Nothing specifically 'Italian' about this except that I got it out of Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking"--it's a delicious roast chicken with lemons, nearly foolproof. If you can find a free range bird for this, do so; but even with ordinary supermarket poultry it's very good. Roast Chicken with Lemons from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan Knopf, 1995 If this were a still life its title could be "Chicken with Two Lemons." That is all that there is in it. No fat to cook with, no basting to do, no stuffing to prepare, no condiments except for salt and pepper. After you put the chicken in the oven you turn it just once. The bird, its two lemons, and the oven do all the rest. Again and again, through the years, I met people who come up to me to say, "I have made your chicken with two lemons and it is the most amazingly simple recipe, the juiciest, best-tasting chicken I have ever had." And you know, it is perfectly true. For 4 servings Ingredients # A 3- to 4-pound chicken # Salt # Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill # 2 rather small lemons Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out. Remove all the bits of fat hanging loose. Let the bird sit for about 10 minutes on a slightly tilted plate to let all the water drain out of it. Pat it thoroughly dry all over with cloth or paper towels. 3. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and black pepper on the chicken, rubbing it with your fingers over all its body and into its cavity. 4. Wash the lemons in cold water and dry them with a towel. Soften each lemon by placing it on a counter and rolling it back and forth as you put firm downward pressure on it with the palm of your hand. Puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each, using a sturdy round toothpick, a trussing needle, a sharp-pointed fork, or similar implement. 5. Place both lemons in the birds cavity. Close up the opening with toothpicks or with trussing needle and string. Close it well, but dont make an absolutely airtight job of it because the chicken may burst. Run kitchen string from one leg to the other, tying it at both knuckle ends. Leave the legs in their natural position without pulling them tight. If the skin is unbroken, the chicken will puff up as it cooks, and the string serves only to keep the thighs from spreading apart and splitting the skin. 6. Put the chicken into a roasting pan, breast facing down. Do not add cooking fat of any kind. This bird is self-basting, so you need not fear it will stick to the pan. Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven. After 30 minutes, turn the chicken over to have the breast face up. When turning it, try not to puncture the skin. If kept intact, the chicken will swell like a balloon, which makes for an arresting presentation at the table later. Do not worry too much about it, however, because even if it fails to swell, the flavor will not be affected. 7. Cook for another 30 to 35 minutes, then turn the oven thermostat up to 400 degrees, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Calculate between 20 and 25 minutes total cooking time for each pound. There is no need to turn the chicken again. 8. Whether your bird has puffed up or not, bring it to the table whole and leave the lemons inside until it is carved and opened. The juices that run out are perfectly delicious. Be sure to spoon them over the chicken slices. The lemons will have shriveled up, but they still contain some juice; do not squeeze them, they may squirt. Ahead-of-time note: If you want to eat it while it is warm, plan to have it the moment it comes out of the oven. If there are leftovers, they will be very tasty cold, kept moist with some of the cooking juices and eaten not straight out of the refrigerator, but at room temperature.

These are three of my all time favourite pasta dishes. The Penne is served at our favourite Italian restaurant and is remarkably good for being so simple. Gina's Lemon Scampi is often on our menu. So easy and fast but oh so good! The Puttanesca is for nights I'm feeling naughty. I usually serve it with chicken or veal Parmesan. Penne Calabrese 2 pound Italian sausage -- Sliced In 1/4 Inch PiECES 4 cups plum tomatoes -- Peeled And crushed 1 sweet red pepper -- sliced 1 sweet yellow pepper -- sliced 1 jalapeno -- sliced thinly 1 1/2 pound penne olive oil Grated Parmesan Combine all ingredients except olive oil and penne. Cook over low heat for 2 - 3 hours. Cook the penne and drain, toss with the olive oil. Toss penne with the sauce and serve with gated Parmesan. Lemon Linguine With Scampi (Gina) Vegetable oil 1 TBSP kosher salt plus 1/2 teaspoons 3/4 lb linguine 3 TBSP unsalted butter 2 1/2 TBSP good olive oil 1 1/2 TBSP minced garlic (4 cloves) 1 lb large shrimp (about 16 shrimp) -- peeled 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves 1/2 lemon -- zest grated 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) 1/4 lemon -- thinly sliced in half-rounds 1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve. Pasta Puttanesca 1 pound spaghetti or linguine 2 Cans best grade Italian plum tomatoes 1/4 cup best quality olive oil 1 teaspoon oregano 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste) 1/2 cup black olives, Sliced 1/4 cup capers, drained 4 garlic cloves, minced 8 anchovy fillets , chopped coarsely (or less) 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped Drain the tomatoes and cut in half. Combine the tomatoes and olive oil in a skillet and bring to a boil. Keep the sauce at a boil and add all remaining ingredients except pasta, stirring as you add. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has reached a consistency you like. Meanwhile bring 4 quarts salted water to the boil. Cook pasta until tender but still firm. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve immediately with fresh grated parmesan.

It sounds like the recipe below with broccoli & tomatoes added. Check it out. Here is a link that might be useful: Creamy baked 4 cheese pasta

Here's another one. Don't remember if I've posted it before or not, but I love ordering it at the Olive Garden Restaurant. Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Fettucine Ingredients: 8 Oz Cream cheese, cut in bits 1/2 Cup Milk 3/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated 8 Oz Fettuccine, cook; drain 1/2 Cup Butter (or margarine) In large saucepan combine cream cheese, Parmesan, butter and milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Toss pasta lightly with sauce, coating well. Leftovers freeze well. Makes 4 servings