Mushroom Ragu

Ciao a tutti!! I love a really hearty ragu. Something rich, intense and meaty. But sometimes, I don’t actually feel like eating meat. I know, shocking right? It’s true. The fact is, I used to be a vegetarian and even though I do eat meat now (and I absolutely love it!) I don’t eat it that often. I probably have it a couple of times a week. This Mushroom Ragu is so amazing; you will not even miss the meat. I promise. In fact, I first made this sauce for my family and my brother (a big meat fan) said he couldn’t believe how incredible the sauce was. He didn’t need the meat! The mushrooms get nice and tender and all of the herbs add a wonderful depth of flavor, trust me. You will fall in love with this ragu. I served it over fresh tortellini, but of course you can serve it over whatever pasta you want, you could also serve it over polenta for something a little different.

Mushroom Ragu

2 ½ pounds fresh mixed mushrooms

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 sprig fresh sage

¼ cup olive oil

4 tbsp. butter

2 cups of shallots, finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 cup dry Marsala

Black pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

Put the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the shallots and ¼ tsp. salt, stir well. Cook until they’re shiny and wilted, but don’t let them brown!

Pour all of the mushrooms into the pan and toss them. Sprinkle another ¼ tsp. salt, drop in all of the herbs, raise the heat a little and cover the pan. Cook covered for about 3 minutes. 

Uncover and continue to cook over faily high heat, stirring for around 5 minutes. When the pan is dry and the mushrooms begin to brown, drop in the tomato paste and mix it in with the mushrooms.

When everythign is sizzling, pour the Marsala all over. Stir as the wine thickens and evaporates. Pour in 4 cups of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes, occassionally stirring and adding stock to keep the mushrooms covered in liquid.

Uncover the pan and cook for another 20 minutes and adding stock as needed. When the mushrooms and tender and sauce is relatively thick, take the herbs out. Serve over some nice fresh pasta. Buon Appetito!!

The Lighter Side of Italy

When you think of Italian food, visions of gelato, pizza, cheese and pastries dance in your head, right? Well, maybe that’s just me. Seriously, when people think of this food, they think of heavy, cheesy and calorie laden meals. But I have always wanted to change that idea. Italian food can be very healthy; you just have to know how to eat it and how much of it to eat.

When I was in Italy, I didn’t really eat all that differently than I do when I’m at home. My lunches and dinners started with a grilled vegetable plate with zucchini, eggplants and peppers or a beautiful salad with arugula and tomatoes. My mother and I usually shared one pasta, pizza or meat entrée. 

The thing in Italy is, pasta is not a main course. It is an appetizer. So when it comes to the table, don’t expect a huge bowl filled, if you order ravioli, you’ll probably get four. Pizza is made with a very thin crust, as opposed to all those thick crusts with the extra calories. Plus, all the food that I eat is prepared with natural, wholesome ingredients. Yes, there is cheese, chocolate and bread. But cheese in its purest form, bread, made with ingredients that you can actually pronounce. 

So, I want to share a few of the dishes that I enjoyed while in Italy and I hope it will inspire you to get on board with Healthy Italian La Dolce Vita Lifestyle!!

Spinach with Lemon

1 pound of baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. chopped garlic

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tbsp. lemon zest, grated

Start off by rinsing the spinach in cold water. Spin it in a salad clean to ensure that it is mostly dry. In a deep pot, heat olive oil and chopped garlic over medium heat, for around two minutes. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and toss. Cook for around 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Use a slotted spoon to serve spinach and top with freshly grated lemon zest. Buon Appetito!!

Grilled Vegetable Antipasto

3 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into sticks

2 zucchini, cut into sticks

1 large eggplant, cut into sticks

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced

Prepare a grill pan over medium heat. Add your sliced vegetables into a bowl and brush with the olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Begin grilling the vegetables in batches, depending on how big your pan is. All together, it should take around 30 minutes to grill.

Chicory with Lemon

2 heads of chicory (outer ribs discarded and the remainder cut into 2 inch pieces)

¼ cup of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. red pepper

1 tsp. salt

Lemon juice(quanto basta!)

