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Shrimp Tacos with Chimichurri and Slaw

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Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers

Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers

Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers is a spicy pizza topped with arrabbiata sauce, fresh mozzarella, pickled roasted peppers, olives, and fresh basil. Arrabbiata means angry in Italian, but spice lovers will be anything but angry when they taste this full flavored, peppery pizza.

The Equipment Needed

  • A bread machine- I use my bread machine to make my pizza dough. If you don’t have a bread machine, or want to save time, just buy the best premade pizza dough you can find.
  • A pizza stone- Baking pizza on a pizza stone helps give the pizza a crisp bottom. If you don’t have a pizza stone, just use a baking sheet.
  • A pizza peel- A pizza peel allows you to easily slide your pizza into the oven, and to easily remove it, too.
  • A Dutch oven- I like to simmer my sauce in my Dutch oven, but any saucepan is fine to use.

The Ingredients Needed for Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers

  • The flour- My dough uses regular, all purpose flour.
  • The yeast- I use active dry yeast.
  • The tomato puree- I really like the boxed Pomi strained tomatoes. They have no salt and no acid added, so they are very gentle on the stomach. Also, they contain no lumps, which is important to some of my eaters.
  • The chicken broth- I always use homemade broth, but if you don’t have any, I would just skip this ingredient.
  • The pepperoncini- I really like the peppers from the health food store, which have less additives and food dyes.
  • The Parmesan rind- This adds a lot of flavor to the sauce. But, if you don’t have one, just leave it out.

How I Made It

  • The first thing I did was make the dough. This recipe makes enough for two pizzas. So, I used half the dough to make a plain kiddie pizza with just plain tomato sauce and cheese. But, you can easily freeze the dough, if you only want to make one pizza.
  • Next, I roasted the peppers and made the sauce. I ended up freezing some of the extra sauce, and I used the extra peppers on sandwiches the next day.
  • Finally, I put on the pizza toppings and baked off the pizza.
  • Since I made two pizzas, we had lots of pizza left over for lunches. Even though I hate my air fryer, it does a great job of heating up pizza. Does that justify the big space it takes up on my counter? No, when will that air fryer die, so I can have my counter back?

This is a truly delicious pizza. I know it sounds like it takes hours to make, but if you are going to spend the day at home, the pizza really doesn’t require that much effort. For years, when my kids were little, I made pizza for lunch on Saturdays, especially during the long, cold New York winters. And, even now, when it’s 90 degrees out, pizza is a meal I turn to when I’m stumped about what to make for dinner. I love trying different toppings, and then serving the pizza with a big salad. This Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers is a really nice change from classic tomato and cheese pizza, and I hope you’ll try it soon.

Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers
Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers
Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers
Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers

Pizza Arrabbiata with Roasted Peppers

A hot and spicy pizza topped with arrabbiata sauce, roasted pickled peppers, olives, and basil.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Rising time 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Bread Machine
  • Pizza Stone
  • Pizza Peel
  • Dutch oven

Ingredients
  

For the dough:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups all purpose flour (360g)
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. active dry yeast

For the Arrabbiata Sauce:

  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup minced onion
  • ⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 slices chopped bacon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • ½ tsp. sugar
  • 2 sliced pepperoncini peppers
  • 1 Parmesan rind

For the Roasted Peppers:

  • 2 red peppers
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt

To finish the pizza:

  • 2 cups fresh mozzarella, shredded
  • ¼ cup sliced olives
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves

Instructions
 

For the Pizza Dough:

  • Put all the ingredients in your bread machine, in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle.
  • When the dough cycle ends, using your fingers, push out half the dough on a parchment covered pizza peel. Brush with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 30 minutes.

For the Arrabbiata Sauce:

  • In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on low heat. Add the onion, red pepper flakes, bacon, and bay leaf and cook until the onion is softened.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind before serving. You will have sauce left over after topping your pizza.

For the Roasted Peppers:

  • On a baking sheet, roast the peppers at 350° for 1 hour. Remove the skin and seeds and chop in one inch pieces.
  • Mix the rest of the ingredients together and let them pickle, in the refrigerator, while the dough rises.

To Finish the Pizza:

  • Preheat the oven to 425°. Heat the pizza stone for 30 minutes, and then, slide the parchment and dough onto the stone. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Using the pizza peel, remove the dough and parchment from the oven. Top with about a cup of sauce, the mozzarella, the peppers, and the olives. Bake 10 more minutes.
  • Remove the pizza and sprinkle with basil.
Keyword Arrabbiata, Pizza
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Chocolate Gelato with Baci Truffles

Chocolate Gelato with Baci Truffles

Chocolate Gelato with Baci Truffles is the ice cream of my dreams. So, I knew it was one of the very first recipes I would post on A Perfect Feast. As a kid I used to love going out for ice cream, to Carvel or …

Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Garlic Aioli

Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Garlic Aioli

These Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Garlic Aioli are the perfect summer appetizer or side dish. They are one of my mother-in-law’s specialties, beloved by her entire large, Italian family. When I first tried them I was shocked by how much fantastic basil and garlic flavor …

Chicken Romano and Mozzarella Tomato Stacks

Chicken Romano and Mozzarella Tomato Stacks

Chicken Romano and Mozzarella Tomato Stacks are tasty towers of crunchy chicken, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and red peppers and olives all drizzled with a basil balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The Romano cheese that crust these cutlets, gives the chicken fantastic flavor, and the tangy vinaigrette really wakes up the taste buds.

The Kitchen Tools You’ll Need

  • A meat mallet- This is helpful for pounding out your chicken. Pounding the chicken ensures that it is of even thickness, so it all cooks at the same speed. If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use a rolling pin, or heavy skillet.
  • A cast iron skillet- I think this does the best job of frying chicken cutlets. But, any heavy skillet will do.
  • A food processor- This is the easiest way to create a smooth vinaigrette. But, you could also stir the ingredients in a bowl, or shake them in a jar.

The Ingredients for Chicken Romano and Mozzarella Tomato Stacks

  • The Romano Cheese- This cheese is the star of the dish. It’s like Parmesan cheese on steroids. However, if you’re cooking for small children or delicate palates, you may want to use Parmesan cheese.
  • The Chicken- I like to buy breasts with the skin and bones, and cut out the cutlet myself. That way I always have lots of chicken skin and bones waiting in the freezer to make chicken stock any time I need it.
  • The Breadcrumbs- I used to be able to buy crumbs from a local Italian market. But, since the pandemic started, and I’m limiting my grocery trips, I now buy big cannisters of 4C Plain Breadcrumbs. And, then I season the crumbs myself.

How I Made this Dish

  • First, I roasted the peppers. While the peppers roasted I got all the other ingredients prepared for cooking. I also made the vinaigrette.
  • Next, I fried the chicken.
  • Finally, I assembled the chicken stacks. And, then I drizzled them with the vinaigrette.
  • I served this dish on top of linguini tossed with Pomodoro Sauce. The recipe for the Pomodoro Sauce is included in my Parmesan Ravioli post.
  • Along side the stacks I also served green beans tossed with roasted peppers and topped with some more Romano cheese.

One of the things I love about this dish is that the components can be broken down and served to picky eaters. For small children, I might make them little plates of the cubed chicken, chunks of mozzarella, shavings of Romano cheese, strips of roasted peppers, and slices of the olives. But, for adventurous eaters, the combination of all these things stacked together is a perfect feast, for the eyes, as well as, the taste buds.

Chicken Romano and Mozzarella Tomato Stacks
Chicken Romano Tomato Stacks

Chicken Romano and Mozzarella Tomato Stacks

Crispy, Romano cheese crusted chicken cutlets with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, olives, and tomatoes.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 red peppers
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup flour
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 2 cups plain, dried breadcrumbs
  • 2 cups grated Romano cheese
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • ½ pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
  • 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
  • 8 sliced olives

For the Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette:

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup roasted peppers
  • 2 tbsp. fresh basil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. honey

