Easy Pesto Sauce

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Quick & Easy, Sauces

Ingredients:

  • Salt and pepper for taste
  • ½ cup, extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped and peeled
  • ¾ cup of walnuts and pine nuts
  • 4 cups, basil leaves

Directions:

Add up all the ingredients in a blender except the olive oil. Add it a little at a time and blend it until it reaches a level of consistency. Then it is ready to be served on your favorite dish.

Photo via goodhousekeeping.com

Italian Marinara Sauce

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Quick & Easy, Sauces

Ingredients:

  • ½ tsp, oregano (dried)
  • 10 torn fresh basil leaves
  • Red pepper, crushed, for tasting
  • Salt
  • 1 35 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes
  • 4 garlic heads, peeled and chopped
  • ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Open your can of tomatoes and crush them using your hand in a bowl before you set them aside. Heat up the olive oil in a huge saucepan under some medium heat. Add up the garlic to your oil and cook until they are light brown in color. Just make sure that it won’t burn.

Add up the tomatoes with their liquid in the pan with oil and garlic. Watch out for the oil might splatter and then add some oregano. Stir it up and let it boil. Season it with some salt and pepper until it fits your taste. Lower the heat until the sauces simmers. Break up the tomatoes while waiting so that the sauce would thicken.

Add the fresh basil and wait for a few more minutes before the sauce is finally done. You can pour it over your pasta.

Photo via blog.pennlive.com

Fresh and Simple Tomato Sauce

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Quick & Easy, Sauces

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp of capers
  • ¼ cup of Kalamata olives. Chopped
  • 6 tomatoes, sliced
  • ½ tsp grounded pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 can of 28 ounce plum tomatoes

Directions:

Put all the ingredients except for the chopped tomatoes, capers, olives in the blender. Process them until they are smooth. Once you remove from the blender, mix in the chopped tomatoes, capers and olives. Serve it instantly and cover. You can refrigerate it for 2 days.

Photo via slashfood.com

Ravioli Soup

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Authentic & Traditional Italian Recipes, Quick & Easy, Soups

Ingredients:

  • 9 oz of fresh or frozen ravioli
  • 1 can of kidney beans
  • 2 cups of beef broth
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 can of Italian tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp of jarred garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 onion, chopped

Directions:

Chop the onion and sauté with olive oil in a dutch oven until it is soft. Add up the oregano and garlic and sauté again for a minute with more stirring this time. Add up some canned tomatoes with all the liquid ingredients. Drain the beans and add them up as well along with the ravioli. If you happen to use frozen ravioli, then you would need to boil them first.

Let the soup boil and cook the raviolis until they become tender. You can start pouring it in bowls once the soup is done.

Photo via tasteofhome.com

Almond Cinnamon Meringue Cookies

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Desserts, Quick & Easy, Side Dishes/Snacks

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp finely chopped almonds
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 egg whites

Directions:

First, let the egg whites stay in room temperature for about 15 minutes. Prepare the cookie sheets with some parchment paper. In a tiny bowl, combine all the cinnamon and sugar. In another medium bowl, combine the egg whites, the salt and the almond extract. Use an electric mixer to combine thoroughly.

You must add the cinnamon-sugar mix one teaspoon at a time and beat the egg whites well then fold in some of the chopped almonds. With a tablespoon, drop some rounded shapes of the meringue onto the baking sheets about 1” apart.

You must bake it at 250F for 30 minutes. When done, allow the cookies to dry inside the oven that is turned off already for another 40 minutes. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and as you peel off the cookies from the sheets, store them in very tight containers.

Photo via nibbledish.com

Sformato With Amaretti and Zabaione

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Desserts, Quick & Easy, Side Dishes/Snacks

Ingredients:

  • 3 separate eggs
  • 500 ml of milk
  • 70g of starched potato
  • 100g of sugar
  • 100g of amaretti

Directions:

Mix the sugar and potato in a bowl and gradually add the milk. Grind first the amaretti before you blend and moisten it with some milk. As it turns to paste first, press it through a mesh strainer and slowly stir in some milk mix.

