Yes, you heard that right… Today Arlene is cooking Italian food with Patti and her 90 year-old grandma! We were so excited when we found this episode in the At Home archives. Mrs. Angie Fiasco (yes that’s here real name) was one of those old-fashioned cooks who rarely measured things. She cooked by feel and intuition. Her granddaughter Patti admired her skills so much that one day she sat down to watch her Grandma cook, and she wrote down every ingredient so her family could preserve these recipes forever.
In this episode from 2008, Grandma Fiasco makes her big TV debut with pasta fagioli soup, meatless “depression” meatballs, and her homemade Italian salad. And guess what… she was so popular that Arlene invited her back for two more episodes! Stay tuned to our YouTube channel, and we’ll be adding those other shows, soon…
Grandma Fiasco’s Pasta Fagiola
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 can tomato paste (8 oz)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cans chicken broth (16 oz, each)
- 2 cans chick peas (16 oz, each), do not drain
- 4 cups water
- 1 lb noodles
- Parmesan or Romano Italian cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, place olive oil, tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic, oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Mix to blend.
- Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Add chick peas, juice and all, and water. Return to boil and add noodles and cook until done. Sprinkle with lots of Italian cheese. Serve immediately with crusty bread. Makes lots. Enjoy!
Meatless “Depression” Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups homemade breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Italian grated cheese
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 5 eggs
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- milk
- olive oil
- spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, pepper, oregano, basil, eggs, 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix together well and add a little milk to make right consistency to form into balls, if necessary. Shape mixture into meatballs.
- In a large skillet, over medium high heat, place olive oil to 1/4-inch deep. Fry meatballs quickly on all sides. Place in your favorite spaghetti sauce and cook until tender and delicious. Makes lots. Enjoy!
Grandma Fiasco’s Italian Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups Romaine lettuce leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- Black olives, to taste
- 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Dressing
- red wine vinegar
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Mix all salad ingredients together in a large serving salad bowl. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine dressing ingredients, to your taste preference, and whisk together. Just before serving, toss salad with dressing. Makes 8 servings. Enjoy!
- *We all know that great cooks do not measure anything… so, make the dressing and taste it and adjust until you like what you taste.
Transcript
The transcript from this program is not available.
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