CUCUZZA SOUP - Italian Squash Soup

Cucuzza Soup

Olivia @ 2 years old

Freeze in 16 oz containers. 

            CUCUZZA SOUP

• Sauce: 1 - 32 oz Nonna Fina Sauce (Fresh from garden tomatoes) or Sauce recipe below. 
• 3 can of Tuttorosso whole tomatoes. Cut ends off and discard. Then cut the rest up into chunks.
• Cucuzza leaves (Tenerumi) 25 - 30. or Fresh baby Spinach leaves. 
• Chicken Broth 3 _13oz 
• 2 -3 long Cucuzzas 
• 5 Potatoes.  Peeled and cut into chunks
• 5 Carrots.  Peeled and cut into small chunks
•  1/2 cup grated cheese.
• 1 cup cut up into small chunks (pieces) of Romano cheese.                                                             (It's the grated cheese before you grate it.)
•  1 box of Cut Spaghetti. cooked Aldente and cooled it off
•  Olive Oil 
• Onions 1 medium chopped & garlic cloves 5 chopped                                                                           

Cucuzza and leaves of the plant

1.  Pick the leaves from the cucuzza vines.  Pick the small green ones.                                                          Approx. 45-60 leaves for 3 cucuzzas.  Must be fresh looking not old or yellow.                                 You can also include a little bit of the vine chopped. 

   Place a few on top of each other and roll them up.  

  Take scissors or knife and cut them into pieces.  Place them in a bowl for later.

Roll a bunch of leaves up 

cut them in 1/2

and in 1/2 again

2.  Defrost 2 - 32 oz. of Nonna Fina sauce (fresh tomatoes from garden) or use 

    Sauce Recipe below.  

  Place chopped onions in x-large sauce pot.  Pour in enough Olive Oil just to cover the onions

  When onions are translucent add chopped garlic. Sautee until lightly browned. 

  Add in 2 cans of Peeled Tomatoes - (ends cut off and chopped into chunks) 

   1 Tsp Salt, Pepper, garlic, 2 tsp sugar, 5 pcs chopped basil

  Stir and cook for 10 minutes. 

  Optional Can add 1 small can of Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies for a little zing. 

Chopped Onion and garlic

Cento San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes 

   

 

optional 

3.  Add 3 cans of Chicken Broth (low Sodium)      

      Sauce is not Thick.  It's a soup consistency. 

4. Add in the chopped Cucuzza Leaves.

Cook for approx. 5 minutes on medium. 

Now steps to prep the Cucuzza. 

5.  Cut the Cucuzza into smaller pieces (as long as a cucumber) so it will be easier to peel them.

 

    Peel cucuzza (just like you peel a cucumber) Peel until you see the white skin and not green.

 Most likely you need to peel the same side twice.    

                                  

                                                     

                                                                                                   
                                                                   

          

6.  Cut Length wise. Scoop or cut out center if there are seeds.  As above the seeds are hard and large and we don't use them. 

                           

  7.  Cut into Chunks. 1" x 1" thumb size chunks. Place into pot. 

                                       

                                                                               

       8.     Add in Chopped Potatoes and Carrots                                      

     

9.  Bring to boil and cook for 20 30 minutes.  Until Cucuzza are cooked. shown below.



Not cooked yet.



Cucuzza cooked when translucent

   

10.   1 box of cooked Cut Spaghetti or Italiano Pasta.  Place pasta in bowl and add soup. 

                                 

 

11. Add in the chunks of romano cheese to hot soup.
Ready to eat!!

I prefer to freeze soup without the pasta.  When pasta is in container it draws out the broth.

To keep soup more liquidity I cook pasta separately or have soup without pasta. 

Pizza

Nonno Pino Sicilian Pizza.

Sautee onions, blk pepper & 3 pcs of diced up anchious.  Once onions are brown add in Nonna Fina fresh

Sauce or Marinara Sauce .  Put Sicilian in oven with cheese on top only.  Cook 1/2 way.  Add Sauce mix to top of pie and sprinkle on grated cheese and toasted bread crumbs.  Cook until crispy.

when we have Pizza Parties everyone gets to make their own pizza.

Olivia a 2 yrs old.  She pounded down her own dough, spread the sauce and put on her own cheese.  Well, I mean ate most of her cheese instead of putting it on her pizza!  Olivia loves her CHEESE!

Olivia, Stefana and Arianna making their own pizza.

