Homemade Noodles

 This week my WORKDESK was my kitchen table full of homemade noodles for our traditional noodle gravy for Thanksgiving this weekend…

My recipe for noodles is a little different than I make for my homemade pasta, because we like the noodles in our gravy to be a little thicker and softer, more like a dumpling. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons cold heavy cream 

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour and salt. Create a well in the middle.

2. Add egg and cream into the well. Using a fork, whisk egg and cream allowing flour to mix into the dough slowly. Stir until a dough forms. The dough will be sticky.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and shiny. Knead another 5 minutes  

4.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to desired thickness, about 1/4 inch thick, (Remember, they will swell a bit as you cook them.)

5. Roll dough into a tube, lightly dusting dough with flour with each roll. (like a jelly roll) Using a dough cutter, or sharp knife,  cut noodles into even strips, (remember the wider the strip the wider the noodle.) Unroll the noodles to dry and spread out on table or cookie sheet to dry. 

6. Let dry for a least 2-3 hours, better if they dry for 2-3 days. Package noodles in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 8 months.

Stuffed Rigatoni Pie

ingredients: rigatoni pasta – 1 pound (500 g) parmesan – 1 cup, finely grated for the filling: ricotta – 1 8 oz (250 g) container mozzarella – 1 cup, finely grated parmesan – 1/2 cup, finely grated eggs – 2, beaten parsley – 1 tsp for the sauce: olive oil – 1 tbsp turkey – 1 pound, ground or ground beef salt and pepper – use very generously garlic cloves – 3, minced italian herbs – 2 tbsp crushed red pepper – 1 tsp crushed tomatoes – 2 14 oz (400 g) cans, with juices mozzarella – 1 1/2 cups, shredded how to: Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Cook the rigatoni in boiling water, about 1 minute less than package directions. Drain then toss with the parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Lightly oil a 9″ springform pan and pack the rigatoni in tightly, standing on their ends. to make the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs and parsley until well combined, then set aside. to make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add the ground turkey or beef and cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the garlic, italian herbs, and crushed red pepper. Cook for another minute or two. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer over medium heat until most of the liquid has cooked away – about 20 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, fill the rigatoni with the cheese filling. Use a pastry tube to pipe the filling into the noodles, filling each one about 1/2 full. (if you have a problem getting the mixture through a pastry tube, you can blend it with a hand held blender to make it smooth enough to pass through.) When the meat sauce is done, ladle it on top of the rigatoni, pushing it down a bit to fill up the remaining space in the noodles. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, then remove and sprinkle over the mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and cook for about 15 more minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let rest about 15 minutes before removing the form and serving.

"ATW80DS" - Pasta in a Pot

I don't normally repost recipes without trying them first, but this one looks really good...

Blow your MIND" Tomato Basil Pasta! - No Straining, just Stirring. (I've gotten many requests to repost this, so here you go!)

Pasta, Tomatoes, Veggie Broth, Olive Oil, and Seasonings (details below)

Throw it all in the pot, INCLUDING the uncooked Pasta, and cook! - Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. The starch leaches out of the pasta and makes a rich, warm sauce for the noodles. The other ingredients cook right along with the pasta

Ingredients
12 ounces pasta (I used Linguine)
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( I used zesty red pepper flavor)
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions
Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.

Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired .

Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Simply The Best You...Healthy and Happy

"ATW80DS" .... kugel

Yesterday, our son was watching the cooking show and all of a sudden he said, "What is THAT?" I was stumped... I didn't know! We had to look it up and after doing so we both decided it would make a great dish for our travels.

Kugel's history starts out a little vague.  The name of the dish comes from the Middle High German kugel meaning "sphere, globe, ball", but the word kugel first appeared in Webster’s Dictionary in the early twentieth century, it was defined as “a suet pudding,” a characterization derived from similarities between kugel and British steamed puddings. During the Middle Ages, most foods were cooked on the hearth over an open fire, only some wealthy families owned a home oven, so this makes it difficult to really figure out where Kugel got started. But now it is simply known as a baked pudding or casserole, similar to a pie, most commonly made from egg noodles (Lokshen kugel) or potato. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served on Shabbat and Yom Tov.

