Category Archives: Italian

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Pesto, and Italian Sausage

November 23, 2020

I’ve been working on this baked ziti recipe for some time. I tried 3 different but similar recipes and took what I liked about each and made my own best baked ziti- featuring spinach, pesto, and Italian sausage. And lots of cheese. Any good baked ziti is cheesy.

I found pork sausage to be too heavy/greasy and was happiest with the results when I swapped it for ground Italian chicken sausage (I used mild sausage plus a pinch of crushed red pepper, but spicy would be even better!). The pesto adds richness and flavor to the crushed tomato sauce. As for the cheese, I stuck with freshly grated Parmesan and Mozzarella but you can switch up the cheese if you want- Provolone, Pecorino, Asiago, and/or Fontina would all be delicious additions. And go ahead and throw in some more veggies if you wish- extra spinach, some sautéed mushrooms or squash. (Just don’t tell my kids!)

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Pesto, and Italian Sausage

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ziti pasta (or penne, rigatoni, etc.)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 -1 lb. mild or spicy Italian turkey or chicken sausage (I used mild chicken sausage and added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
5 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 1/2 cups (10 oz.) shredded mozzarella, divided (1/2 cup set aside for topping)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan, divided (1/4 cup set aside for topping)
kosher salt, to taste (I used ~3/4 tsp.)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until the sausage is cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pan. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pesto. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in colander. 
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes (uncovering for the last 10 minutes or so to brown the top).

Makes a 9×13 pan.

(Adapted from Epicurious and Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

Everyday Meatballs

September 23, 2020

Meet my favorite meatballs. They’re cooked right in a pot of crushed tomato sauce and finished with a layer of bubbling cheese on top. I’ve only made them with beef but they’re adaptable to other ground meats like pork or turkey. Make sure to boil a pot of pasta and/or bake some garlic bread alongside to soak up all that marinara. Or on these french bread rolls they’d make perfect sliders!

Everyday Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground meat (I used beef, you could also use pork or turkey or a mixture)
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs or 1/2 cup panko 
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
Pinches of red pepper flakes or a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 28-oz. can of tomato puree or crushed tomatoes

optional for serving:
cheese (I’ve used smoked provolone + Parmesan, another time mozzarella + Romano)
pasta
crusty bread or rolls
fresh chopped basil or parsley

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place meat, crumbs, milk, parsley, cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, onion powder, eggs and half of your minced garlic in a large bowl. I like to mix all of this together with a fork, which does a good job of breaking up the eggs and chunks of meat. Form mixture into 1 1/2 to 2-inch meatballs and arrange on a plate. I like to let them set in the fridge for a bit — 30 minutes, if you can spare it — which helps them keep their shape.
  2. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and some pepper flakes and let sizzle until garlic is golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes (beware the splatter!) and season with remaining salt. Let mixture simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes (with a thicker puree) or 20 (for crushed tomatoes, which are usually more watery), stirring occasionally.
  3. With stove on the lowest heat possible to maintain a gentle simmer, add meatballs to sauce one by one, and cover with a lid. It will be hard but please don’t touch or move them for at least 20 minutes of the 25-minute cooking time, so that they have a chance to keep their shape. Meatballs should be fully cooked through at 25 minutes, but it cannot hurt to cut one in half to verify.
  4. Eat however makes you happy:
    — as-is.
    — with pasta.
    — “parmesan”-ed: Make sure meatballs are in an oven-safe baking dish. Tear about 8 ounces mozzarella (or provolone) over the top and broil until melted. Finish with some parmesan (or Romano), if desired. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil or parsley.
    — with garlic bread/rolls, etc.

Serves ~4. 

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

 

Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup

May 27, 2020

We loved the last one so much I made another tortellini soup! This one has a creamy tomato base, Italian sausage (or you can use shredded chicken), white beans, carrots, spinach, and of course, lots of Parmesan cheese on top. Adding tortellini seems to be the only way I can get one of my kid to eat soup. You could substitute any pasta but the cheese-filled tortellini gives it an extra boost of flavor. Other suggestions: up the veggies by adding mushrooms or zucchini, etc. Skip the meat and use veggie broth to make it vegetarian. Ravioli instead of tortellini would be awesome. Stir in cream instead of the milk/flour combo. That would be decadent. Use fresh herbs instead of dried. This is such a great base recipes the options are really endless…!

Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 cup diced carrots (about 3 medium carrots, peeled)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 cups chicken broth (I use low-sodium)
28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
10 oz. cheese tortellini
1 1/2 cups milk (I use whole milk)
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 (15-oz.) can Great Northern or Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. Italian chicken sausage- mild or spicy (OR pork/turkey sausage OR 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken)
2-3 cups lightly packed, coarsely chopped fresh spinach (I used 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, measured before it was thawed)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions and carrots. Cover the pot and cook/sweat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. If you’re using sausage, you want to add it now and cook it until browned. (If you’re using chicken breast you’ll add it later.)
  2. Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the tortellini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tortellini are mostly tender (they’ll continue to cook for a few minutes in the next step).
  3. Whisk or blend the flour and milk together until smooth and add it to the soup, stirring constantly. Add the beans, chicken (if using shredded chicken) and spinach. Bring the soup to a low simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and all the ingredients are heated through and the tortellini are tender. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Three Cheese Chicken and Spinach Pizza with Garlic White Sauce

May 18, 2020

garlic chicken spinach pizza

Dustin finally gets to go back to work tomorrow (Which is such a relief! Though we’ll miss having him home 24/7…) so my posting probably won’t be as frequent. This time stuck at home together has been a mixture of fun and stress and sometimes just strange. But I’ve been cooking so much more and taking pictures and writing again and that feels good!

three cheese pizza spinach white sauce

We have pizza almost weekly and I don’t always make my homemade dough. Sometimes I use pita or naan or another flatbread for the crust because it’s quick and convenient and still tastes good. But every so often making your own dough is totally worth it! I came across this pizza topped with a garlic white sauce, three cheeses (including some pepper jack which is my 8-year-old daughter’s cheese obsession right now), and chicken and knew I had to make it right away! It was worthy of a homemade crust. The garlic white sauce is dreamy. I had to stop myself from licking it all up before it made it onto the pizza. Luckily the sauce makes enough for 2 pizzas, so double the dough or freeze half for later. I made two pizzas and didn’t regret having some leftover the next day!

My addition to the original recipe was some spinach. I keep frozen chopped spinach on hand because it’s so easy to use- just measure some out and pop it in the microwave to thaw. The red onion is optional- I included it on my part of the pizza, left it off for the kids. Chives and extra crushed red pepper are optional too, but always recommended! (The pepper jack doesn’t make this pizza very spicy so if you want more heat go for the pepper flakes.) We all loved this one- definitely going to be a repeat pizza over here!

Three Cheese Chicken and Spinach Pizza with Garlic White Sauce

INGREDIENTS

Pizza:
~1/2 cup garlic white sauce
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano)
1 medium chicken breast (about 1 1/2 cups), cooked and shredded
1/2- 3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and moisture squeezed out (measured before thawing)
red onion, sliced (optional)
1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 cup pepper Jack cheese, shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
chives for garnish (optional)

Garlic White Sauce:*
2 Tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano)

*This makes enough sauce for 2 pizzas!

DIRECTIONS

  1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.
  2. To make the garlic white sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, cooking for 30 seconds before whisking in flour, pepper, salt and oregano. Whisk to combine well. Slowly add milk, whisking until well combined. Continue whisking occasionally until desired thickness is reached. Remove from heat, stir in cheese until smooth. Use immediately or cover and chill until ready to use.
  3. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.
  4. Spread 1/2 cup (or approx. half of the) garlic white sauce over the prepared crust. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top off with shredded chicken and optional red onions. Sprinkle with mozzarella and pepper Jack cheese. Dust with black pepper (and a pinch of salt if you used unseasoned chicken and spinach).
  5. Bake in preheated oven on pizza stone for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is puffed and the cheese and crust are golden. Top with fresh chives (optional). Slice and serve with crushed red pepper flakes for more heat (optional).

Adapted from Baked by Rachel

Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan

March 29, 2017

chicken parmesan

I made this sheet pan chicken Parmesan multiple times this past year. I like that it’s not fried but still crisp. You wait to add the sauce and cheese until the last few minutes in the oven so the panko coating stays nice and crusty. Line your sheet pan with foil and clean-up is easy.

The marina sauce you use here makes a huge difference so choose your favorite. We love Rao’s Homemade Marinara but it’s expensive ($8-10 full price depending on the size of the jar) so I buy it when I find it on sale and savor every drop. And then I freeze leftover sauce and use it as pizza sauce, make turkey meatballs subs, etc.

This chicken parm can be served with pasta (my kids’ and husband’s preference) or with crusty bread (my choice) or just as is, with a side of veggies or salad. We were having the leftovers for lunch today and Clara told me that when she grows up she would like me to give her the recipe. Hopefully it’ll still be right here for her when that day comes!

Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan

INGREDIENTS

1  1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets, each about 1/2 inch thick (about 1 1/2- 2 lbs. total)
1 jar (24 oz.) good-quality marinara sauce (our favorite is Rao’s)
6-8 slices provolone cheese (I love smoked provolone, mozzarella will also work)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (or Pecorino) cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 F with a rack in the upper third. Generously mist a sheet pan with cooking spray.

2. Stir together the panko, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl to combine. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs.

3. Dip each chicken cutlet first in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, then in the egg, and finally in the panko mixture, patting to coat thoroughly on both sides. Place the breaded chicken cutlets on the prepared pan. Mist the chicken with cooking spray to lightly coat.

4. Bake the chicken until the panko has browned and the cutlets are almost entirely cooked through (they’ll no longer feel squishy when you poke them), about 12-15 minutes.

5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Top each chicken cutlet with about 1/2 cup marinara sauce (use up the jar),  the provolone and the Parmesan, and return to the oven. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Shutter Bean, originally from Sheet Pan Suppers)

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