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Buon Appetito!
Monday, March 28, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, March 7, 2011
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.
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!)
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!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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.
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