Tortellini in Mushroom Sauce

Using frozen tortellini makes this a quick meal option!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (1/3 of a 16-ounce bag) frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup water
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon cold butter
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook tortellini according to package instructions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add tortellini, Parmesan, butter, and parsley. Toss to coat; serve.

Note:

If you find fresh tortellini, you can use that instead of frozen; cook in a pot of boiling salted water until the pasta floats to the top, about 3 minutes. The mushroom sauce can also be tossed with plain pasta, such as fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti. Cook 2 ounces of pasta, and add 2 more tablespoons of Parmesan.

Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Asiago, Mozzarella & Cottage Cheese

Satisfying four-cheese stuffed shells, bursting with ricotta, Asiago, mozzarella and cottage cheese. Use your favorite brand of spaghetti sauce--meatless or not.

Ingredients

6 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup 4% cottage cheese

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, Asiago cheese, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, chives and 1/2 cup spinach (save the remaining spinach for another use).

Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce into a shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drain pasta; stuff with cheese mixture. Arrange in prepared dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 servings.

Sausage, Red Onion, and Wild Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce ball purchased fresh pizza dough

2/3 cup finely grated Piave or Parmesan cheese

2 1/4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 1/2 hot Italian sausages, casings removed

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

7 ounces fresh wild mushrooms (such as stemmed shiitake, oyster, and chanterelle), thickly sliced

1 3/4 cups coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 7 ounces), divided

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Place dough on work surface; let stand until room temperature, about 20 minutes. Divide dough in half. Press and stretch each piece out on lightly floured surface to 5-inch round. Sprinkle each with 1/3 cup Piave cheese, 3/4 teaspoon rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper; sprinkle with coarse salt. Roll each piece of dough out to 10-inch round, pressing in seasonings. Transfer dough rounds to prepared baking sheets.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage. Sauté until brown, breaking into 1/2-inch pieces with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to bowl. Add onion to skillet. Sauté until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes; transfer to plate. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and remaining 3/4 teaspoon rosemary; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Leaving 1/2-inch plain border, top each dough round with 3/4 cup mozzarella, then onion, sausage, and mushrooms.

Bake until crust bottoms are crisp and brown, reversing sheets after 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total. Using large spatula, transfer pizzas to work surface. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons mozzarella, then parsley, if desired.

Test-kitchen tip:

Pizza-wheel cutters can drag toppings, so use a large chef's knife to cut pizzas into wedges.

Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots

This Garlic Parmesan Knots recipe tastes very similar to the garlic twists my family gets at a pizza joint in Denver when we go on vacation. The best part is they only take 20 minutes from start to finish. You may need to practice your knots. I know I had to, but now I can make them beautifully. Enjoy!

• 1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits ( I used Pillsbury Golden Layers Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (You can use the green can stuff; I prefer fresh)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1. Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. Yield:10 knots.

Italian Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup panko bread crumbs

1 TB dried Italian seasoning

2 TB finely grated hard Italian cheese, like Parmesan

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp finely ground pepper

1 1/3 lb ground chicken

1 egg

1 TB fresh, finely chopped basil or oregano (optional)

1/2 tsp coarse salt 

1 TB olive oil

4 burger buns, preferably Kaiser or a soft Ciabatta

4 large slices tomato

4 oz low-moisture mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly

1/2 cup arugula

8-12 large basil leaves

Mayonnaise 

Directions:

First, make your seasoned breading. Mix the panko, dried seasoning, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside on a large plate.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the chicken, egg, salt, and oregano, if using. Add about 1/4 cup of the bread crumb mixture, mixing gently, and careful not to overwork. Patties should hold together at this point; if you need a little more panko for it to hold it together, add about 1 TB at a time, using no more than an additional 2 TB. Shape it into 4 patties roughly 4" in diameter, and dredge it in the panko mixture, pressing the panko into the chicken patties. You may have some panko left over.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the patties. Cook until medium golden brown on the bottom, and chicken appears cooked halfway up, about 4-5 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking until the other side is the same color, another 3 minutes or so more. (Now's a good time to put the buns in the toaster.) When bottoms of chicken patties are light golden brown, with about 1 minute to go, add a thin layer of cheese on the top, and let cheese melt.

To serve, spread a little mayo on each side of your kaiser bun. Lay a few pieces of arugula, basil, and tomato slice on the bottom bun. Top with the patty and serve. 

Chance to Win Mary Ann Esposito's New Cookbook

Here's a chance to win Mary Ann Esposito's newest cookbook, "Ciao Italia Family Classics."  
All you have to do for your entry is submit a personal Italian recipe of your own by following the link below courtesy of PBS Food. Hurry! Deadline is tomorrow! Winners chosen my Mary Ann herself. Good luck everyone!
http://www.pbs.org/food/features/win-mary-ann-espositos-new-cookbook/








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