Farro Salad

Farro is a common Italian grain, and it's nutty-ness makes it quite hearty in a salad.  Our whole family loved this dish.  And again, it's perfect for the summer salad season!

1/3 C. plus 2T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, quartered
1 small carrot, halved
1 celery rib, halved
12 oz. farro (1 3/4 C.)
5 C. water
Kosher salt
3 T. red wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 C chopped fresh basil.

In a large pan, heat 2T. oil.  Add the yellow onion, carrot and celery.  Cover and cook over moderately low heat until barely softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the farro and stir to coat with oil.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the farro is barely tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt. Cover and simmer until the farro is al dente, about 10 minutes longer.  Drain the farro and discard the onion, carrot and celery.  Cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 1/3 C. of olive oil with the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.  Fold in the farro, red onion, cucumber, tomatoes and basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve.

Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

There is a lot to be said for simplicity in Italian cooking.  Let the ingredients speak for themselves.  This recipe goes the opposite direction--combining all of my very favorite Italian food ingredients in one dish.  It is AMAZING.

Though the recipe calls for the ragu to be served on pasta, I am serving leftovers on top of a slice of thick, toasted country bread.  Truly, it can stand alone.  The recipe makes a lot--a great dish to serve when company is coming over.

Make this soon.  It's truly phenomenal.

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

2 T. dry Italian herb mix

To season--sea salt and ground black pepper

2 T. butter

2 C. yellow or red onion, medium diced

3 T. garlic, minced

To season--sea salt and ground black pepper

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and angle-sliced into 1-inch portions

1 pound mushroom, sliced or quartered

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1/2 C. marsala wine

2 C. parmigiano cheese, shredded or flaked

1/2 C. marscapone cheese, room temperature

1 C. basil, thinly sliced

1+ pound favorite pasta, cooked in salted water to al dente

1/4 C. purchased basil pesto

Warm the oil in a very large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and sausage.  Season with the dry herbs, salt and pepper.  Once browned, remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.  Cover to keep warm.

Using the same skillet (do not clean), warm the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the onions and garlic.  Saute just until the onions are tender (2 minutes).  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet.  Continue to cook just until the asparagus is crisp tender, the mushrooms are soft and the tomatoes barely cook (3-4 minutes).

Off the heat, add the wine, return the skillet to the heat, scraping up any browned portions, cook until it is nearly absorbed.  Stir in the precooked chicken and sausage.  Cook, stirring, just until warmed through.

Just before serving, stir in the parmesan, marscapone and basil.  Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto (the pesto could be optional, in my opinion--there are already so many flavors to enjoy!).  Serve on individual plates or a platter, with a generous serving of ragu.

From cookandbemerry.com.

Ravioli Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

Since summer is right around the corner, and it will quickly be too hot to make anything that requires the oven, we are beginning to remember all of our favorite salads.  This is a ravioli salad, from my friend Tracy, that is hearty enough for any dinner.  It can be served with pasta right out of the water or at room temperature.

This time of year the tomatoes are out of this world.  This dish is so, so good!  A perfect combination of flavors and textures.

1 pound (500g) fresh ravioli (or tortellini)

1 pkg. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1/2 C. of your favorite olive (which you'll notice I omitted)

3 T. capers, rinsed

1/4 C. olive oil

lots of basil, torn (a couple of handfuls)

red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Put tomatoes and artichokes into a large bowl.  Add the basil, olives, capers and oil.  Toss well.  Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.  Immediately add to the bowl and toss gently with a spatula.  Add salt, pepper and vinegar to taste.

Zucca Ravioli con Cannella e Zucchero

This recipe is probably not one that can easily be made in the States, as I have never seen fresh pumpkin ravioli there. But this is one of my new favorite dishes.  If you ever happen to stumble upon them, or if one day you're feeling incredibly adventurous and want to attempt to hand make them (not hard, just time consuming), this is an absolutely delightful way to eat pumpkin ravioli.

500 grams (or 1 pound) fresh pumkin ravioli

1 T. butter

cinnamon and sugar

Boil pasta as directed.  When done, drain and put back into cooking pot, adding the butter to keep pasta from sticking.  Serve immediately on plates or in bowls, generously sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on top. 

Personally, it took me exactly 7 minutes from putting the ravioli into boil to serving it plated on the table. Delicious AND incredibly easy.  Does it get better than that?

Strawberries with Marscapone

Obviously, we don't know what will one day be served at the Great Wedding Feast, when eternity is finally ushered in.  But I'm betting that this little combination has to be in the running.  It is absolutely divine.  And ridiculously simple.

Strawberries, rinsed with stems still attached
1/2 C. marscapone cheese
2 T. milk or cream
1 C. powdered sugar

In a bowl, combine the marscapone, milk and 3 T. powdered sugar.  Mix well, adding a little more milk if it's too thick to stick to strawberry when dipped.

