Categories
Healthy Lunch Main Pasta Vegetarian

Pasta with Rocket Pesto Sauce or Orecchiette al Pesto

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Pasta with Rocket Pesto or “Orecchiette al Pesto di Rucola”

Rocket Pesto is a great alternative to the classic pesto sauce or “Pesto alla Genovese”.  A scented seasoning thanks to the combination of rocket, pine-nuts, olive oil, Parmesan, and Pecorino cheese.  It takes just a few  minutes, perfect option for a last minute dinner with friends. A very simple dish that will surprise your guests, thanks to the bitter aftertaste of the rocket balanced with the pine nuts and cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 150 grams of Rocket
  • 320 grams of Orecchiette pasta or if you like Spaghetti pasta
  • 70 grams of Pine nuts
  • 50 grams of Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 50 grams of Grated Pecorino Cheese
  • 1 clove of garlic ( remove it if you don’t like the strong garlic flavor or add just a little bit of it)
  • 180 ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation

  1. Wash the rocket, put it in a blender with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, Pecorino, Olive Oil, Garlic and blend it all. Add salt and pepper to flavor the mixture. The sauce is ready.
  2. If you are not using it right away, add it to a jar, with olive oil on top.
  3. Cook Pasta “al dente” as from instructions on package on salty boiling water in a large pot.
  4. Before draining the pasta, to make the sauce smooth, you can add to it a few tablespoons of cooking water it will make it a bit more liquid. 
  5. Drain the pasta al dente and mix with the rocket sauce. Add Pine-nuts and parsley on top before serving. For the perfectionists: you can also include a couple of slices of baked potatoes on top for decoration.

TIP: To make your pesto even more creamy, you can put some cream cheese spoon, like cottage cheese or Philadelphia.

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pesto-di-rucola-e-pistacchi-770x375

Categories
Lunch Main Pasta

Dumpling with Sausage Ragù or Gnocchi di Polenta

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Polenta Dumpling with Sausage Ragù Sauce or “Gnocchi di Polenta con il ragù di salsiccia”.

A delicious recipe with Polenta, quite healthy and a good alternative to eat Dumpling or “Gnocchi“. In Italy we eat Gnocchi on Thursday but you can definitely cook them everyday. A great lunch option for all the family! And the sauce is soooo good…

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 600 grams of Polenta (already cooked and cold – follow cooking instructions on package)
  • 2 Eggs Yolks
  • 200 grams of Flour and some extra flour
  • 60 grams of grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 Shallots
  • 250 grams of Ground Beef
  • 200 grams of Fresh Sausage + 1 Sausage
  • 1/2 glass of Red Wine
  • 400 ml of Tomato Sauce
  • 1 sprig of Rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 tablespoons of Water
  • Salt and Pepper as you preferred

Preparation

  1. In a pan pour 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 shallots cut into thin slices, 1 sprig of rosemary and 2 tablespoons of water and cook over low heat for 3 minutes.
  2. Add the sausage, previously peeled and crumbled and 1 sausage cut in 6 parts,  then add the ground beef, cook for 5 minutes and verse the red wine, let evaporate.
  3. Add the tomato sauce, salt, blankets and let cook over low heat for thirty minutes.
  4. Mash the Polenta with a potato masher two or three times, so as to soften it, pour into a bowl and mash it with your hands to remove any lump. Add the egg yolks, flour and 4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, mix well and then form a ball.
  5. Divide the dough into 8 parts and each obtained from a cord with a diameter of one inch, by rolling it on the floured surface. Cut the cords into pieces of 2-3 cm long and crush gently with the tip of the thumb on the fork.
  6. Cook the gnocchi, like pasta, in plenty of boiling water, lightly salted. The dumplings will be ready as soon as they surface. Transfer them to a serving platter and serve with the sausage ragù sauce, peaces of cut sausages and the grated Parmesan advanced.

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gnocchi polenta with ragu sausage

Categories
Lunch Main Pasta Seafood

Quick Spaghetti with Tuna, Rocket and Lemon or Pasta con Tonno

Spaghetti Pasta with Tuna, Rocket and Lemon or “Pasta con Tonno, Rughetta e Limone”

Pasta with tuna is always good: with tomato, cold as a pasta salad or hot. Here we propose an excellent recipe, fresh and super tasty but also a great solution for those who haven’t much time to cook. Canned tuna sparked with lemon creates a superb sauce that complements many pasta shapes, such as spaghetti or linguine, to name our favourites for this recipe. Whip up a delicious tuna and lemon pasta in less than 20 minutes!

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Spaghetti Pasta
  • 200 grams of Tuna Canned
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 100 grams Rocket
  • half Lemon juice
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

  1. Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a pan and include a clove of garlic, cook until the garlic is brown and then remove the garlic from the pan. Add the tuna canned (remove the extra oil from the canned tuna before using it) and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, add the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  2. Boil your pasta of choice according to the instructions on the package, very “al dente”, remove Pasta from the boiling water 1 minute before fully cooked, drain and finish cooking into the saucepan for 1 minutes more. Add the rocket cut just before serving and mix it.

TIP: add some capers to this recipe for a nice tasty southern variation.

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Spaghetti-tonno-limone 2

Categories
Italian Cooking Tips Lunch Main Pasta

5 Ideas to cook Pasta: Easy Fast and Tasty!

How to cook the real Italian Pasta, 5 delicious ideas: EASY, FAST AND TASTY recipes!

Few great traditional Italian Pasta ideas:

 

Spaghetti with Fresh tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese and Basil or “Spaghetti al Pomodoro, Basilico e Mozzarella”

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of  Maccheroni Pasta or Spaghetti Pasta
  • 10 fresh tomatoes like San Marzano or Canned Tomato
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • a sprig of Basil
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Black Pepper as preferred
  • Parmesan cheese as preferred
  • 200 grams of Mozzarella cheese cut in cubes

 Preparation

  1. In a pan pour 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a clove of crushed garlic, cook until the garlic becomes golden and then remove it, add the fresh tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  2. Cut the mozzarella cheese into chunks.
  3. In a saucepan, pour the water and salt (about 1 spoon/the water should taste a little bit salty), bring to a boil, add the pasta, cook according to package instructions until “al dente”, drain the pasta and transfer  into the pan with the tomato sauce, add cubes of mozzarella cheese and  add the basil leaves. Add Parmesan cheese on top and serve. The result is pretty amazing!

