Olive Garden Chicken Vino Bianco

1/2 pound dried linguine
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, grated
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup white wine, (I used Chardonnay)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 scallions, chopped (divided)
2 Roma tomatoes, diced (divided)
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add linguine. Cook until al dente (tender but still with a bite to it), about 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta, set aside.

Meanwhile: in a pie plate or shallow dish, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir with a fork to blend. Place the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, one at a time. Press the chicken into the mixture with tongs and flip the chicken over to coat the other side. Shake off the excess.

Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place all 4 chicken breasts in the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, turning once between cooking, about 8-10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add butter, onion and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup remaining flour to pan and whisk to combine. Add cream, lemon juice, wine, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Add up to 1 cup of pasta water to help create the sauce.

Add cooked pasta, half of scallions and half of tomatoes, stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet and allow it to warm. Sprinkle remaining scallions and tomatoes on top of skillet.

Chicken parmigiana casserole

• 4 chicken breasts, butterflied
• 1.5 cup panko bread crumb
• 1 cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 3 tablespoons parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 bunch basil fresh chopped
• 2.5 cups marinara sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

In an 8x8 baking dish, spread marinara sauce evenly on the bottom, then layer mozzarella and basil evenly on top. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then place evenly into pan over mozzarella. Really. Put the chicken edge to edge. In a bowl mix panko, parmesan, parsley, and oregano. Sprinkle evenly over chicken then bake at 375 °F for 1 hour. Cut into squares with a very sharp knife to serve.  enjoy.

Baked Polenta Layered with Mushroom Ragú Recipe

I don't know if I will ever get around to making this, but it looked so good I had to save the recipe.

Polenta pasticciata is a layered baked dish, just like lasagna, but made with warm, fresh polenta instead of pasta. You can fill the layers of polenta with all manner of good things—cheeses, vegetables, meats, or sauces, or a combination of everything. People absolutely love it for the complexity of flavor, and because it can be prepared in advance.
Recipe created by Lidia Bastianich

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

Ingredients

• 1 batch (about 10 cups) Basic Polenta, freshly made and hot, with or without freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (it will be richer if you include it, but just as good without it)
• 4 to 6 cups Mushroom Ragú
• 2 Tbsp. soft butter for the baking dish, or more if needed
• 1 to 2 cups shredded Muenster or dry-packed mozzarella, Italian Fontina, cheddar, or a soft cheese of your liking
• 1/2 to 1 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400° F, and set a rack in the center. Make your polenta in a large bowl, then put plastic wrap over the top, to keep it warm and to prevent a skin from forming on top. Be sure to assemble within 1/2 hour, while the polenta is still warm and soft with no lumps.

If necessary, heat the filling sauce to quite warm. If it is too dense for spreading, thin it with some water.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet thoroughly. Use more butter on the bottom, in particular, if you want to unmold the pasticciata onto a platter.

Pour in half the polenta (approximately 5 cups), and spread it evenly in the bottom of the pan. Scatter 1/3 cup or more shredded Muenster or other soft cheese all over the top, then sprinkle on 2 to 4 tablespoons of grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pour or ladle 2 cups of the warm sauce over the polenta and cheese, and spread it all over—use 3 cups sauce if you want a thicker layer.

Pour on a bit more than half of the remaining polenta (about 3 cups) and spread it, and top with shredded soft cheese and grated hard cheese in the amounts you like. Pour in the remaining sauce, and spread it evenly, reserving a cup, if you have enough and plan to unmold it.

For the top layer, spread all the rest of the polenta, and another 1/4 cup sauce on top of that. Sprinkle on more shredded soft cheese and grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you're making a thin pasticciata in a big pan, or want it to have a beautiful deep-golden crust or gratinato, use enough cheese to really cover the top. Do not compress the cheeses, though. (See note below.)

Set the pan on a cookie sheet, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or more, until the top is deeply colored and crusted, even browned a bit on the edges. Let the pasticciata cool for a few minutes before serving. If serving portions from the baking pan, cut into squares (like lasagna), or wedges if you've used a round skillet or pan, and lift them out with a spatula.

