Category: Recipes

My family mostly cooks by “eyeballing” ingredients. I’ve tried to convey those meals to you here in a recipe form.
If you have any questions or need help don’t hesitate to ask!

Remember cooking isn’t as much about being precise or exact in the ingredients you use as it is about experimenting
with flavors and learning what you like. And if you start with good quality, whole ingredients you’re halfway there.
Happy cooking!
(Click “Older Posts” for more recipes)

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Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Turkey and Farro

A medley of hearty and comforting ingredients came together for this surprisingly easy stuffed acorn squash recipe. And with the recent return of blustery temps, this dinner winner hit the warmth cravings head on! The best part about making this dish is that you probably have everything you need already in your pantry, fridge and freezer – just buy yourself a few acorn squashes! We also love the versatility: you can use bulgur, barley or quinoa, lentils or beans, mushrooms, ground beef, or sausage. It all works!

Ingredients

2-3 medium size acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed
2-6 tablespoons of olive oil (used at various steps in recipe)
1 large brown onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of farro (or bulgur or barley or lentils)
1 lb. ground turkey (or ground beef or minced Italian sausage)
2-3 tbsp of broth or water, if needed for dryness (see below)
1 jar of Due Cellucci Arrabbiata sauce (you may not use whole jar)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp of dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp each of sweet and smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional heat)
1 bunch of kale, ribs removed and finely chopped.
1/2 – 3/4 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano
1/2 cup or more of shredded whole milk mozzarella for topping
*optional if you have on hand: dried currants or golden raisins (chopped) and pine nuts. These two ingredients are delicious add-ins! About 1/3 cup of each.

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400oF

  • Cut acorns in half. Remove the hard stem from the tops with the blunt side of a knife or simply cut a slim sliver off the tops altogether. Also for the top halves: scoop out a little extra flesh to get a deeper well for the stuffing, remove seeds. The bottom halves, simply scoop out the seeds and take a small sliver off the outer bottoms, so that the halves sit upright in a casserole dish (any removed flesh bits can be chopped up and added into the overall mixture).
  • Pour a little olive oil on the halves and rub inside and out. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay all halves, cut side down on a parchment covered sheet tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside. You want a nice browning on the cut sides, but really we are partially pre-cooking the squash to about 3/4 of the way done.
  • While squash are baking, cook the farro to package directions in a pot of salted boiling water. You want a chewy, slightly al dente farro – rinse and drain at about 3/4 or more of the way done, a soft chew. Set aside to drain and cool.
  • Add diced onion to a large sauté pan, on medium flame, with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes or so to a soft golden translucent, stirring occasionally. Add in minced garlic. Cook for another minute, continue stirring.
  • Add a little more olive oil and the ground turkey (or beef or sausage), brown the meat, about 5-8 minutes, breaking up any large bits. Here you can also add in Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, both paprikas, and red pepper flakes.
  • Add the cooked farro, stir well and cook for another minute or two. Again, taste for seasoning, adjust accordingly. If pan feels too dry, add in more oil and/or a couple tablespoons of broth or water.
  • Add about 3/4 of a jar of preferred Due Cellucci sauce (we used arrabbiata) and tomato paste. Stir well and taste. Continue simmering on a medium/low flame for 3-5 minutes.
  • Add chopped kale – we like Tuscan lacinato kale (you can use spinach or other preferred greens) – stir all well, simmer another minute. Taste everything for seasoning. No more salt though, until you add in the parm and can determine overall saltiness.
  • Turn off flame. Let mixture cool for a few minutes and then add in the grated parm and mix well. Last taste!
  • Scoop filling into each acorn half, creating a nice mound. Place in casserole dish and fill the rest. Top each with with shredded mozzarella.
  • Place casserole into 400 degree oven and bake until cheese gets bubbly and golden brown. About 10 minutes. Turn casserole half way through for even cooking. Serve with a simple side salad or grilled veggies of choice.

The other great part of this recipe is that more than likely you will have extra stuffing mixture left over, which freezes beautifully for the next time you might get the hankering to stuff a pepper or a zucchini. Or just heat the leftovers with pasta for an improvised “bolognese” of sorts!

