Mangiamo!

Italian cuisine is very much as popular today as it was say 15-20 years ago, in fact it remains one of the most popular cuisines to this day. The traditional red-sauce pastas still command menus as they continue to serve them up a myriad of ways.

Traditional Italian foods were born in the family kitchens of Italy, and if you would like to recreate those dishes, the key ingredients must be of the freshest quality, which means creating your own red sauce from scratch. It’s easy and freezes incredibly well, so go ahead create your own Italian red sauce from scratch and use it abundantly in your home made lasagne, spaghetti and meatballs and pizza. And let’s not forget the irresistible tiramisu for dessert! Buon Appetito.

Lasagne

1 recipe tomato sauce

12 lasagne sheets

8 ozs mozzarella cheese, grated

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbs olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 lb ground beef

1 tub ricotta cheese

2 eggs

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Nutmeg, salt and pepper

Heat oil in a saucepan, add onion and garlic, add beef and cook until no longer pink.

Add this to tomato sauce and simmer, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine ricotta cheese, eggs and parmesan, season with nutmeg salt and pepper.

Add parsley and stir.

Place a small amount of meat sauce at the bottom of the lasagna dish, place lasagna noodles on top, do not over lap.

Cover with another layer of sauce, then cheese.

Top with another layer of lasagna noodles, sauce, and cheese.

Top with a layer of lasagna, and sauce.

Spread the ricotta mixture over the top, and cover with noodles.

Top with remaining sauce and cheese.

Preheat oven to 350F

Bake for 20 minutes remove and cool slightly before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

Italian tomato sauce

1 28-oz can tinned tomatoes

1 carrot, peeled and chopped finely or grated

1 large onion chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tsp sugar

Fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried Italian herbs

Make the sauce by heating olive oil in a heavy saucepan, add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, add carrots and cook for 5 minutes longer.

Add tomatoes and break with the spoon.

Season with salt, pepper and add sugar. Add basil and continue to stir.

Cover and simmer the sauce for about 1 hour stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

The best meatballs n’ spaghetti

1 lb ground beef

1 tbs fresh thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 onion, minced

2 cl garlic, minced

2 tbs minced chives

½ cup soft bread crumbs

¼ cup milk

1 egg

1 grated carrot

⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

4 cups Italian tomato sauce

¼ cup vegetable oil

⅓ cup chopped parsley

Soak the bread crumbs in milk, add egg, combine with all other ingredients except sauce and oil.

Form into balls and shallow fry in oil until light golden.

Place in simmering sauce and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Makes about 15 meat balls

Serve over hot spaghetti

Fettucine Alfredo

8 to 9 oz egg fettuccine in nests

½ cup heavy cream

½ stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cook fettuccine in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tbs salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta.

Meanwhile, bring cream and butter to a simmer in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat, adding ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Add fettuccine, ¼ cup reserved water, and cheese to sauce and toss. Add more cooking water if necessary.

Serves 4

Tiramisu

3 large eggs, separated

¾ cup sugar

1 (8-oz) container mascarpone cheese (1 scant cup)

½ cup chilled heavy cream

2 cups very strong brewed coffee, cool

2 tbs rum

18 crisp Italian ladyfingers, (6 oz)

2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

Beat together yolks and ½ cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes over boiling water. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks.

Add remaining ¼ cup sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks.

Beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks. Fold cream into mascarpone mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in whites.

Stir together coffee and rum in a shallow bowl.

Dip 1 ladyfinger in coffee mixture, and transfer to an 8-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with 8 more ladyfingers and arrange in bottom of dish, trimming as needed to fit snugly. Spread half of mascarpone mixture evenly over ladyfingers. Sprinkle with cocoa.

Make another layer in same manner with remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture. Chill tiramisu, covered, at least 3 to 6 hours.

Serves 8 to 10

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