Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Pappa Al Pomodoro ~ Tomato Bread Soup
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves, to taste
- 500 g or 1 lb of ripe Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 lt or 4 ½ cups of clear Vegetable Broth (celery, carrot, onion, parsley, pinch of salt and pepper to taste)
- 300 g or 11 oz of dry homemade bread, diced into cubes
- Basil leaves, handful
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, blond the garlic in the extra virgin olive on low heat.
- Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes and a few basil leaves and let stew for 15 minutes.
- Slowly add the broth and then the diced bread to the mix.
- Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat.
- Let stand for an hour.
- After an hour, stir the soup; the bread will have absorbed most of the liquid.
- Traditionally soup is served as is but for a smoother texture puree with a hand blender.
- Serve warm adding a few chopped basil leaves and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil on top.
- Pepper and salt to taste.
Primi~ First Courses
Tagliatelle Ai Funghi Porcini ~ Fresh Pasta With Porcini Mushroom Sauce
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- For the Pasta:
- 2 cups Unbleached Plain Flour
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 4 large Eggs (size 1)
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- For the sauce:
- 250g mushroom stalks (porcini or wild mushrooms), minced
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- A sprig of nipitella or thyme, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, prepare the pasta.
- Combine the flour and salt directly on a large pastry board or work surface.
- Make a well in the center of the flour. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the oil and pour the mixture into the well.
- Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well with a fork, beating in the same direction. Use your free hand to protect the outside wall of flour until the wet mixture is well integrated with the flour.
- When the mixture becomes too stiff to work with a fork, use your hands to form it into a soft ball.
- With a pastry scraper, sweep up the flour left on the board and add it to the dough, discarding any dried-out pieces.
- Add enough of the flour to form a firm but very pliable dough.
- Using the heels of your hands, flatten the dough ball and knead it from the middle outwards, folding it in half after working it each time.
- Knead both sides, keeping a round shape; do not let it rest.
- Cover the dough with an inverted bowl or slightly damp tea towel.
- Leave it to rest for 15 minutes to 3 hours.
- When not handling the dough, keep it covered at all times.
- The pasta can then be flattened by rolling it through a pasta machine or rolled with a rolling pin into sheets before forming into the desired shape.
- For “Tagliatelle”, roll the sheet of pasta into a cylinder and cut slices as thick as you wish.
- Toss with a little extra flour to keep from sticking and set aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Prepare the Porcini mushroom sauce.
- Sauté the garlic and thyme, and when the garlic turns golden (do not let it brown) stir in
- the mushrooms.
- Cook over high heat until they give off their moisture, then reduce the heat and simmer.
- Stir in the tomato paste after about ten minutes, correct seasoning, and continue simmering until the sauce is done (the liquid will be much reduced and the mushroom bits will be very tender).
- Should it dry out while simmering, sprinkle it with dry white wine or broth.
- Meanwhile, cook the Tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce. Toss together for a moment or two to combine, then serve hot.
- Notes: This sauce is wonderful over any kind of pasta or polenta (you may want to forgo grated Parmigiano here), and is also excellent as an antipasto, spread on crostini, which are thin, 1-1/2 inch diameter slices of very lightly toasted bread. This sauce can also be made with dried porcini: steep the porcini, about a packed half cup, in boiling water for 20 minutes or until they’ve expanded. Drain them, reserving the liquid, and mince them. High heat will not be necessary in this case; merely simmer them with the remaining ingredients, adding the water they steeped in after filtering it, because it may contain sand.
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Peposo ~ Chianti Wine-Braised Beef
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of lean Chianina beef, medium dices
- 5 cloves of Garlic
- Bundle of Sage and Rosemary sprigs
- Salt, to taste
- 20 grains of Black Pepper
- 1 lt. Chianti wine
- Tuscan bread, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 140° C/280° F.
- In a large oven-safe ceramic pot with cover, place the diced beef.
- Add unpeeled garlic cloves, herb bundle, salt and pepper.
- Cover with the wine and cook over moderate heat in oven until the meat is extremely soft, approximately 4 hours.
- The dish can also be cooked over the stove top on low heat.
- Toast the slices of bread in the oven or on the grill, pour the Peposo and serve immediately.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Torta di Mele ~ Apple Cake
Number of servings (yield): 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almonds, peeled and ground
- Lemon rind, grated
- 1/2 cup Sugar + 6 tbsp Sugar
- 6-8 medium Apples
- 10 ½ tbsp Butter
- 3 Eggs
- 1 1/3 cup Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170° C/340° F.
- In a small bowl mix the ground almonds with the grated lemon peel and the ½ cup of sugar.
- Peel the apples and cut them into quarters and then into thin slices.
- Melt the butter.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the 6 tablespoons of sugar; add the melted butter, the flour and the baking powder, and beat well.
- Pour the mixture into a cake tin lined with parchment paper.
- Press the sliced apples vertically into the mixture, pushing them right down into the pan (so they are covered). Sprinkle the mixture with the sugar, almond and lemon mix.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour.