If you like cooking Italian food (and lets face it, who doesnt), then this set of Italian Cuisine recipes is for you. This is my favorite roundup of healthy Italian recipes, perfect for any weeknight or gathering!
Chicken Piccata
Flat chicken, but make it tangy
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 thinly sliced chicken breasts
- 1 cup flour (AP, rice, whatever you like)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 2 Lemons
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley tops
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 deg. In large shallow dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour (you won’t use it all, that’s okay!) and set aside briefly.
- Put cast iron skillet (or your favorite large pan) on medium high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, and sear four pieces of the chicken, 2-4 minutes per side or until browned. Once batch A is cooked, place in the oven on a sheet pan and repeat, starting with another tablespoon of butter.
- Once all 8 pieces of chicken are cooked and in the oven, add in minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the wine, followed by the stock. Let cook for a minute, then add in the juice from both lemons and the remaining butter. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Once the sauce has simmered, turn off heat. Add in parsley, capers, and a pinch of salt. Serve chicken immediately; I prefer sauce first on the plate!
Fried Cherry Tomatoes
Fried Cherry Tomatoes
Servings 1 pint
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil in 10-12" pan along with a pinch of salt. Set over very low heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After the tomatoes have softened, boost heat to high, and once you hear sizzling, fry for 2-3 minutes (stirring continuously) or until tomato skins just start to blister. Serve immediately!
Brooklyn Style Pizza Recipe
Ninja Turtle Approved
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups bread flour (about 10 ounces), plus some for dusting
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for topping
- 3/4 cup bottled water warmed to 100 deg F
- Plastic wrap
- ¾ cups tomato puree/passata
- ½ teaspoon dried Parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese hand grated
- 10 basil leaves
Instructions
- In your stand mixer or large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and one cup of flour. Gently combine and let stand for 3 minutes.
- Following the rest period, begin to mix (use the hook attachment on your stand mixer) on low. Gently pour in remaining flour, salt, and oil. Let mix for 5 minutes on medium low speed (scraping the bowl as needed to keep the dough in the bowl).
- Once mixed, form into ball and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in the fridge for 2 days, punching down after the first day.
- Once risen, remove dough from fridge 2 hours before cooking.
- Prepare sauce by combining the tomato puree, dried herbs, salt, and sugar.
- Preheat oven to 450 deg F, and place your pizza stone in the middle of the oven. Place dough ball on floured surface, and roll out into a 14” circle. Transfer to your favorite pizza peel, top with the sauce, then cheese (leaving a ½” lip around the edge). Slide onto the stone and bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden and puffy.
- (No stone? No problem. Use a pizza pan and cook for 12-15 minutes in the middle of your oven.)
Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers best peppers
Servings 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 4 Bell peppers
- 3 Cups Cooked Rice (use frozen brown rice for a weeknight shortcut)
- 1 Pound cooked Italian sausage
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
- 4 Cups Fresh Spinach
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 8 Ounces Mushrooms
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup Giardiniera (optional)
Instructions
- As rice cooks, preheat oven to 400 degrees / grill to medium high heat. Cut tops off of peppers and remove seeds and ribs. Generously salt and roast in oven or top rack of the grill (cut side down) for 15-20 minutes or until soft. (This is your opportunity to cook sausage if needed).
- As peppers roast and rice cooks, heat large saute pan over medium high heat. Saute mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, or until just brown. Add in crushed garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- As you wait for everything to finish, chop parsley and halve tomatoes. Once rice/peppers are cooked, in large bowl combine rice, spinach, mushrooms, sausage, cheese, and tomatoes. Stir to combine, then add mixture into cooked peppers, topping with a bit more cheese and Giardiniera.
Tomato Minestrone Soup
Minestrone Soup in minutes
Servings 6 bowls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced zucchini (about 1 small one)
- 1/2 cup diced carrot (about 1 carrot)
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 15 ounces cannellini beans (thats one can)
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Italian bread (for sopping)
- Black pepper
Instructions
- In a dutch oven over medium heat, add in olive oil, then sweat onion/carrot for 6 minutes along with a heavy pinch of salt. Add in zucchini and garlic for another minute, then add in bay leaf, stock, drained beans, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, then served, garnished with the basil, cheese, bread, and grinds of black pepper. Yeah, its really that easy.
Kale and Italian Sausage Pasta
The best six ingredient pasta ever
Servings 4 People
Ingredients
- 1 pound hot italian sausage (great place to use a turkey sausage)
- 1 pound short cut pasta (I used farfalle; gnocchi also great here)
- 1 pound kale, chopped fine (they sells bags of this… do that)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- black pepper
Instructions
- Place heavily salted pot of water on to boil. Cook pasta for 2 minutes short of package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water prior to draining.
- As pasta cooks, place large dutch oven or wide rimmed pan on medium high heat. Brown sausage using a bit of your favorite saute oil). Make sure sausage is very browned and very crumbled.
- Once sausage is cooked, add in garlic, kale, cooking water, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to cook the kale, 2-3 minutes.
- Once kale starts to turn bright green, add in pasta and cheese. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Serve immediately topped with more cheese and grinds of black pepper.
Grilled Pasta Primavera
Pasta Primavera, on the grill
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 pound asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
- 3 cups arugula
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 shallot (sliced)
- 1/2 Cup pancetta, diced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound cooked shrimp (peeled deveined deshelled)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, minus 2 minutes. Turn grill on medium heat to preheat.
- Prepare asparagus, red pepper, and shallot, and combine with tomatoes, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Grill on a grill pan or cast iron pan for 10-12 minutes or until soft.
- In another very large pan over low heat, sweat pancetta until rendered, 10-12 minutes. Toss in shrimp for the final minute to warm.
- Once veggies are cooked and pancetta rendered, combine pasta, shrimp, veggies, and arugula into large pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes to marry flavors over low heat.
- Serve pasta warm, garnished with the Parmesan cheese.
Shrimp Puttanesca
Funky and amazing
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Shrimp (removed of veins/shells/tails)
- 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
- 2 Cloves garlic (crushed)
- 3 Tablespoons capers
- 1/4 Cup green olives (coarsely chopped)
- 1 Cup white wine
- 1 Teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
- 1/4 Teaspoon red pepper flake
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 Cup fresh parsley (chopped fine)
- Cooked pasta or gnocchi (as shown)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lemon (for a finishing touch)
Instructions
- Place a large cast iron or sauté pan over high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of oil and cook the shrimp, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 4/5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan.
- Place same pan over medium heat. Add in remaining oil, garlic, anchovy paste, and pepper flake. Cook for one minute, stirring often. Deglaze with white wine, then add in tomatoes. Cover and cook for 4 minutes.
- Once tomatoes have cooked briefly, turn heat to low and add capers, olives, and butter. Cook for another two minutes on low, then remove from heat and toss in shrimp to coat. Serve on pasta or gnocchi and garnish with parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
