Gnocchi with cheese and almonds sauce

5 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/2 cup Parmiggiano or Grana Padano
3 tbsp Gorgonzola (optional)
Salt & Pepper
1/2 tea spoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped almonds

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Add the cream and cheeses. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use. In a different pan, toast the almonds with olive oil or butter and add to the sauce.

Gnocchi alla Bolognese

For the Bolognese sauce

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 carrot, finely, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 rib celery, finely diced

1 clove garlic, sliced

500g veal, ground

500g pork, ground

1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, ground

1 tube tomato paste

1 1/2 cup milk

1 cup dry white wine
Parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
Add the carrots and a table spoon of salt and wait the carrots to be brown. Add the pancetta and cook for another five minutes.
Add the onions, celery, and garlic and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the veal and pork and stir into the vegetables. Add the meat over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the wine and mix very well, the wine will deglaze the pan. Add the tomato paste, milk and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.
For the GNOCCHI RECIPE CLICK HERE!!!

Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina

-4 cups of can crushed tomatoes

-1/3 cup olive oil

-1 chopped onion

-5 garlic cloves, sliced

-1/2 medium carrot, shredded

-1 pinch crushed red pepper

-Basil

-Mozzarella

-Parmigiano



1 - In a big saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes;



2 - Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring often;



3 - Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper;


4 - Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until floating aggressively, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the gnocchi to a baking pan with the sauce, using a slotted spoon.

5 - Tear the basil leaves into a few pieces and add to the sauce along with the mozzarella cubes and parmigiano. Bake for no longer than five minutes. It is just to melting the cheese.

Gnocchi recipe

Gnocchi dough

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Gnocchi alla Bolognese

Gnocchi with cheese and almonds sauce

Garganelli

Ingredients:

3 cups Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Add the flour, the salt, nutmeg and cheese in a bowl. Mix with eggs until the texture is similar to a play dough. It cant be to stick, neither to dry. Add more flour or a little bit of warm water if necessary. Let dough to rest for about 15min wrapped in plastic or inside a container.

How to form the Garganelli?

First, divide the dough into 4-6 portions (whatever size is easiest for you to work with.)  Roll each portion through a pasta machine to a very thin dough, about a #7 setting.  Lightly flour the garganelli board.Cut the dough into 3-inch 
wide strips.Cut the strips of pasta into 
1-1/2 inch squares.Place one of the squares on a garganelli/gnocchi board, turn it so it looks like a diamond.Place the dowel at the bottom of 
the dough diamond.Roll the dowel to the to top of the diamond, pressing down lightly on the dough as you roll.Fold the top point of the 
diamond up over the dowel.Roll the dowel back down 
to the bottom of the diamond.At the end, press down to seal the bottom point of dough to the roll.Slide the formed quill off the dowel onto a floured tray.

Continue until all the garganelli are formed.  Set the garganelli aside to dry for 2-3 hours.

Continue until all the garganelli are formed.  Set the garganelli aside to dry for 2-3 hours.

Continue until all the garganelli are formed.  Set the garganelli aside to dry for 2-3 hours.

Quinoa, poppy seeds and lemon muffin

This is a great recipe for who is trying to loose weight or gain muscle. Also gluten free.

375ml (1cup) quinoa flour (if you don't have it home, pretty much using a blender or pesto mortar, blend quinoa until is like a flour texture)
30ml (2 tbsp) Poppy seeds
22ml (1 1/2 tbsp) corn starch
14ml (3 tbs) baking powder
2ml (1/2 tbs) salt
3 eggs
175g (3/4 cup) greek yogurt
60ml (1/4 cup) coconut oil
125ml (1/2 cup) honey
2 lemons (use just the zest)

To make this muffin is very simple. Pretty much mix all the solid ingredients together in one bowl. In a second bowl, using a hand mixer mix all the liquids. Then slowly incorporate the solids into liquids until is homogenised. Bake for 25 minutes in 180C (370F).
Trick: You can juice the two lemons and mix with one tbsp of honey, cook for 2 minutes and using a spoon add on the top of the muffins.

