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!
Seafood Platter
This is often rightfully called the “Fruit of the Sea Platter.”
6 shrimp, peeled and cleaned
6 scampi, peeled and cleaned
6 small mussels, bearded and scrubbed
6 large clams, scrubbed
6 small razor clams, scrubbed
6 large mussels, bearded and scrubbed
6 small calamari, cleaned
1 (2 pound) lobster
1 cup olive oil
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon hot chile flakes
2 bunches Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/2 cup
Salt and pepper
1 pound crab meat
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Bring 6 quarts water to boil and set up ice bath.
• Cook the shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes and plunge into the ice bath.
• Cook scampi for 1 minute, and plunge into the ice bath.
• Cook the calamari 1 minute and do the same.
• Cook lobster for 8 minutes and then cool in ice bath.
• In a large sauté pan, place the mussels & clams with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.
• Cover & steam, removing each shellfish as it opens.
• Discard those shellfish that do not open.
• Keeping each type of shellfish separate, dress each individually with 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, a touch of lemon juice, a pinch of chile flakes and 1 to 2 tablespoons parsley and salt and pepper, to taste.
• Do the same with the crabmeat.
• Arrange all the seafood on a big platter.
• Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
Queen Of Sheba Meatloaf
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves — crushed
2 medium onions — finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb
1 pound ground hot sausage — casing removed
1 lime (juice of)
1/4 cup dry vermouth
3/4 cup dry bulgur wheat — soaked for 30 minutes in enough water to cover
2 large eggs — lightly beaten
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons dried mint
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup pistachios
3 tablespoons bay leaves — split in half
Preheat oven to 375F. Thoroughly coat a Bundt pan with olive oil.
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and onions. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the parsley and fennel seeds.
Remove half the onion mixture and combine with the ground lamb in a large bowl. Set aside the other half of the onion mixture.
Add the ground sausage to the saute pan, and brown. Add the lime juice and vermouth. Remove from the heat. Add this mixture to the reserved onion mixture. Set aside.
Squeeze the excess water from the bulgur wheat. Mix with the lamb. Add the eggs, ketchup, sesame oil, mint, allspice, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Divide this mixture in half. Press half the lamb mixture into the pan. Arrange the sausage mixture on top of the lamb. Sprinkle the pine nuts and pistachios evenly over the sausage layer.
Press the other half of the lamb mixture on top of the nut layer. Dot the loaf with the remaining tablespoon of butter and place the broken bay leaves on top of the loaf.
Bake for 1 hour or until done. Remove the bay leaves. Let the loaf sit for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a round serving platter. Serves 8-10.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 694 Calories; 57g Fat (73.8% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 165mg Cholesterol; 509mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 8 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Grilled Pizza
6 Ounces pizza dough (recipe included)
1/4 Cup virgin olive oil for brushing and drizzlin
1/2 Teaspoon fresh garlic — minced
1/2 Cup fontina — shred, loose pack
2 Tablespoons Pecorino-Romano Cheese — freshly grated
6 Tablespoons canned tomatoes in heavy puree — chopped
8 basil leaves
–The Pizza Crust– 1 env active dry yeast — (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 c warm water
pinch sugar 2 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 c johnnycake meal <
1/4 c fine ground white corn meal
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 1/2 c unbleached white flour — more as needed
=20 FOR THE PIZZA CRUST:
Dissolve the yeast in warm water with sugar. After 5 minutes, stir in the salt, johnnycake meal, wheat flour and oil. Gradually add the white flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until a stiff dough has formed.
Empty the dough onto a floured board, and knead it for several minutes, adding enough flour to keep the dough from sticking. When the dough is smooth and shiny, transfer it to a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil. To prevent a skin from forming, brush the top of the dough with additional olive oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place, away from drafts until double in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2= hours.
Punch down the dough and knead once more. Let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes. Punch down the dough. If the dough is sticky, knead in a bit more flour. Dough should be very soft however.
TO ASSEMBLE AND GRILL THE PIZZA:
Prepare a charcoal fire, setting the grill rack 3-4 inches above the coals.
On a large oiled inverted cookie sheet, spread and flatten the pizza dough with your hands into a 10-12 inch free form circle, 1/8 inch thick, do not make a lip. You may achieve a rectangle rather than a circle; the shape is unimportant; do take care to maintain even thickness.
When the fire is medium hot, use your fingertips to gently lift the dough by the two corners closest to you, and drape it onto the grill. Catch the loose edge on the grill first and guide the remaining dough into place over the fire. Within a minute the dough will puff slightly, the underside will stiffen, and grill marks will appear.
Using tongs, immediately flip the crust over, onto the coolest part of the grill. Quickly brush the grilled surface with olive oil. Scatter the garlic and cheeses over the dough and spoon dollops of tomato over the cheese. Do not cover the entire surface of the pizza. Finally, drizzle the pizza with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
Slide the pizza back toward the hot coals, but not directly over them. Using tongs, rotate the pizza frequently so that different sections receive high heat; check the underside often to see that it is not burning. The pizza is done when the top is bubbly and the cheese melted, about 6-8 minutes. Serve at once topped with the basil leaves and additional olive oil if desired.=20
NOTE: There are several traps and difficulties that with experience you will overcome. To start, be careful not to stretch the dough so thinly that holes appear. Don’t despair however if small holes do appear. Though you cannot repair them, you can work around them. To avoid flare-ups, do not drizzle any of the oil into the holes.
When you are lifting the dough off the cookie sheet, it will invariably stretch; do not try to compensate for this by moving your hands apart. Work as close to the grill as possible so the dough is without support for a minimum amount of time. If after 8 minutes the cheese has not melted and the topping is not bubbling, either you have been too cautious in your approach to the coals, or you have used too much cheese and topping ingredients. A longer time on the grill will only dry out the pizza and toughen it. The ideal crust should be both chewy and crisp. Do not be timid about the preparation of this pizza. From start to finish, the bold act will reward you with a first rate pizza.