italian recipes?

Question

does any one know any good italian recipes if possible a way to cook italian foods without all the fat and calories and carbs

i can't make foods that have to do with alchohal cuz i'm only 13

Answer 1

Eggplant Rollatini

3 medium-sized eggplants (about 4 pounds total)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Can vegetable spray
32 ounces ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
8 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
20 basil leaves, chiffonaded
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 cups fresh tomato sauce, recipe follows

Preheat the grill pan and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a rack over a large baking sheet. Cut the 2 ends off the eggplant. Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange eggplant slices onto rack. Sprinkle with sea salt to help remove excess moisture and any bitterness from the eggplants. Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse off the salt from the eggplants and pat dry with a towel. Spray hot grill pan liberally with vegetable spray and then place eggplant slices on the grill until lightly browned on each side and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Remove slices from the grill pan and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until lightly scrambled. Mix the ricotta in with the egg. Add mozzarella, 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts and gently combine. Fold in basil just to combine. Do not overmix.

Place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture on 1 end of the eggplant and roll up tightly. Place the eggplant rollatini into a greased (with olive oil) 13 by 9-inch baking dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining eggplant. Evenly distribute the tomato sauce on top of the eggplant rollatini. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 5 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes. When cooked, drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil.


Simple Tomato Sauce
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional


In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy

Answer 2

Chunky Italian Soup:

1 pound lean ground beef or beef tips
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (14.5-ounce) cans Italian tomatoes
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato soup with basil, undiluted
4 cups water
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (16-ounce) can Italian green beans, drained
1 carrot, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
8 ounces rotini noodles, cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook beef and onion in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Return mixture to pan. Stir in tomatoes, next 7 ingredients, and, if desired, chili powder; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir in kidney beans and next 3 ingredients; simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in pasta. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Yield: 10 cups

Answer 3

I don't have many low fat, cal and carb Italian recipes in my collection but following is a nice website that might be of interest:

http://www.calorieking.com/recipes/International/Italian-Mediterranean/

Here are some of my Italian recipes and tips. You should be able to cut down on some carbs, calories and/or fat in these recipes with a few suggested substitions, but I don't have a personal recipe that cuts down on all three. Anyway...

Use half and half to cut the fat in this, it isn't super high calories but the pasta is carbs. The butter is not necessary and I have never used it to make this dish. It's one of my favorites.

You Won’t Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta
Rachel Ray
Prep: 5 minutes, Cook: 20 minutes, Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread, for passing
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.
Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.

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Even with the little bit of bacon, this is low in fat and calories, but again, there are carbs in the pasta:

Confit of white beans with roasted tomato

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1 can white beans w/ liquid
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 chunk bacon fat or 2 slices bacon, chopped
½ package (2 oz ??) chopped prosciutto (Trader Joes)
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 cup each diced carrot, celery and onion
2 cups tomato puree
1 cup red wine
1 cup (or more) chicken stock
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or 1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5-6 cups hot, cooked orecchiette pasta (or other pasta of similar shape)

Heat 1 T. olive oil in an oven-safe skillet. Cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove the fat pieces, if using (if using bacon, you can just leave that in the sauce…make a judgement). Add the chopped prosciutto and sauté another minute or two.

Add the garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Saute until tender.

Add tomato puree, wine, stock, beans, thyme, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Cook on low for another 5 minutes. Stir in fresh tomatoes and parsley and finish in the oven at 300 degrees for 30-60 minutes. Use chicken stock to create the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve spooned over hot pasta and topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

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I have seen that George Stella guy who cuts the carbs use spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti for some pasta recipes. That might be a consideration that is low in carbs, fat and calories. He made alfredo with it, so that wouldn't be low fat, but a tomato or tomato and meat sauce would also be good.

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Cooking Light Penne with Brussels Sprouts and Crisp Bacon

To trim Brussels sprouts, discard the tough outer leaves and trim off about 1/4 inch from stems. Don't trim too much from the stems, or the sprouts will fall apart.


12 ounces uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
3 cups trimmed, halved Brussels sprouts (about 1 pound)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bacon slices
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting the salt and fat. Drain well.
Steam Brussels sprouts, covered, 7 minutes or until tender. Drain and sprinkle with salt.
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside.
Add Brussels sprouts to the bacon drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in cooked pasta; cover mixture, and keep warm.
Combine milk, flour, and broth, stirring well with a whisk. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add milk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk until well blended. Cook for 6 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Pour sauce over pasta mixture, tossing to coat. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, nuts, bacon, and pepper; serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

CALORIES 384(28% from fat); FAT 12g (sat 5.3g,mono 4.3g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 17.4g; CHOLESTEROL 23mg; CALCIUM 207mg; SODIUM 476mg; FIBER 4.9g; IRON 3.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 53.3g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

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Robin Miller Spaghetti Carbonara lower fat version
16 ounces spaghetti
1 cup chopped turkey bacon or regular bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
1/2 cup lowfat or nonfat sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown. Add onion and garlic and saute 3 minutes, until onion is soft. Add oregano and cook 1 minute. Add flour and stir to coat onion. Add milk and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, until sauce thickens, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, Parmesan and parsley. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Drain pasta and toss with sauce to coat. Serve.

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Zesty Chicken and Pasta (low fat)
Prep Time: 10 min, Total Time: 25 min, Makes: 6 servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT LIGHT DONE RIGHT! House Italian Reduced Fat Dressing, divided
2 cups broccoli florets
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 pkg. (8 oz.) pasta, cooked as directed on pkg., drained
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK and stir chicken in 1/4 cup of the dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat 4 min. or until no longer pink.
ADD broccoli, onion, red pepper and parsley; cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
TOSS with pasta and remaining 1/4 cup dressing. Sprinkle with cheese.

Great Substitute
Prepare as directed, substituting 1 lb. cleaned shrimp for chicken. Cook shrimp 2 min. in Step 1.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 440 Total fat 9 g Saturated fat 3 g Cholesterol 75 mg Sodium 490 mg Carbohydrate 52 g Dietary fiber 4 g

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Low Fat Pasta Shells with Roasted Vegetables
Cooking spray
4 small or 2 large eggplants, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 pound uncooked medium or large (not jumbo) pasta shells
1 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
8 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine eggplant, artichoke hearts, oil, thyme, and rosemary. Toss to coat vegetables with oil and herbs. Arrange vegetables on prepared baking sheet and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and tender, turning halfway through cooking. Remove vegetables from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and return to cooking pot. Stir in roasted vegetables and roasted red peppers.

Whisk together chicken broth, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture over pasta and toss to coat. Stir in basil. Spoon mixture into shallow bowls and sprinkle Parmesan over top.

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There's no hope for this recipe in terms of carbs, fat and calories, but I just love it so much I had to share:

Photos of the Braciole and Sauce in the making!!
http://www.spaghettisauceandmeatballs.co...

Anthony's Pasta Sauce, Meatballs & Braciole

This recipe makes a lot of sauce. Enough for 4 people with 4 quarts to freeze for later. There is some mysterious thing about spaghetti sauce, it seems to get a lot better after it has been frozen.

Sauce:
Note: All seasonings are dry except for the Parsley, the Parsley MUST be fresh!
Oregano
1 Medium yellow onion
1 Bay Leaf
Sweet Basil
Fresh Parsley
Garlic Powder
Cooking Spray
Salt/Pepper
Garlic, Lots of Garlic!
Cajun Seasoning - Just a dash (any spicy Cajun seasoning will do)
Olive Oil
Sugar
(2) 28 oz. Tomato Puree' ("Hunts") or Tomato Sauce ("Progresso")
(2) 6 oz. Tomato Paste
(1) 16 oz. Diced Tomatoes
Red Wine
Water (you will be adding about 41 oz. of water along the way during the cooking process, this is an important step so pay attention. When and how much is extremely important).

