vegan cheese: does anyone have a good recipe for a pasta dish? i need it for a date, my boyfriend is from a traditional italian family and wants me to make pasta! so pleaseeeeee help! any good recipe's? it needs to be delicious even to an italian! the masters of pasta. thanks :)|||Chicken Piccata Serves 4 4 chicken breasts pounded thin flour spread on a plate for dredging 2 tablespoons of olive oil 3 tablespoons of butter 1/2 cup of white wine juice of 2 lemons salt and pepper to taste 1 cup chicken broth 1. Dredge each chicken breast in flour to coat and shake off excess. 2. Heat oil in a large saute pan set on medium heat. 3. Place chicken breasts in pan and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes for each side. 4. Drain the oil and add butter, wine, lemon, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. 5. Add the broth and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes(sprinkle a little flour in when it starts boiling to thicken.) 6. Transfer Chicken to serving dishes, top with sauce and a slice of lemon for garnish. -------------------------------------- Bolognese Sauce 3 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoon butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped 2 tablespoons carrot, finely chopped 1 pound ground meat (equal parts of veal, pork and beef) 1-1 1/2 cups milk Salt to taste 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 2 cups finely chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh) METHOD In a saucepan heat olive oil and butter. Stir in onion, celery and carrot. Cook till tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in meat and cook over medium heat until brown. Add 1/4 cup milk and simmer, uncovered, until milk is completely absorbed, about 15 minutes. Add another 1/4 cup milk, and cook, uncovered, until absorbed. Repeat this process until all the milk is used. This process takes about 1 1/2 hours or more. Stir sauce frequently, using only a wooden spoon. When milk has been absorbed, add salt and nutmeg. Stir in tomatoes and cook another 45 minutes over low heat. Cool completely and put in refrigerator, covered. The next day skim off fat from top of sauce, reheat and use on your favorite pasta the classic is tortellini. Serves: 4 - 6 -------------------------------- pasta with sausage, red onion, and lentils Ingredients1/2 cup dried lentils 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion 4 Italian sweet sausages (about 13 ounces), casings removed, crumbled 3/4 cup dry red wine 12 ounces small pasta (such as conchiglie or pennette) 3/4 cup (packed) grated pecorino Romano cheese (about 2 ounces) 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley Additional extra-virgin olive oil Additional grated pecorino Romano cheese PreparationCook lentils in small saucepan of boiling water until tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Drain well; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sausage; saut茅 until sausage is light brown, about 8 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost all liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in cooked lentils and cook until mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well, reserving 1cup pasta cooking water. Return cooked pasta to pot. Add sausage-lentil mixture, 3/4 cup cheese, and parsley and toss to coat. Add enough reserved pasta cooking water to moisten. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional olive oil and grated cheese. |||Pasta a la Matricciana is delicious Ingredients 1 medium-sized red onion, peeled and sliced 8 ounces pancetta, cut into small dice 3 tablespoons olive oil 11/2 pounds very ripe, fresh tomatoes, chopped; or 1 1/2 pounds canned tomatoes, preferably imported Italian, drained and crushed by hand 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound bucatini Directions In a large sauce pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and pancetta and cook slowly, until onions are soft and translucent and the pancetta fat is rendered. Add the tomatoes, hot red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Boil a large pot of water; salt generously. Cook the bucatini until it is soft but still firm. Divide the pasta between 4 warmed pasta bowls. Ladle some sauce on top, and serve with grated Pecorin |||Pasta with Zucchini and Mozzarella 1 cup olive oil 2 medium zucchini, sliced thinly flour spread on a plate for dredging salt & pepper to taste 1 pound of penne pasta 4 cups Marinara Sauce 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella 1/4 cup pecorino-romano cheese 1. Heat olive oil in medium saute pan over medium heat. Dredge zucchini in flour, shaking off any excess and fry in batches. Using a slotted spoon transfer them to paper towels, and season with salt & pepper. 2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400掳F and bring a pot of liberally salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until almost al dente, the pasta should be slightly undercooked. 3. Strain pasta and transfer to a 3 to 4 quart baking dish. Add 2 cups of marinara sauce, zucchini, 1/4 pound of mozzarella and 1/8 cup pecorino-romano, and toss until well combined. 4. Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle on the remaining cheeses. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the cheese on top is melted and slightly browned, 8-10 minutes. |||eggplant parmesan is my favorite, & once you get the hang of breading & frying the eggplant slices it's a lot of fun to make. i don't have a specific recipe, because it's basically just layers of fried eggplant, your favorite tomato sauce, & lots of mozzarella cheese - i did a google search for tips on how to prepare the eggplant slices. serve over pasta & be prepared for compliments! ;-) another good one is fettuccine alfredo - i like the "quick and easy alfredo" sauce recipe from allrecipes.com. to make the meal a little heartier, you could cut up & pan fry some chicken breast in olive oil & garlic, and cook some spinach, broccoli, or mushrooms. then just put the cooked chicken & veggies on pasta, pour the sauce over it, & voila!|||The above recipes sound delicious, if you really want to impress him buy fresh pasta instead of dry. It makes such a difference. If its going to be a romantic evening avoid sauces that are too heavy on the garlic or cream.