Polenta

8 cups water, or as needed
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 Tbsp. coarse salt, or as needed
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal

Directions
In a small saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a simmer; keep this "backup" water hot, covered, over medium-low heat. Bring the remaining water, the bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a 3-to-4-quart cast-iron saucepan, over medium-high heat. When boiling, add the olive oil.

Scoop up a small handful of the cornmeal, and, while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or flat-ended stirrer, let it sift slowly through your fingers into the seasoned boiling water. Let the cornmeal fall a pioggia—like rain—into the water. Sift the remaining cornmeal into the water a small handful at a time, stirring constantly, paying special attention to stirring the corners of the pot. It should take about 5 minutes to add all the cornmeal.

When all the cornmeal has been added, the mixture should be smooth and thick and begin to "perk," with large bubbles rising to the surface. Reduce the level of heat to medium-low, and continue stirring until the mixture becomes too thick to stir easily, about 4 minutes. Add enough of the "backup" water—about 1 cup—to restore the mixture to a smooth stirring consistency. Stir until the mixture is again too thick to stir easily. Continue adding water and stirring like this until the cornmeal is tender, about 20 minutes after the cornmeal was added.

When the cornmeal is tender, stir the polenta without adding water until it is shiny and begins to gather around the spoon as you stir it, 5 to 10 minutes. (The polenta should be thick enough to stand a spoon in.) The polenta is ready to serve at this point, or you can choose to cook it an extra few minutes to intensify the flavor. To continue cooking, reduce the level of heat to low, and stir the polenta constantly for 5 to 10 minutes. You may need to add a small amount of water during this extra cooking if the polenta begins to stick or become too thick.

Pour the polenta away from you into a ceramic bowl. Let it stand 10 minutes before serving. To serve polenta, scoop it onto plates with a large spoon, dipping the spoon in water before each scoop. (An ice-cream scoop can be used in the same fashion; it makes nice round mounds of polenta.)

Mushroom Ragú Recipe
The mushrooms you can buy at the supermarket will make a fine sauce, but if you have fresh wild mushrooms it will be even better. In either case, dried porcini provide the key flavor in this sauce. It is a sauce that freezes well, so freeze whatever extra you may have made.

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried porcini (about 1/2 cup loosely packed pieces), soaked in 1 1/2 cups warm water for a few minutes, until reconstituted
2 1/2 pounds small, firm, fresh mixed mushrooms
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary, a tender stem about 4 inches long
1 sprig fresh sage with 4 big leaves or more smaller ones
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry Marsala
4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Squeeze out the soaked porcini, and slice them into pieces about 1/4 inch wide. Strain the soaking water, and keep it in a warm spot. Clean, trim, and slice the fresh mushrooms into moderately thin slices, barely 1/4 inch wide. Tie the sprigs of fresh herbs together with a piece of kitchen twine, or enclose the leaves in cheesecloth.

Put the oil and butter in a large skillet, and place over medium heat. When the butter melts, dump in the onion and shallots and half the salt, and stir well. Heat to a slow sizzle, and cook for 6 minutes or more, stirring often, until the onions are soft, wilted, and shiny, without any browning.

Pour all the mushrooms into the pan, and spread them out. Sprinkle in the remaining salt, drop in the herb bouquet, then toss briefly and cover the pan. Raise the heat a bit, and cook, covered, for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan now and then to sweat the mushrooms.

Uncover, and continue to cook over fairly high heat, stirring frequently, as the mushrooms shrink and the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes or more. When the pan is dry and the mushrooms begin to brown, clear a spot, drop in the tomato paste, and toast it, stirring, for a minute or so; then stir it into the mushrooms.

When everything is browning again and just starting to stick, pour the Marsala all over. Stir constantly as the wine thickens and evaporates. When the mushrooms again start sticking to the bottom, pour in the warm mushroom water and 2 cups of the hot stock. Bring to an active boil, stirring up any caramelization on the pan bottom. Lower the heat to keep the sauce bubbling gently all over the surface, and cover the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring and adding stock to keep the mushrooms nearly covered in liquid; expect to add 1/2 cup or so at a time. Adjust the heat to keep the sauce simmering.

