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Healthy Lunch Main Rice

Rice, Peas and Parma Ham or Risotto con Piselli e Prosciutto

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Rice with Peas and Parma Ham or “Risotto con Piselli e Prosciutto”

Risotto with Peas and Ham or “Risi e Bisi” is a simple but tasty dish typical of the Venetian tradition ideal for a lunch for adults and children. This is a classic dish from Venice, and it has many variations. “Risi e Bisi” simply means rice and peas, and the dish is traditionally made with the fresh new peas of spring. If fresh peas are not available, you can easily make it with frozen peas, better to avoid canned. Ideally it should be diced: with slices will not be the same. Ideally cured Parma Ham is the best option, but you can use any ham available. Perfect Sunday easy and healthy dish.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Carnaroli Rice (Carnaroli Rice is a Kind of Rice)
  • ½ Blonde Onion
  • 100 grams of Parma Ham
  • 20 grams Butter
  • 200 grams of Peas
  • 30 grams of Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 ltr of Vegetable Stock
  • 5 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • A sprinkling of chopped parsley
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. In a pan add 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with 10 grams of butter, the yellow onion and the previously diced cured ham. Better if Parma cured ham. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. After a few minutes add the fresh peas and cook for a little bit until half cooked. Dry cured hams are usually salty, so be aware that the more you add, the saltier the dish will become. Meanwhile, heat up the stock and 1 cup of water in a small pot. You want this at a simmer while you make the rice.

2. In another large pan with high sides add 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil pour in and toast the rice until it changes color, almost transparent, add a glass of white wine and let it evaporate. Keep cooking the rice slowly adding ladles of Vegetables broth. Stir again and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. After 10 minutes add the peas and cook slowly keeping turning, once the rice is fully cooked, add the remaining butter and Parmesan, stir well and add chopped parsley on top. Served.

The secret: let it rest 3-4 minutes before serving.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

pea and parma ham risotto

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!

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

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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.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

spaghetti-alla-puttanesca

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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The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

Spaghetti Pasta with clams_2015

Categories
Gluten free Healthy Rice Vegetarian

Healthy Pumpkin Rice or Riso alla Zucca

pumpkin risotto

 

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of the Traditional Pumpkin “Risotto”

The pumpkin risotto is a traditional dish in Northern Italy, in particular, is very popular in Lombardia. Mantua has a fine quality of pumpkin. For this traditional recipe there are many variants, particularly as regards the firing of the pumpkin itself, we propose the recipe that seems to be the closest to the traditional.

Ingredients for 6 people

  • 500 grams of Pumpkin
  • 250 grams of Rice
  • 100 g Butter
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 sprig of Sage
  • 5 tablespoons of grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 liter of Vegetable Stock
  • Salt and Black Pepper

Preparation

1. Clean the pumpkin from the peel and the seeds inside filaments and then the wash and cut into cubes.

2. In a saucepan, melt the butter with onion, peeled and chopped and the fresh sage washed. Then you can add the rice to the pan and toast it, so that the starch remains sealed in the beans themselves.

3. Then, add the diced pumpkin and have them cook with the rice, mix continuously. Gradually add the hot vegetable stock and do not forget to mix. Let it cook over medium heat for about twenty minutes until the liquid is absorbed almost completely.

4. Towards the end of cooking, you can add the tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and another knob of butter. Serve the rice wave, nice and soft and warm.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

Rice dish with pumpkin, risotto on the plate