Roasted Butter Nut Squash & Sweet Potato Lasagna

Growing up at my house, the seasons were always celebrated by the produce and foods that mamma prepared for us.  She loved the fall season; winter squash, chard, pumpkin and potatoes were often her staples.  Mostly, with squash and pumpkin, she prepared a hearty minestra, a thick soup full of whatever she had readily available. Sometimes though, we'd luck out, and she'd make us something extravagant, like torta di zucca con cioccolato (squash and chocolate cake) !!!!!!!!!!

Mamma was a genius in the kitchen, always using what she had at hand, always producing

the most amazing blend of textures and flavors. 

Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Lasagna 

2 sweet potatoes
1 butter nut squash (2 lbs appx)
3 cups ricotta cheese
3 cups mozzarella Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
1/4 cup minced garlic 2 packages Barilla (no boil lasagna)
Salt
Black pepper
Nutmeg
Roast butternut squash and sweet potatoes in oven at 375° for approximately 45 minutes
Mash sweet potato and butternut squash to paste like consistency
Add salt pepper and nutmeg to taste
Add garlic also to taste
Add parsley Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam or any equivalent non stick cooking spray
Line bottom of baking pan with lasagna sheets
Add layer of sweet potato & butternut squash mixture
Add layer of Ricotta cheese
Add layer of mozzarella cheese
Repeat lasagna butternut squash mixture ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese layers one more time Bake at 400° with the aluminum foil for 45 minutes
Remove aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes
Let sit for 10 minutes
Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese


Written, and produced by Sonia Bertolone-Carrillo, owner & operator of Joe's Italian in Alabaster, Alabama.

Weekly Features August 8 to August 13, 2011

Monday August 8 th

Pappardelle Giancarlo
mini-meatballs, Italian sausage & chicken medallions in our fresh tomato sauce
served over wide egg noodles

Ricotta Stuffed Shells
in our tomato cream sauce


Tuesday August 9th

Capellini ai pomodori freschi
angel hair pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil & olive oil

Pollo Marsala
breast of chicken saute with Marsala, mushrooms & cream, served over fettuccine


Wednesday August 10th

Manicotti
fresh pasta shells filled with ricotta and spinach topped with pomodoro, panna & pesto sauces

Tortelllaci alla Romana
veal filled tortellaci in our cream sauce with peas and prosciutto


Thursday August 11th

Cannelloni
fresh pasta shells filled with seasoned ground beef, spinach & parmigiano topped with pur bolognese & bescamella sauces

Saltimboca alla Romana
breast of chicken filled with a prosciutto & fontina, caper, sage sauce served over fettuccine


Friday August 12th

Lobster Ravioli
ravioli filled in our white wine cream sauce

Rigatoni alla Strappicciata
Mamma's pot roast transformed into a creamy sauce over rigatoni


Saturday August 13th

Linguini Santa Lucia
lump lobster, white wine, cream & sundried tomatoes over fettuccine

Pork Osso Buco
braised with a fresh tomato veal demi glace sauce served over pesto infused mashed potatoes

My name is Sonia Bertolone and I am the owner of Joe's Italian in Alabaster, Alabama where you can always fine your little piece of authentic Italian cooking.

Feature Menu July 25 to July 30, 2011

Feature Menu
July 25 to July 30, 2011

Monday July 25, 2011

Cannelloni

large pasta shells filled with seasoned ground beef, spinach & parmigiano, topped with our bolognese & bescamella sauces

Ricotta Stuffed Shells

in our tomato cream sauce

Tuesday July 26, 2011

Pork Osso Buco
braised in a fresh tomato-veal demi glace sauce & served over pesto infused mashed potatoes

Saltimboca alla Romana
breast of chicken stuffed in a prosciutto & fontina sauce saute with white wine, mushrooms & cream and served over fettuccine

Wednesday July 27, 2011

Pollo Marsala
breast of chicken saute with Marsala, cream & mushrooms served over fettuccine

Capellini con pomodori freschi
angel hair pasta tossed with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic & olive oil

Thursday July 28, 2011

Manicotti
pasta shells filled with ricotta & spinach and topped with our pomodoro, pesto & panna sauces

Cannelloni
large pasta shells filled with seasoned ground beef, spinach & parmigiano, topped with our bolognese & bescamella sauces

Friday July 29, 2011

Linguini Santa Lucia
lump lobster, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, white wine & cream sauce over linguini

Tortellaci alla Romana
veal filled tortellaci in our cream sauce with peas & prosciutto

Saturday July 30, 2011

Pappardelle Giancarlo
mini-meatballs, Italian sausage & chicken medallions in our fresh tomato sauce over pappardelle

Lobster Ravioli
in our white wine cream sauce

My name is Sonia Bertolone and I am the owner of Joe's Italian in Alabaster, Alabama where you can always fine your little piece of authentic Italian cooking.

