Name: Meatballs and Sauce
Yield: 10-12
Ingredients: The Meatballs:; 2 lbs ground beef (80/20); 1 lb ground pork; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1 cup Pecorino Romano; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup Italian bread crumbs; 1 cup Milk; 1 cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp Onion Powder; 1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic; 1 Tbsp Oregano; 2 Tbsp Olive Oil for browning; The Sauce:; 2 28oz cans Crushed Tomatoes; 2 Tbsp Olive Oil; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 3-4 bay leaves; 1/2 bunch Parsley, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp Red Pepper flakes; Salt and Pepper to taste; 6-8 Basil leaves, torn into little pieces or chiffonaded

Beef/ Italian/ Pork/ Sauces

Meatballs and Sauce aka Sunday Gravy

On the menu tonight – Meatballs and Sauce!

I just got back from a trip to Boston and one of the places I had to eat was the North End. There are SO many great Italian places to eat there. One of the places we went served a big meatball and sauce as an appetizer. As many Italian places I’ve eaten over the years, this is the first time I can recall seeing just a meatball and sauce as an appetizer.

This was one of the most tender meatballs I’ve had. The sauce that the meatballs were cooked in was incredible. I decided to try to replicate this incredible dish at home. It honestly wasn’t as good as what I had in Boston, BUT it was still AMAZING!

For the meatballs, I used pork and beef. I think the restaurant in Boston used pork, beef, and veal. I ever-so gently mixed all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. If you over-mix the ingredients, you get a firm meatball – be gentle.

The sauce – When I decided to make this, I wanted the sauce to cook a few hours on low. It will be ready to eat in about 45 minutes, but I let it sit on low for a couple of hours – the house will smell amazing.

Serve the meatballs and sauce either by themselves, over pasta… OR you could make the BEST ever meatball subs. Don’t forget the garlic bread! You need garlic bread to sop up every bit of that lovely sauce. Mangia!

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Meatballs and Sauce

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 10-12

Meatballs and Sauce

Ingredients

The Meatballs:
2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
1 lb ground pork
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup Pecorino Romano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup Milk
1 cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
1 Tbsp Oregano
2 Tbsp Olive Oil for browning
The Sauce:
2 28oz cans Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
3-4 bay leaves
1/2 bunch Parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Red Pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
6-8 Basil leaves, torn into little pieces or chiffonaded

Instructions

Pre-heat, over medium heat, a large dutch oven or heavy pot that will hold all the sauce and the meatball

In a large bowl, gently mix all the ingredients for the meat balls - don't over work the mixture

Form the meatballs into 1 1/2 - 2 inch balls

Brown the meatballs in batches and set aside

In the same pot, add some additional olive oil, the chopped onion, red pepper flakes, and cook until translucent - about 4-5 minutes

Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and parsley

Season with salt and pepper

Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to low

If you want a really smooth sauce use an immersion blender or blender

Add the meatballs and simmer at least 45 minutes.

When it is time to serve, add the basil and give it a gentle mix

If you haven't already, remove the bay leaves

September 5, 2021 By patrickdulmage

Italian/ Vegetarian

Spaghetti al Limone / Lemon Spaghetti

On the Menu tonight – Spaghetti al Limone or Lemon Spaghetti.

Not too long ago, I made Spaghetti alla Carbonara, and it was fantastic. This is a similar dish, but a little brighter with the lemon.

You can easily make this meal in under 30 minutes and you don’t need a lot of ingredients. All you need is the pasta, lemons, garlic, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, some olive oil, and red pepper flakes. If you can boil water, you can make this dish.

It sounds like it would be heavy using the heavy cream and the Parmesan cheese, but surprisingly, it isn’t. The lemon and the parsley give it a wonderfully fresh taste, perfect for a summer dinner.

If want to go to Capri, without getting on a plane, put on some Italian music, pour a little limoncello and make Spaghetti al Limone. Let me know how your version turns out.

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Spaghetti al Limone / Lemon Spaghetti

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 6-8

Spaghetti al Limone / Lemon Spaghetti

Ingredients

1 lb Spaghetti (angel hair pasta would also be great)

3-4 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped

1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes

2-3 lemons, zested and juiced

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup of fresh basil, finely sliced (chiffonade if you want to sound chefy)

Instructions

1

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil (you want to season the pasta)

2

Add the pasta and let it boil, uncovered, to al dente (read pkg instructions and check it around the time suggested on the pkg)

3

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat

4

Add the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes

5

After about 5 minutes, add about a cup of the pasta water, lemon juice, and cream to the skillet

6

Pasta should be about ready. When al dente, drain and add the pasta to the skillet with the lemon zest and half the cheese

7

Turn off the heat and toss the pasta in the sauce

8

Once fully coated, transfer to a serving dish, top with the parsley, basil, and remaining Parmesan cheese

August 1, 2021 By patrickdulmage

Beef/ Italian

Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef and Mushrooms

It’s kind of rainy today and I decided to make a comforting pasta dish – Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef and Mushrooms!

