Cherry Tomato Pizza

Tags

Baked Foods, Blogging Marathon, Italian, pizza

Cherry Tomato Pizza is made with full of Italian spices, cherry tomatoes, basil and cheeses. Homemade pizza dough and marinara sauce gives a fresh flavour to the pizza. If you have the pizza dough ready, this pizza takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time : 15 minutes

Serves : 2-3

Ingredients :

Pizza Dough: 1/2 this recipe (you can use store bought dough)

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce : 4 tablespoons (store bought is fine too)

Cherry Tomatoes : 1/2 cup sliced

Basil leaves : 7-8

Italian seasoning : 2 teaspoons

Shredded Mozzarella cheese : 1/2 cup

Shredded Cheddar cheese : 1/2 cup

Method :

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Take a pizza pan, add few drops of olive oil and brush the entire pan. Take the pizza dough, flatten it to cover the pan and form an edge. Make impression in the middle with your fingers.

Add pizza sauce and smear it all over the pizza. Add cherry tomatoes, couple basil leaves, cheeses, Italian seasoning and bake for 15 minutes.

Take out the pizza, add rest of the basil leaves and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Note: Add too many basil leaves before baking will burn the leaves so just add a couple and cover them with cheese.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Tags

30 minutes or less, Italian, pasta

This is a simple pasta tossed in flavourful roasted red pepper sauce which is creamy and delicious. Addition of protein is optional.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time : 15 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Pasta : 2 cups

Red bell peppers: 2 large diced

Onion : 1 medium diced

Garlic cloves : 3 minced

Italian seasoning: 1 teaspoon

Red chilli flakes : 2 teaspoons (use less for a mild sauce)

Salt to taste

Fresh cream or milk : 3/4 cup

Instructions :

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, drain it, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and keep aside

Heat oil in a pan, add red peppers and roast them for 4 minutes. Add onions, garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add salt, Italian seasoning, red chilli flakes, stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the stove and let it cool.

In a blender jar add the red pepper mixture and blend. Add cream or milk and blend till smooth.

Add sauce to the cooked pasta and toss well to coat. Serve with some protein as a main dish or as a side dish.

Pasta with some meatballs

Italian Braised Chicken

Tags

Chicken Recipes, Italian, One pot dishes

This Italian Braised Chicken is a one pot dish where the braised Chicken is cooked in tomato and basil sauce making the chicken full of flavours. The chicken is super tender and juicy. Serve it with some pasta or roasted vegetables.

You can use the chicken with skin, I couldn’t find any so I used skinless meat. Thighs are apt for the dish. I used drumsticks also as my kids love them.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time : 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Chicken Thighs : 5

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive Oil : 2 tablespoons

Onion : 1 medium diced

Garlic : 4 cloves minced

Tomato puree : 2 cups

Italian basil : 10 leaves chopped

Red chilli flakes : 2 teaspoons

Brown sugar : 1 teaspoon

Parsley to garnish

Instructions:

Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces.

Heat a dutch oven or a skillet on high heat, add the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. brown the chicken on both sides. Take them out and keep aside.

Lower the flame to medium, in the same pan, add olive oil, add onions, garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add tomato puree, basil leaves, salt, red chilli flakes and stir. Add braised chicken with the juices, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add brown sugar, stir to combine and garnish with parsely.

Serve immediately.

 

Chicken Alfredo pasta

Tags

30 minutes or less, Chicken Recipes, Italian, pasta

This Chicken Alfredo Pasta is a simple yet creamy and delicious dish. Serve it with some garlic bread to make it a meal.

I always make some extra Alfredo sauce as my kids love to dip their garlic bread in the sauce. It tastes delicious.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time : 15 minutes

Serves : 5-6

Ingredients:

Chicken breast/thighs : 700 grams cubed

Butter : 2 tablespoons

Dried Oregano : 1/2 teaspoon

Dried basil : 1/2 teaspoon

Red chilli flakes : 1/2 teaspoon

Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Ground pepper : 1/2 teaspoon

Pasta : 500 grams

Alfredo Sauce:

Butter : 2 tablespoons

Garlic : 5 cloves minced

All purpose flour : 2 tablespoons

Milk : 2 1/2 cups

Dried Oregano : 1/2 teaspoon

Dried basil : 1/2 teaspoon

Red chilli flakes : 1/2 teaspoon

Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Ground black pepper : 1/2 teaspoon

Shredded parmesan cheese : 1/2 cup

Instructions:

In a large pot, bring water to boil, add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain, add some oil and keep aside.

