Pasta and Tomato Al Forno
A simple Italian style side dish with a flavor and texture that sure to please!  Perfect as a side dish with roasted beef, pork or poultry.

1 pound Italian tube pasta (penne, rigatoni) or potato gnocchi
4 oz pancetta, minced
1-2 TBS olive oil, more as needed
1 cup slivered onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
24 oz homemade or Italian marinara sauce (recipe at http://www.tonysmarket.com/recipe.cfm?id=2214 )
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 cup Asiago cheese, grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Prepare the pasta according to package directions – the pasta will also be cooked in sauce, so do not overcook and do not rinse.  Adjust rack to top 1/4 of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

In a heavy skillet, sauté the pancetta and oil until lightly browned.  Add onions and garlic and sauté until tender.  Add marinara sauce and simmer to marry and then toss with cooked pasta.  Toss Parmigiano with the Asiago and breadcrumbs, moistening lightly with a drizzle of olive oil.

Pour pasta and sauce into one or more oiled casserole pans.  Sprinkle the cheese and breadcrumb medley over the top and brown in the top of hot oven until brown and sizzling.   Rest 5-10 minutes before serving.  Serves 4-6.  – Chef Michaelangelo (mick) Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com  --  www.TonyRosacciCatering.com

Perfect Accompaniments: Roast beef or Standing Rib, meatloaf, roast chicken or turkey, pork roast or grilled pork chops, ribs, bison patties or steaks, lean game birds.
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Pepperoncini Pasta
Garlic, red pepper and good olive oil makes this pasta special - great with grilled or roasted meats & seafood.

rustic bread slices & olive oil 
1 pound spaghetti, or linguini
approx 6 TBS extra virgin olive oil, as needed
1/4 cup pressed garlic
3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
sea salt and pepper
coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Brush a few slices of rustic bread with olive oil and then cube. Place on a cookie sheet and toast in a 350-degree oven until dried and lightly browned. Reserve.

Boil pasta in 4 quarts of salted water and cook to al dente.  Drain, reserving at least 1/2-cup pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, combine 3 TBS oil, 3 TBS garlic and 1/2 tsp. salt in a large, heavy, non-stick pot; cook over very low heat, stirring regularly, until garlic is a dirty blonde color. Remove from heat. Add remaining fresh garlic, red pepper, parsley, lemon juice and 2-3 TBS pasta cooking water to skillet and stir well.

Toss pasta in cooked garlic medley, drizzling with a great olive oil and splashing with more pasta water as needed. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and bread cubes.  Can also be garnished with lemon zest. – Chef Michaelangelo (mick) Rosacci), www.TonysMarket.com  --  www.TonyRosacciCatering.com

Perfect accompaniments: grilled steak or pork loin, grilled salmon, roast chicken, tomato concassée or sliced tomatoes, salad, sautéed greens.
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Linguini with Clam & Tomato Broth
Chewy Italian pasta in a tasty broth of clams, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil and butter

12-16 small live clams, or PanaPesca clams
1/2 pound imported Italian linguini or Fettuccini
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
14 oz can of San Marzano Italian tomatoes, crushed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
10-12 ounce baby or chopped clams in clam broth
1/2 cup fresh basil, julienne
2 tablespoon butter

Soak clams and brush clean in several changes of water with plenty of dissolved sea or Kosher salt, give them some time to spit out all their sand – or use PanaPesca fresh-frozen clams right from the package.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.

In a large, heavy pot, sauté shallots and garlic in oil until golden.  Crush tomatoes and carefully add along with the crushed red pepper and cleaned whole clams (the clam broth from your baby or chopped clams can be strained through a coffee filter and added for a richer clam flavor).  Boil uncovered and remove the clams to a plate as they open (or heat PanaPesca clams through).  Cover the steamed clams to keep warm.  Add the baby or chopped clams to the sauce.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

Drain pasta and reserve some of the boiling water.  Add the pasta to the clam and tomato broth along with 2 TBS olive oil or butter.  Using two spoons or spatulas, gently and patiently toss the pasta with the sauces.  Simmering a few moments to marry, adding some of the reserved boiling water if the pasta ‘drinks’ too much of your stock.

