Fall menu

Antipasti

Brusccheta con crema di Zucca e noci 
Brusccheta with mushrooms

Primi

Ravioli di zucca with butter and sage
Fagottini di zucca with pinenuts
Capelacci di zucca with sausage ragu sauce
Tortelli di zucca al sugo
Chestnut gnocchi filled with ham and cheese with four cheese sauce baked
Gnocchi al ragu
Gnocchi alla Vodka
Gnocchi with four cheeses sauce
Gnocchi filled with ham and cheese with vodka sauce
Ravioli filled with pears seved with four cheeses sauce and walnuts
Tagliatelli with chestnut flour served with pumpkin
Tagliatelli with radicchio and pancetta
Tagliatelli with sausage and wine sauce
Tagliatelli al ragu Bolognese
Tagliatelli with mushrooms
Bigoli with duck sauce
Bigoli alla Montanara
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Pasticcio alla Bolognese
Pasticcio di Zucca
Risotto alla zucca

Risotto with porcini mushrooms


Secondi

Chicken breast with pumkim sauce
http://www.buttalapasta.it/articolo/ricetta-del-pollo-con-zucca-per-un-secondo-piatto-squisito/43531/
Pollo al vino http://ricette.pourfemme.it/articolo/ricette-autunnali-pollo-al-vino/5023/
Spicy meatballs served with Polenta
Porkchops with pumpkim and cheese
Baked pumpkin with Capers https://saporiecucina.wordpress.com/category/antipasti/page/7/
Filled pumpkim  with Asiago, speck and mushrooms

http://www.gustoblog.it/post/7853/ricette-dautunno-la-zucca-ripiena

Dolci

Tarte Tatin

Street food

Arancini
Panzerotto
Cannoli

Gnocchi with four cheese sauce

Potato Gnocchi

This recipe is my grandma recipe. We used to make gnocchi on sundays and the kids would always help to cut while the nonna will be making the sauce. 

Ingredients

• Yellow Potatoes 2 pounds
• Flour 4 oz (aprox)
• Butter 1 Tblsp  
• Salt 1 Tblsp 

1. Put potatoes with the skin in a pot with cold salty water
2. Bring to boil and cooked until soft
3. Peel the potatoes
4. Mash the potatoes
5. Add the butter, flour and the salt , do not overwork...
6. Cut the dough in 3 pieces, roll each in order to form a string 1.5 cm thick
7. Cut the strings with a sharp knife to form dowels; you can choose the dimension of your gnocchi.

Tips:

-After cook the potatoes, let the potatoes to

cool down without add any water on top!

-Work with the potatoes while the potatoes are still warm.

-Use the best potatoes you can find.
-You can also fill the gnocchi with ham and cheese, make a tomato sauce and bake it with cheese on the top!

3 tbsp Gorgonzola dolce or your favorite blue cheese
3 tbsp Asiago mezzano
3tbsp parmigiano reggiano
3 tbsp fontina cheese
1 cup of mascarpone
3 tbsp of walnuts
Salt & Pepper

In a pan, melt the cheeses with Mascarpone. Add walnuts. If the sauce is to thick correct with vegetable stock, white wine or water.

Gnocchi alla Vodka

This recipe is my grandma recipe. We used to make gnocchi on sundays and the kids would always help to cut while the nonna will be making the sauce. 

Ingredients

• Yellow Potatoes 2 pounds
• Flour 4 oz (aprox)
• Butter 1 Tblsp  
• Salt 1 Tblsp 

1. Put potatoes with the skin in a pot with cold salty water
2. Bring to boil and cooked until soft
3. Peel the potatoes
4. Mash the potatoes
5. Add the butter, flour and the salt , do not overwork...
6. Cut the dough in 3 pieces, roll each in order to form a string 1.5 cm thick
7. Cut the strings with a sharp knife to form dowels; you can choose the dimension of your gnocchi.

Tips:

-After cook the potatoes, let the potatoes to

cool down without add any water on top!

-Work with the potatoes while the potatoes are still warm.

-Use the best potatoes you can find.
-You can also fill the gnocchi with ham and cheese, make a tomato sauce and bake it with cheese on the top!

Vodka Sauce

-1 finely chopped onion

-1/2 cup of vodka

-5 tablespoons of Tomato paste

-5 tablespoons of Double cream

-1/2 cup of Chopped parsley

-Salt & Pepper to taste

-Parmiggiano or Grana Padano

-Olive oil

1. In a saucepan (medium heat), sauté the onions (about 3 minutes).  

2. Pour the vodka and turn the fire on high until the vodka catches on fire.  Another option is to carefully ignite the vodka with a stove lighter, or simply don't ignite the vodka if you think your house will catch on fire to make this recipe.
  