Weekly Features

You've asked for it...

Here are our FEATURES for the week
~ Mon 6/27 ~

Tortellaci alla Romana
veal filled pasta in our cream sauce with peas & prosciutto

Pappardelle Giancarlo
mini meatballs, Italian sausage & chicken medallions in our fresh pomodoro
sauce over wide egg noodles


~ Tue 6/28 ~

Cannelloni
large pasta shells filled with seasoned beef, spinach and parmigiano
topped with our bolognese and bechamele sauces

Rigatoni alla Strappicciata
mamma's pot roast made into a decadent creamy tomato sauce over rigatoni


~ Wed 6/29 ~

Ricotta Stuffed Shells
ricotta stuffed shells in our creamy tomato sauce

Pollo Marsala
chicken breast saute with Marsala, mushrooms & cream served over fettuccine



~ Thur 6/30 ~

Manicotti
large pasta shells filled with ricotta cheese & spinach and
topped with our pomodoro, panna & pesto sauces

Saltimboca alla Romana
chicken breast filled with capers, prosciutto & cheese
in a white wine cream sauce over fettuccine


~ 7/1 Fri ~

Pork Osso Buco
pork braised in veal demi-glace & our pomodoro sauce
served over pesto infused mashed potatoes

Shrimp & Andouille Ravioli
ravioli filled with shrimp & andouille sausage
in our pesto creams sauce with asparagus


~ 7/2 Sat ~

Linguini Santa Lucia
lump lobster, white wine, cream, sun dried tomatoes and basil over linguini

5 Cheese Raviloni
Jumbo ravioli filled with 5 cheeses in our pesto cream sauce

My name is Sonia Bertolone and I am the owner of Joe's Italian in Alabaster, Alabama where you can always fine your little piece of authentic Italian cooking.

Peach Cake

Peach Cake

If you haven't tried our Peach Cake you're missing out..
3 layers of white cake layered with
fresh local peaches, cream cheese & whipped cream frosting & peach schnapps.
Joe's only features Peach Cake while local peaches are available...

My name is Sonia Bertolone and I am the owner of Joe's Italian in Alabaster, Alabama where you can always fine your little piece of authentic Italian cooking.

Spaghetti ai pomodori crudi

It's hot. Too hot to cook really. So here's a dish that's super quick, requires minimal cooking and will send your taste buds spiraling.

This dish was always a "favorite" at our house in the summer: Spaghetti with an uncooked tomato sauce.

I recommend making this sauce a least an hour ahead of serving it, this will allow the ingredients time to marry and for all the flavors to fully develop.

Start with the best quality tomatoes that you can find, possibly from a farmer's market or from a quality grocer.

Also, some notes this being a simple dish based on raw ingredients; the freshness and quality

of the ingredients used in making the dish are crucial to the success of it. Most importantly, the tomatoes must actually taste like a fresh vine ripened tomato and must not be overly watery. If all you can is the pink, pasty super market variety tomato, do yourself a favor and pick another dish to prepare. Ask your market when local tomatoes are in, and then take advantage of tomatoes grown at the peak of the growing season.

Mamma's Spaghetti ai pomodori crudi

• 1 lb vine ripe tomatoes
• 1 lb Spaghetti ~ at Joe's Italian , we use Barilla
• 2 cloves of fresh garlic ~ freshly chopped
• 2 tbsp of kosher salt for the sauce plus more will be needed for the water used to cook the pasta.
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 12 fresh basil leaves ~ chopped just prior to using

1. slice tomatoes in half and chop into large mixing bowl
2. add olive oil
3. chop basil and add to tomato/olive oil mixture
4. add salt to both sauce and cooking water
5. cook Spaghetti according to package instructions or to your personal liking
6. drain pasta
7. mix together cooked pasta with uncooked tomato/basil sauce
8. enjoy immediately

No grated cheese is wanted or needed for this dish... it will simply overpower the taste of the sauce.

My name is Sonia Bertolone and I am the owner of Joe's Italian in Alabaster, Alabama where you can always fine your little piece of authentic Italian cooking.