An Italian classic recipe for your next gathering with friends and family or for that next big special occasion! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 quart whipping cream
20-30 Manicotti
2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb fresh Crab Meat, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1 – Combine whipping cream, salt, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 30 minutes or until thickened and reduced to 2 cups; set aside. Cook the manicotti according to the package directions; drain and set aside.

2 – Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion, 3 tbsp butter, chopped green bell pepper, garlic, and chopped celery. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the shrimp and crab meat, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Cool for 10 minutes, and drain well.

3 – Combine the seafood mixture and the whipping cream mixture. Fill the manicotti shells, and place in 2 lightly greased 11×7 inch baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheeses, and cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

4 – Uncover and bake for 10 additional minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8

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The fragrant combination of olives and capers adds an extra dimension of flavor and texture to this Neapolitan stew. Rice with peas or zucchini is an excellent side dish. Enjoy this tasty Italian recipe!

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 lbs boned shoulder of veal, well trimmed of fat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh sage or crumbled dried sage
3 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly milled black pepper
1 can (6 oz) small black olives
3 tbsp capers
2 tbsp minced Italian parsley leaves

Preparation:

1 – In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat, then add butter. Add meat in two batches and saute, stirring constantly, until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon. Discard most of the pan drippings, leaving about 2 tbsp.

2 – Add onion and carrot and saute, stirring constantly, until barely tender, for about 2 minutes.

3 – Add tomatoes, sage, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Return meat to pan and bring to a boil uncovered over high heat, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to low and cook partially covered, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to low and cook partially covered, until meat is tender, for about 1 hour. (If cooking liquid starts to evaporate, add about 1/4 cup hot water.)

4 – Add olives and capers and continue to cook, partially covered, for an additional 5 minutes.

5 – When ready to serve, remove bay leaves, transfer stew to a platter and granish with minced parsley.

**Stew can be made up to 3 hours before serving and reheated over low heat.

Serves: 6 to 8

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This dish just bursts with robust Neapolitan flavor. One of my favorites! Enjoy this classic Italian chicken recipe with friends and family. Buon Apetitto!

Ingredients:

1 frying chicken (3 lbs), cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup flour
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 large red or green bell pepper, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 large bay leaf
1/2 cup black olives (about 12), pitted and quartered

Preparation:

1 – Wash chicken parts in cold water and plot dry with paper towel.

2 – In a bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture and shake off excess.

3 – In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Place all of the chicken pieces in pan skin side down and saute until lightly golden on both sides. Remove and set aside. Pour off most of the pan drippings, leaving about 2 tbsp. Add onion, turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Add pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until barely tender. Add vermouth, turn heat to high and cook for about 5 minutes.

4 – Return chicken to pan and spoon most of the pepper-onion mixture on top. Add the tomatoes, basil and bay leaf. Cover pan, turn heat to low and cook, basting frequently, for about 30 minutes.

5 – Preheat oven to 200F. Transfer chicken to an ovenproof platter and place in oven to keep warm, leaving the sauce in pan.

6 – Discard the bay leaf and turn heat to high. Cook the sauce, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the olives and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6

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This easy Tuscan dish makes for a very light entree after any pasta. It is most succulent when made with young broiler chickens (or you can use small frying chickens). Enjoy this easy Italian chicken recipe!

Ingredients:

2 small broiler or frying chickens (2 lbs each)
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry vermouth
2 tbsp minced parsley leaves

Preparation:

1 – Wash chickens and blot dry with paper towels. Cut chickens in half lengths-wise with poultry shears. Trim off wing tips at first joint.

2 – Adjust rack to center of oven and preheat to 350F. Brush the bottom of a large pan with 1 tbsp of the olive oil.

3 – Rub each chicken half on both sides with 2 of the split pieces of garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Arrange chickens breast side up in the baking pan. Place remaining garlic around chicken. Drizzle remaining olive oil over chicken.

4 – Bake for about 20 minutes. Turn chicken over (breast side down) and baste with pan juices. Brush half of the vermouth over inside surface of chicken. Return to oven and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Turn chicken again (breast side up) and brush with remaining vermouth. Continue baking, basting twice with pan juices, until golden brown, for about 20 minutes.

5 – To serve, cut each piece in half between breast and thigh with poultry shears. Arrange on a platter and garnish with minced parsley.

Serves 6 to 8

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This Italian version of stewed chicken is a favorite dish in many Italian and Italian-American homes. Enjoy this easy italian recipe!

Ingredients:

3 lbs boneless chicken
2 white onions
1 bulb garlic
20 plum tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
10 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Merlot
4 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp fennel seeds
Fresh-cracked black pepper
1/4 cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1 – Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Peel and roughly chop the onions. Peel and mince the garlic. Clean and roughly chop the tomatoes. Clean the parsley and thyme, and leave whole.

2 – Heat the oil to medium-high temperature in a large heavy-bottomed pan with a lid. Brown the chicken on all sides. Add the garlic and onion, and lightly brown. Add the tomatoes, and stir for 2 minutes.

3 – Pour in the wine, and reduce by half the volume. Add the stock, herbs, and spices. Reduce heat to low.

4 – Cover, and simmer for 90 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8 to 10

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