Secret Restaurant Recipes (2024)

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
12 ounces ravioletti or tricolored tortellini -- cooked
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms -- sliced
1/4 cup walnuts -- chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 cups freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Directions:
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saut mushrooms and walnuts until mushrooms are golden. Add cream and cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Turn heat to warm and when cream stops simmering, add pepper and Parmesan and stir until sauce
is smooth. Do not boil. Serve hot pasta with the sauce.
This recipe yields 4 servings.

Serving Size: 6
Ingredients:
1 prepared 9" chocolate crumb crust
=== FILLING ===
1 pound cream cheese -- softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
=== RASPBERRY MOUSSE ===
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Cooking Directions:
For the Filling: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla with electric mixer on medium until thoroughly blended, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into the prepared crust. Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Cool to refrigerated temperature.

For the Mousse: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water, stir and let stand 1 minute. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds or until gelatin is completely dissolved. (Or heat on stove with 1 additional tablespoon of water.)
Combine gelatin with preserves. Chill 10 minutes. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream for mousse and set aside. Refrigerate remainder of cream for topping. Gently fold raspberry mixture into measured whipped cream. Spread raspberry mousse on top of chilled cheesecake, mounding slightly in the center. Chill 1 hour before serving. To serve, cut cheesecake into 6 servings and top each piece with a dollop of reserved whipped cream.

Serving Size: 6
Ingredients:
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
2 seasoned thick 6"-dia pizza crusts -- ready-to-serve
=== CHEESE FILLING ===
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1 tablespoon minced yellow onions
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
=== TOPPINGS ===
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup diced black olives
1/3 cup seeded chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 pinch oregano - or to taste
1 pinch basil - or to taste
Cooking Directions:
Combine all ingredients for the filling and mix thoroughly. Divide the filling in half and spread on each crust. Prepare toppings and divide in half. Sprinkle green onions, olives and tomatoes over crusts. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle tops with oregano and basil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes until filling is hot and cheese has melted. Cut into 6 wedges.
This recipe yields 6 servings.

Ingredients:
=== SPONGE CAKE BASE ===
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons water
=== FILLING ===
2 pounds cream cheese -- softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup peach liqueur or peach schnapps or
reserved peach juice from the canned
or fresh peaches
2 cups canned or firm ripe fresh peach slices -- drained well
=== TOPPING ===
1 pint whipping cream or equivalent
Cooking Directions:
For the Base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease base of 10-inch springform pan.
Beat whole egg in 1 1/2-quart bowl with mixer on high speed, 4 minutes, to a thick yellow foam. Mix in sugar on low speed until smooth. Add flour, water, vanilla, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until fully blended. Pour into springform pan, roll around until level. Bake 16 to
18 minutes on lowest oven rack. Cool to room temperature. For the Filling: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flour with electric mixer on high until smooth. Add vanilla, sour cream and peach flavoring and mix on medium until a smooth thick consistency is obtained. Fold in peach slices carefully -- distribute evenly. Pour cheesecake filling onto cooled sponge cake base. Bake 70 minutes on lower oven rack, turn off oven, open oven door to broil position and let cake remain 40 minutes. Cool to refrigerated temperature.
Top with fresh whipped cream or equivalent and serve. Store up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh medium pasta shells
(or 1 lb dry shells, cooked)
1/4 cup olive oil
12 ounces broccoli florets -- steamed
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup thinly-sliced green onions
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese
=== BECHAMEL SAUCE ===
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 quart milk
2 teaspoons mashed chicken bouillon cubes
Cooking Directions:
Bechamel Sauce: Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add milk and bouillon and stir vigorously with a wire whip until mixture barely comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, whipping frequently. Keep warm. Drain broccoli and divide in half. Chop 1/2 of the florets into 1/4-inch
pieces. Reserve. Heat a large saut pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add all the broccoli, garlic, green onions and mushrooms to the saut pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until mushrooms begin to turn golden. Add the saut

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
2 cans garbanzo beans - (16 oz ea) -- drained
6 slices bacon -- cooked, drained,
and chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup julienned carrots
1 1/2 cups drained diced canned tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup miniature pasta dry bowties -- cooked
Cooking Directions:
Add beans to food processor and process using on/off pulse until beans are well mashed. Scrape down sides as necessary. Reserve. Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add carrots, onions, celery and garlic and saut for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
Keep warm. Add pasta to finished soup and serve immediately.
This recipe yields 4 servings.

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
12 ounces spaghetti -- broken into 2" pieces,
and cooked al dente
3 ounces green onions -- sliced
3 ounces thick-sliced bacon -- cooked, chopped
Vegetable spray or margarine
3 tablespoons shredded Fontina - (heaping)
Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
3 3/4 cups Frittata Batter -- (see below)
=== FRITTATA BATTER ===
6 medium eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1 dash nutmeg
Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees for Frittata Batter; beat eggs, half-and-half, cornstarch, salt and
nutmeg thoroughly until all ingredients are completely blended.
Blend the 2-inch spaghetti pieces, green onion rings and bacon pieces in a bowl until evenly mixed. Coat a 1 1/2-quart round baking dish, including walls, with spray or margarine. Empty the spaghetti mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly. Add the Frittata Batter to cover the filling mix. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes until center is set.
When center is set, cover the frittata evenly with the Fontina and bake until cheese is golden. Turn off the heat and open oven door. Let the frittata set in the open oven for 15 minutes for the batter to set more firmly and make removing from the dish easy. Before serving, sprinkle with Parmesan and cut into 4 wedges.
This recipe yields 4 servings.

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
1 can northern beans - (16 oz) -- undrained
2 cans sliced-style stewed tomatoes - (14 oz ea)
1 jar Prego spaghetti sauce - (16 oz)
2 celery ribs -- sliced thin
1 small onion -- chopped
2 cups small spiral pasta -- uncooked
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
Cooking Directions:
Combine everything in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil; turn to low. Cover pan with lid and allow to cook gently 30 minutes or until pasta is tender.
This recipe yields 4 servings.

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sweet/hot Italian link sausage
1 1/3 cups green bell pepper in 1" by 1/4" strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound ziti pasta -- cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese
Parsley bouquets
=== MARINARA SAUCE ==
1 can Italian-style or plum tomatoes - (28 oz) -- with juice
10 3/4 ounces tomato puree
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil - (packed)
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
Cooking Directions:
Bake or pan-fry the sausages until fully cooked, drain, cool. Halve the sausages and cut the split sausages into 1/2-inch slices. Saut the bell peppers in olive oil over moderate heat only until their crispness is lost, but peppers are not soft. In a heavy sauce pan add the tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil and bring to a light simmer on moderate heat. Add the sauted
pepper strips and cooked sausage and heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve the pasta, topped with the sausage, peppers and salsa marinara and garnish each plate with a parsley bouquet. Pass the Parmesan.
This recipe yields 4 servings.

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked mostaccioli
2 teaspoons salad oil
2 cups heavy cream
Fresh parsley sprigs -- for garnish
Grated Parmesan cheese -- for garnish
2 cups Quatro Formaggio Mix -- (see below)
=== QUATRO FORMAGGIO MIX ===
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese -- shredded
4 ounces Provolone cheese -- shredded
4 ounces Parmesan cheese -- grated
4 ounces Romano cheese -- grated
Cooking Directions:
For Quatro Formaggio Mix; blend the 4 cheeses thoroughly and place in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Preheat a non-stick or heavy pan on medium heat. Add the cream and cheese mixture; mix and heat, stirring until cheese is completely melted and sauce is hot. Add the pasta, turn off the heat and blend the pasta into the sauce. Remove the sauced pasta to serving plates and garnish each plate with a parsley bouquet. Pass the Parmesan.
This recipe yields 4 servings.

