Lentil soup with Chestnuts

• This is one of my favourite soups from the Centre Region of Italy! The chestnut give a unique almost sweet taste to the stew. Very easy to make and healthy           
  

  
  

            1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
            1/4 cup finely chopped onion
            ¼ cup carrots in small cubes
            1 stick of celery in small cubes
             3 cloves of garlic
              Fine sea salt
              1 cup small brown lentils, such as castelluccio or colfiorito
              1 tablespoon tomato paste
              3 bay leafs
              20 chestnuts (fresh baked)
              3 leafy sprigs thyme
              Freshly ground black pepper
              4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices baguette, toasted
              Finely chopped fresh basil and/or marjoram for garnish (optional)
  
  
  In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery and pinch salt; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add lentils and tomato paste; stir to combine, then add 4 cups water and bay leaf. Bring just to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes.
  
  
  Meanwhile, coarsely chop 12 chestnuts. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and thyme over medium heat until oil is shimmering. Add chopped and whole chestnuts; cook, stirring occasionally, until chestnuts are lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
  
  
  When lentils have cooked 25 minutes, add chopped chestnuts and pan contents into pot with lentils. Continue cooking until lentils are tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. Season soup with 1/4 teaspoon salt and generous pinch pepper, then ladle soup into serving bowls. Tuck whole chestnuts and toasts into soup. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using.

Meat broth

• 2 1/2 pounds beef brisket or chuck, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 pound meaty beef shanks
• 1 large chicken leg and thigh
• 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rinds 
• 1 large white onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 carrot, cut into 3 pieces
• 1 celery stalk, cut into 3 pieces
• Fine sea salt    
• 4  quarts cold water

In a large stockpot, combine beef, beef shanks, chicken, cheese rinds, onion, carrot, celery and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam and fat from surface. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, skimming occasionally, for 3 hours. 

Pour broth through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Skim off and discard fat, as desired. Season broth with salt to taste. 

Note: Broth can be made ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered, 1 week, or frozen in an airtight container up to 2 months.

Lasagna Verdi alla Bolognese

Meat

• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 celery rib, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 ounces chopped pancetta
• 1/3 pound ground beef 
• 1/3 pound ground pork
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped
• 1/4 pound mortadella, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2/3 cup beef broth
• 1/3 cup red wine
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Green Pasta

• 1 small bunch spinach , stems trimmed (or 1/2 cup of frozen)
• Fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups “00” flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

BECHAMEL

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg
•  
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, more to taste
• 1/2 cup smoked Scamorza or Provolone

FOR SAUCE: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and pancetta and cook, stirring, until vegetables are lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, ground pork and prosciutto and cook until beef is no loner pink. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, and wine and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pan, and cook the sauce at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. (The sauce may be made up to 2 days ehad; cover and refrigerate it, and bring the sauce to room temperature before assembling the lasagne.)

FOR PASTA: Rinse spinach leaves in several changes of cold water; do not dry. Put leaves in a medium saucepan with pinch salt, and cook, covered, over medium heat until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain spinach and let cool, then gently squeeze out excess liquid and very finely chop.

On a clean work surface, mound the flour and form a well in the center. Add the egg, olive oil, a pinch of salt and the spinach to the well. Using a fork, gently break up yolk and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed. When the dough gets to stiff to work with a fork, knead the dough by hand until the dough is no longer sticky, adding additional flour in 1 tablespoon increments as necessary. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Flatten 1 piece of dough so that it will fit through the rollers of a pasta machine. Set rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine. Roll pasta through machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta), until pasta sheet is scant 1/16 inch thick. Cut sheet into rectangles the width of the pasta roller and 7 inches long. Lay the lasagna noodles on a lightly floured baking sheet in a single layer until ready to use. (Lay noodles that don’t fit on another layer separated by lightly floured wax paper or kitchen parchment.) Do the same with the second piece of pasta dough. 

FOR BECHAMEL: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring, until golden. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to just under a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter and stir to combine. If not using the béchamel immediately, let it cool, cover it with plastic wrap and set aside. 

