Fresh eggs are a huge part of our household. My FIL raises chickens and supplies with dozens of fresh eggs so I can appreciate this episode.  I was wowed by the care he puts into caring for the chickens and it’s no wonder he’s called the Egg Man, and the best around at that. Enjoy the episode and if you missed the others, you can catch the other two webisodes of Into the Heart of Italy over at Yahoo Shine!

If you’ve been a reader of mine since 2008, then you’ll recall the time I hung out with Rocco Dispirito. It was glorious to watch him cook and charm us gals to no end.   Since then, I’ve had several encounters with various celebrities including the lovely Paula Deen but this time around, I’m getting to spend some time with the beautiful & sweet Marisa Tomei, very funny Dan Cortese and Mr. Charming himself–Rocco.

The proud sponsor, Bertolli, presents a new branded webisode series “Into the Heart of Italy” where these three fine people will be sharing their journey of finding the secrets of Italy’s best culinary recipes.  I get to be there for a NYC lunch & premiere and I’m so excited that I’m about to pee my pants.

If you haven’t seen a clip yet, check the video out below and stay tuned for updates and a recipe!

Disclosure:  The PR firm, Zocalo Group, is handling my all expense paid trip to the NYC event premiere of Into the Heart of Italy. As always, this doesn’t sway my opinions in any way. I freakin’ love these guys and Bertolli so it’s a match made in heaven.

Mom has made this Baked Ziti forever, or it feels like it anyways, and hopefully it will become one of your favorites!  Just looking at it makes me drool!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1/2 pound ziti
• 1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese (may use less if desired)
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3 cups bottled spaghetti sauce divided (I use the whole jar)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic,minced or about 1 teaspoon of kind in a jar

DIRECTIONS

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.  Cook ground beef, onion and garlic; stirring frequently. Cook until done then add spaghetti sauce and oregano.  Let Simmer.  In a large pot, cook ziti in boiling water until just barely tender; drain and place in a large bowl.  Mix the ricotta cheese WITH appx.4 ounces OF mozzarella cheese and about 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce with the ziti.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan; cover bottom of pan with 1/3 the spaghetti sauce.  Spoon half the ziti mixture into the pan; cover with half OF the remaining spaghetti sauce and half of the cheese.

REPEAT.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese melts and is lightly golden.

Note: serve with garlic toast and salad

Note 2: For a lighter toast version, place toast under broiler to brown then rub in garlic clove to add flavor (see pic)

My whole family loves Insalata Caprese, a simple tomato and mozzarella salad. We first enjoyed it while stationed in Vicenza, Italy. It makes for a delicious, light and easy meal. Perfect for brunch. Or maybe even a tea party. Come on, I’ll show ya how to make it.

Put on your apron! Gather up some big, beautiful red tomatoes. Grab a big ol’ hunk of mozzarella cheese, the soft and squishy kind that comes in a ball. Get some olive oil and red wine vinegar. Put it in some cute little vintage oil and vinegar dispensers if you like. And you’ll also need some parsley and Italian seasoning. You’ll notice that I went all out and broke the grocery budget with expensive and fancy brands. OK, not really. I just went to the Wal-Mart. To make up for your generic brand groceries, get out your prettiest platter.

Everything tastes better on some pretty burgundy china. Now slice the tomatoes up. Make them a little on the thick side. And place a single layer of them on a platter.

Next, cut up the mozzarella into some thick, chunky slices. Doesn’t it look just like butter? It almost tastes like butter. It incredibly smooth and creamy. And it practically melts in your mouth.

Put a slice of cheese on top of each tomato. Then drizzle olive oil over everything. Don’t be shy. Don’t be afraid to drown the tomatoes in the olive oil.

Next, drizzle some red wine vinegar over everything. I just have to say- I love setting a pretty table. Fancy china. A nice tablecloth. It takes a simple meal and turns it into something special. A vintage Wilendur tablecloth will make anything taste better. You should try it some time. Go ahead. Spoil yourself a little.

Then sprinkle everything generously with parsley and Italian seasoning. You can plop a few Kalmata olives on there too if you like. Stick it in the refrigerator for a bit to chill it and to let the flavors all mingle together for a bit. Doesn’t this look just lovely?

You can substitute Insalata Caprese for your typical tossed salad. Or you can make a meal of it all by itself. It makes a wonderful brunch. Which is how we served it. It goes well with Cucumber and Onion Salad, cantaloupe melon slices with slivers of prosciutto and focaccia bread. And don’t forget a tall ice cold glass of sweet tea to wash it all down with.

Buon apetito!

Guest post by The Apron Queen herself, a mom of 3 children and wife to paratrooper.  You can find her blogging about Texas life at Confessions of an Apron Queen and see her very cool vintage aprons at Rick Rack Attack!