Serve family style.  Hold the strawberry by the stem.  Dip it into the marscapone mixture, then dip it into the powdered sugar, rolling it around to cover well.  Then take a bit of bliss!  Repeat.

Feta Pasta Salad

I hesitated on whether or not to post this recipe, as it's not exactly an "authentic" Italian dish.  But it was really, really tasty, and 'tis the season for pasta salads!  It comes from The Pioneer Woman.  If you haven't already spent hours pouring over www.thepioneerwoman.com, carve out some time today.  It might change your life.

1 pound short pasta (farfalle, penne, etc)
2 T. olive oil
1 whole lemon (more to taste)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 zucchini, sliced and cut into quarters
10 oz. grape tomatoes, halved lenthwise
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta to al dente--I threw the zucchini in for the last two minutes--and rinse with cold water until completely cooled.  In a large bowl, dump the pasta and then drizzle with the olive oil.  Squeeze the lemon juice in and mix well.  Salt and pepper liberally (a lot of salt!).  Add the tomatoes and feta and mix it up again, adding more lemon and salt, if desired.  Serve cold.

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Orecchiette With Broccoli

This pasta is a traditional dish from the region of Puglia.  So far, I love everything I've ever had from Puglia.

When I first heard of broccoli and pasta together, I wasn't so sure.  After someone made it for me, however, I became converted.  This is a staple in our house and a great way to get some veggies in my kiddos.

2 heads of broccoli, cut into very small stalks
1 pound ground Italian sausage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. crushed red pepper (a suggested amount--add more or less depending on your spice comfortability)
sea salt
freshly grated black pepper
1 pound orecchiette pasta (named after their "ear" shape)
1/2 C. grated parmesan

In a well-salted pot of boiling water, cook the broccoli until just tender--only about 2-3 minutes.  Spoon out broccoli and set aside, reserving the water to cook the pasta.  Put the pasta in to cook, and make sure to set a timer to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the ground sausage until no longer pink.  Halfway through the cooking process, add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper.  Drain any fat off the cooked sausage.

When the pasta is perfectly al dente, set aside 1/3 C. of the cooking water and then drain.  Return pasta to cooking pot or to serving bowl.  Immediately mix in the sausage, broccoli, and 1/4 C. parmesan cheese.  Add the cooking water until the pasta is just moist.  Salt and pepper to taste and serve with remaining parmesan for topping.

Insalata Caprese alla Phipps

I love Insalata Caprese.  Tomatoes here are so, so yummy.  Traditional Caprese is a little more challenging for my kids to eat, so I just go ahead and make it bite size from the beginning.  They love it too!

When making Caprese, you have to (HAVE TO) use real mozzarella.  The expensive stuff.  The stuff that comes in a container covered with water.  If you're feeling really Italian (and like you have a few extra pennies in your pocket), you'll use Buffalo mozzarella.

1 pint cherry tomatoes (or other small tomato), cut in half or quarters, depending on size.

8 oz. mozzarella, cut into similar size as tomatoes 

fresh basil (which isn't in the picture because I was out--a sign it is optional, though traditional)

olive oil

sea salt

Intermix the tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate. Top with the basil, cut into thin strips.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and then sprinkle fairly liberally with sea salt.  

Insalata con Pasta e Pollo

This is just a delightful cold pasta salad.  Perfect for when it gets warmer and turning on an oven is no longer an option.

1/2 C. toasted pine nuts
1 pd. (500g) of a short pasta (think farfalle or penne)
4 C. shredded chicken--sometimes I boil some on the stove, sometimes I just use the meat from a rotisserie-cooked chicken
1/2 C. diced red bell pepper
1/2 C. diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
2 T. drained capers (we like the smaller ones for this salad)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
1/2 C. olive oil
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. honey
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Whisk dressing together and set aside.  Cook pasta in heavily salted water.  When al dente, drain and place in large bowl.  Immediately coat with the dressing mixture.

Add the remaining ingredients and toss well.  Can be served slightly warm, room temperature or chilled.

Bolognese Ragu

This is the real deal. C would say this is a recipe that changed his life. During our first weeks in Italy, after a hard day battling language and culture, he came home to this simmering on the stove and decided he could stay here after all.

This is a thick sauce that is more meat than sauce--don't think American spaghetti sauce.  The traditional pasta to serve it on in Bologna is tagliatelli, which is similar to fettuccine but not quite as thick.  But honestly, it's awesome on anything.  Even just bread!

