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.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

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Categories
Beef Pork Veal

Romantic Ginger Meatballs or Polpette allo Zenzero

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Romantic Meatballs with Ginger”

Healthy and easy to prepare Meatballs or “Polpette” is a classic delicious Italian recipe for adults and children, but we added a popular Eastern flavor to it: “Ginger”, for a spicy interesting taste. Set these juicy ginger meatballs out on a platter, drizzle with a ginger-spiked sauce of soy and dark brown sugar and serve with toothpicks alongside a nice Italian wine.

Ingredients for n°18/20 Meatballs

  • 200 grams of Ground Veal
  • 200 grams of Ground Pork
  • 200 grams of Ground Beef
  • 190 grams of Breadcrumbs
  • mix of Herbs as you prefer: Basil, Lemon Verbena, Oregano, Rosemary, Parsley
  • 2 glasses of Water
  • the juice of 2 Lemons
  • grated Ginger and grated Celery as you prefer
  • Salt

Preparation

  1. In a pot add the juice of 2 lemons to soak, with 2 glasses of water and the bread for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes add the 3 different kinds of meat, salt and herbs, grated ginger and grated celery, mix all together for 5 minutes.
  2. Now we will prepare the meatballs! Prepare the Ginger meatballs of approx 10 grams each, making shapes like golf balls with the mixed meat. How? With wet hands shape into small meatballs the size of a golf ball or even smaller. Pass the meatballs on grated breadcrumbs.
  3. Meantime, take a large pan, and fill it with extra virgin olive oil. Fry the meatballs in this large pan with a little oil until nicely browned. Quickly dip the meatballs one by one and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Present with lemon or lime cut into slices on a large serving dish. Or serve on top of white rice with soy sauce on the side.

TIP: Alternatively, for a light version, Bake 40 minutes at 160°. Hand grating bread crumbs is the most basic way to get bread crumbs. Grab a metal cheese grater and a large piece of bread with the crust removed, use dried bread (not fresh!).

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

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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.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

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