Mangia Bene Pasta
Super Bowl and Party Snacks
Buffalo Chicken Ciabatta Pizza
Ciabatta bread can vary greatly in size so you may need to adjust the amount of ingredients accordingly.
This recipe was made with a 14 x 4-inch bread and can serve 4 as a lunch entree.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut in half horizontally
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon or more hot sauce, to your taste
8-12 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 scallions, chopped
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet.
Drizzle olive oil over chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Cook chicken on a stove top or electric grill under cooked through.
Remove chicken from grill.
Allow it to rest 5 minutes and then cut into thin slices. Set aside.
Put a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the butter, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and tomato sauce and cook until warm.
Add the chicken to the sauce, stir well, and remove from heat.
Place the ciabatta bread on the prepared pan.
Cover the bread with the chicken in the sauce, spreading it evenly.
Evenly distribute both cheeses and the scallions.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until cheese is melted and begins to brown. Serve.
Baked Buffalo Wings
4-5 pounds chicken wings (drummettes and flat sections)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Celery sticks (optional)
Blue cheese dressing (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line several baking sheets with aluminum foil.
Place chicken wings evenly on the baking sheets.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven.
If there is a lot of grease in the pan remove it with a spoon or baster.
Turn all of the wings over and return to the oven.
Bake for an additional 30 minutes.
In a large plastic storage container, combine the melted butter, hot sauce, and garlic powder.
Put the wings in the container (you may have to do this in several batches, depending on the
size of your container.)
Put the lid on securely, and turn the container upside-down several times to coat all of the
wings.
You can do this ahead of time up to this point and put the wings back on the baking sheets.
Recrisp the wings before servings for 10 minutes in a 400-degree F. oven before serving.
Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Hot Artichoke Dip
1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can use reduced-fat)
1/2 cup sour cream (again, you can use reduced-fat)
1 can (14 ounce) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Spoon into an oven proof dish.
Bake at 350-degrees F. for 30 minutes.
Serve with crackers or cut-up vegetables, like carrots and celery.
Cheese Puffs
These need to be made right before serving.
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Place milk and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add flour and salt, Stir over low heat for 1 minute to blend.
Remove from the heat and beat in eggs, one at a time.
Add the cheese, and mix in well.
Heat about 1-inch of oil in a wide skillet.
Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the oil and fry until golden, turning once.
Remove and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and use for dipping.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
(Makes about 24 stuffed mushrooms)
24 large mushrooms
1/2 to 3/4 pound crabmeat, a combination of lump and claw is good
4 ounces Mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
I tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon finely minced celery
Hot pepper sauce, to taste
Salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
Remove stems from the mushrooms, save, and wipe the caps clean.
Arrange the caps, upside down, in a single layer in a baking sheet.
Finely chop the mushroom stems.
In a bowl, combine the chopped stems, crab, Mascarpone, mayonnaise, onion, celery, and hot
sauce.
Salt to taste.
Fill each mushroom cap with some of the mixture.
Add about 1/2 cup of water to the baking sheet.
Sprinkle each cap with some Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 25 to 20 minutes, or until they are hot and the cheese is lightly browned. Serve.
Meatball Sandwiches
This recipe will make 6-8 sandwiches depending on how large you make the meatballs
and how many meatballs you like to add to each sandwich.
Meatballs:
8 ounces beef ground chuck
8 ounces ground pork
1/2 cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Traditional Italian tomato sauce
6-inch Italian rolls
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
To make the meatballs:
Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a large bowl.
Mix together thoroughly.
Rinse your hands with cold water and shape the meatballs into 2-inch balls.
Heat the oil in a large skillet.
Add the meatballs and brown them well on all sides.
In a large saucepan, bring the tomato sauce to a simmer.
Add the meatballs, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
When ready to serve, preheat your broiler.
Cut the rolls lengthwise, leaving them slightly connected like a hinge.
Place the rolls on baking sheets.
Drizzle some of the tomato sauce over the rolls and add a few of the meatballs to each.
Sprinkle some of the mozzarella cheese over each.
Broil until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown. Serve.
Antipasto Sandwich
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 small eggplant
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Italian bread (12-18" long), cut horizontally
1/2 cup vinaigrette (recipe below)
1/4 pound sliced ham
1/4 pound sliced salami
1/4 pound sliced soppressata or pepperoni
1/4 pound sliced fresh mozzarella
Cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Cook on a stove top grill until lightly browned on both sides.
Brush both halves of bread with vinaigrette.
Layer bottom half with ham, eggplant, salami, peppers, mozzarella, and soppressata.
Place top half of bread on.
Wrap in foil and refrigerate at least one hour.
This sandwich can be served cold.
To serve warm, place foil-wrapped sandwich in a 375-degree oven for 20-30 minutes.
Vinaigrette:
Combine 1/2 cup of olive oil, juice of one lemon, 1 teaspoon oregano,
1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Garlic Knots
(Makes 4 to 5 dozen knots)
Leftover knots can easily be reheated by simply enclosing them in foil and
baking in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.
Garlic knots are a nice accompaniment to soup or dip them in some pizza sauce for a snack.
1-1/2 to 2 pounds pizza dough
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 2 large baking sheets. Set aside.
Divide dough in half. Roll out half of dough into a 10-inch square on a lightly floured surface.
Brush the dough lightly with olive oil.
With a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough in half.
Then cut each half crosswise into strips about 1-inch wide.
Tie each strip loosely into a knot, stretching it gently if necessary.
Place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the tops with salt.
Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
While the knots are baking, combine the butter and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat.
Cook 2-3 minutes just to bring out the flavor of the garlic.
Remove from heat and set aside.
When the knots come out of the oven, immediately transfer them to a large bowl.
Gently toss with the garlic butter, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Serve warm.