NBC / WCNC-TV‘s Charlotte Today Show
For the Cooking Segment Video Clip, Click HERE
Italian Wedding Soup
64 oz. Prepared Chicken Broth (homemade or purchased)
1 large split chicken breast with ribs and skin
1 carrot chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper, to taste
1 bunch of escarole, washed well of all sand and chopped
Meatballs (recipe below)
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup Romano Cheese
1 cup Pastina, cooked
Add all in ingredients in a large soup pot (except for the eggs, ½ cup Romano cheese and meatballs). Cover and simmer until the chicken and vegetables are tender, approximately 90 minutes. Meanwhile, make meatballs and refrigerate. Cook pastina and set aside.
After the chicken and veggies are cooked and tender, remove chicken and cool. Remove ribs, skin and discard. Shred chicken and add back to the pot of stock. Add meatballs, one-at-a-time. When they float to the top, they are cooked.
Beat two eggs in a small bowl, adding Romano cheese until well-combined. Gently pour the egg/cheese mixture into the hot soup. Add pastina and serve with additional grated cheese. Serve!
Italian Meatballs for Italian Wedding Soup
1-pound meatloaf mix (an equal ‘trio’ combination of ground beef, pork and veal)
1 slice old bread, crusts removed, and torn
1 small onion grated
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper, to taste
A handful of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Shape and roll into the size of a nickel. Add to the hot soup to cook. When they rise to the top of the soup, they are cooked.
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WBTV NEWS
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Ricotta Cake / An Italian-Style Cheesecake
(Torta di Ricotta)
Crust:
¼ cup shortbread cookie crumbs
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
In a 10-inch springform pan, with a pastry brush, grease bottom and sides of pan with sweet cream butter and then dust with finely grated cracker crumbs to coat pan. If there are extra crumbs, sprinkle them on the bottom of the pan.
Cheesecake:
2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar, divided
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs, separated
8 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup whole milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In separate bowls, beat egg whites until almost stiff and then add ½ cup sugar until stiff. In another bowl, beat egg yolks set aside. In a large bowl, mix ricotta and mascarpone until combined. Add ½ cup sugar, flour, vanilla and egg yolks. Mix well, slowly adding the milk until all is well-combined and then fold in the beaten egg whites.
Pour mixture into prepared spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Place a pan of water on lower rack of the oven to create a steam bath for the cheesecake while baking. After 45 minutes, turn off the oven, but continue to leave the cake in the oven for one hour after it is turned off. Do Not Open the Door!
Cool. Refrigerate overnight. Remove cake from the pan and dust with powdered sugar. Serve.
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FOX 46 CHARLOTTE
Italian Meatball Sandwiches
Meatballs:
1-pound meatloaf mix (an equal ‘trio’ combination of ground beef, pork and veal)
2 slices dry white bread, crusts removed, torn, and soaked in 3 Tablespoons of milk or water
1 small onion, peeled and grated
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
2 eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper, to taste
A handful of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
To Prepare Sandwiches:
2 Tablespoons EVOO for frying meatballs
4 cups Marinara Sauce
Provolone Slices
Hoagie Rolls (hollowed out)
For Garlic Bread Topping:
½ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbles in milk or water until well-combined and ‘soaked’. Add meat, eggs, onion, cheese, garlic, salt & pepper and parsley. Mix with a wooden spoon until mixed well. Form into balls and place on a parchment paper-lined tray until ready to fry. Heat a heavy skillet, add EVOO and fry meatballs on each side, turning after each side browns.
Add the meatballs to a pot of homemade tomato sauce, or your favorite purchased sauce. Put a lid on the pot and continue cooking in the sauce for 1 hour.
To assemble the sandwich, split the hoagie roll(s) lengthwise and hollow out the middle (save the bread for another recipe, or more meatballs!). In the bottom half of the hollowed-out bread, add a layer of provolone and a layer of meatballs. Add another layer of provolone to the top of the meatballs and add the bread top.
Place the sandwiches on top of a large sheet of foil and brush the garlic butter sauce on top of the hoagie roll(s) and place on a baking sheet. Wrap completely in the foil and bake in a pre-heated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, unwrap and slice. Serve with additional tomato sauce, if you like.
Note: This recipe is for 1 large Italian Bread Loaf OR 6-8 Small Individual Hoagie Sandwiches.
