posted by admin on lug 17

A decidedly mediterranean dish. The taste of the shrimps and of the sea unites to that of the pasta and of the earth kissed from the sun.

Time required: 20 minutes

Recommended wine: a light white (Asprinio d’Aversa or Biancolella d’Ischia), served chilled.

Ingredients (four servings):

• 1 pound of spaghetti or linguine
• 12 large fresh shrimps, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• chopped fresh parsley to taste
• juice and the grated skin of a lemon
• salt
• pepper

Istruction

1. Cleaning up the shrimps shelled and deveined, dry them, and cut in two in the sense of the length.
2. Put the oil in a wide saucepan with the crushed garlic. You make fry to weak fire up to when the garlic not will be of blonde color.
3. You raise the garlic and replace it with the shrimps. Salty, you put the crushed red pepper, you make cook for ten minutes, turning over again this shrimps of so much in so much.
4. Meanwhile put spaghetti or linguine in an other pot with abundant water on the fire, carry it to boil, salt the water and cook the spaghetti or the linguine following the written rules in this site.
5. When they are well cooked drain them and pour them in the saucepan, put into the saucepan the juice and the grated skin of a lemon (make sure to avoid the bitter white pith), the chopped parsley and mix all.
6. Serve soon until hot.

posted by admin on lug 17

Neapolitan Lasagna

Lasagne are large stripes of pasta, usually homemade, but you can find some excellent packaged too. There are two basic ways of cooking Lasagne, one from the North of Italy, one from the South; The difference is made by the use of béchamel sauce and nutmeg, typical of the first one, instead of ricotta, mozzarella and pepper. Here you can enjoy the original Neapolitan recipe. This way of cooking Lasagne, very common in the South of Italy, makes a rich and sustaining dish.

Time required: 90 minutes (with packaged Lasagne)

Recommended wine: a light red (Gran Caruso or Gran Tifeo d’Ischia), served at room temperature.

Ingredients (four servings):

• 500 gr. (17 oz) packaged Lasagne
• 500 gr. (17 oz) ricotta or home-made cream cheese
• 350 gr (12 oz) mozzarella or fior di latte cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 pork sausages
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese fresh basil leaves
• 40 gr (1 1/2 oz) butter

for the Ragù sauce

• 350 gr. (12 oz) lean beef
• 500 gr. (2 tins) Italian peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 onion
• 1 wineglassful white wine
• 70 gr. (about 3 oz) butter
• Olive oil, salt and pepper

Istruction

1. In a saucepan cook chopped onion in olive oil, till golden.
2. Cut the beef into pieces and flour them; then brown them gently in the saucepan.
3. When browned, sprinkle the beef with the white wine.
4. After the wine has dried, add tomatoes and salt and cook the sauce over low heat. In the Neapolitan tradition Ragù sauce should be cooked for many hours. Neapolitans usually prepare the sauce the day before in order to have time enough for it. Anyway, cook the sauce as much as you can (1 hour at least)
5. When the Ragù sauce is ready, add a couple of fresh basil leaves and keep the sauce hot.
6. Pour the ricotta cheese in a bowl, add salt, pepper and 2 tablespoon of hot water. Mix them till a cream.
7. Cut the mozzarella or fior di latte cheese and the hard-boiled eggs into very thin slices.
8. Chop the sausages to very small pieces and let them brown gently in a small saucepan in about 3 oz of butter.
9. Meanwhile, in a large (5 quart) stockpot bring the water to boiling, then add salt and cook Lasagne according to the package directions.
10. Once drained the Lasagne one by one, lay them on a dish cloth.
11. Butter well a baking pan and on the bottom put a first coating of Ragù sauce, then one of Lasagne. Start again with the Ragù and ricotta, sliced mozzarella, sliced hard boiled eggs and sausages. Continue until the pan is filled, finishing with Lasagne covered with a thin layer of Ragù. Sprinkle with a final generous coating of grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish with butter-pats and basil leaves.
12. Put the pan into a previously heated but moderate oven for about 30 minutes.
13. Serve immediately .

posted by admin on lug 17

Bolognese cuisine is one of the finest in Italy. This is a main dish which combines the nutritional properties of meat with the Mediterranean taste of Pasta. What’s more, this sauce could be also used to toss many kind of homemade Pasta
(see: how to prepare homemade Trofie ).

