Timballo

Ingredients
1/2 Lb Pizza Crust Dough, (1/4 recipe My favorite Dough for Bread and Pizza, July 2009 post)
1 Lb Ziti pasta cooked very al dente. (pasta will cook more as it bakes in the oven.
4 C Red Gravy or Marinara Sauce
1/2 Lb Italian Sausage cooked in pasta sauce and cut into bite sized pieces. about 1 inch
1 C Ricotta
1 Raw Egg
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Parsley Frakes
1/8 Lb Cooked Bacon strips cut into 1 inch lengths. Browned but not crispy.
20 Slices Pepperoni
3 Hard Boiled Eggs peeled and left whole
2 Tbsp Early sweet peas
1/2 C Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 C Mozzarella
1/4 C Parmesan
6-8 Basil Leaves, Chopped.
Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste

Cook Pasta, drain and mix with 1 cup of sauce and set aside

Prepare Ricotta, whip ricotta with egg, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and Parmesan

Prepare Crust
Proof dough for 1/2 hour then roll out to about a 20-22 inch circle.
Place dough loosely in an 8 1/2 inch springform pan. Let dough fill bottom of pan to edges and overlap rim to fold over when filled.

Spoon a shallow layer of pasta into bottom of crusted pan. spread evenly
Add a ladle of sauce and spread to fill.
Place a layer of bacon over pasta.
Spread ricotta mixture over bacon.
Add layer of pasta
Place sausage pieces on and into pasta.
Sprinkle basil over all
Add enough pasta to even out layer of sausage.
Ladle sauce over layer till filled.
Spread Sliced Mushrooms over layer.
Place hard boiled eggs well spaced on mushrooms
Fill layer with pasta, sprinkle in peas and add some sauce
Cover layer with half of the Mozzarella
Add layer of pepperoni
Add remainder of pasta and cover with remaining Mozzarella.

Close carefully by folding edges of dough up over top all around. Overlap where needed and pinch edges to close

Bake at 450F for 20 - 25 minutes till medium brown.

Let stand 5 minutes then remove spring form pan,
Cut into wedges and serve.

Makes 6 generous servings

JOJO'S SPAGHETTI PIE

JOJO'S SPAGHETTI PIE
8 OZ OF UNCOOKED SPAGHETTI
1 EGG
1/4 C GRATED CHEESE (UR CHOICE) I PREFER ROMANO (I DONT LIKE FEET)
1 LB. LEAN GROUND BEEF/OR MINI PRECOOKED MEATBALLS
1 LB. ITALIAN SAUSAGE - IF DESIRED
8 OZ. SLICED MUSHROOMS - IF DESIRED
1 JAR OF SAUCE (THAT IS IF YOU DONT COOK) I DO AND USE MY OWN GRAVY
1 CLOVE GARLIC OR MORE , SLICED
************************************************************************************
STEP 1 : COOKED SPAGHETTI, CHEESE & EGG MIX WELL
STEP 2 : PRESS OVER BOTTOM & SIDES OF DISH TO FORM A CRUST
STEP 3: FRY GROUND MEAT OR IF USING M/B NO NEED TO FRY AGAIN ADD SLICED GARLIC TILL BROWNED USE 1 T OLIVE OIL TO FRY
ADD GRAVY OR SAUCE AND STIR WELL
STEP 5 : ADD MEAT,GRAVY OR PASTA SAUCE, MIX CHEESE & TOPPINGS OF YOUR CHOICE!
STEP 6 : BAKE 350' FOR 30 MIN TO 45 MIN TILL CHEESE IS GOLDEN BROWN
STEP 7 : SLICE IT UP AND ENJOY ITS LIKE A PIZZA AND A PIE WITH PASTA!!!
NOTE ***** CAN USE YOUR CHOICE OF PASTA & COOK ALDENTE'
SERVES 4 PREP TIME APPROX 30 MIN AND COOK TIME 30-45 MIN
GRAZIE, BY JOANN GIUGLIANO

Chocolate Truffle Pie

This recipe is INCREDIBLY easy & will satisfy ANYone's craving for chocolate. For the best result, use a GOOD quality chocolate (like Ghirardelli).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees - 325 degrees if you're using a glass pie plate. Spray a pie pan lightly with nonstick spray.

Melt (and cool slightly) a 12 oz. package of semisweet chocolate chips. Instead of smearing up a bowl, I spread the chips out on a large, heavy paper plate and microwave it until it's just barely melted.

In a mixing bowl, combine and mix well, using a wire whisk:
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teasp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Stir in the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pie dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the OUTER half of the pie is a bit puffy, but center is still slightly soft. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.

Serve with whipped cream. Garnish with raspberries or other berries, if you like. Keep refrigerated.

(Chopped, toasted nuts can also be added when you add the chocolate to the batter before baking.)

Pasta Pot Pie

Pasta Pot Pie
2 Prepared pie crust circles
1/2 lb Cooked pasta (ziti or mostacolli)
Sauce
1/2 lb Ground beef
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1/4 c Onion, chopped
1 14 oz can. diced tomatoes
2 Basil leaves (or 1 tsp dried basil)
salt and pepper to taste Cheese filling
1 c Ricotta cheese
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Parsley flakes
1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese Layers
1/4 c Parmesan, shredded or grated
1/2 c Mozzarella, shredded

Prepare Sauce
Brown ground beef with onion and garlic,
Drain fat and add tomatoes and basil
salt and pepper to taste, add a pinch of crushed red pepper is desired
Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes

Prepare Cheese filling
In a small bowl whisk with fork, ricotta, egg, parsley, pinch of salt, pinch of black pepper and 1 Tbsp grated parmesan till well mixed
Cook pasta in salted water to aldente according to directions on pkg
Drain pasta and mix with sauce and set aside

Assemble Pie
Grease a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray
Lay 1 prepared pie crust circle in pie pan and form to bottom of pan letting it overlap evenly all around the top of the pan.
Spoon in about 1/2 - 3/4 inch of prepared pasta
Spread entire ricotta mixture over bottom layer of pasta
Sprinkle layer of Parmesan over ricotta
Spoon another layer of pasta over Parmesan all the way to top of pan. Use enough pasta so that top center is higher than edges, like a mound Spread a layer of mozzarella evenly over top pasta layer
Lay top pie crust loosely over entire pie pinching two crusts together all around.
Make a few punctures with a fork in top of crust.
Bake in preheated 450f oven for 30 to 40 minutes till medium brown
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting
Serve
Makes six generous servings

Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is made for a diabetic diet (no crust, no sugar & VERY low carbs!). You can EASILY adapt it and make a regular pumpkin pie by preparing your favorite (unbaked) crust. Make the filling exactly the same but use regular sugar instead of Splenda. Then bake it @400* degrees the first 15 minutes - lower the oven temp to 350* and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes, until the center is cooked.

Spray a 9" pie plate with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350* degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine and mix together well:

1 15 oz. can of solid packed, cooked pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie FILLING)

3 lightly beaten eggs

1 cup Splenda (OR sugar)

1 teasp. ground ginger

2 teasp. ground cinnamon

1/8 teasp. ground cloves

1/8 teasp. ground/grated nutmeg

1 teasp. vanilla extract

1- 12 oz. can evaporated milk

Whisk all the ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

* IF YOU USE A GLASS or DARK- COLORED Nonstick PIE PAN, REDUCE THE OVEN TEMPERATURE 20 DEGREES - otherwise it'll overcook and burn!