Serving Size: 8
Ingredients:
Lasagna strips
=== ALFREDO SAUCE ===
1/2 pound sweet or salted butter
12 ounces heavy cream
freshly-ground white pepper
1 1/2 cups fresh Parmesan -- grate
18 slices mozzarella cheese -- 1/2oz ea
=== RICOTTA MIXTURE ===
1 pint ricotta cheese
2 ounces Romano -- grate
3 ounces mozzarella -- shred
2 tablespoons green onions -- slice
2 teaspoons fresh parsley -- chop
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/4 cups Alfredo Sauce -- cooled
=== VEGETABLE MIXTURE ===
4 cups broccoli florets
2 cups coarsely-chopped carrots
4 cups mushrooms in 1/4" slices
2 cups diced red bell peppers
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cups sliced zucchini
Cooking Directions:
Lay out enough dry lasagna strips in a 9- by 13-inch pan to ensure you have enough to make 3 full layers, with very little overlap on each layer. Remove the dry strips and cook according to package instructions until barely "al dente" and drain. Alfredo Sauce: Heat water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Add butter, cream and pepper to the top pot and heat until butter is completely melted, then stir in Parmesan until melted and blended. Remove top pot and set aside to cool. Divide the sauce into 2 equal portions. Refrigerate 1 portion for use later.
Ricotta Cheese Mixture: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend
thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Set aside at room temperature.
Vegetables: Combine all vegetables and mix well.
Assembly: Coat the bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Lay out cooked lasagna strips (about 4) to cover entire bottom. Spread 1 1/4 cup of the Ricotta mix evenly over the strips. Top with 8 cups of vegetable mix and spread out evenly. Lay out 9 of the mozzarella slices to cover the vegetable layer. Repeat this layering. Top the second layer of mozzarella slices with lasagna strips and spread them evenly with 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese mix to finish. Cooking: Spray a sheet of foil with vegetable spray and cover the baking dish tightly with the foil, sprayed-side down. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about an hour or until the internal temp is 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes, covered, before cutting and serving. Immediately prior to serving, heat the reserved portion of Alfredo Sauce and ladle the hot sauce over each slice of lasagna as it is served.
This recipe yields 8 servings.

Serving Size: 0
Ingredients:
8 ounces Paul Newman's Own vinegar and oil dressing
1 garlic clove -- peeled, halved
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sugar
(or 3 pkgs of Sweet and Low)
Cooking Directions:
Put ingredients into the bottle of dressing and shake well.
Refrigerate 24 hours before using.

Serving Size: 0
Ingredients:
1 package light cream cheese - (8 oz)
1 can Progresso artichoke hearts - (14 oz) -- drained, and
coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped frozen spinach
= (or steamed fresh spinach)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
= (you can use all Parmesan)
1 garlic clove -- finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
= (or 1 tbspn chopped fresh basil)
1/4 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
Cooking Directions:
Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cream together mayonnaise, Parmesan, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, and garlic salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach (careful to drain this well), and mix until blended. Store in a container until you are ready to
use. Spray pie pan with Pam, pour in dip, and top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is browned. Serve with toasted bread.

Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh pasta shells
(or 6 oz dry pasta shells)
1 1/4 pounds fresh spinach
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast -- grilled, and
cut into 1" cubes
4 medium garlic cloves -- chopped fine
1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable spray
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or mace
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Directions:
Cook the spinach in the broth until tender. Drain and reserve broth. Mash out excess liquid. Cook pasta. Preheat a saut pan or heavy skillet over medium heat, add the oil or vegetable spray and saut the garlic, stirring constantly, until it is white. Don't allow it to brown. Add the spinach and nutmeg or mace, salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the spinach, stir and turn andadd
a small amount of the reserved cooking broth. Stir and turn the spinach until it is hot, adding broth as necessary. Remove pasta and immediately drain. Add the shells into the spinach mixture and blend well. Serve immediately with Parmesan.
This recipe yields 4 servings.

