Cavolfiore Alla Romana ~ Cauliflower Roman-Style
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup olive oi
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F.
- Prepare cauliflower by breaking into small pieces and cook in salted boiling water until half done (about 5 minutes).
- Mix eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and milk together.
- Roll each floret in batter and then dip in breadcrumbs.
- Place on well-greased cookie sheet and drizzle oil over the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown, toss flower over to brown all sides.
Pasta Con Le Noci ~ Pasta & Walnuts
Featured in Cooking Vacations September 2008 Newsletter
This dish is often made in Liguria, and is based on what has become known as one of the modern ‘superfoods’: the simple walnut.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 400g rigatoni
- 100g walnuts, shelled weight
- 50ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp sugar
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- 50g grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Whiz walnuts briefly in a food mixture or crush them using a mortar and pestle. Don’t over crush them – it’s nice to leave some slightly larger pieces too.
- Place in a small bowl.
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to the boil for the pasta. (It’s important to salt the water a little more than normal as no salt is added to the walnut sauce apart from that already present in the Parmesan cheese.)
- As soon as you have added the pasta to the boiling water, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic to the oil and when it turns golden brown, remove.
- Sprinkle in a little cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg. Add about a third of a cup of pasta water* to the bowl with the chopped walnuts to moisten them slightly, then add the walnuts to the hot oil. Stir well and keep warm.
- As soon as the pasta is cooked al dente, drain, and then throw into the frying pan with the nut mixture.
- Add a little pasta water if the sauce seems too dry.
- Toss well.
- Stir in the Parmesan, check seasoning and serve immediately.
- (*Plain tap water won’t do the trick here. As the pasta cooks, it releases its starch into the cooking water, giving it more of a ‘binding’ quality and making it ideal for lengthening pasta sauces, a technique often used in Italy.)
Ciambelle Al Vino Bianco
From Chef Rossi’s Cooking Vacations program, Roma. Click here to learn more.
Number of servings (yield): 3-4 dozen
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Sugar
- 1 2/3 cups White Wine
- 1 2/3 cups Vegetable Oil
- 6 2/3 cups 00 Flour
- 1/3 cup Raisins
- 3 ½ tbsp Pine nuts
- 2 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 Egg, beaten, to brush on top
- Sugar
Instructions
- First prepare the pastry.
- Mix everything together to form a smooth dough.
- Allow to rest for about one hour before using.
- Roll out coils of about 10 inches then press the ends together to form rings.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place the rings at least 1 inch apart.
- Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle a little sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180º C (350º F) for about 35 minutes until golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
- Served at the end of the meal, break the rings and dip in wine.
- Store in an airtight container.