1. Put enough olive oil in the pan to just barely cover the bottom. You want to have enough oil where the garlic can soak a little bit.
2. Chop up (3) Large cloves of garlic as fine as you can. It's better to do this manually with a knife and your fingers in lieu of using a garlic chopper.
3. Add the garlic to the oil. Do not heat the pan up yet, just let the garlic sit there and bathe in the olive oil for a bit, this will help get the garlic flavor into the oil.
4. While the garlic is bathing in the olive oil, chop up (1) medium size onion as fine as you can.
5. Heat the oil and garlic - medium heat. Heat until you see little bubbles around the garlic. (DO NOT OVER COOK THE GARLIC) When you see the little bubbles around the garlic add the chopped up onions and lower the heat to medium low. Be sure to do this as soon as you see the little bubbles around the edges of the garlic.
6. Simmer at low heat, the oil, garlic and onions for about 5 minutes. While the onion, garlic and oil are simmering add 1 tsp. Oregano, 1/2 tsp. Sweet Basil, a dash of Salt and Pepper and mix well.
7. Spoon in (1) 6 oz. can of Tomato Paste. Fill this tomato paste can with water, stir it up good to get all the paste off the inside of the can and add it to the pan. Turn the heat back up to medium. Mix well until paste is consistent throughout. Simmer for about 4 minutes. (Be sure to stir the sauce constantly for these 4 minutes) I call this Italian Roux. At this point you should add a touch of salt, black pepper and 1/2 tsp. of Oregano.
8. Add (1) 16 oz. can of Diced Tomatoes. Fill this 16 oz. can with water about half way, stir it up good to get all the tomato out of it then add it to the pan. Mix well and simmer for 10 more minutes. Stir constantly. While simmering add 1 tsp. Oregano (yes, again), 1/2 tsp. Sweet Basil, 1-1/2 tsp. fresh chopped Parsley, just a dash of Cajun Seasoning 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder and a dash of course black pepper.
9. Add the second 6 oz. Tomato Paste. Fill this tomato paste can with water, stir it up good to get all the paste off the inside of the can and add it to the pan. Mix well and heat for another 10 minutes. At this point you should add a little salt and pepper. The heat should be set to medium heat, the sauce should not be boiling, if boiling turn down heat just a little. Also be sure to stir sauce every minute or so, you don't want anything sticking to the bottom of the pan in this part of the sauce making process. Make sure the paste is mixed in well. When you add the tomato paste at this point, it's going to clump together, get a wooden spoon and squeeze the paste up against the side of the pan to mix the paste in well with the sauce.
10. Add (2) 28 oz. cans of Tomato Puree' ("Hunts") or Tomato Sauce ("Progresso"). Mix well. Fill (1) of the 28 oz. cans up with water about 3/4 full, then add this to the sauce. Add 1 tsp. Oregano (yes, again), Important note about adding Oregano and Sweet Basil, when adding this to the sauce, pour the tsp full in the palm or your hand and with your other hand rub hard to grind up the seasoning, this brings out the flavor a little more. 1 tsp. Parsley, (3) dashes of Sweet Basil and (3) dashes of Garlic Powder. Mix well. Keep at medium heat and cover pan. Be sure the sauce is not at a rapid boil. A little boiling is OK but not too much. Heat should be at medium or lower. You want to keep the medium heat on the sauce while you make the Meat Balls.
11. Don't forget to keep stirring the sauce every 3 minutes or so while you're making the Meat Balls.
12. Add 1/3 cup red wine and mix well. Let simmer (almost boiling) for about 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
13. Drop in (1) Bay Leaf, mix this sauce well after dropping in the bay leaf.
14. Just let the sauce simmer (not boiling) while you're preparing the meatballs. It could take you about 1/2 hour to finish the Meatballs.
15. Important Note: About 10 minutes before you put the Meatballs into the sauce you will need to add (2) Tsp's of sugar. Sprinkle this in slowly while you're stirring the sauce. Mix the sauce well after adding the sugar.

If you are making this entire recipe for optimal flavor (according to Anthony!), fry up the braciole first and put it in the sauce, then fry up the chops and add them, then make the meatballs and add them.
Pork Chops:
(2) Pork Chops (Average size thin, optional)

Fry the pork chops a large, non-stick pan. Cook on low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then crank up the heat to high and sear the chops. You want to brown the meat. Cook on high for about 2 minutes on each side, just enough to brown each side of the chop. Add the chops to the sauce and stir.

