Tour of Italy ~ Day 24...Pastas of Piedmont

Every day and every glorious meal in the Piedmont region is considered a festival, which usually starts with a round of anit-pastas followed by several sizable dishes of meat and pastas then desserts. White truffles and fontina cheeses help to give the haunting, intoxicating and seductive richness to the area's culinary prize dishes. Thick heavy pastas are known world wide from this region as well as the powerhouse of wines. There are so many fun recipes from the region, but being that it is Sunday and we wanted something simple and easy to make on the sabbath, we choose a Spinach Gnocchi.

Spinach Gnocchi with Fontina Cheese

 (GNOCCHI DI SPINACI ALLA BAVA)

• 1 pound russet potatoes
• 2 10-ounce packages ready-to-use spinach leaves, stemmed
• 1 small egg, beaten to blend
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups (about) all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 5 ounces Fontina cheese, thinly sliced

Steam potatoes until very tender, about 35 minutes. Cool potatoes slightly and peel. Mash potatoes in large bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 2 inches of salted water to boil in large pot. Add spinach leaves to pot and cook until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain spinach, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from spinach. Puree spinach in processor, adding reserved cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary to help puree and scraping down sides of processor bowl occasionally.

Transfer spinach mixture to bowl with potatoes. Mix in egg, ground nutmeg and enough flour until soft and slightly sticky dough forms. Season dough to taste with salt.

Dust baking sheet with flour. Working in batches and using floured hands, roll 1/4 cup dough on lightly floured work surface to form 12-inch rope. Cut rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece between palms to form oval ball. Lightly flour the wires of a whisk. Using thumb, gently roll each ball down length of wires, making ribbed impressions in gnocchi. Transfer gnocchi to prepared baking sheet. Repeat rolling, cutting and shaping of remaining dough.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13x9-inch baking dish. Working in batches, add gnocchi to large pot of boiling salted water and cook until gnocchi rise to surface of water, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove gnocchi from water, draining off excess, and transfer to prepared baking dish. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over gnocchi; toss thoroughly to coat. Top with Fontina cheese slices. (Gnocchi can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Bake until gnocchi are heated through and cheese bubbles, about 10 minutes.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 23...Everlasting Emilia-Romagna

This broad, fertile region is both literally and figuratively known as the belly of the country. It is known for its wide quantity and quality of tasty treats and its culinary heritage. There are eight very distinctive provinces that all share the come food source of pasta. Everyday you will find culinary artisans transforming flour and fresh orange-yolked eggs into yellow sheets of dough that will be shaped into all sorts of shapes and sizes of luscious pastas. This region is also famous for its grilled foods, and the aroma of meats sizzling over a wood fire is common in the countryside. In the Bon Appetit Magazine that we are using, it has a whole section with a full meal menu from this region. We prepared the whole meal, but for the sake of time and space here we are going to share the main course of the meal.

Grilled Veal Chops with Rosemary & Potato Parmesan Gratin

For the Chops:

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
• 2 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 8-ounce veal rib chops (3/4 to 1 inch thick)
• Fresh rosemary sprigs

Whisk oil, wine, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper to blend in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add veal chops to dish and turn to coat with marinade. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate up to 4 hours, turning veal occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove veal from marinade, shaking off excess. Season veal with salt and pepper. Lightly oil grill. Grill or broil veal to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to platter. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve.

For the Potatoes:

• 2 1/2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 7 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 1/2 cups)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices with a knife or an adjustable-blade slicer, spreading slices out on a large kitchen towel. Sprinkle with sea salt (1 1/2 teaspoons).

Stir together cream and milk.

Dot bottom of a 3-quart shallow baking dish (13 by 9 inches) with half of butter and pour in 1/3 cup cream mixture. Without rinsing or drying potatoes, divide into 5 piles. Layer potatoes in baking dish, 1 pile per layer, spreading 1/3 cup cream mixture and one fourth of cheese between layers. Drizzle remaining cream mixture over potatoes and dot with remaining butter.

Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are very tender and top is browned, about 2 hours. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

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 21... Tuscany Tradition

Love Tuscany! I could spend a whole month just cooking and sampling all the known recipes from there, but my favorite that I have sampled many times is a Tuscany Tradition. Taverna dei Barbi is a well-known winery in Tuscany. Vin santo is an aged, sweet wine produced in Tuscany. Add the vin santo wine at the last minute so that the wine's rick flavor and aroma do not dissipate before teh chicken is served. So today we bring you...