1 yellow onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
2T. butter
8oz. ground lean pork
8oz. ground lean beef
small package pancetta or 4oz. apple smoked bacon
1C. dry red wine
13oz. (400g) chopped canned tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste (at least 2t. salt and 1/4t. pepper)

I mince the vegetables in a food processor, but if you want to do it by hand, more power to you!  Saute the veggies in butter for 5-7 minutes until very tender.  Add the pork, beef and pancetta and saute 2-3 minutes, until redness is gone.  Slowly add the wine to moisten, and cook until it's evaporated.  Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Cover and leave to simmer for at least one hour, stirring frequently.  Don't allow sauce to stick to the bottom of the pan.  If sauce is too soupy after an hour, continue to cook.  If too dry, add a little water, 1/2C at a time, until right consistency is reached.  Best if cooked 4 hours.

One of the things I love about this recipe is that I can do all the preparation and cooking in the calm of the afternoon, and then it's ready to eat whenever our family is ready.  At that point, all I really have to do is boil the pasta.

Vera Pizza Italiana

Every Friday night is Pizza night at our house.  One of the best pizzerias in Italy (secondo noi) will deliver to our apartment, but we also feel like we've mastered making our own pizza.  This is, by far, the best pizza crust recipe I've found.

Italian pizzas have a very, very thin crust and are wood-oven baked.  Obviously I don't have a wood-oven, but we do our best to make a paper-thin crust.  When I made this dough in the States, I had a hard time getting it very thin.  There is something different about the flour there.  So, you might want to experiment with different kinds of flour to find the one that makes the crust you like the best.

4 C. Tipo "00" flour
1 1/2 C. plus 2T. water
2t. salt
1/2t dry active yeast

Mix all ingredients together until flour is well absorbed.  Knead for 8-10 minutes, adding flour as necessary, with care to not overflour and make stiff.

Cover and let it rise, ideally for 1 1/2 -2 hours.  It doesn't quite double in size.  Punch down and push out air bubbles.  Form into 4-5 balls.  Dust with flour and store under damp towel.  Let rest for one hour before forming into pizzas.  Cook at 450 degrees (about 8 minutes with toppings).

If you don't have that much time, the rising and resting time can be modified without too much impact.  In my experience, the resting time is the most important.

Rise 90 minutes, rest 30
Rise 60 minutes, rest 30
Rise 60 minutes, rest 15
Rise 45 minutes, rise 15

Work dough as thin as possible without tearing.  Have fun--it doesn't have to be round!  And then top with whatever you're craving.  We make our own sauce by getting a small can of plain tomato sauce (pomodoro finesimo) and adding 2t. oregano, 2t. basil, and 1t. garlic salt (give or take!)

Because the crust is thin, be careful not to overload it with toppings.  Go light!  One of my favorite pizzas has no tomato sauce.  I drizzle it lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle garlic salt over the crust.  Then I top it with freshly, thinly sliced tomato and mozzarella and/or scamorza cheese.  A little piece of heaven in your mouth!

Pesto

Pesto is G's all-time favorite Italian dish.  In fact, our normally very mild-mannered and sensitive son can become quite possessive and combative when pesto is at stake.  Usually I just buy pre-made pesto at the store, since there are a lot of really yummy options.  This week I decided to try making my own.  It didn't look quite as dark as what I buy, but the taste was buonisimo!  And it is so, so easy.

In a food processor, combine:

25 fresh basil leaves

1/4 C. + 2T. extra virgin olive oil (a good dark one)

1/2 C. freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese

1/3 C. freshly grated pecorino cheese

3T. chopped pinenuts

salt to taste, but at least 2tsp. (I probably used more than 1T.)

Blend well.  We like it a little cheesier, so I added a little more of the cheeses.

Serve on pasta, on sandwiches, on chicken. . . the options are endless.  One pasta tip: reserve a little of the water used to boil the pasta, to mix in as well.

Pumpkin Soup (Zuppa di Zucca)

This is typically an autumn dish, but in Italy, I can get pre-peeled and diced zucca until mid-Spring.  This is a surprisingly rich and hearty soup.  C was a little skeptical of a meal with no meat, but he left the table singing the praises of this one.

This recipe says it serves 4, but I think it safely serves 6 or maybe even 8.

2 1/4 pounds (1kg) pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 1/2 pints (1.5 liters) meat stock (see The Basics tab)
2 1/2 T (40g) butter
2 onions, chopped
2 potatoes, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 day-old bread slices (a thick country bread)
5oz/150g Gruyere cheese, freshly grated (many cheese could probably be substituted, but the Gruyere definitely adds a subtle depth)
7oz/200ml cream (milk would probably be OK too, just not as rich)
salt and pepper

Steam the pumpkin for about 20 minutes.  Bring the stock to a boil.  Melt the butter in another pan, add the onions and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened.  Add the potatoes, pumpkin, and garlic, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste (I went heavy on the seasoning).  Pour into the hot stock and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Dice the bread and then lightly toast it.  Mix together the cheese, cream, bread and a pinch of pepper in a bowl.  Divide the mixture between four individual soup bowls and ladle the soup on top.

This recipe comes from The Silver Spoon, English Edition, 2005