 

Rigatoni Gricia or “Pasta alla Gricia”

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Mezzemaniche  or Rigatoni Pasta
  • 200 grams of “Pancetta” or “Guanciale” (chopped, about 1-2cm) Pork similar to Bacon cut, or use bacon if pancetta is not available
  • 100 grams of grated Pecorino Cheese
  • Salt, Pepper as you prefer
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, of course

Preparation

1. Cut the bacon into strips and fry in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, once the bacon will become transparent and all the fat has melted, turn off the heat. Do not burn the bacon! Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot with salted water.

2. Drain the pasta “al dente”, take a few spoons of the cooking water and pour into the pan with the bacon. Add the grated pecorino cheese and plenty of black pepper, mix the sauce with pasta to make the Gricia, fry for a few minutes. Serve.

 

Spaghetti with Pesto and Tomato, with fresh Pachino and Pine Nuts

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Spaghetti Pasta
  • 2 tablespoons of Pine Nuts
  • 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 6 tablespoons of Pesto sauce
  • 40 Pachino Tomatoes
  • Salt, Basil as you prefer

Preparation

  1. Add the pine nuts to a pan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and let it cook for a few minutes, to brown the pine nuts but not burning them.
  2. Add the Pachino tomatoes to a pan, previously cut into chunks, and cook for 5 minutes with high heat, sprinkle with salt at the end.
  3. In the meanwhile, cook your pasta of choice in boiling salted water as from instructions on packaging and dilute the pesto with a few tablespoons of cooking water from the pasta itself. Drain it “al dente”, add it to the pan with tomatoes and saute a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the pesto on top.
  4. Serve pasta on the plate garnished with fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts and some chopped Pachino tomatoes.

Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Chili Spaghetti or “Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino”

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 400 grams of Spaghetti (like Barilla n°5)
  • 10 grams of Garlic
  • 10 grams Fresh Chili
  • 50 grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 5 grams of Parsley
  • Salt as preferred

Preparation

  1. Cut the fresh red chili into small strips (removing all the seeds inside), in the meanwhile in a pan heat the olive oil with the peeled garlic and chili. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté, after about 3 minutes remove the garlic – garlic and oil should not burn – and add a little of boiling water taken from the pasta cooking water.
  2. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water according to package directions. Drain the pasta as from instructions on the package to be “al dente“, and pour it into the pan, sauté for a few minutes, add the parsley and if needed add 4 tablespoons of cooking water. Serve immediately and hat.

TIP:  Garlic should always be fried in entire pieces or half big pieces, so that you can remove it once the oil got the flavor, the idea here is to get a garlic flavor not to eat entire garlic or worst scenario little garlic pieces all over pasta as in many fake Italian recipes often is suggested.

Farfalle with Tuna and Rocket or “Pasta con Tonno e Rughetta”

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Farfalle or Spaghetti
  • 200 grams of Tuna Canned
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 100 grams Rocket
  • half Lemon juice
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

  1. Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a pan and include a clove of garlic, cook until the garlic is brown and then remove the garlic from the pan. Add the tuna canned (remove the extra oil from the canned tuna before using it) and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, add the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  2. Boil your pasta of choice according to the instructions on the package, very “al dente”, remove Pasta from the boiling water 1 minute before fully cooked, drain and finish cooking into the saucepan for 1 minutes more. Add the rocket cut just before serving and mix it.

TIP: add some capers to this recipe for a nice tasty southern variation.

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pasta

 

Categories
Lunch Pasta

Classic Spaghetti Carbonara with Guanciale or Pancetta

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Traditional Roman “Spaghetti Carbonara” or Pasta with Eggs and Pancetta

The name of this traditional dish “Spaghetti Carbonara” means “Pasta made the charcoal men way”. The dish originates from Lazio area and is part of the Roman cooking tradition. You don’t need many ingredients to make a fantastic Italian pasta such as “Carbonara”. A delicious Classic Pasta often made at home for lunch in Italy.

Spaghetti used in this preparation should be very hot when dropped into the bowl. As the eggs are raw and they will cook instantaneously with the heat of the pasta, for a tasty naturally creamy sauce. You should use “Guanciale” instead of “Pancetta“, but you will find it only if you are lucky to leave in Italy!

Ingredients for 4 People

  • 150 g “Pancetta” or “Guanciale” (chopped, about 1-2cm) Pork meat similar to Bacon cut, or use bacon if “pancetta” is not available
  • 400 g Spaghetti
  • 4 Egg only yolks
  • freshly ground Black Pepper
  • 90 g freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese as an alternative if you don’t like Pecorino, about 6 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil or 60gr
  • Salt, to taste

Preparation

1. Fill a large pot with cold water and add a handful or so of sea salt. Cover the pot and heat the water until it boils. Add the olive oil, diced “Pancetta” to a cold sauté pan and cook slowly over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp. Drop the spaghetti into the boiling salted water and cook according to package instructions, 7-9 minutes or until “al dente”, tender but still firm to the bite.

2. While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs in a plate with the Pecorino or Parmesan cheese in a bowl and beat with a whisk until completely mixed. You can also mix half Pecorino and half Parmesan cheese as a variant if you wish. Do not overcook pasta, its crucial!

3. Drain the pasta, then add the cooked crispy “pancetta”, the eggs cream just made with cheese and egg yolks. It is important not to add the eggs in the warm pan but mix them with the pasta on a plate or they will become solid. Serve right away, with additional grated cheese and black pepper as desired. Simply wonderful.

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Spaghetti Carbonara

Categories
Lunch Main Pasta

Pasta Omelette with Anchovies, Olives, Raisins or Frittata di Zio Beppe

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of  Vermicelli Pasta omelet with Anchovies, Olives and Raisins or “Frittata di Vermicelli di Zio Beppe”

This recipe is a memory of Tiziana’s childhood when her uncle used to visit her at home and he would always prepare this Vermicelli pasta omelet or Frittata di vermicelli, he is from Tuscany but this recipe is typically from Naples.