Goes perfect with a cup of tea or coffee! :)

Rucula tagliattelli with Sausage ragu

For the dough:

1 cup arugula
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup 00 flour (cake flour)
1 1/2 cup Semolina flour
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt

In a blender, blend the eggs with the arugula until is smooth green. In a bowl or on the table mix the eggs with the oil, salt and flour. Mix until the texture is similar to a play dough. Roll the dough in a pasta machine or by hand. If you have a Marcato pasta machine make the tagliatelle until the number 6.

Sausage sauce:
3 cloves of garlic, minced
200g of sausage, taken out of their casings
1/2 cup of tomato paste
1 cup heavy cream (one box of Italian Parmalat Panna)
1 1/12 cup of red wine
Thyme, about a Tablespoon
Olive oil 
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, 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 then add the cream, stirring occasionally, do not allow to boil.
Serve with a hard cheese, recommended Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano).

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Total: 121

Buckwheat ravioli

 Pizzoccheri is a typical recipe of Valtellina, a mountainous region of Northern Italy.
Traditionally the pizzoccheri are a sort of short fettuccine made with buckwheat flour.
The sauce is made with savoy cabbage, potatoes, mountain cheese and a lot of butter.
It was amazing for us to make a sort of upgrading of the recipe, giving it a fusion touch...


Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 150 g buckwheat flour
  
• 100 g all purpose flour 
• 20 g water 
• 200 g boiled potatoes 
• 20 g grated Parmigiano cheese + some more to season pasta 
• 100 g semi-hard cow cheese like Asiago Mezzano
• 250 g cabbage or savoy 
• a handful of sage leaves 
•  wo cloves of garlic
• ground nutmeg and black pepper, e.v.o.oil, sea salt to taste 

 Boil the potatoes for about 30 minutes and set aside to cool down.

Make the dough: combine the two flours, a pinch of salt. Add a bit of water at a time: it may be that you will need more or less than 120 grams of water. It depend on the type of the flour. Add water a bit at a time until you get a tender but not sticky dough. Wrap in cling film and set aside for 15 minutes.

 Mash the cold potatoes and pour them into a large bowl. Add 20 g of grated Parmigiano cheese and the semi-hard cow cheese, grated. Season with a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of ground black pepper and two pinches of sea salt. Combine well.

Roll the dough onto a floured surface. You can use the pasta maker, if you have one. The pasta sheets must be thin, but not too much like as you were rolling the tagliatelle or fettuccine: pizzoccheri is a rustic kind of pasta. 

You can make ravioli in the shape you like: squares, triangles, rounds... Cut the rolled dough into your favourite shape, place a teaspoon of filling in the middle. 

 Set the ravioli onto a floured board and bring to a boil a large pot of water. 

 
Meanwhile, wash and cut the cabbage into stripes of about 2 cm wide. When the water boils add salt (remember: 7 grams per litre) and pour the vegetable into it. Cook for about 8 minutes, then add the ravioli and cook for 5 minutes more.  

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sage leaves and the garlic. Cook gently: the condiment must not burn. Drain the ravioli and the cabbage. Place into a serving plate and dress with aromatic hot butter and a generous handful of grated cheese. Enjoy!

Ravioli verdi ai formaggi e salsiccia

Sausage Filling

1/2 pound Italian Sausage (In Italy is just called Salsiccia sfusa)
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. crushed red pepper (or if you prefer just ground regular pepper)
1 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. parsley
1 egg yolk
Pinch of nutmeg

1. Cook the sausage until it’s no longer pink. Place in food processor, pulsing several times, but do NOT puree it.

2. Mix the sausage with the rest of the ingredients. Keep in the refrigerated until ready to use.

Homemade Spinach Pasta

• 2 1/2 cups Flour
• 3 Eggs
  
• 5 ounces Fresh or Frozen Spinach (blanched and drained and pureed)
• pinch Salt
• pinch freshly Grated Nutmeg
• Bench Flour (for dusting)

Place the flour, eggs, spinach, salt, and nutmeg in the bowl of the processor and pulse 15 times for 6 seconds at a time. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap it in plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 50 minutes. (The wrapped dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day.) 
Note: If using frozen spinach, skip the blanching and simply thaw and press out excess water using a clean kitchen towel.