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Braised Lamb Shank

A true comfort dish – slow cooked lamb shanks in a thick flavorful tomato braise.  The best part about making this dish is that you’ll have 2 nights worth of meals.  The first night serve them on the bone over polenta, mashed potatoes or rice.  The next night you can make a Lamb Ragu Pasta — shred any left over lamb off the bone, mix the lamb and left over sauce with additional Due Cellucci Traditional sauce (as needed) and serve over pasta.

IngredientsLamb Shank Finished2

4 lamb shanks, around 1 lb each shank
2 tsp salt
Pepper
2 – 3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, finely diced (1 small or 1/2 large)
1 cup carrot, finely diced (2 large carrots)
1 cup celery, finely diced (3-4 med stalks)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2½ cups red wine, full bodied
28 oz  can crushed tomatoes
1 jar of Due Cellucci Traditional sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
5 sprigs of thyme (you will remove these at end so can tie them together to make it easier to find)
2 Bay leaves

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350oF

  1. Sprinkle lamb shanks with 1 tsp of salt and black pepper.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. Sear the lamb shanks in batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat from the pot.
  3. Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Sauté for 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
  4. Add the red wine and turn up the heat to medium high. Bring it to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix all the brown bits into the wine. Simmer for 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol a bit.
  5. Add the remaining ingredients (including remaining 1 tsp salt and pepper) and stir to combine.
  6. Place the lamb shanks into the pot.
  7. Bring back up to simmer, cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours. (about 1 hour in you can scrape down all the yummy goodness that is sticking to the inside of the pot)
  8. Turn the lamb shanks, cover, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes or more if needed. The lamb should be very tender, the exposed surface above the liquid should be browned and the sauce should be reduced down to about 1/2 of the original amount. (so cooking about 2½-3 hours in total)
  9. Carefully transfer the lamb to a serving plate and pick out the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
  10. Optional: Use a stick blender to puree the sauce to make it smooth and thick. If your veggies are cut fine enough you won’t need to do this step
  11. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato, polenta or cauliflower puree with lots of sauce!

LEFTOVERS: Remove meat from bone and shred the lamb. Add a jar of Due Cellucci traditional sauce to the leftover lamb and sauce. Heat and serve over your favorite pasta.

Lamb Shank BraisedCarrots, Onions, Celery SauteLamb Shank in pot2

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One Skillet Saucy Cheesy Hamburger Pasta

This is a one-skillet wonder of saucy, meaty, cheesy heaven. Its a cozy comfort food that’s great as a crowd (and kid) pleaser. Feel free to toss in another veggie or two…maybe some spinach or kale!

Ingredients
Olive Oil, a glug
1 med onion, diced
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef, lean
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 Box Cavatappi Pasta
1 Jar Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste (can leave out if you don’t have it on hand)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmigiano, grated (optional for finishing)
handful of Basil, chopped (optional for finishing)

Preparation
1. Heat oil over medium heat and cook onion and garlic until browned and nice and soft. Add beef and cook until no longer pink.

2. Add beef broth and pasta and stir to incorporate. Pour in tomato sauce and tomato paste. You may want to leave a bit of the tomato sauce aside to add toward the end if you need more liquid. Stir to combine then let mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until pasta is al dente (about 12-15 minutes). We added the red peppers about halfway so they become soft but not too mushy.

3. Add half of the mozzarella cheese, stir and then top with remaining mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmigiano (optional). Cover again to let cheese melt.

4. Once melted, top with basil, serve and enjoy!

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Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is the perfect season opener for the first cold evening of fall; a use-up-everything medley of all the things you already have in your fridge and pantry.  Rustic, hearty, rough and tumble – no rules – with a rich tomato’y goodness broth.  We used a huge pot and made enough for our family to eat for three days!  We took one package of sweet Italian sausage links, removed the casings and made deliciously seasoned meatballs, well worth the extra time!  But you can also just slice the sausage into coins for a quick version.

