Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic sliced in half
1 35oz can of imported Italian tomatoes
3 washed and chopped basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Place garlic and olive oil in large sauce pan.

Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic is soft and lightly browned.

Crush the tomatoes and add with their juices.

Fill empty tomato can 1/4 of the way with water and pour in with tomatoes.

Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until thickened approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

Baked Asparagus Wrapped In Prosciutto
Ingredients:
16 large asparagus spears, tough ends removed
Salt to taste
16 slices of prosciutto, sliced thin
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bits
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Butter a baking dish large enough to hold the asparagus.

Bring a sauce pan 3/4 full of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and salt and cook until the spears are just beginning to bend when lifted by the stem, 5-7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

Wrap each asparagus spear in one slice of prosciutto and place in the baking dish.

Dot with the butter and sprinkle with the cheese and pepper.

Bake in the oven until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

Serve hot directly from the dish.

Trenette Al Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup of pine nuts
pinch of salt
2 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1/2 pound of trenette
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Wash the basil in cold water and gently pat it dry with paper towels.

Put 1/4 cup of olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and a nice pinch of salt in a food processor or blender, start mixing and add the basil a few leaves at a time processing to a creamy consistency.

In a large saute pan add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of pesto, turn heat on low and heat through.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the trenette. Cook until al dente.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of water from the pot then drain pasta and add to saute pan with pesto, and turn the heat up to high.

Add the 2 tablespoons of the water the pasta was cooked in, and the parmigiano cheese and stir vigorously coating the pasta completely with the sauce.

Transfer the pasts to individual serving plates and serve immediately.


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