Cannoli

I used to HATE cannoli's, until I made these. Light and delicious, they’re nothing like the overly-sweet versions you find elsewhere. And did I mention the raspberries? 

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

• 12 store bought cannoli shells
• 1  1/2 cup ricotta
• 2 tablespoons fine grain sugar
• 1 cup organic raspberries
• zest 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
• Piping bag or ziplock bag

DIRECTIONS

1. In large bowl beat the ricotta and sugar, add zest, break raspberries up, mix well, chill mixture in fridge for 30 mins
2. Pipe the mixture into shells (use a piping bag or a ziplock bag and cut corner off
3. Serve, dusted with powdered sugar 

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BAKED PENNE

Dear Hungry family, fear not, this recipe is super easy and made from basic pantry ingredients, so you can whip this up and have it on the table in under 30 minutes.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb penne pasta, cooked al dente
• 1- 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 12oz can tuna in oil, drained
• pinch Kosher salt
• few grinds freshly ground pepper
• 5oz ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In large pot on medium heat, add tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, cook for 5-7 minutes
3. Mix ricotta and tuna into sauce, cook for 2 minutes, stir in cooked pasta
4. Add this to oven proof dish, sprinkle over parmesan, cook for 30 minutes

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Chicken Parmesan

Serves 4 

This classic is way easier than you think to make, try it this way and you can have it on the table for the fam in under 30 minutes. 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 chicken thighs, bone removed, flattened 
• 1/2 plain cup flour
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1  1/2 cup MY EVERYDAY TOMATO SAUCE (but any marinara will do, I used leftover homemade tomato soup in the video below)
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Bread the chicken (in this order) using 3 separate bowls for flour, beaten eggs, panko/parmesan 
3. Preheat oil in large deep skillet on medium, gently add breaded chicken cook for 3 minutes each side, remove excess oil place on paper towels
4. In 9'' oven proof dish, get layering… chicken, then sauce, then cheese, cook 15 minutes

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PASTA FAGIOLI

Serves 4

Sort of an Italian leftover dish of pasta and white beans, this goes from pantry-to-table in about a delicious 15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 bacon strips, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 14oz (1/2 can) San Marzano canned tomatoes, crushed
• 15oz can cannellini beans, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper
• 1 cup leftover cooked pasta, whatever type
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Extra Virgin Olive oil for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat deep large pan on medium/high
2. Cook bacon until golden, for 2 minutes
3. Add onion, carrot and celery, cook for 3 minutes
4. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, Kosher salt, pepper, red pepper and pasta 
5. Turn up heat bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes
6. Garnish with parsley, top with Parmesan and drizzle of EVOO

Bacon Tomato and Ricotta Pasta

Serves 2-3

I'm a huge ricotta fan, nuff said.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 green pasilla (poblano) pepper, diced
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 10 strips ready bacon, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 1 - 14oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 lb pasta, you choose
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat one medium frying pan, add oil, onion and diced pepper - cook until softened, about 5 minutes
2. Add bacon, cook until a little crispy
3. Then stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds or until fragrant and add tomatoes
4. Stir well, turn down and let simmer, about 10 minutes
5. While it cooks, cook pasta according to package directions
6. When the pasta is ready, drain (keeping about a cup of the water) and add pasta to onion mix along with ricotta
7. Stir to combine well and if it's too thick, add pasta water about a 1/4 cup at a time until it's where you like it
8. Season with salt & pepper and serve

Mushroom Crostini

'Crostini' too fancy-sounding? Then let's just call this 'mushrooms on bread'. Better?

Ingredients

• 3 cups sliced mushrooms (your choice)

• 2 tablespoons rosemary

• 1 large clove garlic

• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth

• 1 baguette, sliced into diagonal 1/4 inch slices

• fresh ground pepper

• olive oil

Directions

1. Brush one side of bread slices lightly with olive oil

2. Saute mushrooms in oil in nonstick pan over medium heat

3. When soft, add pepper, rosemary and garlic - stir well for a minute

4. Heat broiler, and toast bread slices lightly; oiled side up

5. Add vermouth, taking care as it may flame up

6. When most of the liquid has evaporated, remove from heat

7. Spoon mushroom mixture on the tops of the toasted bread

8. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan and serve

Caprese Salad

This is one of the favorite salads in our house - even the kids love it. A second option would be to substitute small yellow 'pearl' tomatoes and red 'grape' tomatoes along with the tiny rounds of mozzarella.

Ingredients

• Ripe red tomatoes
• Ripe yellow tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella rounds
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Fresh ground pepper
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices
2. Alternate slices of red, yellow and mozzarella on serving plate
3. Place basil leaves in between tomatoes
4. Drizzle olive oil over the top and mix gently
5. Drizzle very gently with vinegar
6. Add a few good grinds of pepper and salt

Gnocchi Alla Sarda

I shot a show on the USS Asheville - a fast attack nuclear submarine, and I have Shari and Jared Hofer to thank for starting the legwork. Jared was on the Asheville, and his wife Shari had written to tell me that the food on the sub was better than the aircraft carrier where I had also done a show. The Hofer's are now stationed in Italy and sent this recipe in to the show.