Cheese and mushroom sauce

• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup of our favorite mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1.5 cups milk
• ⅔ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add mushrooms, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper to oil and saute until mushrooms have reduced in size, about 4 minutes. If the mushrooms soak up all the olive oil, add another tablespoon.
3. Add flour to saucepan and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Cook for one minute.
4. Add ½ cup of the milk and stir to break up any lumps of the mushroom and flour mixture. The milk will thicken fairly quickly; that’s okay. Add the remainder of the milk and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook until milk has thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove sauce from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. If you can, shred your own cheese – pre-shredded cheese has additives in it that make it more difficult for the cheese to melt smoothly. 
6. Garnish with walnuts if you would like and shredded parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
   

Ricotta and parsley ravioli

Serves 6:

To make the pasta:

4 large eggs400g 00 flour
pinch salt
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
For the filling:
350g fresh ricotta
1 large egg
75 – 100g parmigiano, grated
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
grated rind of one lemon
1/2 bunch fresh parsely, leaves picked and finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
100g unsalted butter
24 fresh sage leaves
grated parmigiano to serve

Make the filling whilst the pasta dough is resting and before rolling it out. To make the filling, simply mix together all the ingredients using a fork until the mixture is homogeneous. Adjust for salt and add pepper if you like. As there is a lot of pasta in this recipe, you should roll out a quarter of the pasta at a time, keeping the remainder wrapped in cling wrap. Make one batch of ravioli as per the instructions and then repeat.

To make the ravioli, place a teaspoon of filling on one half of a rectangle of pasta (our rectangles were about 5cm by 10 cm). Dip a finger in water, wetting the pasta around the filling. Now close the rectangle of pasta like a book so that the filling is enclosed, pressing well around the edges so the raviolo is sealed and there is no air trapped in the filling. Dust the pasta lightly with flour and place on the bench under a tea towel so the pasta does not dry out. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling.

To cook, heat a large pot of salted water until boiling and cook the ravioli for 5 to 7 minutes, until cooked. Whilst they are cooking, make the burnt butter by heating up the butter in a medium sized frypan, until the butter melts and add the sage leaves. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn brown. Drain the ravioli and spoon on the burnt butter sauce, decorating with a few crispy sage leaves. Some grated parmigiano is lovely on top of this as well.

Pear Ravioli with Parma Ham and Prosecco Sauce

Serves 4 as an entree (makes 18 ravioli, at 8cm diameter)

for the pasta:

200g 00 durum wheat flour
2 large eggs

for the filling:
2 ripe pears (230g peeled and cored)
10g unsalted butter
125g creamy blue cheese or taleggio (sweet Gorgonzola)
salt and pepper to taste
semolina flour for dusting
100g unsalted butter (for the sauce)
extra freshly ground pepper

For the sauce:
One tablespoon butter
100g Parma ham
1 cup cream
1 cup Prosecco
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
Salt & Black pepper

To make the pasta, put the flour in a mound on your work surface and make a well in the centre. Break open the two eggs into it and either using your finger tips or a fork, gradually incorporate the flour until it is all mixed in to the eggs. Knead until smooth (around 5 minutes). Form a ball with the dough, wrap in cling film and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes (a couple of hours is fine).

In the meantime, make the filling. Peel and core the pears, chopping them into small dice. Place them with 10g butter in a small pan and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Mix the Gorgonzola in a bowl until smooth and add the cooled pears, fold through until homogeneous and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Divide the dough in two, keeping one piece wrapped in cling film while you work on the other one. Make the pasta by running it through your pasta machine until it is the desired thickness (I ran it through to the fourth thinnest setting “6” on a Marcato pasta machine).