Ingredients (for Soup and Sausage meatballs):
3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Large cartons of low sodium chicken broth
1 Jar of Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce
1 Pound of sweet Italian Sausage
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
3-4 celery stalks, sliced into half moons
4-5 Kale leaves, Cut into ribbons (we like Lacinato Kale)
1 large can (or two regular size cans) dark red kidney beans
1/3 to ½ pound (less than half the box) of Ditalini pasta
2 tsp of Italian seasoning (plus more for meatballs)
2 tsp of oregano (plus more for meatballs)
1 tsp of onion powder (plus more for meatballs)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (plus more for meatballs)
1 whole bunch of fresh parsley, finely minced (some for soup, some for meatballs, rest for garnish)
¾ cup of grated parmesan (1/2 cup for meatballs, rest for garnishing soup)
½ cup of panko (for meatballs)
1 egg (for meatballs)
Salt and pepper for soup and meatballs

Preparation: Meatballs
Remove casings from sweet Italian sausage. In a bowl mix in one egg, panko, grated parmesan, various dried herbs, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp each salt and pepper, a good handful of minced parsley, and a few glugs of olive oil.  Use hands or fork to mix into sausage well.  Oil hands and form small spoon-sized meatballs and set aside.

Preparation: Soup
1. Sauté the diced onion in olive oil to translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic, sauté for another minute or so.  Some salt and pepper, more later. 

2. Add both containers of chicken broth, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, onion powder, flame on medium.   

3. Add in the Ditalini pasta, let pasta cook for about 5 minutes, then add in the meatballs and the carrots and celery.  Simmer on low.  Add in additional cups of water as pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid.  I usually add one cup at a time as needed.

4. Once pasta is just al dente and meatballs are mostly cooked through, add in the jar of Due Cellucci sauce and the can of kidney beans.  Stir gently, keep simmering.  Add in all the ribboned kale.

5. Toss in a handful of minced parsley, taste for seasoning, add in salt and pepper, additional dried herbs as desired, and red pepper flakes.

Once the pasta is done to your liking, serve hot in bowls with toasted baguette and garnish with remaining parsley and grated parmesan.

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Pomodori Ripieni di Riso (Tomatoes stuffed with rice!)

I have such fond childhood memories of my grandfather and my father making this dish every summer. Rice stuffed tomatoes with herbs and lots saucy love! This recipe is a lot easier than it appears here. You won’t regret making it and your kiddos will have so much fun helping too. I always did!

Ingredients:
7-9 large tomatoes. (Not overly ripe, firm is better here)
1 to 1 1/2 cups* of uncooked rice, rinsed
2-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 jar of Due Cellucci Tomato Basil (may not use it all)
1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Herbs: a medley of basil, oregano, thyme & parsley
1 teaspoon each salt & pepper (*this is just to start)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (the rice will absorb the spicy!)

Preparation:
1) Cut off the top 1/4 portion of each tomato, just a cap size (do not cut tomatoes in half!) Reserve the caps for later. Lightly oil each cap.

2) Spoon all the interior tomato meat and juices into a large mixing bowl. Work each tomato, being careful not to break through the skin. Leave enough tomato flesh all around the bottom and sides to hold the stuffing.

3) Break apart any large pieces of tomato guts, add one cup of rinsed and drained uncooked rice (* you can judge if you need to add more rice depending on size and quantity of tomatoes).

4) Mix in the olive oil, salt & pepper, all chopped herbs, half a jar of tomato basil sauce (or more depending on how many tomatoes you use), tomato paste, minced garlic, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar.

5) Taste for seasoning. You want this slurry to taste just a little extra* salty and tangy because the rice will absorb all the flavors – so don’t forget to amp up the flavors keeping that in mind. That goes for loads of herbs too! All flavors will become muted down when the rice absorbs all the liquid.

5) Stuff each tomato just under 3/4 of the way up (rice will expand!) and arrange in a large oiled skillet that can transfer to oven. Pour the broth around the tomatoes, about half way up, cover with foil or a tight lid (*tightly crimp foil around the rim of skillet so the rice will steam in the cooking.)

