O'Leary Family Vodka Sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
6 oz canned plum tomatoes
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp vodka

Heat oil in large saute pan; add garlic and cook until golden. Add wine and simmer until liquid reduces by half; add tomatoes, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer. Add cream and bring back to simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add butter, vodka and additional basil. Bring to simmer.

Eggplant Parmesan

Taken from Culinary Kicks

1 large eggplant, 1/4 inch slices
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
enough oil to cover bottom of frying pan 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, packed in water

Lightly salt the eggplant slices and set in a large colander to rest for 30 minutes then rinse eggplant and pat dry with a paper towel.

Slice mozzarella cheese into thin slices and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together egg and water to make an egg wash and set aside.

In a shallow dish mix flour, paprika, oregano,and a dash of salt and pepper, In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Dip the eggplant into flour mixture to coat it lightly on both sides, then dip into the egg wash and let excess drip off. Then dip into breadcrumb mixture and be sure to get a thick coat on the eggplant. Fry eggplant in oil on both sides until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.

After all eggplant is cooked, lay slices slightly overlapping in a shallow baking pan. Pour marinara sauce over eggplant and top with slices of mozzarella cheese.

Broil 6 inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately

Meatballs

Taken from Butter and Love

Ingredients
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (1 slice)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons parsley
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef

Directions

In a large bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, onion, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning or rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add ground beef; mix well. Shape into 28 meatballs about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Arrange meatballs in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or till done (no pink remains, 160 degrees F). Drain off fat. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves chopped garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 cups Italian plum tomatoes
2 small cans tomato paste
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano

Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, paste, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 2 hours. Add oregano and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Chicken Marsala

Taken from Annie's Eats

Chicken Marsala
Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 slices of bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 cups white or cremini mushrooms
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. minced shallot
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 ½ cups Marsala wine (sweet)
1 ½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice (1 small lemon)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Place a large heatproof dinner plate on the oven rack, and heat oven to 200° F. Heat a 12” heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Pat chicken breasts dry. Meanwhile, place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.

Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering. Place floured cutlets in a single layer in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to heated plate and return to oven.

Return skillet to low heat and pancetta; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel lined plate. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and shallot; sauté for 1 minute.

Add cooked pancetta and tomato paste. Stir while sautéing, until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 ¼ cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from the chicken. Whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Taken from foodnetwork.com

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls, optional Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Serve in bowls. Or, if serving as a sandwich, split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.

Emeril's Lasagna

Taken from foodnetwork.com

2 cups fresh ricotta
8 ounces grated Provolone
8 ounces grated Mozzarella
8 ounces grated Romano
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon chiffonade of fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe of Emeril's Meat Sauce, recipe follows
1/2 pound grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 package of dried lasagna noodles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, Provolone, Mozzarella, Romano, egg, milk, basil and garlic. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. To assemble, spread 2 1/2 cups of the meat sauce on the bottom of a deep dish lasagna pan. Sprinkle 1/4 of the grated cheese over the sauce. Cover the cheese with 1/4 of the dried noodles. Spread a 1/4 of the cheese filling evenly over the noodles. Repeat the above process with the remaining ingredients, toping the lasagna with the remaining sauce. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving. Slice and serve.

Emeril's Meat Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 pound ground beef
1/3 pound ground veal
1/3 pound ground pork
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 (28-ounce) can of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
4 cups beef stock or water
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
Pinch of crushed red pepper
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a large nonreactive saucepan, over medium heat, add the oil. In a mixing bowl, combine the meat. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. When the oil is hot, add the meat and brown for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the tomato paste with the stock and add to the tomatoes. Add the thyme, bay leaves, oregano, basil and red pepper. Mix well. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more liquid if needed. During the last 30 minutes or cooking, reseason with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 1 1/2 to 2 quarts

Stuffed Shells

Taken from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
4 cups large curd cottage cheese
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 pinch garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook shells according to package directions. Place in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.
2. Mix together cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and garlic powder. Rub the dried herbs in the palms of your hands to pulverize them, and stir into the cheese mixture. Stuff mixture into the shells.
3. Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 15 x 10 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.