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 15... Aquiring Info in Abruzzi

Up to this point not many of our dishes have included pasta. And what I am finding out that in most Italian regions pasta is used as either as a dish to be enjoyed just before the main meal or as a side dish, much like we use rice. But here in Abruzzi, Saffron is featured in many of the dishes and almost every dish consists of some sort of pasta, usually served very simple and on the bottom "underneath all the good stuff". Even though Abruzzi's traditional products are saffron and liquorice, over the past decade, tourism has increasing, mostly because of castles and medieval towns, especially near the town of L'Aquila, So... often many of the dishes featured in this region are served altogether in one dish.

 Abruzzi-Style Lamb with Saffron Risoto

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1/4 cup chopped onion 
2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped 
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 
1/2 pound boneless lamb or mutton for a stronger flavor, cut into bite sized chunks. (great way to use up the leftover lamb from day 13)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 
1/2 cup dry white wine 
1 large can (28 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes with their juices, coarsely chopped 
1 pound rice  ( penne or maccheroncini pasta works also) 
Large pinch of saffron (20 threads) 
8 cups water or chicken stock
 1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

1. Put the oil and onion in a large skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is pale gold. And the pancetta and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta fat is rendered; the pancetta should remain soft.
2. Add the lamb and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Add the wine and simmer until evaporated, about 10 minutes.
3. Put in the tomatoes and simmer gently, stirring from time to time, until the fat begins to separate from the sauce, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with 8 cups of water or chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of coarse salt, cover and return to a boil. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of coarse salt, cover and return to a boil. Add the rice or pasta and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon. Cover and bring back to a boil, then uncover and cook the rice or pasta, stirring frequently, until it is al dente.
5. Drain the rice or pasta and immediately transfer it to a warmed bowl. Toss with the Saffron, lamb sauce and the cheese. Serve at once; pass additional cheese at the table. We like to serve ours with Lamb Meatballs.

Make Ahead The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

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 13... Lamb in Lazio

We love this recipe. Here, lamb chops are presented atop a salad that was inspired by the flavors of Lazio and Sardinia. A perfect first course or a light main course. When studying the region of Lazio, it is usually combined with the other two neighboring regions of Abruzzi and Molise. These three central regions are as "natural as wool" , as stated by the author. Their legacies of tending flocks and herds are still a big part of their world today. Not much has changed, Lamb is still a big part of their mainstay as well as living off the natural and fresh elements of the land around them and often eaten with out embellishments. Their food is easy to prepare and very portable. In the Rome-dominated parts of Lazio, much of the food is dictated by the city's unique culinary repertoire. Much like the recipe found below.

Honey Roasted Lamb with Arugula Salad

For Lamb: 

2 tablespoons honey

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup mixed fresh herbs, chopped  (thyme, parsley, oregano, savory or rosemary)

1 1 1/2-pound rack of lamb, trimmed 

1 tablespoon dry red wine

For Dressing and Salad:

• 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon peel

• 6 cups arugula (about 4 ounces)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  
  
  
   Combine honey, 3 tablespoon oil, and 1/2 cup of chopped herbs in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until just warm. Remove from heat. Pour 2/3 of honey mixture into small bowl. Place lamb on rack set in roasting pan; brush with half of honey mixture from bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or can be leftover night. 
  
  
  Preheat oven to 400. Whisk 2 tablespoons oil with 1/4 cup of chopped herbs and 1 tablespoon wine, pour over lamb and Roast lamb 12 minutes; brush with remaining honey mixture from bowl. Continue to roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125°F for medium-rare, about 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to cutting board. 
  
  
   Meanwhile add dressing ingredients  and remaining 3 tablespoons oil to honey mixture in saucepan. Stir over low heat until just warm. add pinenuts if desired. Season with salt and pepper. 
  
  
  Cut lamb between ribs into chops. Divide arugula and tomatoes among plates. Top each serving with lamb chops. Drizzle warm dressing over and serve warm.
  
  

Tour of Italy ~ Day 12... Sailing to Sardinia

       I loved the opening historical story that lead us to Sardinia. The facts of the matter is that the inhabitants of the island of Sardinia do not like fish, as one would assume that they might as being from one of the second largest island in the Mediterranean. Fact is they don't like the sea at all and the reason is very simple. "The island's coastline was a marshy breeding ground for Malaria as well as happy hunting ground for marauding pirates." Most shore dwellers of old fled inland and became shepherds. Those who ended up staying out on the coast lines ended up becoming know as "Outsiders". Most of the simple tastes and flavors of Sardinia come from the mountainous ares where you will find that their diets are mainly based on meats, cheeses and crispbread. I love the recipe we are sharing today, very simple and goes well with any dish.

Sardinian Crispbread

 "This famous Sardinian crispbread, called Carta di Musica ("music sheet" crispbread), gets its name because the bread comes in thin, unleavened leaves and often develops long cracks that suffest the lines of a musical staff."