Ingredients

  • ½ kg of Vermicelli Pasta( like Barilla n°8)
  • 150 grams of Anchovies
  • 150 grams of Anchovies Chopped
  • 150 grams of green olives
  • 150 grams of Black Olives
  • 100 grams of Raisin
  • 9 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • In addition: 30 grams of Pine Nuts if you like

Preparation

  1. In a pan add 6 tablespoon of Extra virgin Olive Oil and 150 grams of anchovies, cook for 2/3 minutes. After that Boil the water and cook Vermicelli pasta “al dente”, drain the pasta and season with the anchovy sauce.
  2. In a bowl pour 150 grams of chopped anchovies, green and black olives cut round, the raisins, previously soaked in warm water and squeezed well, and mix all the ingredients (at this point you can also add the pine nuts if you like).
  3. In a pan pour 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and heat, add half part of  Vermicelli Pasta, add the mixture of anchovies, olives and raisin and cover with the other part of Vermicelli pasta. Cook for 15/20 minutes then with the help of a lid reverse the fried “frittata” and verse the other part into the pan, cook for 15/20 minutes more. Enjoy!

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Categories
Main Pasta Vegetarian

Pasta with Tomato, Parmesan, Pecorino or Paccheri alla Scarpariello

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of  Pasta with Tomato sauce, Parmesan and Pecorino Cheese or “Paccheri alla Scarpariello”

Pasta Scarpariello way is a classic recipe of Neapolitan tradition, the basis for this recipe are fresh cherry tomatoes and cheese together to give life to a pasta dish to go mouth-watering just watching it! Paccheri are typical from Gragnano area.

The Origins of pasta “O’Scarpariello”: it takes his name from the Spanish shoemakers neighborhoods of Naples. It was prepared around noon, quickly with the ingredients that they had already in the house and with products that were given away to the shoemaker as payment for their services, such as cheese.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Paccheri Pasta or Maccheroni Pasta or Spaghetti
  • 600 grams of fresh Tomatoes
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 200 grams of grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 30 grams of grated Pecorino Cheese
  • Chilly as preferred
  • 6 leaves of Basil
  • Salt as preferred

Preparation

  1. Peel the garlic and chop it finely, do the same with the basil. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and slice thinly with a knife.
  2. Pour the oil in a large high pan, let the garlic and chilly fry, will be ready when browned. Do not burn them! Add the tomatoes and cook on high heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, then drain and pour into pan, turn the heat to low heat, stirring constantly, add the Parmesan cheese and Pecorino cheese. Before serving, add the fresh basil.

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lo-scarpariello

Categories
Main Pasta Vegetarian

Potatoes Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Basil or Gnocchi di Patate alla Sorrentina

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Potatoes Gnocchi with Tomato sand Basil Sauce or “Gnocchi di Patate al Pomodoro e Basilico”

A traditional dish of the Italian cuisine that you can find in all regions, with so many variations, their unique taste always brings us back in time. In the city of Rome the Potatoes Gnocchi are a traditional dish on Thursday , following the dictum Thursday Gnocchi or “Giovedì Gnocchi”. For some reason known is the saying “Laugh, laugh, mum made Potatoes Gnocchi”. A recipe for potato dumpling, cloaked in a top-notch sauce. Enjoy this mouthwatering Italian recipe for gnocchi with tomato sauce. And if you are preparing a nice lunch with friends consider baking them with mozzarella and Parmisan on top to make the best “Gnocchi alla Sorrentina”.

Ingredients for 4 people

Potatoes Gnocchi

  • 1 kg of yellow Potatoes
  • 300 grams of Flour
  • 50 grams of Flour
  • 1 Egg
  • 50 grams of grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and Nutmeg as preferred

Tomato sauce

  • 10 fresh tomatoes like San Marzano or Canned Tomato
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • a sprig of Basil
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Black Pepper as preferred
  • Parmisan cheese as preferred

Preparation

Gnocchi Preparation

  1. In a saucepan pour the water and potatoes, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes from the boil. Drain, peel and place them in a potato masher. Take a wooden pastry board, pour 50 grams of flour and verse the potatoes, let them cool.
  2. Add to the potatoes 150 grams of flour, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and a bit of salt, to form a fountain shape empty in the center and include an egg in the center. Process quickly, mix adding the remaining flour from the sides until getting a soft dough.
  3. Divide the dough into more pieces, bringing down every piece on a wooden pastry board to obtain cylinders of the diameter of a finger, cut each roll into pieces of about 2 cm long to get the gnocchi. Place them on a tray previously floured.

Tomatoes Sauce Preparation

  1. In a pan pour 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a clove of crushed garlic, cook until the garlic becomes golden and then remove it, add the fresh tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  2. In a saucepan, pour the water and salt (about 1 spoon/the water should taste a little bit salty), bring to a boil, add the gnocchi, cook them for few minutes, they are ready when they are all up on the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them into the pan with the tomato sauce, add the basil leaves. Add Parmisan cheese on top and serve.

TIP: you can also keep the gnocchi refrigerated and bake them later on with Parmisan cheese on top and mozzarella. This version is called Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. Spoon them into individual baking dishes, top with fresh mozzarella and more parmesan, and pop into the oven for 5 minutes, just long enough to melt the mozzarella. You can’t go wrong with Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. The result is pretty amazing.

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GNOCCHI-ALLA-SORRENTINA-3.jpg

Categories
Lunch Main Pasta

Roman Style Gnocchi or Gnocchi alla Romana

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Semolina Gnocchi or “Gnocchi alla Romana”

Gnocchi of Semolina or “Gnocchi alla Romana” is one of those recipes handed down from generation to generation. Aside from being flat-out delicious, one of the best things about “Gnocchi alla Romana” is how easy they are to make. One of those classic Roman dishes that you eat in Rome on a Thursday, just because Thursdays is “Gnocchi” day, or as we say in Rome: Thursday, Mom made dumplings!

