Gia Santiago

Nathaniel McElroy

ITALIAN RECIPES

MAIN DISH- TRENETTE AL PESTO

Trenette with Pesto Sauce

Note :A traditional recipe from Genoa (Liguria).Ingredients:4 cups of trenette pasta (long, narrow, flat, dry noodles)

About 30 basil leaves

4 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of pine nuts

1 tablespoon of grated ewe cheese (Fiore Sardo)

1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese

Extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Directions: ■In a marble mortar, grind the garlic cloves with an olive wood pestle and set them aside in a small bowl.

■Add the cleaned basil leaves and some large grains of sea salt to the mortar and grind until you get a paste. Add the pine nuts and continue grinding until they are completely mixed.

■Mix in the ground garlic and the two cheeses.

■When the mixture is smooth, dilute it with the olive oil until you get a pesto sauce that is not excessively runny.

■Cook the pasta in salted water.

■Pour the sauce you have made in a pan and dilute it with two tablespoons of the water from the pasta.

■Strain the pasta and add it to the pesto and mix them together before serving.

Hint: You can also use a mixer or blender to make the sauce, but the taste and color will be different.

MAIN DISH- CANNELLONI STUFFED WITH MEATIngredients:2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, very finely chopped 1 1/2 cups very lean ground beef 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked ham 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons tomato paste, softened in 1 tablespoon warm water 1 egg Egg pasta sheets made with 2 eggs 3 cups béchamel sauce 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese3 tablespoons butter Salt and ground black pepperDirections: ■Prepare the meat filling by heating the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and sauté gently until translucent. Stir in the beef, crumbling it with a fork, and stir constantly until it has lost its raw red color. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. ■Remove from heat and turn the beef mixture into a bowl with the ham and parsley. ■Add the tomato paste mixture and the egg, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. ■Make the egg pasta sheets. Do not let the pasta dry before cutting it into rectangles, about 5 to 6 inches long and as wide as they come from the machine (3 inches if you are not using a pasta machine).

MAIN DISH- CANNELLONI STUFFED WITH MEAT CONT.

■Bring a very large pan of water to a boil. Place a large bowl of cold water near the stove. Cover a work surface with a tablecloth. Add salt to the rapidly boiling water.

■Drop in 3 or 4 of the egg pasta rectangles. Cook very briefly for about 30 seconds.

■Plunge them into the cold water, shake off the excess, and lay them out flat on the tablecloth. Continue until all the pasta has been cooked in this way.

■Preheat the oven to 425°F. Select a shallow casserole large enough to take all the cannelloni in one layer. Butter the casserole and smear about 2 to 3 tablespoons of béchamel sauce over the bottom.

■Stir about a third of the sauce into the meat filling. Spread a thin layer of filling on each pasta rectangle. Roll the rectangles up loosely starting from a long side, jelly-roll style. Place the cannelloni in the casserole with their edges underneath.

■Spoon the rest of the sauce over the cannelloni, pushing a little down between each pasta roll. Sprinkle the top with grated Parmesan and dot with butter. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 8 minutes before serving on warmed plates.

MAIN DISH- PASTA E FAGIOLIIngredients:1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, undrained 2 teaspoons dry basil leaves 3 to 4 cups boiling water, divided usage 2 cups beef broth 12 ounces ditalini, elbow macaroni, or any short tubular pasta Salt and pepper, to taste Parmesan cheese, freshly grated Chopped fresh basil leaves, optionalDirections: ■Place olive oil and garlic in a large saucepot (6 quarts). Cook over medium heat just until golden. Add tomato paste and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. ■Puree 1 can of beans in food processor or blender and add to saucepot with remaining beans. Cook 2 minutes and then stir in basil. Add 2 cups boiling water, broth, salt, and pepper. Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add pasta. Cook about 8 minutes, or until al dente (“tender to the tooth,” slightly firm), adding remaining hot water, if needed, and stirring occasionally. ■Serve hot, topped with Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.