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 cups semolina flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water ( about)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ( about)
• sea salt, to taste

Directions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Slowly mix in enough lukewarm water to form moist soft dough. Knead in bowl until dough is no longer sticky. Knead dough on lightly floured work surface until smooth, about 15 minutes. Cover with plastic and let stand at room temperature at least 20 minutes and up to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F Very lightly dust 2 large baking sheets with whole what pastry flour. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Pat 1 piece into disk (keep remaining dough covered). Roll out disk to 13-inch round, lifting and turning often. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until edges begin to turn up and bread is still malleable, about 3 minutes. Turn bread over and bake until bread bubbles in spots and is golden in places, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to rack.
3. Brush oil over bread. Sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Repeat with remaining dough.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 11... Crossing Campania

   Many of the residents of this south-western region live in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius and even though it is currently considered dormant, the people love to approach life with a sense of spontaneity. The volcano is also one of the major contributors to the vast richness of the soil in this region, providing produce the is colorful, intense and packed with flavor. Even though the soil is rich the people have been traditionally poor. Their diet is usually eaten fresh and raw, preserved, pickled, fried or baked in a pizza or calzoni. pasta is often served as a side dish to the many fruits and vegetables the may line an evening table. Tomatoes are their specialty and most dishes include tomatoes in one form or another, usually in the form of sauces, slices or stuffed. The most favored of these dishes is the Insalata Caprese. Campania is also know for it's coastal cuisine, where fresh fish and shellfish is the stars, often prepared simply and dressed with juice from the famed Amalfi Lemons, olive oil and herbs. So in staying with the regional flare the recipe for today is...

Shrimp & Scallops in Garlic Lemon Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small shallot, finely minced
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoons butter
12 medium sea scallops
12 medium shrimp, cleaned and devained
1/2 cup roasted or fresh tomatoes, sliced thick
2 Tablespoon sherry wine
3 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoon heavy cream
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
 4 servings of steamed Asparagus
2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced for garnish

Melt 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots and onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. Add scallops and saute for 2 minutes, turn scallops over add shrimp and roasted red peppers and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and scallops are opaque. With a slotted spoon, remove seafood and vegetables and arrange on top of the plated steamed asparagus.

To the skillet add rest of butter, sherry, lemon juice, heavy cream and cracked pepper. Heat until starts to bubble, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour sauce over Seafood and vegetables. Garnish with parsley and serve.


The original recipe for this was for a Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce, calling for 1 cup of heavy cream instead of the sherry and the dish was served with rice...
 * Original Recipe 680 calories / Make-Over Recipe 320 calories

Tour of Italy ~ Day 10 ... Apulian Artichokes

       Occupying the heel of the Italian boot, Apulia produces more wines than any other region in Italy. And the region is know to be heavily influenced by the Greeks and the Arabs. It is said to be the richest of the southern regions and it is home to the "Trulli" (unique conical white structures.) This region is also known for the the most distinctive pastas in the land called "orechiette" which means "little ears. This pasta is still made by hand in most areas of Apulia by the older women, who like to sit outside in the warm weather shaping the noodles on wooden boards. These noodles are especially designed to hold the hearty Apulian sauces that are simply, barely cooked and usually made from vegetables. The Apulian people are known to eat pasta everyday.
        But in keeping with the spirit of Sunday, we have decided to keep things simple and carefree. The dish featured today is actually a dish that could be made a day ahead. They were very tasty... We couldn't find any baby artichokes, so we went ahead and used large ones. They worked okay, just a lot more cleaning was involved and I think the next time we make them we will reduce the white wine, but none-the-less they were very delicious. This dish can also be mashed down and served over orechiette pasta.

Apulian Artichokes  "Braised Baby Artichokes"

• 12 baby or 6 large artichokes 
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

• Garnish: chopped fresh mint
• Special equipment: a melon-ball cutter

Keep stem attached and, at opposite end, cut off top inch of 1 artichoke with a serrated knife. Bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base, then discard several more layers of leaves in same manner until you reach pale yellow leaves with pale green tips.

Cut remaining leaves flush with top of artichoke bottom using a sharp knife, then pull out purple leaves and scoop out fuzzy choke with melon-ball cutter. Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and sides of artichoke with a sharp paring knife, then rub cut surfaces with a lemon half.

Cut 1/4 inch from end of stem to expose inner core. Trim sides of stem (still attached) down to pale inner core. Rub cut surfaces with same lemon half.

Trim remaining artichokes in same manner.

Put water and oil in a 4-quart heavy pot.

Mince and mash garlic with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then mix in mint. Rub one sixth of garlic paste into cavity of each artichoke, then stand artichokes upside down in liquid in pot. Sprinkle remaining teaspoon salt over artichokes, then simmer, covered, over low heat, until tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Transfer artichokes to a serving dish and boil cooking liquid, Add sour cream and mayonnaise, whisking, until emulsified and reduced to about 1/3 cup.  Pour sauce over artichokes and serve warm or at room temperature.