Banana Den Forno Recipes

VERDURE AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Coat the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange zucchini slices on the bottom of the dish and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Evenly pour 1/3 cup of the heavy cream and sprinkle with 1/3 of a cup of mozzarella, 1/3 cup fontina and 2 tablespoons of the Romano. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs. Repeat layers, ending with the bread crumbs. Cut the 4 tablespoons of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and sprinkle over the top of the dish. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place the baking dish on top and bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

BANANAS FOSTER

Steps:

• Set ice cream out to soften. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter, sugar, and rum over medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth and bubbly, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add bananas, and cook, gently swirling skillet, until bananas are just warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop ice cream into bowls, and top with bananas and caramel sauce. Serve immediately.

BANANAS FOSTER II

Steps:

• In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and walnuts in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve at once over vanilla ice cream.

BANANA DEN FORNO

Steps:

• Peel the bananas and boil them together with the cinnamon, vanilla extract, sugar and water for about 20 minutes.
• Bake the bananas in the oven at 275°F for 10 minutes. Serve with favorite ice cream.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• For the sauce: Cover the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil and garlic and cook over medium heat until garlic browns. Add sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
• For the pappardelle pasta: Make a bed of all-purpose flour, then make a well and add eggs. Fold all together, adding in more flour if needed, and knead until a dough ball is formed, then set aside and cover for 30 minutes.
• Run dough through a pasta sheeter to form pappardelle pasta (broad flat noodles).
• For the meatballs: Combine the beef, pork, veal, panko, Parmesan, salt, pepper and eggs in a bowl. Mixture should be on the drier side. If need be, add more panko. Form quarter-size meatballs. Heat a medium frying pan with oil and fry each meatball to a golden brown color.
• For the pasta al forno: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add sauce to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, along with the ricotta. Stir together, then add mozzarella and the meatballs. Let the cheese melt down.
• Meanwhile, drop the pasta into boiling salted water for about 7 minutes. Strain and add to the baking dish. Mix around, then bake in oven for 10 minutes.

CLASSIC BANANAS FOSTER

Steps:

• Peel the bananas and slice them about 1 inch thick on a long bias. Heat the sugar, butter and cinnamon together in a medium skillet over medium heat until bubbling. Add the bananas and stir gently to coat. Add the rum and carefully ignite the alcohol with a stick lighter. Step back and let the alcohol burn off. Continue to cook, stirring gently, until the sauce has thickened a little bit and the bananas are slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide the bananas and sauce between 2 small bowls. Top with ice cream and serve immediately.

LASAGNE AL FORNO

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, stir together the beef, milk, parsley, salt, and pepper. Form into balls the size of olives. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs in small batches. Remove from the pan as they brown and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is lightly browned. Then stir in the tomato puree and tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot.
• Add the meatballs to the tomato mixture and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, liberally salt the boiling water and add the lasagna. Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in colander.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a shallow ovenproof pan, roughly 13 by 9 by 2 inches, spread a thin layer of the sauce (no meatballs). Then spread a layer of overlapping lasagna 1 strip thick (don't let the strips run up the side of the dish). Cover that with mozzarella slices and then 5 tablespoons ricotta. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and then spread on 1/4 of the sauce and meatballs. Begin again with a layer of lasagna and continue as above until all the ingredients are used up, ending with the Parmesan.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. If the cheese on top hasn't melted, run under the broiler briefly. Then let the dish rest at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

GUATEMALAN PAN DE BANANO (BANANA BREAD)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Soften the butter to room temperature and mix it with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Mash the bananas and add it to the butter and sugar mixture.
• Add the salt, lemon juice, cinnamon, and egg.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder and slowly add it to the liquid mixture.
• Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, approximately 9 x 5 inches.
• Bake in oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Serve with honey as a cake bread, or as a dessert with cream or ice cream.

BANANAS FOSTER BREAD

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar and bananas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in rum; set aside to cool., In a large bowl, combine the flour, flax, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, banana mixture and remaining brown sugar. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened., Transfer to a 9x5-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over bread.

BANANAS FOSTER

Steps:

• Slice the bananas in half lengthwise and brush with the lemon juice. Melt the butter with the sugar in a flat chafing dish or 10-inch skillet. Add the bananas and sauté until just tender. Sprinkle with the cinnamon.
• Remove from the heat and add liqueur and rum. Carefully ignite with a long match. Use a large long-handled spoon to baste the bananas with the warm liquid until the flame burns out.
• Divide the ice cream among four dishes. Top each one with a banana half and some of the sauce. Serve immediately.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add onions and cook slowly until moisture has evaporated but onions are not dark brown, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and bacon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until meat is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Pour wine into the skillet and cook until evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill tomato paste can with water and pour in. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook sauce, uncovered, until oil no longer appears on the surface, about 30 minutes. Add sugar and salt; cook and stir until dissolved, about 3 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini pasta at a boil for about 5 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Return pasta to the pot and add a splash of olive oil to prevent sticking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x13-inch baking dishes.
• Add about 1 cup sauce and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese to the pot with the cooked pasta.
• Spoon a thin layer of pasta into each prepared baking dish. Top each with a thin layer of provolone and mozzarella cheeses. Add sauce. Repeat layers with remaining pasta, cheeses, and sauce; finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot and melted, 30 to 45 minutes.