This seafood rice dish is a meal on it’s own. Very easy to make and you can change the seafood to what ever you like or add minced cajun style sausage for a kicked up flavor.

Ingredients;
1LB mussels, cleaned OR you can buy them frozen
1/2 LB raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup rice
2 TBLS oil
1 med onion, diced
1/3 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups water or seafood broth/stock, low sodium
2 TBLS tomato paste
1 TSP dried parsley
Dash of dried basil
Dash of red pepper flakes
Salt to taste (I would not add salt if you use seafood broth or stock)

Directions;
In a 4 qt pot saute the onion and bell pepper in the oil just until soft. Add the rice, parsley and basil and stir. Add the water/broth, tomato paste, salt and pepper flakes. Bring to a low simmer for about 10 minutes covered. Add the shrimp and mussels, stir and simmer for about 10 more minutes, covered until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

While visiting New Orleans we had Jambalaya, a classic dish and enjoyed it so much.
I played with the flavors and here is my version.

Ingredients:
1 cup white long grain rice
2 cups chicken or seafood stock or more if you like it more soup like
1/2 cup minced onion
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 cup frozen cut okra
2 TBLS olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 TBLS Chef Paul Prudhomme’s salt free Magic Seasoning or any similar brand such as Tony’s (found in the spice aisle)
1/2 TSP cayenne pepper or more if you like heat
2 TBLS tomato paste
1 LB raw shrimp, 12oz cleaned and frozen crawfish tails,  Cajun sausage link sliced or cooked white meat chicken or combine all 4 to equal a pound or pound in a half.

Directions:
In a large frying pan heat the oil and sauté the onion and bell pepper until soft. Add the garlic and okra for another minute. Add the seasoning, rice and cayenne pepper and stir. Transfer to a sauce pot and add the stock and tomato paste and stir. Increase the heat to bring it to a boil. Add the pound of seafood/meats and stir. Lower to a low simmer covered for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked.

This Bolognese meat sauce is a classic from the city of Bologna, Italy. I’m sharing this with you but the true author is Marcella Hazen. She brings to you so many classic Italian dishes in her cookbooks.  This meat sauce takes time to simmer but it literally melts in your mouth and is so creamy tasting. Start this in a heavy stock pot and once it’s put together transfer it to a crock pot, it will cook gently as it is suppose to. It freezes well so double the recipe for a quick work night dinner.

Ingredients;
2 TBLS chopped onion
3 TBLS unsalted butter
3 TBLS olive oil
2 TBLS chopped celery
2 TBLS chopped carrot
3/4 LB ground beef, chuck or meat from the neck
1/2 TSP salt
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup whole milk
1/8 TSP nutmeg
2 cups canned whole Italian tomatoes in their juice, roughly chopped
12oz-16oz cooked pasta, see recommendations below

Directions;

In a heavy stock pot on med heat add the butter, oil and onion, saute a few minutes until just becoming translucent. Add the celery and carrot. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the beef and salt breaking it apart with a fork. Saute just until the pink is faded but DO NOT brown it. Add the wine and turn the heat up stirring until the wine has nearly evaporated. Turn the heat down to med and add the milk and nutmeg stirring until the milk has evaporated.  Add the tomatoes and stir. Once the tomatoes come to a simmer pour the mixture into a crock pot and cook UNCOVERED for about 3-5 hours OR you can keep it in the original pot and lower the heat to barely a bubble for about 3-4 hours.

Best served over cooked Tagliatelle or fresh if you can get it, Tortellini pasta. Sprinkled with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

This Marinara sauce is light, versatile and only takes 30 minutes from stove to plate.
Try it as a plain sauce or with my variations listed at the end of the recipe.
Pictured is with shrimp over linguine.

Ingredients:
2 TBLS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
3-4 leaves of fresh basil, torn
28oz-35oz can crushed tomatoes in puree (my favorites are “Pomi, Sclafani or Tuttorosso” brand)
add some red pepper flakes if you like spicy

Directions:
Heat a 3qt sauce pot add the oil and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the balance of ingredients and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
This will cover about 3/4 LB pasta.

**variations**
add up to 1LB of all or either; raw deveined, shelled shrimp, bay scallops, cut/cleaned calamari and simmer just a few minutes longer, until the seafood is cooked.
Or serve over anything you like such as store bought fresh pasta.

This Lasagna recipe has so many variations. This one is my version.
It freezes well so make a few small pans for another work day dinner.

***First you have to make my Italian Tomato Sauce, with meat is best but you can make a meatless Lasagna too***

Ingredients:
1 LB box of Lasagna pasta, cooked according to the directions on the box or if you can buy fresh pasta that’s even better.
3 LBS whole milk ricotta cheese
3 XLRG eggs
2 TBLS parsley, minced
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese plus more for the layers
16oz shredded whole milk Mozzarella cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook the pasta, drain and place it hanging over the sides of a colander.

This will prevent them from sticking together.
Mix together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, ½ cup of the Parmesan or Romano cheese, salt & pepper to taste.

Set aside.
In a deep 3x9x13 pan place a thin layer of sauce and then a layer of the cooked pasta.

