This 'easy' recipe has always served me well...

NO-NONSENSE FRITATTA (OMELETTE)

Here's a fritatta that is hearty and tasty and will always liven up your table when your cuisine is 'a little bit Italian'.

Ingredients:
2 tbs butter
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs
2 tbs milk or cream
2 tbs grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3 tbs minced parsley
1/2 red, yellow, orange or green pepper (cleaned and sliced thinly)
4 green onions (sliced thinly)
1/2 cup canned or fresh sliced mushrooms
ground black pepper
salt to taste

Directions:
Saute` pepper, onions and mushrooms in melted butter and olive oil in non-stick fry pan until cooked.
Scramble eggs with milk. Add parsley, grated cheese and ground pepper. Pour mixture over sauted vegetables in fry pan.
Heat on medium until egg mixture is set around the edges, then work the edges away from sides of pan with spatula.
When eggs are completely set, place dish over fry pan and flip fritatta onto it, then return to pan with uncooked side down.
Continue to cook approximately 5 minutes more.

Presentation:
Serve as an entree` with salad and Italian bread, or as a side to a soup of your choice.

A Little Bit Italian

Here we go! The treat of the day!... quick and savory (and easy!) tortellini soup!

TORTELLINI SOUP

Ingredients (to feed a hungry 4):
2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 medium leek(s)(washed thoroughly and sliced into thin rings)
4 cups of chicken broth(I use a store-bought, low-fat, low-sodium broth)
1 small bunch of green onions (sliced thinly)
1/2 stick of pepperoni (sliced thinly)
1 lb of tortellini

Directions:
Melt butter in medium saucepan with oil; saute' pepperoni, leeks, and green onions till cooked.
Add chicken broth and simmer till well heated. Pour over tortellini which has been prepared according to package directions.

Presentation:
Sprinkle with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese and serve with Italian bread.