PENNE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGES & PEPPERS

This dish comes together in about 40 minutes, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner. I think this will be one of your favorites. I use two skillets, but you can use just one large skillet, and you will have to wash it after you finish cooking the sausages. If it's just the two of you, make the entire recipe and have it another weeknight for dinner...that works for us making life easier.  Penne translates to "quills" or "pens". You will find penne pasta in two forms, lisce (smooth) or rigate (furrowed)

1 lb Italian sausage (about 5 links)

2 T extra-light olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, cut in half and sliced

2 medium red bell peppers, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t freeze-dried or fresh oregano 

1 cup dry red wine

1 lb penne pasta

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a skillet, heat half of the oil over medium heat. 
Add the sausages and cook for about 20 minutes, turning often. 
Remove to a cutting board and let cool.

In a large skillet that will hold the sauce and pasta, add the rest of the oil and sauté the onion for 5 minutes.

Add the bell peppers and sauté another 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and continue to cook another minute.
Turn off heat to the skillet while slicing sausages.

Slice the sausages diagonally into bite-size pieces and return to the skillet along with any juices on the cutting board.

Add the oregano and wine and cook for another 5 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile boil penne in salted water for about 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente.

Drain and add to the skillet with the rest of the ingredients.

Divide between four warm pasta bowls and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil.

Sprinkle with the basil leaves, grated cheese, and serve.

Serves 4

LEMON & PARMIGIANO CHICKEN OVER ARUGULA

When in Italy, my favorite meal to order in a ristorante is Chicken Milanese. This time I added the addition of Parmigiano cheese and lemon zest to the breading to give it a little different twist. Serving it over a bed of arugula and is a very popular entree in Positano, Italy. I added radicchio and fennel. I served this with roasted new potatoes but risotto would also be delicious.

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

When frying any meat or vegetable, use an oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil, extra-light olive oil, peanut oil, or coconut oil. Save your good extra-virgin olive oil for salads and drizzling on finished dishes.

½ cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg beaten with 1 T water
½ cup dry plain bread crumbs

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ t fresh oregano leaves, minced
Zest of ½ lemon
1 T unsalted butter

1 T avocado or extra-light olive oil, for frying
Shavings of Parmigiano cheese

Arugula, radicchio, & fennel, enough for 2 people

Lemon Vinaigrette
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon wedges, for serving

In a shallow bowl, add the flour and season with salt and pepper.

In a second shallow bowl, whisk the egg with the water.

In a third shallow bowl, mix together the dry bread crumbs, Parmigiano, oregano, and lemon zest.

Cut each chicken breast in half, lengthwise.
Place each chicken breast half, one at a time, in a plastic resealable bag and lightly pound with a mallet or rolling pin to an even ¼-inch thickness. 

Set aside on a plate and repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. 

Dip in egg to coat each side and then in the bread crumb mixture. 

Place coated chicken back on the plate.

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium heat.
Cook the chicken breasts for about 3 minutes per side, until cooked through and golden brown.

Place on a clean pizza pan or baking sheet and keep warm in a 225 degree F oven while making the salad.

Rinse salad ingredients and spin dry.

In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place arugula in a bowl and add some of the vinaigrette. 

Place salad on 2 plates.

Top each with a chicken breast and add a few shavings of Parmigiano and a lemon wedge or two and serve.

Serves 2 

ROMAN CACIO E PEPE POPCORN

We have popcorn almost every Saturday night and watch a movie. Our parents did the same when we were kids. I like flavoring popcorn with different spices, such as chili powder, Cajun seasonings, Old Bay seasoning, curry powder, and the recipe for Cacio e Pepe that is famous in Rome over spaghetti or bucatini. It works so well with popcorn too.

1 large bowl of popped popcorn
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
4 T unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, pressed
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan, add the olive oil and butter. Melt over medium heat and add the pressed garlic. Mix to combine and pour over popcorn in bowl.

Mix in the cheeses with your hands, and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4

THE NOVIELLO FAMILY IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA C1943

PIZZA CALABRESE

Calabria is in the most southern region of Italy, forming the "toe" of the peninsula. They are known for their spicy Calabrese salami. This recipe is for 3 8-inch pizzas or 2 12-inch pizzas. I have a system where I bake two at a time, and I definitely use a timer. Make your dough about 30 to 36 hours before you want to serve the pizzas. The slow rise in the refrigerator gives the dough a more complex flavor and crispier crust.

Pizza Dough
¾ cup lukewarm water
1 t active dry yeast
2 cups unbleached bread flour 
1 t fine sea salt

Pour ¼ cup of the lukewarm water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. You can also do this in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
Sprinkle in yeast and let proof for 10 minutes, until the yeast is creamy and foaming.