Time required: 60 minutes

Recommended wine: a strong, dark red (Solopaca del Sannio or Nobile di Montepulciano), served at room temperature.

Ingredients (four servings):

• 350 gr. (12 ounces) packaged wide Noodles
• 60 gr.(2 ounces) fat bacon
• 200 gr. (5 pounds) lean ground beef
• 1 big carrot, shredded
• 1 celery stem, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 30 gr. (1 ounce) dried mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon (1/4 cup) parsley sprigs, with stems removed, snipped
• 1 tablespoon (1/4 cup) tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoon (1/2 cup) light cream
• 4 tablespoon (1 cup) warm vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon butter
• 1,5 tablespoon (1/3 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Istruction

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in a small bowl, filled with warm water, for half an hour.
2. In a casserole (large saucespan) cook ground beef, fat bacon, chopped celery stems, shredded carrot, chopped onion and snipped parsley, in olive oil and butter, till tender and golden.
3. Add mushrooms, tomato sauce, broth, salt and pepper. Cook over a medium heat for one hour. Add cream and stir well.
4. Meanwhile, in a large (5 quart) stockpot bring the water to boiling, then add salt and cook Tagliatelle “al dente” according to the package directions.
5. Drain the Pasta, put it into a large bowl with the sauce and toss to mix till well coated. Serve immediately.

To serve:
Sprinkle each serving with grated Parmesan cheese.

posted by admin on lug 17

Spaghetti with Clams in White Sauce

The original recipe for this dish is from Napoli. Although some cookers prefer a red version of the sauce, here is proposed the traditional recipe without tomatoes.

Time required: 40 minutes

Recommended wine: flavoured white, as Falanghina or Greco di Tufo (Campania), served at 12° C.

Ingredients (four servings):

• 350 gr. (12 ounces) packaged Spaghetti
• 4 dozens clams
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of snipped parsley sprigs with stems removed
• 1/4 cup of white wine
• Salt and pepper

Istruction

1. Scrub and wash the clams under running cold water to remove as much sand as possible.
2. Soak the clams in a casserole filled with 5 cups of water and one teaspoon of salt. Cover and let the clams boil till the shells have fully opened.
3. Strain the cooking water through a duster and put it aside.
4. For sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add garlic cloves, crushing them with a fork. Fry them till golden.
5. Remove the garlic cloves and put the clams into the saucepan. Sprinkle with the white wine and let them cook over high heat till the wine has evaporated.
6. Weat the clams with three or four tablespoons of strained cooking water. Add pepper and snipped parsley. Cook for 7 – 8 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, in a large (5 quart) stockpot bring the water to boiling, then add salt and cook the Pasta according to the package directions.
8. Drain the Pasta in a colander and put it into a large bowl; dress with the clam sauce and serve very hot.

To serve:
Sprinkle each serving with snipped parsley.

posted by admin on lug 17

Pasta with Pesto

Typical of the Genoese cuisine. At present it is appreciated in all Italian regions. According to the Italian tradition, the kind of Pasta used for this recipe is Trenette, similar to Linguine but thinner, or Trofie, a homemade Pasta (see: how to prepare homemade Trofie ).

Time required: 30 minutes

Recommended wine: a dry white, as Vermentino (Liguria), served at 10° C.

Ingredients (four servings):

• 350 gr. (12 ounces) packaged Trenette or homemade Trofie
• 140 gr. (5 ounces) fresh or frozen green beans
• 1 potato
• 36 fresh basil leaves
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• 3 walnut kernels
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup of very good olive oil
• Salt

Istruction
In a blender or food processor combine basil leaves, peeled garlic, pine nuts, walnut kernels and salt. Cover and blend or process. Gradually add olive oil and blend or process again till to cream consistency.
Pour the pesto in a medium bowl and add Parmesan and Romano cheese, mixing well.
In a large (5 quart) stockpot, bring the water to boiling, add salt and cook the Pasta according to the package directions.If you use homemade Pasta cook it till it all comes to the surface.
Seven or eight minutes before the cooking time, add green beans and potatoes.
Meanwhile add to the Pesto 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooking water and mix accurately.
Drain Pasta and vegetables in a colander, dress with Pesto and serve hot.

To serve:
Spinkle each serving with grated Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.