3. When the fire is done, add the tomato paste and one cup of water, let cook for another 3 minutes on medium heat and then add the cream and the parsley.

4. When the pasta is cooked, turn the fire on maximum and mix the pasta in with the sauce.  If the sauce is too thick, you can always add small spoons of the water that cooked the gnocchi.

Gnocchi al ragu

Potato Gnocchi

This recipe is my grandma recipe. We used to make gnocchi on sundays and the kids would always help to cut while the nonna will be making the sauce. 

Ingredients

• Yellow Potatoes 2 pounds
• Flour 4 oz (aprox)
• Butter 1 Tblsp  
• Salt 1 Tblsp 

1. Put potatoes with the skin in a pot with cold salty water
2. Bring to boil and cooked until soft
3. Peel the potatoes
4. Mash the potatoes
5. Add the butter, flour and the salt , do not overwork...
6. Cut the dough in 3 pieces, roll each in order to form a string 1.5 cm thick
7. Cut the strings with a sharp knife to form dowels; you can choose the dimension of your gnocchi.

Tips:

-After cook the potatoes, let the potatoes to

cool down without add any water on top!

-Work with the potatoes while the potatoes are still warm.

-Use the best potatoes you can find.
-You can also fill the gnocchi with ham and cheese, make a tomato sauce and bake it with cheese on the top!

Ragu Alla Bolognese

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

1/2 tube tomato paste

1 cup milk

1 cup dry white wine

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 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, pork, and pancetta and stir into the vegetables. Add the meat over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the tomato paste, milk, and wine 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.

Chestnut flour gnocchi

Ingredients

• Yellow Potatoes 1kg or 2,2 pounds
• Flour 85g or 3 oz (aprox)
• Chestnut flour 60g or 2 oz (aprox)
• Butter 1 Tblsp  
• Salt 1 Tblsp 
• Asiago dolce 
• Speck 

1. Put potatoes with the skin in a pot with cold salty water
2. Bring to boil and cooked until soft
3. Peel the potatoes
4. Mash the potatoes
5. Add the butter, flour, chestnut flour and the salt , do not overwork...
6. Make small balls, smaller the better
7. Fill the gnocchi with a piece of Asiago dolce and speck
8. Boil until float
9. Add to the baking tray already with the sauce
10. Bake until golden brown! 

For the sauce:

3 tbsp Gorgonzola dolce or your favorite blue cheese
3 tbsp Asiago mezzano
3tbsp parmigiano reggiano
3 tbsp fontina cheese
1 cup of mascarpone
1 tbsp butter

Nutmeg to tasteSalt & Pepper

Melt all the cheeses with the mascarpone. Add some milk if is to thick.

Tips:

-After cook the potatoes, let the potatoes to

cool down without add any water on top!

-Work with the potatoes while the potatoes are still warm.

-Use the best potatoes you can find.
-You can also fill the gnocchi with ham and cheese, make a tomato sauce and bake it with cheese on the top!

Tortelli di zucca al sugo

• • For the filling
    450g/1lb piece of squash
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g grana padano cheese, grated, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tbs of freshly grated nutmeg 
  • 5 Amaretti biscuits, crushed
  • Salt
  • freshly ground white pepper

  For the fresh egg pasta

  • 100g semolina
    100g 00 flour (cake flour)
    2 medium eggs

  For the tomato sauce

  • 2 cups tomato sauce (passata)
    1 onion, chopped
    2 garlic cloves, chopped
    Parsley, chopped
    Olive oil
    Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 
    

    For the filling

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. 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 cheese, nutmeg, amaretti biscuits and seasoning to taste.

  For the dough

  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.

  If you are not going to eat the ravioli immediately, drop them into the boiling water as you make each batch and cook for just one minute, then lift out with a slotted spoon and drop into a bowl of cold water.  Drain and lay out on lightly oiled trays, cover with cling film and chill/frozen until needed. Then drop back into boiling salted water just before serving and cook for three minutes.’

  
  

    

Alternatively cook them all at once for a total of four minutes. Drain well and tip into the large frying pan. 
  
  For the sauce 

  
  

  Pour some good olive oil in your pan. Add the onions and garlic and let them turn yellow. Add the tomato sauce and let reduce for a while... More you reduce more concentrated and stronger flavour you will have. Add the parsley, salt and pepper to taste!

  
  

  -Cook the ravioli and make sure to mix very well with the sauce. Serve with good Parmiggiano or Grana! 