Uncover the pan, and cook for another 20 minutes, continuing to simmer the ragú and adding stock as needed. When the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and the sauce has just thickened, remove and discard the herb bouquet. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Polenta at the table

8 cups water, or as needed
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 Tbsp. coarse salt, or as needed
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal

Directions
In a small saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a simmer; keep this "backup" water hot, covered, over medium-low heat. Bring the remaining water, the bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a 3-to-4-quart cast-iron saucepan, over medium-high heat. When boiling, add the olive oil.

Scoop up a small handful of the cornmeal, and, while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or flat-ended stirrer, let it sift slowly through your fingers into the seasoned boiling water. Let the cornmeal fall a pioggia—like rain—into the water. Sift the remaining cornmeal into the water a small handful at a time, stirring constantly, paying special attention to stirring the corners of the pot. It should take about 5 minutes to add all the cornmeal.

When all the cornmeal has been added, the mixture should be smooth and thick and begin to "perk," with large bubbles rising to the surface. Reduce the level of heat to medium-low, and continue stirring until the mixture becomes too thick to stir easily, about 4 minutes. Add enough of the "backup" water—about 1 cup—to restore the mixture to a smooth stirring consistency. Stir until the mixture is again too thick to stir easily. Continue adding water and stirring like this until the cornmeal is tender, about 20 minutes after the cornmeal was added.

When the cornmeal is tender, stir the polenta without adding water until it is shiny and begins to gather around the spoon as you stir it, 5 to 10 minutes. (The polenta should be thick enough to stand a spoon in.) The polenta is ready to serve at this point, or you can choose to cook it an extra few minutes to intensify the flavor. To continue cooking, reduce the level of heat to low, and stir the polenta constantly for 5 to 10 minutes. You may need to add a small amount of water during this extra cooking if the polenta begins to stick or become too thick.

Pour the polenta away from you into a ceramic bowl. Let it stand 10 minutes before serving. To serve polenta, scoop it onto plates with a large spoon, dipping the spoon in water before each scoop. (An ice-cream scoop can be used in the same fashion; it makes nice round mounds of polenta.)

Polenta at the Table
For immediate serving: You may also serve the polenta hot directly from a board in the traditional way: Pour the hot polenta into the center of a wooden cutting board, keeping the polenta in a long, high mound. Let the polenta stand a few minutes, until it is firm enough to cut. Cut the polenta with a string stretched taut between your index fingers, or with a thin knife. Gently transfer the slices to plates.

To chill the polenta for baking, grilling, or pan-frying: You can begin to see the true versatility of polenta when it has been chilled until firm and cut into shapes for baking, grilling, or pan-frying. To serve polenta this way, pour the hot polenta—either freshly made for this purpose, or remaining from a batch made to be eaten hot—into a baking pan or mold to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. (One whole recipe of Basic Polenta makes enough to fill two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes to a depth of about 1/2 inch.) Cover with plastic wrap applied directly to the surface, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and very firm, 4 to 5 hours. Invert the polenta onto a cutting board and cut it into any desired shape for baking, grilling, or frying.

To bake: Place the polenta pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place in a preheated 375° F oven until lightly browned and crispy, about 20 minutes. Turn the polenta once about halfway through the cooking.

To grill: Lightly brush both sides of the polenta pieces with olive oil. Place on a hot grill, and cook, turning once, until well marked and heated through, about 2 minutes per side.

To pan-fry: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the polenta slices, and cook, turning once, until golden brown and crispy on both sides, 8 servings. 

Scrumptious Lasagna

This is how I make lasagna, and I've done it this way for years.  I don't make any claims on it's authenticity, but I know that everyone who eats it seems to like it.  There are those who say it's the best the've had, but really, even if some eaters don't love it they're not likely to say that to my face, right?

I think my biggest breakthrough came when I discovered about 30 years ago that I didn't have to pre-cook the noodles.  Pre-cooking the noodles always made the lasagna take so much longer to create, plus the slippery things broke so much easier and everything was messier.  Not to mention you had another large pot to wash.  Now a days you can buy "special" noodles that don't need cooking prior to making your lasagna. (Nice that the pasta companies finally figured out not cooking the noodles saved SO much time...) I have never bought them, and never will because I suspect they would cost more.

Ingredients (these are approximate since I don't exactly measure stuff.)

