Traditional Tuscan Pici

Pici is another shape of pasta and is typical of our region: Tuscany!

Usually we serve with garlic sauce " all'aglione" or with duck sauce "con la nana", anyway you can use also meat sauce or boar meat sauce.

 

Ingredients

 

500 g flour 0

10g olive oil

salt

200g water ( or enough water to knead gently with your hands until the dough is smooth and elastic)

 

On the pastry board put the flour, pour a little warm water, salt and knead until the mixture is elastic. Wrap the dough in a cloth, let it rest for 40 minutes. Roll out the dough and cut into wide ribbons giving the shape of thick spaghetti.

The original recipe do not allow eggs, anyway I found few recipe with 1 egg, I think that is not necessary.

 

 

 

Lasagna chic... with pesto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A different lasagna, tasty but with a delicate flavour. Try this recipe is very easy and you will offer a different and elegant dish to your guests!

Ingredients for 4 people

 

300g. fresh Italian pesto

2 doses of béchamel (white cream, see my basic recipe)

fresh egg pasta sheets

100g butter

 

 

Start to mix béchamel and pesto,in a baking tray put some pieces of butter, spread a layer of pasta (which I recommend to cook before) pour over the mixture of pesto and béchamel, continue to spread pasta sheets until you will finish all ingredients.

Bake in preheated oven to 250° for 12 minutes, let it rest and cool. Serve warm, ideal with a white wine of Liguria region.

Typical Italian Lasagna with meat sauce ( or Bolognese Lasagna)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a typical and traditional Italian Lasagna, other versions are very good but the historic recipe is the following:

Ingredients for 6 people

Egg pasta sheets ( use one dose of my Italian Fresh Egg Pasta Basic recipe or one pack of ready-egg pasta sheets)
Meat Sauce ragout (use a dose of my own recipe "Tuscan meat sauce")
Béchamel (1 dose of my own recipe "Béchamel")
Butter for greasing the baking tray
50/70g parmesan cheese.

Boil salted water with a tablespoon of olive oil to cook the pasta for few minutes, ( the olive will avoid the pasta from sticking). Put in  the pan a few flakes of butter, start to spread the first layer of pasta, then pour few tablespoons of meat sauce and béchamel. Continue to spread egg pasta, sauce and  béchamel  until you terminate all the ingredients. Garnish the top with meat sauce, béchamel and parmesan. Bake in preheated oven at 220 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool few minutes, cut the lasagna and serve hot. A Tuscan red wine Sangiovese is perfect to go with this dish.

Italian Fish Lasagna

 

In Italy there are many variations of this recipe, even I have to admit that it changes on basis of products which I buy in fishmonger, anyway I never forget cuttlefish, because it gives a particular taste to lasagna, for all other ingredients you can use whatever you want.

Ingredients 4 people

1 big cuttlefish
2/3 slices of salmon
200g. smooth hound
8 king prawns
2 shallots
70g. butter
A bunch of fresh parsley
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 glass of white wine
Egg pasta for lasagna
béchamel
50g. Grated pecorino romano

Clean and wash the fish, lightly fry the butter, parsley and scallions chopped, add the pieces of cuttlefish and tomato paste, stir everything.
After 5 minutes, add the pieces of salmon and the smooth hound, I highly recommend you to remove plugs, leather and so on. Stir, add the shelled prawns, wine and raise the heat in order to evaporate the alcohol. Simmer until the cuttlefish will not be tender.
Remove from heat and with the mixer blend the mixture: be careful not to become a cream, if there remain some pieces of fish is better. Stir in béchamel, season with salt and pepper.

For the béchamel: use 2 doses of my basic recipe.

In a baking tray put some pieces of butter, spread a layer of pasta (which I recommend to cook before) pour over the mixture of fish and béchamel, then again spread a layer of pasta and so on until you will finish the sauce. At the end, sprinkle with cheese and few pieces of butter.
Bake in preheated oven to 250 degrees for about 20 minutes, serve warm with a fresh and fruity white wine. This lasagna is very light and has a very delicate taste.

Tortelli Maremmani

  

This dish is a typical recipe of Maremma and Grosseto, I love them and I could eat 10 tortelli each time! I suggest tortelli which is an economy and healthy recipe.

