Mike Isabellas Pepperoni Sauce For Pasta Recipes

MIKE ISABELLA'S PEPPERONI SAUCE (FOR PASTA)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until the oil shimmers.
• Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until they are golden and fragrant.
• Stir in the pepperoni; cook for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and evenly coated, then add the toasted fennel seed and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices (to taste), the broth and the bay leaf; stir to incorporate.
• Once the mixture starts to bubble at the edges, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• The pepperoni slices will be soft, with a deeper color.
• Remove from the heat.
• Working in batches as needed, transfer to a food processor or a high-powered blender (including the bay leaf); puree until smooth.
• The sauce is ready to use. Or cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze.
• NOTE: Toast the fennel seed in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet often to keep the seeds from burning. They will become fragrant and slightly darker in color. This only takes a couple of minutes.
• He also recomends using San Marzano tomatoes for this recipe.

PEPPERONI, MACARONI AND CHEESE "LASAGNA STYLE"

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt carefully add the lasagna noodles. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until pasta is very al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain in a colander, rinse slightly and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
• In a heavy, medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and then the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half-and-half little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat; add 2 cups of the grated Parmesan. Season with the salt, pepper and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large bowl combine 1/4 cup Parmesan, Cheddar, and mozzarella. Toss to combine.
• Grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole with 1 tablespoon of butter. Spread a ladle full of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Cover the sauce with a single layer of cooked lasagna noodles. Spread another ladle full of sauce on top of noodles. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the sliced pepperoni. Repeat with remaining ingredients for 2 more layers.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup bread crumbs onto top of lasagna and top with remaining grated Parmesan, 1/4 cup. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

PEPPERONI 'N' TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the onion, green pepper and mushrooms in oil until tender. , Stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, bay leaves, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Stir in pepperoni. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. , Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Discard bay leaves from sauce; stir in Parmesan cheese. Pour over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

PEPPERONI PASTA WITH LEMON AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, according to package directions, until about 2 minutes shy of al dente so that the pasta can finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add pepperoni and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisped and brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little more oil. Add garlic, fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes (if using) and a large pinch of salt, and cook until garlic is lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens, about 1 minute.
• Add the drained pasta, lemon zest and 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir until the pasta is al dente and well coated with the sauce. Add more pasta water, if needed, until the sauce is glossy and the pasta is cooked to taste.
• Cut the zested lemon in half and squeeze some juice into the pasta. Stir in herbs and taste, adding more lemon juice and salt, if needed. Cut the remaining half lemon into wedges and serve it alongside the pasta, which should be garnished with more herbs and a drizzle of oil, and sprinkled with Parmesan, if you like.

CHEF ISABELLA’S “NOW-FAMOUS” PEPPERONI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a pot, sweat onions in olive oil for five to seven minutes. Add garlic and continue to sweat for two minutes. Add the pepperoni and cook for about three more minutes. Add spices and cook for an additional minute. Add the crushed tomatoes with the juice and cook for five more minutes. Lastly, add chicken stock and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the mixture from heat and puree in a blender. Season with salt and pass it through a fine china cap. Finally, add the splash of vinegar.