In a pan, add butter and melt it. Add chicken and season will all the spices listed. Saute for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove it from the pan and keep aside.

In the same pan, melt butter, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add 1 tablespoon of flour and stir to combine. Then add rest of the flour and stir well.

Add the milk little bit at a time, stir occasionally until the sauce beings to thicken.

Add all the spices and stir well to combine. Add parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Turn off the stove.

Take a pasta bowl, add cooked pasta, pour the sauce, add the cooked chicken and stir well to combine.

Serve hot with some garlic bread and/or salad.

 

Garlic Bread

Tags

Baked Foods, Italian, side dishes

Garlic Bread is a delicious side dish that goes well with any Italian meals. When made with fresh Italian bread, it tastes even better.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Bake Time : 10 minutes

Serves : 4-6

Ingredients:

Italian Bread: 1 loaf

Butter : 1/3 cup melted

Garlic : 2 cloves minced

Dried Oregano : 1/2 teaspoon

Red chilli flakes : 1/2 teaspoon (Optional)

Salt : 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/175 degrees C.

Slice the bread loaf into 1/2 inch pieces.

Place them in a cookie tray.

In a small bowl, mix rest of the ingredients.

Brush the butter mixture on the bread slices and bake them for 10-12 minutes.

Serve immediately as a side dish.

 

Italian Bread

Tags

Baked Foods, breads, Italian

Fresh Italian Bread is a pure bliss. Making this at home is pretty easy but just little technique and patience.

I love the top to be nice a rich. If you want this top, use whole egg. If you want a lighter top, just use the egg white.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Rest Time : 1 hour + 30 minutes

Bake Time : 25-30 minutes

Makes : 3 loaves

Ingredients:

Warm water : 1/2 cup

Granulated sugar : 1/2 teaspoon

Active dry yeast : 1 1/2 tablespoons

Hot water : 2 cups (don’t use boiling water)

Granulated Sugar : 3 tablespoons

Salt : 1 tablespoon

Olive oil : 1/2 cup

All purpose flour : 5 1/2 – 6 1/2 cups

Egg : 1 for brushing

Instructions:

In a medium size bowl, add warm water, sugar, yeast and stir. Let it rest for 10 minutes for the yeast to rise.

In a large bowl, add the hot water, sugar, salt and mix well. Add 3 cups of flour and stir to combine using a dough hook on a hand blender or a stand mixer.

Add the activated yeast, rest of the flour one cup at a time and mix well to combine. The dough will be sticky. Just add the flour until the dough is pliable.

Pull the dough from the sides, cover with a wet cloth and let it rest for 1 hour.

Place the dough onto a floured surface, divide the dough into three equal portions.

Take one portion at a time, gently roll it into a rectangle. Then roll the dough like a jelly roll and pinch the sides to seal.

Take a cookie sheet, line it with a parchment paper and place two rolls on a sheet, another roll on another cookie sheet. Take a sharp knife and make 3 cuts.

Cover with a wet cloth and rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush the rolls with egg wash and Bake them for 25 minutes.

Once the rolls are done, let them rest for 1 hour before slicing them.

Veggie Spaghetti

Tags

Italian, pasta

This Veggie Spaghetti is a quick and easy pasta that tastes delicious with lots to sautéed veggies, mushrooms and home made creamy sauce. It’s a good way to feed kids all the veggies as this spaghetti is colourful.

You can swap spaghetti with your choice of pasta and add your choice of vegetables.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cook Time : 15 minutes

Serves : 4 – 6

Ingredients :

Spaghetti : 12 oz /340 grams

Zucchini : 1 large diced

Red, yellow and green bell peppers : 1/2 cup each diced

Button mushrooms : 1 cup diced

Garlic : 3 cloves minced

Basil leaves : 7 roughly chopped

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce : 1/2 recipe blended till smooth

Extra virgin olive oil : 2 tablespoons

Italian seasoning : 2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

Method:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil by adding salt to it. Then cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, add some extra virgin olive oil and keep aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, add garlic, zucchini, bell peppers and saute for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for another 2 minutes on medium flame. Add salt, Italian seasoning, stir and cook for 1 more minute.