Homemade eggs pasta
2 eggs
200g flour 0
salt
2 tbsps water

For the filling
300 g. ricotta
400g. fresh Swiss chard ( without ribs)
5 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese

Pour the flour over pastry board and make a well in the centre where you add eggs, water and salt, work the dough until will be elastic and divide in strips and let it rest for 30 minutes before to roll out it.
In the meantime prepare the filling: mix in a bowl ricotta cheese, boiled swiss chard, drained and chopped, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and salt, stir until smooth.

Roll out the dough and prepare strips with a width of 20cm, with a spoon place in the centre mixture and turn down, use a fork to close Tortelli and cut all.

Boil ravioli in salted boiling water for about 5/7 minutes, drain well, toss with the sauce that you prefer and serve hot. Usually we garnish tortelli with ragout/meat sauce or boar meat sauce, anyway are very nice only with melted butter and few leaves of sage.

 

Homemade Italian Gnocchi

 

 

Every chef who cooks authentic Italian cuisine will at some point attempt gnocchi recipe!

In Italy exist many types of Gnocchi, the most famous are prepared with potaotes, but can be made with pumpkin, ricotta, green beans, semolina or polenta.

Consider 200g of gnocchi per person, the below indicated quantity of flour changes by the type of potatoes you will use and ig you will let cool the puree or not ( consider that when potatoes are cold absor less flour). Another note: cook potatoes with peel, do not cut otherwise they will loose starch!

 

I would like to advise that this recipe is very easy but you have a variable : the type of potatoes, this can make the difference, be careful to buy a type which can be used for all preparations or specific for gnocchi recipes.
In Italy we serve this dish with meat sauce ragout or with tomato sauce and grated parmesan cheese.

Ingredients for 4 people

1kg. red potatoes (or white paste)
200g. 00 flour

3/4 tbsps semolina flour to roll gnocchi
1 egg
50g. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp nutmeg
salt

Boil the potatoes, they will be cooked after 40/50 minutes, peel and mash while still hot using potato- masher. Put the puree to cool on a pastry board, sprinkle with flour, Parmesan cheese, salt. make a well in the center and pour the egg and nutmeg.

Knead until dough is felastic but soft, do not work for a long time otherwise it becomes too much soft, it must be moist but not sticky.

 

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, meanwhile dust pastry board with semolina flour and gently make rolls of a diameter of about 1.5 cm and using a knife cut into pieces every 2.5 cm, pass them on rigagnocchi of wood, or dust with flour a fork.

Place gnocchi in a tray coated with flour and cook asap, otherwise small dumplings will became sticky, drain just come to the surface with a slotted spoon and dress with meat sauce ragout or tomato sauce.

 

Italian Risotto allo Zafferano - Saffron Rice Recipe

 

 

Italian Risotto Saffron is a typical recipe of Lombardia region, do not confuse it with Milanese Risotto which is prepared using beef marrow and without wine.

 

I have to admit that is not very easy for me to prepare Risotto, I love them but I'm not so good to do it. My Mom is superb cook of those dishes, using seafood, mushrooms, vegetables etc. The secret is to use fresh and high quality ingredients which give a nice taste to your risotto. Another secret is to use an authentic stock, i.e do not use stock- cube, select ribe rice.

 

My sister loves this risotto and when she comes to visit me is the perfect opportunity to prepare it .

 

 

Ingredients for 4 people

 

320g. ribe rice

40g. butter

40g. olive oil

1 finely sliced yellow onion

100g. dry white wine

900g. vegetable or meat stock

80g. grated Parmesan cheese

3 packets of Italian saffron

 

Lightly fry in a large saucepan onion with 20g butter and olive oil until fragrant but not browned. Add rice and continue stirring often until toasted, then pour in wine and let it evaporate for 5 minutes, mixing constantly. Pour the stock, season with salt, pepper and saffron, stir and cook for 15/20 minutes,then add butter and grated Parmesan. Serve hot and with Oltrepo' Pavese Pinot nero.
 

 

The secrets of perfect pasta dish

 

 

 

 

Ten rules to cook the pasta. Remeber that pasta must be cooked al dente to be truly Italian.

 

• Use a large bowl
• Use 1 lt. /each 100g pasta
• Add the salt before to boil the water
• The correct quantity of salt is 10g per 1 lt water
• Add the pasta when the water is realy boiling, not before.
• When you add the pasta increase the flame to high
• Stir at regualr intervals
• Before draining the pasta, taste it to see if it is cooked to your liking.
• If the pasta is “al dente,” you should feel a slight resistance when you bite into it or cut it with a fork. There should also be a thin white vein at the center.
• Serve hot in a soup plate.

Consider that today restaurants prefer to serve pasta in a dinner plate, probably the presentation of the dish is better, but you will eat cold pasta!

If you plan to toss the pasta in a pan with the sauce, you should drain it when it is al dente. If, instead, you plan to serve it with pesto, it is advisable to follow the cooking time on the box. If you plan to make a pasta salad, place the pasta in a bowl of ice water and olive oil immediately after draining to stop the cooking process.
 

 

Italian Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

 

 

Cannelloni and Lasagne are the most popular dishes in Italy, they are very similar and you can find many versions: with spinach or meat, dressing with meat sauce ragout or tomato passata etc.. This is a very light and quick version!

 

Ingredients for 4 people

 

fresh egg pasta ( see my basic recipe consider 4 people/400g flour and 4eggs)

250g.fresh spinach

500g. ricotta cheese cow

salt/pepper/nutmeg

50g. butter

6 tbsp olive oil to cook spinach

6t bsps olive oil to season tomato sauce

200g.grated Parmesan

2 eggs

Bechamel sauce ( see my basic recipe)

 

 

Prepare fresh egg pasta, then cut in square sheets of 15cm, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for few minutes. Drain using a slotted spoon and lay down on a cloth, let it rest.

Preheat oven at 180°, meanwhile cook in a non stick pan spinach with olive oil and salt. Stir often for 5/7 minutes or until the spinach will be dry, then pour it in a large bowl and mix with ricotta cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, Parmesan and eggs.

Lightly grease a baking tray with butter and pour in tomato passata with olive oil and 2 tbs of parmesan.
 

 

 

 

Place 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture along length of each lasagne sheet and roll up to form a tube, usually consider 3 / 4 cannelloni each person. Lay tubes side by side in the dish, when finished cover with tomato passata, and bechamel. Spoon over with Parmesan and bake for 15 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving, ideal with Morellino di Scansano or Sangiovese red wine.

Pasta al limone

 

 

This is the perfect recipe if you arrive too late at home or if you have unexpected guests. You need few ingredients: pasta, lemon, garlic, olive oil ...... in few minutes you can create a delicious dish!

 

Ingredients for 4 people

 

350g. pasta ( spaghetti or other shape)

6 tbsps of olive oil

juice of one lemon

2 garlic cloves chopped thinly

salt /pepper

grated Parmesan to garnish

 

 

Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water, then drain and put it in the saucepan.

Pour the olive oil and lemon juice over cooked pasta, sprinkle garlic, salt and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes, serve immediately and garnish with grated Parmesan.

 

 

Sunday morning....Vegetable Lasagna

 

Autumn, Sunday morning, waiting for my guest at home. My sweet boy is going around me in the kitchen with my husband and I'm preparing vegetable lasagna.

I have fresh red and yellow peppers, zucchini, celery and all other necessary ingredients.

Let's start to prepare this delicious Lasagna
 

 

 

 

Ingredients for 6 servings

 

Besciamella sauce ( use my recipe dd 24/09/2012)

15  fresh egg pasta sheets

2 chopped shallots

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 carrot

4 ribs of celery

2 zucchini

10 leaves of fresh basil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

salt/pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

80g butter

80g. grated parmesan cheese

 

Brown in non stick pan olive oil with copped shallots until slightly yellow, then add basil, sliced pepper, carrot, celery and zucchini. Stir , season with salt and pepper at the end pour tomato paste.

Simmer for 30 minutes, then let it rest for 15/20 min, meanwhile lightly grease non sitck pan with butter, lay down 4 fresh egg pasta sheets. Spread few tablespoons of vegetables and besciamella sauce ( bechamel) and continue with other sheets of pasta and so on.

 

 

Garnish with large parmesan and 5/6 butterballs and leaves of fresh basil, bake in preheat oven at 220° for 30 minutes. Let it cooling down for 10 minutes and serve, ideal with a Morellino di Scansano tuscan red wine.

I suggest to prepare lasagna the day in advance, reheat just before serving.
 

 

 

Lasagna....mon amour

"Lasagna" is the name of the most ancient forms of pasta, usually rectangular, a little thicker than tagliatelle, which is made using flour, eggs and many variations, like spinach, tomato or other ingredients which give different colors.

 There are many types of lasagna, "all'aquilana" contains guanciale (italian bacon) and red pepper, green Lasagne "Bolognesi" are stuffed with veal and pink sauce, lasagne "calabresi", are prepared with vegetables, herbs , garlic, onion, ricotta.
For all these types of lasagna is recommended red wine, usually light, fruity and soft, like Sangiovese and Montepulciano. For lasagne "pesto" is better drink a white wine, aromatic, fresh, with notes of flowers as Bolgheri Sauvignon or the Riviera Ligure di Ponente.

Italian Besciamella - Bechamel

Ingredients

75 g. butter
3 tablespoons of flour "00"
750 ml full-cream milk
Nutmeg, salt and pepper

Melt the butter with the flour in a saucepan over low heat, when the mixture will be smooth and light brown, stir in warm milk. Mix until it will be thicken, boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
The sauce can be used to prepare  lasagna, soufflé, cannelloni and  other preparations.This recipe make for 6 servings ( a medium baking tray).

Handmade Italian Fresh egg Pasta (basic recipe)

Usually I prepare egg pasta Sunday morning to make lasagna, pappardelle with cinghiale sauce or ragu (meat sauce) or with fish sauce. This recipe is perfect to prepare tortelli with spinach and ricotta cheese. In Italy everybody know how to make it because is very easy, anyway you can buy fresh pasta wherever you want and I have to admit that you will find a high quality of this food.

 

 

 

 

Note: Cooking the pasta usually use this ratio: 1 liter water, 100 g. pasta and 10 gr. salt., the cooking time of egg pasta is few minutes, my suggestion is to add a tablespoon olive oil to keep pasta from sticking.

 

 

What do you need for 6  people

600 g flour 00 (superfine flour)
6 eggs

10g salt

 

 

Place the flour on a flat work surface and shape into a well. Pour 3 eggs into the center and the salt. With a fork start to  incorporate the flour into the eggs, then begin working with your hands using all flour that you have in the flat work.

Add a few drops of water or olive oil  if it is too dry or a little flour if too soft, Continue to knead until it becomes smooth.

There’s no secret to kneading.  You just have to bash the dough about a bit with your hands, squashing it into the table, reshaping it, pulling it, stretching it, squashing it again.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour , then  the dough will be  ready to be rolled out with a rolling pin into sheets of desired thickness.

Pasta dries much quicker than you think, so whatever recipe you're doing, don't leave it more than a minute or two before cutting or shaping it. Then you can leave the pasta in your kitchen or fridge for 2 days.

 

Typical Italian Pasta (mezze maniche shape) with cherry tomato sauce

 

 

I have to admit that I’m addict to pasta, pizza, tortelli, lasagna etc..  I could eat pasta every day, even without sauce! One of the best way to enjoy it is with a simple sauce made with fresh tomatoes, basil and a generous dusting of pecorino romano  (but also the parmesan cheese, or salted ricotta are good alternatives). I prefer to prepare this dish during summer when tomatoes are sweet and delicious, in any case you can find high quality of this ingredient also in December!

Remember to finish cooking the pasta in the pan where you cooked the cherry tomatoes using the cooking water, this is one of the most traditional and authentic Italian recipe, in addition is healthy food.

 

What do you need for 4 people

 

360g. pasta ( mezze maniche shape)

15/20 sweet cherry tomatoes (depending on size)

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

10 fresh basil leaves

Salt / pepper

A few drops of olive oil flavored with chili pepper (or you can use chili powder)

1 tablespoon salt to cook pasta

 

Start to cook pasta in a large bowl with the salt , in the meantime, brown the garlic over low heat for 2 minutes, incorporate the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and olive oil flavored with chili, cook for about ten minutes. Remove the peel of tomatoes and then add the basil.

Cook pasta 5 minutes under the required cooking time, then place it in the pan with the tomato sauce.

Finish cooking using from time to time cooking water.

Season to taste, place the pasta in a serving dish , garnish with pecorino grated cheese, decorated with basil.