Hearts with Pumpkin

Valentine's Day Recipe

For the dough:               
300 g flour                  
3 eggs                
1 tablespoon of olive oil   
a pinch of salt
For the filling:
200 kg of pumpkin
80 g of grated Parmesan cheese
50 g cream
50 g of bread crumbs
2 eggs     
nutmeg and salt to taste
for 27 hearts

Clean the pumpkin, removing the seeds from the central part , cut into thick slices, wash and dry them, then put them to cook in the oven at 200 ° C for one hour.

When the pumpkin is cooked, remove the peel and pass the pulp through a strainer, collecting it in a bowl.

Add the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt and nutmeg.Stir  the mixture with a  spoon and then let it rest for a few hours.

 With flour, eggs, oil and a pinch of salt, prepare the dough and roll it out , not too thin. Cut into squares. Place in the center of each square a spoonful of filling, fold in on itself and cut with a heart shaped cookie-cutter .Press the edges with your fingers  to make it adhere well.

Boil a pot of salted water, bring to a boil, pour the hearts  (7/8 at a time) in the water  to cook  for seven or eight minutes.

Pull them out of the water with a slotted spoon when they float, pour in layers in a bowl and toss with butter, sage and parmesan cheese.

Lumaconi with Parmesan and Eggplants

The "lumaconi" are a main dish with Parmesan, unusual and very tasty. The main ingredients are eggplant and mozzarella that can be buffalo  or cow mozzarella.

Lumaconi  with Parmesan and Eggplants

For the pasta 

• Basil ,20 leaves
• Salt ,3 pinches
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese ,120 gr
• Lumaconi Pasta 500 gr 
• Eggplant ,two medium 
• Mozzarella , 400 g
• Olive oil ,3-4 tablespoons

For the sauce

• Garlic ,2 cloves
• Salt ,3 pinches
• Tomatoes ,1200 g pulp
• Black Olives ,50 g 
• Olive oil ,4 tablespoons

Mince the garlic and slice the olives into rings . Fry garlic and olives in a pan .

Add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon .

Prepare the eggplant, cut them  rounds about 2 cm thick and then cut into cubes : fry in a pan . 
Once the cubes are fried, drain from the oil and put them  on a plate covered with absorbent paper .Dice mozzarella .

Cook the pasta in salted water, drain it  “al dente”. 

Fill  the lumaconi with some of the sauce and then  season with some . 

Sprinkle bottom of pan with oil and place a layer of pasta, continue with half of  the eggplant and  with the diced mozzarella ,   cut  the basil leaves in half with your fingers. 

Finish with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese . Continue with another layer of pasta to which you add all other ingredients and finish with the sauce .

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 160° C 

Grate  Parmesan cheese on the lumaconi  and serve immediately.

Tuscan Zucchini Pie

Zucchini seem to be the vegetables that best grow  in the orchards/ vegetable gardens around the world and so we  never have too many recipes with them. This is called Lucchesia  because it comes from the area near Lucca

Tortino della Lucchesia

1Kg courgettes (zucchini)

5 spoonfuls oil

6 basil leaves

½ spoonful parsley

1 garlic clove

40g Parmigiano

3 eggs

40g Pecorino cheese

4 spoonfuls breadcrumbs

20g butter

Oil  

Salt and pepper

Slice the courgettes, brown them in a frying pan with the oil and the chopped parsley, basil and garlic. 

Cook over a moderate flame until they begin to disintegrate. 

Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Add the grated Parmesan and pecorino, the eggs, 2 spoonfuls of breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

Mix the ingredients well, then pour the mixture into the oiled baking tray. 

Sprinkle the top with the remaining breadcrumbs and place the flakes of butter on top.Place in the oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.        

Suggestion:

* you can use only parmesan cheese

* Instead of the zucchine you can use: asparagus, spinach, green                      

   beans, artichokes or mixed vegetables.

Italian Green Pistachio

For friends who requested a recipe not so typical Tuscan, but know we like to “go out of home” sometimes, we talk about  Pistachio.

In Italy pistachio coltivation has its  niche: the most famous pistachio are from Bronte and  Adrano ,on the slopes of Etna, protected by the DOP "Green Pistachio of Bronte." Pistachios  are used  peeled , often roasted and salted, but also in confectionery, ice cream, creams, drinks, for the production of cured meats (Mortadella  from Bologna, for example), or as a condiment for pasta and meat dishes.

Crostini di Pistacchio

50g peeled pistachio nuts
  walnuts  30 grams.
  4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper q.b.(as much as you like)
fresh basil - a bunch
40 g parmesan cheese.
1 clove of garlic
-
 In a mortar grind  pistachios, nuts, basil leaves, garlic. Add the grated Parmesan, a sprinkling of pepper and salt, then blend in the oil,  and stir  to obtain a uniform and consistent sauce.