 Ingredients

• 12 oz wide egg noodles (great use for leftover noddles)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 oz cottage cheese (1 cup)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (1 cup)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Cinnamon and sugar for dusting
• Nonstick cooking oil spray
• 1 cup raisins (optional) - you may substitute other fruits like craisins, dried chopped apricots, or chopped drained pineapple

Directions:

Place a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Cover the raisins with hot water and let them soak to plump while you prepare the other ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles to the pot, bring back to a boil, and let them cook till tender (not overly soft), about 5 minutes. Drain and return the cooked noodles to the pot.

In a food processor or blender, mix together the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sugar, melted butter, and salt. Pour the egg mixture over the cooked noodles in the pot and stir till well combined. If you are adding any fruits add them now and Stir them into the noodles.

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking oil. Pour the noodle mixture into the dish. Top the kugel by sprinkling generously with sugar and lightly with cinnamon. Alternatively, you can use your favorite kugel topping (streusel, crushed graham crackers, cornflakes, etc.).

Bake the kugel for about 60 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, till the center of the kugel is set and the tips of the noodles turn golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let the kugel rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Kugel can be served warm or cold.

TTT's - Scallop & Bacon Alfredo

I had this wild idea to take my favorite dish of Bacon Wrapped Scallops & my favorite recipe of Pasta Alfredo and combine them together for a new found friend, AND this is what I came up with...

Scallop & Bacon Alfredo

serves 2-4

1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 onion (diced)
1 clove garlic, (crushed)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
10-15 large Scallops
1/2 lb. of bacon (diced)
2-4 cups of Favorite Pasta (cooked)

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat add butter, Bacon and onion. Cook until bacon is done and onion is tender. Add Cream, Garlic, cheese, stir and reduce until it will coat and stick to a spoon when stirred. Add Scallops to sauce and turn slowly every two minutes until scallops are done. (about 4-6 minutes on each side depending on how large the scallops are) Drain Pasta and place in serving bowl, Pour Scallop Alfredo mixture over warm Pasta, Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve...

Thrifty Thursday ---- Easy-Does-It-Spaghetti!

Since school has started and all my employee have left me... I have found myself still working lots of nights and by doing so have discovered a greater need to use my crock pot for dinner meals. So to lick off a warm September Fall,  We give you...  


1 lb ground chuck (yeah, I use hamburger)

1/2 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 - 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms drained (yeah, I leave these out)
3 C tomato juice
6oz dry spaghetti, broken into 4"-5" pieces

Cook and drain meat and put in crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients except dry spaghetti and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. (High 3-5 hours). Turn on high last hour and stir in dry spaghetti.

I double it for my family.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 22... Lovely Liguria

Forming a crescent that runs along the Ligurian Sea and wraps its self around the capital city of Genoa. This region has become known as the Italian Riviera. It is known for its wide variety of vegetables, NOT FISH, and pastas with pestos, because as the stories go. This region is still know for the sailors of trade not fishing and when they would return home from their long voyages, they would be sick of eating dried and preserved foods and often their wives would find them physically sick and in need of fresh fruits and nutritious vitamin filled veggies. Their legacies are filled with stuffed vegetables dishes like fritters, frittatas, pesto sauces. And since it is Friday, we wanted to make a dish that we could take and enjoy at the beach, today we are enjoying a terra firma classic...

Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans

Ingredients (for the pesto):

6 1/2 ounces  fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup good-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Ingredients (for the pasta):

1 lb whole wheat pasta
4 or 5 medium-small boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into one-inch lengths
1 Tablespoon butter
1 pesto recipe, above

Instructions

To make the pesto: Combine basil, nuts, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor. finely grind.  With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil and let it process until the mixture is relatively smooth.  Add grated cheese and process once more to incorporate.  Adjust taste with salt.  Before adding to the pasta, stir in the cream or milk to loosen it a bit.
To make the pasta: Place the potatoes in a large pot (you'll be using it for the pasta, too) and fill with as much water as you'd use to make pasta.  The potatoes should be covered with a few inches of water.  Generously salt the water, and then bring to a boil.  When the potatoes are close to being tender (usually takes around 8-10 minutes), add the green beans and allow them to cook.  When the green beans and potatoes are tender, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a separate bowl.  Cover with foil to keep warm.  Put the pasta in the boiling water and cook until al dente.
Place the pasta, potatoes, and green beans in a large bowl.  Mix in the pesto to coat everything.  Serve with more parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 17... Lazy Day Lasagna

