The sparkling flavor of tomatoes marinated with Gaeta olives makes this uncooked sauce quite zesty. A great summer pasta, and wonderful for a buffet. One of my favorite Italian dishes!

Ingredients:

12 large ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and sliced into thin strips
3 tbsp minced fresh basil
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley leaves
Salt
1/2 tsp freshly milled black pepper
1 lb fusilli (twists)
Freshly grated Romano cheese

Preparation:

1 – Blanch fresh tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water. Peel skins with a small paring knife. Cut each tomato in half lengthwise. Squeeze each half and discard all of the seeds. Slice into 1/4-inch strips, place in strainer set over a bowl and reserve juice.

2 – In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, olives, basil, parsley, 1 tsp salt and pepper; mix well with wooden spoon. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart jar with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate sauce for at least 6 hours or overnight, turning jar 3 to 4 times so that tomatoes will be well coated with marinade. Pour reserved juice into a small kar, cover and refrigerate.

3 – Remove sauce and reserved juice from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving. Discard garlic from sauce just before tossing with pasta.

4 – Cook pasta in 6 quarts boiling water with 1 tbsp salt until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander, transfer to a bowl containing 1 tbsp olive oil and toss quickly. Toss pasta with 3/4 of the sauce. If pasta is a little dry when tossing, add about 1/2 cup of the reserved juice to moisten. Spoon remaining suace on top and serve with freshly grated Romano cheese.

Serves 4 to 6

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The very delicate flavor of artichoke hearts combined with fresh pasta makes a light but delicious Northern Italian dish. Enjoy this tasty Italian recipe with friends, family and your favorite bottle of Italian wine!

Ingredients:

2 packages frozen artichoke hearts
3 tbsp olive oil
unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/3 cup chicken broth
salt
1/2 tsp freshly milled pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lb fettuccine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
2 tbsp minced parsley leaves

Preparation:

1 – Rinse frozen artichokes under warm water and separate. Cut each artichoke heart into 1/2-inch wedges and place in a strainer to drain.

2 – In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, then add 1 tbsp butter. Saute garlic, stirring constantly, until very lightly golden; remove garlic and discard. Add scallions and cook, stirring constantly, until barely tender, for about 1 minute. Add artichoke wedges and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, 1 tsp salt and pepper and mix well; cook an additional minute. Stir in heavy cream, turn heat down to low, and cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3 – Cook pasta in 6 quarts boiling water with 1 tbsp salt until al dente. Drain in a colander, transfer to a bowl containing 1 tbsp softened butter and toss quickly. Mix pasta with 3/4 of the sauce and Parmigiano cheese; toss well. Spoon remaining sauce on top and garnish with minced parsley. Serve with additional freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

Serves 4 to 6

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This Italian pasta recipe contains a very rich and satisfying combination of ingredients. A word of warning to all you Pasta lovers – keep the portions small! Mangiare!!

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 large cloves garlic
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 lb linguine
Salt
Freshly grated Parmiginao cheese (for serving)

Preparation:

1 – In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, heavy cream and Parmigiano cheese. Mix well with a fork and set aside.

2 – In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until haze forms, then add 2 tbsp butter. Saute garlic, stirring constantly. Discard with a slotted spoon. Add walnuts, turn heat to low and saute, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Stir in the basil and mix well; remove from heat.

3 – Cook pasta in 6 quarts boiling water with 1 tbsp salt until al dente. Drain in a colander, transfer to a bowl containing 1 tbsp butter and toss quickly. Toss all the cheese mixture and half of the walnut-basil mixture with pasta. Spoon remaining walnut-basil mixture on top and serve with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

Serves 6 to 8

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An Italian classic recipe for your next gathering with friends and family or for that next big special occasion! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 quart whipping cream
20-30 Manicotti
2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb fresh Crab Meat, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1 – Combine whipping cream, salt, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 30 minutes or until thickened and reduced to 2 cups; set aside. Cook the manicotti according to the package directions; drain and set aside.

2 – Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion, 3 tbsp butter, chopped green bell pepper, garlic, and chopped celery. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the shrimp and crab meat, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Cool for 10 minutes, and drain well.

3 – Combine the seafood mixture and the whipping cream mixture. Fill the manicotti shells, and place in 2 lightly greased 11×7 inch baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheeses, and cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

4 – Uncover and bake for 10 additional minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8

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Frozen lobster tails tend to be rather tough when cooked too long. The timing given in this Italian recipe is for 6 oz. tails. If you are using smaller lobster tails, reduce cooking time to 1 minute. When slicing, the lobster meat should still be slightly raw in the center. The addition of sun-dried tomatoes will give this Northern Italian recipe sauce a very pale pink appearance. If using tomato paste, your sauce will be a deeper pink. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 frozen lobster tails (6 oz. each; 1 1/2 lbs total weight), defrosted and well drained
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt
Freshly milled black pepper
1 tbsp minced sun-dried tomatoes, well drained or 1 tbsp tomato paste
2 medium zucchini
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 lb fettucine
2 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1 tbsp minced parsley leaves
Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese

Preparation:

1 – In a 6-quart pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add lobster tails, cover pot and bring to a boil. As soon as water returns to a boil, uncover and cook just until the tails start to curl and turn pink, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer tails to a colander and quickly rinse under cold water. With a pair of kitchen shears, snip shell lengthwise along the underside and top side of tail. Remove the tail meat and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Set aside.

2 – In a 2 1/2-quart saucepan, melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter over low heat. When butter begins to froth, add the flour. Mix well with a wire whisk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until lightly golden. Add milk, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper; turn heat to low. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, for about 2 minutes. Add minced dried tomatoes or tomato paste and cook, for another 30 seconds. Cover pan and set tomato bechamel sauce aside.

3 – Scrub zucchini well and blot dry with paper towel. Trim ends and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths. Halve each piece lengthwise and slice into 1/4-inch strips.

4 – In a 12-inch skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter over low heat. Add scallions, turn heat to medium and saute, stirring constantly, until tender-crisp, for about 1 minute. Add zucchini and saute, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add lobster meat and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Season with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Stir in tomato bechamel sauce and mix well. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.

5 – Cook pasta in 6 quarts boiling water with 1 tbsp salt and 2 tsp oil until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander, transfer to a bowl containing 1 tbsp butter and toss quickly. Add half of the lobster sauce to pasta and toss well. Spoon remaining sauce on top of pasta and garnish with minced parsley. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

Serves 4 to 6

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