Gaetano inserted pizza brick into my oven.  You can take the pizza away from  the man but not the man from his pizza! It is so heavy that we keep it in there all the time.

Cousin Daniel making his own Pizza.

 

Minestroni Soup

Bariatric Friendly - Do not add pasta.  Add 3 small meatballs

3 large Containers of Chicken Broth - College Inn

1 large finely chopped onion

2 punches of chopped scallions

buy whole stalk Celery -with the leaves.   chop up leaves

1 bunch of celery -  peeled celery and cut into       chunks
2 bags of small carrots - cut into chunks
6 potatoes - cut into chunks
4 large zucchini - peeled, slice lengthwise, and cut into chunks (about thumb size)
1 container of cooking sauce.  (recipe on this blog) Always have some frozen!!!
A dash of: black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.
grated cheese 1 tsp for each 24 oz storage container
16 oz small pasta. cooked  aldente, rinse under cool water and strain.
1 can small peas.

1 can of each Pinto Beans, Black eye peas, Red kidney beans, Navy beans and Pink Beans

In large deep pot: 

chicken broth, onions, scallions, celery leaves only, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.

bring to a full boil for  5 minutes.

then add:  carrots, potatoes, celery.  cook for 5 minutes.

then add:  zucchini

cook for another 5 minutes.

Add in Cooking Sauce.  This will give the soup color and flavor.
Let cook for 10 minutes. When zucchini is cooked Shut off flame. (zucchini will become clear)
Veggies need to be aldented. Cooked but a little bit firm. 
Then drain Peas and add.
Add all the cans of  Beans.  Do Not drain juice out of can of beans.
Stir and cook for about 3 minutes.

 

Add pasta to bowl of hot soup.  Add teaspoon of grated cheese.


Serve with Italian Garlic Bread. Recipe on this blog.

Yum - Yum your Done!!

NOTE:  Once you shut off heat, soup will still cook a little longer.
If freezing:  Veggies need to be cooked but, still a little hard.

Penne alla Vodka

1/2 catering Tray of Penne alla Vodka 

Makes 4 1/2 _32oz containers of Vodka Sauce. 2 large catering trays. 

 which can be frozen for another time.

If you want to make a smaller amount just cut everything in 1/2. 

1 Medium Onion sliced, chopped 

10 pieces garlic chopped

2 - Quarts of Heavy Cream

2 - 32oz of Cooking Sauce (recipe on my blog (mamagrecipes.blogspot.com)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder 

2 TBS of spicy brown mustard

1/1/2 cups of Vodka

Optional: can add whole chopped tomatoes or just cook it with whole chopped tomatoes instead of using cooking sauce. (puree sauce)

Cook separately then add to vodka sauce mix before you boil the vodka sauce. 

 (1 can of whole tomatoes (Tutto Russo or Cento). Slice into small chunks. olive oil just to cover garlic garlic)

 3 gloves chopped,

Basil 5 leaves chopped small, sugar 1 TBS, 1 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp Pepper,) cook for 15 minutes. 

2 1/2 cups grated Cheese (Pecorino Romano)

Do not add grated cheese until finished cooking and sauce has cooled for 1/2 hour.

For parties:  Sauce Can be made a few days in advance (leave covered in fridge) 

 or a few weeks in plastic containers in freezer.

Chop garlic and onion finely and sautee each separately in olive oil.

Once lightly golden brown strain in a small hole strainer. You want to get out most of the oil.

  

color of vodka sauce you want to achieve is peach. 

                                                            

Place all ingredients except grated cheese in large pot.

Sauteed garlic and onions

2 - 32oz of Cooking Sauce (recipe on my blog (mamagrecipes.blogspot.com)

You place the red sauce in pot 1st and then add in heavy cream to make a peach color sauce 

2 - Quarts of Heavy Cream (watching the color of the sauce change to peach)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder 

2 TBS of spicy brown mustard

1/1/2 cups of Vodka

Cook and stir frequently over medium heat. 

Once it comes to full boil cook for another 6 minutes.

Remove from heat.

After it is cooked. Let cool for about 1/2 hour stirring it to cool down a bit before mixing in  

grated cheese.  (Pecorino Romano) 

Use a beater like the one in picture.  

Add a little bit of grated cheese at a time and stir it in.

This will stop the cheese from clumping.

You're done. 

Mix with Cook Penne Pasta.

There are two ways you can add the pasta to the vodka sauce.

#1.  If you are making a large tray then place the well drained pasta in the tray and stir in vodka sauce. (if made in advance warm up vodka sauce before place in pan.)

