Easy Italian Recipes - Quick and Delicious for the Entire Family
Do you need easy Italian recipes that you can cook up fast that are delicious and inexpensive?
Below are three very simple Italian recipes that do not require much time to prepare and only use several ingredients that you may even have on hand.
This is the beauty of Italian cooking. You do not need a ton of ingredients to cook up a delicious meal.
The key with cooking great Italian food is to use fresh quality ingredients, like fresh herbs and fine olive oil. And the number one most important ingredient in any type of cooking is of course Love!
Enjoy and Buon Appetito!
EASY ITALIAN MARINARA SAUCE RECIPE
Here is a great recipe for marinara sauce using canned tomatoes. This marinara sauce is delicious over your favorite pasta, on top of pizza and over mussels and shrimp. The beauty of this sauce is that it can be used with a number of other recipes, so it’s a great starting point in Italian Cooking and it is very easy to make.
You can use either fresh or canned plum tomatoes for this recipe, however using fresh tomatoes requires more time and preparation, so I prefer to use canned. If you do plan on using fresh tomatoes, make certain the tomatoes are ripe and in season.
For the canned tomatoes, I prefer Rienzi brand tomatoes. I have tried a number of different brands of canned tomatoes and Rienzi has the best flavor amongst the supermarket brands, in my opinion.
Marinara Sauce Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (More or less depending on how much you like garlic)
1 35 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes with liquid
Salt to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste (You can use black pepper if you wish)
10 - 12 fresh basil leaves , torn
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
Directions:
1) Open your can of tomatoes and crush them by hand into a bowl and set aside.
2) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your garlic to the oil and cook until soft and lightly browned. Be sure to watch the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn.
4) Carefully add the tomatoes along with their liquid into the pan with the garlic and oil. Use caution when adding the tomatoes to the hot oil. The oil can splatter. Add the oregano.
5) Stir the mixture and bring to a boil. Season with a bit of salt and red or black pepper. Lower the heat so that the sauce is reduced to a simmer. Break up the tomatoes as it cooks with a spoon until your sauce is chunky. You want the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 20 - 25 minutes.
6) Add your fresh basil a few minutes before the sauce is done. Taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if needed.
7) Serve over your favorite pasta.
EASY ITALIAN PESTO SAUCE RECIPE
Let’s learn how to make pesto sauce.
This is another very easy and delicious recipe that can be served over your favorite pasta, grilled chicken, mussels or as a topping for pizza. For those of you who want your basil pesto sauce without pine nuts, you can leave them out or substitute the pine nuts with walnuts.
For a nice variation on this recipe, try adding sundried tomatoes to the pesto mixture before blending for a delicious tomato pesto sauce.
This recipe should only be used as a guide. Not everyone has the same preferences. Some do not like a lot of garlic or olive oil flavor for example, so it is recommended that you experiment until you find the right recipe.
Pesto Sauce Ingredients:
4 cups fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pine nuts (the nuts can be lightly toasted in a dry pan before blending for added flavor)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (more or less depending on your taste)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender except olive oil. Add a little oil at a time and process until sauce reaches desired consistency. Ready to serve in your favorite dish.
EASY PASTA WITH GARLIC, OIL AND FRESH HERBS
This is another quick and easy Italian recipe with only a few ingredients. It is important that you do not burn the garlic with this recipe otherwise it will become bitter.
Ingredients:
1 pound of spaghetti
3 - 4 garlic cloves chopped (more or less, depending on how much you like garlic)
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1/4 Cup of Chopped Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil leaves
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
Directions:
1) In a large pot, bring about 6 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 - 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain but make sure you reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2) While the pasta is cooking, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and saute until light brown in color. Remember to pay close attention to the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat.
3) Stir in fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Mix until combined.
4) Transfer the drained pasta to a large serving bowl and mix in the remaining olive oil and pasta water.
5) Add the garlic and herb mixture into the pasta and mix well.
6) Taste and add salt and red pepper if desired.
7) Serve immediately. Top with grated cheese if desired.
There you have it. Three great easy Italian recipes that you can whip up in a flash and please everyone. I hope you enjoy these easy italian recipes. Happy Cooking!
