Summer Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

 https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/florentine-butter-chicken/

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or use gluten free
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets (about 3/4 inch thick)
• kosher salt and pepper
• 10 tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed (see note)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 ounces buffalo or regular mozzarella, torn
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, torn

 Preheat the broiler. Place the egg and flour in separate shallow bowls.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge both sides of the chicken through the egg, and then through the flour, tossing to coat. Place the chicken on a plate.

3. In an oven safe skillet set over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the tomatoes, garlic, 1 tablespoon thyme, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the tomatoes begin to pop, about 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the tomatoes to a plate.

4. In the same skillet, melt together 4 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and cook until the bottom side is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken and add 6 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon thyme, swirling the butter around the chicken. Cook, basting the chicken in butter until the chicken is cooked and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat, add the mozzarella around the chicken. Spoon the tomatoes and lemon juice over top. Transfer to the oven, broil 1 minute, until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with lots of fresh basil. Enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti

https://dinnerthendessert.com/baked-million-dollar-spaghetti/

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti , cooked two minutes shy of directions and drained
• 1 pound chicken Italian sausage (or ground beef)
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic , minced
• chopped veggies of choice (optional~we used 1 small zucchini, 1 head chopped spinach, and 1 jar sliced olives~mushrooms, eggplant, peppers would also be good)
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper)
• 32 oz jar Marinara Sauce
• 8 ounces cream cheese , softened (goat cheese, ricotta, or other soft cheeses are also good~sometimes I use a mix of all to get rid of things in the fridge)
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (we like a sprinkle of parmesan too)
• parsley , chopped (optional as a garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet add the sausage,onions, & garlic into the pan and cook thoroughly.  
3. Once browned, turn off the heat, drain the liquid left in the pan and transfer to a mixing bowl.  Then mix in one cup of the marinara sauce.
4. Iff using veggies, saute veggies in the pan for 5 minutes until softened. Add the remaining marinara sauce.
5. Add the cooked spaghetti to the marinara sauce mixture and toss to combine.
6. Mix the cream cheese and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in a bowl.
7. Add half the pasta/sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
8. Add the cream cheese mixture and top with the remaining pasta/sauce mixture.
9. Add the meat sauce mixture on top of the pasta and top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.
10. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly

Lasagna Soup

https://www.cookingclassy.com/lasagna-soup/

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian chicken sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (1 3/4 cups)
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 3/4 tsp dried basil
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bag baby spinach, chopped
• 8 lasagna noodles, broken into bite size pieces 
• 1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 8 oz ricotta cheese

1. Saute chicken sausage, onion, and celery in large pot until cooked through.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute.. 
3. Add in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme. 
4. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Add spinach and lasagna noodles 15 minutes before serving and simmer until noodles are cooked.
6. In a mixing bowl, using a fork, stir together mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta.
8. Ladle soup into bowls, dollop with a large scoop of the cheese mixture (cheese will melt well once stirred into soup).

Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

https://www.budgetbytes.com/ravioli-with-sage-brown-butter-sauce-spinach-and-walnuts/

Our recipe is loosely based off this one (Keith and I like it just as is, but the kids' tastes have made some adjustments)

• 9 oz. ravioli or tortellini
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup nuts (cashews are the kids' preference)
• 4 Tbsp butter 
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/4 lb. fresh spinach (or broccoli rabe or peas)
• toppings to taste~Gracie likes some lemon juice and lemon zest sprinkled on top, Kenny likes a dollop of pesto, Keith and I like some red pepper and grated parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS

• Bring a pot of water to a boil for the ravioli. Once boiling, add the ravioli and cook until tender (check package for specific cooking times, as this can vary with the ravioli size or whether it is fresh or dried). Once cooked, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain the ravioli in a colander.
• While the ravioli is cooking, prepare the rest of the dish. Mince the garlic and chop the nuts before you begin the sage brown butter sauce, since the sauce cooks very quickly.
• Add the butter to a large skillet and melt it over medium-low heat, stirring continuously. Once the butter begins to sizzle and becomes foamy (about 2-3 minutes), add the minced garlic and chopped nuts. Continue to stir and cook over medium-low heat until the sediment in the skillet turns deep golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). Once it becomes browned, remove it from the heat, and stir in the dried sage.
• Add the spinach and the 1/4 cup reserved ravioli cooking water to the skillet. Return the skillet to low heat, and stir until the spinach is wilted (about 2 minutes). Taste the spinach and add salt to taste. Finally, add the cooked and drained ravioli to the skillet with the spinach and sage brown butter sauce, then toss to coat.
• Serve the ravioli with toppings as desired.