Place in oven @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes. So the pasta gets time to sip in the flavor of the vodka sauce. 

#2.  For a few plates add a little bit of vodka sauce to large frying pan heat up vodka sauce than add in cooked Penne and stir.  My family likes it this way.   Not too much vodka sauce and when mixing pasta together it melts the cheese onto the pasta.

Garlic Bread and Bruscetta Bread

Garlic Bread with Pepperoni and Melted Cheese

                    

Slice Italian bread open.

Main ingredients:

Add butter THINLY sliced.

a dash of blk pepper, garlic powder and oregano.

1 Tbs of finely chopped fresh Basil
Add  grated Cheese to top of Bread. Your Preference.
Add ons: Mozzerella Cheese, pepperoni or mushroom, Bake on 350 until crispy.

Slice with pizza cutter.

Bruschetta bread with melted Mozzarella.

In a bowl - Whisk together

1/4 cup Balsmic Vinegar,

2 Tbs Olive Oil

Dash of Salt, Blk Pepper, Garlic Powder, Oregano, freshly and Sugar (yes sugar)

1 Tbs finely chopped Basil

1 Tbs grated Cheese

After Blending together than add:

3 Plum Tomatoes chopped into tiny pieces

1 Tbs  finely chopped Red Onion and Celery

Optional can add:  Tbs of Finely chopped Red or Yellow Pepper

Mix together and let stand for 5 Minutes.

Slice Open Italian bread

with Fork add Bruschetta Mix

then with Spoon add the juice mixture to coat the bread.

(You might not use all the juice.)

Add shredded Mozzarella

Bake in oven at 350 until crispy.

Slice with Pizza Cutter.

Broccoli Rabe with Sausage or Shrimp

                                                                                 

For Bariatric Friendly - Do not Add Pasta.  

    

Serves 4

  Broccoli Rabe 2 Bunches

Sausage cooked and chopped 4 links
Tomatoes chopped or sundried tomatoes

Garlic Sliced-  3 cloves

Red bell peppers chopped 1/2

Mushrooms Chopped 4 pcs

Chicken Broth college inn  1 or 2 cans
White Wine 1 tbs

Penne Pasta cooked  1 lb

Grated Cheese

The time consuming part of this dish is cleaning the Broccoli Rabe.

I cook about 4+ bunches of Broccoli Rabe at a time. Need a commerical  14 qt size pot to do this.   Lay them straight in a roasting pan to cool off, cut them into pieces and then freeze portions in a ziploc bag. So, when I want to use a recipe with Broccoli Rabe I can prepare it in a few minutes.

Or of course, you can cook 1 bunch at a time.

 Fill large pot with water little bit of salt and boil water. While you are waiting for the water to boil.   

Broccoli Rabe: Cut off ends of stalk and peel off outer layer. As you can see in picture once you cut off end and peel back it comes off easily. 

Place in large bowl and rinse in cold water.

STEPS BELOW IMPORTANT so that you don't over cook the Broccoli Rabe.     Put all the Broccoli Rabe into the boiling water.

COVER.

When water boils over again.  Take off  Cover. Cook for 3 minutes.

Then strain out into a collander into another pot. to save water to cook pasta in.  Pasta will have better flavor cooked with the broccoli Rabe water.   or you can put another pot of water with  alittle salt for your pasta.                                                                           

  Cook Pasta aldente and strain into collander and rinse with cold water so they won't stick together.   Leave Pasta on side for later use.

  Cooking the Broccoli Rabe this way won't make it soooo bitter .   If you like it very bitter than steam them.

Sautee sausage and chop. leave on side.

                                                                         


Fry chopped garlic in a little bit of olive oil to lightly golden brown. (can use oil left from frying sausage for nice flavor and just add more oil if needed as you cook.)

Add in chopped red bell peppers and chopped tomatoes or sundried tomatoes. Stir and Cook for 3 minutes.

Add in sliced mushroom.  Stir and Cook for 1 minute.

Add cooked and chopped sausage. Stir and cook another minute.

 Add Broccoli Rabe 3- 4 inch lengths  and  White Wine

Then add Chicken Broth.  Once that comes to a boil --

Add in cooked pasta, grated cheese and stir for 1 minute.

Done!!  Enjoy!!!

Instead of Sausage you can use:

cooked sliced Chicken Cutlet, or

cooked shrimp (cook the shrimp with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Add to mixture right before pasta)
Instead of Tomatoes add sundried tomato (sliced)