Top with about a 1” layer (approximately a third) of the ricotta mixture, dust with the shredded Mozzarella and grated cheese. Spoon a good layer of sauce over this ( be generous with the sauce so it doesn’t dry when baking) and then crumble 2 meatballs and 2 sausage and sprinkle it over the sauce layer. Top with another layer of ricotta mixture and repeat for three layers of pasta. End with the pasta on top, sauce and sprinkle with the Mozzarella and the remaining grated cheese.

Cover with foil.
Bake covered with foil at 325-350 for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours until the center puffs and its hot all the way through.
Let it rest for about 20 minutes before cutting to serve.

Italian Tomato Sauce, better known as “gravy”. Growing up, this was a traditional Sunday meal.
There are many recipes for this sauce but here is my version without meat and then the version with meat.

Ingredients:
4 x 28oz cans of whole Italian plum tomatoes; use tomatoes from Italy, it makes a big difference
3 TBLS olive oil
4 cloves garlic, mashed and chopped
5-6 fresh basil leaves, torn
Directions:
Puree the tomatoes in a blender. In a large sauce pot saute the garlic in the oil for 2 minutes and add the pureed tomatoes and basil.

Simmer on very low heat covered for 1 hour. Then uncover and simmer for 30 minutes.
**If you want the meat (there are many meats that can be added but I’ve given you the two most popular) version add the below meats and increase the covered simmer time to 2 hours then uncovered for 45 minutes.

Meatballs & Italian Sausage

Ingredients:
1LB ground mixed veal, pork and beef
2 cloves garlic, mashed and chopped
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3 XLRG eggs
¼ cup milk
2 TBLS chopped parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 TSP dried basil
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven 400. Mix all together and form into 1/3 cup balls. Place on a sheet pan and bake at 400 for 15 minutes until the tops are bubbly. They will be set but not cooked through. Remove from sheet pan and add to pot with sauce.

Italian Sausage
Buy the Italian sausage at a market that makes it if you can. The supermarket sausage just does not compare.
1LB-1 ½ LB of Italian sausage links

Directions:
Brown in a frying pan and add to the pot with sauce.
Some people like to add the frying pan drippings to the sauce, but that can get oily, so use your discretion.

When the sauce is done it will be slightly thicker than when the tomatoes were first pureed. The meat will be tender but not falling apart.
Serve over your favorite pasta.

Fast and easy way to use all those garden tomatoes, Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce.
It’s a classic fresh and light tomato sauce. 30 minutes from stove to table.
I list a few optional additions at the bottom.

12 garden fresh tomatoes, diced, plum/Roma type are preferred
2 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced thin
¼ cup virgin olive oil
6 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and red pepper flakes to taste
1LB any type pasta; spaghetti, angel hair, ziti cooked according to the box directions and drained(I like Barilla or DeCecco pastas)

Directions:
In a large frying pan sauté the garlic in the olive oil for 2 minutes then add the other ingredients except the pasta and cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes. Pour over pasta and serve garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.

**Optional; add 1/2 cup dry white wine, 2 TBLS capers, 1/2 cup pitted olives(any type you like) for the last 5 mins of simmering

This is an easy and quick impressive dish to make. Serve Shrimp Scampi on a large platter garnished with lemon slices.

Ingredients:
1 LB linguini, cooked according to the box directions (I prefer Barilla or DeCecco pasta)
1LB raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 TBLS butter
5 TBLS extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup dry white wine
Juice of one lemon
¼ cup finely chopped parsley leaves, fresh is best
Dash of red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Directions:
In a large skillet pan on med heat melt the butter and add the olive oil, shallots and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up and add the shrimp and the balance of the ingredients sauté shrimp for just 2 minutes on each side. Pour over cooked pasta, garnish with lemon slices and serve in a large platter.

This White Clam sauce recipe is fast and easy.

5 cans (6.5 oz each) chopped or minced clams with the juice,
If you have a market that offers fresh clams or just the meat & juice by all means use it.
Otherwise Bumble Bee is the best canned brand

¼ cup virgin olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, diced and mashed
2 TBLS parsley dried or fresh
1 TBLS basil dried or fresh
1 TSP oregano, dried
3 TBLS fresh lemon juice
3 slices of lemon for garnish
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
Dash of red pepper flakes
1LB linguine, cooked and drained, I like Barilla or De Cecco pastas

Directions:

Boil the water and cook the pasta according to the box directions.
Pour the oil in a sauce pot and saute the garlic for a minute or so. Add the other ingredients and simmer for only 2 minutes. Pour over cooked pasta and serve. Garnish with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and a few lemon slices.

This Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe is so easy and tasty too. Best of all its not heat sensitive so its perfect for summer cook outs.

1 box (12oz) Tri-Color Pasta, such as Barilla’s Rotini
1/2 cup virgin oil oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or white champagne vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 red bell pepper chopped, any color will do
1/2 a red onion sliced very thin
2 TBLS capers
1/2 can black olives or any kind of olive you like, sliced or halved
2 TBLS chopped parsley, fresh is best but dried is ok too
1 TBLS chopped basil, fresh is best but dried is ok too
a hand full of grape tomatoes
14oz can plain artichoke hearts, quartered

Directions:
Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and run cold water over the pasta in a strainer. Be sure to remove all excess water. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix. Best if made a few hours before serving, allowing the flavors to marinate.

