1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
2 Chorizo sausages, uncooked, cut into bite-size pieces
2 oz tomato paste
1 plum tomato
2 sun-dried tomatoes (I use the jarred kind, packed in oil)
3/4 cup red wine
2 garlic cloves (toss in a bit of olive oil and roast until golden in a 350 degree oven)
9 oz penne pasta, dry
salt and pepper – to taste
fresh basil – for garnish

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

While pasta is cooking; heat the oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chil and cook for two minutes.

Add the Chorizo and cook for five minutes, until sausage is browned all over.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, except the pasta. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the pasta with the sausage mixture and serve hot garnished with fresh basil.

2 pizza crusts, or dough for 2 pizzas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can Italian diced tomatoes (not plain canned tomatoes)
1 large red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 pound fresh sausage of your choice, squeezed from casing, cooked and drained
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pizza crusts on work surface. Brush all over with olive oil. Top crusts with diced tomatoes, onion, artichoke hearts and sausage. Arrange mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake 10-15 minutes, until crispy and cheese is bubbly. Serve with red pepper flakes for the people that like an extra kick.

Serves 4

A favorite of Garfield and all members of my family! I don’t think much has to be said about Lasagna, most people have tried some form of it before. I like my lasagna with lots of cottage cheese and tomato flavors, but low on mean. I like it when my lasagna is firm enough to hold it’s shape and not slide around all goopy-like. This is a very versatile recipe, so I’ve listed some of the substitutions possible.

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey, tofu, seitan, even spinach will do)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1-2 Tbsp fresh basil (or 1-2 tsp dry)
1-2 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1-2 tsp dry)
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 500ml (2 cup) tub of cottage cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
9 lasagna noodles

In a saucepan, fry the meat (or substitute) with the onion and garlic until cooked through (or brown). Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer five minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles as the package directs. Drain and rinse with cool water.

In a medium bowl, combine the three cheeses with the egg and parsley. Use only two cups of the mozzarella cheese, the other cup is for later.

Grease a 9×13 pan with a bit of cooking spray, and spread a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Place three of the noodles in the bottom of the pan, cutting the ends to fit if neccessary. Top with half of the cheese/egg mixture, then one third of the tomato sauce. Repeat the layers: 3 noodles, the rest of the cheese/egg mixture, and 1/3 of the sauce. Top with the last three noodles, then the remaining sauce, and finally sprinkle on the cup of mozzarella cheese you saved earlier.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for half an hour. Let it cool for about ten minutes before serving, that helps prevent it from being goopy when you cut it.

Yield: 12 servings

4 oz bacon, proscuitto, or salt pork, chopped finely
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs onions, sliced thin
5 cups chicken broth
12 oz tomatoes, canned, chopped
salt and pepper
2-4 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
parmesan cheese

On medium-low heat in a large soup pot, heat the bacon until the fat starts to melt. Add the butter and olive oil (sometimes I cut back on the fat) and increase the heat to medium.

Add the onions and half-cover the pot with the lid. Cook for twenty minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown.

Add the chicken stock and tomatoes to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for thirty minutes.

Add 1 Tbsp of the fresh basil to the pot and stir to blend in. Serve the soup hot, garnish with the rest of the basil and parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

4 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 large onion
14 leaves fresh basil
2 sprigs fresh parsley
pepper
salt

Blanch and peel the tomatoes and squish out the seeds (most of them).

Peel the carrots, chop all the veggies and herbs roughly.

Put everything in a large saucepan, heat to boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender (or food processor, food mill, or regular blender) to puree the sauce ingredients. Continue to simmer until the sauce is reduced to the thickness you like. Adjust spices to your tastes.

3 cups fresh basil leaves (don’t pack them when measuring, keep them loose-ish)
2-3 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp light miso
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 to 1/3 cup water

Place everything except the water in a food processor and pulse/blend until everything is wel minced. Gradually add the water to the mixture and blend until the desired consistency is reached. Best if used right away.

1 Large egg
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 T Fresh lemon juice
1 t Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 c Olive oil
1 Head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1-2 c Croutons

Place the egg in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Drain the egg and cool under running water. Peel.

In large heavy bowl, mash the garlic and egg together. Beat in the lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Slowly beat in the cheese and olive oil.

Toss the lettuce and croutons with the dressing. Serve immediately.

1 lb Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 Green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 c Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb Italian-style pork sausages

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the vegetables in a single layer in one or more large shallow roasting pans; do not crowd the veggies or they will not brown. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.

Roast the vegetables, stirring once or twice, for 45 minutes.

Pierce each sausage in two or three places with a fork. Place the sausages on top of the vegetables. Bake for 15-30 minutes, or until the sausages and vegetables are cooked through. Serve hot.

1 16-oz Can pear halves or slices
3 c All-purpose flour
2 1/2 t Baking powder
1/2 t Salt
1/2 lb Unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c Sugar
3 Large eggs
3 T Grappa, rum, or brandy
1 t Vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

Drain the pears and reserve the liquid. Chop the pears into half-inch pieces. You should have about 1 1/4 c pears and 1/2 c liquid.

In a medium bowl; stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer; beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the reserved pear liquid, the grappa, and vanilla. The batter will look curdled, don’t freak out.

Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary and beating just until blended, aboout 1 minute. With a rubber spatula; stir in the pears.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Invert the cake onto a rack and remove the pan. Let cool completely.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

For the crepes:
1 c All-purpose flour
1 c Water
3 Large eggs
1/2 t Salt
Vegetable oil

For the filling:
2 lb Ricotta cheese
4 oz Mozzarella cheese, chopped or shredded
1/2 c Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 Large egg
2 T Fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper

Tomato sauce
1/2 c Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

To make the crepes; in a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a 6-inch nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium heat. Brush the pan lightly with oil. Holding the pan in one hand, spoon in about 1/3 cup of the crepe batter and immediately rotate and tilt the pan to completely cover the bottom. Pour any excess batter back into the bowl. Cook the crepe for 1 minute, or until the edges turn brown and begin to lift away from the pan. With your fingers, flip the crepe over, and cook for 30 seconds more, or until spotted with brown on the other side.

Slide the cooked crepe onto a plate. Cover with a piece of wax paper. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the crepes and separating each one with a piece of wax paper. The crepes can be made up to 2 days ahead of serving; just cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make filling; stir together all of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon a thin layer of the sauce into a 13×9 baking dish. Place about 1/4 cup of the filling lengthwise down the center of a crepe. Roll it up, and place it seam-side down in the dish. Continue with the remaining crepes and filling, placing them close together. Spoon on the remaining sauce, sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the manicotti are heated through. Serve hot.