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 1 lt of Milk
  • 250 grams of Semolina
  • 100 grams of Butter
  • 100 grams of Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. Verse the milk in a saucepan, add 20 g. of butter and a pinch of salt, cook until boiling, then pour in the semolina, adding it little by little in limited amount and slowly, mix vigorously with a wooden spoon, be careful, so that it does not aggregate in balls. This operation is very important because if the compound is not smooth and homogeneous, it compromises the success of the dish.

2. Cook the semolina for about 20 minutes while maintaining a low heat and stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and incorporate into the mixture 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, stirring vigorously. Pour then the mixture on on a very large tray (or on a clean table) slightly moistened with a wet spatula, spread it in an even layer of half a centimeter thick. Now let it cool. With a glass or a proper “gnocchi shaper”, cut the cold semolina layer in many disks of 4 cm. Cutting out the disks, they will form the “leftovers” of pasta very irregular: mix them up again and cut with the glass or “gnocchi shaper” them again to get other dumplings, do it again, until semolina is finished.

3. Then begins adding a layer of semolina discs completely covering the bottom of a buttered baking dish thoroughly, with a little of  melted butter added here and there on top together with a handful of grated parmesan cheese; make a second layer of dumplings, sprinkle with more melted butter and sprinkle with cheese. Finish the layers with plenty of cheese. Put the baking dish in the oven at 200 degrees and cook the gnocchi until their surface will have formed a nice golden crust, it will take about 20 minutes. Enjoy.

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Categories
Main Pasta

Pasta with Ham, Zucchini, Saffron or Farfalle Zucchine, Speck e Zafferano

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Farfalle” Pasta with Speck, Zucchini and Saffron or “Pasta con Zucchine, Speck e Zafferano”

 

A delicious pasta dish with Zucchini, Speck, Saffron. Speck is a smocked ham typically from the North of Italy, which is simply delicious. A very special cured ham. This is an everyday pasta easy to make and a great healthy choice for a lunch at home. A good idea if don’t have much time to cook and wish to have a healthy meal. This pasta brings back lots of wonderful childhood memories. A very nice option for a quick lunch with family and friends!

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 400 grams Farfalle Pasta
  • 120 grams of Speck  Ham, if you can’t find the smocked Speck Ham, cured Parma Ham can be a substitute
  • 5 Zucchini
  • ½ Blonde Onion
  • 16 grams of Saffron
  • grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Parsley
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt as preferred

Preparation

1. Cut the zucchini into thin slices, chop the parsley, chop the onion and Speck ham into thin strips. In a pan, brown the onion in the oil (do not burn them!) then add the Speck ham and parsley and cook for some minutes, add the zucchini and a pinch of salt.

2. Cook the Pasta in boiling water with salt, as from instructions on package, when Farfalle are cooked “al dente” add the Pasta into the pan with the sauce with a little of the cooking water and stir adding a little of the saffron powder. Before serving, add a handful of grated Parmesan. Enjoy hot.

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Categories
Basic Preparations or How To Pasta

How to Cook the Real Italian Pasta to the Tooth or “al Dente”

How to cook the Real Italian Pasta, Cooking Pasta the Italian way “al Dente”

How to cook Italian Pasta “al Dente” step by step? This is vital for any pasta recipe. Italians assume everyone knows HOW TO COOK PASTA by heart. But this is not true for everyone. Especially if you have never seen someone cooking pasta the Italian way while growing up, it can be not that intuitive. You might forget to add salt for example to the boiling water, which is wrong, or even choose to add some oil to the boiling water, not needed at all. With our step by step suggestions, you can’t go wrong!  Cook Italian pasta wonderfully with this all Italian technique.

1° step – Boiling Water in a Pot

Add a large and long pot of water on the bigger fire, for around 3/4 full of water, on high flame, add big salt (about what there is in a fist/around 1-2 spoons, depends on the pot size), water should taste a little bit salty if tasted with a spoon – a bit less salty then sea water.

Acque-bolle

2° step – Cover the Pasta Pot

Cover with a lid to reach boiling temperature faster. If you want to be even faster add cool water in an electric boiler and then add it to the Pot and follow the same instructions, water already warm will be boiling right away.

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3° step – The Water Boils!

Bring Pasta to a rapid boil with high temperature on a large fire, it should take around five mins.

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4° step – Now you can add your Pasta of choice (NOT BEFORE)

Add the Pasta and with a wooden spoon, stir well so it does not stick to the bottom. Continue cooking without replacing the lid. Stir it occasionally also while it cooks.

farfalle_cooking time

5°step – Cook Pasta until “al Dente” and test your pasta before draining it

Check on the package the expected cooking time always “al Dente” or “to the Tooth” but a couple of minutes before draining the pasta taste it to see if it is cooked, and salty enough, if Pasta is tasteless add a little of salt, if you feel it still strongly crunchy is not cooked yet, if it has still some consistency, a little bite to it is ready: perfect. If pasta is overcooked instead it will be soft or very soft, not nice at all. In this case we suggest you start again from step 1 with other new Pasta!

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6°step – Ready to Drain

Move fast. Drain Pasta as soon as possible. Drain in a colander set in the sink. Or a slotted skimmer would be ideal to drain gently ravioli or tortellini a few at a time. You might want to keep 1 cup of boiled water on the side, to be used if necessary to the sauce last minute.

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7°step – Add Pasta to the Sauce

Add Pasta to your sauce mix it and in case finish cooking for a min to absorb all the sauce or as directed from your Pasta recipe – be careful not to overcook pasta. Enjoy.

 

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Categories
Lunch Main Pasta

Classic Fettuccine Boscaiola with Mushrooms and Sausage

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Forest’s Fettuccine fresh Pasta with Porcini Mushrooms and Italian Sausage or “alla Boscaiola”

This easy recipe will leave everyone happy. Simple but very tasty, a recipe enriched from the flavors of the forest and the mountain. There are many variations of this sauce, one quite popular includes peas with cream but WE LOVE IT SIMPLE, OUR OWN WAY as below. It comes together in about as much time as it takes to boil and cook the pasta. So easy to make and delicious!