Chicken in Vin Santo ~ (From Taverna Dei Barbi, Tuscany, Italy) 

• 1 (4 lb)  chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup sweet vin santo (such as Avignonesi)
• chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium heat.
3. Working in batches, add chicken to pot and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
4. Transfer chicken to bowl.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low.
6. Add onion and garlic to pot; saute until tender and pale golden, about 8 minutes.
7. Stir in 3/4 cup dry white wine.
8. Return chicken and any juices to the pot.
9. Reduce heat to low.
10. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
11. Uncover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
12. Stir in vin santo.
13. Sprinkle with parsley.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 20... Two Days in Tuscany

Tuscany is my favorite part of Italy to study about. It is one of the oldest wine producing regions as well as the home to many traditional Italian dishes. This central region is what most people refer to as Italy. A Rolling countryside dotted with olive and cypress tress, sandwiched in between you will find a bold heritage of Renaissance cities filled with rich history, art and architecture, filled with rustic and refined cuisine, world know oils and superb wines. Interesting new fact that we learned while studing this region was the fact that they are often referred to as "mangiafagioli" (beat eaters). Doesn't fit the picture... does it? The most famous beans in the Tuscany region is called "cannellini" (small white beans). They are often paired with fresh vegetables to make soups and stew like dishes. Another staple to Tuscan meals are breads, often made without salt and served as the spoon for the highly flavored meat dishes.

Prosciutto & White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb of white beans - Canellini or Great Northern
2 quarts of water
2-3 lbs of prosciutto, ham shanks or ham hocks
1 cup egg noddles
1 cup of diced onions
1 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 teaspoon of dried chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley and thyme

Method

1.  Soak the beans in at least 2 quarts of cold water over night. Drain the water.
2.  Put the prosciutto or ham shank pieces in a large pot, add chicken stock and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about an hour. Add the chopped vegetables and beans. Cook for another hour, until the vegetables are soft and the ham meat easily pulls away from the bone. Add egg noddles and cook until noddles are tender.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley and thyme. 

Tour of Italy ~ Day 19... The Marches

        The mountainous area to the east of Umbria is known as "the Marches". It is known as the home of black truffles, white truffles and several less familiar varieties known as summer truffles. This region is marked by two distinct culinary types. The first is the coastal region where seafood dominates. The seafood soups are legendary throughout Italy. Inland the cuisine is home to the truffle, mushroom and olive. While looking through the "Bon Appetit" magazine that we are using a the base guide for this tour, we couldn't find any recipe that was specifically for the region known as the "Marches". But in reading some other research info we have come to learn that the region is known for it's "little bites". One thing We learned in our research was that fritters seem to be among the favorite as we travel around the "Isle of March" So today... We are making Frittelle di Riso, or rice fritters, both versions. First recipe is a savory recipe, second is a sweet recipe. They are both very tasty.

Sweet Risoto (Rice) Fritters

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups rice --

1 quart  whole milk

The grated zest of a lemon

4 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon butter

3 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup (100 g) flour

Oil for frying

Preparation:

Begin by cooking the rice until it's thoroughly cooked in the milk, together with the sugar, lemon zest, and butter. Let the mixture cool, and stir in the three yolks. Stir in the vanilla. Whip the whites and fold them in, then fold in the flour.

Heat oil in a fairly deep pot and fry the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, removing the balls from the pot when they become golden. Drain them on absorbent paper, dust them with granulated sugar, and serve.

Tour of Italy ~ Day 18... Unbelievable Umbria

Umbria  is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked. It is second only to Tuscany in terms of historical hills towns and beautiful countryside. Along with Tuscany and Sicily, Umbria has sizeable cypress forests in addition to pine and chestnut. One of Umbria's abundant ingredients are the awesomely famous black truffles, often found just tossed into rustic pastas and cooked into golden frittatas, (an open-faced Italian style omelette made by combining vegetables, cheese, meat or other filling ingredients with the beaten eggs, then cooking over direct heat until browned on the underside. Often a frittata if finished under the broiler to set and brown the top).

 Green & Golden Frittata

4 tbs. olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and finely chopped
1 lb. mushrooms, brushed clean and thinly sliced (or 1 tablespoon grated black truffle)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 medium onion very thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach, washed
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups swiss, gruyere or sharp cheddar, grated
2  large tablespoons sour cream
2  large tablespoons Caponata
1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley

In a 12″ nonstick pan with an ovenproof handle, heat the olive oil.  add the leeks and saute until softened but not browned, about 3 mins.  add the mushrooms and saute for 2 mins., and then add the red pepper, garlic and onion, cook for a few more mins., until the pepper is slightly softened. season with the salt and pepper.  preheat oven to 425; in a bowl, whisk eggs until well-blended.  stir in 1 1/4 cup of the cheese and spinach.  pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the bottom of the mixture is lightly browned, about 5 mins.  sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake until the frittata is puffed and browned, about 10-15 mins.  remove it from the oven and invert onto a plate; invert it again onto a serving platter, so the browned top faces up.  arrange a large dollop of sour cream and Caponata in the middle, garnish with fresh parsley.  serve immediately.  you can also serve the frittata right out of the pan, or cut in wedges.


To turn this recipe into a Make-Over Monday Recipe, you could always use just egg whites or 2 cups of egg-beaters, to help reduce the calorie count.