6) Cook at 375 for about 45 minutes. Check a little more than half way through, take a bite of rice to check how al dente it is, and continue cooking as needed. You may go an hour, just depends.

7) Once you determine rice is just near done, take off the lid and place each oiled cap back onto the tomatoes. Place back in oven, uncovered for about 5-10 minutes more. You can also add a little time under the broiler too, but really watch them carefully!

8) Drizzle some fresh olive oil over, garnish with any herbs and serve at table! Take a bow.

Notes:
Feel free to sauté an onion and mince a few Italian sausages, lightly toast some pine nuts, grate Parmigiano Reggiano into the stuffing or on top – these are all great add-ins that would make your stuffed tomatoes sing!

If you find yourself with a ton of leftover stuffing, stuff a bell pepper or a zucchini or squash – any will do. Or simply cook up the extra stuffing as you would do with rice. Or if you find you may not have enough stuffing to fill all your tomatoes, just add in more rice and Due Cellucci sauce to the mixture. And adjust seasoning as needed.

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Seared Chicken Breasts alla Vodka Sauce

We were craving our Vodka sauce – which isn’t just for penne, folks! – and in our busy household, we’re also big fans of one-skillet meals. So even though it’s high Summer, we decided to create a main dish with a lighter saucier version of our creamy vodka sauce, with chicken, fresh tomatoes, and basil. We love how it turned out, we think you will too!

Ingredients:
3 to 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
1 jar of Due Cellucci Vodka Sauce
1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
4-6 strips of smoky bacon, diced (or about 3/4 cup of cubed pancetta)
1 large onion, diced
3-6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup of vodka OR 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (for added tangy zing!)
1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves, torn
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste

Preparation:
1) In large cast iron or skillet, add in the olive oil. Medium heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides, place into heated skillet. Let chicken get a nice sear, don’t move them for about 3-5 minutes. Lift a breast to check to see if nicely browning, then flip all breasts to other side and leave for another 3-5 minutes. Always check flame is not too high. Chicken does not have to be cooked through, just a light brown sear on both sides. Take chicken breasts out of pan and set aside.

2) In same skillet, sauté the diced bacon or pancetta to a light brown/light crisp.

3) Add in the diced onion and sauté on medium, to a soft translucent brown, about 5-8 minutes, keep stirring.

4) Add in minced garlic, cook for another minute or so.

5) Add in a jar of Due Cellucci Vodka Sauce and one cup of chicken broth, stir well for a minute on medium low flame. Season with salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Taste for all seasoning. (*Keeping in mind that bacon and broth impart some sodium too). Add in the fresh Vodka OR red wine vinegar, give a good stir for another minute.

6) Place the chicken breasts (and any resting juices) into the simmering sauce, allowing tops of chicken to remain exposed. Lower flame and cover. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes on low (or until chicken is cooked depending on how thick the breasts are).

7) Sprinkle the halved cherry tomatoes around the chicken breasts and half of the torn basil, cover and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Reserve the rest of basil for garnish.

8) Over pappardelle pasta or polenta, spoon a generous amount of sauce and place each chicken breast, sliced, on top. Garnish each plate with rest of torn basil. Feel free to add more red pepper flakes too!

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Baked Halibut & Ratatouille with a Tomato Herb Remoulade

This is a wonderful one-skillet recipe for a saucy summer dinner – served with rice or simple pasta and icy cold white wine! A delicious explosion of summer flavors and ingredients. We made a fresh (non-mayo) cherry tomato and herb remoulade to spoon over. Choose a nice size skillet that will fit both the ratatouille medley and a large fillet of Halibut or other white fish. Also a great recipe with Salmon!

The Ratatouille and fish layer:
3-4 small yukon potatoes, peeled & medium diced
1 large red or orange bell pepper, large dice
1-2 medium size zucchini, cut into half or quarter moons
1 red onion, large dice
3 cloves garlic, fine mince 
1/2 cup or more of minced herb medley: oregano, thyme, tarragon, sage, basil, parsley – any and all herbs!
1/4 cup Olive oil, plus a couple tablespoons
Salt & Pepper
*Halibut or other firm white fish – 1-2 pound fillet. Depending on family size.

