Italian Garlic Sausage Penne

Serves 4 to 5  Prep Time 10 minutes  Cooking Time 15 minutes

225 grams penne noodles
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
half an onion, sliced
1 piece Italian garlic sausage, sliced thinly
8 pieces sundried tomatoes, sliced thinly
12 to 15 pieces green olives, sliced into rings
1 pack McCormick Herb and Garlic Pasta Powder
1/4 cup Parmesan slivers

1  Cook penne noodles according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, make the sauce.
2  Heat oil in a sauté pan. Add in minced garlic and sliced onions. Cook until onions are translucent then add in sausages and sundried tomatoes.
3  Sprinkle Herb and Garlic Pasta powder. Add green olives. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
4  Toss immediately with cooked pasta.
5  Decorate with Parmesan slivers. Serve immediately.

Chicken Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:
500g chicken breast, cut into small pieces (1/2" square)
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (410g) of diced tomato
1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/4 cup tomato paste
cooking spray
3 1/3 cup cooked pasta

Instructions:

Spray frypan with nonstick cooking spray. Sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms for approximately 5 minutes over low heat. Add raw chicken pieces. Cook chicken over medium high heat until no longer pink. Once chicken is cooked, add tomatoes, paste, balsamic vinegar, and spices to the mixture. Mix together and simmer over medium low heat for 20 minutes.

Serve with a side of garlic bread and your favourite vegetable.

Greek lamb with orzo

Ingredients

• 1kg shoulder of lamb
• 2 onions , sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano , or 1 tsp dried
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cinnamon sticks , broken in half
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1.2l hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 400g orzo (see know-how below)
• freshly grated parmesan , to serve

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  1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cut the lamb into 4cm chunks, then spread over the base of a large, wide casserole dish. Add the onions, oregano, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon and olive oil, then stir well. Bake, uncovered, for 45 mins, stirring halfway.
  2. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock, cover tightly, then return to the oven for 1½ hrs, until the lamb is very tender.
  3. Remove the cinnamon sticks, then stir in the orzo. Cover again, then cook for a further 20 mins, stirring halfway through. The orzo should be cooked and the sauce thickened. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve with crusty bread.
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Ham and egg pasta

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 200g 97% fat-free sliced leg ham
• 375g dried penne pasta
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup light and creamy evaporated milk
• 40g parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Method

1. Preheat grill on medium-high. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place ham in a single layer on prepared tray. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Roughly chop.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, following packet directions, until tender. Drain. Return to pan.
3. Whisk eggs, evaporated milk and two-thirds of the cheese in a jug.
4. Place pan over low heat. Add egg mixture and ham. Toss to combine. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Season with pepper. Serve with chives and remaining cheese.

Penne boscaiola

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 250g short cut bacon
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 300g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 350g penne
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Grated parmesan and crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Slice bacon and cook with onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and bacon is lightly browned.
2. Add mushrooms and cook for further 5 minutes. Add cream and peas and simmer until peas are tender. Season to taste.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pan of salted, boiling water, until just tender. Drain.
4. Add pasta and parsley to pan with sauce, and toss until well combined. Serve immediately with parmesan and crusty bread

Meatballs with soupy tomato and herb risotto recipe

Ingredients

1. 12 (about 430g) best-quality beef meatballs
2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
3. 200g ready-diced onion (or 1 large chopped onion) 250g risotto rice
4. 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
5. 400g can chopped tomatoes with herbs
6. 50g grated Grana Padano or Parmesan

Method

1. 1. In a large frying pan, quickly brown 12 (about 430g) best-quality beef meatballs all over in 1 tablespoon olive oil for about 2 minutes until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. 2. Add 200g ready-diced onion (or 1 large chopped onion) to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened.
3. 3. Add 250g risotto rice and cook for a further 1 minute. Pour in 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock and a 400g can chopped tomatoes with herbs. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
4. 4. Add the meatballs and simmer for another 5 minutes, adding a little more stock if the rice isn’t soupy enough.
5. 5. Stir in 50g grated Grana Padano or Parmesan and serve in warmed bowls, with soup spoons and some extra grated cheese, to sprinkle over.

chicken with orzo

Ingredients

1.5kg chicken, cut into portions
1 teacup olive oil
640g fresh tomatoes
500g orzo/risoni
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
water

Preparation

Wash and clean the chicken.

Cut into portions and sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.
In a large baking tray add plenty of olive oil, you may need to add more than 1 teacup depending on the size of your tray.
Grate the tomatoes over a bowl and keep.In the tray add the chicken, and 1/3 of the tomatoes and mix all in.
Put in the oven on a medium heat and roast until the chicken is cooked.
Take the tray out of the oven and remove the chicken.
Add the rest of the tomatoes to the tray along with the orzo, 4-5 teacups of boiling water, oregano and salt to season.
Stir through.
Replace the chicken in the tray and return the tray to the oven.
Keep a check on this and give it a stir regularly to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and also that the liquid doesn't dry up. If it does, add some more water, a little at a time, until the pasta is cooked. Be careful not to overcook the pasta.
The orzo should be coated in a rich tomato sauce with just a little runny sauce left over.
Serve with parmesan cheese and a spring green salad.
You can adjust this meal to use beef or lamb instead of chicken. It is served in Greece with all meats. If using lamb, use a very lean piece and cut off all visible fat.
This recipe can be cooked in a large casserole saucepan on the stovetop. It is suited more to chicken and is ideal for smaller quantities. You will probably need to add a little water to the chicken in the beginning and let it simmer until cooked.
When you add the pasta, check the water levels, and stir often as it is more likely to stick on the stovetop, regulate the heat to low to not burn.

