Buona Notte

It's always a good night for Italian food, isn't it?

The first recipe is a very classy dish with the classic tastes of Italy (tomatoes, oregano, and Italian sausage). Make sure to use fresh mozzarella. It's rich and creamy. Polenta is an italian corn meal. My husband hates polenta and corn meal and he loves this dish. There won't be leftovers!

The second recipe is comfort, not classy. It's basic, tummy-pleasing Italian!


Baked Polenta with Sausage and Tomato-Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

5 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 medium yellow onion, halved lengthwise, then cut into thin wedges
1 medium yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. each salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red chile flakes
1 pound bulk Italian sausage, sweet or spicy (or 1 lb. Italian sausage links removed from their casings)
2 tubes (16 oz. each) prepared polenta, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds (in the Italian portion of the supermarket)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced into 1/4" thick rounds

Directions:

Preheat broiler to high. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a 2 - 3 qt. saucepan set over medium heat, then add tomatoes and oregano and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and chile flakes, and stir to combine. Cover pan, lower heat to medium, and cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it firms up, about 5 minutes. Cover pan and cook until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes more. Add tomato sauce and simmer 10 minutes.

While sauce is cooking, pour remaining 1 1/2 tbsp oil into 1 9x13 baking pan and tilt to coat bottom. Add polenta slices to pan and turn to coat with oil, then arrange slices lengthwise in 3 slightly overlapping rows. Broil polenta about 4" from heating element until golden brown and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes.

Pour sauce over broiled polenta, thena rrange mozarella slices over the top. Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

510 Calories, Fat 30 g., Cholesterol 82 mg., Carbohydrate 33g; Sodium 1505 mg; Protein 23g; Fiber 4.8g

From Sunset Magazine website

One-Pot Pasta


Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sliced fresh mushroom
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (26 oz.) jars tomato-basil pasta sauce
1 c. water
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (20 oz.) pkg refrigerated four-cheese ravioli
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook ground beef in a Dutch oven or over medium-high heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Wipe Dutch over clean.

Saute onion and mushrooms in hot oil over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Stir in beef, pasta sauce, 1 cup water, and next 3 ingredients.

Bring sauce to a boil; add ravioli. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in cheese. Serve immediately.

From Southern Living website

For testing purposes only, Sunset magazine used Classico Tomato & Basil pasta sauce and Buitoni Family Size Four Cheese Ravioli.

Notes: This dish is very freezer friendly. Simply freeze in a freezer friendly container (don't forget to label and date it!). When you are ready to use it, defrost it in the fridge overnight. You can either reheat it in the microwave or over the stove top.