Are you finding that spaghetti night seems a bit boring? There are many ways to have an “Italian” night without resorting to the same old spaghetti recipe. Italians are famous for their pasta recipes, and boy do they have a variety of them! So why limit yourself to one dish when there are hundreds to choose from? This article features some easy pasta recipes that will give your old fashioned spaghetti night some flair.
lasagna
Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles
1 pound Italian sausage
3/4 lb lean ground beef
16 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 cans (6.5 oz) tomato puree sauce
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 egg
1/2 cup of water
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of white sugar
1. In a Dutch oven, brown beef, sausage, garlic, and onion over medium heat. Add tomato products (crushed tomatoes, sauce, paste) and water. Add the sugar, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, basil, 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of parsley, and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring as needed.
2. To cook the lasagna noodles, bring water to a boil in a large pot. Place the noodles and cook for about 10 minutes. When they are ready, drain them and rinse them under cold water. In a bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining parsley.
3. In a saucepan (preferably 9 x 13), spread about 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce over the bottom. Place 6 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread with half of the cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of the mozzarella cheese slices. Repeat. Top with the remaining cheeses. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce over the mozzarella and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Make a tent of foil over the dish (spray the inside of the foil with cooking spray if there’s any chance the lasagna will stick).
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes. Chill for about 20 minutes before serving.
Sausage Soup (with Tortellini)
1 pound sweet Italian sausage meat
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
5 cups of beef broth
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of red wine
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
4 large tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1. Sausage browned in a large Dutch oven. Remove sausage and drain, but retain about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. In the Dutch oven, sauté; onions and garlic in drips. Add wine, beef broth, water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, basil, oregano, and sausage. Bring to a boil, lower the heat. Cook over low heat without a lid for about half an hour.
3. With a large spoon, skim the fat from the soup. Add zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for another half hour. Add the tortellini during the last 10 minutes of simmering. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.
shrimp alfredo
8 ounces penne pasta
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 can (16 oz) Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes. To drain.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. Cook this on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
3. Add shrimp and cook well (they should become firm and pink in color). Add Alfredo, Romano, and cream. Cook over low heat while stirring continuously for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Add cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Add the penne pasta to the sauce, stir well, and serve with sprinkled parsley.
With these three great Italian recipes, you can forget about spaghetti night and welcome “Italian night” with open arms (or an open belly!).