Does anyone have any Italian recipies especially deserts aswell?

Question

Hi I have a Italian friend from Italy and he is coming to see me. I want to cook dinner for him but have no idea what to cook if you have any Italian recipies that would be much appreciated thankyou and I hope you all have a happy christmas and a safe new year love soulties74

Answer 1

Bolognese Stuffed Bell Peppers

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/8 cup minced carrots
1/8 cup celery
6 bell peppers (any color) stems and seeds removed, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 pound pancetta or lightly smoked bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender and fluffy; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook and stir carrots and celery until tender. Add ground beef and pancetta, and cook until browned and crumbled; drain off any excess liquid, and return to heat. Add marinara sauce, wine, and red pepper flakes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream, half of the Parmesan cheese, and rice. Simmer 5 minutes more, or until most liquid has absorbed.
Place peppers in a shallow baking dish, and fill with beef mixture. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve hot.

Gnocchi in Fontina Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 pound refrigerated gnocchi
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
8 ounces fontina cheese, cubed
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the gnocci, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
Once the gnocci goes into the pot, start the sauce, as you want the gnocci to be done first. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, and cook for a few minutes, until tender. Stir in the cream, and heat to almost a boil. Gradually mix in the fontina and parmesan cheeses, being careful not to boil. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat immediately, or the sauce may clump.
Place gnocci into serving dishes, and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.

Manicotti Alla Romana

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (12 ounce) package manicotti shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground beef. Cook until well browned and crumbled. Season with salt and set aside to cool.
Cook spinach according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.
To the ground beef mixture add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from cracking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing.
Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

Portofino Lamb and Artichoke Risotto

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/2 cup red wine
6 cups chicken broth - heated and divided
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 cups diced leftover roast lamb
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (6.5 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained and chopped
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onions OR shallots and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the rice and stir well to coat, about 1 minute.
Next, pour in the wine and allow it to get absorbed by the rice, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then, stir in the broth 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until the rice absorbs each 1/2 cup before adding the next 1/2 cup. Repeat this until you have used all but 1/4 cup of broth, reserving this for later.
After about 20 minutes, the rice should be tender but firm. Turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of broth, the cheese, leftover lamb, garlic and artichoke hearts. Stir well to combine with the rice and serve on warm dinner plates.

Mom's Chicken Cacciatore

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups fresh mushrooms, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Shake the chicken pieces in flour until coated. Heat the oil in a large skillet (one that has a cover/lid). Fry the chicken pieces until they are browned on both sides. Remove from skillet.
Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper to the skillet and saute until the onion is slightly browned. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the tomatoes, oregano and wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over medium low heat.
Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

Portobello Mushroom Ravioli with Prawns

INGREDIENTS
20 large prawns, peeled and deveined
12 ounces prepared fresh cheese ravioli
7 large portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons capers
3/8 cup butter
5 fluid ounces white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon, juiced
DIRECTIONS
Have a stock pot of water near boiling before starting the sauce for this recipe! If you're fast at making the sauce, throw in ravioli when you begin to make the sauce. If not, cook ravioli according to package directions.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of butter or margarine over a medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in olive oil and capers. Add 4 ounces of white wine and prawns, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, letting wine reduce. Stir in sliced mushrooms, and additional butter and wine so that the sauce is thick, but still liquid after 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, and add fresh pepper to taste.
To serve, place raviolis on 4 plates, then place 5 to 6 prawns on each plate. Evenly distribute the remaining sauce between the four plates, and garnish with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese!

Hearty Fettuccini Bolognese Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound chopped pork
3/4 pound mild Italian sausage
6 ounces pancetta bacon, diced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
5 teaspoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
5 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound fettuccini pasta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Saute onions, celery, carrots and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high and add veal, pork, sausage and pancetta; cook until meats are evenly brown.
Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, milk, parsley, basil and thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 2 1/2 hours; stir occasionally, breaking up tomatoes with spoon as you stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Serve fettuccini topped with the sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Pesto Shrimp

INGREDIENTS
1 pound linguine pasta
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pesto
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in cream, and season with pepper. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir Parmesan cheese into cream sauce, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Blend in the pesto, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened.
Stir in the shrimp, and cook until they turn pink, about 5 minutes. Serve over the hot linguine.

Donna's Lasagna

INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato puree
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
9 lasagna noodles
3 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook ground beef and sausage over medium heat until brown; drain. Stir in tomato puree, tomato paste, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, and 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, stir together cottage cheese, eggs, pepper, Parmesan, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until blended.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a 9x13 inch baking dish, layer a third each of the noodles, sliced mozzarella, cottage cheese mixture, and meat sauce. Repeat layers twice.
Bake lasagna in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Italian Panzanella Bread Salad

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces country style white bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons garlic flavored olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups red or yellow teardrop tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 small red onion, cut into 3/4 inch slices
10 kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/3 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
1 head green or red leaf lettuce
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil to evenly coat. Sprinkle with salt, and toss again. Spread the cubed bread evenly over a baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Toss together the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, peppers, onion, and kalamata olives in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pesto, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and pepper. Toss the tomatoes with the pesto mixture, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
To serve, toss the toasted bread cubes and goat cheese with the tomato mixture. Line a serving platter with a few lettuce leaves. Shred the remaining lettuce, and mound in the center of the platter. Spoon the bread mixture over the lettuce, and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Desserts

Panna Cotta

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup skim milk
1 (.25 ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Pour milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatin powder. Set aside.
In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream and sugar, and set over medium heat. Bring to a full boil, watching carefully, as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan. Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into six individual ramekin dishes.
Cool the ramekins uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before serving.