This sauce is at its best used on bread, or  as a dressing for pasta or gnocchi.

This pesto  can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, frozen or kept in a glass container as long as you add oil enough to cover it.

Pistachio Crostini

Neapolitan Timbale

The film Big Night of 1996 presents a timbale Neapolitan 

"The ear drum is a drum ... 

and inside there are good things in the world!": 

First prepare the recipe as Pelaggi, the cook chariot Night

It 'a recipe for a while' complex, which requires two days of preparation. 
It is commonly cooked as well as being complex is a rich dish, for many people

Timballo Napoletano

To prepare it for 6 / 8 people
8 dl wet sauce
500 g macaroni
50 g butter
400 g of diced mozzarella
100 g of grated parmesan cheese
500 g of meat patties

for wet sauce
1.5 kg of pork (walker)
500 g of chopped onions
900 g bacon, cut into slices
1 dl of olive oil
50 g of lard
1 / 2 dl dry and full bodied wine
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
1 bunch of basil abundant
500 g of tomato paste
1 l of tomato puree
Salt and pepper

for meatballs
1 / 2 kg of cooked meat sauce, stewed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 egg
Salt q.b.
flour
Oil for frying

for the pastry
500 g of flour
250 g of sugar
250 g of lard
6 egg yolks

The day before

You begin to prepare the sauce by placing the wet rosemary and thyme over the meat. Then wrap with slices of bacon and tie tightly with kitchen string. Choose a saucepan that is neither too broad nor too narrow for the volume of meat. Put on the bottom of the oil and lard, then add the onions, lying over the meat and cook over medium heat until the meat acquires a dark amber crust. 

You must do this constantly checking the cooking, adding a little wine when necessary, and stirring constantly. When the meat is very colorful and onions dried completely, remove the meat from the sauce and keep warm without teasing. Lower the temperature for cooking at low heat, add the tomato paste to the gravy and stir with a wooden spoon slowly. When the sauce starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, pour a little wine and continue stirring. This work must be done until the sauce becomes thick and creamy, it will take about two hours of continuous presence. Now put back the meat, cover with tomato sauce, salt slightly, stir, cover the pan, leaving a small gap between the edge and the cover, and simmer slowly on fire sweet sauce. Will be ready when he bought a thick syrup, about 1 hour. Remove the meat from the sauce and add basil. The walker is left to cool and removed the wire from the kitchen, chop finely and then prepare the meatballs.While the sauce is cooking, prepare the dough by kneading with your hands quickly all the ingredients to make a thick dough and let rest for at least an hour in the refrigerator covered with a cloth. Then prepare the meatballs, the size of hazelnuts, with 500 g of minced meat mixed with 1 egg earlier, the chopped parsley and a pinch of salt. Fry in hot oil and keep aside. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

On the same day: the big day!

Cook the macaroni al dente, drain, toss with sauce moist, butter, parmesan and let cool. Grease a cake tin and pull the top ring of 30 cm in diameter and cover the bottom and edges with a third of the dough you've stretched thin, about 1 / 2 cm. It is important that the pasta po'dai a protruding edges so that you can easily close the pie with the other disk of dough. Disponeteci over half of the macaroni, distribuiteci over the meatballs, mozzarella into cubes, sprinkle with the Parmesan advanced, then cover with the remaining macaroni. Cover the pastry with tympani advanced pressing down the edges to hold onto the first. Brush surface with beaten egg her and cook for about 45 minutes in the oven to 180 degrees. Before removing

Tortino Tricolore

It 's a colorful savoury cake , with   a fresh Mediterranean taste.In summer  we like serving “caprese”, but in winter it is delicious  to serve  this  warm dish .

Tortino with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil

Ingredients (for a loaf pan by 24x10x7cm)

250g of bread for sandwiches

250 gr. mozzarella, preferably buffalo

300g firm tomatoes

40g of grated grana or parmesan cheese 

12 basil leaves

2 eggs

150ml milk 

Olive oil as much as needed

Salt  3 pinches 

We wash the tomatoes, divide into two parts and, in a bowl, dress them with salt, cheese, oil and  chopped basil leaves. 

In a bowl, beat eggs with milk, dip the slices of bread cut appropriately to coat the bottom and the edge of the pan,previously lined with parchment paper. 

We distribute half of the seasoned tomatoes  into the pan, then place over the well-drained mozzarella,  then cover it with the other tomatoes  and end with a layer ofslices of bread.

Bake at 200 C° for about 40  minutes or until golden brownWhen baked , leave the cake to cool and decorate with basil leaves and tomatoes.

