Basic Italian Recipes By pasta recipes

pasta recipes

Contents
Contents................................................................................................................ 2 Bruschetta.......................................................................................................... 3 deluxe focaccia................................................................................................... 4 classic tiramisu.................................................................................................. 7 fettuccine alfredo............................................................................................... 8 Focaccia.............................................................................................................. 9 Biscotti.............................................................................................................. 10 Pannetone........................................................................................................ 11 gnocchi Verdi................................................................................................. 12 Pesto................................................................................................................. 13 Polenta.............................................................................................................. 14 Minestrone........................................................................................................ 15

pasta recipes

Bruschetta
Also called Fettunta, this is one of the best Italian snacks. Ingredients 1 large round crusty loaf white bread, sliced thickly Cloves of garlic, peeled Extra-virgin olive oil Instructions Toast slices of bread. If you can do this over an open fire, it is best. Rub the toasted bread with a clove of garlic until it almost disappears and then drizzle over plenty of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.

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deluxe focaccia
Yield: three 9-inch rounds Dough 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water (100 degrees F) 2 cups water, room temperature 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for adjustments 3 cups (15 ounces) bread flour 1 tablespoon salt 4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or sage (optional) Toppings 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 to 4 teaspoon salt and any of the following: paper thin tomato slices thin slices of onion saut?ed in olive oil thin slices of garlic saut?ed in olive oil pitted brine or salt cured olives a small quantity of Parmesan cheese slivers of pepperoni Strips of roasted pepper etc.

Combine the warm water with the yeast in a large mixing bowl and set aside until creamy. Stir in the two cups water and the oil. Add the flours and the salt and mix until the dough comes together. You may need to add a bit of water or flour if the dough is too dry or too wet. Knead the dough using the dough hook of an electric mixer for two minutes on low and then three minutes on medium or 8 to 10 minutes by hand. (Work in the optional rosemary or sage towards the end of the kneading, if desired). The result should be a smooth, elastic dough. Place the dough in a bowl. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and leave to rise until double in volume, about 1 1/2 hours. On a lightly floured board, divide the dough into three equal pieces. Oil three 9 or 10-inch round pans and press or roll out one piece of dough to fit in each of these pans. Cover the pans with plastic wrap or damp towels and leave to rise until doubled, about an hour. Meanwhile, prepare any topping ingredients you might need and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. When the dough is ready, use the tips of your fingers to make indentations about 1/2 inch; deep all over the dough. Brush the focacce with the olive oil and sprinkle on the salt, using the lesser quantity with salty toppings such as olives or Parmesan. Sprinkle on the desired topping(s), keeping in mind that this is not a meal or a pizza but a snack or an accompaniment. Bake the focacce for 20 to 25 minutes, misting them with water after 3, 6 and 10 minutes.

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Remove from the oven when golden and immediately slide them out of the baking pans and onto cooling racks.

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Calzone

Pizza Dough 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella 4 ounces salami, cut into thin strips 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/4 cup minced fresh basil 2 Italian plum tomatoes, chopped Freshly ground pepper 1 egg, slightly beaten 

Prepare Pizza Dough. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Punch down dough; divide into 6 equal parts. Roll each part into 7-inch circle on lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin. Mound some of the mozzarella, salami, ricotta cheese, basil and tomatoes on half of each circle to within 1 inch of edge. Sprinkle each with pepper. Carefully fold dough over filling; pinch edges to seal securely. Place calzones on greased cookie sheets; brush with egg. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Yields 6 servings. Pizza Dough 1 package active dry yeast 1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F) 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, oil and 1 cup of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until almost double, 30 to 40 minutes.

pasta recipes

classic tiramisu
3 large eggs, separated 6 tablespoons water 8 ounces mascarpone cheese 1 large egg white 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 14 ladyfingers 1 cup strong rich coffee, cooled 1 tablespoon Cognac 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine egg yolks and water in heavy saucepan. Cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 160 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Cool quickly in cold water bath or in freezer. Stir mascarpone into yolks. Combine 4 egg whites, sugar and salt in top of double boiler. Cook over very low heat, beating with hand-held mixer on medium speed or with whisk until whites hold soft peaks and temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 20 minutes. Stir 1/4 of whites into egg yolk mixture. Fold in remaining whites. To assemble, arrange ladyfingers in single layer on piece of heavy-duty foil; slightly turn up foil edges to make a tray. (You also can do this on a large platter.) Combine coffee and Cognac; drizzle evenly over ladyfingers. Arrange half of ladyfingers in single layer in glass or souffl? dish, about 6 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 to 4 inches deep. Fill in any spaces with parts of ladyfingers. Cover ladyfinger layer with half of mascarpone mixture. Top with remaining ladyfingers and remaining mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Sprinkle cocoa through fine sieve over surface. Serve chilled.

pasta recipes

fettuccine alfredo
3/4 pound uncooked fettuccine Boiling salted water 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon salt Large pinch ground white pepper Large pinch ground nutmeg 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook fettuccine in large pot of boiling salted water just until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes; drain well. Return to dry pot. While fettuccine is cooking, place butter and cream in heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until blended and mixture bubbles for 2 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in Parmesan cheese until thoroughly blended and fairly smooth. Return skillet briefly to heat if necessary to completely blend cheese, but don't let sauce bubble or cheese will become lumpy and tough. Pour sauce over fettuccine in pot. Place over low heat. Stir and toss with 2 forks until sauce is slightly thickened and fettuccine evenly coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

