Saucy, Italian “drunken” noodles with spicy Italian sausage

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned, divided use
• 8 ounces Pappardelle noodles, uncooked

Instructions

1. Place a large, heavy-bottom pan or braising pot over medium-high heat; add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and once the oil is hot, crumble the spicy Italian sausage into the pan in small chunks, allowing it to brown in the oil for a few moments on each side; once the crumbled sausage is browned, remove it from the pan/pot with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl to hold for a moment; next, add the sliced onion into the pan with the sausage drippings, and allow it to caramelize and become golden for roughly 5 minutes or so, stirring to keep it from burning, once the onion starts to become golden, add the salt, Italian seasoning and cracked black pepper, and stir to combine, then add in the sliced bell peppers, and allow those to saute with the onion for about 2 minutes until slightly tender and golden; next, add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine and allow it to reduce for a few moments, until almost completely reduced; next, add in the diced tomatoes with their juice, and return the browned spicy Italian sausage back into the pan, and gently fold the mixture to combine; allow it to gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors, then turn the heat off; to finish the sauce, drizzle in about 2-3 good tablespoons of the olive oil to create a silky, rich flavor, and add in the chopped parsley and about half of the julienned basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles.
2. Prepare the pappardelle noodles according to instructions on package; then, drain the noodles very well, and add them directly into the sauce, using tongs to gently toss and combine the pappardelle noodles with the sauce and all of the ingredients in it; check the seasoning to see if you need to add any additional salt or pepper.
3. Serve, add equal portions of the “Drunken” noodles to bowls, and garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining julienned basil; you can even top with shaved Parmesan, if desired, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

SUPER-EASY RAVIOLI LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 12-ounce roasted red peppers, drained and diced
• 28-ounce marinara pasta sauce
• 30-ounce frozen cheese ravioli, unthawed
• 8-ounce shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped or julienned fresh basil leaves, loosely-packed

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400°F.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, and set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, cook sausage over medium heat until browned and no longer pink, stirring and breaking up the sausage with a metal spatula or spoon while it cooks.  Drain off the excess grease, then stir the diced roasted red peppers in with the sausage.  Set aside.
3. To assemble the lasagna, spread half of a jar of marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of the baking dish.  Spread the contents of 1 package of ravioli in an even layer on top of the sauce.  Spread half of the sausage and red pepper mixture evenly on top of the ravioli, followed by the remaining half of a jar of marinara sauce, half of the mozzarella, and half of the Parmesan cheese.  Repeat each of these layers, minus the Parmesan.
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Uncover and bake for a final 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.  Remove, and garnish with the remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.

Simple Skinny Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• A handful of basil leaves roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp. tomato puree
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• ½ litre vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp. corn flour mixed with 2 tbsp. cold water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• One or 2 chopped basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil, then add the chopped onion and crushed garlic and sauté until softened. Stir every now and then, you don’t want the garlic to burn.
2. Add the chopped basil leaves, tomato puree, tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock and stir everything together well.
3. Bring the soup mixture to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Blitz the soup mixture with a food processor / a liquidiser or blender.
5. Stir in the corn flour mixture and stirring every now and then allow the soup to simmer and thicken, roughly 5 minutes.
6. Season to taste and then ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the basil leaves.

Lobster Polenta Pizza with Sun Dried Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 box delallo's instant polenta
• 8 ounce mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 2 heads roasted garlic
• 8 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 to 4 lobster tails, raw and removed from shell
• 1 jar dellalo's semi dried cherry tomatoes
• fresh basil leaves for topping
• freshly grated parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Prepare the polenta until it is just thickened, then spread it out into a thin layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it is slightly crispy and set in a crust. Remove and let the crust cool slightly.
3. Add the mascarpone to a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a smaller bowl and add a pinch of salt, then mash well with a fork. Add the garlic to the mascarpone and stir until combined.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Add the lobster tails and cook until they are just opaque and bright red in color - be sure to not over cook since they will cook more in the oven. Remove from heat immediately and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly then chop into pieces.
5. To make the pizza, spread the roasted garlic mascarpone over the crust, leaving an inch or so around the ends. Sprinkle three quarters of the fontina on top, then add the lobster pieces and the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is crispier. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese. Cut into slices. Serve immediately.

Pavlovas with Strawberries, Vanilla Cream, and Basil Coulis

Ingredients

For the Meringues

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar, divided into ¾ cup and ¼ cup
• 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon white vinegar

For the Vanilla Cream

• ¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

For the Strawberry Coulis

• ½ pint container strawberries, hulled
• 1 tablespoon sugar

For the Basil Coulis

• ⅓ cup packed fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup light corn syrup or light agave syrup

For Garnish

• 1 pint strawberries, halved, stems and leaves left on
• ⅓ cup crushed raw pistachios

Instructions

To make the Meringues

1. Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 F degrees.
2. Trace six 2½-inch diameter circles on parchment paper, spacing apart about 2 inches. Invert paper onto baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.
4. Gradually add ¾ cup sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form, about 3 minutes.
5. Mix remaining ¼ cup sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Gradually beat sugar-cornstarch mixture into meringue batter, continue beating until very stiff, about 2 minutes. Beat in vinegar for 1 minute. Total beating time should be around 10 minutes.
6. Divide meringues equally among circles, mounding and filling the rounds completely.
7. Bake meringues for 40 minutes.
8. Turn oven off and keep meringues inside with the door closed for another 30 minutes.
9. Open door slightly and let meringues cool in oven until almost completely dry in center, about 30 minutes longer.
10. Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
11. To make the Vanilla Cream: Combine cream and sugar in medium bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form.

To make the Strawberry Coulis

1. Purée strawberries and sugar in processor until smooth. Heat the purée over medium-low heat until syrup forms, about 3 minutes.

To make the Basil Coulis

1. Blanch basil leaves in a small saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds.
2. Drain and transfer basil to bowl over ice to stop cooking. Squeeze out excess water from basil.
3. Purée basil with corn or agave syrup in blender. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight to allow flavours to develop.
4. Bring basil coulis to room temperature. Strain syrup through a sieve before serving.

To assemble 

1. Divide the vanilla cream and place in the center of each meringue disc.
2. Top each with halved strawberries.
3. Spoon strawberry coulis and basil coulis around the meringue circle and over the strawberries.
4. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Serve immediately, or chill before serving.

White Wine Sangria with Strawberry Basil

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1pound strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
• 2cups basil leaves, loosely packed
• 1 750 ml bottle Sauvignon Blanc

Instructions

1. Place the lemon slices, half of the strawberries, and half of the basil in a large pitcher and fill it with the wine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
2. Fill half to two-thirds of another large pitcher with ice. Then add the remaining strawberries and basil.
3. Strain the infused wine into the prepared pitcher and stir. Pour the sangria into four stemless white wine glasses.