I used an 8 cm diameter ravioli cutter to make my ravioli. Place heaped teaspoons of filling on your pasta sheet. Wet your finger with water and run it around the filling before folding the pasta onto itself so that the little mounds of filling are completely covered by pasta. Push down around the filling so that the pasta is well sealed, taking care not to trap air into the raviolo. Use your ravioli cutter to make circle around the filling where you have sealed the pasta. Lightly dust the ravioli  with semolina flour. Repeat, keeping the prepared ravioli covered by a clean teatowel as you make others so they do not dry out.

Place a large pot of well-salted water on the stove and bring to the boil. Drop in the ravioli when the water boils and cook until al dente (mine took 6-7 minutes).

Whilst the ravioli are cooking, put butter in the pan and then add the Parma ham cut in pieces, let cook until brown and combine the prosecco. When the prosecco evaporates add the walnuts, cream, Salt & pepper and mix the ravioli with the sauce.

Tortellini di Valeggio

 Each region of Italy has its own pasta shapes and pasta recipes. Valeggio sul Mincio, a town near Lago di Garda and the city of Verona, is famous for its Tortellini di Valeggio, tortellini made of pasta as thin as a veil with a filling of beef, chicken, and pork. To make them extra delicate, the pasta dough is made with part of the eggs replaced by water. 

 The tortellini are cooked in a meat stock. You could also serve them in the stock, or with butter and sage like I did. You can then use the leftover stock to make risotto. This does mean that you can’t use as much salt in the stock as you would for cooking the tortellini in water, so in this case it is a good idea to add salt to the pasta dough. For additional flavor, I made the filling with fat from the stock (that floats on top) instead of olive oil.

For the filling

100 grams (3.5 oz) boneless and skinless chicken thigh, cubed

100 grams (3.5 oz) pork shoulder, cubed

100 grams (3.5 oz) stewing beef, such as chuck, cubed

50 grams (1.75 oz) prosciutto, cut into strips

50 grams (1.75 oz) freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

25 grams (1 oz) stale bread, cubed

1 clove

80 ml (1/3 cup) Bardolino (red wine)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 egg yolk

1/2 Tbsp rosemary needles

dash of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 onion, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil (or substitute with the fat from making the stock)

For the pasta dough

2 eggs

300 grams (2 cups) Italian 00 flour

about 50 ml (1/4 cup) water

For cooking and serving

2 litres (2 quarts) meat stock (made from chicken, beef, and pork)

50 grams (4 Tbsp) butter

2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage

freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

Heat the olive oil (or fat from stock) in a casserole. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent.

Add the pork, chicken, and beef, and sauté over medium high heat until the meat has lost its raw color on all sides. Add the rosemary.

Deglaze with the Bardolino.

Scrape with a wooden spatula to include the browned bits into the sauce.Add the clove, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.Cover and reduce the heat to low.Allow to simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Add a bit of meat stock if it becomes too dry.At the end of the cooking time (it is not very important that the meat is tender, as it will be ground anyway), remove the clove.Transfer the contents of the casserole to the food processor, including all the juices. Allow to cool somewhat (so the egg yolk won’t be cooked when you add it).Add the prosciutto, bread, and egg yolk as well as the cheese.Process with the ‘pulse’ until the mixture is homogeneous, but not pureed. It is nice to have some texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remember that the filling of tortellini and ravioli should always be slightly over-seasoned to avoid that your tortellini will end up tasting bland.Transfer the filling to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour to firm up.Make pasta dough and roll it out as thinly as you can. Cut the pasta dough into 5 cm (2 inch) squares, and put a small ball of filling (about 1/2 teaspoon) on each square.Fold each square into a triangle, and seal the edges without trapping any air inside.Fold the tortellini around your finger, then fold it backwards. (That last step is not really needed.)

Arrange the tortellini on a surface sprinkled with semolina flour in a single layer.

To cook, bring the stock to a boil. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan and add the sage. When the stock boils, add the tortellini and cook them for a couple of minutes (depending on how much you dried them).

Transfer them to the butter and sage with a slotted spoon.Toss the tortellini in the butter and sage to coat them on all sides.

Serve on preheated plates, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmigiano.

Wine pairing

This is great with a Bardolino, the local red wine that is also used to make the filling. Bardolino is a light red wine that is best when slightly chilled (15ºC/59ºF