Italy at Home

Some of my favorite dishes are Italian.  My friend, Karen is on vacation there now so I am thinking of my favorite Italian foods.  

I was born on an Iowa farm.  Everything we ate came from something the farm produced.  We moved to LA when I was starting Third Grade.  One of my friends invited me to play one Saturday.  For lunch her mother served Spaghetti.  I told my mother how good it was.  She called my friend's mother to get the recipe.  It turned out to be Spaghetti from a can.  Years later I found myself alone for dinner one night and bought the same brand.  They say "you can't go home again".   It was certainly true with my canned spaghetti.  It was so bland and spongy I could not finish it.  

Lunch today was one of my favorite salads.  It can be served at a main course or a side dish.

1 package Spinach Pasta (preferably in small shapes). I used Buitoni's Spinach Cheese Tortellini.  

1 can cannellini beans

1 recipe Pesto Sauce- recipe follows

Mini Heirloom tomatoes

Fresh basil for garnish

Parmesan cheese (best from an Italian deli but alas I don't have one nearby)

 Make the Pesto Sauce in a mini-prep or food processors. Purée one garlic clove.  Add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves, and 1/4 cup olive oil.  Purée until smooth.  Add more olive oil if necessary to make a fluid sauce that can pour easily.  

To make the salad, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Dry pasta will need more cooking time than fresh.  Drain and place in serving dish. 

Drain the beans and place in the center of the pasta leaving a one-inch border.  

Place the tomatoes around the beans as a border.  Pour the Pesto Sauce over all.  Garnish with basil and sprinkle Parmesan Cheese to taste over all.  

My other favorite Italian recipe is a main course.  It is great for company.  The meat takes an hour and a half in the oven.  The pasta is best served just before time to eat.  It smells wonderful as it cooks.  

It is best prepared in a cast-iron deep-sided skillet with an oven proof glass lid.

3 large bell peppers- assorted colors

Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tablespoons olive oil.

1 package sweet Italian peppers

1 cup dry red wine.  

Spinach Pasta cooked according to package directions

Parmesan Cheese 

Cut open the peppers.  Remove seeds and membranes.  Cut into pieces.  Sauté in the skillet in olive oil until soft.  Season.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  In the same skillet and oil, sauté the sausages (after removing skin and cutting into bite sized pieces).  When sausages are browned, add the wine, cover with the lid and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and add peppers.  Return to oven and baked uncovered an additional 30 minutes.  

Cook the pasta  according to package directions.  Drain and place in a serving dish.  Top with meat/pepper combination and top with Parmesan Cheese  or pass separately.