Wash the chicory. Cook in boiling salted water. Stir, until tender for around 5 minutes. Drain.

In another pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic with red pepper, but don’t let it burn! Add the chicory, stirring until most of the liquid had evaporated, for around 4 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of salt and a little lemon juice!!

Fall Medley Pasta

Ciao lovely readers! For me, pasta has always been my go to comfort food (besides chocolate, but then again, who isn't comforted by chocolate?!?!) So when I am craving something cozy and yummy, I turn to pasta.

The other night in New York, it was a dark, gloomy and rainy evening. It was the perfect night for comfort food. I had fresh mushrooms, butternut squash and sage. Do you see where I’m going with this? Fall Medley Pasta!! There is just something about the combination of earthy mushrooms, sweet butternut squash and fragrant sage that makes me crazy!! Plus, you prepare this with some delicious rotini and a splash of cream….oh my. This pasta dish will satisfy everyone at your table. It’s a wonderful mix of flavors and textures. It’s just incredible; I promise that you will love it.

Fall Medley Pasta

6 tbsp. Olive oil

1 butternut squash- peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

1 pack of fresh mushrooms

Salt

Pepper

Sage (some people can find sage very intense, so you pick exactly how much you want to use)

1 box of rotini

Cream (for just a splash!)

First, prepare a pan over medium heat with 2 tbsp. olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper (quanto basta) and add your already cut butternut squash cubes. Cook until tender for around 30 minutes, you don’t want them getting to soft and turning into mush.

While that is cooking, clean and slice your mushrooms. Prepare another pan over medium heat with 2 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper and add the mushrooms. Cook for around 25 minutes.

In the mean time, start boiling your pasta water. While you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare another pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil. You are going to be frying your sage leaves, so wait until the olive is hot enough to fry.  Pick a large enough pan, since you will be using this to mix your pasta. Add your sage leaves to the pan. They will fry very quickly so stand by. Take the sage leaves out and put them on a plate with a napkin to absorb any excess oil.

Once the water is boiling, add your pasta. Once it is cooked, drain and add the pasta to the pan that you fried the sage in. Keep the pan on low heat. Add the butternut squash and mushrooms and mix. Make sure the olive oil coats all of the vegetables. Add a splash of cream, literally a splash! Mix again. Add the fried sage leaves to the pasta.  Let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!! 

Vegetable Lasagna

Ciao a tutti! I would like to remind you that I am a semi-finalist in Eggland’s Best “Your Best Recipe” Contest!! My recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Espresso Cookies was selected. You can please vote until Sept. 30^th 12PM. You can take a look at http://www.egglandsbest.com/yourbestrecipe and on the Eggland's Best "Your Best Recipe" Contest tab on the Eggland's Best Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/egglandsbesteggs/app_251842034899170 - you have to “like” Egglands Best. You will see my recipe under the Dessert Category under Caroline B. I would very much appreciate it. Thank you all!

Squash, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, purple peppers and  my cute little pumpkin!!

This afternoon I went to my local farmers market. They have a beautiful selection of baked goods, eggs, jams and jellies and of course fresh fruits and vegetables. The produce is some of the loveliest and prettiest I have ever seen. I’m not kidding. I know it seems strange to call vegetables pretty, but they really are. I couldn’t resist. The vegetables were calling my name. Sometimes I go the farmers market with a list since I already know what I want to prepare, but the vegetables gave me a wonderful idea. And that idea was Vegetable Lasagna.

When you think of lasagna, you probably think of classic lasagna with Bolognese sauce, cheese and noodles and that’s fantastic. But this “lasagna” has no noodles. That’s right, NO NOODLES. The vegetables are used in place of the noodles. For anyone doing a gluten free, low carb or paleo diet, this is the perfect meal for you. This lasagna is also a wonderful vegetarian entrée and it’s a great way to get your kids to eat some veggies. As soon as your kids see this beautiful, bubbling lasagna fresh out of the oven, they’ll forget that it’s actually good for you! It combines fresh grilled vegetables, cheese and raw tomato sauce. What else do you need?

