Best Little Italy Recipes

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY HOUSE SALAD

Steps:

• In large, deep skillet, heat 1/2-inch corn oil. Add Prosciutto and cook until it turns dark brown and curls up on ends. Drain on paper towels. Cool and crumble into small bits.
• For dressing, in medium mixing bowl, combine mustard, sugar, water, garlic, vinegar and salt. Whisk until combined. Whisk in oil in thin stream. Add pepper and oregano; whisk to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more sugar or garlic if necessary.
• Place lettuce, onion, cheese and Prosciutto in large bowl; toss. Add enough dressing to lightly coat leaves; toss and serve immediately.
• Refrigerate extra dressing in airtight container for future use.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY CHOP SALAD

Steps:

• Combine mustard, sugar, water, garlic, red and white vinegar and salt in food processor. Mix until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oils, continue to blend. Add remaining ingredients and blend until well mixed. Recipe can be doubled with remaining stored in sealed container in refrigerator for up to a week.
• Place lettuce in large mixing bowl Add all the ingredients except garnish and mix well. Add dressing and mix well.
• Serve, topping each portion with garnish.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY RIGATONI DI GREGORIO AKA RIGATONI "

Steps:

• Chop up the onions. Put them in a large wok with a couple tablespoons olive oil. Cook on high for a few minutes until the onions are hot and starting to become translucent, then turn down the heat to medium low. As the rest of the steps progress, you'll need to remember to stir the onions every 8 minutes to keep them from burning. The onions will take a long time to reach the desired golden-brown color.
• Peel the outer, papery skin off two heads of garlic, but leave the skin that covers the cloves. Slice the tips of the cloves off the top, exposing each clove and leaving a flat top. Save the tips, which you'll toss into the onions when they're almost finished cooking. Drizzle the heads with olive oil, wrap them in foil, and place them in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 40 minutes.
• Quarter the button mushrooms from top to bottom. Each mushroom piece should have part of the head and part of the stem.
• When the onions are approaching done (not the rich brown of fully caramelized onions, but getting there) add the mushrooms and leftover garlic clove tips to the cooking onions. Stir everything together and cook until the mushrooms are looking sautéed.
• With the onions, mushrooms, and garlic still in the pan, turn the heat up to high and add the wines. Scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure the sugars from the onions are released and integrated into the liquid.
• Add the chicken base. You can add a bit more to taste if you want. We're looking for a nice strong chicken flavor, but be careful of over-salting. At this point the sauce should taste pretty good.
• Cut up the raw chicken into scallop-sized pieces and put them in the pan with everything else. There's also no harm in using some leftover cooked chicken as well, as long as it doesn't have any incompatible flavorings. Let the chicken cook through.
• The next step is to add the pasta into the same pan. Before you do, make sure the amount of liquid is right. It takes some experience to eyeball it, but the idea is to just barely (or not quite) cover the noodles once they're in the pan. It's better to start with too little liquid than too much because you can always add some boiling water from a teapot after you've added the pasta, but you don't want to be reducing after the pasta is cooked, because the pasta will overcook and get mushy. As it cooks, the pasta takes on the flavor of the sauce and releases starches that thicken the sauce at the same time.
• Monitor the pasta as it cooks. When it's just reaching the perfect al dente, turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Cut up the butter into pieces and stir them into the sauce. Squeeze out the roasted garlic (don't burn yourself!), mash it up, and stir it in as well. Add freshly cracked black pepper to taste and serve.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Prepare herb marinade first; then prepare vegetables and keep warm.
• To prepare the herb marinade:Combine all ingredients in blender and briefly blend until smooth. This can be made in smaller batch, but it will be difficult to puree.
• Note: Leftover marinade can be used on steaks, fish and chicken. Brush on before grilling or saute meat in it.
• To prepare vegetables:Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In very large oven-proof saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Add vegetables and saute until browned, turning frequently.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to preheated oven and cook uncovered 1 hour or until all vegetables are tender. Set aside and keep warm. Vegetables will have to be reheated briefly before they are served.
• To prepare roast:When ready to prepare meat, season roast with herb marinade, salt and pepper.
• Brown on all sides on olive oil in heavy, oven-safe braising pan.
• Remove meat from pan and set aside.
• To pan, add onion, carrots and celery and saute over medium-high flame until browned. Add tomato paste, mix well and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add wine, bring to boil, then cook to reduce by half.
• Return meat to pan. Add chicken stock, herbs and bacon and return to boil.
• Transfer to 325-degree oven and cook, uncovered, until meat is tender, 3 to 31/2 hours.
• When meat is done, remove from oven and let rest at least 20 minutes.
• Remove meat from pan and set aside. Strain liquid into saucepan.
• Skim grease off top, removing as much fat as possible from braising liquid. Add veal stock.
• Bring to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
• To serve:Place half the vegetables in center of serving plate as a base for the meat. Place sliced meat on top and garnish with remaining vegetables on and around beef. Top with sauce and beans if desired.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY CHICKEN ASIAGO SOUP (COPYCAT)

