Italian Recipes

Try this homey recipe, it combines the Succulent. Juicy. Tender baked chicken and the fine taste of little pasta or pastina.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

(Photo via tasteofhome.com)

Here’s a quick sandwich recipe that everyone would love. Enjoy the appetizing thin slices of seasoned roast beef, dripping with meat juices on a dense Italian roll.

Here are the ingredients:

• 4 pounds boneless rump roast
• 6 cloves garlic, slivered
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Make a cut in roast with a sharp knife, and insert garlic slivers. Place roast in a pan not much larger than the roast. Pour water into pan, and season roast with salt, black pepper, red pepper, and oregano.
2. Cover, and bake in preheated oven for 2 hours, basting occasionally. Remove from oven, and let cool in roasting pan. Meat should be very rare. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day, Remove roast from pan, and slice as thinly as possible. Add a little water to roasting pan, and heat on stovetop, but do not boil. Stir to blend seasonings. When au jus is hot, add sliced beef just long enough to heat through. Serve on crusty Italian bread with au jus available for dipping.

If you are a meat-lover or you just want to impress your relatives with a great-tasting recipe, this meal would be the answer. You just need:
• 4 pork chops
• 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp Italian salad dressing
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 4 med. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 sm. onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
In a baking dish, pre-marinate the pork chops in 1/4 cup dressing for 3 hours and pre-heat the oven at 375 degrees. In a skillet, heat oil and cook the soaked pork chops until brown. Return the pork chops to the marinade and layered with potatoes, onion and butter. Coat the pork chops further with the remaining dressing and cheese. Bake for an hour or until tender.

Fesa di Tacchino agli Aromi

Ingredients:
500 g (17 3/4 oz) turkey breast, in a piece
1 little onion
10 tablespoons olive oil
10 tablespoons white wine or vin rosé
1 teaspoon dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt
2 tablespoons dried or fresh chives (optional)
balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy (optional)

In a large bowl, with abundant water, dip the turkey breast; add the cubed onion, wine, dried herbs and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Cover and allow to marinate for 3-4 hours. Then season with salt and bring to the boil.
When the water begins to boil, lower the heat to just simmering point, cover and leave to cook for about an hour.
Let cool in the cooking stock. Cut the meat into thick slices and dress with olive oil and, if you like, with fresh or dried chives.

The meat is more delicious if you dress it with the balsamic vinegar from Modena – Italy.
If you want to store the stock, ladle it through a muslin-lined sieve or colander into a large bowl. You can store the stock in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days or freeze up to a year. It can be used for cooking a very good risotto. But you can use it for steaming potatoes (coloured potatoes).

Ingredients
4 thick slices whole-wheat country bread
1 clove garlic, peeled (optional), plus 1/4 cup chopped garlic
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound chicken tenders, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bunch broccoli rabe, stems trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 2 bunches broccolini, chopped (see Ingredient note)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation
1.Grill or toast bread. Lightly rub with peeled garlic clove, if desired. Discard the garlic.
2.Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken and any juices to a plate; cover to keep warm.
3.Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add chopped garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe (or broccolini) and cook, stirring often, until bright green and just wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are beginning to break down, 2 to 4 minutes. Return the chicken and juices to the pan, add feta cheese and stir to combine. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm over garlic toasts.

What you will need to have a tasty, satisfying meal for your everyday routine are the following:
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/3 tsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
• butter-flavored cooking spray
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:
On a bowl, mix the egg whites and vinegar thoroughly to have the egg mixture. For the crumb mixture, mix the bread crumbs, parsley, garlic powder and garlic salt on a separate bowl. Soak the chicken in egg mixture; cover with crumb mixture and then lightly with cooking spray.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken and add salt and pepper. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Brace yourself with this great-tasting dish that will surely entice your choosy taste buds. Though quite tiring to prepare, this recipe is a real kitchen treasure. What you will need:
• 5 lb roast beef
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 package Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing
• 1 jar pepperoncinis
• 1 cup water
• salt
• ground black pepper
• Dinner or Sourdough rolls

Directions:
Place the beef on a crockpot after adding enough salt and pepper. Except the pepperoncinis and rolls, pour all the other ingredients over the beef. Cook for about half an hour on high heat then reduced to low heat. After about 6 hours on low heat, shred the meat and pour the pepperocinis and roast juice. Cook for another 2 hours and serve on rolls.

Ingredients
4 to 5 large Pork Chops

2 teaspoons dried Italian rosemary, crushed or substitute with fresh if possible

1 to 2 teaspoons powdered sage

2 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed or substitute with 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup water

Directions

Combine seasonings and herbs. Rub mixture on both sides of meat and place in a iron skillet or heavy sauce pan. Add water and cook covered over low heat 35 to 45 minutes. When water has evaporated, chops will begin to brown. Turn several times till brown on all sides, add white wine and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and place in a serving dish. Pour remaining sauce over top. Serve with rice or Italian pasta.

Note: When cooking with alcohol be sure to mention it to guests before serving

Got time to cook something special for a Sunday Italian dinner? Impress everyone with this Parmesan Chicken. The crispy crust and the thought of smelling that cheese all around the kitchen, mere imagining this makes me hungry! Let’s get over that kitchen and cook away!
Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients:
1 Egg white
3 Tb Parmesan Cheese
1 1/2 c Cornflakes, crushed
1/4 tsp ea Salt & Black Pepper
1 tsp dried Thyme
4 boneless and skinless Chicken Breasts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Beat egg white until frothy.
In another bowl mix Parmesan cheese, cornflakes, salt, pepper, and Thyme.
Dip each chicken piece in the egg white and then dip into the cornflakes mixture, patting well to ensure the mixture adheres to the chicken.
Place the chicken on a lightly oil sprayed pan.
Bake about 25 mins or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Comfort Food at its Best – Authentic Italian Meatballs
The good old meatball spaghetti is a classic. Each family has its own that every kid grows up with and will always be what’s best to them. I will suggest you try to change one thing. The meatball itself. No need to change the sauce but I suggest you try making your meatballs this way.
Ingredients:
2 lb Ground beef — *
2 ts Garlic; minced — **
2 ts Parsley
1 medium Onion — finely chopped
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1 cup Progesso Italian Flavored
Breadcrumbs
1 Egg
3/4 c Parmesan Cheese
Your good old tomato sauce

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with your hands making sure everything is well mixed.
Form into meatballs and fry in a large skillet with about 1/2 cup olive oil over medium high heat .
Turn on all sides to brown and cook through.
When all the way cooked, add them to your sauce and let them cook slowly for about 1 hour.