 cup pesto.  Layer the remaining cream cheese mixture, tomatoes and provolone cheese over the top.

Pull the cheesecloth tightly across the top; press down to remove excess oil and to mold the torte to the pan.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.  Bring to room temperature before serving.  Turn out on serving platter and remove cheesecloth.  Serve with crackers or sliced bread.

Hint: May be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  May use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and rinsed well instead of the packaged sun-dried tomatoes.

Servings: 10
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Protein Bar

FRIED RAVIOLI

Ingredients

1/2 pound frozen beef or cheese ravioli
1 tablespoon salt
3 beaten eggs

2/3 cup plain bread crumbs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh curly parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup mild olive oil, or more if needed

Marinara Sauce

Directions

1.  Boil 4 quarts water and add salt.  Add the ravioli and boil until the ravioli are tender.  Drain gently.  Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and add about half the drained ravioli to the egg mixture at a time.

2.  In shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper.  With a slotted spoon, lift the ravioli one at a time out of the egg mixture, and coat well in the bread crumbs. Lay breaded ravioli on waxed paper.  Continue until all are breaded.

3.  In large skillet, heat olive oil until hot.  Add several coated ravioli to the hot oil, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 2 to
3 minutes.  Remove to paper towel to drain.

4.  Transfer to a large platter with bowl of marinara sauce in the middle for dipping, or serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.  Serve while still warm.  Makes about 1 ½ dozen.

NOTE: This is a great appetizer, or can even be served as meal.  A delicious Italian classic; it  continues to delight the body and soul.  Serve with your favorite marinara sauce, or just plain, with lots of fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

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Ingredients

8 oz. Thick Spagehitti, uncooked
1 3 1/8 oz. can white tuna packed in olive oil, drained and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tbsp. dried parsley
3 tbsp. chopped pitted olives (Gaeta)
4-6 anchovy fillets, rinsed (optional)
Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano Cheese

Directions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, reheat Super Low-Fat Tomato Sauce in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Stir the tuna, parsley, olives and anchovies (if using) into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
When pasta is done, drain well and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and stir until it is evenly distributed. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls or platter and serve immediately.
Pass the cheese separately.

Serves 4

Trivia and Amazing Facts

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless round of beef
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
8 ounces red wine
8 slices lean pancetta
2 ounces butter
olive oil
salt pepper

Directions

Thinly slice the meat and pound with a wooden mallet. Place in a baking pan. Marinate with the carrot, celery and onion. Add the garlic, and bay leaf to the bowl with the meat and cover with the wine. Marinate for a couple of hours in a cool place. Drain the slices of meat, pat-dry and cover each with a slice of pancetta. Roll each slice, with the pancetta on the inside, and tie the involtini with string or keep in place with a toothpick. Drain the vegetables, put them in a saucepan and saute with half the butter and two teaspoons of oil. When tender (but not browned) add the involtini and brown quickly. In a separate saucepan reduce the wine by half its volume, pour it over the involtini, add salt and pepper, cover and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. When the involtini are ready, remove the string or the toothpick and place the involtini in a warm platter. Strain the cooking liquid and reduce for a few minutes more. Add the remaining butter without allowing the sauce to boil. Pour the sauce over the involtini and serve hot with polenta or mashed potatoes

Ingredients

2 cups water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 medium-ripe pears, 1 1/2pounds,peeled, cored and cut into pieces.
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons brandy

Directions

Put the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a gently boil over medium heat. Cook until sugar is all dissolved and syrup is medium thick, 6-7 minutes. Transfer syrup to a bowl and cool. Put the pears, lemon juice, grappa or pear brandy, and cooled syrup in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour the misture through a strainer and into cover cantainer and put in th freezer.

Serves 4

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Ingredients

1 large onion; minced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 1/2 ups parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
12 manicotti shells
1 pound deli-style ricotta
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced
1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
3 eggs
1 dash nutmeg

Directions:

Saute onion and mushrooms in butter 5 minutes; stir in flour. Gradually stir in milk; stir over low heat until sauce bubbles and thickens. Stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions; drain and cover with cold water. Mix together ricotta, mozzarella, Romano and remaining Parmesan cheese; add walnuts, parsley and eggs. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Drain manicotti shells; stuff with cheese mixture. Place shells side by side in a greased shallow baking pan; spoon sauce over all. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

Ingredients (60 servings)

2 cup All-purpose flour
3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Almonds, whole, unblanched finely ground
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 cup Almonds, whole, unblanched
1/3 cup Honey
1/3 cup Water

Instructions

Be careful with the first baking of these biscotti. Even though they are baked a second time after being cut, if they do not bake sufficiently the first time, the biscotti will have a hard, heavy core. Preaheat oven to 350¯. Combine all ingredients except honey and water in a mixing bowl and stir a minuteor 2 to mix. Add the honey and water and stir until a firm dough forms. Remove dough from bowl and divide in half. Roll each half into a log about 15 inches long. Place both logs, well apart, on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment or buttered wax paper. Bake about 30 minutes, until well risen, firm and a dark golden color. Remove from oven, cool logs slightly and place on a cutting board. Slice the logs diagonally at 1/2-inch intervals. Return the cut biscotti to the pan, cut side down, and bake an additional 15 minutes, until lightly colored and dry. Cool on the pan. Store in a tin–they keep well

Ingredients

1/3 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
4 ounces butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-2/3 cups arborio rice
6 cups beef or chicken stock, de-fatted
Parmesan cheese

Directions

Crumble the mushrooms and soak them in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain well and reserve mushroom water.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a stew pot. Add the onion and saute over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir for about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of stock and stir into rice. Stir often. Strain the mushroom water and add to stew pot, along with the mushrooms.

Continuemstirring, gradually adding stock, one cup at a time. Risotto should be creamy, and individual rice grains should be slightly al dente. Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

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Ingredients:

2 cups Arborio rice
2 quarts vegetable stock in which pea shells have been simmered
8 Tbs. butter
2 leeks, sliced thin
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2/3 cup fresh peas
2/3 cup peeled fava beans
2/3 cup baby artichokes, sliced
1 Tbs. parsley, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Melt half the butter over medium heat. Add leeks and onion.
When onion mixture is transparent, add rice and stir to coat grains well. When rice glistens and becomes opaque, start adding stock a ladleful at a time, over heat high enough to evaporate the liquid. Add a ladleful at a time, after each addition evaporates, but don’t let rice dry out. After 5 minutes, fold in the artichoke slices. When rice is half done (10 minutes), add salt and pepper. Add as much of the rest of the simmering stock to the rice as needed to make it tender but not mushy, a ladleful at a time, stirring, for about 5 minutes more. Add peas, fava beans and butter and toss with rice, gently. Serve at once. Optional: shave parmesan cheese over each serving.

Yield: 6 Servings

Category: Side Dishes, Vegetables