Heat the creamy mixture until it thickens up. When you have let it cooled down, you can start mixing in the egg yolks; whip the egg whites and fold them. Oil up a ring mold before you put the batter. Bake under 325 F until it is firm enough already. When it is cooked, take it out of the mold, smother with some zabaione and fill the hole.

This can fit for about 4 to 6 servings.

Photo via italianintheus.blogspot.com

Sweet Strawberry Budini (Italian Pudding)

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Desserts, Quick & Easy, Side Dishes/Snacks

Ingredients

  • 1-8 oz of Mascarpone cheese
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup of sweet Marsala wine
  • 2 pints sliced fresh strawberries
  • 4 whole strawberries for garnish

Directions:

Combine the sugar and Marsala in a bowl until all the sugar has melted. Slice up the strawberries and mix in the wine and sugar mix. Cover the entire bowl and make it chill inside the refrigerator for a number of hours. Stir it occasionally so that all the strawberries are fully covered.

When the strawberries have all been chilled, then fill up some wine glasses with the mascarpone cheese. Top it with the whole strawberries together with wine sauce and is good to serve 4.

Photo via livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com

Zucchini Soup Cream

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Quick & Easy, Soups

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 finely chopped sweet onion
  • 6 zucchinis, peeled, chopped
  • Salt and ground pepper
  • 4 cups chicken stock/ canned broth
  • ¼ cup cream
  • 2 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped

Directions:

Heat some olive oil in a large plan under medium heat. Add up the onion, stir until they get soft. Follow up the zucchinis along with some pepper and salt. Cook them altogether until they reach the color of golden brown. This would take about 5 minutes.

Bring to a simmer the stock and oregano. Cover and wait until the veggies are tender that would last for about 15 minutes. After which, you can already take away the pot from the stove.

Using a blender, puree the soup in tiny portions until they are completely smooth. Pour it all back in the pot, add the cream and let it simmer for a couple of more time. Add some pepper and salt if you like.

This soup is served best immediately but can also be stored in the refrigerator and reheated.

Photo via flickr.com

Basic Italian Frittata

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Quick & Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp dried Thyme
  • 1 tsp dried Oregano
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup of mozzarella cheese that is shredded
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 10 eggs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions
  • 2 potatoes

Directions:

Peel and slice the potatoes and peel and mince the onions along with the garlic cloves. Heat up a large skillet with some olive oil under medium heat. Add up some spices to the heated oil for richer flavor. Add up the potatoes, salt and pepper and cover to let cook for 3 minutes. After which, turn up the potatoes and add up the onions and sauté together until everything looks golden brown.

In the meantime, beat the eggs in a huge bowl until they are well mixed before you combine the cheese and milk. Season it up with some pepper and salt as well before stirring in some spices and garlic.

Pour this mix to the potatoes and use a spoon to mix. Turn the heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more. Place your pan inside the oven and broil it for 3 minutes until you get to see it in golden brown color. Just remember not to overcook it and serve warm.

Photo via efoodi.com

Panna Cotta

Author: aclazaro  //  Category: Desserts, Quick & Easy

Ingredients

  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla pure extract
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 package of unflavored gelatin
  • 2 cups of whole milk

Directions:

Pour the cup of milk into the big saucepan and combine the gelatin. Allow everything to sit and be softer in just 5 minutes. Then you must place the saucepan with low heat and stir consistently for complete 5 minutes until all the gelatin has been dissolved. Add the rest of the cream, milk and vanilla.

Now turn the heat and cook as you stir frequently. Stop when it starts to bubble but make sure that it does not boil. When you put in the sugar and it is completely dissolved, then you can remove the saucepan from the heat. Let it cool for 10 minutes and prepare the ramekins.

Spray all the ramekins over the cooled mix and chill inside the refrigerator for a total of 2 hours and even as long as overnight. Use a cooking spray.

Photo via myrecipes.com