Penne alla Miele aglio salsiccia e salsa di pomodoro – Penne pasta with Honey Garlic sausage in tomato sauce

The definition of a heavenly marriage:  Tomato sauce and sausage in pasta.  It is easy to make as ABC but tasty as XYZ!  If you have young kids at home, honey garlic sausage is the best choice.  However, if you are looking for excitement and an extra kick to your taste bud, a spicy Italian sausage is your best bet.  Get to know your local Italian butcher shop and find out if they make their sausage in-house.  Each shop has its own sausage recipe from generation down.  I rarely buy my sausage from “Super market” for this reason.

This is a very simple recipe.  From start to finish takes about 30 minutes.  A small side salad and a good quality Italian bread dip in olive oil can make your cold winter night turns into a romantic evening!  Oh don’t forget a glass of red wine!

Penne pasta with Honey Garlic sausage in tomato sauce

Penne with braised beef shortrib & tomato ragout, Port and Red wine reduction, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

This is a typical home cooked comfort food good for all seasons.  The rich “port and red wine” reduction with a home-made tomato ragout sauce can make you mouth-watering instantly.   Combine it with a piece of crusty Italian bread, you are the King of the world!

It is very easy to make this dish and there are two methods to cook it, first  on stove top and second slow cook in oven.

Caprese (Bocconcini) Salad Recipe / Insalata Caprese Recipe

This may be the most famous salad in Italy!

In addition, this dish is the best example of the Italian cooking principle that simplcity is complexity and “let’s let the ingredients do all the talking.”

Although the ingredients are very simple, I would like to share a little trick with you that I use to make my Caprese salad just right. In this recipe I will teach you how to make your $6.00 bottle of  balsamic taste like an $80.00 dollar gourmet aged variety, and I will also teach you how to balance all of your ingredients for the perfect combination. Click to read more!

Chicken Parmigiana with Farfalle Pasta

Parmigiana or eggplant parmigiana (Italian: “melanzane alla parmigiana” or “parmigiana di melanzane”) is a traditional Southern Italian dish made with shallow fried egggplant (“aubergine”) layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked.

In addition to the many Italian versions, variations of parmigiana have been developed across the world, most often in countries where large numbers of Italians immigrated. Examples of dishes developed outside of Italy from the original parmigiana include veal or chicken, dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs, breaded, shallow-fried and topped with a marinara sauce (red Sicilian tomato sauce) and mozzarella. It is then usually baked until the cheese is bubbly and brown.

The following is my version of chicken parmigiana, straight from Eddy’s Kitchen. Click to learn more!

Pesto alla Genovese (Pesto of the Genoa Region)

 

 Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 6 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor.   Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup, Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top and it can store in fridge for up to one week or store in freezer for up to six months.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, rice cracker or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Option:

Can blend in 1/4 cup of sun dried tomato and 1/4 cup of roasted red pepper.  It’ll become “Red Pesto” for more intense flavor.

Pasta Alla Eddy (Eddy’s Pasta)

For me, a perfect pasta has to be fast, tasty, easy to make and you can find all the basic ingredients right in your own kitchen.  Here is how I like it:

3 tea spoons  of pesto

1/2 tea spoon of minced garlic

1/2 tea spoon of minced shallot

6x Niçoise olive (cut in half)

1/2 cup of chicken stock (unsalted)

1/2 cup of white wine

4 Tbps of good quality extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup of grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Pasta of your own choice (put pasta in a big pot of boiling water, add salt.  don’t over cook it – drain well when only 60% cooked)

In a 10″ pan, turn stove to medium and put in garlic and shallot; stir well.(don’t let it burn or turn brown)  Pour in wine and chicken stock and turn heat to high; reduce liquid by 30% or till the alcohol is gone.  Put in pesto, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, stir well and place pasta in the pan.  Turn heat down to low and let the pasta fully absorbs the essence of the liquid.  Turn off stove just before the sauce is all gone, sprinkle cheese, & olive to the pasta and serve.  At this point, you might want to dash a little more olive oil on top and even more cheese.