- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid. In large bowl, whisk together Parmesan, pesto, eggs and egg yolks; set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet set over medium heat; cook pancetta for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy around edges. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate.
- Whisk hot cooking liquid into egg mixture; add pasta and pancetta to bowl, tossing to coat well. Sprinkle with parsley.
Tip: Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper and serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, in blender, purée pesto, avocados, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Toss together pasta, reserved cooking liquid and avocado mixture until well coated. Add cherry tomatoes and chives; toss gently.
Tip: Garnish with lemon zest if desired.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sauce:
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the garlic, and cook until it’s just golden on the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, slosh out the can with 1½ cups of water, and add that to the pan. Season the sauce with the red pepper flakes and salt. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped basil. You should have about 6 to 6½ cups sauce.
Lasagna:
- While the sauce is simmering, prepare the lasagna sheets according to the instructions. Once they are done, layer the thin sheets of pasta without touching, on the floured towels. You should have twelve long sheets of dough.
- For the filling, stir together the ricotta, grated cheese, eggs, parsley, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well to combine.
- When you are ready to assemble the lasagna, butter a 4- quart lasagna pan. Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Pick out the two longest sheets of pasta and lay them in the baking dish so they overlap in the center of the dish and the ends of the pasta sheets flop over the short sides of the baking dish.
- Spread another ½ cup sauce over the pasta. Fit two more pasta sheets in the dish, perpendicular to the first layer and flopping over the long sides of the dish. (After these two layers, the pasta should no longer go over the sides— cut the cooked pasta as you are layering the lasagna and fold to fit the pasta to the dimensions of the dish.)
- Spread another ½ cup of sauce over the pasta and spread with half of the filling. Layer with half of the sliced mozzarella, and sprinkle with ½ cup grated Grana Padano. Make another layer of pasta, cutting and folding to fit the dish. Continue until you’ve utilized all lasagna sheets, cheese and sauce.
- Then cut and fold a final layer of pasta on top of the sauce to seal the lasagna. Fold the flopping edges over the top and spread with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining grated Grana Padano.
- Tent the lasagna with foil (making sure it doesn’t touch the top), place on a sheet pan to catch drips, and bake until the edges of the lasagna are bubbly, about 45 minutes.
- Uncover, and bake until the top is golden and crusty, about 30 minutes more. Let the lasagna rest about 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. The lasagna cuts best when it has rested and cooled.
Inspired by Lidia’s Italy
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- Prepare rice according to the directions.
- Butterfly the pork loin. To do so, hold the knife blade flat, so it’s parallel to your cutting board, and make a length wise cuts into the side of the meat, at the center. Stop short of the opposite end and open the pork loin like a book. If necessary, pound the meat to an even thickness.
- Score the meat by making shallow slices in the top of the pork in a criss-cross pattern. Set aside.
- Combine the cooked rice; 1 peeled, cored, and chopped apple; 1/3 cup of chopped fennel; 3 minced cloves of garlic; 4 leaves of chopped sage; 1 sprig of chopped rosemary; the balsamic vinegar; and salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- On a piece of parchment paper, layer the 8-10 slices of prosciutto so that they slightly overlap and form an area big enough to cover the pork loin. Top with the remaining sage. Place the pork loin, scored-side up, on top of the prosciutto. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
- Top the pork loin with the rice stuffing and gently press down to pack the rice onto the pork.
- Fold the prosciutto at the bottom of the pork loin upward so that it’s folded over the pork. Roll the pork upward to fully encase the rice.
- Tie the pork loin securely with butcher’s twine. Tuck the remaining rosemary sprig into the twine, on top of the pork loin. If you have trouble with the butcher’s twine, you can use toothpicks to secure the seam of the stuffed pork loin instead.
- Roughly chop the remaining apples, fennel bulb, onion, and celery and place them in a baking dish. Add in the remaining whole garlic cloves (paper removed) and toss with the oil. Place the pork loin on top of the apple and vegetable mixture.
- Roast the pork loin until cooked through to 140°F, approximately 40 minutes. If the prosciutto isn’t crisp enough, simply transfer the pork loin to a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes, until darkened on top. Cut off the butcher’s twine (or remove the toothpicks) and serve the pork loin warm with the apples and vegetables. Use drippings to make gravy, if desired.
Inspired by Host the Toast.
- Mini Meatballs: Mix together beef, pork, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll into 1/2-inch mini meatballs.
- Heat oil in large skillet set over medium heat; cook meatballs in batches for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
- Quick Skillet Tomato Sauce: Heat oil in large skillet set over medium heat; cook onion, garlic and chili flakes for 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened slightly.
- Assembly: Preheat oven to 400˚F. Ladle 1/2 cup tomato sauce into greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Place 2 lasagna sheets on top, trimming to fit if needed. Ladle one-third of the tomato sauce, 1/4 cup pesto and half of the meatballs over top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers.
- Place 2 more lasagna sheets over top. Layer remaining tomato sauce, pesto, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over top.
- Cover with foil; bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Tip: Add a splash of red or white wine to the tomato sauce if desired.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large skillet set over medium heat; cook sliced fennel, shallots, garlic, thyme, and half each of the salt and pepper for 8 to 10 minutes or until fennel is very tender. Stir in lemon juice; let cool slightly.
- Toss together tomatoes, olives, wine, capers, raisins, remaining oil, tomato paste, and pinch of salt and pepper; arrange in 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Season fish all over with remaining salt and pepper. Stuff fennel mixture into fish and place on top of tomato mixture in baking dish (add any extra fennel mixture to baking dish).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until fish just starts to flake. Sprinkle with parsley and fennel fronds. Transfer whole fish to serving platter along with tomato mixture and pan juices.
Tip: Substitute branzino for snapper if desired.
Saucy, tender, lemony chicken with the salty brine of olives and a deliciously light but robust olive oil sauce.
- Pound chicken to ½” thickness. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add Filippo Berio Robusto Olive Oil. Place each seasoned chicken breast top down in the pan and cook for 6 minutes without disturbing or moving it (this is what will give it a lovely crispiness).
- Flip each chicken breast over, and add the garlic, thyme, and olives to the pan. Cook for two minutes, stirring regularly to make sure the garlic does not burn.
- Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer until the chicken broth / olive oil in the pan has reduced by half (about 8 minutes, depending on the size and depth of your pan).
- Serve over rice or pasta, with a hearty pile of pecorino romano cheese on the table for topping if you have cheese lovers in the house.
Credit: Marianne from Basil & Bubbly
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Stir together sugar, thyme, allspice, salt, pepper, coriander, garlic powder, cayenne, nutmeg and cloves; rub all over pork chops. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet set over medium-high heat; sear pork chops on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to oven.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until instant-read thermometer registers 145°F when inserted into center of pork chop, away from the bone. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in small serving bowl, stir together mango, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño and lime juice; let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with pork chops.
Tip: For a really impressive presentation, look for Frenched pork chops, which means the bones have been trimmed clean for a lovely presentation.
