Pesce Al Forno Recipes

LASAGNA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly, coat with olive oil keep them moist and easy to work with.
• Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Saute over medium heat, onion, garlic and herbs. Cook 5 minutes. Brown beef and sausage until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain fat into a small container and discard. Stir in the tomato paste completely. Set aside to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parsley and oregano. Stir in beaten eggs. Add Parmesan, season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch pan with a ladle full of tomato sauce. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the pasta. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the meat, spread to the edges with a spatula. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of tomato sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, meat, cheeses and sauce. Top last layer with noodles, sauce and shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

PESCE AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*F, spray 9X13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cover the bottom of the dish with potatoes and onions in alternating rows.
• Place fish on top and sprinkle with rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper, then drizzle with the oil.
• Cover with foil and bake, occasionally basting with pan juices until potatoes are tender and fish is opaque in the center, 50-55 minutes.
• Pour wine over fish and bake, uncovered, 3-5 minutes longer.
• Serve at once.

PASTA AL PESCE (SEAFOOD PASTA)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden, taking care not to burn it. Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer. Add the scallops and shrimp and cook until the scallops are tender and the shrimp are pink, 2 about minutes. Add the clam juice, wine, sun-dried tomatoes and thyme and sautee until the sauce begins to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pasta to the pan and turn the heat to low; toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Add the butter and parsley and toss until the butter is melted. Serve immediately.

PESCE LUPO AL FORNO (BAKED SEA BASS WITH SAGE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven (425°F, 220°C).
• In a suited oven proved dish melt 1 tablespoon butter in the olive oil.
• Cut the lemon into slices.
• Clean sea bass and sprinkle some salt into the cavity and also 1 sprig sage.
• Coat the fin tail completely with salt. This looks pretty and will avoid the fin tail from burning while baking.
• Turn the fish in the butter-olive oil mixture on both sides and put fish into the dish. Slightly salt and pepper the upper side.
• Put fish in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Take fish out of the oven and turn it over. Arrange the four remaining sage sprigs around and under the fish. Add the lemon slices, but put them more on the border of the dish.
• Now cover the upper side with the bread crumbs and press them slightly on the fish, so that they stick better.
• Arrange the remaining tablespoon of butter on the breadcrumbs and put the fish again into the oven for another 10 minutes or until fish is done.
• Fish is done, when dorsal fin can be removed easily.
• Serve very hot with the butter still sizzling.
• Note on BREAD CRUMBS: I make them on my own, because for this dish they should be coarse. Take dried white bread and cut it into very thin slices. Then break it into larger bread crumbs.
• Note on the oven proved dish: I use an oven proved serving platter for this recipe. So I can serve it right out of the oven. An oven proved pan gives it a more rustic view.

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.

MOM'S PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion; saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in tomato puree and water; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar and basil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the sauce is cooking, bring a very large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Add ground beef to cooked pasta. Mix in enough tomato sauce to lightly coat the pasta.
• Mix ricotta cheese and water in a bowl until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Spread a ladleful of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add 1/2 of the pasta, all of the ricotta cheese, peas, and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Layer the sliced eggs on every section of the pasta; cover with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Pour remaining pasta, Parmesan cheese, sauce, and mozzarella on top. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and bubbly, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting, so slices don't fall apart.

PESCE ALL'ACQUA PAZZA (FISH IN CRAZY WATER)

Steps:

• In a large skillet with high sides, combine the olive oil, garlic, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes. Set over medium-low and cook, swirling occasionally, until sizzling and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add 2 1/2 cups water, the tomatoes and 2 teaspoons salt to the skillet. Bring to a boil over high, then cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the tomatoes are softened and the water is bright red and tastes like tomato, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Pat the fish dry and season with salt. Lay the fish into the tomato water, cover and cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, 4 to 8 minutes.
• Taste the water and adjust seasonings with salt and red-pepper flakes. If the liquid has reduced so much that it resembles sauce, add a little water until it looks like tomatoes suspended in red-tinted water. Serve the fish and tomato water in shallow bowls, with a drizzle of olive oil and bread for dunking.