Nancy's Chopped Salad

https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/06/nancys-chopped-salad/

Like a deconstucted Italian Sub~seriously SO good!

Oregano dressing
4 cloves garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons dried oregano (Nancy recommends 2; I got nervous and used 1, but might not have minded more)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, ideally extra-virgin

Salad and assembly
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into paper-thin rings
1/2 pound provolone (see Note about varieties), sliced 1/8-inch thick then cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
1/2 pound salami, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick then cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
4 medium or 8 small pickled pepperoncini, sliced into rings
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes
Sea salt
1 head iceberg lettuce (see Note about size), halved, cored, and cut in 1/2-inch ribbons
1 head radicchio, halved, cored and cut in 1/4-inch ribbons
2 tablespoons dried oregano for garnish (optional)

Make dressing: Roughly chop the garlic and then add the oregano, salt and up to 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Chop the mixture together and use the side of a knife or a mortar and pestle to make a grainy herb paste. Transfer the paste to a large salad bowl, and add the lemon juice and vinegar. Mix with a fork allowing the salt to dissolve, then add the oil and whisk with a fork until well combined. The dressing should be thick with garlic and oregano. If you’re using a small head of iceberg, transfer 1/3 the dressing into a small bowl to be used only if needed. For a larger head of iceberg, you’ll want it all.

Assemble salad: Gently fold the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami, pepperoncini (including seeds and juice) into the dressing, one at a time. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

To serve: When ready to serve, gently add the tomatoes, lettuce and radicchio to the salad bowl, along with a couple of generous pinches of oregano, and toss to combine with the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding any reserved dressing if needed. Serve immediately.

Pasta e Fagioli

https://www.cookincanuck.com/pasta-e-fagioli-recipe/

A favorite from my Olive Garden waitressing days.  Serve with green salad with Italian vinaigrette and garlic bread sticks, of course! (also recipe says to cook pasta first, but I've thrown it right into the soup & let the broth cook the noodles)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning mixture of oregano, parsley, basil, etc.
• 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 6 cups water
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegetarian
• 1 15 ounce can of red kidney beans, reduced sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can of cannellini or Great Northern beans (reduced sodium), drained & rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), reduced sodium,drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound ditalini or elbow pasta cooked according to package
• 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• grated Parmesan cheese for serving leave off for vegetarian or use asiago

Instructions

• Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot and saute onion, garlic and spices until just tender about 4-5 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and stir well. Reduce heat to low and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the water, chicken stock and beans to the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in cooked pasta and parsley just before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread for dunking, if desired.

Polenta, Sausage, Mozzarella Casserole

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/polenta_sausage_mozzarella_casserole/

5 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 med yellow onion, halved lengthwise then cut into wedges
1 medium bell pepper (red, green, orange or yellow), cut lengthwise into thin slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pound Italian sausage (removed from casings), sweet or spicy
2 pounds of prepared polenta, 1/2-inch slices if using prepared polenta in a tube (can use one recipe of creamy polenta, leave out the cream cheese)
1/2 pound (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch slices
METHOD
1 Preheat oven broiler on high. Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a 2-3 qt saucepan on medium heat. Add tomatoes and oregano, simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.

2 While the tomatoes are cooking, in a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and cook until vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through, about 5-8 more minutes. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

3 While the sauce is cooking, coat the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan with a 1 Tbsp oil. Add the cooked polenta (or slices) to the pan. Coat the top of the polenta with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp oil. Broil the polenta about 4 inches from the heating element until golden brown and crispy, about 10-15 minutes.
4 Pour sauce over broiled polenta, then arrange Mozzarella slices over the top and return the casserole to the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Makes 6 servings.