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Focaccia
This is the plain version just dimpled on the top and flavored with olive oil. You can also sprinkle sage, crushed olives, minced onions or rosemary over the top. It is excellent with cheese or served with antipasti. It is also good topped like a conventional pizza with tomatoes and cheese. 1 ounce fresh yeast 2/3 cup warm water 4 cups flour 6 tablespoons olive oil Salt, to taste

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Put flour into a large bowl and pour in the yeast, salt and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Knead together until you have a smooth, soft, pliable dough. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until the dough has about doubled in size. Punch the dough down and knead for a few minutes. Roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thick and lay it on a well-oiled cookie sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and allow it to rise again for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Before putting Foccacia in the oven, dimple the top by pressing the dough with your finger tips and pour the remaining olive oil over the top, along with anything else you desire as a topping.

pasta recipes

Biscotti

1 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon aniseeds, lightly crushed 1 teaspoon orange extract 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup whole unblanched almonds Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat sugar and eggs together until creamy. Beat in melted butter, aniseeds, and orange extract. Mix together flour and baking powder. Add to the batter and beat until well blended. Stir in the nuts. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour. (The chilled dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.) Shape the dough into a 9 x 6-inch oval 1 1/2 inches thick and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and cool slightly. Transfer the dough to a cutting board and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Arrange, cut side down, on the baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Transfer the baked Italian Biscotti to wire racks to cool. Makes 18.

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Pannetone
2 eggs 2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 teaspoon grated orange peel 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup buttermilk 2 cups slivered almonds 2 cups golden raisins 3 cups chopped mixed dried fruits or 1 cup each dried pineapple, dried cherries and dried apricots

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a clean, empty 1-pound coffee can. Line bottom with a piece of wax paper, cut to fit, and grease paper. In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Beat in melted butter, peels and extracts. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt and blend into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in almonds, raisins and dried fruit. Pour batter into prepared can and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until bread is well browned and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in can for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. (You may have to cut out the bottom of the can to push out the cake.) To serve, cut into slices or wedges.

pasta recipes

gnocchi Verdi
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach 1 cup ricotta cheese 2 large eggs 2/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Boiling salted water 3 tablespoons butter

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well; let cool. Squeeze spinach very dry. Chop spinach very fine; place in medium bowl. Stir in ricotta cheese. Add eggs; mix well. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons of the flour, the salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir to mix very well. Refrigerate covered 1 hour. Spread remaining 1 cup flour in shallow baking pan. Press a heaping tablespoonful of spinach mixture between spoon and hand to form oval gnocchi; place on flour. Repeat until all spinach mixture is used. Roll gnocchi lightly in flour to coat evenly. Discard excess flour. Slip 8 to 12 gnocchi into large kettle of boiling salted water; reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered until gnocchi are slightly puffed and medium-firm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Remove gnocchi with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate; then transfer immediately to greased flameproof shallow baking dish. Reheat water to boiling. Continue cooking and draining gnocchi in batches until all have been cooked. arrange gnocchi so that they are in single layer in baking dish. Heat broiler. Melt butter in small saucepan. Spoon butter over gnocchi; sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Broil gnocchi 5 inches from heat source, until cheese topping is light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve at once. Makes 24 gnocchi.

pasta recipes

Pesto
Genoa is the home of pesto since basil flourishes all over Liguria. This version can be made without the pine nuts.

4 cups fresh basil leaves 1 clove garlic 1 tablespoon pine nuts 1/3 cup Parmesan, freshly-grated 1/3 cup Pecorino, freshly-grated 5 tablespoons olive oil Salt, to taste

Put basil, garlic, pine nuts and cheeses in a blender; add a dash of olive oil to make it run more easily and then, with the motor running, add remaining oil slowly until you have a thick cream. Add salt to taste. If serving the pesto with pasta or in minestrone, thin it a little first with water from the pasta or some of the liquid from the soup.

pasta recipes

Polenta
4 cups water 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine 1/4 cup finely crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Bring water and salt to boil in a heavy saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gradually sprinkle in cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Gently boil 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until very thick, but still pourable. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup butter and cheese. Rinse a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch jellyroll pan with cold water. Do not dry pan. Spread hot Polenta evenly in pan with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Make 3 lengthwise and 5 crosswise cuts in Polenta to yield 15 squares. Arrange polenta squares, slightly overlapping, in baking dish. Mix 1/4 cup butter, basil, rosemary and garlic. Melt, then pour over polenta. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake 30 minutes. Serve hot.

pasta recipes

Minestrone
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 small leek, peeled and sliced 2 carrots, diced 2 stalks celery, sliced 7 1/2 cups beef stock 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 (14 ounce) can white cannellini beans 3 tomatoes, chopped 2 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups shredded cabbage 1 ounce small soup pasta Sea salt Freshly-ground pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan. Cook onions, garlic, and leeks over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, stock, tomato paste, and drained beans and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and green beans and simmer 10 more minutes. Stir in the cabbage and pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes or until the pasta is done. Stir in the parsley. Garnish each bowl you serve with the Parmesan cheese.

pasta recipes

More recipes at
http://www.cupcake-recipes.net http://www.chillirecipe.net http://www.beef-recipes.net http://partyappetizers.net http://salmonrecipe.info http://sconerecipe.net

pasta recipes