I used eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. I find that these vegetable are the best to use when making“lasagna” since you can cut them in nice long strips that replicate noodles. I also like using eggplant because it has a more “meaty” texture then other vegetables, so if you’re a carnivore at heart, this should make you happy! This recipe does have a lot of steps, but I promise you it is worth it. It is just so, so delicious. As always, I LOVE to hear from you, so please comment and let me know what you think!!

Fresh Vegetable Lasagna

The vegetable part:

2 large eggplants

3 zucchini

3 yellow squash

The Marinade:

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Red Pepper

Dry basil

The cheese part:

20 ounces of ricotta

Salt

Pepper

Italian parsley- chopped

Red pepper

1 cup of parmigiana cheese

The tomato part:

2 fresh tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

Salt

Pepper

2 tbsp. pesto- (If you don’t have pesto, add some chopped basil, 1 tbsp. parmigiana and 2 tbsp. olive oil to a food processor and there ya go!)

First step- Start by rinsing your vegetables lightly, you want them to be nice and clean. Begin with the eggplant since that takes the longest to grill. Cut length wise, about ¼ inch thick. Prepare a flat top griddle with lots of olive oil over medium heat. You can play it by ear with exactly how much oil you use.

Start making your marinade. Combine olive oil, (again, exactly how much you want to use is up to you, I would suggest starting with around 4 tablespoons and adding as you go along if you need to) salt, pepper, red pepper and dry basil. All of this is quanto basta- to taste!

Brush one side of the eggplant lightly with the marinade and put on the griddle (marinated side down) and then brush more of the marinade on the other side. As the eggplants are finished cooking, either put them on a tray, plate or a wire rack, so any excess oil drips off.

The grilled vegetables!!

Cut your zucchini and yellow squash, length wise. Again, cut a ¼ inch thick. Wait for all of the eggplants to finish cooking. Since you are using two large eggplants, this could take up to an hour. Each side usually takes around 15-25 minutes depending on your stove. Once all the eggplant is done, do the same with the yellow squash. Brush one side with the marinade, put on the griddle (marinated side down) and brush your marinade on the other side. All of the yellow squash will take around 45 minutes to cook (10-20 minutes each side). Put the finished squash on your tray.

Now repeat the same steps with the zucchini. Brush one side with the marinade, put on the griddle (marinated side down), and brush more marinade on the other side. The zucchini should take around 40 minutes to cook (10-20 minutes each side.) Move the cooked zucchini to your tray with all of the other grilled vegetables.

Second Step- Let the vegetables cool for a few minutes and start preparing your cheese mixture. Combine ricotta, salt, pepper, chopped Italian parsley and red pepper. Mix until combined. We will be using the parmigiana as is, so just have it ready!!

The ricotta mixture 

Third Step- Clean your tomatoes and do a rough chop. I like the pieces kind of chunky, but you do it however you like! Put your chopped tomatoes in a bowl. When you chop tomatoes, a lot of the juice seeps out, but don’t throw it away!! Add it to the bowl. Chop your garlic and add with the tomatoes. Add salt, pepper and pesto. Mix.

The raw tomato sauce

Fourth Step- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large casserole pan with lots of olive oil. You don’t want your bottom layer of vegetables sticking to the pan. Now is the fun part, arranging it!! The way I like to do it is by having each layer a specific vegetable, as opposed to mixing them. That way, in each bite, you get a little of everything!! Start with a layer of eggplant. You can make each layer as thin or thick as you like. Once the eggplant is done, spread a generous amount of ricotta on top. Now do a layer of zucchini. Spread more ricotta. Now do a layer of squash. Now..you guessed it, more ricotta!! 

Continue doing these steps until you have no more ricotta or vegetables left. Cover the top layer with the raw tomato sauce and sprinkle the parmigiana cheese all over the top!! Put in the oven and cook for an hour and half. Take it out of the oven and let it sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. Cut a nice big slice for yourself and enjoy with a glass of red wine!! Buon Appetito!!