Meat:  I like to use 1 lb of ground beef and 1 lb of sausage, regular or italian flavor. (Just something like Jimmy Dean or the store brand, not those Italian sausages in casings.)  I can use all ground beef if I need to, but using all sausage doesn't taste right.  The mixture is the best.  Also, if I have a little bit of leftover pepperoni in the fridge I will occasionally dice that up and toss it in too.  Brown the meat in a good sized skillet.  You can also add some minced fresh onion to brown with the meat at this point.

Sauce:  I use a large can of crushed tomatoes (about 28 oz) and then about 32 ounces of tomato sauce.  I know a lot of people like to use tomato paste but to me it has a kind of "off" flavor.  Once the meat is browned nicely, add the tomatoes and tomato sauce to the skillet.  (Now you know why you needed a good sized one.)

Spices:  These are "to taste" so I'll approximate the amounts.  You can add these after the tomato products.  Garlic:  You can use fresh cloves and dice them up, but that's a lot of work and the pre-minced refrigerated stuff is just fine.  Or you can use garlic powder, it's a perfectly acceptable alternative.  Do not use garlic salt, the canned tomato products are already a little salty and garlic salt would make it overly salted.  Use the equivalent to three or four cloves.  Oregano:  Use dried, about a tablespoon.  Basil: Dried, about a tablespoon.  Fennel seeds: about a teaspoon.  Thyme: about a tablespoon.  Red pepper flakes are optional, about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.  Once the spices are added, cover the pan, turn it down to a low simmer, and assemble the rest of your ingredients.

Pan:  This recipe will make a 9 x 13 pan plus a 7 x 11 pan.  Or it will make one lasagna pan.  If you use the smaller pans, each will have three layers.  If you use the lasagna pan, it will have four or five layers.

Cheese: I use both cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese.  Some folks prefer ricotta instead of cottage cheese, but I think it's a little dry and doesn't have a lot of flavor.  Not to mention it's more expensive and since I was always making this for a large family, cottage cheese was a better option for us.  Occasionally I have some fresh parmesan that I'll add to the dish, but never NEVER the stuff in the green can.  Ick.  Get a nice, large container of the cottage cheese, and don't get the non-fat variety.  I always get the good stuff for lasagna.  Also, be generous with the mozzarella.  No one ever complained that the lasagna was TOO cheesy.

Noodles:  This will take a large box of noodles, and occasionally one or two extra noodles.  I have not found that there is a difference between one brand and the next but if you have a favorite, by all means use it.

Method:  Spritz the bottom of the pan with no-stick cooking spray (Pam) and place noodles in the bottom.  If you're using a 9 x 13 pan, that will mean three noodles lengthwise and one noodle (with a chunk broken off) across the end.  Save the chunks you break off, they'll make up one of the last parts. For the smaller pan the three noodles alone will be enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  Ladle some of the sauce over the noodles, don't worry about covering every last speck.  You want to make sure you have enough sauce for the entire two pans (or one large lasagna pan) and if there's extra at the end you're going to pour it over the top anyway and it'll seep into the spots it's needed.  After the sauce, spoon some cottage cheese onto your lasagnas.  I use plop about ten or so piles around.  It'll tend to spread out when it cooks, so again don't worry about "covering" the sauce.  If you do, you'll run out of cottage cheese.  After the cottage cheese, cover the layer with mozzarella.  Be generous but not crazy.  Ta DA! Your first layer is done.  For the next layer, place noodles over your mozzarella (the same number you used before) and kind of press them into place.  this will distribute your ingredients a little and give you an even layer to ladle on your sauce and plop on your cottage cheese.  Once your second layer of cottage cheese is plopped, sprinkle on another healthy handful or two (or three) of mozzarella and repeat for the third (and final) layer.  (If you're using a lasagna pan, you will probably have enough ingredients for another layer.  And maybe a fifth layer.)

Once the lasagna is assembled use a rubber spatula and pour the rest of the sauce into any nooks and crannies around the edges of the pan that you feel need a little more sauce.  If you have used up all your sauce and you think there's too much empty space you have two choices.  You can either add a little water to your pans (fine if you only need a few tablespoons more liquid) or you can open up another small can of tomato sauce and pour that into the corners and edges to make sure that the noodles are covered.  Don't worry about spicing it up, the flavors pretty much blend together during the cooking process.

