Category Archives: Italian

Chicken, Italian, Pasta

Olive Garden’s Chicken Milanese

October 7, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

Sauce & Pasta:

1/2 cup butter, unsalted

4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 Tbsp)

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 tsp black pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp salt

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup spinach, chopped

8 roasted garlic cloves, minced (or 4 Tbsp)

1 20-oz package tortelloni or tortellini, cooked according to package directions

Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

3 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp garlic, chopped

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 Tbsp Colavita Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

4 lemon wedges

Flatten chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap by pounding gently until chicken is approximately ½” thick.

Whisk eggs and milk together in a flat-bottom bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic and pepper. Transfer to a flat plate. Dredge chicken in flour, coating both sides. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, coating both sides. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating completely on both sides. Set aside. Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir well until well-blended. Add white wine, chicken broth, heavy cream and cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture starts to thicken. Add roasted garlic, pepper and salt. Stir until well blended. Add tomatoes and spinach to sauce and allow to simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add breaded chicken to pan and cook until both sides are golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Add cooked, drained tortelloni pasta to sauce and blend well. Transfer chicken to a large platter and serve with hot, creamy tortelloni. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

4 Servings

Chicken, Italian, Main Dish

Olive Garden’s Chicken Marsala

October 7, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

1/4 cup cake flour (Wondra)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

4 tablespoons oil

4 tablespoons butter

4 chicken half breasts -boneless, skinless

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup Marsala wine

In shallow dish, combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano; stir to blend. In heavy skillet, heat oil and butter until butter melts and mixture bubbles lightly. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour; shake off excess; sauté in pan 2 minutes for the first side or until lightly browned; as you turn chicken, add mushrooms around the chicken pieces. Cook about 2 more minutes, until lightly browned on the second side; stir mushrooms. Once the second side is lightly browned, add wine around the pieces; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve.

4 Servings

Italian, Soups

Minestrone Genovese

October 6, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

1oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1/4 lb. Swiss chard, stems removed

1/4 lb. spinach, stems removed

Salt

2 small zucchini, diced

2 medium white potatoes, peeled and diced

2 Japanese eggplants, peeled and diced

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups pasta

2 cups cooked white beans

2 tbsp. pesto (see recipe below)

Freshly ground black pepper

Soak porcini in 2 cups warm water until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove porcini, rinse, chop and set aside. Pour porcini water through a coffee filter and reserve. Chop chard and spinach leaves. Bring porcini water and 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add porcini, chard, spinach, zucchini, potatoes, eggplant and oil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add pasta to soup. Cook pasta for about 10 minutes, add beans and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or, in the Genovese tradition, at room temperature. Sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano, if you like.

Pesto

2 tightly packed cups stemless fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp. pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped Coarse salt

1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

Crush basil, pine nuts, garlic and a large pinch of salt into a fine paste with mortar and pestle. Drizzle in oil, stirring constantly, then stir in parmigiano-reggiano. Put plastic wrap directly on surface of pesto, then set aside. If using a food processor, put pine nuts, garlic and salt into the bowl of the food processor fitted with a metal blade and blend to a paste. Add basil, drizzle in oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in parmigiano-reggiano.

Casseroles, Italian, Main Dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Eggplant Parmesean – Light Version

September 25, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

Use whole-wheat panko in this recipe; the regular type became soggy in a test.

Eggplant:

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

2 cups whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Cooking spray

Filling:

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Remaining ingredients:

1 (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.

To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg). To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.

10 Servings

Casseroles, Italian, Main Dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Eggplant Parmesan

September 24, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

4 eggplants, sliced 1/2″ thick

dash salt

2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

4 cups spaghetti sauce

2 cups low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle salt on slices of eggplant. Let sit for 30 minutes, blot moisture from eggplant slices. Dip each slice of eggplant in egg then in bread crumbs. Fry in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Put one cup of sauce on bottom of 13×9″ baking dish. Layer eggplant slices, top with sauce then cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until cheese is bubbly.

8 Servings