Serving: 6

Categories
Appetizers Healthy Lunch Sides Vegetarian

Vegetarian Baked Zucchini Gratin or Zucchine Gratinate

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of  Baked Zucchini Gratin or “Zucchine Gratinate”

An easy and very healthy Italian recipe of zucchinis topped with bread crumbs, parsley, garlic. Vegetarians and omnivores will love them. Perfect as an appetizer, as a side dish to meat, or as a second self, Zucchini Gratin are light appetizers and rich in vitamins, that will add a touch of color and flavor to your table.

Ingredients for 6 people

  • 6 Zucchini
  • 60 grams of Breadcrumbs
  • sprig of Parsley
  • 1 sprig of Basil
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 3-4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. Wash and trim the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, taking care not to break them, and with a teaspoon drain the zucchini flesh and put in a bowl.

2. Chop the parsley, basil and garlic and pour into the bowl with the zucchini flesh and add the breadcrumbs. Season with oil, salt and pepper and mix all ingredients well.

3. Stuff zucchini with the mixture, place in a baking dish, sprinkle on top with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, bake at 170° degrees for 40 minutes. Delicious and Healthy vegetarian option!

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Categories
Cake Dessert Dinner Gluten free Vegetarian

Delicious Chocolate Capri Cake or Torta Caprese

 How to prepare the real recipe of the Italian Chocolate Capri Cake or “Torta Caprese”

A traditional cake from one of the most beautiful Islands in Italy: CAPRI!

This tasty almond and chocolate cake is from this wonderful island. The origin: the cook would indeed forget to put the flour in a chocolate cake with almonds. A fatal mistake, which has created one of the most popular desserts and appreciated by so many palates. Traditionally made on the island of Capri, this cake has a delicious aroma. Without using flour for the pan (and using parchment paper instead) this is a delicious gluten free recipe.

 

 

Ingredients for a pan of 26-28 cm

  • 350 grams Allmond, peeled and toasted
  • 250 grams of Dark Chocolate 70%
  • 200 grams of Unsalted Butter
  • 200 grams of powder Sugar
  • 6 medium Eggs (50 grams each)
  • a pinch of Salt
  • Butter and flour for the pan or use parchment paper for a gluten free recipe
  • Cocoa Powder for a pan
  • Powder sugar for a top cake

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease and flour a pan of 26-28 cm.

2. In a mixer finely chop the almonds with a teaspoon of sugar. Melt slowly the dark chocolate and unsalted butter together “a bagnomaria”, in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Remove from heat. Important: do not burn the chocolate!

3. Beat the egg yolks, 200 grams of powder sugar and a pinch of salt together in a bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer until pale and very thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the chocolate with butter and almonds.

4. Beat the egg whites until stiff, add to the mixture slowly and gently, folding from bottom up, making sure you don’t loose the volume. Into the pan previously completely covered with butter and flour – use a gluten free flour or a parchment paper for a fully gluten free recipe – add the cocoa powder at the bottom and then add the full mixture.

5. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, after that let it rest outside the oven for 15 minutes and remove from the pan. Invert the cake on a serving dish. When cool, dust with powdered sugar. Simply delicious. Enjoy.

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Categories
Appetizers Fried Main Rice

Ragù and Peas Rice-balls or Arancini Di Riso from Sicily

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Rice-balls with Peas and Ragù or “Arancini di Riso”

One of the best street-food of Italy from Sicily. “Arancini”, named after the little oranges that these fried rice balls are said to resemble, are best known in this country as a handy way to use leftover risotto. “Arancini” are delicious stuffed rice balls, coated with breadcrumbs, which are fried. They are usually filled with Ragù (meat and tomato sauce), Provolone cheese, and Peas. Perfect street-food in Sicily home-made are simply wonderful.

Ingredients for 6 people

  • 300 grams of Rice
  • 1 LT of Broth
  • 40 grams of Butter
  • a pinch of Saffron
  • 50 grams of Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 Egg
  • half Blonde Onion chopped
  • 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 30 grams of Butter
  • 100 grams of Ground Veal
  • 100 grams of Chicken Giblets
  • 150 grams of Peas
  • 1 tablespoon of Tomato concentrate
  • 80 grams of Provolone Cheese diced
  • 1 Egg beaten
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Oil for Fridge
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. In a large pot or “Pentola”, cook the rice with half liter of broth. When it is absorbed pour the other part of broth and a pinch of saffron (diluted in half glass of water) and cook until it will be ready, “al dente” and not liquid. Add butter, 1 egg, parmesan cheese and mix well.

