Turkey Meatball Garlic Toast

I love Meatballs as much as I love Pasta and for the same reasons. They’re just so easy, delicious, versatile and everyone loves them. This meatball garlic toast uses my  Mama’s traditional meatball  recipe reconstruct to fit my lifestyle and taste, using ground Turkey breast. While ground turkey isn’t my favorite I use it when I want a healthier option, plus you can never go wrong with Meatballs.

Plenty of Parmesan with a few simple ingredients and plenty of fresh herbs, turned that flavorless ground turkey into something totally drool worthy.

Three Tips When Making This turkey meatball garlic toast

First  when mixing  the meat into the other ingredients don’t over mix or overcook, both lead to tough hard meatballs.

A case in point to the last sentence, a new prep cook was mixing the mixture in the dough mixer, and that explained why the meatballs were rock hard. There is no nice way to put it, they were not good.

The other thing to remember is that  the meatballs are cooked twice first roasted, then in the sauce, so it’s easy to overcook them. Roasting the meatballs adds another depth of flavor and beautiful  color.

I try to use my handy- dandy toaster oven whenever I can. I don’t like turning on my oven every time I need to toast something, my toaster oven is one of my most used small kitchen appliances, if you don’t have one they’re well worth the cost.

Third this is another custom-able recipe, if you like the traditional use a high grade ground beef, or a mixture of chicken, beef, or veal.

Experiment,  food and cooking is meant to be fun and enjoyable, I have simplified and gave you made ahead tips to make cooking a journey, not a destination always learning, always finding new ingredients to satisfy our changing life style and diet…..Have Fun!!! If you love Meatballs you may want to try these meatball recipes Mama’s best Italian meatballs or for a vegetarian option try my  Melanzane polpetta Italian eggplant meatballs.

Ingredients

• 1 Lbs. ground turkey breast
• 6 slices crusty Italian Bread cut medium thick on a diagonal
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped  Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs. each chopped garlic and onion
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cups my easy marinara sauce
• 1 stick butter softened
• 1/2 cup each mozzarella, parmesan and sharp cheddar
• 3 tablespoons each chopped Italian parsley, garlic and onion
  Instructions
• Preheat oven to 350
• In a bowl make the cheesy garlic butter by mixing the last 4 ingredients
• Spread the garlic mixture on the bread slices
• toast  for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Mix egg, bread crumbs, parsley,  garlic, onion, parmesan  salt and pepper ending with the meat
• Shape into golf size balls
• Roast in a preheated 350 oven until light golden brown about 10 minutes
• Cook an additional 20 minutes in simmering homemade marinara sauce
• Top garlic toast with 2 meatballs top with additional mozzarella
• Return to oven just to melt the cheese

• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Penne Pasta – Easy Weeknight Dinner

You need to add this Tuscan Chicken Penne to your weekly pasta night menu. It’s a creamy pan sauce filled with sun dried tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms and goes prefect with the chicken and pasta. This is a delicious base sauce to add any shape pasta to, it doesn’t have to be penne, use what you have on hand.

My recipes and the way I cook is to use what  I have on hand, or what is on sale and the freshest seasonal  ingredients.  This meal came about because on a shopping trip I bought whole, skinless. boneless chicken breast, they were on sale.

I like to cut them into different shapes to use in different recipes. For this penne pasta I cut the chicken into strips.

The rest I cut into fillets for grilling or baking, lay it flat in baggies and freeze it.

It’s great when all you have to do is take the chicken out of the freezer and it’s pan ready for your recipe, for those busy night , when commitments are long and time is short.

This quick dinner can be on your table in about thirty minutes and has few ingredients so you don’t have to go to the store as often, because you forgot something, and leaving with more than you came for, plus a little extra frustration you didn’t have to pay for in this crazy times.

Things to know about this creamy chicken penne recipe

In this Tuscan Chicken Penne recipe, I use one of my favorite tricks—pasta water! I do this in about 75% of my recipes because pasta water is pure magic when it comes to finishing sauces.

Before adding the pasta to your pan, ladle in about 1 cup of the starchy, salty cooking water. It not only adds flavor but also helps bind the sauce and pasta together while naturally thickening the sauce.

