In the Kitchen with Sigona’s Featuring Sigona’s Marinara
Grilled Eggplant with Sigona’s Marinara and Parmigiano-Reggiano
This is a common dish I have often, I just love it! The light grill on the eggplant makes it semi-tender so there is still some texture to it when it’s served. A sprinkling of fresh basil makes all the difference too. Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 – 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for brushing
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Sigona’s marinara, about 1 – 2 cups
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for sprinkling
- Garnish: A couple basil leaves, chiffonade into long, thin strips
Directions: Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill over medium heat.
Slice the eggplant on the diagonal into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Brush each side lightly (lightly being key) with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Warm the marinara in a saucepan or skillet while grilling the eggplant.
Grill each eggplant slice for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until medium-light grill marks appear. Arrange grilled slices on a serving dish or platter, then lightly top with a bit of the warmed marinara. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and top with the chiffonade basil. Serve immediately with any remaining marinara on the side, if desired.
Shakshuka with Sigona’s Marinara and Organic Eggs
This is a dish popular across the Middle East and North Africa. It’s traditionally a combination of tomatoes, vegetables and spices, topped with eggs; it’s usually served for breakfast with pita, naan, roti or other flatbread. Using Sigona’s marinara infuses this dish with fresh herbs and spices, eliminating a few steps and ingredients you may find in other shakshuka recipes. Made this way, the dish is gluten-free and dairy-free. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Half an onion, sliced
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cups Sigona’s Marinara
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 4 eggs
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
- Naan, pita or other flatbread, for serving
Directions: Preheat oven to 375F.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet, or cast-iron or other. Add the onion and pepper, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook for another minute.
Add the marinara and stir to incorporate. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat for 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until it wilts, about 2 minutes more.
Remove skillet from heat. Make 4 divots in the mixture, equally spaced apart. Crack eggs one at a time into a ramekin then transfer the egg from the ramekin to one of the divots in the skillet, being careful not to break the yolk. When all eggs are added, transfer the skillet to the oven.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until egg whites are cooked but the yolks still give a slight wobble. Use caution removing skillet from the oven. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Summer Bounty Flatbread with Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella
Baking pizza at high temp helps keep the bottom of the naan crispy instead of soggy from the tomato juices. This simply, delicious flatbread pizza is perfect for appetizers or for dinner, when paired with a salad. Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 pieces large naan bread
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Sigona’s marinara (any will do; we used Spicy Sicilian to give it a little kick)
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, a few slices of each
- 1 medium ear of corn, kernels sliced off
- About 3 to 4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, torn or sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- About 1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Directions: Preheat oven to 500°F.
Spread an even layer of marinara on the top side of each piece of naan. Add a couple of slices of tomato to each, followed by pieces of torn or sliced mozzarella. Sprinkle the corn kernels on top of the cheese.
Place prepared naan on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Sprinkle basil on top of the naan. Allow to cool about 5 minutes before slicing.
Air Fryer Eggplant Fries with Sigona’s Old World Marinara
Zucchini and Penne with Sigona’s Marinara
This dish comes together in the amount of time it takes to boil the water and cook the noodles. It’s flavorful and healthy, and you’ll love how the penne holds the sauce. Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients:
- 6 – 8 oz. uncooked penne pasta
- Half a yellow onion, diced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large zucchini, sliced on the bias to yield pieces about 1/4-inch thick
- Sigona’s marinara, at least 2 cups
- Freshly grated Parmigianino-Reggiano, for sprinkling
- Garnish: A few basil leaves, chiffonade into long, thin strips
Directions: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for about 3 to 5 minutes until soft and just starting to show a little color.
Add the zucchini slices and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes (try to get each side of the zucchini to have its time in contact with the hot skillet, this adds more flavor).
Add about 2 cups of the marinara, more or less, depending on taste. Stir to incorporate, then fold in the drained penne until well coated. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and chiffonade basil. Serve immediately.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats with Organic Swiss Chard and Sigona’s Old World Marinara
Lasagna is a favorite comfort food, but we’ve taken a low-calorie approach by using spaghetti squash instead of traditional pasta. You’ll still get all the flavor of a true lasagna, just without all the excess carbs. This is an excellent gluten-free lasagna option, too, and you can leave the meat out of the sauce if you wish. Adapted from Cooking Light. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 Tbsp. Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 to 4 large Swiss chard leaves, stems and leaves separated and chopped (*see notes below)
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- Salt, to taste
- About 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
- 4 oz. ground turkey
- 1 cup Sigona’s marinara
- 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus a little more for garnish
- 1 to 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
*To easily separate the Swiss chard stems from the leaves, first fold each leaf in half with topside of the green folded inward. Cut along the stem seam to separate the two; set stem aside. Stack the greens and roll up, then slice in half and chop. Chop the stems separately.