4 Cheeses Sauce for you

Catherine  and Marlene were with us  in October and warmly requested this recipe, very good with Penne  ( cut short dry pasta ) and also with gnocchi

FOUR CHEESES SAUCE 

100 g Gorgonzola
Gruyere (or Emmental cheese) grated 80 g
200 ml whole milk
50 ml fresh cream
80 g Parmesan cheese
Penne pasta 400 g
Ground white pepper a pinch
Salt q.b.

Gorgonzola & Taleggio

Parmigiano & Gruyere

Put a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil.
Prepare the cheeses, cream in a saucepan on low heat and throw in the grated Parmesan cheese , gorgonzola and taleggio cheese cut into cubes ,add them to the pan  with milk, cream and parmesan cheese.
Stir with a wooden spoon  until the complete melting  of the cheese, taking care to place the pot on a flame with a flame diffuser, then add salt and pepper.
As the water boils, pour in the pasta and cook al dente, then drain and put them  for a few seconds in a pan with the 4 cheese sauce  .
Arrange the pasta with 4 cheeses in the serving plates and serve immediately.

Suggestion
The pasta with 4 cheeses sauce cools, it tends to dry out quickly, so once it is ready, serve it immediately to your table.
If you prefer, you can replace or add the cheese like Fontina, Provolone, Emmentaler, Pecorino, etc. ... if you want to lighten the sauce you can replace the cream with just 50 ml of milk.

Penne ai 4 Formaggi

Summer Pasta Salad

In summer we start getting in the mood for fresh and cool food.  We love cold pasta dishes!  One of our favorite go-to recipes is something our mom made often growing up, Italian Pasta Salad.  It's really simple, and can easily be customized.  Here's our version of it with fresh red tomatoes, celery, garlic , basil and a lots of Parmigiano Reggiano:

 Spaghetti in Insalata

300g spaghetti

2 fresh tomatoes              

80g celery

Basil, parsley

1 clove of garlic

Grated Parmigiano

100g olive oil                   

Salt, black pepper

Chop celery, parsley and basil and place them in a bowl. Add the oil, mixing well. Cut the garlic in half and add it to the sauce. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes and add them to the sauce, along with salt and pepper. Cover the recipient and leave in a cool place for at least 1½ hours. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti, pour it into the recipient and mix well, adding the Parmigiano.

Gnocchi alla Romana

Thinking of  the important meals  probably most of us are going to  have during  next holidays, we’d like to suggest something light but filling,  coming from the  typical Roman cooking .

1 l milk

250g ( 2 cups) semolina

100g (half  a cup) butter

2  egg yolks 

Abundant grated Parmigiano

Salt

Bring the milk to a boil, add 1/5 of the butter and 2 pinches of salt . Gradually stir in the semolina, stirring constantly to prevent lumps and keep the mixture from sticking to the pot. 

The mixture will become quite thick; continue cooking and stirring for about 20 minutes, and remove the pot from the fire.

Beat the yolks with a little more milk, and add them to the semolina, together with the cheese, solid butter, and a pinch of salt.

 Mix well and spread the mixture out onto a moistened work-surface and using a moistened spatula . Roll out a thick sheet, half an inch thick ( 1 cm.)

Let the semolina cool for 2 hours, and cut it into squares or diamonds or , using a glass, make 4cm-wide discs.

In   an ovenproof dish  make 3 or 4  layers of the discs .In between each layer and on top, sprinkle melted  butter and the Parmigiano .

Bake the gnocchi 15 minutes in a hot (400 F or 200 C) oven, until golden, and serve at once. 

 4-6 servings

Suggestion : Some recipes suggest to cook the discs in boiling water for a min. and then lay them on the oven dish.

Easy Sauces for Potato Gnocchi

For the last days of cold weather-as Spring seems to be late this year-or for those who live " on the other side"( dedicated to Australian and New Zealand friends) here are two sauce recipes perfect for gnocchi. Actually they can be good with all pastas :

Salsa Burro e Salvia
150g butter

4 or 5 sage leaves

Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan until it is brown and then add the sage leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the pasta and serve with this simple sauce.

Suggestion: 300 g tomato purée ½ white wine

Add the white wine and leave to evaporate. Add the tomato purée and cook for 15 minutes.

Salsa alle Noci

200 gr. walnuts

200 gr. cream

3 spoonfuls of milk

1 spoonful Parmigiano

a handful of the inside of the bread

1 glove Garlic

Salt

Olive oil

Put the walnuts in the mortar, add a clove of garlic and a pinch of salt. Begin to beat these ingredients with the pestle, crushing them against the sides of the mortar, gradually adding the cheese and the bread previously soaked in the milk. Then pour it into a pan, mix with the cream, mixing continuously, gradually add the oil, salt and pepper. Serve with the pasta.

Suggestion: Add some chopped chives