Don’t forget to save the pasta water before you drain it—this is one of the easiest steps to overlook! I like to save extra just in case I want to adjust the sauce’s consistency.

Need to thicken your pan sauce a bit more? Try this trick: coat a pat or two of butter in flour and drop it into the sauce. Let it simmer for at least 5 minutes to cook out any raw flour taste.

This Tuscan-style sauce is a restaurant-quality base you can customize any way you like. It’s full of flavor and guaranteed to be a hit with your family. If you like family friendly pasta meals that come together quick and taste delicious try my tomato piccata shrimp bucatini.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you—leave a comment or tag me on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations. That’s truly my favorite part!

Ingredients

1/2  lb. penne pasta

1/2 Lbs.  skinless boneless chicken breast sliced into strips

2 Tbs. each olive oil and butter

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups spinach chopped

4 oz, sun dried tomatoes

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup reserved pasta water

1 Tbs. each chopped Italian parsley, and basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instruction

1. Salt and pepper the chicken
2. Heat oil and butter add the chicken saute on high heat till golden, remove and set aside
3.  In the same pan lower the heat to medium add the onion and garlic saute until soft and translucent
4. Deglaze the pan with the white wine waiting until fully absorbed before adding  the cream, chicken stock, and pasta water
5. Simmer  covered until thickens about 15 minute
6. Add  spinach and sun dried tomatoes simmer 5 minutes longer.
7. Toss cooked penne in sauce add the parmesan cheese, Italian parsley and basil
8. Top with additional parmesan……. Enjoy!!!

Salmon Broccoli Fettucini

This salmon, broccoli fettucini is the best recipe when your craving Italian, and want quick and easy too. Pasta, salmon and broccoli tossed in a light creamy, lemony sauce, full of  delicious summer flavors.

When you need an easy 30 minute dinner make this pasta. It’s comfort food with a light and summery taste.

OK, so I know I post a lot of pasta recipes, but pasta is so versatile, you could have hundreds of combinations. At the restaurant on the menu, you pick, your pasta shape, sauce,and any extra add-ins.

By some estimates there are 600 distinct commercial brands of pasta shape, hundreds of  sauces, endless vegetables and protein combinations.

That’s why I post a lot of pasta recipes, when am stuck for a dinner idea it’s Pasta to the rescue. It’s not often you find a meal the whole family will like, when you do you’ll want to make it often.

Making Salmon Broccoli Fettucini

Start by cooking the pasta according to package direction, adding the broccoli the last few minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli reserving two cups of the magical pasta water.

YES, pasta water is magical when added to pasta sauces, is’t natural starch thickens the sauce and adds flavor eliminating the need for added creams. Salt and pepper the salmon then cut it into cubes.

Brown the salmon then remove it from the pan to prevent overcooking, set it aside while making the sauce.

Put the rest of the ingredients in the pan scraping up all the brown bites, simmer for 10 minutes. Return salmon, broccoli and pasta to saute pan heat through, sprinkle with parsley and thyme….ENJOY If you make this recipe please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram hearing from you is my favorite part. If you like salmon, you may want to try my Citrus Salmon

Ingredients

• 1/2 Lbs. Fettuccine
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 Lbs. skinless salmon cut in medium chunks
• 2 Tbs. butter and extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups pasta water
• 1 cup manufacturing cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbs. chopped garlic
• 2 Tbs. grated lemon peel
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 2 Tbs. each Italian parsley and Thyme
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions  Add broccoli last 5 minutes and reserving two cups of the water
2. Salt and pepper the salmon pieces
3. In a saute pan bring oil and butter to a medium heat
4. Add onion and garlic saute until tender and just beginning to brown
5. Add salmon cook 5 minutes brown slightly and remove set aside
6. Add resevered pasta water, cream, parmesan, lemon juice, and lemon peel
7. Simmer 10 minutes
8. Toss, pasta, broccoli, salmon and herbs in the sauce……ENJOY

Italian Baked Eggplant

This is a classic Italian baked eggplant parmesan, bursting with robust Italian flavors. It’s a lightened up version with air fried breadcrumb crusted eggplant and layered with marinara, cheeses and herbs.

It starts with unpeeled eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds, dipped in egg, coated with Italian flavored breadcrumbs, layered with marinara and oozing cheeses. Am telling you this is the best eggplant recipe ever.

