RIGATONI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE SAUCE

In my Italian-American cookbook, I make serve this Italian Sausage Sauce over pappardelle pasta.  I love the way the sauce gets into the rigatoni, and now this is my favorite pasta with this sauce.

1 lb mild or hot Italian sausages, about 5 links

½ cup good dry Italian white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

2 T olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 (28-oz) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes

2 T tomato paste

1 t freeze-dried or dried oregano

1 t minced fresh basil or freeze-dried basil

1 t red pepper flakes, optional

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb rigatoni pasta

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Remove sausage from casings and place in a large bowl.

Pour in some of the white wine and crush with hands until sausage is in small pieces.

The wine makes it easier to break up the sausage.

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. 

Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté another minute.

Add the sausages and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon.

Add the rest of the wine and cook until wine has mostly evaporated.

In the same large bowl, pour in the tomatoes and hand-crush them, removing the hard center cores. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to chop the tomatoes.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot along with the oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer 30 minutes.

Boil the pasta in salted water for about 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente.

Save about a ladle full of pasta water to pour into the sausage sauce.

Drain the pasta and pour back into the pot.

Add a couple ladles of the sausage sauce and toss.

Spoon into warm pasta bowls and add a little more sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Serves 4

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD

This is one of my favorite salads. Sometimes this salad is on the menu in a pizza restaurant.  Add whatever you like to make it your own. 

Garlic-Parmigiano Salad Dressing

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 T minced shallot

¼ cup red or white wine vinegar

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 t dry mustard

¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 t freeze-dried or dried oregano 

2 t freeze-dried or dried basil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained

2 heads Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped

2 cups coarsely chopped arugula or spring mix

3 oz Sopressata or Calabrese salami

½ cup sun-dried tomatoes

6 pepperoncini, stems removed 

½ red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup pitted black Italian olives

¼ cup green olives, in a jar

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

Place the salad dressing ingredients in a jar fitted with a lid and shake to combine.

Place the chickpeas in a bowl and pour about 2 tablespoons of the salad dressing over to marinate for 30 minutes.

Store dressing and chickpeas in the refrigerator until ready to dress the salad.

On a large cutting board pile up the lettuces and chop until bite-size pieces.

Transfer to a large salad bowl.

Do the same with the salami, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, onion slices, olives and mozzarella.

Chop through them all, until bite-size pieces.

Transfer to a large salad bowl, add toss with some of the Garlic-Parmigiano Salad Dressing.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top with some of the garbanzo beans and sprinkle with the Parmigiano and serve.

You will have more salad dressing for another salad or two.

Serves 4

CLASSIC CAPRESE SALAD

This is the time of the year, if you live where it is now the summer season, to make Caprese salad at its best.  It is so simple and all you need are homegrown tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella cheese.  Authentic Caprese salad does not have vinegar, of any kind, drizzled over it.  The only seasoning added is extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

3 medium-large homegrown tomatoes, sliced into ¼ inch slices

1 (1-lb) ball fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced or log of pre-sliced fresh mozzarella 

1 bunch of large basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil (best quality you can find)

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Start with a slice of mozzarella, place a slice of tomato in front of it and then tuck in one or two basil leaves.  Working around in a circle until the circle meets.  

Generously drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 2 to 3