2. In a casserole pour 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 30 grams of butter and half blond onion chopped, cook until the onion minutes or until the onion has softened, add the meat and the chicken giblets. Cook over medium heat until all water is absorbed then add 100 grams of peas, 1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate and half glass of broth. Reduce the heat, salt and pepper, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

3. In a bowl pour the cooled rice, take a full tablespoon of risotto and shape it into the bottom of a ball on the palm of your hand. Press a pinch of provolone cheese and the ragù sauce in the middle-top and cover with additional risotto shaping as a ball. Dip the Rice-Balls into the beaten egg, then roll it in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the “Arancini di Riso” and then quickly fry for 3 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Remove the rice-balls “Arancini di Riso” from the pan and drain them on a kitchen paper. Enjoy warm.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW: while Supplì are rice-balls of rice mixed with Ragù and filled with Mozzarella, Arancini instead are rice-balls of white rice with saffron and have the Ragù and Piselli only inside as filling. Very different.

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Categories
Gluten free Healthy Lunch Sides Vegetables Vegetarian

Grand Mix of Yellow and Red Peppers or Peperonata

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Grand Mix of Peppers or better “Peperonata”

A great classic of the Italian cuisine, the origin of this Grand Mix of Peppers is from Sicily: SICILIANS DO IT BETTER! It is very tasty and you can enjoy it hot or cold better with toasted bread, it is a healthy vegetarian combination of flavors.

“Peperonata” is a very tasty pepper stew. You can find the ingredients all year round. You can enjoy it warm in the colder months; and during the summer, you can use it as a topping for your toasted bread to make a delicious “bruschetta” on top of some slices of toasted bread. “Peperonata” is perfect for vegetarians but not only. It is simply delicious.

Ingredients for 6 people

  • 1 kg of Pepperoni
  • 500 grams of fresh Tomatoes
  • 2 blonde Onion or better red Onion
  • Parsley
  • 50 grams of Capers
  • 100 grams of black Olives, better “Gaeta” Olives
  • 1 tablespoon of Origan
  • 6 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. In a pan heat the oil with the onion, previously cut into strips of about 1 cm, until it has softened, after add the pepperoni previously cut into strips of 1 cm, the fresh tomatoes, the capers, the black olives, 1 tablespoon of origan, a bit of parsley, salt and pepper.

2. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

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Categories
Lunch Main Pasta Vegetarian

Ravioli Pasta with Ricotta Cheese and Spinach or Ravioli Ricotta e Spinaci

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Ravioli with Ricotta Cheese and Spinach filling or “Ravioli Ricotta e Spinaci”, sage and butter sauce

The ravioli with ricotta cheese and spinach are a classic first course. They represent one of the best-known uses of fresh egg pasta. The filling of ricotta and spinach is light and fresh.

This is a simple stuffed ravioli made with a creamy ricotta spinach blend. Ideal for a vegetarian household, this is a special-occasion dish. Ideally for those delicate and sophisticated ravioli a butter and sage sauce would be perfect.

Ingredients for 6 people

Ingredients for Fresh Pasta Home Made

  • 500 grams of Flour “0”
  • 5 Eggs

Ingredients for Ravioli Filling with Spinach and Ricotta

  • 200 grams of Ricotta Cheese
  • 600 grams of Spinach
  • 180 grams of Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt, Pepper and Nutmeg as you prefer

Ingredients for Ravioli Sauce with Sage and Butter

  • 100 grams of Butter
  • Parmesan Cheese grated as you prefer
  • Pepper as you prefer
  • 6 fresh Sage leaves

Preparation of Fresh Pasta Egg

1. By Hand Pasta: on a clean wood surface make a well with the flour with donut shape. In a measuring cup mix the eggs, pour the liquid mixture slowly into the flour and mix slowly in round circles with your fingers until all of the liquid mixture is incorporated. Do not force the dough to take all of the flour. If you are going to use a Pasta Maker machine to roll out the dough you may at this point form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. If you are going to roll this by hand you should knead the dough on a floured work surface for 8 to 10 minutes.