SIDE DISH- SARDEEIN SAÓRSardines with onion and vinegarNote: A traditional Venetian recipe.Ingredients:4 pounds of fresh sardines 8 cups of onions 2 cups of wheat flour Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup of white vinegar SaltDirections:■Clean and wash the sardines. Dust them with flour, and fry them in hot oil. ■Drain them on a paper towel and salt them lightly. ■Put a little bit of oil in a pan, and then add the onions, finely sliced in rings. ■Add 1/3 cup of vinegar and let the onions cook for a few minutes ■In a large dish, place alternate layers of sardines and onions until you have used all of them. ■Sprinkle the rest of the vinegar over the top, and keep it in a cool place for a day before serving.

SIDE DISH- BOLOGNESE MEAT SAUCENote:This sauce is a specialty of Bologna.Ingredients:2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped pancetta or unsmoked bacon

1 carrot, finely sliced

1 celery stalk, finely sliced

3 cups lean ground beef

2/3 cup red wine

1/2 cup milk

14-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juice

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Salt and ground black pepper

Cooked pasta, to serve

Directions: ■Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in the carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.

■Add the beef and crumble it into the vegetables with a fork. Stir until the meat loses its red color. Season to taste.

■Pour in the wine, increase the heat slightly, and cook until the liquid evaporates, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the milk and cook until it has evaporated.

■Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the herbs. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Correct the seasoning before serving on a bed of pasta.

Yields: 6 servings

BREAD- BRUSCHETTA AGLIO ED OLIO, AL POMODOROGarlic bread with tomatoIngredients:Italian bread, 1 slice each 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic Salt, to taste 2 firm salad tomatoes 1/2 bunch fresh basilDirections: ■Toast the Italian bread, preferably over charcoal, until golden. Rub all over with a garlic clove. Season with plenty of olive oil and salt to taste. ■Cut tomatoes into cubes, about 1 inch, and place in a bowl. Add chopped basil, salt, and olive oil. Mix gently. Place the bowl in the center of a serving dish with the garlic bread around it. Guests can put the tomato mixture on their garlic bread.

DESSERT- TIRAMISÙDessert with cheese and coffeeIngredients:7 ounces mascarpone cream cheese 2 eggs 2 tablespoons sugar 12 ladyfingers, or 24 pavesini 1 glass warm, strong espresso coffeeDirections: ■Take the eggs out of the refrigerator 1 hour before you start. Separate egg whites and yolks. ■Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until fluffy. ■Mix the mascarpone in a bowl to soften it. Fold the egg mixture in gently. Whip the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the mixture. ■Soak the ladyfingers briefly in warm espresso and make layers with the mascarpone mixture in individual glasses or dishes. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Decorate with a generous dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder before serving.

MAIN DISH- NORTHERN ITALIAN PASTA SHELL STUFFING

Ingredients

3 packages frozen, chopped spinach

3 pounds ground round

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 large onions, chopped

Grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper

2 jumbo eggs

1 (1-pound) package jumbo pasta shells

2 cups tomato sauce (your own or ready-made)

Directions

Place frozen spinach in a strainer and run under hot water until thawed. Squeeze all of the water out and place in a large bowl. In a large saute pan, cook the ground round until browned. Drain meat, reserving 2 tablespoons fat in the pan, and place meat in the same bowl with the spinach. Stir in the cream cheese until blended with the meat and spinach. Saute the chopped onions in the reserved meat fat until transparent. Transfer onions to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine. Add grated cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste, and combine. Let mixture cool and then add the eggs. The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.

Total Time: 1 hr 55 min.Prep30 min. Cook1 hr 25 min. Yield:6 to 8 servings. Level:Intermediate

MAIN DISH- NORTHERN ITALIAN PASTA SHELL STUFFING CONT.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta shells in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and cool to the touch. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture. Place shells in a large baking pan and cover with tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 1 hour. Serve.