11 low italian dishes Recipes

italian turkey sausage links, baby carrots, white onion, low-fat milk, fat-free mayonnaise, eggs (can substitute with egg beaters), cornstarch, uncooked deep dish pie shell, fat free mozzarella cheese (can substitute with cheddar or monterey jack), cayenne pepper or 1 dash tabasco sauce, to taste

cream cheese, softened, eggs, parmesan cheese, oregano or 1/4 tsp italian seasoning, garlic powder, italian cheese blend or 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, shredded, garlic powder , to sprinkle on top, assorted pizza toppings (pepperoni, ham, sausage, 4 oz can mushrooms, green peppers, bacon, ground beef, etc.)

brioche or challah (about 12 oz), cut into 1 cubes, extra-virgin olive oil, hot italian sausage, casing removed, unsalted butter, divided, plus more for dish, yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups), fennel bulb, cored and coarsely chopped (about 3 cups), eggs, beaten, low-salt chicken broth, frozen spinach, thawed, well squeezed, coarsely chopped, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, fennel seeds

butter, plus more for baking dish, pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice, onions, diced, carrots, diced, celery stalks, diced, garlic cloves, chopped, freshly chopped rosemary leaves, baby bella mushrooms, chopped, salt and freshly ground black pepper, roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely chopped, freshly grated parmesan, day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, canned low-salt chicken broth , plus more if needed, eggs, beaten, chopped fresh italian parsley leaves

lean ground beef, chunky italian-style tomato sauce, refrigerated pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, divided (it s much easier to just buy them this way at the store than try to get even slices)

tri-color spiral pasta (i use barilla), kraft fat free zesty italian dressing, cucumbers, tomatoes (or 1 package cherry ), red onion, freshly grated parmesan cheese (to taste), this recipe has served 4 as a main lunch dish and 8-10 as a side).

reduced-calorie margarine (i just use olive oil spray), sliced celery, garlic clove, minced, sliced zucchini (i use peppers or what ever i have), canned crushed tomatoes (again i use low sodiam tomato sauce or what i have in the house), low fat mozzarella, italian spices

vegetarian italian sausages, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, frozen cut green beans, gnocchi, olive oil, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried sweet basil leaves, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes (omit or increase to taste)

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional