Kenny’s Italian Kitchen’s classic “Southern Italian-American” food is one of the many reasons why it is loved by so many people in the Corridor. For those of us who have been fortunate to travel to the northeast and spend time in Little Italy, Kenny’s captures the feel and taste of those famous places.The décor is made up of black and white pictures hanging on the walls featuring friends and family, and the patio area is a great place to enjoy a glass of wine. The staff is always friendly and more than happy to help you pair a great wine with your meal. The Italian-American menu at Kenny’s is delicious and always prepared with the best ingredients. For these and so many other reasons, they have just won our 2016 Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite Italian Restaurant.
In honor of their win and as a treat for our readers, Chef Kenny Bowers shared one of his recipes for us to try at home.
Kik Baked Ziti
Quantity: Ingredients:
2 cups Ziti (precooked)
3 cups Red sauce (your favorite marinara)
2 cups Italian sausage (precooked sliced)
2 cups Meatballs (precooked, cut 1/4” rings)
1 cup Mushrooms
3 tablespoons Fresh basil
Sprinkle Crushed red pepper seed
1-teaspoon Fresh chopped garlic
1/2-cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup Mozzarella (shredded)
1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
Preparation:
In a medium bowl combine 2 cups of cold red sauce, cold ziti, cold sausages, mushrooms, basil, garlic, pepper and meatballs. Gently mix (heat remaining red and Alfredo sauce and keep warm for later).
Pour mixture into greased baking pan. Evenly cover the top with ricotta cheese, and then top with mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 for approximately 25 minutes until everything is hot and bubbly. Remove foil and place back in the oven for approximately five minutes to brown the cheese.
Remove from oven and serve. Distribute remaining red sauce and Alfredo sauce evenly over the top on each plate (one stripe of each on top).
Note: there are some great store bought meatballs and sauces to save time.
Congratulations to Chef Kenny Bowers and the entire staff at Kenny’s Italian Kitchen!
Oscar is a Cedar Valley College graduate in Music Recording Technology. He enjoys listening and working on all different genres of music, but having been born in Colombia, salsa music is his favorite. He loves soccer and baseball. He enjoys discovering and sharing new and off-the-beaten-path food places as well as traveling the world with his wife and 2 boys.