 

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 400 grams of Fresh Fettuccine Pasta
  • 250 grams of Italian Pork Sausage
  • 200 grams of Porcini Mushrooms
  • 1 glass of White Wine
  • 4 cloves of Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped Parsley
  • 5 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. Clean the mushrooms by removing the earth (remember that should not be left in water for long or they will absorb it like a sponge) and cut into slices not too thin. Take the grainy Italian pork sausages, eliminate the skin, in the meantime in a pan pour 5 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 4 cloves of peeled garlic browned (not burned), add the sausage and stir with a wooden spoon, trying to separate the meat from the sausage into small pieces.

2. Let the meat cook over high heat until it becomes golden, add the mushrooms in chunks and sprinkle with a glass of white wine. When the wine has evaporated, add 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and turn the heat very low, sauce is ready.

3. Cook the fresh fettuccine pasta according to the Italian tradition “al dente”, in a saucepan pour plenty of water and salt when it reaches boiling temperature add fettuccine to cook as directed, drain quickly and pour into the pan – with low heat – and mix with the sauce, add a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. You can add parmesan cheese on top as you prefer. Served, enjoy.

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Categories
Healthy Main Pasta Vegetarian

Easy Auntie Anna’s Fusilli Pasta with Pesto of Zucchini

How to prepare the real Auntie Anna’s Italian recipe of “Fusilli Pasta with Pesto of Zucchini”

A good alternative to the classic pesto sauce, this recipe from Tiziana’s auntie Anna, is a simple recipe an easy option for an healthy Sunday lunch with family and friends. This Pesto is made with Zucchini or Courgettes, Basil, Parmesan or Pecorino, Pine Nuts and of course Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A deliciously simple Pesto of Zucchini pasta that is full of fresh flavors, also perfect for a weekday evening meal. Any pasta will taste great with this recipe, so just pick your favorite and enjoy.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Fusilli Pasta
  • 300 grams of Zucchini
  • 1/2 cloves of garlic
  • 50 grams of Pine nuts
  • 60 grams of Parmesan Cheese or Pecorino Cheese
  • 100 grams of Basil
  • 125 grams of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. In a pan heat 50 grams of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with garlic until becomes blonde – not burned -then add the zucchini (or courgettes), previously cut round and thin, cover and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes until are stiffened (if necessary add half glass of water).

2. In the other pan toast the pine nuts, when ready add to the zucchini with parmesan, a pinch of salt and the fresh basil mix well. Fresh basil is an important ingredient not to forget! Put the zucchini mix in a blender with 65 grams of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, mix all together until the sauce is creamy.

3. Cook the Fusilli or Spaghetti Pasta, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8 to 10 minute as from instructions and always until al dente. Do not overcook pasta! Drain and mix with the zucchini sauce, serve.

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Pasta with zucchini pesto.

Categories
Basic Preparations or How To Pasta

How to Make Tortellini Pasta with Ham from Scratch

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Homemade Tortellini Pasta with Ham from Scratch or “Tortellini al Prosciutto fatti in Casa”

Tortellini Pasta is one of the best dishes of the Italian tradition. Typical of the region of Emilia Tortellini are often cooked for dinner parties and especially for the Christmas lunch or New Year celebrations. Often we eat tortellini with broth but there are also other variants with delicious sauces, with tomato or cream for example. Learning the fine art of rolling, stuffing, and shaping these fetching little dumplings is easier than what you might think and the results will be outstanding!

Ingredients for 400 Tortellini Pasta, for 20 People

  • The main ingredients for Pasta and Filling as follow below.

Ingredients for Fresh Pasta made with Egg or “Pasta all’Uovo”

  • 8 Eggs
  • 800 grams of Flour

Ingredients for Meat Filling with Ham

  • 150 grams of Chicken
  • 150 grams of Veal
  • 150 grams of Pork
  • 150 grams of Beef
  • 150 grams of Parma Ham (just 1 slices of 150 grams)
  • 150 grams of Parmesan Cheese grated
  • 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt, Pepper and Nutmeg as you prefer
  • half glass of White Wine

Preparation of the Fresh Pasta with Egg or “Pasta all’uovo”

By Hand: On a clean wood surface make a well with the flour. In a measuring cup mix the eggs, pour the wet mixture slowly into the flour and mix with your 2 fingers until all of the wet is incorporated. Do not force the dough to take all of the flour. If you are going to use a pasta 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 going to roll this by hand you should knead the dough on a floured work surface for 8 to 10 minutes.

tortellini_preparazione

Preparation of  Tortellini

In a pan verse Oil, chicken, veal, pork and beef previously diced. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes after that verse white wine and cook for 10 minutes more. When ready putt all in a mixer, add the parma ham cut and mix for 5 minutes. In a bowl verse the meat, add the parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, eggs and mix well. Let rest into the fridge for 5 hours.

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Using the fresh pasta recipe, roll out your dough either by hand or by machine. Cut into 3 or 4-inch rounds with a round cookie cutter. Place 1/4 teaspoon of the meat into the center of each round. Brush water wash, on the bottom half of the round, and fold over to seal. Fold back around your finger and turn down the edge to form a tortellini. Ready to freeze or cooking directly and served with your preferred sauce of choice. Enjoy.

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TIPS:

Don’t over-stuff your pasta: This gets tempting because, half of what we love about tortellini is the soft and tasty filling. But more often than not, over-stuffing makes it tricky to seal the tortellini and leads to dumplings that burst in the cooking pot. Stick to about 1 teaspoon of filling for each pasta wrapper.

Keep the pasta covered: Pasta dries out surprisingly quickly if left uncovered, which makes it difficult to work with and prone to tearing. Keep both the remaining pieces of dough, the rolled out sheets of pasta, and the shaped tortellini covered with a piece of plastic wrap or a clean dish towel.

Use ample flour: Ironically for something that dries out so quickly, the shaped tortellini love to stick to the tray and to each other. Be sure to keep both the tray and the tortellini dusted with a good amount of flour and don’t let the tortellini touch each other once you have shaped them.

