Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 ¼ plain flour

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 ¼ milk

1oz unsalted butter, melted

½ cup of Bellisari’s Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread

2 cups of pure maple syrup

1 plastic squeeze bottle

Directions

Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and a few tablespoons of the milk, then pour into the well.

Whisk gently, gradually whisking in half of the remaining milk, drawing in the rest of the flour a little at a time, to make a smooth batter. Stir in the remaining milk. Cover and leave to stand for about 15 minutes. Pour the batter into a plastic squeezy bottle.

In a separate bowl, mix the syrup and the Bellisari’s Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread. Once mixed heat slightly.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and brush with a little melted butter. Tilt the squeezy bottle and draw a freehand lace heart pattern in the pan using the batter.

Cook the pancake over a medium-high heat for 45-60 seconds until small holes appear on the surface and the underside is lightly browned. Loosen the pancake and turn it over by flipping it with a knife or fine spatula.

Cook the other side for about 30 seconds until golden-brown. Slide the pancake out of the pan.

Lightly grease the pan again before making the next pancake. Serve the pancakes as they are made or stack them on a plate and reheat before serving. Once plated drizzle with fig syrup.

The traditional Sicilian Pasta alla Norma is one of my favorite pastas in this cold weather….

Yields 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

3 ½ cups of Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread

1 ½ pounds eggplant

½ Olive oil as needed

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

3 or 4 dried chilies

1-pound pasta

½ cup chopped parsley or basil

½ cup grated ricotta salata or pecorino Romano

Directions

Slice the eggplant about ½ inch thick. Cook in olive oil, without crowding, sprinkling with salt and adding more oil as needed. Cook in batches; take your time and cook until the eggplant is nicely browned and soft. Remove to a plate; do not drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water to boil and salt it.

Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic and chilies, and cook until the garlic colors a little bit. Add the Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread along with some salt and pepper; cook until saucy but not too dry, stirring occasionally.

Cook the pasta until al dente. While it’s cooking, cut the eggplant into strips and reheat for a minute in the Calabrian sauce. Drain the pasta and toss it with the tomato sauce and the eggplant. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then top with the parsley or basil and grated cheese and serve.

Buy Now!

Yields: 8-10 Servings

Ingredients

1 small onion, grated

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 large egg

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

6 ounces ground beef

6 ounces ground veal

6 ounces ground pork

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 ½ cups of Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread

8 oz fresh mozzarella or bocconcini drained and slice

1 loaf of Italian bread toasted or 1 dozen slider buns

2 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves chopped

Directions

To make the meatballs: Whisk the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the beef, veal, and pork. Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture.

Heat the oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Working in 2 to 3 batches, add the meatballs and sauté until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Add Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread and sliced cheese. Transfer the pan into the oven. Bake at 425F uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through (reached internal temperature of 165F).

Remove the pan from the oven. Garnish with the remaining whole basil leaves, sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan on top and serve immediately with either sliced Italian bread or slider buns.

Buy Now!

Playing catch-up after the holidays? Try this easy Chicken, Cucumber and Avocado Toast for a quick lunch!

Ingredients

1 cooked chicken beast, sliced thin

1 sliced English cucumber

1 bunch of arugula

1 jar of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread

1 avocado sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Toasted bread of your choice

Directions

Toast two pieces of your favorite bread and spread Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey and Shallot Spread on each slice. Layer the sliced cucumbers, avocado, sliced chicken breast and arugula on each piece and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large spaghetti squash

1 egg

2 cups Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

5 fresh basil leaves, torn

salt & fresh ground pepper

4 10 oz ramekins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Poke the spaghetti squash 10 times and microwave for 10 to 12 minutes stopping every 3 to 4 minutes to turn. You’ll know it’s done when the skin starts to buckle. Remove and split open. Begin scraping out your squash with a fork. Transfer scraped squash into a colander and let drain while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel, ricotta, egg, 1 cup of cheese, oregano, basil and salt & pepper to taste. Mix in the drained spaghetti squash until it’s all well combined. Place one scoop of squash mixture in each ramekin covering the bottom. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of each and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and squash looks set. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.