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375

2.) Wash and peel potatoes, medium square dice. In a bowl, drizzle potatoes with 1/4 cup of olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, a couple tablespoons of the minced herb medley and some of the minced garlic. Toss well and place into greased skillet, begin to bake potatoes for about 5-10 minutes on 375. Watch not to burn them, the potatoes just need a little head start before adding in the rest of ratatouille ingredients.

3.) Take skillet out of oven and add in the diced bell pepper, zucchini and red onion. Plus the rest of the minced garlic and herb medley, an additional tablespoon or two of olive oil, more salt and pepper. Mix everything well with the potatoes already in skillet.

4.) Return skillet to oven and continue to bake for another 8-10 minutes.

5.) Assemble the tomato herb remoulade (see below), set aside.

6.) Take skillet out of oven (again.) Place cleaned and dried fish on top. Lightly oil the fish, top and bottom, and season with salt and pepper. Place entire fillet(s) on top of the baked ratatouille layer, place back into oven for about 5-7 minutes. 

7.) Take skillet out of oven (again!!) and spoon the fresh tomato herb remoulade (recipe below) along the top of fillet, letting any liquid run off into the ratatouille layer.  Place back into oven for another 5-8 minutes, until fish is opaque and done, then pop temperature to broil for another 2-3 minutes to get a nice browning of the remoulade topping. Check for doneness, serve at table with rice or pasta.

The Tomato Herb Remoulade:
One container each of red and orange cherry tomatoes (you may have some leftover) Cut and quarter the tomatoes (about 1 1/2 cups or more), 1/2 cup of the minced herb medley, 1/2 cup of Due Cellucci Sauce (Tomato Basil or Arrabbiata), 2 garlic cloves minced, 1-2 shallots fine chop, salt and pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Mix well. 

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Thai Influenced Tomato-Basil-Coconut Salmon

Often baked or broiled, salmon can get a little been there-done that. Sometimes salmon needs just a little extra, a saucy swim in the deep end of a delicious red pool, a sun-kissed browning under a broiler sun. Sometimes salmon wants to let loose and get saucy!

Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
1 med/large yellow onion, finely diced (shallots are also great here too!)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
2 tbsp or more (a nob) of ginger, peeled, and minced or grated
1 can of coconut milk or coconut cream
1 jar Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce
3-4 Salmon fillets (about 4-6 oz. each)
2 large handfuls of fresh basil leaves (save some for garnish)
Salt & pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
1-2 teaspoons of lime juice (save some wedges for garnish)

Preparation:
1. Sauté the diced onion in the coconut oil on a medium flame, to a soft translucent brown, about 5-8 minutes. Choose a large saucepan that can also transfer to the oven and fit all your fillets.

2. Add the minced garlic and ginger. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes. *Note: we also like to add a little more garlic and ginger toward the end, just before transferring to oven broil. Aromatics lend an additional impactful brightness at the end of a simmer.

3. Reduce flame to low, add the jar of Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce, being careful that pan is not too hot or it will sizzle and splatter.

4. Add the entire can of coconut milk. Stir well and simmer the combined sauce for a while – about 5-10 minutes, on a low flame. You want to thicken the sauce a bit. Give a few squeezes of lime and a handful of torn basil leaves. Salt & pepper to taste and some red pepper flakes to taste. Stir.

5. Lightly salt & pepper your salmon fillets (no need to remove skin). Carefully slide fillets into the sauce and place a cover over the saucepan to steam fish a little on top while they gently simmer for 2-3 minutes. You can cook salmon to your desired doneness, baring in mind that you will be finishing this dish in the oven broiler, where it will continue to cook more. *Here is where we like to add in a few more gratings of garlic and ginger to the sauce and over the tops of the salmon fillets. With a fork, gently stir the fresh aromatics into the sauce around the salmon to incorporate.

6. In the meantime, turn oven on to broil. You can also spoon a little sauce onto the tops of the salmon fillets to get a little additional color under the broiler. Transfer entire saucepan to the oven. Move oven rack to farthest position from broiler flame. The freshly grated aromatics will toast under the broiler too. Watch carefully, you don’t want to burn the tops!