With the mixer running, slowly add the flour alternating with the rest of the water and salt.
Continue to mix until a ball forms, about 10 minutes

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until dough is soft and not sticky. 
Divide dough into 3 or 2 equal balls and place on a lightly oiled tray or small baking sheet. 
Lightly oil the tops of each ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 36 hours, if possible.
You can also place each ball into a zip-lock plastic bag and refrigerate.

Remove from refrigerator and let the dough come to room temperature before shaping.
Form each ball of dough to an 8-inch round (for 3 pizzas) or 12-inch round (2 pizzas). 

Place on lightly oiled pizza pans.

Simple Pizza Sauce
1 T extra-light olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pushed through a garlic press
1 (28-oz) can Italian peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, hand crushed
1 t fresh or freeze-dried oregano
1 t chopped fresh or freeze-dried basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil and sauté the garlic for one minute.
Pour in the tomatoes and add the oregano and basil.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Gently simmer 30 minutes.

Pizza Assembly
Simple Pizza Sauce
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 lb ball mozzarella, broken into pieces or sliced
12 thin slices spicy Calabrese salami
Fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 450 F degrees.

Preheat a pizza stone on the bottom rack of oven for 15 minutes. 
Alternatively, you can just bake pizzas on pizza pans.

Spread a ladle of tomato sauce on each pizza dough.
Sprinkle each with a tablespoon or two of Parmigiano cheese.
Add a few chunks of the mozzarella to each.
Add 4 to 6 slices of Calabrese salami to each.

Place one pizza pan on bottom rack and bake for 5 minutes.
Slide the crust directly onto the stone and bake for another 10 minutes.
In the meantime, place another pizza on the middle rack after the first pizza has been cooking on the stone for 5 to 7 minutes.
I do an assembly-line of pizzas this way, definitely using a timer.

Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil leaves and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Makes 2 to 3 pizzas

PORCINI MUSHROOM RAVIOLI ALL' AMATRICIANA

If you cannot find guanciale or pancetta in your supermarket, use unflavored bacon. I bought my porcini ravioli at a local pasta store on the island owned by Max Del Vecchio.

6 oz  guanciale or pancetta, diced
1 T extra-light olive oil or avocado oil
½ medium yellow onion, diced
½ t red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28-oz) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes
¼ cup Pino Grigio or other dry white wine
2 t chopped fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾ lb (12 oz) fresh porcini ravioli
2 T freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the pancetta and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the oil and sauté the onion and red pepper flakes for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté another minute.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and hand-crush them, removing any hard center cores.
Alternatively, use an immersion blender to chop the tomatoes.

To the saucepan, add the crushed tomatoes, wine, basil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
Simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes.

Just a few minutes before the pasta sauce is finished, boil the ravioli in salted water until they float to the top of the water, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
Remove ravioli with a large slotted spoon or a spider to two warm pasta bowls.
Save a little of the pasta water to add to the sauce.

When the sauce is finished simmering, stir in a little of the pasta water and the grated cheese.
Spoon some sauce over each bowl of ravioli.
Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle on a little more cheese and garnish with basil.

Buon appetito!

Serves 2 with plenty of sauce left over.

SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS & BRAISED SWISS CHARD

The red sauce in this recipe is pureed red bell peppers from a jar. This is a new favorite pasta and clam dish for my husband. We do like grated cheese on our pasta and seafood dishes. My mother-in-law always told us not to serve grated cheese with seafood and pasta, but more people are doing it today, at least in the USA...probably not in Italy.

2 dozen littleneck clams

¼ cup extra-light olive oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

3 roasted red bell peppers, in a jar

½ t red pepper flakes

1 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ lb spaghetti

2 T unsalted butter

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Place clams in a bowl of cold water and let sit for 10 minutes. Then drain and set aside in a bowl.

In a large skillet, heat 2 T of the olive oil and add half of the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the wine and bring to a boil.

Add the clams, cover with a lid, and cook over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the clams open. Discard any unopened clams.

Remove the clams with a large slotted spoon to a large bowl, cover and set aside.

Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve into a blender.

Add the roasted bell peppers and puree until smooth.

Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining 2 T of the olive oil and sauté the rest of the garlic for one minute.

Stir in the red pepper flakes and the greens. Cover and slowly cook 5 minutes.

Stir in the roasted red bell pepper broth and bring to a simmer.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add to the skillet.

Add the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Add the clams and spoon some of the sauce over the clams. Cover for a couple minutes to keep warm.

Divide between 2 heated pasta bowls and garnish with grated cheese.

Serves 2