There isn’t anything difficult about making this dish, but there are a few steps. You have to brown the ground beef, cooked with onions and mushrooms, then set it aside to cool off. Then, make the cheese mixture with ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella along with garlic, basil, and Italian parsley. Mix the meat and cheese mixtures together. Then, cook the pasta shells and let those cool off.

With all the components prepared, it’s time to assemble. Get a 13×9 baking dish and add about a cup of the marinara sauce. Then, start assembling the shells. Take a spoonful of the meat and cheese mixture and carefully fill the shells to fill up the baking dish. Finally, top the shells with some more marinara sauce and some mozzarella cheese. Bake it until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Serve it with some garlic bread – enjoy!

Hopefully, you’ll have some leftovers for your lunch during the week. Let me know how your version turns out.

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Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef and Mushrooms

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 45 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour

Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef and Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 box large pasta shells
15 oz ricotta cheese
4-6 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
3 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp freshly chopped Italian parsley
1 Tbsp freshly ripped basil (dry will do if you don't have fresh)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups marinara sauce
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat

Brown the ground beef and season with salt and pepper

Add the onions and mushrooms, cook until the onions are translucent

Set the beef mixture aside to cool

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of water to a boil

In a large mixing bowl, add the ricotta, parsley, basil, garlic, the Parmesan cheese, about half the mozzarella cheese, stir to combine

Once the water comes to a boil, add the shells and cook to aldente. The shells need to be firm enough for you to stuff without them falling apart

Add the meat mixture to cheese mixture, stir to combine

In a 13x9 baking dish, put in about a cup of marina

Once the shells have finished cooking, remove from the water and let cool

Start filling the shells with the meat and cheese mixture and add the shells to the baking dish

Once all the shells are stuffed, top with marinara and the rest of the mozzarella cheese

Bake until the cheese is golden brown

June 20, 2021 By patrickdulmage

Italian/ Vegetarian

Classic Eggplant Parmesan

Last night, I made eggplant Parmesan for dinner. I hadn’t had it in a while and I decided to make the classic version. It was fantastic!

If you can, take the time to sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let them sit about an hour before you start cooking. That step will make the eggplant less bitter and pull out some of the moisture. You can work on the sauce while the eggplant is resting. After an hour has passed, rinse the eggplant and dry them with a kitchen towel. You will be really happy with the results taking the time to do this step.

I like to make my own sauce, but feel free to use your favorite jarred sauce. If I use a store bought sauce, I still doctor it up with some additional seasoning.

I hope you’ll try my eggplant parmesan and let me know what you think.

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Classic Eggplant Parmesan

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 8-12

Prep Time: 1 hour – Cooking Time: 1 hour – Total Time: 2 hours

Classic Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

Eggplant:

2 medium eggplants, 1/2 inch slices

1/2 cup flour

5 eggs, beaten

4 cups Italian bread crumbs

Oregano

Thyme

salt and pepper

oil for frying

1 1/2 pounds mozzarella, grated

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1-2 handfuls fresh basil leaves, torn into smalls pieces

Sauce:

2 28 oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes

1/2-1 can tomato paste (I like a thicker sauce for this application)

1 cup water

1 Vidalia onion, diced

4-7 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp oregano

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1

Start with the sauce. Crush the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl with your hands

2

Pour 1 cup water in the cans to get the rest of the tomato juice. Reserve

3

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat

4

When the oil is hot, add the garlic - don't let it burn

5

After about a minute, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato water, red pepper flakes, oregano, and Kosher salt

6

Simmer the sauce until thickened

7

Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed

8

Prep the eggplant. Slice into 1/2 discs, put on a sheet tray and sprinkle salt on both sides. Let it sit about an hour

9

After an hour, rinse off the salt and dry the eggplant thoroughly with a kitchen towel

10

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees (use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil maintains 350 degrees)

11

Put the flour in a pie tin or baking dish and season with freshly ground pepper and kosher salt

12

Put the beaten eggs in a pie tin

13

In a third pie tin or baking dish, mix the Italian bread crumbs, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper

14

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

15

Get a sheet pan lined with paper towels or a wire rack to drain the eggplant

16

Dip the eggplant slices in the flour and shake off any excess flour

17

Dip the eggplant slices in the eggs

18

Dip the eggplant slices in the Italian Breadcrumb mixture and coat thoroughly

19

Carefully put the coated eggplant slices in the frying pan, working in batches

20

When the eggplant is golden brown, remove to the lined tray

21

Once it is all cooked, start assembling in a 13x9 baking dish

22

Put down enough of the sauce in the baking dish to coat the bottom

23

Add a layer of the eggplant, top with some mozzarella, some Parmesan, some of the basil leaves, and some sauce

24

Continue layering until you used up all the eggplant. Make sure the top has a nice layer of cheese

25

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cheese is golden brown

26

I like to put it under the broiler for a few minutes to make sure the cheese gets browned and delicious

27

Let it rest about 10 minutes and serve

May 30, 2021 By patrickdulmage

Chicken/ Italian

Chicken Vesuvio

I wanted to do something else with chicken and I found this Italian recipe for chicken thighs – Chicken Vesuvio!

In addition to the chicken, it has potatoes, artichoke hearts, and garlic – SO GOOD!

You can have this dish on your plate within 45 minutes from start to finish. Chicken thighs are easily my favorite part of the chicken. They are so flavorful and it is tough to over cook them. Once you sear the chicken on both sides, pull it from the pot and continue by searing the potatoes. After the potatoes have been seared, add the garlic and cook about another minute.

Next add the wine and scrape up any of those brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Then add the stock, herbs and bring to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, cut the heat, add the artichoke hearts and put in the oven. After about 20 minutes in the oven, serve and enjoy!

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Chicken Vesuvio

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 40 minutes – Total Time: 45 minutes

Chicken Vesuvio

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

4 chicken thighs

1 1/2 lb small potatoes, halved

8 oz artichoke hearts

4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

3/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

2

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat

3

Add the chicken thighs, skin side down season with salt and pepper

4

Brown the chicken on each side and transfer to a platter or bowl

5

Add the potatoes and brown them as well

6

Once potatoes are browned, add the garlic, and cook for about a minute

7

Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot

8

Add the broth, oregano and thyme

9

Return the chicken to the pot along with any juices

10

Bring to a boil over medium high heat

11

Once at a boil, cut the heat, add the artichoke hearts, put the lid on the pot and transfer to the oven

12

Set the timer for 20 minutes

13

Remove from the oven, add the butter, and stir to combine

14

Serve immediately

April 11, 2021 By patrickdulmage

Italian

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Last night, I made one of the most delicious and simple meals I have made – Spaghetti alla Carbonara! With a handful of ingredients and about 30 minutes, you can be eating a meal you would pay a LOT more for if you went to an Italian restaurant.

All you need is some pasta, olive oil, garlic, pancetta (or a little bacon), red pepper flakes, Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, and parsley.

This dish goes pretty quickly, so prepare the ingredients ahead of time so all you have to do is reach for it when you need it. Also, since there are so few ingredients, use the best you can get. This is the time to spend the extra money on the good eggs. Good eggs? Yes. If you doubt me, buy the grocery store eggs and also buy the organic, free range eggs (even better, get some farm fresh eggs), crack one of each in a bowl and tell me if you see a difference in the yolks.

In the time it takes to boil the water for the pasta, you can prep the rest of the ingredients. So, the next time you aren’t sure what to have for dinner, try making this simple, quick, and DELICIOUS pasta dish.

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Spaghetti alla Carbonara

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 20 minutes – Total Time: 20 minutes

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti (angel hair, bucatini, penne, rigatoni... whatever pasta you want)

2 eggs, beaten

4 oz pancetta or bacon, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, grated, plus more for sprinkling

2 tbs olive oil (4-6 if omitting pancetta/bacon)

1-2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1

Start a large pot of boiling water

2

While the water is coming to temperature, beat the eggs and mix in the Parmigiana Reggiano and set aside

3

Chop the parsley, pancetta, and garlic

4

Add the pasta to the boiling water and salt it generously

5

Preheat a large skillet over low heat with the olive oil and add the pancetta and red pepper flakes

6

When the pancetta/bacon is cooked and crispy, add the garlic

7

When the pasta is finished cooking, add it to the skillet and toss to coat all the pasta with the oil in the pan

8

Cut the heat on the skillet, and then carefully start adding in the egg/cheese mixture to the pasta

9

Mix as you add the eggs so they don't turn into scrambled eggs

10

Once thoroughly mixes, generously grind pepper and mix a little more

11

Serve garnished with the parsley

April 4, 2021 By patrickdulmage

Italian/ Sauces/ Vegetarian

Impossible Meatball Subs with Mozzarella Cheese and Marina Sauce

Audrey and I were in the mood for meatball subs. The thing is, she doesn’t eat meat and I do. I decided to make the meatballs with Impossible burger – they turned out amazing. I cook my meatballs differently, depending on the application and my mood. This time, I formed the balls and baked them in the oven.

