Italian Recipes

Ingredients:

• Salt, pepper
• ¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes
• Fresh basil leaves, large and chopped
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves

Directions:

Get the garlic minced and chop all the basil leaves. Drain up the tomatoes and reserve its liquid. Transfer all the tomatoes in a blender as you add up some sugar, salt, tomato paste, and pepper for some few seconds. Then add up the liquid of the tomato as required.

Stir everything well and this will make about 1 ½ cups.

Photo via andreasrecipes.com

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

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

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

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup milk
• 5 oz gorgonzola sauce
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• ¼ cup of cream
• 3 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Some salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put all the milk into your pan or bowl (pyrex) and add in three tablespoons of butter which is cut into pieces. Then place the whole bowl inside the microwave oven and heat it up until the butter melts all the way and the milk gets warm enough. Stir and combine the gorgonzola sauce and mix it until the cheese melts again with the milk to achieve a pasty texture.

Add some cream and blend until it creates a smooth texture with the use of a blender. Put in some salt and pepper for the right taste and you can pour it over any kind of pasta that you have prepared. If you have made that is good enough for more than one serving, then you can just refrigerate for several days more and just reheat it in the microwave all over again.

Photo via foodnetwork.com

If you are into giving bland meals with a bit of twist for your own consumption or to boost your ego on parties and socializations, this recipe is just right for you. What you will need:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz can diced chopped tomatoes, not drained
• 6oz can tomato paste
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon Vodka
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion and garlic until brown. Place the tomatoes, tomato paste, vodka, honey, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Simmer the mixture uncovered for 15 minutes then add the cream and cheese. Cook and gradually stir until heated through and smooth. This is better served over your favorite pasta or gnocchi.

Giacomina’s Fresh Tomato Sauce

Authentic Italian Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
8 large fresh tomatoes,
diced into small pieces
1/2 cup Italian virgin olive oil
8 cloves fresh garlic,
chopped or minced
3/4 cup fresh basil, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Tomato Sauce

To cook sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet or heavy saucepan. Add garlic and cook until tender. Add fresh tomatoes and cook until just heated through. Stir in basil and salt. Serve tomato sauce over cooked spaghetti or other Italian pasta and top with parmesan cheese. Serve with french bread and extra parmesan cheese at the table. This sauce recipe makes enough for about 6 servings.

Note: Do not over-cook the tomatoes. You want them softened slightly but not mushy. Cook till al dente.

To make your pasta hard to forget, make sure to serve it with this great recipe that comes in handy during family get-togethers.

What you will need:
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 med. onions, minced
• 1 med. green pepper, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 lb. tomatoes
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
In a saucepan, heat the oil and sauté onion, pepper and garlic. Add the other ingredients except the cheese. While stirring once in awhile, simmer for half an hour. Add cheese on top before serving with noodles.

Even if it’s not holiday season, make your day a special one by preparing a fast but luxurious pasta meal with this recipe. It will surely captivate your senses and make you miss it.

What you will need are the following:
• 14 oz can tomato juice
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Lard
• 1 pack Italian sausage

Directions:
Set the stove on low heat. Combine the tomato juice and paste in a pot and place it on the stove. Add in minced garlic, condiments and spices while stirring. In another pan, heat the lard until medium cooked. Add in the Italian sausage and fry thoroughly. After frying, mix with the contents of the pot and cook for 3 hours. Better serve with cooked noodles.

Being an Italian food aficionado, I have always appreciated anything Italian. Even my sons share this fascination with Italian food. So, I am really pleased to read about January 17th being celebrated as the International Day of Italian Cuisine. This is hosted by the chefs of the Virtual Group of Italian Cooks or GVCI.

To showcase the importance of maintaining standards of traditional and authentic Italian dishes, Italian chefs around the world will prepare a traditional dish of Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese. This dish is a popular contribution of the City of Bologna in Emilia Romagna.

Cesare Casella, Dean of the Italian Culinary Academy, will host the two day event in New York City participated by Chicco Cerea, Mario Batali and many other Italian chefs from around the world. Anyone can join the celebration and be part of the festivity.

Food lovers who believe in the authentic way of preparing Italian recipe can register and participate in the celebration or can try preparing Ragù alla Bolognese at home. There are many variants of traditional recipes of this dish but one can look up Tagliatelle al Ragu alla Bolognese recipe of Chef Mario Caramella, GVCI president.