SHRIMP PASTA

Ingredients

500g packet pasta - penne or other type
500g / 1 lb shrimps - peeled
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
75g bacon, chopped
1 x 425g tin peeled and crushed tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons tomato puree diluted in a little water
1 tspn oregano - dried
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon sugar
freshly ground salt and pepper
To Garnish
Parsley, shredded



Preparation
Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and saute the garlic.

1. Add the bacon and fry for a little longer to crisp.
2. Pour the tomatoes and tomato puree diluted in a small amount of water to the pan.
3. Season with oregano, chopped parsley, sugar and freshly ground salt and pepper.
4. Simmer for about 20 minutes for the tomatoes to soften to a pulp and the sauce to thicken substantially.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil, add the pasta and boil according to packet instructions or al dente.
6. Drain.
7. Place all the shrimp in the sauce and stir through.
8. Leave to simmer for another 5 minutes until the shrimp are coated in the sauce and have absorbed the flavours.
9. Place the pasta into a large pasta serving bowl and pour the sauce over.
10. Stir through until all the pasta is coated in the sauce and evenly distributed.
11. Garnish with shredded parsley.

PASTITSIO

"Pastitsio is an all time favourite in Greece. Especially with children."

Ingredients

500g pastitsio or macaroni pasta
500g mince
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon parsley
2 tablespoons butter
pepper, salt
2 large fresh tomatoes, grated (or 3/4 tin of tomatoes, chopped)
1 or 2 egg whites
2 teacups grated cheeseBECHAMEL SAUCE
1 litre milk, warmed
4 tablespoons heaped plain flour
fresh nutmeg - grated, 3 quick grates (or 3 pinches dried nutmeg)
125g butter
2 egg yolks
salt, pepper

Preparation

Fry onion in butter until soft.
Add mince, fry until brown, breaking up any lumps of mince so it is all small.
Add the grated carrot and parsley and mix in.
Add the tomatoes, which have been grated or put in a blender.
Add salt and pepper. Add some water - about 100-150ml.
Cover and leave to simmer for half an hour.
When ready, cool slightly and stir in the egg whites.
Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile you can make the bechamel sauce.
To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan.
Add the flour and mix in well for a while until it goes a bit yellow but doesn't burn.
Add a little milk, mix it in well and slowly add all the rest of the milk.
(At the start use a wooden spoon to mix the flour with the butter, then change to a whisk when adding the milk.)
Whisk thoroughly to make sure there are no lumps.
As you add the milk, have it on a low heat then once all the milk has been added and there are no lumps, you can increase the heat slightly to heat the milk and stirring regularly, the sauce will thicken.
When you add the milk, this is the time that it is possible for the sauce to get lumps in it, especially if you haven't made this sauce before.
To rectify, take the saucepan off the heat, and use an electric hand mixer on the sauce (in the saucepan), until you have a smooth sauce and all the lumps are gone. Return to the heat and warm until it thickens.
Add a little salt and pepper and the nutmeg, be careful not to add too much nutmeg - it really only needs a little amount to give the sauce a wonderful flavour. About 3 quick grates of a fresh nutmeg or 3 small pinches of dried nutmeg.
Nutmeg is only used in bechamel sauce when made to go with pastitsio. If you are using this recipe to go with another meal, you can omit the nutmeg.
When the sauce thickens, leave to cool a while, then add 2 egg yolks, and stir in to the sauce. In a large deep baking tray, place half the pasta in the tray.
Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over the pasta.
Spread all the mincemeat over the pasta evenly.
Finish with the rest of the pasta, flatten out over the mincemeat.
Sprinkle over the pasta the other cup of cheese.
Pour bechamel sauce all over the top of the pasta and ensure it covers all the pasta.
Dot little pieces of butter over the top of the sauce to give it colour.
At this stage you can leave the pastitsio to bake later or bake straight away.
Bake in a moderate oven for approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on whether the food is already hot or not.
The sauce should have a lovely golden colour.
As with all baked macaroni recipes, even if the food is hot, baking it will help set the layers of food

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
• 8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
2. Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.

Clam Linguine

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (6.5 ounce) can minced clams, with juice
• 1/2 pound linguine pasta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine olive oil, butter, garlic, tomatoes and parsley; simmer and let reduce. Add some clam juice if the sauce reduces too much.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 3 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Add clams to the skillet and heat through; top with cheese and serve immediately.