Preparation of Ravioli Filling

2. Wash the spinach and let them boil for 10 minutes in boiling water. When cooked, drain them well and let cool before you chop. It’s very important that spinach are well drained. Prepare the filling by mixing in a bowl the ricotta, spinach, 2 eggs, Parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg until you have a smooth mixture.

3. Take the dough, divide the dough in half and roll each part into two layers with a thickness of about 2 mm, with the aid of a rolling pin or a “Pasta Maker” machine. Spread the filling on the pastry with ricotta cheese and spinach in piles equidistant. Cover with the other sheet and cut out the ravioli with the toothed wheel or with the form ravioli.

Preparation of Ravioli Sauce

4. You can now dress the ravioli ricotta and spinach with a simple tasty sauce: with butter and sage in order to bring out the best of the filling flavor from your ravioli. Heat 100 grams of sliced butter in a pan over low heat and add the fresh sage leaves. Sauce is ready! Brush up directly in the pan the ravioli just drained and serve hat, complete the dish with a grinding of fresh pepper and of course a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

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Categories
Christmas Dinner Gluten free Veal

Delicious Veal with Tuna Sauce or Vitello Tonnato

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of  Veal with Tuna Sauce or “Vitello Tonnato Tradizionale”

The Veal with Tuna Sauce or Vitel Tonné is a very Italian dish typical of Piemonte cuisine. Tasty and very fresh ideal for a starter in a gala dinner or even in the summer as a main course. A popular starter,  “Vitel Tonné”, which despite the French resemblance, is a dialectal form of Italian Vitello Tonnato which is basically a carpaccio of veal meat with a rich tuna sauce. Simply one of the most beautiful and classic dishes of Italian cuisine. This beautiful veal dish is festive and tastes superb. You can eat Vitel Tonnè as a main dish, or as an appetizer, it is a very appreciated cold dish in Italy.

 Ingredients for 6 people

  • 1 kg 500 grams of Veal
  • 1 blonde Onion
  • 1 sprig of Celery
  • 2 cloves of Carnation
  • 1 Carrots
  • 5 stalk of Parsley
  • 2 leaves of Bay
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Ingredients for the sauce

  • 300 grams of Tuna Canned
  • 3-4 Anchovies
  • 30 grams of Capers
  • 4 tablespoons of Mayonnaise
  • 1 Lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 sprig of Parsley
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. Bring to a boil in a saucepan with salted water, onion, cloves, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Immerse the meat, previously tied with kitchen string and boil for about 2 hours. Once ready, drain and keep the broth, I recommend let cool wrapped in aluminum foil. Wipe the meat thoroughly, remove the wire and only when it is well-chilled cut into very thin slices and arrange on a serving platter.

Now we prepare the sauce

2. Rinse the capers, to remove the excess salt, wash and clean the anchovies, drained tuna oil. Blend all ingredients together slowly adding the meat broth, previously filtered, until a creamy consistency, cover the veal cut into slices with the sauce and decorate as desired with slices of lemon and parsley.

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Categories
Lunch Main Pasta Seafood

Spaghetti with Tomato, Black Olives, Anchovies, Capers or Puttanesca

How to prepare the real  Italian recipe of Spaghetti with Tomato, Olives and Capers or “Spaghetti alla Puttanesca”

“Spaghetti alla Puttanesca” is a very tasty dish of the regional cuisine from Campania, there are many versions, but this is the original and most popular. “Pasta alla Puttanesca” from Campania and Lazio regions. The translation of the title of this dish is “whore’s pasta” believe it or not. Olives, fresh tomato, anchovies, and capers give to this quick dish an intense and very special flavor. Really good and tasty.