It's Sunday and it's Father's day, which means for us here at the pantry a Lazy Day of celebrating our TOP MAN of the house. We think you are the best and we love you. And keeping with Harris tradition the kids took Dad (and Mom) out for dinner, so for the topic of Italian we wanted to post Dad's favorite lazy day dish....


Lazy Day Lasagna

Makes 4-6 servings


1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce ( .99 on sale)

2 cups water (free)

4 large cloves garlic, minced ( .12)

4 cups egg noodles, uncooked (.89 a box)

1 cup Ricotta Cheese (for better savings I use Cottage Cheese @ .62 a cup)

3 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Basil (.46)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese (.78... I buy my cheese in bulk bricks and grate my own)

3 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese (.42)

I love this recipe from Kraft, I use it all the time.
It can be made on the stove top or mixed all together and baked.

To make:

BRING spaghetti sauce, water and garlic to boil in large skillet. Stir in noodles; cover.
COOK on medium-low heat 12 min. or just until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir.
MIX ricotta and basil; drop spoonfuls over noodle mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; cover. Let stand 5 min. until mozzarella is melted.



Total cost of this meal for is $4.28 (served with Homemade Bread sticks... $5.46)

Tour of Italy ~ Day 16... Pasta Power!

       Like I was explaining in yesterday's post, we have learned the most offten pasta is a dish served just before the main meal, like you here in America serve salad. Italy salad to usually served right after the meal course and just before first course desserts. It has been estimated that there are over two hundred pasta shapes and sizes and each has a different name bases on the region where you dine upon it. Most often the root word of the pasta gives you a hint at what it's shape is, for examples, look below at some of the pasta featured and the root word and shape is explained.

Spaghetti: is a long, thin, round style pasta made of semolina or flour and water.  Traditionally, most spaghetti was 20 inches long, but shorter lengths gained in popularity during the latter half of the 20th century and now spaghetti is most commonly available in a variety of lengths. Spaghetti is the plural form of the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago, meaning "thin string" or "twine."



Capellini: Like spaghetti, it is rod-shaped, in the form of long strands.  literally "thin hair" with its diameter between 0.85 mm and 0.92 mm^[1] is a very thin variety of Italian pasta.

Capelli d'angelo: a form of Capellini which literally means angel hair has a diameter between 0.78 and 0.88 mm^[2] is an even thinner variant of capellini and they are often sold in a nest-like shape. Capelli d'angelo has been popular in Italy since at least the 14th century. As a very light pasta, it goes well in soups or seafood and light sauces.



Fettuccine: is a popular pasta that resembles spaghetti in appearance. It is normally cooked with creamier sauces. This pasta is found largely in the south and central part of Italy. The name has a meaning of "little ribbons."




Farfalle: are commonly known as "bow-tie pasta," the name is derived from the Italian word farfalla "butterflies." This pasta dates back to the 16th century. It originated in Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy. Farfalle come in several sizes, but have a distinctive bow tie shape.




 

Fusilli are long, thick, corkscrew shaped pastas. The word fusilli presumably comes from fusile, archaic or dialectal word for "rifle", referring to the spiral-grooved barrel of a gun. It can be found in plain or whole wheat varieties, and other colours can be made by mixing other ingredients into the dough, which also affects the flavour, for example, beetroot for red, spinach for green, and cuttlefish ink for black.

Penne: is usually a cylindrical shaped pasta cooks well with meatier sauces. The meat and sauce seep into the hollow center as it cooks. Its shape is derived from the metallic pen used during World War II, called a "pennino."

Rigatoni: is a pasta made for baking, it has a ridged edge that is expert at capturing sauce. Preparation can involve stuffing it with meat, cheese or other ingredients. It is very popular in southern Italy and its name comes from "rigato," which means "ridged."

