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Roasted Tomato Focaccia with Ricotta

August 24, 2018 by Marisa 17 Comments

This Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia makes a truly satisfying lunch with a side salad. It can also be enjoyed as a delicious appetizer before your main meal.

I’ve been loving lately these wonderfully sweet cherry tomatoes made even more so by oven roasting them till they’re slightly charred and pop open. The roasted tomatoes ooze out the most sweetest concentrated juices with their wonderful aromas permeating the air.

There are so many ways to use these roasted jewels as some of my Instagram friends can attest! You can snack on them as they are with some crusty Italian bread or tossed with your favourite pasta.

Some suggested slow roasting the tomatoes, storing them in jars filled with oil and kept in the refrigerator up to a month.

Usually, I simply top the roasted cheery tomatoes over ciabatta bread which makes a crowd pleasing appetizer. As seen with this Roasted Cherry Tomato Ricotta Bruschetta.

I’ve decided to switch it up today by baking some fresh focaccia bread which is essentially a flatbread and not difficult to put together.

The flatbread with its soft, airy textures and crusty outer layers is then slathered with a a creamy herbed ricotta mixture. I must say its truly mouthwatering on its own but we’re going for the “swoon factor” here!

What better way to do so then topping the flatbread with some juicy oven roasted cherry tomatoes! Oozing out all their caramelized goodness and ready to be sopped up…yummy!

You can enjoy the flatbreads with a side salad and call it a meal. We especially love them sliced into wedges and served as appetizers.

You can also make and bake the flatbreads ahead and freeze them till ready to use. This way you’ll have a yummy flatbread to enjoy at a moments notice!

Buon Appetito!

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Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

Soft and airy focaccia bread with crusty outer layers, slathered with a a creamy herbed ricotta mixture and topped with oven roasted cherry tomatoes.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: focaccia with oven roasted tomatoes and ricotta

Servings:

Ingredients

Focaccia Dough

2 cups water
4 + 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 cups all purpose flour
8 grams quick rise instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

800 grams cherry tomatoes
6 cloves garlic smashed
4 springs oregano fresh
sprinkle salt and ground black pepper to your taste
olive oil for drizzling

Herbed Ricotta

600 grams ricotta
2 tablespoons oregano fresh
2 tablespoons thyme fresh
sprinkle of salt and pepper to your taste

Instructions

Focaccia Dough

Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave until lukewarm.
In a large bowl combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, salt, sugar and stir well.
Stir the warm liquids into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.
Stir in another cup of flour until combined.
Transfer the dough to a well floured work surface and knead for a few minutes while working in the remaining cup of flour a bit at a time, just until the dough is soft and smooth.
Grease a large bowl with oil and place your pizza dough in the greased bowl while turning the dough over to grease all over.
Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set aside to rise for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush lightly with olive oil
Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface and divide into 4 equal portions.
Transfer the portions to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2 on each sheet allowing enough space between the 2 portions.
Using your hands, push the dough towards the edges of the baking sheet while shaping it roughly to a 6x8 rectangle.
Cover with a clean dishcloth and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Uncover the focaccia dough and using your fingers press down to form indentations.
Stir together 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the minced garlic, oregano and brush over the surface of the focaccia.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Place the cherry tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Scatter with the smashed garlic, tuck in the sprigs of oregano, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil.
Roast in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes to 35 minutes.

Herbed Ricotta

Combine the ricotta, oregano, thyme wth salt and pepper in a bowl and stir well.

Assembling The Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

Slather the herbed ricotta mixture over the baked focaccia with equal portions.
Equally top with the oven roasted tomatoes.
Garnish with extra oregano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Slice, serve and enjoy!

Zucchini Frittata with Feta Cheese

August 14, 2018 by Marisa 18 Comments

A one pan meal and virtually fuss free, this Zucchini Frittata with Feta Cheese is light, delicate and simply perfect for a quick lunch or dinner idea.

Got eggs? If so, then you essentially have the makings of a very good omelette, quiche or even an Italian Frittata.

Frittata, referred to an egg based dish is usually a combination of sautéed vegetables enhanced with some type of cheese and other optional ingredients.

It is the most quintessential way of using up vegetables that have seen better days! But its also an equally wonderful way of utilizing an abundance of home grown vegetables.

Unlike the thinner frittatas which I grew up with, this one is deliciously piled high with thin slices of one of summer’s best squashes.

They’re perfect in a frittata.

These thin slices of sautéed zucchini keep the frittata light, moist and somewhat creamy without the addition of cream.

But really the key ingredient to a fluffier frittata are well beaten eggs. Vigorously beaten eggs have more air incorporated into the mixture. This renders a deliciously moist and fluffy frittata.

For a little tang I’ve added some feta cheese into the mix. But you can just as easily replace the feta cheese with some ricotta salata.

I’ve also topped the frittata with sweet cherry tomatoes for a lovely contrast in colour. And coupled them with a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese for extra goodness.

This zucchini frittata with feta cheese is splendid in its simplicity and makes for a quick and easy lunch or dinner idea. All thats needed to complete the meal is a side salad of your favourite greens. And lets not forget the vino! Just saying…!