Spinach Pesto Rotini

Creamy.  Rich.  Decadent. These are the words we use to describe delicious, albeit, fattening food, right? Well not tonight!! I’m using these words to describe my delicious Spinach Pesto Rotini, which is all of these things, but it also happens to be healthy!

Over the years, when I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen, I’ve found amazing little tricks to make my food healthier while not losing any of the flavors and this pasta is the perfect example. It is so creamy and velvety, you are going to think I added a bunch of half and half and cheese, but you would be mistaken!! My secret is pureeing my spinach!! Yes, it’s just that simple.

I have never been one to drown my pasta in heavy sauces or cheese, a sprinkle of parmigiana is all I need. But, I do love the texture of something very creamy. You will be amazed at how delicious this tastes, seriously. If you have a picky eater in the house, this will do the trick. This plate will please everyone. If you’re having a dinner party and have to accommodate someone’s diet, this should make people happy. 

It’s vegetarian, vegan, low calorie, high fiber and low fat. I use rotini because the curves of the pasta make it very easy for the pesto to really get in there and stick.

I PROMISE you, you are going to think you are indulging in something very rich, but you’re not! Now you can save some of those extra calories for dessert, right? Please let me know what you think!!

Spinach Pesto Rotini

1 box of whole wheat rotini

2 tablespoons olive oil

Garlic (chopped, as you much as you want)

Red pepper

Salt

Black Pepper

1 box of chopped frozen spinach

Parsley (quanto basta)

3 tablespoons of pesto (You can use store brought or check out my recipe, here!)

Start by preparing a large, deep pan over medium heat with your olive oil. Add the chopped garlic, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Let the garlic get just roasted enough, but not brown.

Boil your water for the pasta. Add the frozen spinach to the pan with olive oil mix and let it cook fully, probably around 20 minutes. Once the spinach is done add the parsley and pesto. Take the pan off of the heat and set down on a counter and let it cool for a few minutes. Once it has cooled, using a hand held blender, puree thoroughly. You want everything to really get mixed. You can put the pan back over very low heat.

Salt your pasta water. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. Cook the pasta for around 7 minutes and then drain. Add the pasta to the spinach puree and toss. Make sure every piece of rotini gets covered. Enjoy with some Tony Bennett in the background. Buon Appetito!!

Capellini Verdi

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love pasta.  One- It’s easy to prepare. Two- there are so many different pastas so it’s impossible to get sick of. Three-So many different sauce possibilities- Ragu, pesto, cheese, vegetable; anything your heart desires! Plus, you can make something so impressive without really putting all that much effort into it. It’s just that simple! I will never tire of pasta. It’s part of who I am. As an Italian I grew up eating pasta AT LEAST three times a week and I still do!!

In keeping with some healthier Italian options without sacrificing flavor, tonight I will be serving Whole Wheat Capellini Verdi. Capellini literally means thin hair (imagine really skinny spaghetti.)  If you can’t find Capellini, use spaghetti or angel hair or whatever you want!) I make mine with rocket (arugula), spinach, peas, parsley, pignoli, garlic and pesto. It is so delicious. What I like about these particular vegetables is that they don’t have a very intense vegetable taste that a lot of people don’t like (like our good friend, broccoli.)

You won’t miss the fact that there is no cheese, heavy cream sauce or meat. It will turn any carnivore into a vegetable believer!!! This is a wonderful healthy dinner option. You get all the good vitamins and nutrients from all the greens, all the benefits of garlic and pine nuts are a good source of magnesium and potassium. So that fact that it tastes so good AND is good for you, certainly can’t hurt!!

Capellini Verdi

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt (to taste)
Pepper (quanto basta)
Red Pepper (just a sprinkle!)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 box of capellini
1 box of arugula
1 box of fresh spinach
1 box of peas
½ cup of Pignoli
Handful of parsley
4 tablespoons of Pesto

First, chop your garlic. Prepare a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper over medium heat. Put your garlic with your oil mixture.

Next, start boiling your water, add salt! While the water is boiling, chop your arugula and spinach. I like to chop it very fine because then it blends really nicely with the pesto! Put the chopped greens in the pan with the oil mix.