Heat the oven to 400°.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and have ready a large bowl of ice water. Add the lasagna sheets, a few at a time, to the boiling water. Cook until the noodles float to the top of the surface, about 15 seconds. Immediately remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water to keep from overcooking. Drain well and lightly pat dry with a kitchen towel. 

Cover a 11” x 7” by 2” rectangular baking dish (or similar size gratin dish) with an initial layer of lasagna, overlapping the noodles slightly and letting any excess hang over the sides. 

Cover with about one-fifth of each: the Bolognese sauce, the béchamel, and the cheese. Cover with another layer of pasta, trimming the noodles if necessary so they fit snug in the dish. Top with another layer of sauce, béchamel, and cheese. Repeat this step two more times for a total of four layers, saving some sauce, béchamel, and cheese for the top.

To finish, fold any overflowing lasagna pasta over the dish. Top with the remaining sauce, béchamel, and cheese. 

Bake until the top is brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let the lasagne rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. 

Spanish Puchero

1 / 2 kgr chickpeas
1 / 2 kgr (pieces of: panceta, pig trotter, pig cheek)

1 / 4 kgr Beef shank
2 old chicken drumstick
4 Spanish Sausage "chorizo"
2 Potatoes
2 Carrots
Handful of green beans
1 Onion

4 cloves of garlic1 Piece of celery

1/2 cup of black olives

1 cup of tomatoes crunched

1 tbsp of Spicy Paprika

1 tsp pf turmeric

Fresh herbs of your choice (Basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano)Salt & Pepper
Water

Soak the chickpeas overnight in water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Bicarbonate of soda will help when cooking the beans and will ensure that they are softened.

The best way to cook Puchero is to use a pressure cooker, it will only take 1 hour, but if you cook it with a normal pot it will take about 4 hours for the chickpeas to cook and soften. Before you put the chickpeas into the pot be sure you have rinsed them thouroughly. 

So, put everything in the pot: chickpeas, meat and vegetables. Cover all the ingredients with water and add salt. Seal the pressure cooker and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. At this point, open the pot and taste for seasoning. If needed add salt and then let  boil for several minutes

French Onion Soup

Ingredients
1 large onion per person.
250ml of beef or game stock per person.Fresh thyme stick.
2 or 3 bay leafs
1 glass of Bordeaux wine per person
15 grams of butter per person.
Garlic
French hard cheese gruyere or emmental (can even use swiss hard cheese)
Croutons
Nutmeg

Method
1. Cut the onions in very thin rings.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan to cook the onions till slightly golden and wet.
3.  Add two tablespoons of flour in the onions and stir for a few seconds to mix it in well
4.  Add the hot stock and the wine to the mix slowly stirring continually.
5.  Add the thyme and bay leafs hint of nutmeg
6.  Stir till boiling on high heat
7.  Then simmer for 30 minutes with a covered dish stirring occasionally and tasting to salt and pepper to taste.

8.  In the meantime cut the bread and grill
9.  Rub the garlic on one side on the bread
10.  Then cover the bread with the grated cheese on a grill dish ready to melt the cheese.

11.  Once the soup is cooked, take off the heat,
12.  Now melt the cheese on the bread ready to be served.
14. Serve the soup and put 3 slices of the cheesy bread on top.

Enjoy! 

Capelacci Ferrarese with Ragu

For the dough:

3 cups of Semolina flour + more if needed

6 egg

Using a fork begging mixing in the egg with the flour.  Once egg has been mixed in enough, begin using your hands to work the dough.  Continues until reaches a smooth consistency, adding a light dust of flour if necessary.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap to protect from drying.  For best results, let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.

For the filling:
1 baked pumpkin (Zucca verdi) Pic bellow 
1 tbs paprika
1 cup of Parmiggiano or Grana Padano grated
1/4 tea spoon of nutmeg
1 tea spoon of black pepper
Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Put into the oven the whole squash. Roast for 30 minutes until tender. Leave until cool enough to handle and then take the seeds and skins off.