Give yourself enough time: Making tortellini is definitely not hard, but it takes time. Give yourself at least a few hours to make an entire batch. Tortellini freezes beautifully, so you can make them and keep them frozen until it’s time to party.

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 drainedPrepare 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
Healthy Lunch Main Pasta Vegetarian

Healthy Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Tomato and Basil Pasta or “Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Basilico”

There are many different ways to prepare this easy and quick recipe but below you can find the original one. Spaghetti Pasta with tomato sauce and basil is an everyday classic of the Italian cuisine: simple, easy, quick and tasty. It tastes great with any type of pasta: spaghetti, rigatoni, linguine, lasagna and fettuccine or on ravioli. A delicious sauce made with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. You can’t miss it!

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 350 grams of Spaghetti Pasta (Like De Cecco or Barilla)
  • 600 grams of San Marzano canned Tomatoes or fresh red Tomatoes, 8-10 pounds Tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 9 Basil leaves, at least 1 cup
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt as you prefer
  • 50 grams of Parmesan Cheese

Preparation

 

1. Wash and chop the fresh tomatoes. Wash and peel the garlic. Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a large saucepan over medium heat, once hot, add the garlic just unpeeled – garlic should be removed after cooking. Once the garlic have softened (do not burn it!), add the chopped tomatoes, basil, salt and cook for about 20 minutes.

2. In the meanwhile in a large pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta as from instructions “al dente“, the traditional way: read well the cooking instructions on the pasta box. Drain pasta al dente and toss with the tomato sauce, sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan Cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil raw.

TIP: Fresh tomatoes and a touch of basil added in the end for a nice aroma is a fresh healthy option for this light dish. Garlic should be removed before adding the sauce to the pasta “al dente”.

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Categories
Cheese Lunch Main Pasta

Classic Spaghetti Pecorino and Black Pepper, Cacio e Pepe

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Pecorino Cheese and Black Pepper Spaghetti or “Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe”

Cacio e Pepe is an easy and quick recipe from Rome, a typical Roman pasta dish. The name literally means “Cheese and Pepper“, the ingredients of the dish are very simple and include only black pepper, Pecorino Romano cheese, and pasta.  Cacio e Pepe is typically made with long, thin spaghetti, such as tonnarelli or vermicelli or its also amazing with short pasta like rigatoni. It is among the simplest pasta, but if well prepared it can be wonderful.

 

 

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 400 grams of Spaghetti Pasta (like De Cecco)
  • 160 grams of grated Pecorino Cheese
  • Plenty of Black Pepper
  • Salt as you prefer

Preparation

1. In a bowl grate the Pecorino Romano cheese and add a little of cooking water (from the pasta boiling water), add plenty of pepper.

2. In the meanwhile bring water to a boil in a tall pot with a bit of salt.  Cook spaghetti or rigatoni pasta as directed on package, drain pasta “al dente” and pour into a bowl with the pecorino cheese sauce previously made, saute it all for 2 minutes to make sure that all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Serve with additional grated pecorino on top.

TIP: The only precaution to be taken in preparing this dish is to leave some of the hot cooking water with the pasta: the heat melts the cheese while the starches in the water help bind the pepper and cheese to the pasta. Reserve some pasta water using a ladle. While you are boiling spaghetti, the pasta releases starch into the water.  Since starch is naturally sticky, it helps Pecorino Romano cheese fats to amalgamate well with both water and pasta.

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Categories
Lunch Main Pasta Vegetarian

Easy Garlic, Oil and Chili Spaghetti

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Chili Spaghetti or “Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino”

A classic and very simple dish of the Italian cuisine, cooking at home made the simplest, fast and delicious. This typical late-night Roman dish is astonishingly fully flavored, and it’s so easy and inexpensive to make. Start the water before you do anything else because the sauce takes less than 10 minutes start to finish.For variety try out additional ingredients such as courgettes, asparagus or mushrooms, be creative and fast. A wonderful solution when there is little time to cook. So easy and so delicious!

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 400 grams of Spaghetti Pasta (like Barilla n°5)
  • 10 grams of Garlic
  • 10 grams Fresh Chili
  • 50 grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 5 grams of Parsley
  • Salt as preferred

Preparation

1. Cut the fresh red chili into small strips (removing all the seeds inside), in the meanwhile in a pan heat the olive oil with the peeled garlic and chili. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté, after about 3 minutes remove the garlic – garlic and oil should not burn – and add a little of boiling water taken from the pasta cooking water.

2. Boil pasta in plenty of salted water according to package directions. Drain the pasta as from instructions on the package to be “al dente“, and pour it into the pan, sauté for a few minutes, add the parsley and if needed max 4 tablespoons of cooking water. Serve immediately and hat.

TIP:  Garlic should always be fried in entire pieces or half big pieces, so that you can remove it once the oil got the flavor, the idea here is to get a garlic flavor not to eat entire garlics or worst scenario little garlic pieces all over pasta as in many fake Italian recipes often is suggested.

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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
Lunch Main Pasta Vegetarian

Angry Penne, Pasta Tomato and Chily or Penne all’Arrabbiata

How to prepare the real Italian Recipe of “Angry Penne Pasta with Tomato sauce and chili or Pasta all’Arrabbiata”

The easy spicy favorite pasta of the Italian cuisine. Although this recipe has undergone many changes generally this below is commonly used as the real recipe in Rome for “Penne all’Arrabiata”.

Ingredients for 6 people

  • 320 grams of Pasta “Penne”
  • 3 or 4 Garlic gloves
  • Hot Chili as preferred
  • 500 grams of Tomato sauce or you can also use fresh slices of tomato for a healthier version
  • 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Parsley as preferred (do not use cilantro – never!)

Preparation

1. Add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and red pepper to a pan, fry for few minutes. Don’t let the garlic turn brown, after 2 minutes max, add the tomato sauce and a little bit of salt. Reduce the heat, cook for another few minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the tomatoes into the sauce.

2. Cook for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, cook the penne according to the packet instructions. Boil the Penne pasta and dress with the tomato sauce and chopped parsley. Mix the pasta with sauce and garnish with parsley, optional, add and handful of grated parmesan cheese.