Buon appetito!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Zucchini Frittata with Feta Cheese

A one pan meal and virtually fuss free this Zucchini Frittata with Feta Cheese is light and delicate and perfect for a quick lunch or dinner idea.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Zucchini Frittata with Feta Cheese

Servings:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium zucchini thinly sliced
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped
fine sea salt to your taste
freshly cracked black pepper to your taste
8 large eggs vigorously beaten
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons feta cheese crumbled
6 cherry tomatoes quartered

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in an 8 or 10 inch non-stick, ovenproof sauté pan.
Add in the sliced zucchini, chopped onions, garlic, fresh mint and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes or until the zucchini and onion have softened, while stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile in a medium sized bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs with a little salt and pepper to your taste.
Stir the cooked zucchini mixture and 1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese into the egg mixture.
Return the egg and zucchini mixture back into the oven proof sauté pan and top with the sliced cherry tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese.
Cook on medium low heat until the edges firm up and the top is still jiggly. About 10 minutes.
Once the edges have firmed up, place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and broil for about 4 minutes or until the top is firm and golden brown.
Use oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven and slice and serve while still warm.
Serve alongside your favourite salad for a complete meal

Spaghetti With Sun Dried Tomatoes

February 16, 2018 by Marisa 56 Comments

A simple yet delicious dish, Spaghetti with Sun Dried Tomatoes comes together in just under 30 minutes. It makes an ideal meal that’s perfect for busy week nights. But, also elegant enough for those special occasions.

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

I turn to this sun dried tomato pasta dish over and over again to satisfy a quick carbohydrate fix.

All you’ll need are a few simple pantry ingredients to transform into a last minute meal that you can prepare in less time than it takes to cook the spaghetti.

You’ll want to start by bringing a large pot of water to a roaring boil. Once the pasta water has come to a boil, add in the salt followed by your pasta into the salted water.

While the pasta cooks, it’s time to start the quick sun dried tomato sauce!

And this pasta sauce simply consists of a quick sauté of some minced garlic, dried chilli peppers, chopped sun dried tomatoes. Then it’s tossed with the cooked and drained pasta.

A generous sprinkle of Parmesan love and parsley is all that’s needed to finish the pasta dish.

You’ll find it super easy to put together and packs a load of flavour!

It’s simple and yet elegant enough that you can present it as a gourmet meal!

Paired with a salad, you’ll have a complete meal in just under 30 minutes making it ideal for those hectic weeknights when your juggling chores and the kids homework.

Other use for sun dried tomatoes

Sun dried tomatoes are one of my all time favourite pantry condiment because of their sweet concentrated flavours and I always keep a jar around to enjoy all year round.

There are endless possibilities for oil packed sun dried tomatoes. Here are some of mine!

Spread some goat cheese over crostini and top each with a sun dried tomato to serve as appetizers
They’re also wonderful to use as a topping for focaccia bread
Or simply layer them in your panini for extra flavour

Of course it goes without saying and I probably am starting to sound like a broken record but with so few ingredients in this pasta dish, a good quality extra-virgin olive oil is always essential!

Go ahead and make some Spaghetti with Sun Dried Tomatoes tonight, I’m sure you’ll love it!

Buon Appetito !

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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5 from 1 vote

Spaghetti With Sun Dried Tomatoes

A simple yet delicious dish, Spaghetti with Sun Dried Tomatoes comes together in under 30 minutes making it an ideal meal that is perfect for busy week nights but also elegant enough for special occasions.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: supper

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: 30 minute meal, pasta, Spaghetti, sundried tomatoes

Servings: to 6

Calories: 446kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

454 grams of spaghetti
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper to your taste
1 ½ cups oil packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Fill a large sauce pan with cold water, bring to a boil and then add in the salt and spaghetti.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions or until al dente.
A few minutes before the spaghetti is ready, add the oil in a large pan and heat on low.
Add the minced garlic, the chili flakes, salt and pepper to your taste and cook on low heat for about 3 minutes while stirring frequently taking care not to burn the garlic.
Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes just until heated through and then remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sun-dried tomatoes.
Toss the pasta to coat all over with the sauce.
Add the parsley and then transfer to a serving platter.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve while still warm.

Nutrition

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

May 6, 2017 by Marisa 22 Comments

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives, a quick and tasty dish utilizing a few pantry staples such as canned sardines and dried pasta. Fresh bread crumbs are toasted til golden brown and then tossed with some snipped chives lending a delicate and subtle onion taste which doesn’t overpower but rather enhances this simple pasta dish.

Pasta con le sardine or rather Pasta with sardines is a classic Sicilian pasta dish. Most notably made with wild fennel, raisins and also anchovies. Sometimes pine nuts are also thrown in the mix.

My version here is a little spin-off from the more traditional one and inspired from Food Bloggers of Canada recipe round-up featuring chives.

I put this rather delicate herb to work by snipping off a few strands and tossing it with my homemade toasted breadcrumbs which I then used in my Sardine Spaghetti with Chives recipe.

It imparted such freshness and flavour to this simple pasta dish and was devoured in no time at all!

