Mama Leones Italian Dressing Recipes

ITALIAN DRESSING

Steps:

• Place the first 10 ingredients in a blender. Cover and process until pureed. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Refrigerate leftovers.

MAMMA LEONE'S-STYLE SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS WITH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat with oil, 6 slow turns of the pan
• Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook slowly until very soft, 15 minutes, stirring frequently and lowering the heat if the onions begin to brown
• Add tomatoes and break them up, add passata, cheese rind and basil, and simmer at a low bubble for a minimum of 30 minutes
• For the meatballs, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat until very soft, about 15 minutes
• Add a splash of water if the onions begin to brown; let cool
• Soak the bread in milk for 10 minutes then squeeze out excess liquid and crumble into moist crumbs
• Place meats in a bowl and season with salt and pepper
• Add breadcrumbs and season with allspice or cloves
• Add fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, grated cheeses and eggs to the bowl and mix
• Roll large meatballs about 2 ½-inches in diameter and arrange in a baking dish or casserole; drizzle with EVOO
• (Tip: The meatballs freeze well but do not add mozzarella if freezing them
• ) Bake meatballs at 375 °F for about 15 minutes then cover with about half of the sauce and mozzarella, and bake about 15 minutes more
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to rolling boil, add salt to liberally season water and cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than al dente
• Reserve 1 cup of starchy water and drain pasta
• Toss pasta with half the sauce and add starchy water and more grated cheese if you like
• Drizzle with EVOO to gloss the sauce and pasta once it emulsifies
• Top with torn basil and serve
• Pass meatballs at the table to place on top of pasta

MAMA'S BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

PORK CHOPS DIJON

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from chops.
• Spray a 10-inch skillet with nonstick spray coating.
• Brown chops on both sides in hot skillet.
• Remove chops.
• Add onions; cook and stir over medium heat 3 minutes.
• Push onions aside; return chops to skillet.
• Combine mustard, dressing and pepper; spread over chops.
• Cover; cook over medium-low heat 15 minutes or till meat is tender.

MAMA LEONE'S ITALIAN DRESSING

Steps:

• Directions 1 Combine oil and garlic, mix well and let stand a few minutes to infuse garlic flavor in oil. 2 Strain and discard garlic. 3 Add all other ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Pour into bottle or jar and refrigerate.

MAMA CORLEONE'S SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• While the pasta is getting started, slice sausages lengthwise, and remove the casings. Brown sausages in a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of the olive oil. Remove sausages to a platter, and keep warm in the oven. Add the bell peppers, garlic, oregano and basil to the skillet, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Saute over medium heat until peppers are tender.
• Toss the pepper mixture with the drained spaghetti until well blended, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving platter, and arrange the sausages on the top. Garnish with Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese.