Mozzarella Fritta

I was revisiting my eggplant parmesan recipe last night so I had the flour/egg/breadcrumbs assembly line all laid out on the table when Becky had an ingenious idea - let's make some mozzarella sticks!  So we did and they turned out pretty good.  We used fresh mozzarella in brine for ours so that is what I would definitely recommend (fresh mozzarella is always better than the dried, shrink-wrapped variety anyway).  However, if you only have the non-fresh kind available, it should still work.

Ingredients

• 1 mozzarella ball, in 1/4" slices
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 egg, beaten well
• 1/2 c. breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Dredge the mozzarella pieces through each of the coatings starting with flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
2. Heat a pan with a generous amount of frying oil until the oil is hot.
3. Carefully drop the breaded mozzarella pieces into the pan, flipping them after a minute or two.
4. When fully cooked through, move the mozzarella pieces to a paper towel-covered plate to drain the excess oil.
5. Season to taste and serve with marinara arrabiata or your dipping sauce of choice.

Marinara Arrabiata

There are probably just as many marinara recipes out there as there are people in the world who have ever made the sauce.  This is a very versatile (spicy) tomato sauce that goes well with pastas, chicken and seafood.  Alternatively, use it as a dipping sauce with appetizers such as mozzarella fritta (homemade mozzarella sticks).

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3/4 c. red wine
• Handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 T red pepper powder, or to taste
• 1 t. rosemary
• 1 jar crushed tomatoes
• 1 jar tomato puree

Directions

1. In a stock pot, add a generous amount of good extra virgin olive oil and bring to medium heat.
2. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sautee until tender.
3. Add the wine and sautee until the onions have sweetened.
4. At this point, you may add the remaining ingredients and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Let the pot simmer for half an hour or so.
7. Using a food processor or stick blender, puree the sauce and return it to the heat for a few more minutes.
8. This sauce will keep well in the fridge for a week or so.