This Classic Pesto (Genoese Basil) sauce recipe can be used many ways; over pasta served hot or as a dressing for a summer salad. Brush it on fish or chicken for grilling or baking or spread on crusty bread.

If the pure basil taste is too strong for you replace up to 1/3 of the basil with fresh parsley. Make extra as it also freezes well.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed down)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TBLS Pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 TSP salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBLS grated Romano Pecorino cheese
3 TBLS butter at room temperature

Directions:

Put all ingredients except the cheese and butter in a food processor and blend thoroughly. Fold in by hand the cheese and butter until blended well.
This will cover about 1LB of cooked warm pasta.

**OPTIONS**  Health Friendly omit the butter.
If you are serving as a salad you can add cooked cut green beans or cherry tomatoes cut in half.

Ingredients;
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
4-5 slices of Pancetta, diced
3 Tablespoons minced celery
3 Tablespoons minced carrot
3 Tablespoons minced onion
3 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
28oz – 35 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/ 2 cup of vodka
1/2 cup of heavy cream {more if you like it very light in color)
1 pound of Penne pasta, cooked according to box directions
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions;
In a large sauce pan add the butter & oil and saute the pancetta.
Add the minced veggies and saute for 5 mins or so.
Add the tomatoes and simmer on low covered for 1.5 to 2 hrs.
Pour the sauce into a blender and puree or use a hand held blender in the pot.
(At this point you can freeze this and add the vodka & cream when you are going to use it.)
Add the vodka and basil, simmer uncovered for 10 mins.
Add the cream and simmer 2-3 minutes.
Combine with the cooked penne and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese..

My Aunt Chris made Paglia e Fieno for us many years ago.  The name means “Hay and Straw in Italian. The original recipe was from a great Italian cook, Marcella Hazen.

Recipe Ingredients:
12oz fettuccini, mixed yellow & spinach is preferred
1 cup heavy cream
5 TBLS unsalted butter
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk
5oz pancetta, diced
12oz mushrooms, chopped, any kind
2 TBLS shallot, minced
1/2 TSP salt
Pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg

Recipe Directions:
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Melt butter in pan (big enough to hold all ingredients) and add shallots. Cook for a few mins until they are soft. Add the chopped mushrooms bring them to a simmer on med-high then reduce temp to med & add the salt. The juices will dry and then add the pancetta and cook 5 mins or so and then add half the cream.
Simmer a few mins until all is hot. Add the egg yolk to the remaining cream and stir to blend and add it into the pan along with the cheese, nutmeg & pepper to taste. Make sure the pasta is ready and pour over & toss & serve immediately.

This recipe is not as difficult as some may think. The tender crepes are just soft and creamy as can be.
A classic Italian holiday pasta.

Recipe Ingredients:
Shell:
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
4 cups water
4 eggs
4 TBLS olive oil
30 wax paper squares
Shell Recipe Directions:
Blend together until smooth. Mixture will be a very thin crepe like batter.
In a very good non stick pan pour 1/4 cup of batter to form a crepe.

Let cook a few mins until just set but not brown and flip over for another minute. Place on plate with wax paper sheets in between the crepes. Repeat until batter is gone.

Filling Recipe Ingredients:
3LBS whole milk ricotta
3 X-Lrg eggs
2/3 cups grated Romano cheese
2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste
3 TBLS minced parsley
3-4 cups of tomato sauce, your own or store bought
Recipe Directions:
Blend together (all but the tomato sauce) and fill center of crepe with about 3 heaping tablespoons of cheese mixture.

Fold crepe rolling over the sides to curl around the cheese forming a tube like shape

At this point you can also freeze them, wrapped as pictured in wax paper. Just take out what you want to make and leave the rest frozen.

Place open side down in a roasting pan that has a coating of tomato sauce. Space a inch or so in between the manicotti as they expand when cooked. Once pan is filled, top with a thin layer of tomato sauce and cover with foil. Bake in a 350 oven for about 30-40 mins until the manicotti have puffed and expanded. Let set 10 mins before serving.

Makes about 30 manicotti

Recipe Ingredients:

12oz fettuccini, mixed yellow & spinach is preferred
1 cup heavy cream
5 TBLS unsalted butter
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk
5oz pancetta, diced (Italian unsmoked bacon)
12oz mushrooms, chopped, any kind
2 TBLS shallot, minced
1/2 TSP salt
Pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg

Recipe Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the box instructions. Melt butter in pan (big enough to hold all ingredients) and add shallots. Cook for a few mins until they are soft. Add the chopped mushrooms bring them to a simmer on med-high then reduce temp to med & add the salt. The juices will dry and then add the pancetta and cook 5 mins or so and then add half the cream.
Simmer a few mins until all is hot. Add the egg yolk to the remaining cream and stir to blend and add it into the pan along with the cheese, nutmeg & pepper to taste. Make sure the pasta is ready and pour over & toss & serve immediately.