Once the water is boiling, put the capellini in. Capellini, along with other thin pastas, usually cooks pretty quickly, so don’t overcook! You want it perfectly al dente, so just six minutes. Drain your pasta, but keep a little of the water. Put your pasta in the pan with the oil and greens. Add the box of peas and pignoli.

Very finely chop your pasley and put on top of the pasta. Add the pesto, a little pasta water and mix it all together. The combination of the water and pesto will create a nice creaminess but without the fat and calories of cream!! Let me know if this will turn you into a veggie believer. Buon Appetito!!

Grilled Vegetable Antipasto

In keeping with some of my recent posts about healthy food options (stuffed Italin pepper) and the healthy Italian lifestyle. today I would like to share with you my recipe for Grilled Vegetable Antipasto. To call it a recipe seems a little silly, since it is really just vegetables grilled with oil and garlic, but nonetheless, I will call it a recipe just so you know exactly how to prepare it to ensure that they come out perfectly.

Antipasto translates to before the meal.  It is a traditional first course of an Italian meal. Most antipasto features a lovely spread of olives, cured meats, mozzarella or provolone and grilled mixed vegetables like eggplant, zucchini and artichoke hearts.

The contents of an antipasto vary a lot according to regional cuisine. In the South of Italy they have saltwater fish and southern meats like soppressata (an Italian dry salami), but in the north it will have other cured meats and freshwater fish. The cheeses also vary depending what region you’re in.

I love antipasto because it is a wonderful way to start a meal. Vegetables, cheese and olives are a wonderful beginning to anything, right?? This version is completely vegan, but I will be sharing many different antipasto recipes in the next few weeks so everyone can feel included. I use eggplant, zucchini, red and yellow peppers that I got at my local farmers market. I also used some Brussels sprouts which are not Italian; I just really like Brussels sprouts. Most people don’t however, so I’m not going to include them in the actual recipe. You may use whatever vegetables you like, but I really suggest eggplant and zucchini, they lend themselves very nicely to this preparation.

This of course can be used as a side to some pasta or some nice grilled meat as well. You can also put it on some ciabatta, add some mozzerella and grill. However you prepare it, I guarantee you will love it.

Grilled Vegetable Antipasto

1 large eggplant
2 medium sized zucchini
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers

¾ cup of olive oil

1 full head of garlic (chopped)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

First start off by cutting your eggplant, zucchini and peppers, the thinner they are cut, the faster they will grill.

Next chop all of your garlic. Add your olive oil, salt and pepper. Put the oil mixture in a zip lock bag and add the vegetables. Make sure all of the vegetables are thoroughly coated in the marinade. Let it sit for about an hour.

If you have a flat grill top, I would recommend using that. If not, a regular grill pan will do just fine. Heat it over medium heat. Add the eggplant first since that takes the longest to cook. I usually leave the eggplant to cook for around 15 minutes before adding the other vegetables. Next, add the zucchini and peppers. I like my vegetables very, very grilled (almost to the point that you would think they’re burned, but I assure you, they’re not!!) All together, let them cook for 45 minutes. Take off the pan and put on a serving plate and lightly salt. Let me know what you usually like in your antipasto! Buon Appetito!!

Healthy Italian Stuffed Peppers

I love Italian food. I think that is pretty obvious. What is not however, is the fact that I actually lead a very healthy lifestyle. Hard to believe considering all of this tempting food, right? But the truth is, I exercise everyday and the meals you see here are usually eaten once or twice a week. I also try to make little changes to all of my recipes to make them a little healthier. For example, you will notice that a lot of my recipes use chickpea flour (Chickpeafritters, fried zucchini) which is a healthier alternative to flour and is gluten free. Many of my recipes are low carb (spinach ricotta gnocchi, lemonRosemary roasted chicken) and I try to cook with a lot of vegetables (cauliflowerSiciliana, summer squash.) I also have many vegetarian recipes and even though it may sound silly, most of the time when I make something fried, I use whole wheat breadcrumbs. Even my pizza was made with whole wheat dough.  And as I said in my post about the Italian healthy lifestyle, it is all about moderation. But, I thought it would be a good idea to specifically post a healthy alternative. So I introduce…..the healthy Italian stuffed pepper.