Ingredients for 6 people

  • 600 grams of Spaghetti Italian Pasta (Barilla or De Cecco for example). Spaghetti is the ideal pasta for this recipe, but any kind of pasta will be fine
  • 3 cloves of Garlic
  • 500 grams of Tomato fresh or canned
  • 1 tablespoon of Origan
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 100 grams of Capers
  • 200 grams of Black Olives
  • 2 Anchovy fillets (salted or in oil) if you like it, otherwise go ahead without anchovies
  • Chilli, Salt and Pepper as preferred
  • chopped Parsley

Preparation

1. In a pan add 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 cloves of garlic, chilli and anchovies. Gently fry the garlic, chilli and  anchovy fillets in the oil. Mash the anchovies with a wooden spoon until they have completely dissolved. Cook until the garlic becomes golden and then eliminate it, remove it from the pan.

2. Add the tomato sauce and cook for 30 minutes, after that add salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon of oregano, capers, olives previously sliced and chilli, cook for 5 minutes more.

3. Cook pasta in the traditional Italian way boiling salted water until “al dente” drain and add to the pan with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce and heat gently for a couple of minutes.

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Categories
Dinner Lunch Main Pasta

Tagliatelle with Parma Ham or Tagliatelle al Prosciutto

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Tagliatelle Pasta with Butter and Parma Ham or “Tagliatelle Burro e Prosciutto”

A nice pasta for everyday lunch with the family. Tagliatelle Pasta with Parma Ham and butter are a quick, easy and simple recipe, a very tasty dish, ideal for a Sunday lunch for adults and children. Of course, better if pasta is homemade.

Ingredients for 6 people

Preparation

1. Melt slowly 150 grams of butter in a pan and add 200 grams of Parma ham cut into strips, it’s very important that the butter melts only, it should not fry.

2. In the meanwhile boil the noodles in salted water, drain the Tagliatelle pasta, keeping aside 1 cup of the cooking water, season the pasta with the sauce and Parmesan Cheese and 3 or 4 tablespoons of the cooking water. Enjoy.

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Categories
Pasta Seafood

Spaghetti with Clams or Pasta con le Vongole

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Spaghetti with Clams or “Spaghetti con le Vongole”

Spaghetti Pasta with clams is one of the most famous dishes of the Campania Region but loved throughout Italy from north to south.

Ingredients for 6 people

  • 600 grams Spaghetti Pasta (like De Cecco)
  • 2 kg of Clams
  • 5 cloves of Garlic
  • Parsley as you prefer
  • 7 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Chilly as preferred

Preparation

1. One hour before cooking the clams leave them to soak in a bowl with water and salt, in order to remove the excess of sand, then wash them very well. Add to a pan about 5 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 3 cloves of garlic, add the clams and cook until all will be open. Garlic and chilli will be softened in a pan, with clams and white wine, and left to steam for few minutes.

2. Remove the cooking water from the clams, and filter it carefully, all shelled clams, just leave some with the shell for the presentation of the dish if you wish, and fry them in a pan with two tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 2 cloves of garlic, chilly, include a large sprig of parsley and chilly or pepper as you wish. Once the shells are open and pan-fried, the whole lot is added to the pasta, in this case, spaghetti “al dente”, sprinkled with chopped parsley, and served. Do not forget to allow the pasta to rest in the sauce for a minute or so to absorb it, improving the flavour of the entire dish.

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Categories
Breakfast Cake Dessert

Soft Heaven Cake or Torta Paradiso

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of the Soft Heaven Cake or “Torta Paradiso”

The Soft Heaven Cake or Torta Paradiso is one of the most loved by children for its simplicity and taste. The cake is similar to a chiffon cake, as it is light and airy. Soft and delicate, it is ideal for a snack or a tasty breakfast Sunday. This is originally a traditional dessert from Genova, a very delicate, light and soft sponge cake that everyone loves.

Ingredients

  • 6 Eggs
  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 200 grams of Sugar
  • 200 grams of Butter
  • 1 grated Lemon
  • 100 grams of Potato Flour
  • 100 grams of Flour
  • 1 tablespoon of Vanilla Sugar
  • a dose of Baking Powder

Preparation

1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and put everything aside. Add the butter to a bowl, at room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until it becomes all fluffy, creamy. Include gradually the sugar and continue beating. Stir the softened butter with the sugar for a creamy mixture. Combine the 6 egg yolks one by one gradually and continue beating the mixture until it becomes light and still fluffy.

