In honor of the life of our Beloved Actress Estelle Getty (Sophia from 'Golden Girls') who passed away yesterday, I ask everyone to offer a fine recipe for either their favorite Italian dish or a cheesecake.

crust:
3 c. crushed OREO cookies
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) margarine, melted

filling:
1-3/4 c. milk chocolate morsels
1 envelope (.25 oz.) unflavored gelatin
½ c. milk
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
½ c. sour cream
½ t. almond extract
½ c. heavy whipping cream, whipped

for crust:
thoroughly mix crushed OREOS, sugar and melted margarine together and press firmly onto bottom and 2” up the side of a 9” springform pan

filling:
microwave chocolate in bowl. place milk in small sauce pan and sprinkle gelatin over and allow to soften for 1 minute. warm milk over medium heat on stove stirring constantly until gelatin is melted- remove from heat.
beat cream cheese, sour cream and melted chocolate in large mixer bowl until fluffy. beat in milk/gelatin mixture and almond extract until thoroughly blended, then fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm. Slice and serve. (Hailley serves this w/ fresh raspberries.)

My favorite fine recipe for an Italian dish is:

Mock Lasagana:

3 cups your favorite spaghetti sauce
3 cups of cooked & drained macaroni noodles
1 16 oz small curd cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. Dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp. Dried Italian seasoning mix
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt & pepper

Mix together the noodles, cottage cheese, seasonings and place 1/3 into a casserole dish top this with sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella, repeat layer again with noodles, sauce and, the rest of the mozzarella, use the remaining noodles and layer with the rest of the sauce and top with the shredded cheddar cheese bake in a 350 degree oven until bubbly approx. 30min.'s

Big kids, little kids, even kids with chicken pocks love this dish!!!

And may Ms. Getty Rest In Peace and be blessed for all the laughs she brought our way!

Nice Cathy- thanks!

Mama's Marinara Sauce is my favorite Italian recipe.

(2) #3 Cans of whole peeled tomatoes (28oz) or equal amount of fresh peeled tomatoes. (Put in bowl, crush by hand ? set aside) or homemade (canned)
10 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 lg. Onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. Salt
1 tbs. Sugar
Pepper to taste
20 basil leaves or 2 tbs. dried basil
4 to 6 tbs. Olive oil

Heat Olive oil in a saucepan. When hot add garlic, stir, add onions ? sauté until soft.

Add tomatoes, along with remaining ingredients.

Bring to light boil, reduce heat ? simmer one hour without lid, stirring occasionally.

Notice the Google "Golden Girl's" FilmRinger.com strip across the top of this page, w/ lovely pics of beloved Ms. Getty! How appropriate!

Maybe it's just a coincidence?

But if not- if this fun and fitting action was consciously shared by someone to enhance our tiny l'il recipe tribute to Estelle today, we thank you for contributing w/ your creative generosity!