Rotelle: is the pasta resembling wheels with spokes. It is similar to Fiori and it's name derives from the Italian word for little wheels. They are also known as wagon wheels. Fact: Rotelle was once a popular product sold in Ohio supermarkets by the former Ippolito's Ideal Macaroni Company of Cleveland, Ohio, under the name "Choo Choo Wheels".
 



Anelli:  are small, thin rings of pasta that are generally used for soups and pasta salads.

 
Gemelli is a type of pasta that derives from the Italian for twins. Even though it is not twin tubes twisted around one another, as they may appear to be, but rather a single s-shaped strand twisted into a spiral.
Gemilli is also sometimes called 'Unicorn Horns'.

 Lasagna: this versatile pasta can be baked with layers of sauce and meat in-between. It can also be rolled around ingredients such as meat or cheese and cooked. Each region in Italy has its own variation of lasagna.

Gnocchi: a small dumpling is comprised of dough made from potatoes. The round shaped dough is boiled and is mixed with various sauces and in soups. They can also be made from wheat or rice flour.



Orecchiette: is a kind of home-made pasta typical of Puglia or Apulia, a region of Southern Italy. Its name comes from its shape, which reminds one of a small ear. In Southern Italy, you will often see women sitting outdoors in the spring and making the dough  and forming it into small cylinders, which they cut into little cubes. Then they press down each cube with their right thumb, dragging it on the board, thus making it curl slightly. Then they insert their thumb on the reverse side, making it pop out with a little convex bulge.


And since the focus of today was all about pasta, we thought we would give you the recipe for our favorite Bolognese sauce, that could be enjoyed over any of the pasta from above.

Ragu / Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large onion or 2 small, cut into 1-inch dice
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch dice
• 1/2 large eggplant
• 4 cloves garlic
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
•  salt and papper
• 3 pounds ground combinationof Italian sausage, beef, salami and turkey or chicken
• 2 cups whole tomoates squished
• 1 cup hearty red wine
• 2-4 cups Water or beef stock
• 3 bay leaves, crushed
• 1 bunch thyme, pulled from stems
• 1 pound favorite pasta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

Directions:

 Chop the onion, carrots, celery, eggplant and garlic into a coarse small chunks.In a large pan over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the diced veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.

Add the ground meats and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE MEATS! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the whole squished tomates and cook  about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.
Add water to the pan until the water or beef stock is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and TASTE frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. Salty as the ocean! TASTE IT! If your pasta water is under seasoned it doesn't matter how good your sauce is, your complete dish will always taste under seasoned. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than it calls for on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking remove 1/2 of the ragu from the pot and reserve.
Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the remaining ragu. Stir or toss the pasta to coat with the sauce. Add some of the reserved sauce, if needed, to make it about an even ratio between pasta and sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and give a big sprinkle of Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of the high quality finishing olive oil. Toss or stir vigorously. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano. Serve immediately.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 14... Moving through Molise

Molise is the second smallest and newest Italian region, since it was established in 1963, when the region Abruzzi e Molise was split in two. It became effective only in 1970. Molise for the most part is uncharted country, the wines from there are little known. The food is very clean and often served in soup style.

CHICKPEA AND PASTA SOUP

A wonderfully satisfying soup for a cold winter night. A salad and bread complete the meal. We love it pureed and served as a dip with homemade polenta chips. It can be prepared a day or two ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator and made with either 1/2 lb chickpeas, soaked overnight or 1-15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained.

1 1/2 lbs chicken wings, necks and back, or cut-up whole chicken
2 stalks celery, in 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, quartered
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, halved
3 bay leaves
Parsley-fresh, 2 or 3 sprigs
Salt
1/4-cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 peperoncino crushed, more or less to taste
1/2 lb conchigliette (small shells), broken up fettuccine, any small pasta will do

 

