Improving Our Family Menu

If you're someone who doesn't eat meat or fish, and don't care for pizza, then you might not think of ordering dinner from your local pizzeria. However, you might want to change your mind once you read some of the suggestions below. There are lots of sandwiches and pasta dishes that don't contain meat or fish. So, when you're planning to order in, don't rule out your local pizzeria.

Manicotti

This pasta dish is a great choice to order because it's difficult to make, so it's not something you can throw together yourself (like, say, spaghetti). The pasta is shaped like large tubes. In Italian, the word translates to sleeve. This makes sense as the pasta looks like a shirt sleeve, minus the cuff. The pasta is cooked and then filled with a mixture of ricotta, parmesan, eggs, and often spinach. It's tricky to make because the pasta needs to be cooked before being filled, and the soft pasta can easily tear when being filled. This is why it's a great meal to order in. You don't have to worry about cooking a bunch of dry manicotti and then having them fall apart when trying to fill them.

The manicotti are served with a tomato sauce.

Penne Alla Vodka

If you're not a fan of lots of cheese, but still like the idea of pasta, then consider penne alla vodka.  It's made with penne, served with a tomato and cream sauce that also has some vodka in it. The alcohol is mostly "cooked out" of the sauce while it's being prepared, so you won't get a buzz from eating it. The pasta is served with a coating of parmesan cheese. So, if you don't like the heavy mozzarella or ricotta dishes (ziti, manicotti, ravioli) and want something a bit more unusual than spaghetti, then this is a good choice.

Sandwich Options

Peppers and Eggs Hero

A classic Italian combo sandwich is peppers and eggs. The pepper used are bell peppers. They are sautéed until they are soft. This also brings out the sweetness in the peppers. Then the eggs are scrambled and the two are used to fill a crusty hero. The eggs and peppers are only seasoned with a bit of salt and olive oil. Some places might use a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a gating of parmesan cheese as well.

Eggplant Parmesan Hero

Another great sandwich to order is an eggplant parmesan hero. These are great for vegetarians, and a cool alternative to ordering a regular eggplant parmesan dinner. The basic recipe is similar to an eggplant parmesan meal. The eggplant is sliced thin, dipped in egg wash, breaded and then fried. They are then covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and baked until the cheese melts. The heroes are made by taking the cooked eggplant parmesan and then placing a serving inside of crusty Italian bread.