Tag: italian

Tuscan Frittata with Mozzarella & Squash

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I am more than eager for fall and cannot wait to go to a pumpkin patch. So while I wait, I figured I would make an “end of the summer, can’t wait for fall” frittata that feels both summer-y and fall-ready. I used three different recipes for inspiration while also trying to use up ingredients that I already had in my kitchen.

This recipe incorporates some of my favorite things and while I made a smaller serving that feeds two to three people, it could easily be adapted to accommodate more servings if you had a group of friends over for brunch or made it for your family.

Ingredients:

  1. 6 eggs
  2. 1/2 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese
  3. 1/4 Cup of Parmesan cheese or Italian cheese blend
  4. 1 medium-sized yellow squash or zucchini diced
  5. 2 cloves of chopped garlic
  6. 1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk (or half & half)
  7. 1 Tablespoon of Pesto or more if you like! (I used 365 Basil Pesto)
  8. 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  9. 2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning (including but not limited to: basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano)
  10. Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 and butter a 10×10 Casserole Dish.
  2. On a skillet over medium heat, sauté the squash and garlic tossed in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until tender and sizzling – about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Whisk together all six eggs and coconut milk until fully mixed. Add in the cheeses, pesto, and seasoning with a dash of salt and pepper.
  4. Next, combine the squash and garlic into the egg mixture. Then pour everything into the casserole dish.
  5. Cover with lid and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
  6. Remove, let sit for a few minutes, then enjoy!
  7. Pro-Tip- I broiled slices of baguette with olive oil and pesto as an accompaniment.

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Simple & Cozy Four Cheese Kielbasa Sausage Lasagna

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It was always on those especially freezing winter days when I would come home from school and smell the beginnings of this lasagna cooking on the stove. It has such a heartwarming flavor to me so it seemed appropriate to dust off my mom’s recipe and try  it out for myself during this cold February. I tweaked it a little bit and cut the original portions in half. So I would say this recipe makes about 5-6 servings. Also, don’t mind my round pan I had to cook it in, I would definitely recommend baking any lasagna in a square/rectangular dish (ideally a 10 x 10 or 10 x 12 for this recipe).

Kielbasa Tomato Sauce:

2 Cloves Garlic ( or Trader Joe’s Crushed Garlic)

1/2 White Onion

1/2 Cup Shredded Carrots (optional)

1 16 oz Package of Kielbasa Sausage (I used Hillshire Farm Polska Kiebasa)

1 28 oz Can of Tomatoes (I used Trader Joe’s Unsalted Crushed Plum Tomatoes)

1 8 oz Can Tomato Paste

1/2 Teaspoon of Basil, Parsley, Salt, and Pepper for Seasoning

Over medium heat, simmer the chopped onion, carrot, garlic and an optional smidge of olive oil in a pan. Heat up for about 2 minutes then add the chopped kielbasa. Season with basil and a dash of salt and pepper if you wish. Cook everything together for about 12-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

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Next, add a can of diced tomatoes and an 8 oz can of tomato paste. Mix everything together, season with more basil and fresh parsley, along with salt and pepper.

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Let the sauce simmer on the stove covered on low heat for at least 20 minutes.

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Noodles:

Since I was making a smaller portion I bought a smaller box of lasagna noodles (De Cecco) from a local specialty store called the Italian Store in Arlington, VA (this is also where I bought the Mozzarella and Romano).

I cooked the whole package of Lasagna noodles but didn’t use them all in the dish. I salted the water and also put a dash of olive oil in it and boiled the noodles for 8-10 minutes then drain the water. I further cooled the noodles off by running cold water over the strainer n the sink.

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Four Cheese Mixture: (make while the sauce is simmering and the noodles boiling)

1 cup Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese

1/3 cup Romano Cheese

1/4 cup Feta Cheese

1 Beaten Egg

Stir everything together and add a dash of black pepper.

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Once the Kielbasa Sauce has simmered for at least 20 minutes, the cheese mixture is complete, and the noodles are cooked, it’s time for the layering.

Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start with one layer of lasagna noodles slightly overlapping each other in the bottom of a casserole dish (my pan accommodated 4  noodles per layer).

Next, pour a portion of the sauce over the noodles so there is a thin layer covering the entire area of lasagna noodles.

Afterwards use a spoon to place dollops of the cheese mixture over the sauce, I did 9 1-inch dollops per layer then smeared them gently to spread them out over the sauce.

Keep layering until you run out of room or ingredients and if you so desire, sprinkle some extra cheese on top before covering it with tin foil and placing it in the oven.

Cook for 30 minutes. If you want the top to be a little crunchier then take the foil off after 20 minutes of cooking and leave it uncovered for the last ten minutes.

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Voila!