Pesto Lasagna

Here’s a fresh and unique alternative to a traditional Italian dish.

Because the filling between each layer of noodles is not as thick and dense as a traditional cheese and/or meat filling, you are going to end up with more layers of noodles to fill the dish, approximately 10-12 deep.

Instead of making fresh pesto, I decided to use Bellino brand Pesto Sauce with Olive Oil. It’s a good alternative to home made – tasty, all natural and no preservatives. One jar equals approximately one cup. For a great fresh pesto, be sure to check out Ina Garten’s recipe. It makes 4 cups, so be sure to refrigerate leftover pesto for future use.

For 8×8 dish (serves 4):
1 box uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups pesto (or 2 jars Pesto Sauce)

For 9×15 dish (serves 6-8):
1-1/2 boxes uncooked lasagna noodles
3 cups pesto (or 3 jars Pesto Sauce)

1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 385º and set pasta water to boil.

Salt the boiling pasta water, add a spoonful of oil to it so the sheets won’t stick. Add the pasta, three noodles at a time. Cook until al dente, remove the noodles with a slotted spoon, then place on a clean cloth or piece of wax paper to dry.

Melt a dab of butter in a hot serving dish, then lay down a layer of pasta, spread a thin layer of pesto, then lightly sprinkle the pesto with grated cheese. Continue alternating pasta, pesto and sprinkle of cheese until all is used up. Heat, uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

NEW – Veal Pizzaiola (Peez-Eye-Ola)

This is a nice dish that is fairly simple and is easy to serve on either the weekend or during the week. There’s not much prep work involved, and it sits on it’s own for a good 20-25 minutes. Just enough time for you to settle in with a pre-dinner glass of wine after a long day at work!

4-6 thin slices veal
1 tblspn olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
handful fresh basil, finely chopped, divided*
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4-6 slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese (optional)

Veal Pizzaiola
Heat olive oil, add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds.
Add veal, then immediately add the can of sauce, Italian seasoning, salt,pepper and 2/3 of the chopped basil.
Let simmer on Med-Lo to Medium for 25 minutes, slightly covered.
Add the remaining basil and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the sliced cheese, let sit until cheese is slightly melted.

Serves well with mashed potatoes.

*Note – I like to reserve just a bit of basil until the very end. The first addition marries well with the sauce, while the final addition allows for the fresh taste.

Calamari e Piselli (Sauteed Calamari and Peas)

I recently picked up a frozen bag of calamari (squid) pieces at the supermarket. I
wanted to try something other than fried calamari, so I went with an old
world-style, rustic dish. Gotta say that I was very impressed with the end
results. We first served it over some penne, but I decided to have a second
helping on it’s own with a nice, thick slice of Italian bread. Works great
either way! Would also make a nice option if you celebrate the Seven Fish
Christmas Eve Dinner.

Calamari e Piselli (Sauteed Calamari and Peas)

Calamari pieces, fresh or frozen* (I used about 1/2 pound of rings and tentacles from a 2-1/2 pound frozen bag)
2 tblspn Olive oil
1 Garlic clove; crushed
1 small Onion; diced
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon fresh Basil, chopped
splash of red wine
Salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tspn crushed red pepper (optional for some heat)
1 cup frozen peas

*Note – if you are using frozen calamari, be sure to defrost it first. Running it under water in a colander for a few minutes works well

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Sautee the garlic and onion in the oil
until soft and translucent. Add the calamari pieces and sautee until
slightly brown and tender. The sauteed calamari will create it’s own juice
that blends well with the tomato sauce. Add the tomato sauce, basil, splash
of red wine, crushed red pepper,salt & pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add
the peas and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve as a
sauce over pasta or as a stand-alone stew.

Apple-Cinnamon Honey Glazed Chicken

My brother passed this recipe along to me a few years ago. He first tried it while tailgating at a Jimmy Buffett concert – after all, parrotheads do know how to get their grillin’ on. Anyway, the first thing he said to me about the recipe was the attraction that the smell was making. People were walking by, getting slight whiff of apple pie! And that’s exactly what comes to mind when you grill this dish. The smell of the apples and cinnamon are amazing. The flavor, however, isn’t quite as overpowering as you may expect. Instead you get a nice, subtle hint of the apples, cinnamon and honey as the marinade forms a nice, crispy glaze.

I’ve only tried this dish on the grill, but I’m sure it would also work well in the oven. Bonus points: oven baking this dish would probably eliminate the need of a scented candle in your house for that night!

Apple-Cinnamon Honey Glazed Chicken

1/3 cup apple jelly
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 chicken breasts

Heat grill, making sure to oil grill racks. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, except chicken. Brush chicken with apple mixture, place on grill over medium heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear, turning occasionally and brushing frequently with apple mixture.