At Home Italian Cooking By JoElaine

Apple Cinnamon Sugar Pork Chops with Roasted Pecans by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn

Ingredients:

3 thick pork chops

1 Tbsp of olive oil

2 Tbsps of brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1/8 tsp of nutmeg 

1/8 tsp of ground cinnamon

2 Tbsps of unsalted butter

3 tart apple peeled, cored, and sliced

Note : If your apples are large 2 will be fine

3 Tbsps of roasted pecans

Process,

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and turn off.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper .Then place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to a dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.

3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender.

4. Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

Enjoy!

Homemade Lasagna by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn

Ingredients:

Sunday Sauce with Italian Sausage and Meatballs, see recipe 

1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 lbs of lasagna noodles

32 ounces of ricotta cheese

2 eggs

4 cups of fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp of salt

Pinch of nutmeg

Process,

1. One large pot of Sunday Sauce with Italian Sausage and Meatballs simmering.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 2 cups of mozzarella with eggs, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of nutmeg . Mix together and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees . In a large dish slice italian sausage and meatballs enough to fill the middle layer of your lasagna. Set aside. 4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise on top of ricotta cheese mixture . Then add your Italian sausage and Meatballs and top and spread 1 1/2 cups of sauce on top. Then arrange lengthwise 6 noodles over your meat mixture and spread remaining ricotta cheese mixture on top and spoon 1 1/2 cups of sauce on top of ricotta mixture and sprinkle 1/4 of parmesan cheese on top. Then arrange lengthwise 6 noodles on top of the ricotta mixture and spread 1 1/2 cups of sauce on top. Then add 2 cups of mozzarella cheese shredded evenly on top. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Nanny's Speghetti Pie by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn

Ingredients:

1 lb of spaghetti

1 lb of Sirloin chop meat

1/2 pound of Italian sausage, casing removed

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp of olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

4 cups homemade marinara sauce

3/4 cup of whole-milk ricotta cheese

1/4 of fresh parsley, chopped

3 large eggs

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan + 3 Tbsps

2 cup shredded mozzarella

Homemade Marinara Sauce (See recipe below)

Process,

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch spring pan with cooking spray.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook till al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef, 5 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Drain , and set aside . In the same pan brown the Italian sausage . Drain, and set aside.

4. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat and saute the onions until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the marinara, ricotta, parsley, eggs, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the cooked spaghetti, beef and onions and toss to evenly coat. Transfer to the prepared pan, top with 2 cups of marinara sauce the mozzarella and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

6. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Ingredients;

1 small onion , chopped

4 cloves of garlic , sliced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 35 ounce can of Italian plum tomatoes with their juice

1 tsp of Salt

2 pinches of dried basil

1 pinch of dried thyme

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 ounces of tomato paste (optional)

3 ounces of water (optional)

Process,

1. In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes.

2. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and add with the juices to the skillet. Add salt, basil ,thyme , and pepper. Cook , covered , for 10 minutes , stir and cook, uncovered , for another 20 to 25 minutes.

Note : if you like a thicker sauce , add tomatoe paste and water with the tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Pasta Aglio E Olio recipe by JoElaine ( Balsamo) Quinn

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of olive oil

7 cloves of garlic, sliced

Salt

Black Pepper to taste

1 Tbsp of butter

2 Tbsp of pine nuts, 

1 cup of breadcrumbs

3 Tbsp of freshly chopped parsley

1 lb of spaghetti

Parmesan cheese

Process,

1. Fill a large pot of water and sprinkle in some salt, bring to a boil and add the pasta, cook till adente.

2. While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, add the oil and garlic, turn the heat on low and cook for about 5 minutes or until the garlic is lightly golden, add the black pepper and the pine nuts, continue to cook until the pine nuts are a nutty brown color.Then add in your parsley and remove from the heat and set aside.

3. In a small pan place 1Tbsp of butter and let melt. Add your breadcrumbs and cook till toasted , set aside.

4. Using tongs remove your pasta from boiling water and place it into the oil mixture and the parsley, toss everything together so that the oil coats every piece of the pasta. Add a cup of the pasta water and mix well .

5. Serve topped with toasted breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese

Enjoy!

Penne Lasagna recipe by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn

Ingredients:

1lb of sirloin ground beef

2 Tbsp of olive oil

2 tsps of fresh parsley, chopped

2 tsps of fresh basil, chopped

1Tbsp of roasted chicken bouillion

4 Tbsp of grated parmesan

1 large sweet onion , grated

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

15 oz can of diced tomatoes

4 Tbsp of tomato paste

6 cups of water

1lb of penne pasta

3/4 cup of Ricotta

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

Process ,

1. In a dutch oven, brown the ground beef in the olive oil over medium-high heat, add in the grated onion and garlic, cook for a couple minutes then add in the parsley and basil plus 4 Tbsp of parmesan cheese and chicken bouillon.

2.Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes then add in the diced tomatoes and water bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes then add the penne pasta, cook about 10 minutes, adjust the seasoning to taste then turn it off, place lid on and let it rest for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan and serve...

Enjoy!