2. Add the 2 flours, the vanilla sugar and the baking powder slowly continuing to beat. Mix everything well. Beat all the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Combine the egg whites into the mixture, stirring gently. Add the egg whites, previously whites stiff and grated lemon rind. Butter and flour a cake pan of 20 cm of diameter and pour the mixture into the cake pan, bake at 180° for 50 minutes.

3. Let it cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Fluffy, soft and delicious. Powdered sugar on this cake will not absorb into the cake and get gummy. So when the cake is cool, sift the sugar all over the top of the cake. For a special twist cut the cake in the middle and add Nutella covering all the bottom surface like a sweet sandwich. Enjoy.

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Categories
Christmas Dessert

Yellow Bread or Pangiallo Romano

 How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Pangiallo“

Yellow Bread or “Pangiallo” is an old and very traditional Holidays cake, which in Rome at Christmas should never miss. Pangiallo is one of the most ancient Christmas cakes from Italy. The Yellow Bread is a Roman speciality similar to the Tuscan panforte. And in spite of the name, it is more a dessert than bread. Some do add saffron to give to the dough a golden tint. Originated during the imperial age, it combines all the nuts, dried fruits, honey and spices you could think about. An elegant and delightful rich Italian cuisine experience.

Ingredients for 4-5 people

  • 300 grams of Flour
  • 20 g of Yeast
  • 30 g Candied Orange peel
  • 20 grams of Pine Nuts
  • 30 g shelled and peeled Almonds
  • 50 g of Raisins
  • Cinnamon, Saffron, Sugar
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation

1. Place the flour on a pastry board, add the yeast dissolved in a sugar syrup and warm water, mix well. There should be a dough a little softer than the one of bread.
2. Combine orange peel, pine nuts, almonds, raisins (previously soaked in warm water), and a pinch of cinnamon. Knead and form a loaf to rise covered with a napkin, in a warm place for 12 hours.
3. Then prepare a batter with water, a tablespoon of flour, a little oil, a pinch of saffron. Spread this batter on the loaf and put in a moderate oven (180 °) for 40 minutes.

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Categories
Healthy Lunch Pasta Vegetarian

Vegetarian Ricotta and Spinach Cannelloni

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Cannelloni Pasta with Ricotta Cheese and Spinach or “Cannelloni Ricotta e Spinaci”

A delicious healthy vegetarian recipe. Cannelloni pasta is a classic dish of the Italian cuisine ideal for a Sunday Family Lunch. Stuff rolled lasagne sheets with creamy spinach and ricotta, baked with tomato and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients for 12 Cannelloni Pasta

  • 12 sheets of Egg pasta
  • 400 grams of Ricotta Cheese
  • 500 grams of fresh Spinach
  • 300 ml of Besciamella or Béchamel
  • Half liter of Tomato sauce
  • 50 grams of grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Besciamella or Béchamel Sauce

  • 50 grams of Butter
  • 50 grams of Flour
  • Half liter of Milk
  • Salt, Pepper, and Nutmeg as preferred

Preparation of the Besciamella or Béchamel Sauce 

1. Melt the butter in a pan add the flour and cook for 3 minutes; meanwhile bring the milk to a boil with salt pepper and nutmeg, stir in the butter and flour and simmer for five minutes.

SECRET: the Béchamel is ready just when you put the spoon into the sauce and when you take it out the sauce remains firmly attached to the spoon.

Preparation of Cannelloni 

2. Clean very well the fresh spinach, rinse them thoroughly and boil them in a little boiling water for a few minutes. Drain, squeeze and chop with a food processor. Boil a few at a time the sheets of pasta in boiling salted water with the addition of a tablespoon of oil for about two minutes each. Drain them, put them to cool in cold water and place them on a clean cloth and let them cool without overlapping.

3. In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese chopped spinach and grated Parmesan. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix everything well. Fill each pastry with a bit of dough with ricotta and spinach and roll in on themselves to form the cannelloni. In a saucepan, heat a tablespoon of oil and tomato sauce. Cook covered for about 20 minutes. Arrange the cannelloni in a baking dish lightly oiled covering them with the béchamel, tomato sauce and sprinkle with a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 200 ° C for 35 minutes.

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