Being a convenient source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and vitamin D are really great reasons to include canned sardines in our diet. And, also not to mention how fairly inexpensive the canned variety really is and so versatile!

Although they aren’t extremely bony, you may want to remove the fish bones if you’re squeamish about them. Parting the underside of the sardines to open them up and gently removing the fish bones with a small fork or knife will quickly do the trick.

Under 30 Minute Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Coupled with the fact that sardines are so nutritious, they’re readily available year round making mealtime a breeze.

Start with a large stock pot filled with cold water. While the water comes to a roaring boil prep your ingredients both for the bread crumbs and quick sauce with sardines.

With this in mind you should basically have your meal ready in the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta.

Then simply plate and serve with a light drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil, topped with the reserved bread crumbs and garnished with fresh chives.

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives is an exceptionally easy dish with minimum preparation!

If you love this recipe you may also enjoy my Penne Rigate With Tomato Tuna Sauce featuring canned tuna.

Buon Appetito!

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Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives, a quick and tasty dish utilizing a few pantry staples such as canned sardines and dried pasta.

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Servings: to 6

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

FRESH BREAD CRUMBS
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
PASTA
454 grams spaghetti
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves minced
2 generous pinches of red chili flakes
3 cans of sardines packed in oil 120 grams each I cut the under side to open them and removed the fish bones
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil,
Salt the water and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.
Meanwhile prepare the bread crumbs by heating 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat.
Add in the bread crumbs, salt and pepper and toast the crumbs, while stirring often, til they have browned.
Once browned, remove from heat and stir in the chopped fresh chives.
Transfer the toasted bread crumbs to a plate and set aside.
Using the same skillet (wiped clean), heat the 1/3 cup of oil over medium low heat.
Add in the minced garlic with the chili flakes, salt and pepper and heat till fragrant for 1 minute.
Stir in the sardines and sautè for 2 minutes, taking care not to break up the sardines over much.
Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
Add the cooked pasta to the sardine mixture with a little of the pasta water and toss well.
If pasta seems a little dry, go ahead and add a little more pasta water.
Toss with 1 cup of the toasted bread crumb and chive mixture.
Plate the pasta and garnish with remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumb and chive mixture.

Penne Rigate With Tomato Tuna Sauce

January 20, 2017 by Marisa 32 Comments

Penne Rigate With Tomato Tuna Sauce is a typical Italian pasta dish that I grew up with.

It’s made with just a few good quality staple ingredients and packed full of wonderful flavours. This recipe is one you will turn to again and again.

As is common in most cultures and at a time when food was scarce, families made do with the very few ingredients they had on hand.

With so little they created simple comfort foods we now crave and love. In Italian this philosophy is known as La Cucina Povera, or otherwise “the poor kitchen” and truly born out of necessity.

This concept is far easier to embrace during summertime when gardens are lush with fruits and vegetables. However in wintertime we need not look any further then our own kitchen pantries.

Canned tuna is one of those staple items I always keep in my pantry. It’s ready at a moments notice for quick sandwiches as my son can attest…he just adored tuna sandwiches for his school lunches!

They are also wonderfully delicious tossed with green leafy salads and legumes for an extra protein kick.

However, canned tuna also makes a rather enticing sauce simply begging to be tossed over freshly cooked pasta. You will so appreciate its simplicity!

A good quality oil packed canned tuna is much more flavourful then the water packed variety and will elevate this simple sauce.

Also, don’t be too concerned about the oil which you will be draining out anyhow but if this is still an issue for you then by all means go for the water packed.

You can just about choose any pasta you like.

My preference and absolute favourite are pennette rigate or the larger penne rigate. I love this pasta shape for its crevices and hallow centre making them the perfect vehicle to hold a chunky tomato and tuna sauce.

Impress your family or friends and make Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce tonight!

Or try another delicious pasta dish using canned sardines, Sardine Spaghetti with Chives.

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Buon Appetito!

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Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce

A delicious and easy tomato sauce with canned tuna and kalamata olives served with penne rigate.

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: to 6 servings

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 small onion chopped
pinch of crushed chili pepper
24 ounce jar Passata Italian strained tomatoes I used San Marzano
2 sprigs of basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 x 85 grams canned oil packed tuna drained
1/4 cup Kalamata olives pitted and chopped
chopped parsley for garnish
450 grams Penne Rigate or other pasta of your choice

Instructions

Heat the oil in a medium sized sauce pot over medium low heat and saute the garlic, chopped onions and the crushed chili pepper just until the onions are soft, while stirring often for about 5 minutes.
Add in the passata (Italian strained tomatoes), basil, salt and pepper and stir well.
Fill the bottle of passata three quarters full with water. Give it a good swirl and add this to the sauce.
Bring the sauce to a boil then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the sweet concentrated flavors of the tomatoes come through.
While the sauce is slowly simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil.
Salt the water and cook the pasta according to directions on package.
At this point,while the pasta cooks add the drained tuna and chopped kalamata olives to the tomato sauce and allow to simmer till the pasta is cooked.
When ready, drain the pasta and toss with some of the tomato sauce.
Plate the pasta and top with more sauce and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
Serve while still warm.

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