Pasta

Veal Parmigiana

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp cornflake o dry bread crumbs

1 to ½ lb boneless veal cutlets or veal round steak, cut into 4 serving pieces

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tbsp oil

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp oregano leaves or Italian seasoning

8 oz can tomato sauce

4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Pasta

Heat oven 375°F; in small bowl, combine 1/3 parmesan cheese and crumbs. Dip veal in egg; coat with cheese-crumb mixture. In large skillet, brown veal in hot oil. Remove veal to ungreased 8 inch square or round pan. Add onion to skillet; sauté until tender. Stir in salt, pepper, oregano and tomato sauce. Top pieces of veal put mozzarella cheese. Pour tomato mixture over cheese, spreading to cover. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes until bubbly. Then put it in top of pasta.

Chicken Cacciatore

            Cacciatore sauce, “hunter style”, is a rich sauce of tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs, and wine.

¼ cup all purpose flour

2 ½ to 3 lb frying chicken, cut up, skinned

2 tbsp oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 medium green pepper, sliced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

16 oz cans tomatoes, undrained, cut up

Hot cooked egg noodles

Place flour in shallow dish; coat chicken pieces with flour. In large skillet, brown chicken in hot oil; drain excess oil form skillet. Add remaining ingredients except spaghetti; mix well. Cover; simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is fork tender, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti.

Bolognese Sauce

            This is perhaps the most famous of Italian meat sauces. Bolognese Sauce is a rich one, containing meat, onions, carrots, and butter. It is a sauce that improves with age; so if you have time, make it a day ahead.

            Although traditionally made with veal and pork, we have adopted this classic to use lean ground beef and pork.

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 large garlic clove, minced

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery, including some leaves

½ cup finely diced carrots

½ to ¾ pound lean ground beef and pork, or lean ground beef

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1½ to 2 tsp oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup half-and-half

1 can (28 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes, chopped (reserve and use the juice), or crushed

                                 Tomatoes

½ in by 1 in strip lemon peel (no white pitch)

Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and pork, nutmeg, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Sauté, breaking up the meat and stirring frequently, just until meat is barely cooked and not at all browned, about 2 minutes. Add wine. Raise the heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, until the wine evaporates, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cream. Reduce the heat and cook gently, stirring frequently, until the cream has almost entirely reduced. Then add the tomatoes with their juice and the lemon peel.

            Cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 2 hours. Or bake in a 325°F oven in a covered earthenware casserole until the sauce thickens, 1 ½ to 2 hours

            Remove the lemon peel. Taste and correct the seasonings. Serve over hot pasta; it is recommended for all shapes and is the classic sauce for baked lasagna.

Carbonara Sauce

            The word Carbonara derives from carbon, meaning “coal”. One guess is that the mixing bowl should be so heavily coated with black pepper that it looks like the inside of a coal cellar. This dish was popularized by allied soldiers who had their first taste of it in Rome during World War II.

Butter

1½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

2 tbsp butter

¼ pound pancetta or Canadian bacon, cut into slivers

4 eggs

¼ cup whipping cream

Salt to taste

1 pound spaghetti

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

            Generously grease a large serving bowl with butter and coat it with the black pepper.

            Melt the 2 tbsp butter in a skillet, add the bacon, and sauté for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

            I n a small bowl beat the eggs with the cream and adds the salt.

            To serve, cook the spaghetti until just tender, Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the bacon and toss. Slowly add the eggs mixture to the hot pasta, tossing continuously. Pour immediately into the pepper-coated serving bowl. Add parmesan cheese, mix well and serve.

Mushroom Cheese Sauce

            This is a simple, elegant sauce. It is wonderful on spinach fettuccine.

¼ cup butter

2 tbsp olive oil

½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup milk

¾ cup light cream

¼ cup dry white wine

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

            Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and blend it in. Slowly add the milk and cream, stirring continuously, add cook until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the wine and cheese. Season it with salt and pepper. Serve at once over hot pasta. Pass additional Parmesan cheese at the table.

Tomato Sauce with Shrimp and Feta

            Tomatoes, shrimp, and feta cheese bring together the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean. If you start with frozen cleaned shrimp, this sauce takes very little time to prepare.

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped ripe tomatoes

1/3 cup dry white wine

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

30 medium shrimp, peeled

1/8 tsp crushed dried red pepper flakes

½ pound feta cheese, crumbled

            Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer and stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.

            In a medium-size sauté pan, heat the remaining oil over the high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and firm. Sprinkle with the red pepper. Add to the tomato sauce and keep warm.

            Serve immediately over hot pasta (rigatoni or a tubular-shaped pasta is recommended) Sprinkle each serving with the feta cheese.

Fresh Crab and Tomato Sauce

            This sauce is for those fortunate to get fresh crabmeat and garden-fresh tomatoes.

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2½ pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 pound fresh crabmeat, cartilage removed

            Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until pale gold. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook the tomatoes at a slow boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the parsley and crabmeat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve over hot pasta (spaghetti is recommended).

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