Aside from making the meatball mix, there isn’t too much to this dish. The meatballs, the bread, and the marinara. To used a good jarred sauce this time because I didn’t have any already made and we were ready to eat.

If you eat meat, substitute the Impossible burger with 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage and 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage.

Check out my meatball recipe below. Let me know how it turns out.

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Impossible Meatball Subs with Mozzarella Cheese

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 8-10

Prep Time: 15 – Cooking Time: 20-25 – Total Time: 35

Impossible Meatball Subs with Mozzarella Cheese

Ingredients

8 Good Sub Rolls
1 lb sliced mozzarella (get the good stuff)
Meatballs:
2 lbs Impossible Burger
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese,
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1/2-1 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Marina Sauce:
Either a good jarred sauce or
2 28 oz cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, certified D.O.P. if possible
1 cup water
1 can tomato paste
1 cup Vidalia onion, diced
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4-7 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2-1 tsp dried oregano
1 sprig fresh basil, ripped into pieces when ready to use

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

Grease a sheet pan with a little olive oil

Meatballs:

Combine the breadcrumbs, nutmeg and milk in a large mixing bowl

Add the Impossible Burger and other ingredients, gently mix to combine - do not overwork the mixture

Form the meatballs into golf ball sized rounds and put on the sheet pan

Put the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes - check on them at about 18 minutes to see how close to done they are

Marinara Sauce:

If using a jarred sauce:

Heat to a simmer over medium heat

If making your own:

Crush the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl with your hands

Pour 1 cup water in the cans to get the rest of the tomato juice. Reserve

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat

When the oil is hot, add the garlic - don't let it burn

After about a minute, add the tomatoes, tomato water, red pepper flakes, oregano, and Kosher salt

Simmer the sauce until thickened

Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed

Assembly:

Slice the rolls to make a nest for the meatballs

Slice the meatballs in half and fill the roll

Put a few tablespoons of the marina sauce over the meatballs

Top with a couple of slices of mozzarella cheese

Broil the subs until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly

Serve with marina sauce

March 6, 2021 By patrickdulmage

Italian/ Vegetarian

Vegetable Lasagna with Spinach and Zucchini

It has been a few months since I made lasagna and I was in the mood for it again. This time, I decided to use spinach and zucchini along with the cheeses for the filling. Speaking of cheese, there’s PLENTY of it! 6 cups of mozzarella, 3 cups of ricotta and 2 cups of Parmesan! To try to balance out all that cheese, we have the spinach and zucchini along with some Italian seasoning.

I love how easy this dish comes together. Boiling the noodles – easy. Cooking the zucchini and spinach – easy. Mixing the cheeses – easy! After the components are ready, assemble and bake it – also easy. The hardest part is waiting for it to finish baking!

After the lasagna finishes baking, let it rest for at least 10 minutes. While you wait, that’s the perfect time to make the garlic bread and salad. I hope the next time you crave lasagna you will try my version. Let me know how it turns out.

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Vegetable Lasagna with Spinach and Zucchini

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Italian

By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 8-10

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 minutes – Total Time: 2 hours

Vegetable Lasagna with Spinach and Zucchini

Ingredients

20 lasagna noodles
3-5 tbsp Olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped
8 cups fresh spinach
3 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 egg
6 cups grated mozzarella
3 ½ cups of your favorite Marinara sauce

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil

Cook the noodles about 10 minutes

Drain the noodles and drizzle with olive oil so they don’t stick together. Set noodles aside

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, add the shallots and cook 3-4 minutes

Add the zucchini and garlic, cook another 4-6 minutes

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper

Time to assemble!

In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spoon about a ½ cup of the marina on the bottom of the dish

Lay down 5 of the noodles and spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles

Then add 1/3 of the zucchini and spinach and then 2 cups of mozzarella

Repeat the layering process ending with a layer of noodles topped with a little marina, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes (try to tent the foil so the cheese doesn’t stick to it)

Remove the foil and cook for another 20 minutes. The cheese should be golden brown

Let the lasagna rest about 10 minutes before serving

Notes

Serve with garlic bread

November 22, 2020 By patrickdulmage