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast them for 60 minutes.
  • Peel the peppers, and remove their seeds. Cut them into thin slices.
  • Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, place them between plastic sheets, one at a time, and pound them until they are about a ¼ inch thick. Season them with salt and pepper.
  • Prepare a dredging station. In the first bowl place the flour, salt, and pepper. In the second bowl place the eggs. In the third bowl, place the breadcrumbs, cheese, and spices.
  • Fill a cast iron skillet with a ¼ inch of vegetable oil, heated on high heat. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. The oil is hot when a small piece of chicken sizzles immediately when placed in the oil. Fry the chicken until it is golden, on each side, and cooked through.
  • Drain the cooked chicken on a wire rack.
  • In a food processor, mix the vinaigrette ingredients.
  • To serve the chicken, top it with tomato slices, mozzarella, roasted peppers, and olives. Then, drizzle some vinaigrette on top. Serve the chicken on top of spaghetti tossed with pomodoro sauce.
Keyword Chicken, Mozzarella, Roasted Pepper, Romano, Tomato
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding

Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding

Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding is a baked pudding full of chocolate soaked bread and raspberries, topped with raspberry creme fraiche.

Peach and Tapioca Pudding Parfaits

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Peach and Tapioca Pudding Parfaits are the perfect dessert to enjoy on a hot July day. They’re sweet and creamy, but also light and fluffy and fruity and delicious. Peach and Tapioca Pudding Parfait Ingredients Milk- For this recipe you should use whole milk, not …

Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

In honor of National Macaroni and Cheese Day, I cooked this Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese. It is bursting with truffle flavor, and took less than an hour to prepare from start to finish.

The Ingredients Needed for Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

  • The Black Truffle Pecorino- This Moliterno al Tartufo is a sheep’s milk cheese produced in Sardinia, Italy. I found it in the gourmet cheese section of my supermarket, but this is definitely a cheese worth chasing down. It is a white cheese with black truffle veins running through it.
  • The Shallot- If you don’t have shallots, just use onion.
  • The Chicken Stock- I always keep homemade stock in my freezer.
  • The Cream- I used heavy cream, but also made a version (seen below in the black skillet), using Planet Oak Extra Creamy Oat Milk. It tasted exactly the same as the cream version I baked.
  • The Bread- I used Pepperidge Farm’s white bread, just because I had some in my pantry. I think brioche, challah, sourdough, French, or Italian bread would all be delicious for bread crumbs for this dish.

The Equipment

  • You’ll need a food processor to make bread crumbs. If you don’t have one, you could try cutting your bread in tiny cubes.
  • To bake this you’ll need either a large casserole dish, or you could make individual smaller pans in ramekins, or cocettes, or small cast iron skillets. If you use the smaller dishes, it will bake in probably 15 minutes. Just take it out when it’s bubbly.

How I Made It

  • First, I boiled my macaroni.
  • Next, I preheated the oven and made the white sauce.
  • Finally, I greased my casserole with butter and then baked it all off.

I served this with steamed lobster, since it’s Lobster Tuesday. Eating lobster every Tuesday is our new tradition that we started since social distancing back in April. It’s one of the few family traditions that everyone in my house really gets excited about. So, I can definitely confirm for you, that if you wanted to mix a couple of cups of cooked lobster into your Black Truffle Pecorino Macaroni and Cheese, it would be absolutely delicious!

Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese
Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Truffle macaroni and cheese made with Moliterno al Tartufo cheese from Sardinia, Italy.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 450 kcal

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups elbow macaroni
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup minced shallot
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 3 cups Moliterno al Tartufo Cheese (Black Truffle Pecorino) , grated
  • 2 cups white bread, cubed

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Boil the macaroni and drain it well.
  • Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, on medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and cook the shallots until they're tender.
  • Add the flour to the shallots and cook for two minutes. Then add the chicken stock and cream and cook for two more minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Remove the pot from the heat.
  • Stir a half cup of the sauce into a bowl with the beaten eggs. This is to temper, or heat up the eggs so don't scramble in the hot sauce. Mix it with a spoon, and then add the warmed up eggs to the warm pot. Stir in the macaroni and cheese, and put it in a greased 9 by 11 casserole.
  • In a small skillet, melt the rest of the butter. Make breadcrumbs out of the bread in the food processor, and cook them in the butter for 3 minutes.
  • Scatter the bread crumbs over the macaroni and cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal
Keyword cheese, macaroni, truffle
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Frozen Nutella Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream

Frozen Nutella Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream

An icy cold chocolate hazelnut milk drink, topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips.