There’s more to Italian food than just spaghetti and meatballs. Better yet, there’s no need to wait for an open table at a nearby restaurant to enjoy all that delicious variety. Add these easy and delicious Italian dishes to your repertoire, and whip them up in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
BAKED ZITI BOLOGNESE
SERVES 8
1 pound ziti pasta
1–2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups marinara sauce (about 32 ounces), store-bought or homemade
Cooking spray
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook pasta according to instructions, and drain.
In a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add ground beef, breaking into smaller pieces, and cook until brown. Push meat to sides of pan, creating a well, and add onion. Saute until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, basil, Italian seasoning and red pepper, and stir to combine. Add marinara, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Add pasta to sauce, and stir to combine.Spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour half of pasta-sauce mixture into prepared dish, and cover with half the mozzarella; repeat layers. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil.
STEAK PIZZAIOLA
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 4
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, sliced
½ red bell pepper, seeds removed, sliced
½ yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can San Marzano-style plum tomatoes, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup sliced black olives (optional)
2 tablespoons capers (optional)
1½ to 2 pounds sirloin steak, 2 inches thick; or, 4 smaller steaks, 1 to 1½ inch thick
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped oregano for garnish
In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion and peppers, and saute until onion slices are translucent. Add garlic, and cook an additional minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add olives and capers, and stir. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt, black pepper and remaining oil. Cook steak 5 minutes. Turn over, and cook about 5 minutes longer for medium-rare. (Cooking time will vary, depending on cut and thickness of meat.) Remove steak to a platter, and let rest 10 minutes. Cut steak, across the grain, into thin slices, and top with warm sauce and chopped fresh oregano.
EASIEST CHICKEN PARMESAN
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if very large, use 2, cut in half horizontally)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil (more if needed)
2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Chopped basil for garnish
Cooked pasta
Using a mallet or the bottom of a cast-iron skillet, flatten chicken breasts, being careful not to tear meat, and season with salt and pepper. In a flat dish, mix flour, bread crumbs and cayenne. Coat both sides of chicken breast with flour mixture, and set aside on a parchment-lined platter or sheet pan.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Saute breasts until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, and keep warm. Pour marinara into skillet, and bring to a boil, scraping the brown bits from bottom of pan. Return chicken to skillet, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 3 minutes, until chicken is cooked to 165 degrees.
Scoop some sauce over breasts, and top each with mozzarella cheese. Cover pan again, and cook just until cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite pasta. Garnish with Parmesan and basil.
SHRIMP FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 4
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
White pepper
Grated Parmesan for garnish
Chopped green onions for garnish
Cook pasta according to instructions, and drain. In a medium bowl, combine shrimp with salt, cayenne, olive oil and garlic. Marinate 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat cream. Add butter, and whisk to melt. Gradually add 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and whisk to combine and thicken. Season with pepper, and remove from heat. Toss pasta with sauce; transfer to a serving dish, and keep warm.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute shrimp until browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Toss shrimp gently with pasta, and garnish with additional Parmesan and green onions.
_____
Recipe tip
Making homemade garlic bread
Start by melting 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan, over medium-low heat. Add 2 finely minced or grated garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Split an Italian or French bread loaf in half horizontally. Using a pastry brush or spatula, spread butter-and-garlic mixture over each half of the bread. Close the loaf, wrap it in foil, and bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes, and cut into 2-inch-thick slices.
_____
BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN is a chef and food writer who lives in Trenton, where she is a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative. She has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and is certified in wine studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. Her articles have been published in several regional magazines and in her blog, “The Flying Foodie.”