Italian Love Cake

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
2 pints part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
DIRECTIONS
Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Pour batter into 9 x 13 x 2 inch greased baking dish. Set aside.
Combine ricotta cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Blend well. Spread mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 75 minutes if using a glass baking dish, 90 minutes if using a metal pan.
Blend pudding mix and milk until thickened. Blend in whipped topping. Spread over cooled cake.

Sfingi

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
DIRECTIONS
In large bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix together baking powder and 1/2 cup flour. Fold into ricotta mixture. Add enough of remaining flour to make a thick batter. Let rest 1 hour.
Heat oil in large heavy saucepan over high heat until a small amount of batter dropped in oil sizzles and starts to color. Drop batter by teaspoons into hot oil and deep fry until golden. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Stack sfingi on serving platter in a pyramid. Drizzle stack with honey and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Dulcia Domestica

INGREDIENTS
12 pitted dates
1/4 cup chopped, toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons red wine
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)
1/4 cup honey
DIRECTIONS
Stuff dates with chopped nuts: the nuts are inserted into the space left by the pit.
Place dates in a small pan. Sprinkle with pepper if desired. Add wine, then drizzle honey over dates. Cook over medium heat until the skins begin to peel off the fruit. Transfer dates to a serving dish, and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Strawberry Tiramisu Trifle

INGREDIENTS
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 1/4 cups cold milk
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons strong brewed coffee, room temperature, divided
2 cups whipped topping
1 (3 ounce) package ladyfingers, split
6 (1 ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, grated
DIRECTIONS
Set aside three strawberries for garnish; slice the remaining strawberries. In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in 2 tablespoons coffee. Beat in pudding. Fold in whipped topping.
Brush remaining coffee over ladyfingers. Line the bottom of a 3-qt. trifle or glass serving bowl with half of the ladyfingers. Top with half of the sliced berries, grated chocolate and pudding mixture; repeat layers. Cut reserved berries in half; place on trifle. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Almond Cherry Biscotti

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter (no substitutes)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds
1 cup halved candied cherries
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla until blended; stir into dry ingredients until blended. Stir in almonds and cherries (the dough will be crumbly). Divide dough in half; shape each half into a ball. On an ungreased baking sheet, roll each ball into a 10-in. x 2-1/2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

White Chocolate-Cranberry Biscotti

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup white vanilla chips
DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in cranberries and vanilla chips. Divide dough into three portions.
On ungreased baking sheets, shape each portion into a 10-in. x 2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Answer 2

Italian's have an Appetizer, primary Dish, Salad, a Pasta part Dish, a Vegetable part Dish, Bread and Dessert. Which you can have PIGNOLI COOKIES for dessert. Very easy to make. 1 lb. Almond paste 3 egg whites 1 c. Sugar 1 lb. Pignoli nuts (observed in distinctiveness portion of grocery retailer) Beat almond paste and sugar in a meals processor; beat unless crumbly. Put in big bowl; add unbeaten egg whites. Stir unless good blended. With fingertips make into balls using one full teaspoon of dough. Roll each ball in the nuts. Utilizing parchment paper or grocery luggage, cut to suit cookie sheet and situation balls 2 inches apart. Don't grease. Bake at 350 degrees for quarter-hour. Finished when core is organization to contact. Predominant: Cool earlier than taking away from paper or they'll fall apart.

Answer 3

Italian's have an Appetizer, Main Dish, Salad, a Pasta Side Dish, a Vegetable Side Dish, Bread and Dessert.

You can have PIGNOLI COOKIES for dessert. Very easy to make.

1 lb. almond paste
3 egg whites
1 c. sugar
1 lb. pignoli nuts (found in specialty section of grocery store)

Beat almond paste and sugar in a food processor; beat until crumbly. Put in large bowl; add unbeaten egg whites. Stir until well blended. With fingertips make into balls using one full teaspoon of dough. Roll each ball in the nuts.
Using parchment paper or grocery bags, cut to fit cookie sheet and place balls 2 inches apart. Do not grease. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Done when center is firm to touch. Important: Cool before removing from paper or they will crumble.

Answer 4

On Food Network there is a show that helps cook things they have not been able to cook. It's called Food 911. Here is a link to some Italian dishes they made:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_fo/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9964_22668,00.html

Another chef, Giada (who hosts Everyday Italian) had an episode dedicated to her travels in Italy. Here's the link (her dishes are a little more advanced):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ei/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9958_40427,00.html

One of my favorites (I ran out and bought her cookbook as soon I saw her on PBS) is Lidia Bastianich. She is known as the First Lady of Italian cooking. Here's a link to two options for a 5 course meal:
http://topchefs.chef2chef.net/recipes-2/lidia-bastianich/

Answer 5

Italian's have an Appetizer, significant Dish, Salad, a Pasta area Dish, a Vegetable area Dish, Bread and Dessert. you've PIGNOLI COOKIES for dessert. quite undemanding to make. a million lb. almond paste 3 egg whites a million c. sugar a million lb. pignoli nuts (modern in uniqueness portion of food market) Beat almond paste and sugar in a food processor; beat till crumbly. put in super bowl; upload unbeaten egg whites. Stir till nicely blended. With fingertips make into balls utilising one finished teaspoon of dough. Roll each and each ball interior the nuts. utilising parchment paper or grocery luggage, shrink to greater healthful cookie sheet and place balls 2 inches aside. do no longer grease. Bake at 350 levels for quarter-hour. performed whilst center is employer to touch. substantial: Cool in the past removing from paper or they are going to give way.

Answer 6

After living in Italy for many years I can tell you that your Italian friend may want some good Old American cuisine :) I have a dear friend who just LOVES BBQ hamburgers and potato salad, LOL

Answer 7

check out this italian cooking site with step by step pictures.
http://www.annamariavolpi.com/page57.html