7. Serve over steamed rice or pasta. Garnish with leftover torn basil leaves and squeezes of lime.

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Spicy Beans and Shrimp in Arrabbiata Sauce

Butter beans, shrimp and briny salty anchovies swimming in a spicy Arrabbiata sauce is one of our many happy places! We love a pasta dish that has hearty components and bold flavors – and we especially love spicy!

Ingredients:
3-6 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2-3 large shallots, sliced (or minced if preferred)
4-5 cloves of garlic, sliced (or minced if preferred)
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste (keep in mind that anchovies are salty)
6 anchovy fillets (we used Cento canned)
1lb of peeled & cleaned shrimp (if frozen thaw fully)
1 can of Butter beans or Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar of Due Cellucci Arrabbiata sauce
1 package of your preferred pasta (we used a spinach linguini!)
A handful of basil leaves and grated parmigiano for garnish

NOTE: We love spicy food – but feel free to omit (or kick up) the red pepper flakes as desired.

Preparation:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-low.  Add the garlic, shallots and red pepper flakes. Stirring constantly to keep from burning. Season with some salt and pepper, but keep in mind that the anchovies will impart salt too.  Sauté lightly, about 1-2 mins. Then add the anchovies and break them apart, while stirring all. (Also, make sure to start a large pot of well salted water to boil for the pasta.)

2. Add the shrimp and lightly sauté on each side, coating them in all the flavors already in the pan. No need to cook the shrimp to entirely done, as they will be added back in later. Once lightly browned on each side, remove them and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to low, carefully pour in a jar of Due Cellucci Arrabbiata sauce. Stirring and heating for about a minute, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of pan.

4. Add the rinsed and drained butter beans. Stir a bit. Add in all the shrimp and any juices that accumulated on the plate. Stir and let simmer on low. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

5. Cook pasta to desired doneness and drain. Or you can also add your pasta straight to the sauce if you prefer everything mixed together at stove-top – in which case just use tongs to transfer pasta to the sauce skillet – and make sure to undercook your pasta a little, as it will continue to cook in the sauce. Or you can portion cooked pasta onto plates and spoon the spicy bean and shrimp sauce over each plate of pasta.

6. Garnish with freshly torn basil, additional red pepper flakes, and if desired, some grated Parmagiano!

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Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower alla Vodka Casserole

This recipe is a delicious way to get healthy cauliflower into your kiddos’ mouths!  And a wonderful low-carb option in lieu of traditional Penne alla Vodka.  The recipe calls for a quick parboil of the cauliflower florets before mixing with the rest of the ingredients and baking off in the oven.  But don’t worry, we’ll walk you through the whole process!

Ingredients:
2 large heads of cauliflower, cored and broken down into medium-sized florets.  Discard leaves and core
1 jar of Due Cellucci Vodka Sauce
4 tbsp heavy cream
4 tbsp melted butter
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
6-8 slices of Provolone cheese.  Enough to cover, depending on the size of your casserole dish
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil for garnish at end

Optional flavor:  We also diced up 4 strips of bacon, one medium onion and sautéed both in the skillet for 3-5 minutes before adding in  all the other ingedients.

Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on stovetop.  In the sink, also fill a large mixing bowl with cold water and ice.

2. Once stovetop water is boiling, drop all the florets in and give them a good dunk.  It just takes a minute or so of parboiling to get florets to an al dente stage.  Drain cauliflower into a colander in the sink, and immediately transfer to the large bowl of cold water to stop them from cooking any further.  Then strain and transfer all the florets to a clean kitchen towel on counter, and let them sit and drain well.  You want the florets well-drained of excess water before mixing with all the other ingredients.

3. Combine the cauliflower, vodka sauce, heavy whipping cream, melted butter, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and toss well to coat all.

4. Transfer into a 9 x 13 baking dish (or equivalent) and top with slices of Provolone cheese.

5. Bake in a preheated 375 degree (F) oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is completely melted.  Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Top with chopped fresh basil and serve.