Prosciutto Wrapped Lamb Burgers

    So, right about now everyone's starting to think about firing up that grill, right?  Well, this little twist on a regular burger would be great for a barbecue!  Pop it into a nice, crusty Italian roll....delicious!!  Now, it's still been a little chilly here, so I cooked my burgers in a pan on top of the stove, but you can bet these will be finding their way onto our grill as the weather warms up!  I like to serve these with a salad of fresh tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and basil with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  And, to make them extra yummy, I drizzle them with some balsamic glaze!

Paccheri al Cardinale

                                                                                  
    I've been told that, as a little girl, I had quite a flare for the "dramatic".  If I would begin to carry on about one thing or another, my mom would give me a little look and say, "Alright Sarah".  Why "Sarah", you ask?  After all, that's not my name.  Well, she was referring to Sarah Bernhardt, who was considered the greatest French actress of the later 19th century and one of the best-known figures in the history of the stage.  She had a reputation as a serious dramatic actress.  Now, even as a child, I knew I wasn't  being complimented.  The real message was "Tone it down a little" or "You're being a little over dramatic".

    Today, as an adult, I still enjoy drama, if done well and love things that have something special or unique about them.  This recipe encompasses all of that.  Although I've made and eaten a lot of pasta, in my day, I've never seen any pasta dish done this way before.  Pasta is tossed with a basic tomato sauce, several cheeses, and fresh basil.  Then it's covered with a layer of parchment paper and baked in the oven.  When it comes out, the parchment is cut open and the pasta is served with dollops of fresh ricotta....YUM!

YAY for Printable Recipes!!

    Hey there!  Well, today I finally accomplished something that I've been thinking about for quite awhile now.  Although I usually like to show step-by-step photos with my recipes, I realize, if someone wants to print the recipe, it can be a little troublesome.  Pictures use a lot of ink, after all.

    Just the other day I received a comment after my Eggplant Parmesan Stacks post.  The person loved the recipe but wanted to know if there was a way to copy it without all of the pictures.  Well, that was just the little "push" I needed to get moving and find out how to do it.  So......to Google I would go.  I google everything I don't know about, folks!  And that's a lot of googling!

    Anyway, I came across a site called Confessions of an Overworked Mom which had step-by-step instructions on how to make your blog posts printable.  JACKPOT!!  I immediately printed out the instructions and got to work.  By the way, you should check out the site.  She has lots of tips, tricks, and ideas on several topics like beauty, crafts, food, etc.  Tell her I sent you!

    So, from now on, my plan is to provide printable versions of all of the recipes.  You'll be able to enjoy the pictures (You do enjoy the pictures, right?), but you won't have to print them all out along with the text.  Hopefully this will make trying these recipes a little easier, and it will definitely eliminate the need for you to buy stock in Hewlett Packard!

    Also, my intent is to go back and create printable versions of all of the previous recipes.  That being said, it is a bit of a "process", so I imagine that will take some time.  Be patient with me and I'll get to those as time allows.  What is that old saying?  "All good things come to those who wait"?  If there's a recipe that you simply cannot wait to try and must have it printed out , you can leave me a comment after the specific recipe post and I'll do my best to make it a priority. 

    Thanks for visiting my blog!  I hope you're enjoying the recipes and, by the way, if you'd like to "Follow" The Italian Next Door  just enter your email address in the space in the upper right corner of this page, click on "submit", and follow all of the instructions.  Remember to click on the link in the initial e-mail you're sent to confirm your "subscription".  Each time I publish a new post, you'll be sent a notice so you won't miss any recipes!  OR, if you'd rather, you can follow me on Facebook.  Just go to The Italian Next Door facebook page and "like" it.  Every time I share a new recipe, the link should show up on your news feed.

    Have a great day everyone!  And Happy Spring!!