14 our italian Recipes

italian sausage (johnsonville bulk), spaghetti sauce, of your choice, divided, italian tomatoes, diced, water, garlic cloves, chopped, oregano leaves, basil leaves, parsley, ground black pepper, divided, ricotta cheese (sargento), mozzarella cheese, grated, divided, parmesan cheese, grated, eggs, frozen chopped spinach, cooked, drained & cooled, lasagna noodles, uncooked, smoked provolone cheese

whole foods web site : there are endless variations on this soup, but the main elements are meatballs and greens. in our recipe, we make meatballs of ground beef and pork, and we add plenty of fresh herbs and kale for the green component. while the name indicates that the soup might be served at an italian wedding, it is actually a mistranslation of minestra maritata, which refers to the marriage of greens and meat in the soup., ground beef, ground pork, egg, fresh white breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, chopped garlic, chopped fresh oregano, chopped flat leaf parsley, ground nutmeg, paprika, salt, pepper, unsalted butter, chopped garlic, chopped white onion, chopped carrot, salt, pepper, low-sodium chicken broth, water, whole tomatoes, drained and halved, orzo (rice shaped pasta), shredded kale

light mayonnaise, sliced fresh basil, coarsely ground pepper, italian or french bread, sliced lean deli roast beef, tomato, cored and thinly sliced, sliced red onion, yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced into rings, trimmed arugula , watercress, or lettuce leaves, salt, pepper

lean ground beef, italian sausage, medium hot, onions, chopped, garlic cloves, crushed, stalks celery, chopped, green pepper, chopped, carrot, finely chopped, salt, pepper, tomato soup, consomme, tomato paste, tomatoes, cubed, tomato juice, tomato sauce, parsley, chopped, basil, chopped, oregano, cayenne, sage, bay leaves

potatoes , about, diced celery, diced onion, italian salad dressing, hard-boiled eggs (2 chopped to add to salad and 1 sliced to garnish.), mayonnaise (i don tsp know exactly how much. i just keep adding it until it looks creamy. i use low fat mayo), salt & pepper, parsley, paprika

ground beef, sweet italian sausage (about 3 links ) or 1/2 lb hot italian sausage (about 3 links), chopped onion, garlic cloves, minced, dried basil leaves, dried oregano, parsley, chopped, salt, sugar, san marzano tomatoes, undrained and chopped, tomato paste, water (if necessary), part-skim ricotta cheese, egg, salt, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan cheese, no-cook lasagna noodles (approximately )

ground beef, beef broth, egg, italian seasoned breadcrumbs, celery, minced, onion, minced, parsley, chopped, salt, pepper

chicken sausage (sub sweet or hot italian sausage), onion, diced, garlic cloves, minced, olive oil, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste (i have left this out before it s fine), sliced mushrooms, chicken broth, wine, basil, oregano, salt, garlic powder, fennel seed (optional), curd cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, shredded, parmesan cheese, grated, penne , cooked al dente (should be a little undercooked)

red wine vinegar, vegetable oil, fresh parsley, dried marjoram or 1 tsp oregano, thyme, bay leaf, crumbled, onion, minced, garlic cloves, minced, pepper

red peppers (green and yellow work just as well also), ground beef (we like to use leanest possible), yellow onion, chopped, garlic cloves, chopped, tomato sauce (italian flavored is our favorite), water, good seasonings italian salad dressing mix, instant brown rice (white works fine too), parmesan cheese (we prefer 4cup s shredded but i m sure anykind would work fine, may be omitted depending on 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

approx 2 cups of chicken breasts diced up into bite sized pieces., chicken broth, diced potatoes, skin on or off as desired, carrots, onion diced, garlic (i double this for our tastes), diced tomatoes, bayleaf, salt and pepper to taste, ts thyme (italian seasoning works well also ), less oil ( i use less )