Transfer to a warmed serving platter or plates and decorate with the whole clams, lemon zest and fresh minced parsley or basil leaves.  – Chef Michaelangelo (mick) Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com  --  www.TonyRosacciCatering.com
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Garden Veggie Pasta
Veggies are hard to resist in this simple side dish – a colorful and healthy accompaniment to almost any entrée!

8 oz green beans, cut 1.5 inches long
8 oz carrots, cut thinly on a bias, about 1 inch long
8 oz asparagus, cut 1.5 inches long
4 oz red bell pepper, cut into slivers 1.5 inches long
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 pound short pasta shapes, Fusilli, Farfalle, any shape or color is ok
4 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more to taste
6 garlic cloves, sliced
pinches of crushed red pepper to taste
juice and zest of 1/4 lemon
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padana, or Locatelli Romano
sea salt flakes (fleur de sel) as needed
cracked black pepper

Boil two pots of salted water, one for the pasta, and a second 3-quart pot for the veggies.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Cut the green beans and add to the pot.  Cut the carrots and add to the pot, once the two are almost tender, add the asparagus, bell peppers and mushrooms – blanching for a couple of minutes longer until all the veggies are crisp / tender.

Dry the pan and add 1/4-cup olive oil along with the garlic and pinches of crushed red pepper and sauté over medium heat.  Once the garlic is light blond, add the veggies sauté until they show early signs of browning.  Meanwhile, drain the pasta and place back in it’s pot, reserving a little of the pasta boiling water. 

Toss the veggies and their oil with the pasta along with the fresh lemon juice, grated cheese.  Place back on the stove to heat, taste and adjust, adding olive oil or cheese as needed.  If the pasta needs a little more water or you want the dish ‘saucier’, splash with reserved pasta water. 

When ready to serve, season each serving to taste with sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper.  Serve as a side dish with a wide range of meat and seafood dishes.  – Chef Michaelangelo (mick) Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com  --  www.TonyRosacciCatering.com
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Pork & Shrimp Yakisoba w/ Sauce
Nobody can resist these stir-fried noodles, and they’re packed with veggies to keep your diet on track!

2 sheets nori, toasted and crushed, or dry parsley
4 balls Chinese Egg Noodles, one 8 oz package
2 TBS canola oil, more as needed
5-6 oz boneless Pork Rib Eye or Country Rib, cut into small bites
1 cup sliced leeks, well washed and sliced thinly
1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks or thin slices on a bias
1.5 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
6 oz peeled and deveined raw shrimp, cut in half
4 eggs

Yakisoba Sauce: (America-gin version)
4 TBS Tonkatsu sauce
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2-3 TBS Hoisin sauce
1 tsp sugar, to taste

Toast sheets of nori in a warm oven, or in a pan on the stove, and crush finely like dry parsley – or use dry parsley.  Drop noodles in a pot of boiling water and cook for 1 minute, remove from heat and stir as needed to separate and hydrate noodles, about 5 minutes, drain.  Meanwhile chop meats and veggies.

Heat a large skillet, griddle or wok over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté pork until half done.  Add and sauté lightly in order: leeks, carrots, cabbage and mushrooms.  Remove and reserve.

Add a drizzle of oil to the pan and the drained noodles along with about a cup of water and stir-fry.  Add back the sautéed meat and veggies and toss with two spatulas to blend well – the noodles can be cut a few times with the spatula to make tossing easier.

Add the Yakisoba sauce, and more water if needed (depends on the texture of the noodles and your personal taste) and toss to coat evenly.  Crack four eggs and place on top, and sprinkle the shrimp around the dish – cover the pot and simmer over low heat for several minutes as the dish finishes.  Serve sprinkled with crushed nori or parsley.  Serves 4  – Chef Michaelangelo (mick) Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com  --  www.TonyRosacciCatering.com
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Basic Marinara
A quick sauce with unlimited flexibility; perfect with pan or roasted pasta dishes.

Olive oil
Garlic, minced or mashed
Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped or crushed from a can
Oregano, pref. Fresh
Crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat plenty of oil in a saucepan, add garlic and cook just until it starts to brown. Add crushed tomatoes and oregano. Cook over medium heat until most of the liquid evaporates. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with pasta and serve.

*Variations: Pancetta, capers, onions, shallots, fresh herbs, carrots, celery and assorted veggies, wine, etc.