Spicy Pork With Peanuts
1/4 cup raw unsalted peanuts
3 tablespoons peanut oil
4 whole dried chile peppers
4 scallions — thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves — thinly sliced
SAUCE:
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon chinkiany vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch — mixed with
1 tablespoon chicken broth — (cold)
8 ounces boneless pork — cubed
Stir-fry the peanuts over a high flame in 1 tablespoon of the oil until they develop a golden-brown color. This brings out their flavor. Take care not to let them burn. Remove them and set them aside.
Lower the flame to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and flavor it with the peppers. With the oil still at medium heat, add the scallions and garlic. Stir-fry them for 10 to 20 seconds, until their aroma rises from the wok. Add the sauce ingredients.
When the sauce comes to a boil, add the cornstarch dissolved in broth. The sauce must be thick enough to coat the pork pieces. Since the pork is not seasoned, the sauce is the seasoning. Add the pork pieces and the peanuts. Quickly toss to coat them well. Stir and toss the pork for 30-to-45 seconds, or until the pieces are cooked through. Turn the pork out on a serving plate.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 259 Calories; 19g Fat (67.1% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 33mg Cholesterol; 581mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 3 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Buffalo-Style Crab Claws
1/4 cup butter — melted
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
16 Alaska snow crab or blue — crab cocktail claws
blue cheese dipping sauce
3 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon blue cheese — crumbled
1 teaspoon parsley — chopped
1 small clove garlic — minced
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl except claws and dipping sauce. Arrange claws on a broiling pan and brush both sides of each claw with butter mixture. Broil 5-6″ from heat for 3-4 minutes, or just until crab is hot. Remove from oven and brush with remaining butter mixture. Serve on a platter with the Dipping Sauce. Whisk all sauce ingredients together.
Beef and Broccoli
1/2 lb Boneless beef*
1 tb Oyster sauce**
2 ts Rice wine**
1/2 ts Brown sugar**
2 ts Cornstarch**
1 lb Broccoli; chopped
2 ts Rice wine***
1/2 ts Brown sugar***
1 ts Cornstarch; dissolved in ***
2 tb Water***
3 tb Peanut oil
2 Slices ginger; minced
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 c Water
2 ts Sesame oil
*(Flank steak, top sirloin, or tenderloin), sliced across grain into thin s
**(combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl)
***(combine all seasoning sauce ingredients in a cup)
Thoroughly mix beef with marinade and marinate for 30 minutes. Heat wok over highest heat, when hot, swirl in 2 Tblsp peanut oil. Add ginger and salt and toss a few seconds. Add broccoli and stirfry one minute, then add water, turn heat to med-high, cover, and steam until crisp tender. Uncover and turn heat to high, stir frying until water is evaporated. Remove broccoli and reserve. Reheat same wok (without rinsing) and, when hot, add remaining peanut oil. Add beef slices and stirfry until lightly browned but not cooked through. Do not stirfry too vigorously or meat will not brown, it is better to press slices against sides of wok to sear. Add broccoli to wok and toss. When hot, stir in seasoning sauce and stir until sauce thickens (it’s a good idea to whisk the sauce in the cup just before you hurl it into the wok). Turn onto a platter and drizzle sesame oil over the top. The sugar in the marinade and seasoning sauce acts as a floor enhancer rather than a sweetener.
Beer Battered Shrimp with Chipotle Dipping Sauce
oil for frying dipping sauce: 1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper — in adobe sauce
1 tablespoon ginger minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon mirin
batter: 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon salt
1 lite (12-ounce) beer
1 pound (21 to 25 pieces) shrimp — peeled and deveined
Preheat oil to 365 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the dipping sauce ingredients. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and set aside.
In a medium size bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for the batter. Slowly, whisk in beer, until combined. If not using right away cover and refrigerate for later use. Gently toss shrimp in the batter, to coat. Shake gently to remove excess batter and with slotted spoon, carefully fry in hot oil for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Cook in batches to avoid over crowding. Remove shrimp with a spider or slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Serve hot with dipping sauce.