Place the chicken in a large heavy saucepan. Cover with cold water to a depth of 2 inches.
Bring to a boil.
Skim the surface till clear.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till chickpeas are tender.
(If using canned chickpeas, cook chicken and vegetables for about 1 hour and then add the chickpeas for 15 minutes.) Use canned chicken broth to save time. The taste will, of course, suffer, but it is still good.
Remove chicken pieces and the bay leaves with a slotted spoon.
If you like bits of chicken in your soup, remove what chicken meat you can off the bones. Add to the broth.
Add the pasta and cook till tender, about 12 minutes.
In a bowl, mix 1/4-cup stock with the olive oil and peperoncino.
Serve soup into individual bowls and then pour a small amount of the hot oil mixture over each serving.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 8 ... Camping in Calabria

Calabria is a very long and narrow peninsula located at the "toe" of Italy. It is mainly a mountainous region that is very isolated and mainly inhabited by tradion-bound people. The cooks of this region are known for their love and use of the hot red pepper known as peperoncino. Along with the variety of peppers the people of this region enjoy a basic diet of fresh and dried pastas loaded with fresh vegetables of the season along with fish and many cured meats, fresh usually being used only at big occasions. Calabria is nearly surrounded by water and the heritage descends from the Greeks. So, since we have decided to go camping in Calabria, we have chosen a "one pot wonder"  to make today...

 

Spinach with Tomatoes and Provolone 

(traditionally this dish is made in one pot and served between soup and pasta, but we decided to add the two together and enjoy it, along with Sardinian Crispbread, as our main course.)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Olive Oil
 1 medium oinion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
15 ounces of fresh spinach leaves (washed)
1 cup grated or 1/4 inch pieces provolone cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, (or small  fire if you are camping), add oinon and garlic, stir 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer until onion is translucant and the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Add spinach to pot. toss gently until wilted, about 3 minutes. Mix in cheese. Cook until cheeses just begins to melt, this will be really quick if you use grated cheese. Sir occasionally, season with salt and pepper and serve. We like this dish for camping because you can add a little precooked pasta, grab a fork and eat it right out of the pot. Clean up is so easy and the dish is very filling.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 2... Filling the Pantry

Tour of Italy ~ Day 2... Filling the Pantry

There are certain pantry supplies that are elemental to Italian cuisine. They help to bring the true flavors to life in every dish.  If you love to cook Italian food, which we will be doing this month, there are certain essentials that you should stock in your pantry.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is a must. You should have a bottle for everyday use, and also a better quality for dipping, drizzling, and dazzling. 

• Balsamic Vinegar, which is used in many dishes. However, it's a good idea to have red wine or white balsamic to have on hand also.

• Pastas.  Stock up on all the varieties and add some new ones, such as curly cavatappi, tagliatelle, or orechiette.

• Yellow Cornmeal, (Polenta), it is a great comfort food that keeps ages.

• Olives in jars are a great Italian staple. Even if you don't use them often, they are an essential ingredient in Italian cooking. They're also a perfect ingredient in antipasti platter.

• Pine nuts are one of the main ingredients in a good pesto. They store well unopened in the pantry, but after opening they should be stored in the freezer or fridge.

• Anchovies (YUCK!) but necessary.  Even if you think you don't like them, try adding one or two to a sauce or a salad dressing. You'll be surprised at the depth they add to flavors. HINT: Make sure you add salt after the anchovies, not before.

• Wines. If you can keep from drinking your supply... :) always have a few bottles of wine on hand; a red, white, a Marsala or any other Italian style wine. They don't have to be expensive but they should be a wine you would want to drink; after all, you're adding it to your food for flavor and depth and the alcohol does cook out. 

 

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

•  2 cups fresh young basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts 
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 Method:

 I am not a lover of just straight pesto, but I did learn to make pesto the true Italian way from a dear Italian stamping friend of mine while I was living in Connecticut. She would die if she thought that I would ever use a food processor to make my pesto. During the time we spent together,  I think I learned more about true Italian cooking than she ever did about stamping. But we did have alot of fun together and I will always treasure then time we shared. Anyway, back to the pesto... I quickly began to realize that chopping all the ingredients by hand and not blending them in the food processor is the key to good pesto because this prevents the ingredients from becoming a sauce or paste, which I hate with pesto. Chopping keeps things fresh and texturally together, so that when you add it to pastas, bits of pesto will separate and the olive oil will add it to all the right places, you get definition between ingredients and the flavors will pop in a way they don't when they've been blended all into one .

Yield: Makes 1 cup.