Ingredients:
=== SOUP BASE ===
28 ounces canned Italian plum tomatoes
1 garlic clove -- minced
1/2 cup very finely-chopped mixed herbs
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup diced white or red onion
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon sugar -- (optional)
=== PASTA AND VEGETABLES ===
1/2 cup finely-chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup peeled, finely-chopped cucumber
1 cup tomato in 1/4" dice
1/2 cup ditalini or tubetti -- cooked, rinsed
and drained
=== GARNISH ===
Croutons
Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley
Cooking Directions:
This soup should be served cold 35 to 45 degrees. The vegetable and pasta solids should not be added to the base until time of serving or they may become soggy. For the Soup Base; process tomatoes, juice, garlic and herbs. Mix in a non-aluminum bowl with olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, onion, stock, Tabasco and sugar. Place in fridge allowing 4 hours for soup base
to chill and marry flavors. Prepare the vegetables and chill along with the pasta.
To serve: Soup bowls should be very cold. Stir the base well and ladle 6 ounces of soup per bowl. Add a good tablespoon of blended vegetables and 2 tablespoons of pasta to each bowl. Garnish with a few croutons and sprinkle the croutons with Parmesan and chopped parsley.
This recipe yields 6 servings.

Ingredients:
1 cup julienned green bell pepper
1 cup julienned red bell pepper
1 3/4 cup small-cut broccoli flowerets
1 cup zucchini in 1/4" thick slices
1 cup yellow squash in 1/4" thick slices
1 cup match-stick-cut carrots
1 3/4 cups julienned ham
1 pound fettucine -- cooked al dente
3 cups Fontina Cheese Sauce -- (see below)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons olive oil
=== FONTINA CHEESE SAUCE ===
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
6 ounces Fontina cheese -- shredded
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
Cooking Directions:
For the Sauce; in a heavy non-aluminum pot, melt butter, add all-purpose flour and cook on moderate heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Add the milk and bring just barely to the boiling point. Turn off the heat and add Fontina cheese and blend into the hot milk. Adjust the salt and pepper. For the Paste and Vegetables; add the butter or margarine and olive oil to a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and saut

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
1 Eggplant -- peeled, and
cut into 1/4"-thick slices
Flour -- for dusting
Oil -- for frying
Seasoned salt -- to taste
1 jar Prego meat-flavored sauce - (16 oz)
1/4 cup grape jelly
1 can sliced-style stewed tomaotes - (14 oz)
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Cooking Directions:
Moisten eggplant slices and coat lightly in flour. Quickly brown slices in hot oil, dusting each side generously with seasoned salt. When fork tender and golden brown transfer to jelly roll pan. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.
Use 8 slices for this amount of sauce. For the Sauce; combine sauce, jelly and tomatoes that have been broken up with a fork. Heat on medium until piping hot. Do not boil. Be sure jelly is melted.
Arrange 2 eggplant slices on each of 4 plates. Cover each with 1 slice of mozzarella. Ladle sauce over all, not to cover completely. Place plates in 375 degree oven just to melt cheese and serve promptly.

Ingredients:
=== SAUCE ===
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound fresh mushrooms -- divided
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 cups crushed tomatoes
1 can tomatoes - (16 oz) -- diced, drained
1 1/2 cups tomato puree
1 cup black olives -- sliced, drained
2 teaspoons capers -- drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
=== ZUCCHINI ===
4 large zucchini -- slice lengthwise, into 1/4" thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dried basil -- to taste
Dried oregano -- to taste
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste 1 pound rigatoni -- cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Directions:Sauce: Cut 1/2 half of the mushrooms into quarters and reserve. Finely mince remaining portion. Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and minced mushrooms. Cook 10 minutes or until onions are very soft, stirring frequently. Add garlic and mushroom quarters and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients, stir and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Zucchini: Sprinkle sliced zucchini with salt, pepper, basil and oregano.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place zucchini slices in one layer in the pan. Saut