FEBRUARY: ITALIAN/PASTA

Baked Ziti
submitted by Kristin Krotosky

Ingredients
1lb ground beef
16 oz. block of mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Romano cheese

1 bag of cavatappi pasta (Smith's has it under their private selection name)
1 jar of marinara sauce

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and drain the fat
Cook the pasta as labeled on the package
Cut the block of mozzarella in half. Take 8 ozs and cut in slices. Take 8 ozs. and cut into small cubes.
Measure 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of romano cheese.

Mix all listed ingredients in a bowl (don't forget to add the marinara sauce), except for the slice mozzarella cheese.

Spread mixture in a baking dish and then lay the slices of mozzarella cheese over it. Cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. If cheese is not melted after 30 minutes you can put the oven on broil until it melts.


Strawberry Gelato
submitted by Wendy Loveland

12 oz fresh strawberries, hull removed
3/4 sugar
2 cups whole mile
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp lemon juice

blend strawberries, sugar and whole milk until smooth

add in heavy cream and mix just enough to combine, add in lemon juice, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, transfer to ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions


Macaroni Grill Bread
submitted by Erin Ruy

1 Tbsp. Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp. Sugar 1 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)
2 ½ cups white flour, divided
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped, (I used about a tablespoon of dried rosemary and it worked great.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Coarsely ground salt

Proof the water and the yeast/sugar mixture for about 10 minutes or until yeast is frothy. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead until it's soft and stretchy and not sticky. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover until it's doubled in size. Punch the dough down and let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then shape the dough into two circle loaves. Spread the melted butter over the loaves and sprinkle the remaining rosemary on top. Let the loaves rise another 45 minutes or until doubled and then sprinkle with coarse salt (sea salt). Bake at a preheated 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve with spicy oil and vinegar bread dip.

Spicy oil and vinegar bread dip

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a bottle with a lid, mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, kosher salt, and pepper. Seal bottle, and refrigerate mixture 8 hours, or overnight. Shake well before serving. Store in the refrigerator.


Chicken Fettucine Alfredo
submitted by Linda Atwood

2 cups milk
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Heat milk, add rest of ingredients and warm thoroughly. Do not allow sauce to come to a boil. Serve over fettuccine and chicken. (I cook my chicken on my george foreman grill and season it with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I slice it into small pieces and mix it into the sauce.)