The Menu
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Italian Antipasto Salad
Garlic Bread
Almond Cookies and Lemon Ice
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The Recipes
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Tomato Sauce:
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 spicy Italian sausages, removed from casings
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
42 oz. (1 1/2 28-oz. cans) crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion, and garlic. Saute, breaking up sausage chunks, until onion begins to color, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and herbs and bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until flavors blend, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meatballs:
3 (3/4-inch-thick) slices Italian bread with crusts
Milk
1 pound ground sirloin
2 tablespoons (packed) grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Place bread in medium bowl; cover with milk. Let stand until bread is soft, about 10 minutes. Place meat in large bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons cheese and next 5 ingredients. Squeeze bread almost dry; discard milk. Blend bread into meat mixture. Using 1 rounded tablespoon for each, shape mixture into 24 meatballs.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs; saute until brown and cooked through, turning often to hold shape, about 15 minutes. Add meatballs and drippings in skillet to pot of Tomato Sauce. Simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.
Place one pound of freshly cooked spaghetti in large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups sauce and toss to coat. Top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
Italian Antipasto Salad
Serves: 6 – 8
6 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 medium cucumber
1/2 cup purple onion, chopped
8 slices deli salami
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
3 pear tomatoes
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Wash salad lettuce.
Tear lettuce into bite size pieces and put into salad bowl.
Slice cucumber thin and add to lettuce in the bowl.
Add chopped onion to lettuce.
Open black olives, drain and add to lettuce.
Cut salami into quarters and add to lettuce.
Cut tomatoes into eighths and add to lettuce.
Add Italian dressing and toss well.
Sprinkle top of Italian salad with the fresh grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Note:
I used a handful of grape tomatoes instead of pear tomatoes.
Garlic Bread
Serves 4.
1 large loaf of Italian bread
2 cloves garlic, finely crushed
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
garlic salt to taste
Romano cheese freshly ground
Cut the bread into half, lengthwise, brush with olive oil. Sprinkle the crushed garlic, basil, garlic salt and Romano Cheese. Place the bread halves on a cookie sheet seasoned side up. Bake in a 350F oven until lightly brown, the middle will be soft. Be careful not to burn. Remove from oven and cut into thick slices.
Almond Cookies
1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds
1 tablespoon flour
2 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
Grind almonds finely, making 2 cups.
Mix almonds with flour.
Beat 1 egg white in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar and add the honey. Beat until the sugar is dissolved.
Add to the almond mixture and mix thoroughly.
Spoon the the dough by teaspoons onto wax paper. Roll each piece of dough to form a 2 inch long log. Place logs onto a lightly greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart and press ends and top to flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 minutes or so until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack for about 3 minutes.
While the cookies are cooling, beat 1 egg white lightly. Add 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla, mix thoroughly. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the egg and sugar mixture on the top of the cookies smoothing with the back of the spoon to distribute evenly. Cool the cookies completely, the topping will harden.
Serve with your favorite lemon sherbet.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Italian Antipasto Salad
Garlic Bread
Almond Cookies and Lemon Ice
=======================
The Recipes
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Tomato Sauce:
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 spicy Italian sausages, removed from casings
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
42 oz. (1 1/2 28-oz. cans) crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion, and garlic. Saute, breaking up sausage chunks, until onion begins to color, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and herbs and bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until flavors blend, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meatballs:
3 (3/4-inch-thick) slices Italian bread with crusts
Milk
1 pound ground sirloin
2 tablespoons (packed) grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Place bread in medium bowl; cover with milk. Let stand until bread is soft, about 10 minutes. Place meat in large bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons cheese and next 5 ingredients. Squeeze bread almost dry; discard milk. Blend bread into meat mixture. Using 1 rounded tablespoon for each, shape mixture into 24 meatballs.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs; saute until brown and cooked through, turning often to hold shape, about 15 minutes. Add meatballs and drippings in skillet to pot of Tomato Sauce. Simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.
Place one pound of freshly cooked spaghetti in large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups sauce and toss to coat. Top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
Italian Antipasto Salad
Serves: 6 – 8
6 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 medium cucumber
1/2 cup purple onion, chopped
8 slices deli salami
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
3 pear tomatoes
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Wash salad lettuce.
Tear lettuce into bite size pieces and put into salad bowl.
Slice cucumber thin and add to lettuce in the bowl.
Add chopped onion to lettuce.
Open black olives, drain and add to lettuce.
Cut salami into quarters and add to lettuce.
Cut tomatoes into eighths and add to lettuce.
Add Italian dressing and toss well.
Sprinkle top of Italian salad with the fresh grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Note:
I used a handful of grape tomatoes instead of pear tomatoes.
Garlic Bread
Serves 4.
1 large loaf of Italian bread
2 cloves garlic, finely crushed
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
garlic salt to taste
Romano cheese freshly ground
Cut the bread into half, lengthwise, brush with olive oil. Sprinkle the crushed garlic, basil, garlic salt and Romano Cheese. Place the bread halves on a cookie sheet seasoned side up. Bake in a 350F oven until lightly brown, the middle will be soft. Be careful not to burn. Remove from oven and cut into thick slices.
Almond Cookies
1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds
1 tablespoon flour
2 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
Grind almonds finely, making 2 cups.
Mix almonds with flour.
Beat 1 egg white in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar and add the honey. Beat until the sugar is dissolved.
Add to the almond mixture and mix thoroughly.
Spoon the the dough by teaspoons onto wax paper. Roll each piece of dough to form a 2 inch long log. Place logs onto a lightly greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart and press ends and top to flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 minutes or so until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack for about 3 minutes.
While the cookies are cooling, beat 1 egg white lightly. Add 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla, mix thoroughly. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the egg and sugar mixture on the top of the cookies smoothing with the back of the spoon to distribute evenly. Cool the cookies completely, the topping will harden.
Serve with your favorite lemon sherbet.
