nonna fiorentino's meat sauce

4 lbs. ground veal or beef

8 carrots

4 stalks of celery

1 green bell pepper

1 medium onion

1 can san marzano italian whole plum tomatoes, peeled (the big size can, not the 14 oz.)

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. white wine

1/2 c. milk

salt to taste

chop all of the vegetables finely in a food processor. combine in a large pan and sautee in olive oil until soft.  in another large stock pot brown the meat until cooked through.  once veggies are soft, add them to the meat.  puree the tomatoes and add to veggies and meat.  add wine and nutmeg.  let simmer on low heat for one hour.

after an hour, add the milk and let simmer for at least another half an hour.  salt to taste before serving.  it's best served over wide noodles of some sort.

this sauce is delicious and super easy to make.  it freezes really well, so making such a large quantity is a good thing.

Caprese Pasta

From Giada De Laurentiis

1 (16 oz) box Pasta
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 pints Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 cup Basil leaves, torn
8 oz fresh Mozzarella, diced


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta into large bowl (reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid). In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil, add garlic and saute until fragrant, about two minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about four minutes. Transfer tomato sauce to the bowl of pasta. Toss to combine. Add the remaining cooking liquid, basil, and mozzarella. Stir to combine.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pasta

from Giada De Laurentiis - (with a few changes I made for my family)

1/2 box Pasta
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Chicken Breast, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 c Onion, diced
1 tsp Garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can Tomatoes, diced with juice
1 c Mozzarella
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 c Bread crumbs, Italian for best flavor
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbsp butter

Cook pasta according to directions on box and drain. While pasta is boiling, cook chicken in olive oil - add onion and garlic, saute until tender. Put chicken, onions, and garlic mixture into a large bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a prepared 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

We loved this new pasta recipe and will definitely be making it again!

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

I found this recipe on another food blog~

although I haven't tried it, it sounds tasty!

• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 1 (12 oz.) bottle of Lawry's Mesquite marinade with Lime
• 16 oz. bow tie pasta
• 1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 Tbsp pepper
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. butter

Marinate chicken breasts during the day (atleast 4 hours) in mesquite marinade and refrigerate until ready to cook. Grill chicken and cut into strips. Boil pasta according to directions on package. Melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. In a large serving bowl combine pasta, chicken and sauce. Serves 6-8.