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Categories
Pasta Pork

Classic Rigatoni Pasta Gricia

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Rigatoni alla Gricia” or Rigatoni Pasta Gricia

Pasta Gricia is a very popular first course of Lazio region in the center of Italy, it seems to be the original ancestor of matriciana, an ancient version without tomato.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Rigatoni Pasta
  • 200 grams of “Pancetta” or “Guanciale” (chopped, about 1-2cm) Pork similar to Bacon cut, or use bacon if pancetta is not available
  • 100 grams of grated Pecorino Cheese
  • Salt, Pepper as you prefer
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, of course

Preparation

1. Cut the bacon into strips and fry in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, once the bacon will become transparent and all the fat has melted, turn off the heat. Do not burn the bacon! Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot with salted water.

2. Drain the pasta “al dente”, take a few spoons of the cooking water and pour into the pan with the bacon. Add the grated pecorino cheese and plenty of black pepper, mix the sauce with pasta to make the Gricia, fry for a few minutes.

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Categories
Pasta

Spaghetti with Pesto, Pachino Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Pasta with Pesto or “Pasta al Pesto”, in this case, Spaghetti with Pesto, fresh Pachino tomato and pine nuts

A tasty and healthy variation of this recipe from Liguria, a region in the north of Italy which is the home of our pesto sauce.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 320 grams of Spaghetti Pasta
  • 2 tablespoons of Pine Nuts
  • 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 6 tablespoons of Pesto sauce
  • 40 Pachino Tomatoes
  • Salt, Basil as you refer

Preparation

1. Add the pine nuts to a pan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and let it cook for a few minutes, not to brown the pine nuts. Include the Pachino tomatoes, previously cut into cubes, to the pan and cook for 5 minutes with high heat, sprinkle with salt at the end.

2. In the meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water and dilute the pesto with a few tablespoons of cooking water from the pasta itself. Drain the pasta, throw it in the pan with the tomatoes and saute a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the pesto.

3. Serve garnished pasta in the dishes to taste with the fresh basil leaves, of the toasted pine nuts in a pan and some chopped Pachino tomatoes.

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Categories
Lunch Main Pasta Pork

Pasta with Ragu’ or Tagliatelle Bolognese

 

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of the Best Pasta with Ragù or “Tagliatelle alla Bolognese”

Bolognese Ragu’ sauce, in Italian “Ragù alla Bolognese”, is a meat based sauce for pasta originating from Emilia Romagna, Bologna, in the center of Italy. It is usually used to dress tagliatelle and may also be used to prepare “Lasagne alla Bolognese”. In Italy, the “Ragù alla Bolognese” can be called today simply as “Ragù, Pasta al Ragu’ “. Outside Italy the Bolognese sauce often refers to a tomato sauce with meat added, beef or pork, and typically bears little resemblance to the true “Ragù alla Bolognese”. In ancient times the kind of meat used was a beef brisket (a fatty belly part) that needed to be cooked for about 2 hours, we include here a lighter, healthier and quicker version.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 1/2 kg of Pasta, tagliatelle or fettuccine
  • 100 gr. of Ground Pork
  • 200 grams of Ground Beef
  • 80 grams of “pancetta (pan-chet-ah) distesa”, or diced bacon as a substitute
  • 50 grams of Carrot
  • 50 grams of Celery
  • 50 grams of Onion
  • 1 tablespoon of  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 glass of White Wine
  • 2 tablespoons Tomato sauce concentrate gr. 20 or 5 tablespoons of Tomato sauce
  • a cup of Broth
  • 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Parmesan Cheese as preferred like Parmigiano Reggiano

Useful Tools: terracotta pot with a diameter of about 20 cm, wooden spoon.

Preparation

1. Chop the vegetables, add them in a pan together with “pancetta” and sauté in the oil as soon as everything is golden add the meat and mix. Let cook everything well, then add the wine, once evaporated, add the tomato paste diluted with the broth.

2. Season with salt and pepper put the lid on and cook slowly for about 30 minutes, adding salt and black pepper, once the sauce is thickened add the cream. Boil in salted water 1/2 kg of pasta, tagliatelle or fettuccine, drain “al dente”, do not overcook them, and dress with the sauce, sprinkle everything with Parmesan cheese.

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Categories
Dinner Pasta Soups

Pasta and Chickpeas Soup, “Pasta e Ceci”

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Chickpeas and Pasta Soup or Pasta e Ceci”

Chickpeas and Pasta soup is a whole Italian dish from the region of Lazio. It’s absolutely delicious, healthy and tasty especially if it accompanied with a good glass of red wine.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 500 grams of Dried Chickpeas
  • 300 grams of Ditali Pasta (it’s a kind of Italian pasta perfect for this recipe, as well you can use spaghetti Chopped)
  • 3 fillets of Anchovies
  • 1 tablespoon of Tomato paste
  • 3 sprigs of Rosemary
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Black Pepper as you prefer

Preparation

1. Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 12 hours. Drain and rinse. Pour into a saucepan plenty of water and a sprig of rosemary and let cook for 3 hours. Salted chickpeas just 10 minutes before turning off the fire. In a pan pour 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 cloves of crushed garlic , cook for 3 minutes over medium heat , remove the garlic and add anchovies and after 2 minutes, add the tomato paste diluted in a previously glass of warm water , and simmer to reduce the sauce for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the drained chickpeas (retaining the cooking water), 1 sprig of rosemary and let cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 cups of water from cooking the chickpeas, salt and cook with the lid on low heat for about 1 hour, remembering to add water from cooking the chickpeas as it dries.

3. Deleting the rosemary and mix all together, put on the fire and bring to a boil, add salt, pour the pasta and you switch off the fire. Let stand for 1 hour. When it’s ready serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper plentiful.