Steps:

• In large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil.
• Add onions and garlic and saute until light brown. Lower heat and add celery, carrots, salt and pepper.
• Saute until vegetables are tender. Add rosemary and cook briefly.
• Add broth and cooked chicken. Stir in Asiago and Parmesan cheeses. Simmer 10 minutes.
• Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately or cool in refrigerator.
• To serve: Portion pasta, spinach and cheese for garnish into bottom of individual serving dishes. Top with hot soup.

LITTLE ITALY DEVILED EGGS

Steps:

• Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks. Add the mayonnaise, walnuts, tomatoes, cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper; mix well. Stuff into egg whites. Refrigerate until serving., Just before serving, garnish with basil.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY'S CHICKEN AND SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, make filling by stirring together chicken, ricotta, spinach, Italian cheese and Asiago. Make manicotti by laying crepes on work surface, browned side down. Place 1/3 cup filling on bottom half of each crepe. Fold crepe in half and lightly push down so crepe is flat and filling is distributed to all the edges. Continue with remaining crepes and filling until all are used. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until very hot. One at a time, lay each manicotti in the skillet and cook until brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip manicotti and brown second side, about 2 minutes. As each manicotti browns, move to the prepared baking dish, slightly overlapping manicotti with open sides all in the same direction. Continue until all manicotti are filled, browned and arranged, adding remaining tablespoon oil as needed. After all manicotti are browned, ladle Alfredo Sauce over all and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY RIGATONI DI GREGORIO (COPYCAT)

Steps:

• Heat oil and sauté mushrooms, onion and garlic puree. Brown lightly and season with salt and pepper.
• Add white wine, Marsala wine and chicken stock. Reduce by half. Add cream and bring to a boil and turn down heat and simmer to skim away any impurities.
• Add drained rigatoni to pan and finish with basil, parmesan cheese, garlic butter and salt and pepper to taste. Add Marsala for flavor as needed.
• Place in pasta bowl and garnish with parmesan shavings and additional basil leaves.
• * My notes: I use a mix of onion AND shallots. I use an 8 oz package of mushrooms, roughly chopped and 10 oz of chicken breast. I also add in about six fresh basil leaves roughly chopped up.

LITTLE ITALY PIGNOLI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, beat almond paste, egg white and honey until crumbly. Gradually add confectioners' sugar; mix well., Place pine nuts in a small bowl. Shape teaspoons of dough into balls. Roll in pine nuts. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten slightly., Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

LITTLE ITALY LINGUINE WITH CHICKEN, PESTO AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Toss chicken, oil and herbs. Place on a a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add 1/2 cup water to pan and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
• Remove from oven and let cool. Pull it into small strips.
• Bring chicken stock, parmesan cheese and basil/parsley to a simmer.
• Toss all ingredients (including pasta) into serving bowl and top with toasted pine nuts.

LITTLE ITALY' FIG AND PEACH PIE

Steps:

• Slice peach halves ito 1/4 " thick slices In a a large saute pan hdeat butter with 2 Tbsp sugar over medium heat. Add peaches and cook , tossing occasionally until peaches are tender, about 6 minutes. Remove stems from figs ans slice 1/4 " thick. Roll each disk of pastry into a 1/8 " thick circle. Arrange peaches and fig slices leaving a 1/2 " border all aound. Sprinkle the remaining sugar and nutsover the fruit. Crimp edges up nand over the filling. Create a border. Brush the crust with the beaten egg and sprinle with brown sugar. Pastry dough: yield 2 discs 2 1/2 cups flour 1 Tbsp sugar dash salt 12 Tbsp cold buttter, cut into small pieces 1/4 cup shortening 1/8 cup icecold water Combine, flour sugar, salt in a large bowl. Add butter and shortening . Work with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse cornmmeal. Fat mus be evenly distributed. Add water, a few spoon at a time tossing with fingettips until dough sticks together. Divide dough into two discsand wrap into plastic. Reserve. Refrigerate at leat 1 hoour before using it.

