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Tag: Italian

  • Basil and Garlic Meatballs with Linguine

    For the Marinara Sauce:

    1 Large can of crushed tomatoes
    1 Cup of yellow onion chopped (roughly half of a smaller onion or 1/4 of a larger one)
    1 Tbsp of olive oil or canola oil
    1/2 Tbsp of butter
    2 Cloves of garlic minced
    1 Tsp of Oregano
    1/2 Tsp of dried parsley
    1 Pinch of red pepper flakes

    Melt butter in the bottom of a medium sauce pan under medium heat and add oil. Drop in onion and begin to sweat for 1-2 minutes. Add in minced garlic and stir frequently to ensure onions cook evenly. Now add the seasoning and stir for 15 seconds. This will help the aromatics of the dried seasoning. Add crushed tomatoes and lower to a simmer.

    For the Meatballs:

    16 Ounces ground sirloin
    1/4 Cup panko
    1/4 Cup breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning
    1/3 Cup of chopped fresh basil
    3 Garlic cloves minced
    Pinch of kosher salt
    Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
    1 Large egg, slightly beaten
    2 teaspoons of olive oil
    1 Oz of Parmesan cheese

    Combine seasonings, garlic and beef in a large bowl and mix using your hands. Add the egg and continue to mix the meat so the seasoning is spread evenly throughout. Shape the mixture into even balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, cook 5 minutes browning on all sides. Reduce heat to low and add marinara. If necessary, use some water from the pasta pot to add liquid. Cover and cook for 11 minutes (perfect time for cooking the pasta).

    Serve over linguine and enjoy!

  • Domenick’s Chicken Marinara

    1 Package of 2 split breasts of chicken (though you can use your preferred type of chicken meat)
    2 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
    1 Small can tomato paste
    1 Tbsp of butter
    1/2 Yellow onion
    4 Cloves of garlic
    1/2 Tbsp of oregano
    1/2 Tbsp of basil
    1 Tbsp grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
    Pinch of red pepper flakes

    Pan-brown chicken with garlic and onions for about 5-7 minutes flipping midway through. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil; once boiling lower heat and cover to simmer for one hour. After an hour remove chicken and separate meat from bone and skin. Discard bone and skin and add pulled chicken back to sauce; also add oregano, basil, cheese and red pepper flakes and stir. Simmer the sauce for another 30-45 minutes.

    For pasta, fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and add a pinch of salt and a 1/2 tsp of olive oil cover and bring to a boil. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add pasta of your choice and lower heat. Stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook time will vary on the type of pasta, so be sure to read the directions on the pasta packaging.

  • Slow Cooker Cacciatore

    3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    1 tsp salt
    1 tsp poultry seasoning
    1 chicken cut into serving pieces and skinned
    3 Tbsp olive oil
    1 yellow onion, finely chopped
    4 cloves of garlic minced
    3 Tbsp coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (can be dry or oil packed)
    1 cup dry wine
    2 sprigs of sage
    2 sprigs of rosemary
    Pinch of red pepper flakes
    Freshly ground black pepper

    Combine flour, salt and poultry seasoning in a resealable bag.  Add the chicken to the bag and shake to coat completely.

    Heat a large iron skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.   Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes a side or until browned; remove chicken and place in the slow cooker.

    Add the onion to the skillet and saute – stirring frequently – until translucent.  Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned.  Add the wine and sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet and be sure to scrape the remaining bits from the chicken. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker and add pinch of crushed red pepper and crushed red pepper.

    Tie the sage and the rosemary sprigs with a bit of twine or in some cheese cloth and submerge in the broth in the slow-cooker.

    Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 4 hours – 8 Hours (at 6-8 hours the meat will fall off the bone).  Remove sage and rosemary just before serving.