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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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Cannelloni-al-pomodoro_1e46_5829

Categories
Lunch Main Pasta Seafood

Lasagna with Fresh Salmon or Lasagna al Salmone

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Lasagna with fresh Salmon or Italian Lasagna Recipe with Salmon”

The Classic Lasagna with Salmon is a delicious and easy dish, a luscious variation of the classic starter of the traditional Italian dish.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 250 grams of fresh Lasagna or Barilla lasagna (Italian brand)
  • 250 gram of fresh Salmon
  • 500 grams of “Besciamella” or Béchamel
  • A sprinkling of Black Pepper
  • 3 tablespoons of White Wine
  • 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 100 grams of grated Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients for the Besciamella or Béchamel Sauce

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

Preparation of The 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.

OUR SECRET: how to check if the béchamel is ready, when you put the spoon into the sauce and you take it out the sauce stays firmly attached to the spoon, sticky.

Preparation: Salmon

2. Pour in a pan 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Salmon, previously cut into small pieces, and brown for a few minutes, add 3 tablespoons of white wine and let it evaporate. In a large pot pour the water and bring to a boil. Once you reach the boil, dip one by one the sheets of lasagna, dip for 3 second no more.

Now we can assemble the lasagna and bake it

3. Start by placing a little bit of béchamel sauce on the bottom of the casserole, then build the 4 layers of lasagna, alternating pasta, salmon with béchamel and grated parmesan and than for 3 layers more. End the lasagna with the salmon and béchamel and grated parmesan. Bake uncovered at 200°degrees.

4. Once ready take them out from the oven and leave in the pan for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

Lasagna al salmone

Categories
Christmas Dinner Pasta Vegetarian

Lasagna Pesto, Ricotta and Pachino Tomatoes

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Lasagna Pesto, Ricotta Cheese, and Pachino Tomatoes”

Lasagna is a kind of Pasta which is flat and thin, Ricotta is a fresh typical  Italian cheese and Pachino is a quality of tomatoes from Pachino, Sicily. The best of Italy, fresh, high-quality ingredients needed for this healthy vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 250 grams of Lasagna or 1 Box of Barilla (Italian Brand)
  • 100 grams of grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 300 gr of Pesto
  • 400 grams of Ricotta Cheese
  • 600 grams of Pachino Tomatoes
  • Half Liter of Bechamel
  • Extra Virgin  Olive Oil
  • Salt, Pepper as preferred

Besciamella or Béchamel Sauce

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

Preparation 1° 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.

THE SECRET: the bechamel is ready just when you put the spoon into the sauce and when you take out the sauce stays firmly attached to the spoon.

Preparation 2° The Tomato Sauce

2. In a pan, cook the Pachino tomatoes with 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Oil Olive, salt and half glass of hot water for 10 minutes, without restricting too much the sauce.

3. In a bowl mix the ricotta cheese with a bit of milk dissolved (half glass ) and pesto.

Preparation 3° The Lasagna Pasta

4. Cook the lasagna according to the instructions. About 8 minutes in 6 quarts of boiling salted water. Drain, rinse with cold water. Lay the individual lasagna noodles out on kitchen towels, very delicate, not touching between each other, so they do not stick together while you layer the casserole.

5. Start by placing a little bit of béchamel sauce on the bottom of the casserole, then build the 4 layers of lasagna, alternating pasta, béchamel sauce, Ricotta Cheese and Pesto, Pachino Tomatoes Sauce and Grated Parmesan Cheese and then again for 3 layers more. Finish the lasagna with béchamel sauce, Ricotta Cheese and Pesto, Pachino Tomatoes Sauce and Grated Parmesan Cheese.

6. Bake uncovered at 200° degrees until the lasagne is bubbling and the corners are getting brown; about 30 minutes…

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The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

Lasagna Pesto, Ricotta Cheese e Pachino Tomatos

 

Categories
Christmas Lunch Pasta

Traditional Lasagna Bolognese or Ragu’

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of the authentic  Lasagna Bolognese or “Lasagna alla Bolognese”

A very traditional Italian recipe for the special celebrations or for a Sunday lunch with all the family. An authentic meatier recipe from the North of Italy. Ragu’ Lasagne are great to prepare as you can prepare them in advance and bake last minute.

Ingredients for 4 people

Ragu’ alla Bolognose (Bolognese Sauce)

  • 2 Carrots
  • 1 White Onion
  • 1 Stalk Celery
  • 1 glass of Milk
  • 1 glass of hot Water
  • 400 grams of different minced Meat (300 grams of beef and 100 grams of pork)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons or more as preferred
  • 1 tube of concentrate Tomato
  • Salt and Pepper as you prefer

Bechamel

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

Ingredients

  • 100 grams of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 300 grams of Mozzarella Cheese
  • 250 grams of Lasagna or 1 box of Lasagna, like “Barilla” Italian brand

Preparation 1° 

Ragu’ alla Bolognese – Bolognese Sauce

Make the “soffritto” tasty fried base for the sauce, mixing finely chopped onion, carrots and celery in a pan with 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Oil Olive cook over medium heat until onion turns pale gold. Add the beef, the pork to the “soffritto” base, sprinkle with salt and pepper, increase the heat to high for 5 minutes after that reduce to medium and cook for 15 minutes until the water of meats is reduced. Add 1 glass of milk until to reduce it and after that add 1 tube of concentrate tomato with 1 glass of hot water, cook for 1 hour and half and reduce the heat to medium.

Preparation 2° 

The Béchamel Sauce

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.

THE SECRET: the bechamel is ready just when you put the spoon into the sauce and when you take out the sauce stays firmly attached to the spoon.

Preparation 3°

The Lasagna

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook the lasagna according to instructions. About 8 minutes in 6 quarts of boiling salted water. Drain, rinse with cold water. Lay the individual lasagna noodles out on kitchen towels, not touching, so they do not stick together while you layer the casserole. Start by placing a little bit of béchamel sauce on the bottom of the casserole, then build the 4 layers of lasagna, alternating pasta, béchamel sauce, Bolognese sauce, Mozzarella cheese and Grated Parmesan Cheese and then again for 3 layers more. End the lasagna with meat, béchamel sauce, and the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 200°degrees until the lasagne is bubbling and the corners are getting brown; about 40/50 minutes.

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The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

lasagne