Put the flesh in a bowl and mash to a smooth purée with a fork. Stir in the parmesan, nutmeg, paprika and the salt and pepper.

For the Ragu Ferrarese:
1 onion, chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic, minced
200g of sausage, taken out of their casings
1/2 cup of tomato paste
1 1/12 cup of red wine
1 teaspoon of paprika
Thyme, about a Tablespoon
Olive oil for frying the onion
Salt & Pepper to taste

Fry the onion, garlic and sausage in a generous amount of olive oil.  Once onions have browned and meat has cooked, add one cup of wine and let liquid reduce half it's amount.  Add tomato paste, paprika and thyme.  Let cook for five minutes and add another half cup of wine.  Cover and simmer the sauce at a low temperature for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, do not allow to boil.
Serve with a hard cheese, recommended Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano).

Buon Appetito!!

Fall Recipes

Top 10 Fall Italian Recipes 

Pumpkin Tortellini

Lasagna with butternut squash, radicchio and Provola cheese

Fagottini filled with pork and chestnuts with Marsala and Figs sauce

Paccheri alla Napoli

Pasta al Forno

Spaghetti al cartoccio with seafood

Chestnut Fettuccine with bacon and Pumpkin

Arrosto misto delle Marche

Cannoli 

Cherry Thyme Prosecco Cocktail

Polenta Classica

Polenta Classica

INGREDIENTS

         Salt and pepper

         Water

         1 cup medium or fine polenta

         Butter

         Parmesan for soft polenta, optional

1.

For firm polenta use 4 cups water; for soft polenta use 5 cups water. Bring water to a boil in a medium-size heavy sauce pan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour cornmeal slowly into water, stirring with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue stirring as mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.

2.

Turn heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. If polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep polenta soft enough to stir. Put a spoonful on a plate, let it cool, then taste. Grains should be swollen and taste cooked, not raw. Adjust salt and add pepper if you wish.

3.

For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Carefully pour polenta into pan. Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Cool to room temperature to allow polenta to solidify. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For soft polenta, add 6 tablespoons butter to pot and stir well. Serve immediately or transfer to a double boiler set over low heat, cover and keep warm for up to an hour or so. (Or set the saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water.) Stir well before spooning into low soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired

Fagottini filled with pork and chestnuts with Marsala and figs sauce

For the dough:

2 cups of Semolina flour + more if needed

4 eggs

Using a fork begging mixing in the egg with the flour.  Once egg has been mixed in enough, begin using your hands to work the dough.  Continues until reaches a smooth consistency, adding a light dust of flour if necessary.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap to protect from drying.  For best results, let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.

For the filling:

1 lb Pork

1/2 cup of dry red wine

8 roasted chestnuts

2 cloves garlic

1 egg (optional)

1/4 cup onion (diced)

4 tsp. fresh tarragon

1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

1/2 cup diced Smoked pancetta

Olive oil

In a large saute pan cook your pancetta until just crispy- then set aside on a paper towel to drain.

In the same saute pan set to medium high with a drizzle of olive oil warm your minced garlic until just fragrant, about one minute. Add the diced onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add all your chopped tarragon and the pork. Work the mixture thoroughly with a wooden spoon to break up (help to cook) the meat, add the wine and cook about 10 minutes. Then transfer the pork filling to a mixing bowl. Add the Asiago cheese, roasted chestnuts, mix well incorporating everything then add your raw egg to help bind the filling together. Add all the ingredients in the food processor until is a paste.  Wait to cool down and make you pasta.

For the Marsala and fig sauce:

1 shallot, minced

1 tbsp mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup dry Marsala

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1/4 cup fig jam

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

4 spoons olive oil

Fresh chives, chopped, for garnish or tarragon.

Over medium heat, add the shallots and cook in olive oil until softened.  Next, add the Marsala and reduce by half, add figs jam and balsamic vinegar, and continue simmering until the sauce has thickened, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and add the Mascarpone.