Not Your Nonna's Red Sauce: 4 Lighter, Fresher Italian Food Recipes

Martha Stewart

For Lucinda Scala Quinn, it's the food "of my heart and soul"; she still cooks it for her family today. Thinking about the classic dishes of her childhood, she considered "their flavor profile, how to take my memories of these dishes, and how to lighten and freshen them." Her takes may be lighter and the cooking time shorter, but that hasn't changed how satisfying they are.

Scallopini Alla Marsala

For the scallopini, Lucinda added raddichio for "color and flavor and crunch." You can substitute chicken or turkey for the traditional veal if you prefer.

1 head radicchio, halved, cored, and sliced into eighths (about 3/4 inch thick)
1 pound portobello mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut on the bias into 1/3-inch slices and pounded to 1/8-inch thickness
Wondra flour or all-purpose flour, for dredging
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2/3 cup Marsala wine (about 5 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread radicchio on half of a rimmed baking sheet and mushrooms on other half. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. Lightly dredge pork in flour. Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil and cook sage until just crisp, 1 minute. Remove from skillet. Swirl butter into skillet and cook pork in 2 batches until lightly browned around edges, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Return all pork to skillet. Pour in wine and simmer until reduced to a glaze, about 1 minute. Add radicchio and mushrooms, coat with sauce, and serve.

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Zucchini Rollatini

Yes, rollatini made with zucchini, not the traditional eggplant. Another way Lucinda lightened this favorite is by omitting the breading -- and she ramped up the flavor by using lots of basil. This dish can easily be made vegetarian; just omit the proscuitto.

2 large zucchini (8 to 10 inches long), cut lengthwise into twelve 1/8-inch-thick slices
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
5 to 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
24 large fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish (from about 2 handfuls)
1 1/3 to 2 cups tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season zucchini slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Blot moisture from zucchini. Swirl oil into skillet and cook zucchini in 2 single-layer batches, adding more oil between batches as needed, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.

2. Top each strip of zucchini with a piece of prosciutto torn to fit, a slice of cheese cut to fit, and 2 basil leaves. Roll each stack into a pinwheel and spear with a toothpick to hold together. 3. Place tomato sauce in an 8-inch-diameter baking dish (or divide among four 3 1/2- or 4-inch-diameter ramekins). Place rollatini (a pinwheel side down) side by side in dish and remove toothpicks. Bake until cheese is bubbling, 10 to 12 minutes. Before serving, garnish rollatini with basil.

Shrimp Francese

"Italian-American cooking is different from Italian food. In Italian cooking, fish and cheese together is a no; while in Italian-American cooking, it's fine." explains Lucinda. This classic combines shrimp (not the usual chicken) and Parmesan, and is "craveable and delicious to eat."

1 pound large shrimp (14 to 16), peeled and deveined, tails on
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup finely grated (preferably on a Microplane) Parmesan cheese
All-purpose flour, for dredging
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 lemons, 1 juiced and 1 sliced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Slice each shrimp along the back to open (butterfly) slightly. Whisk together eggs and cheese in a shallow dish; place flour in another shallow dish. Dredge shrimp lightly in flour, then coat completely in egg mixture.

2. Whisk together broth, wine, and lemon juice; set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil, then butter. Cook shrimp in 2 single-layer batches, adding more oil between batches as needed, until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side; transfer each batch to a plate when done. Pour broth mixture into skillet and cook, swirling skillet, until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon slices and parsley, and pour over shrimp. Serve immediately.

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Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Few can resist the simple combination of oil and garlic on long strands of spaghetti, one of the simplest and fastest of all pasta suppers. Lucinda made some tasty tweaks: "I added lemon juice and zest and used parsley liberally, almost as if it's a vegetable."

Coarse salt
12 ounces spaghetti
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
8 cloves garlic, 4 thinly sliced and 4 minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/4 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until very al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta.

2. Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add oil and garlic slices and cook until slices are lightly golden, about 2 minutes; transfer to a paper towel to drain. Add minced garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant and just beginning to color (do not let turn golden), about 30 seconds. Whisk in pasta water and simmer 2 minutes. Add pasta and cook until liquid is reduced, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add lemon zest and juice, and stir to combine. Stir in parsley, drizzle with oil, and top with garlic slices. Serve with cheese.

More from Martha Stewart:
Quick, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family
15 Kitchen Shortcuts That Will Change the Way You Cook
35 Beyond Delicious No-Bake Dessert Recipes
No-Mess One-Bowl Desserts: 12 Recipes for Lazy Bakers

This light, crowd-pleasing pasta only needs 5 ingredients.