Take the cooked pasta in a large bowl, add rest of the extra virgin olive oil, marinara sauce and stir well to coat. Add the cooked veggies and stir. Add basil leaves and serve hot with some parmesan cheese as garnish.

 

 

 

Shrimp Scampi

Tags

30 minutes or less, Italian, Shrimp/Prawns

Shrimp Scampi is a quick and easy Italian dish where shrimp is cooked and then smothered in butter garlic sauce. Wine is normally used in the dish but I just replaced it with more chicken broth. It’s a perfect dinner in itself with some garlic butter or serve it with mashed potatoes.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time : 10 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Large shrimp : 500 grams raw, peeled and deveined

Salt : 1 teaspoon

Fresh ground black pepper : 1/2 teaspoon

Paprika : 1 teaspoon

Olive oil : 1 tablespoon

Butter : 2 sticks/ 1 cup

Garlic : 8 cloves minced

Chicken broth : 2/3 cup

Parsley : 1/4 cup chopped

Lemon : 1 squeezed

Method :

In a medium sized bowl, add washed shrimp, salt, black pepper, paprika and toss to coat.

Heat olive oil in a pan and add shrimp. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Remove the shrimp and set aside.

In the same pan, melt butter, add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add broth and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add shrimp back to the pan and toss. Add parsley and cook for another 2 minutes.

Turn off the stove, add lemon juice, toss and serve immediately.

Buffalo Chicken meatballs with Penne Pasta

Tags

Chicken Recipes, Italian, pasta

Chicken Meatballs with pasta is a great combo. Adding buffalo sauce mixed in the meatballs and to toss the pasta makes it much more tastier. This is a super simple dish that’s perfect for a dinner.

I previously posted F – Fusilli pasta soup with meatballs and Spaghetti with chicken meatballs both dishes are chicken meatballs with pasta.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cook Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients:

Penne pasta : 4 cups

Extra virgin olive oil : 2 tablespoons

For Sauce:

Unsalted butter : 4 tablespoons

Hot sauce : 1/3 cup

Crumbled blue cheese or parmesan cheese : 1/4 cup

Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

For meatballs:

Ground Chicken : 450 grams

Panko breadcrumbs : 1/2 cup

Onion : 1 medium chopped finely

Garlic : 2 cloves minced

Egg : 1 large

Parsley : 1/2 cup chopped

Fresh ground black pepper : 1/2 teaspoon

Method :

In a small saucepan, add all the ingredients listed under for sauce and whisk until butter and cheese is melted and fully incorporated for about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and let it cool.

In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients listed under for meatballs, half of the hot sauce and mix to combine. Make meatballs of your desired size and keep aside.

In a large vessel, boil water, add pasta, salt and cook according to the package instructions. Once the pasta is al-dente, drain, add a little bit of oil and keep aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan, add the meatballs with out crowding and fry them till golden brown on all sides. This should take about 10-12 minutes.

In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, remaining hot sauce, 1 table spoon of extra virgin olive oil and cooked meatballs. Toss well and serve immediately.

 

 

Pizza Dough

Tags

Italian, pizza

This Pizza Dough is a the basic recipe to make Pizzas, bread sticks, garlic knots etc. It’s super simple to make and tastes much better than the store bought ones. You can prepare the dough and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Rest Time: 2 hours

Bake Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 2 large pizzas or 1 large pizza and 3 pan size pizzas.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 3.5 cups

Salt: 2 teaspoons

Olive oil: 4 tablespoons

Sugar : 1 teaspoon

Warm water: 1 1/2 cups (110 degrees F) + 4 tablespoons

Instant dry yeast: 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons)

Method:

Take the yeast, sugar and 1.5 cups of warm water and rest it for 15 minutes so the yeast rises.

Take the flour, salt, 2 tablespoons of oil and add the yeast. Knead into a soft dough adding a tablespoon of water as needed.

Grease the bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil and place the dough in it. Put a plastic wrap on top of the bowl and keep it in a warm place for 1.5 hours.

The dough will double the size. Punch it down, make the dough into 2 balls and plastic wrap them for 10 minutes.

Pizza dough is ready to make pizzas or store it in a airtight container and refrigerate.

Note:

If you are living in a hotter place like India, Bluebird is the best yeast and dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water and use rest of the 1 cup of water while kneading the dough. Also, increase the All Purpose Flour to 4 cups.