I love stuffed peppers. You may think right off the bat that they are healthy, just by the fact that it’s a pepper, but on the contrary, it can actually be very fattening. If you make it with sausage or meatballs, mozzarella and regular breadcrumbs, as delicious as it may be, it’s not much better than having some eggplant parmigiana.  My version is completely vegetarian and it is stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, garlic, whole wheat bread crumbs and just a little Parmigiana cheese for flavor. One of the great things about Parmigiana cheese is that because it is a very intense, strong cheese, you can use less of it and you will still have a lot of flavor. While there is oil to sauté the vegetables, I always use olive oil because even though it has fat, it is the good kind of fat (monounsaturated fat.) The peppers are then topped with my homemade rustic garlic tomato sauce and baked. IDo not let the pictures fool you, these are amazing. I just don't have the best camera skills. You aren’t even going to miss the meat, trust me.

Healthy Italian Stuffed Peppers:

4 large peppers (red or green, your choice)

1 full pack of mushrooms
1 full bag of fresh spinach
1 head of garlic (minced)
2 tablepoons of olive oil
¼ cup of parmigiana cheese
½ cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Tomato Sauce:

15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
6 cloves of garlic (or as much as you like)
Salt
Pepper
Basil (finely chopped)
Crushed Italian herbs

First, clean your peppers thoroughly. Slice off the top and make sure you get rid of any of the seeds and white stems inside.

Clean your mushrooms and chop them very finely. Next, chop all of your fresh spinach. Chop your garlic.

Heat a pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Put the garlic in first and let it roast a little. Then add the mushrooms and let them shrink a little bit. Mix and add the spinach. Let all of the vegetables cook down, around 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the vegetables cool for a few minutes. Add the parmigiana cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix.

Prepare your tomato sauce; here is the original post with the recipe.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Get out a casserole pan, big enough to fit 4 large peppers. Start to stuff the peppers with the filling, but please be careful not to tear them. Line the peppers in the pan and pour the tomato sauce on top. Cook for 25 minutes. I myself like to serve these with a fresh arugula, fennel and lemon salad. Buon Appetito!! 

Cacio e pepe, coffee rubbed steak and eggplant arancini

Ciao! Today’s enticing meal will be angel hair cacio e pepe, coffee rubbed steak and eggplant arancini.

Il Primo (first course)

Cacio e Pepe is a classic Roman pasta dish. It translates to "cheese and pepper" in Italian. This dish was made for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time, as its main ingredients are black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. It is typically made with a long, thin pasta, I like mine with angel hair. The sauce is nice and creamy from the perfect mix of cheese and starchy pasta water. 

Cacio e pepe

1 box angel hair

1/4 freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated 

Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add pepper to a sauté pan and toast until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add oil and butter and stir occasionally until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat. Cook pasta al dente. Drain, saving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the oil and butter mixture, then add the pasta and mix. Toss until the angel hair is well coated. Stir in the cheese (add a splash or two more of the reserved pasta water if necessary) and serve immediately. You don’t want the sauce to sit too long; it’s nice and fresh, so eat it now!

Il Secondo (main course)

I know what you’re thinking, coffee and steak? Sounds strange, no? But let me tell you, there is something about the way coffee and meat taste when combined that is just divine. There is enough of a coffee taste to flavor the steak but not overpower it. I also prepare my steaks with smoked olive oil, which adds to the intensity. Smoked olive oil and coffee flavored salt can be found at gourmet shops. If you can’t find these items, you can substitute regular olive oil of course and in place of coffee salt, you can use coffee powder.

Coffee rubbed steak

4 tablespoons of smoked olive oil

4 tenderloin steaks

Coffee salt

Prepare a flat grill with 4 tablespoons of smoked olive oil. Rub your steaks with coffee salt, use as much of as little as you like. Put on the grill. Some people like there steaks rare, some medium, some medium well, this part is up to you. You may cook them as long or as little as you like to get it the way you want. I am one of the few people that actually like my meat well done, including steaks.