Meatballs (approx 12 meatballs):
1 lb. Ground Chuck
1 Egg
1-1/2 pieces of dark Wheat Bread with crust
A tiny bit of Italian bread crumbs (about 3 Tsp.)
Fresh Parsley, Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Garlic, Garlic Powder, Sweet Basil
Coarse Black Pepper and Salt
A splash of red wine

1. Don't forget to keep stirring the sauce every 3 minutes or so.
2. Chop 1/4 cup of fresh Parsley as fine as you can. Add the Parsley to the 1lb meat in a large bowl. Don't mix anything yet. You're going to add all this stuff and mix when your done.
3. Add (1) Egg to bowl. Chop (2) large cloves of garlic as fine as you possibly can and add to bowl. Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese to the bowl.
4. Take your (1-1/2) pieces of Dark Wheat Bread and rub it under the faucet and get it soaking wet. Then squeeze as much of the water as you can out of the bread. The bread should be a gooey consistency. What I call Meat Ball Glue, very important. Break the bread up into the bowl. At this point you need to also add about (3) Tsp. of Italian bread crumbs.
5. Add coarse black pepper, salt, garlic powder, a splash of red wine and about a tsp. of Sweet Basil.
6. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl well. You will need to work the meat for about 3 minutes until you end up with a big relatively firm ball. Note: it will help if you refrigerate the meat before mixing it in the bowl, this will help keep the balls firm while you browning them.
7. Get a good Non-Stick frying pan and spray on some cooking spray. Take the meat and make 1" to 1-1/2" balls. Roll them around in your hand and try to make them as firm as possible.
8. Get the pan very hot, heat should be on medium high to high. You want to sear the meat to a dark brown. Be careful with the balls at first you don't want them to fall apart. They should be cooked to a point where you can roll them around the pan and have them appear to be firm.*** Important Note: Did you put the (2) Tsp's of sugar into the sauce like you where directed just prior to making the Meatballs? If not, do it now! This is an important step.
9. When they appear to be seared well and firm take them right from the frying pan into the sauce.

Once the Pork Chops, Meatballs and/or Braciole are in the sauce, be sure to stir gently while they're cooking, you don't want them to fall apart.

Cover the sauce and continue to heat at medium for another 30 minutes, a little boiling is OK. Important Note: At this point it is important to keep lifting the cover to make sure the sauce is not boiling to much, also stir the sauce occasionally while cooking with the cover on. Skim off any grease/oil that forms on the top.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Sometimes at this point I might add a little bit more oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. At this point if you taste a hint of bitterness to the sauce you can add (1) tsp. of sugar, this will help.

Heat on very low heat for 1-1/2 hours or so uncovered. Be sure to stir occasionally during this time, a little boiling is OK. Occasionally = every 5 minutes ~ this is REALLY important! If you don't stir you’ll burn the sauce.

Tip: The sauce gets a much better flavor if you finish your sauce a couple hours before eating. When you finish the sauce, just turn off the burner and let it sit on the stove covered. Let sit for about 1 to 2 hours. When you ready to eat, just heat the sauce back up again for about ten minutes, just to get it hot, then serve.


Anthony's Braciole (should yield approximately 7 to 10 Braciole Rolls)
1 lb "Round Steak" or 1lb "London Broil"
1/2 cup bread crumbs (preferably "Progresso")
Fresh Parsley
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (fresh grated recommended)
(3) cloves Fresh Garlic - You can never have to much garlic...:-)
Coarse Black Pepper and Salt

1. When you go to your local grocery store to get the "Round Steak" or "London Broil", ask the butcher to slice the meat up into 1/4" thin pieces.
2. Take the meat slices and lay them out on wax paper. Now pound the heck out of them. You want to have pieces that are approximately 7"x3" and relatively rectangular in shape. Set the slices of meat aside.
3. Chop some fresh parsley, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, grate some fresh Parmesan cheese, about 1/4 cup, and chop 3 cloves of garlic as fine as you can. Add the bread crumbs, salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle on the meat with this mixture, pressing it in with your fingers. Make sure it's evenly spread out on the meat.
5. Roll up the meat as tight as you can and tie it up with some very strong thread. You will need about three pieces of string for each piece. You want to tie it well enough to hold it all together. Make sure to leave long pieces of string hanging off the knot so you can find the string after cooking it.
6. Fry them in a very hot, nonstick pan. Take them right from the frying pan into the sauce.