My family who doesn’t have the same  fondness for eggplant as I do, loves IT, that makes it a WIN-WIN because it’s one of me very favorites.

 Italian Eggplant Parmesan Tips

Start by choosing shiny, firm small eggplant. When choosing eggplant small is better, larger ones tend to have more seeds and less flavor.

Then there’s the debate about breading the eggplant or not, I have made it both ways, if you want a lighter version omit the breadcrumb crust and follow the rest of the recipe.

In this recipe I didn’t peel the eggplant, if  using larger eggplant  I recommend peeling them, the skin on larger eggplants tends to be tough and more bitter then smaller ones.

I used the air fryer option on my toaster oven to fry the eggplant, using no oil, the finished Italian eggplant parmesan was so delicious with no oil taste.

If you don’t have an air fryer you can fry the eggplant slices in 4 Tablespoons for 2 minutes on each side in hot vegetable oil, drain on paper towels before layer.

Homemade marinara is a stable in my kitchen, I use it in so many recipes, when I make it I always made more and freeze it. That’s what I used in this recipe,

you can use your favorite one. It’s also good to let the baked eggplant cool a bit before serving for easier slicing.

If you make this recipe please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, that’s my favorite part.

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 eggs slightly beaten + 1 for the ricotta
• 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 2 cups grated parmesan
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 4 cups prepared marinara
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut unpeeled eggplant into 1/2 inch slices
2. Salt eggplant slices
3. Put salted eggplant slices in a colander placed over a bowl
4. Place paper towels over eggplant and place a few heavy cans on top of it leave for a few hours over overnight
5. If air fryer turn temperature to 375
6. Mix ricotta with the spinach, one egg and 1/2 cup of the parmesan salt and pepper to taste
7. Mix 1/2 cup of the parmesan and 1 tablespoon Italian parsley to the bread crumbs
8. Dip eggplant in egg mixture, then in bread crumb mixture
9. Air fry or conventionally fry eggplant until golden 10 minutes in air fryer
10. Begin layering eggplant casserole beginning with marinara sauce then eggplant then ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan , repeating ending with mozzarella
11. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until brown and bubbly
12. Cool slightly before serving

Tuscan Bucatini

This  Tuscan bucatini is such a great recipe that uses few ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes, easy enough for weeknight family meals, and fancy enough for Saturday night dinners with friends.

It’s fast and full of rich  Italian flavors, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and garlic make this vegetarian pasta dinner mouth watering good.

Simple in nature, this recipe is made with ingredients you probably have on hand, but if you don’t my recipes are always customizable, to fit your lifestyle and taste.

You can change this Tuscan pasta recipe by adding, subtracting or changing the pasta shape to make it your own creation.

Bucatini Pasta

It’s no secret I love pasta!!  When I am stuck for dinner ideas it’s pasta to the rescue, and one of my favorite is bucatine.

Bucatini pasta is like a hollow thick spaghetti. Growing up my bother and I used the long hollow noodles like straws, it drove my mother crazy.

This dry pasta needs to simply be stirred in boiling water for 10 minutes, and dressed up with your favorite sauce. It taste ,

delicious in this vegetarian Tuscan Bucatini recipe but you can use any shape pasta you like.

Be sure the stock pot s big enough for the long noodles to move freely. The right size pots and pans are important in any well equipped kitchen,

I use a 6 quart stock pot it’s the prefect size for all around kitchen use. You don’t need a lot of different pots and pans, start with a basic set and build as needed .

If you make this recipe pleas leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram that’s my favorite part!!!!

Ingredients

• 1 lbs bucatini pasta
• 4 cups chopped spinach
• 1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 small  chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons each butter and olive oil
• 2 cups resevered pasta water
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons each Italian parsley, basil, and thyme

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package direction reserve two cups of pasta water
2. In a saute pan saute the garlic and onion until limp in 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil
3. Add the sun dried tomatoes and reserved pasta water
4. Simmer covered for 10 minutes
5. Add the spinach and parmesan cheese last 5 minutes
6. Toss the pasta in the sauce
7. Add herbs
8. Sprinkle with Additional parmesan and Italian parsley and ENJOY!!!