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Italian
Recipes To Share With You
Spaghetti
with Clams
The original recipe for Spaghetti
dish is from Neaples. Although some cooks prefer a red version of the
sauce, here the traditional recipe without tomatoes. Spaghetti with Clams!
Time required: 40 minutes
(when I am in hurry I can do it in 25 minutes)
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
Instruction:
Scrub and wash the clams under running cold water to remove as much sand as
possible. Soak the clams in a casserole filled with 4 cups of water and one
teaspoon of salt. Cover and let the clams boil till the shells have fully
opened. Strain the cooking water through a duster and put it aside.
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. 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. Weat
the clams with three or four tablespoons of strained cooking water. Add
pepper and snipped parsley. Cook for 7 - 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large
(5 quart) stockpot bring the water to boiling, then add salt and cook the
Pasta according to the package directions. Drain the Pasta in a colander
and put it into a large bowl; dress with the clam sauce and serve very hot.
MUSHROOM-TRUFFLE
SALAD
Serves
4 to 6
Ingredients:
2 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 of lemon
1 pinch minced parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (3.5oz) Dried "Porcini" Mushroom from
Tuscany
1 fresh Black Truffle-Whole in water & salt
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Direction:
1. Cut the two eggs into small cubes and mix well with
the olive oil and the lemon juice.
2. Add the parsley and garlic.
3. Place dry mushrooms in a bowl of water for a few
minute and strain the water
4. Chop the mushroom thinly and add to mix
5. clean the truffle with a wet cloth and slice very
thin.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Classic Black
Truffle Pasta
Serves 4 to 6
This is the simplest of pasta to make, all you need is
prime ingredients. Use good butter with flavor and fragrance and a
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
When cleaning the truffle, do not wet it. Merely brush
it with a soft brush to remove any dirt. Shave or cut paper thin. Store any
leftover truffle in the refrigerator and use within a week.
Ingredients:
2 bags (8.8oz each) of Morelli Truffle pasta
6 to 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 fresh Black Truffle-Whole in water & salt
Directions:
1. Bring water to boil and add the pasta in the
boiling water and cook at a boil until barely tender to the bite.
(typically 6-7 minutes)
2. Drain the pasta and place in a large pasta bowl.
3. Add to pasta the extra virgin olive oil, salt and
pepper to taste, and the cheese. Use tongs to mix the pasta and serve in
individual pasta dishes.
4. At the table shave a generous amount of the truffle
over each serving.
Truffled
Mashed Potatoes
There is no better way to eat mashed potatoes than
with truffles.
Serves:
6-8
Ingredients:
4 pounds white potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch
pieces
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup extra olive oil
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 teaspoon chopped black truffles (optional)
Directions:
1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water
until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Return potatoes to
pot. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates, about 1
minute.
3. Remove from heat. Add
milk, butter, extra virgin olive oil and truffle oil. Mash until smooth.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in
chopped truffles, if desired. Transfer to bowl and serve.
For Dessert:
Balsamic-strawberries
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 cup strawberries, cleaned and sliced
4 TBS balsamic vinegar of Modena
Directions:
Place the clean and cut stratgerries in a large
servicnf bowl.
Add balsamic vinegar from Modena and mix it so that
all the strawberries. Don't try to substitute regular vinager for the
balsamic vinegar. Its just not as sweet taste. Let stand for 1/2 an hour or
so. Serve after dinner and add a dash of whip cream if you like.
Stuffed Roast Peppers with Pesto
Category: Peppers with Pesto
Serves: 4
Serve these scallop- and pesto-filled red bell peppers with Italian bread,
such as ciabatta or focaccia, to mop up the garlicky juices.
Ingredients
4 squat red bell peppers
2 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
4 tbsp olive oil
4 shelled scallops
3 tbsp pesto
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Salad leaves and fresh basil sprigs, to garnish
Preparation
1. Never cook scallops for longer than the time stated in the recipe or
they will be tough and rubbery.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise,
through their stalks. Scrape out and discard the cores and seeds. Wash the
pepper shells and pat dry.
3. Put the peppers, cut-side up, in an oiled roasting pan. Divide the
slivers of garlic equally among them and sprinkle with salt and pepper to
taste. Spoon the oil into the peppers, and then roast for 40 minutes.
4. Cut each of the shelled scallops in half to make two flat discs. Remove
the peppers from the oven and place a scallop half in each pepper half. Top
with pesto.
5. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 10 more minutes. Transfer the
peppers to individual serving plates, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and
garnish each plate with a few salad leaves and fresh basil sprigs. Serve
warm
Sicilian Rice Ball (Arancini)
Category: Italian Rice Balls
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 cup (225 ml) Arborio rice
3 large eggs
1/4 cup (60 ml) Romano cheese, grated
3 Tbsp (45 ml) fresh parsley, finely minced
1/4 cup (60 ml) tomato sauce (homemade if you have it)
1/4 cup (60 ml) mozzarella cheese, diced
1/2 cup (125 ml) prosciutto (ham), diced
2 cups (475 ml) fresh bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for deep frying
Preparation
1. Bring 2-1/2 cups (600 ml) water to boil, in a saucepan, and add rice.
Cook 15 minutes, drain and transfer to a bowl.
2. Beat one egg and add to rice, along with Romano cheese, parsley 2 tbsp
(30 ml) tomato sauce, salt and pepper. 3. Mix well and chill in
refrigerator 15 minutes.
4. In another bowl mix mozzarella, prosciutto and remaining tomato sauce.
5. Flour hands and divide rice into 8 portions and roll into a ball about
the size of a small orange.
6. Poke a hole in the ball with your finger and put about 1-1/2 tbsp (20
ml) of the mozzarella mixture into the hole.
7. Reshape and smooth rice ball to close hole.
8. Beat remaining eggs in a shallow bowl and spread bread crumbs out on a
plate.
9. Roll rice ball in egg, coating well, then in bread crumbs and coat
evenly. Let sit for 45 minutes.
10. In a heavy pan, or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees (200 C.).
11. Fry rice balls until golden. Drain on paper towel and serve hot.
Italian MeatBalls
Category: Italian MeatBalls
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
2 cups Italian-flavored bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped very fine
1/2 cup pignoli (pine nuts) (optional)
Preparation
1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Let stand 1/2 hour. Shape into medium size meatballs. Fry gently in
olive oil until lightly browned, or place on foil on a cookie sheet and
bake for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.
3. Genly place in your own hot spaghetti sauce and cook on medium-low heat
for 1 hour.
Ricotta Pudding
Category: Dessert
Serves: 3
Ingredients
1 egg, separated
4 tablespoons caster sugar
1/8 cup espresso coffee
1 tablespoon finely ground espresso coffee
1 lb. ricotta
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 tablespoon grated dark chocolate
Preparation
1. First, if you have a small mold (3 1/2 inches), moisten the inside with
water.
2. Beat egg yolks with 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, and both coffees.
3. Add ricotta and mix. Beat egg whites to peaks, gradually adding the
remaining sugar.
4. Fold the cream into the ricotta, and then gently fold in the egg whites.
5. Put the entire mixture into the mold (or into a small bowl) and
refrigerate.
6. After a few hours, take the pudding out of the mold and place on a
plate.
7. Sprinkle the grated dark chocolate over the top.
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