Cover the pan(s) with foil and place in an oven to bake for 1 hour at 350 or 375 degrees.  After the hour, remove the foil.  If the lasagna seems too moist, continue to bake without the foil for 15 minutes.  Also, if  you can let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes after you remove it from the oven before you serve it, it will serve much easier.  (But most of the time no one can wait once it's out of the oven.)

If desired, this can be refrigerated or frozen after it's assembled and baked at a later date.

Delicious served with salad and garlic bread.  (I like to use sourdough bread, real butter, and garlic.  Top with fresh parmesan cheese and sprinkle with thyme, broil until butter and cheese are browned.)

White Pizza Dip

1 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 (12 ounces) blocks cream cheese, softened

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated

8 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves

crackers, bread or chips for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then roast for 20-25 minutes, until bursting. Set aside.

While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with about 7 ounces each of provolone and mozzarella, then and parmesan. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic and roasted tomatoes, mixing well to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining provolone and mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers, chips or toasted bread.  

Lasagna Soup

for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:

8 oz. ricotta or cottage cheese

1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings:  8

Source:  adapted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski’s magazine

Pizza Muffins

This recipe was adapted from Every day with Rachael Ray

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cubed pepperoni
• 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Lemon Spaghetti

Salt

1 pound spaghetti

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

1/2 cup (10 or 12 leaves) fresh basil, very thinly sliced

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot.  Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.  When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and 1 cup of cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.  Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add lemon zest and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce, parsley, and ¾ of the basil for a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce.  Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese and basil.

Sliced grilled chicken or grilled shrimp can be added to this to make it a main dish.

Carrabbas Bread Dip

1/8 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon rosemary

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (or according to your taste)

fresh ground pepper

1 dash red pepper flakes

1 large clove of garlic (crushed)

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix together dry spices. Add crushed garlic. Place on small saucer.  Pour olive oil over mixture. Dip with your favorite hot French bread.

Version 2 Dipping Oil for Bread like Carrabba's

Yield: 1/2 cup

1 Tbs. crushed red pepper

1 Tbs. ground black pepper

1 Tbs. dried oregano

1 Tbs. dried rosemary

1 Tbs. dried basil

1 Tbs. parsley flakes

1 Tbs. granulated garlic

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients, except oil, on a shallow bowl or plate.  Pour olive oil over.  Serve with fresh-baked bread for dipping.

Tortellini or Gnocchi in Fontina Sauce

1 pound refrigerated gnocchi or tortellini

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

8 ounces fontina cheese, cubed

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi or tortellini, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Once the gnocchi or tortellini goes into the pot, start the sauce, as you want the gnocchi or tortellini to be done first. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, and cook for a few minutes, until tender. Stir in the cream, and heat to almost a boil. Gradually mix in the fontina and parmesan cheeses, being careful not to boil. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat immediately, or the sauce may clump.

Place gnocchi or tortellini into serving dishes, and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.

Susie's Awesome Sausage Lentil Soup

One of my all-time favorite restaurants is Carrabba's. And one of my favorite things to eat there is the Sausage Lentil soup. I have searched all over the internet and found about 6 recipes for it, none are identical so I took bits and pieces of all six of them and created my OWN recipe out of the lot of them. And it tastes JUST like that soup, so now I don't have to wait till we go out for dinner, I can make it whenever I am craving it. Of course, it makes a pan big enough to feed an army so we'll be eating it all week, but since it seems like everyone in the whole family likes it that shouldn't be too difficult. In case anyone is interested, I'll post it here. You may want to cut it in half to make a more reasonable sized pan full. (This recipe, as posted, makes a HUGE pot, about 8 quarts.)

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs. Olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 ½ cup grated carrot (I use one package pre-grated, which is more)
• 4 stalks chopped celery
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 2 lbs bulk Italian sausage, spicy hot
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 3 quarts chicken stock (stronger than broth)
• 2 lbs lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 2 tbs. vinegar
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp fennel seeds

Heat olive oil in large soup pot. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and sausage to the pot. Saute, stirring often, until sausage is cooked through. Break up sausage into small bits as it cooks. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Remove bay leaves. Puree slightly with stick blender. If no stick blender is available, remove 1/3 of soup and puree in blender and return to pot.
Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with a thick slice of crusty bread.