Italian Favorites

Picking out recipes to share isn’t an easy thing to do, so this feature starts out with some traditional dishes that you might see on a typical Italian restaurant’s menu.

Garlic Bread

1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced in half lengthwise
4 oz. (1 stick) softened butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
pinch of pepper

Place the softened butter, olive oil, garlic, parsley, and pepper into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until all ingredients are well blended.

With a knife, spread a thin layer of the butter mixture on the open sides of the bread. Place on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler butter side up and grill until golden brown. Remainder of the garlic butter can be frozen in plastic wrap for another time.

For variety, try topping the already browned garlic bread with shredded mozzarella and placing it back under the broiler until cheese is evenly melted.

Angel Hair Primavera in Pink Sauce
(serves 4 to 6)

4 c. chicken stock
1 c. marinara sauce
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c. each sliced carrots, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms
1/4 c. peas (frozen or fresh)
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 lb. capellini (angel hair)

In a large saute pan add the chicken stock, marinara sauce, and heavy cream. Cook over a medium to high heat for about 3 minutes, add the butter, salt and pepper and all of the vegetables. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat until vegetables are cooked.

Cook the angel hair for 2 minutes (follow package instructions). Make sure to stir it well after the pasta has begun to soften. Drain the pasta and divide it into serving portions. Top with parmesan cheese. Toss the sauce a few times and adjust seasoning if necessary. Then pour the sauce over each portion. Make sure the sauce is liquid enough, because the angel hair will absorb it quickly.

Chicken Piccata
(serves 4)

4 boneless chicken breasts, cleaned, cut in half and lightly pounded
flour for dredging
3 tbsp. butter
1 c. white wine
2 c. chicken stock
2 tbsp. lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Flour the chicken breasts. In a large saute pan, melt the butter and brown the chicken on both sides. Add the white wine, chicken stock, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Simmer the chicken until the sauce has thickened about 5 to 7 minutes. Toss in the parsley, and serve.

Interesting Tips

When cooking capellini (angel hair pasta), add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to the water before draining -- this will slightly coat the pasta so it doesn’t over-absorb the sauce that you serve it with.

To keep egg yolks from crumbling when slicing hard-boiled eggs, wet the knife before each cut.

If you don’t have a “shrimp deveiner”, you can always use the pointed end of a bottle opener.

If the carbonation fizzes out of your champagne, add one raisin to the bottle. The raisin won’t affect the taste, and its raw sugar will start the bubbling up again.

2/22/00

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