THE LITTLE ITALY (MANHATTAN WITH APEROL)

Steps:

• Stir together the bourbon, sweet vermouth and Aperol. Pour into 4 rocks glasses filled with ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

LITTLE ITALY

Steps:

• In an ice-filled mixing glass, combine all the ingredients except the garnish. Stir well, and rain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the cherries.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY SPICED PEAR CROSTADA (COPYCAT)

Steps:

• For the filling: Peel the pears and slice into 1/4-inch slices.
• Melt the butter until light brown in a medium hot sauté pan and add the pear slices. Simmer for a couple minutes until heated through and add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Continue to simmer until the juices thicken. Remove from the pan and chill.
• Take 4 ounces of the pie dough and roll out into a 9-inch circle, lightly dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Place 1/2 cup of the pear filling in the center of the dough circle. Gently fold the edges of the dough toward the center, forming 'pleats' in the dough as you move around the edge. Leave the center of the crostada open so that the filling shows. Repeat until the filling is used up. Chill the prepared crostadas before baking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of the crostadas with heavy cream. Immediately sprinkle the crostadas with the granulated sugar so that the sugar sticks. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes until nice and brown.
• Serve while still warm alone, or with some vanilla ice cream.

LITTLE ITALY MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, melt butter over low heat. Add onion, carrot,.
• celery and oregano. Cook, covered, until vegetables are soft but not.
• browned, about 20 minutes.
• Add flour and stir to form a paste. Add garlic, chicken stock, marinara.
• sauce, potato and tomatoes. Raise heat and bring mixture to a boil.
• Add zucchini, yellow squash, chick-peas, salt and pepper. Reduce heat.
• to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Stir in romaine, basil and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and.
• let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Reheat soup over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to.
• package directions.
• Divide pasta among individual serving bowls and ladle hot soup over pasta.
• Serve with Parmesan cheese.

MIKE'S LITTLE ITALY CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, with mixer on low, cream Velveeta first with vinegar and Miracle Whip.mix well.
• Blend in all other ingredients and chill 6-8 hours or overnight -- to allow flavors to blend.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY'S CREPES

Steps:

• The Maggiano's chefs note that the batter's resting time allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. If batter thickens too much during resting, add water, a tablespoon at a time, to thin the batter so it pours evenly. In the jar of a blender, make batter by combining flour, milk, water, eggs and melted butter. Blend for 10 seconds. Refrigerate batter for 1 hour. When ready to make crepes, heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush on just enough butter to lightly coat the bottom. When skillet is hot, pour in 2 tablespoons batter and swirl skillet quickly to evenly spread the batter. Cook crepe until first side is lightly browned, about 30 seconds, and then using a thin spatula, flip the crepe. Cook 10 seconds on second side and then remove crepe to a work surface and allow to cool. Continue until all batter has been used. Once crepes are cooled, they can be refrigerated and stored for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

LITTLE ITALY CHICKEN PITAS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, tomato, cheese, and basil. Line each pita half with 1/4 cup greens. Divide chicken mixture evenly among pita halves. Nutritional Information Calories:342 (24% from fat) Fat:9.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.3g) Protein:26.4g Carbohydrate:37.3g Fiber:2.4g Cholesterol:56mg Iron:2.7mg Sodium:397mg Calcium:162mg

REAL ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING,LITTLE ITALY

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix all of the above until mixture is a creamy like consistancy. Pour over your salad or can be refriderated for later use. just Bring back to room temp before serving.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY ITALIAN TRIFLE WITH SEASONAL FRUIT

Steps:

• Pastry Cream:
• In a stainless steel pot, scald milk by heating until skin forms on top.
• Meanwhile, whisk together yolks and sugar well.
• Add cornstarch and whisk. Once milk is scalded, slowly pour into egg mixture while whisking.
• Once incorporated, pour back into pot and put over low heat while whisking. Cook mixture just until it gets thick and comes to a boil.
• Remove from heat immediately and pour into metal bowl. Whisk vanilla extract and cover directly with plastic wrap. Let cool several hours or overnight.
• In a small mixer, whip cream and sugar until stiff. Fold into cooled pastry cream mixture.
• Assembly:
• Mix all fruit together in a bowl.
• In a sundae glass, place one cake cube on the bottom.
• Top with two ounces of cream mixture. Top with two ounces of fruit plus place for more cubes of cake on top of cream mixture and press slightly.
• Top with three ounces of cream mixture.
• Reserve remainder of fruit as a garnish.