Best Tomato Sauce

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/tomato-sauce-with-butter-and-onions/#more-5585

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions
Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking

Another thing that blew my mind about this sauce: I, for one, am a grated parmesan junkie. I not only sprinkle it over my bowl of pasta, I like to have additional nearby, to apply a fresh coat to the layers of pasta that follow. So you can imagine my shock to find that I liked this dish even more without the parmesan. The flavor of the sauce is so delicate, fresh and sweet that it needed nothing at all.

Serves 4 as a main course; makes enough sauce to lightly coat most of a pound of spaghetti

28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)*
5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste (you might find, as I did, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated parmesan cheese to pass.

* I liked this enough to make us more the next day, but I only had a can of tomato puree. It also worked well, despite having slightly less texture. You will need a little less simmering time as the tomatoes are already broken down.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto

http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/11/alexs-restaurant/

Serves 4

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 links hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)

2 Tbs chopped basil or 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

1. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.
2. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add rice & garlic; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
4. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).
5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and basil/dried seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Pasta with Sausage Ragu

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/hibernation-fare/

Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Mushrooms
Adapted from Eccoqui Restaurant in Bernardsville, NJ via Bon Appetit

Makes (at least) 8 servings.

2 1/2 pounds Italian sweet sausages, casings removed, crumbled (Deb note: we replaced this with some sweet, and some spicy Italian chicken and turkey sausages)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, thickly sliced
3 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
5 cups canned crushed tomatoes with added puree
2 cups diced tomatoes (about 4 medium-large tomatoes)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 1/4 pounds pappardelle or mafaldine pasta (or any wide, flat noodles)*
1 1/2 cups grated pecorino Romano cheese (about 4 1/2 ounces)

Saute sausage in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until brown, about 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Add oil to drippings in pot. Add mushrooms and onions; saute until tender and brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup chopped basil, oregano, and garlic; saute 1 minute. Add wine; cook until almost absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add sausage and crushed tomatoes; cover and simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 25 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and butter; simmer until tomatoes are soft, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well; return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Add 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 cup basil; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to serving dish.

Serve, passing remaining cheese separately.

* I made pappardelle with my now-standard pasta recipe, cranking it out to level 5 thinness, which may have in the end been a little thick, but held up well in the hearty sauce. I cut it by hand into wide, completely uneven strips with a ravioli wheel. It cooked in about 6 minutes.

Easy Ravioli Bake

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/weeknight-ravioli-bake-114685.aspx

We like this with the frozen Costco spinach ravioli and a few veggies chopped raw and tossed into the sauce (spinach, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, olives, etc)

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 pkg. (1 lb. each) frozen cheese ravioli

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan Cheese

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

MIX spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and water; spoon 1 cup onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish.

LAYER half the ravioli and 1 cup shredded cheese over sauce. Top with remaining ravioli and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese; cover.

BAKE 30 min.; uncover. Bake 15 min. or until ravioli is tender and heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Let stand 10 min.

Stephanie's Lamb Stuffed Zucchini

1# ground beef or lamb burger, browned
1 small onion, diced
1 cup shredded mix of parmesan and mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Handful of Italian seasoning or chopped basil, sage, and parsley from garden
2 diced cloves of garlic
1 jar/can of spaghetti sauce
2 Large zucchinis

Brown burger. Cut zuccs in half. Hollow out insides. Set insides to the side. Place halves in deep sided baking pan. Brown meat and onion together and drain. Mix all ingredients together. Sprinkle some bread crumbs in the bottom of the zucchinis. Place mixture in hollowed out zuccs. Pour tomato sauce and sprinkle top with cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake in oven at 350 until cooked and brown. YUMM!!!

Variation:
1 can drained chopped tomatoes (or equivalent of fresh)
3 links browned, crumbled hot Italian turkey sausage
toasted pine nuts
chopped kalamata olives
1 head chopped, sauted fennel bulb
dash pepper, garlic salt, crushed red pepper
sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top

Italian Stuffed Portobellos

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1023881

• 6 (4-inch) portobello caps
• 1# browned Italian sausage
  
• 3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup minced green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove and discard stems from the mushrooms. Remove brown gills from undersides of mushrooms using a spoon; discard gills.

Combine sausage and next 9 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl. Spoon 1/3 cup sausage mixture into each mushroom cap. Place caps on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and tops are lightly browned.