Il Contorno (side dish)

Okay, so technically these are not arancini. Arancini are rice balls that are coated in breadcrumbs, stuffed with mozzarella and fried. There is no rice in this recipe, but they look just like arancini and there are similarities as far as taste. The middle of an arancini is creamy and cheesy, as is this. And the outside is crispy and crunchy. My recipe is made with seasoned eggplant, which is then shaped into a ball and then stuffed with cheese, breaded and fried. Have I won you over yet?

Eggplant arancini

2 large eggplants
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
Olive oil
2 eggs       
3/4 cup grated Parmesan  
1 1/4 cups whole wheat bread crumbs, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chickpea flour
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into little cubes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place on paper towels. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil. Pat eggplant dry; put on prepared sheets. Brush lightly with oil. Bake until eggplant is tender and dry, about 1 hour. Cool slightly; chop coarsely. Whisk 1 egg, Parmesan, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl. Stir in chopped eggplant (mixture will be soft). Spread 1 cup breadcrumbs on plate. Whisk 1 egg and chickpea flour in another bowl. Press and shape eggplant mixture into balls. Press 1 piece mozzarella into center of each ball, making sure eggplant mixture covers cheese. Dip balls into egg batter; roll in breadcrumbs. Pour oil into large skillet heat over medium-high heat. Add balls to skillet; sauté until browned, turning often, about 4 minutes. Move to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

This is a lovely Sunday dinner for the family. Meat, pasta and “vegetables” (well, the eggplant kind of counts, right?). Buon Appetito!

Spaghetti Pie and Summer Squash

Ciao! For supper tonight, we will be having Spinach ricotta spaghetti pie and Italian summer squash.

Il Secondo (second course, main course)

Spaghetti pie is a wonderful dish to make to impress friends if you’re not that great in the kitchen. It is very easy to prepare but it tastes as if you spent hours in the kitchen. What’s so nice about spaghetti pie is, you can do so many things with it. Obviously, you are welcome to make any sort of baked pasta pie that you like best. You can add beef, sausage, broccoli, zucchini, the list goes on. It’s a nice way to sneak in some vegetables if you have a picky eater in the family; no one is going to mind the spinach when it’s mixed with creamy ricotta.  Making this is also a clever way to use your leftover pasta. Just add some cheese, egg and pretty much anything you like and bake it up!

Spinach ricotta spaghetti pie

1 bag of fresh spinach
4 tablespoons of olive oil (divided)
Red pepper
Garlic, chopped (to taste)
1 container of spaghetti
1 16 ounce container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Parsley

Preheat your oven to 350 degress and boil water for the spaghetti. Begin by chopping your spinach and cooking it in a small pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, red pepper and chopped garlic. Let cool. Add spaghetti to boiling water.

Mix ricotta, eggs, salt, pepper and parsley together. Add the spinach.

Drain your pasta and let it cool. Use a medium casserole size pan and oil with olive oil. Add the pasta to the ricotta spinach mix. Put the mix in the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Take out and let it sit for around 10 minutes before serving. You can eat this as is, but I like to eat it with a fresh chunky tomato sauce. You can find a recipe for my tomato sauce here.  

Il contorno (Side dishes)

The other night, I was making dinner for some friends, one of whom notoriously dislikes vegetables. By the end of the meal, he had changed his mind. He was raving about this dish. I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it.  What I find so odd about this dish, is that for some reason, it reminds me (and others have said the same) of pizza. I know, it seems very strange. But to me it really does, there’s just something about the taste. I’ll let you be the judge.

Italian summer squash

3 summer squashes
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Garlic
Onion
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Italian seasoning

Start with washing your squash and chopping it very thin. Heat a pan on low prepared with olive oil. Chop your garlic and onion very finely. Add to the pan. Add the squash. Season with salt, pepper, parsley and Italian seasoning. Let it cook on low heat for 45 minutes.

Let me know what you think of these recipes and anything you would like to share! I love to see what you have to say! Buon Appetito!