Directions: Slice the squash in half, remove and discard seeds. Place cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish with 2 tablespoons water. Microwave on high, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Alternatively, place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven until the squash is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
Hold the rind side of the squash with an oven mitt or kitchen towel. Being careful not to puncture the shells, use a spoon or fork to scrape the squash onto a clean kitchen towel; squeeze the squash until barely moist; place squash in a large bowl. Set the empty shells, cut-side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add Swiss chard stems and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute more. Increase heat to medium-high and the chard leaves. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until the chard leaves have wilted down. Remove from heat.
To the squash, add the Swiss chard mixture, ricotta, salt and half of mozzarella. Toss and set aside.
Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add turkey to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add marinara sauce; cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Spoon marinara mixture evenly into the bottom of each shell half, spreading it up the sides of the shells. Top evenly with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped basil and a bit more cheese just before serving.
Classic Lasagna with Local Saporito Pasta, Fresh Mozzarella and Sigona’s Old World Marinara
Everyone has a favorite lasagna recipe! The use of fresh mozzarella in this recipe, paired with our Sigona’s Old world marinara sauce and topped with fresh basil brings this recipe to the top of our favorite list. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 jars Sigona’s Old World marinara sauce
- 16 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 package of fresh, locally made lasagna noodles from Saporito Fine Pasta, trimmed as noted below **
- 2 tsp. Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- 16 oz. Clover Stornetta fresh mozzarella cheese (low sodium, part skim), coarsely grated on a large hole grater (also known as a potato grater)
- 1 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, julienned
Directions: Warm the marinara in a small pot over medium low heat while preparing the noodles and ricotta mixture.
Prepare the fresh lasagna sheets to fit 13 x 9 (or similar size) baking pan. **Note: Sheets will expand lengthwise when cooked, so we recommend you trim the noodles at least one inch shy of the length of your pan (one Sigona’s crew member trims her noodles to 11 ½ inches in length when using her 13 x 9 pan).
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 2 tsp. olive oil. Separately, prepare and set aside a large bowl of cold water. Place 4 trimmed sheets into the boiling water. Boil about 5 minutes uncovered. Remove with a large slotted spoon and immediately dip in a bowl of cold water. Remove from the cold water and drain on kitchen towels or paper towels. Pat dry.
Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Preheat oven to 375F degrees and grease a 13×9 (or other size) lasagna pan well.
To assemble the lasagna, spread about 1 cup marinara mixture on the bottom of the pan. Lay down a layer of noodles, then spread one third of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles. Top with about one fourth of the mozzarella, followed by about one fourth of the marinara and one third of the parmigiano reggiano. Add a layer of noodles and repeat twice with the ricotta, mozzarella, marinara and parmigiano reggiano. End with a layer of noodles topped with a final layer of marinara and the last bit of mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes until it is bubbling and melted all the way through. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more or until the cheese on top is lightly golden brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to sit at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle with julienned basil, slice and serve.
Fresh Gnocchi with Sigona’s Old World Marinara (a 3-minute meal!)
It’s so easy-peasy! Talk about an affordable meal! Serves 2.
What you need:
- 1 pkg. fresh, locally made gnocchi
- 1/2 jar of Sigona’s Old World marinara
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Directions: In a skillet, heat the marinara.
Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Gently remove gnocchi from water with a slotted spoon – be gentle as the gnocchi are very delicate. Also remove as much water as possible so you don’t dilute the marinara. Mix the drained gnocchi with the warmed marinara and sprinkle on some Parmigiano Reggiano. Enjoy!
Healthy Zucchini Noodles with Sigona’s Marinara
Super quick, super healthy. Enough said. Serves about 4.
Ingredients:
- 3 large zucchini
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Sigona’s marinara, such as Artichoke Portabella
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for sprinkling
- Garnish: A few basil leaves, chiffonade into long, thin strips
Directions: Using either a mandoline, julienne peeler or a spiral vegetable peeler (such as this), slice the zucchini lengthwise into long, noodle-like strips. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Optional cooking: Sauté the noodles in a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes over medium heat.
Meanwhile, warm the marinara in a small saucepan.
Evenly distribute the zucchini noodles among 4 or more medium-small serving bowls. Ladle the warm marinara over the zucchini noodles, sprinkle with grated cheese and chiffonade basil. Serve.