Ingredients

• 1 lb gnocchi

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce

• 1 lb spicy spicy Italian sausage (casings removed and crumbled)

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Remove sausage from casing and brown with olive oil in alarge pan with crushed garlic.

2. Boil gnocchi - it is done when it floats to the top of the water.

3. When sausage is cooked add cream, tomato sauce and fresh basil.

4. Add gnocchi and stir, salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese - and enjoy!

Pasta Puttanesca

Serves 6

This dish was named after Italian prostitutes, who would come into restaurants late after a long night of work. The chefs would prepare a simple meal of leftovers. Obviously the ladies liked it, and the dish is now a common item in many restaurants. Don't worry, eating it won't cause you to buy extra high heels and install a streetlamp in front of your house.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon anchovy paste - don't leave this out!
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 5 ounces Kalamata (Greek) Olives, coarsely chopped
• 28 oz can Italian tomatoes, chopped
• Any fresh pasta
• Fresh grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a pan
2. Add anchovy paste and garlic and saute for about one minute
3. Add tomatoes, capers, olives and red pepper and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes
4. Using a fork or big spoon, mash the tomatoes in the pan - you want the sauce thick and chunky
5. Serve over pasta and top with fresh parmesan

Spaghetti with Spinach & Blue Cheese

Serves 6

You can bust this out in less than 15 minutes - and that's including waiting for the water to boil. But go for the glory - maybe you should make them think you've been working your tail off all day!

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 8 ounces Blue Cheese crumbles
• 1-6 ounce bag "ready-to-go" spinach leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
2. Add spaghetti, and cook until still slightly firm
3. While spaghetti is cooking, put blue cheese, garlic & olive oil in a bowl and mix well
4. When spaghetti is done, add spinach to boiling water with spaghetti for about 10 seconds - making sure it all gets submerged and mixed in well
5. Drain spaghetti/spinach well and return to pot
6. Add blue cheese and mix well
7. Serve with a small sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you like

Blue Cheese Gnocchi

Serves 4

If you hate blue cheese, don't make this. If you love it, then get busy..

Ingredients

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 pound gnocchi
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 ounce 'ready bacon', diced

Directions

1. In a small pot, combine whipping cream and blue cheese - simmer on low/medium until it starts to thicken, stir
2. Cook diced bacon with peas in a small non-stick pan until the bacon is crispy and the peas are defrosted...soft and bitchin
3. Cook gnocchi in a pot of boiling water - when they float, they're ready
4. Drain gnocchi and add to cream sauce - mix well
5. To serve, put on a plate and add bacon/pea mixture and fresh ground pepper

Grilled Polenta

Serves 2-4

There's soft polenta, and then there's the polenta formed in a tube like sausage - which sounds kinda gross...but it's not.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Polenta
• 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 tbs olive oil
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Open Polenta and remove rounded ends
2. Slice polenta into 3/4 inch slices
3. Mix Cilantro and olive oil well and spread onto polenta slices
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Grill on each side for 3-5 minutes until they get really good grill marks

Crispy Gnocchi Two Ways

Serves 4-6

Quickly boiled then pan fried makes these little gems even better than normal. And btw, I'm not sure I've ever used 'gems' to refer to food before.

Ingredients

• 1 pound gnocchi
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• or.....
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste
• Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions

1. In a large pot of water, boil gnocchi about 2 minutes or until they float - drain well
2. Melt butter in a non stick pan over medium heat and add gnocchi
3. Cook until starting to brown on both sides and add pesto OR garlic & tomato paste
4. Mix well until pesto or tomato paste is well incorporated into gnocchi
5. Plate and serve with Parmesan cheese

Asparagus and Pea Pasta

Serves 4

Quick, fresh, light and delicious - make it, so easy.

Ingredients

• 1 pack Penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 asparagus spears, 1'' pieces
• 2 leeks, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 cup fresh or defrosted frozen peas
• 1/4 cup cream
• zest 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon finely crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and pepper to season

Directions

1. Boil salted water in medium pan, add pasta cook for 7-9 minutes
2. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat, throw in the leeks and asparagus, cook for 4 minutes
3. Add the peas and garlic cook for 2 minutes
4. Add the cream, parmesan, zest and stir
5. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and coat with the sauce
6. Season with Kosher salt and pepper, eat!

Orecchiette with Tuna & Arugula

Serves 8

Quit looking down ur nose at tuna - it's not a junky ingredient. And when it's this delicious, you'll want it all the time.

Ingredients

• 1 pound orecchiette pasta (little ear shape)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 - 6 ounces cans albacore tuna, drained
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch arugula
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and add garlic - heat but don't let it brown
3. Add tuna & red pepper to garlic & oil, stir well and heat through
4. Put arugula on top of garlic & oil
5. Drain pasta and add to arugula pan - mix well until arugula wilts
6. Add lemon zest and season with salt & pepper - mix well and serve