  
  

  
  

Bruschetta ai funghi

- 400g mushrooms of the season

 - 250g sliced Porcini mushrooms(optional)

 - crusty bread

 - 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley finely chopped

 - 1/4 cup white wine

 - 2 garlic cloves finely chopped

 - olive oil

 - sea salt and black pepper

 - 50g butter (about 2 tbsp)

what to do:

 - toast your bread under the grill on both sides.

 - melt your butter over a low heat, add garlic and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add your mushrooms and cook for about 10 mins. 

 - add wine and parsley and season well.

 - serve the mushroom mix on your toasted bread and drink a good glass of wine with it! :)

Bruschetta con crema di zucca e noci

Four slices of bread that you like in your bruschetta
200g your favourite squash
1 shallot
A hand full of walnuts
4 tbsp Olive oil

200g of Philadelphia or Stracchino cheese
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
White wine if necessary (If not necessary just drink it!)
Garlic to rub the bread

Cut the squash in cubes. In a pan, add the oil and the shallots finely chopped. When the shallots are getting darker add the squash and let cook until soft, if start to brown to much add a sip of white wine or water. After about 20 minutes when the squash is soft, turn of heat, add just one tbsp cheese and start smashing the mixture with a fork. Add as well salt, pepper and nutmeg. Make the bruschetta at the oven or toaster and rub garlic on the bread. Add the mixture on the top and add as well some cheese and walnuts.
This recipe is perfect for a rich and easy snack! Goes perfect with flowery white wines from the North East of Italy as Soave, Garganega and Vespaiolo or even Tirolese wines as Gewürztraminer.

Zucchini and tuna sauce

4 Zucchini, thin sliced
1 yellow onion, thin sliced
2 garlic cloves, thin sliced
1 cup of Mediterranean tuna under olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
Salt & Pepper
Pepper flakes if you like spicy
Abundant olive oil

In a sauce pan, add the olive oil and let get hot. Add the garlic and onions and let brown. Add the zucchini and turn the fire on low. Add white wine and cook everything for about 20/30 minutes in the low heat. When the zucchini is all cooked and soft, smash as much as you can. Turn the heat off and add the tuna with the olive oil of the tuna and the salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold! Perfect for a summer pasta salad! :)

Alla Norma, 'Alla Lucas'

Quick, easy, healthy and delicious option for a summer meal. This recipe is enough for 3 servings.

4 garlic cloves

4 tomatoes San Marzano (similar to Roma Tomatoes)

1 eggplant

10 basil leafs

1 cup ricotta

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper (You can add pepperoncino if you like spicy)

First thing to do is select the best ingredients you can possibly find. Finding a good ricotta and tomatoes is essential for the success! 

In a big frying pan, brown the garlic in abbondant olive oil. When the garlic is brown, toss the tomatoes cutted in cubes and cook just for one minute in high heat and turn it off...

In a separate pan fry the eggplant until brown, when brown add the balsamic vinegar and let the eggplant absorb all the deliciousness of the balsamic. That's how your eggplants will taste amazing! 

In the pan with the tomatoes already turned off, add the fresh ricotta, basil and eggplant.

Toss the pasta and eat! :)

Ricotta cheese is a soft cheese often used in Italian dishes. Ricotta has multiple health benefits that make it a great addition to your daily diet.

Protein

• One half cup serving of whole milk ricotta cheese has 14 g of protein. This is 28 percent of your daily value of protein, which will help to build muscle.

Calcium

• Calcium is needed for strong bones, and is found in all dairy products. Ricotta cheese is no exception. A half cup serving has 257 mg of calcium, or 26 percent of your daily recommended value.

Omega Fatty Acids

• Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are known for helping to prevent heart disease and cancer, and are healthy for the body. Ricotta cheese has 139 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 339 mg of omega-6 fatty acids per half cup serving.

Minerals

• One half cup serving of ricotta is a great source of phosphorus (20%), zinc (10%) and selenium (26%).

Vitamins

• One serving of ricotta cheese is a good source of Vitamin A (11% daily value), Riboflavin (14%) and Vitamin B12 (7%).

Pork medallion with Gorgonzola and walnuts sauce, served with caramelised apples

1 kg pork fillet (whole)
Enough bacon to wrap the pork fillet
Salt & Pepper
(If you have enough time to marinate the pork, use 1 cup of dry white wine and marinate overnight)

100g gorgonzola cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crushed walnuts

4 apples
2 tbsp butter
If the apple is not ripe enough use a pinch of sugar to help the caramelization

Rub salt & pepper on the pork fillet, (take consideration that the bacon is already salty). Wrap the bacon around the fillet. In a non stick pan, sear the fillet with bacon wrapped in.
Bake the fillet for about 30 minutes in a 180C(350F).

While the pork bakes:

Making the sauce is very simple. In a pan, just melt the cheese with the cream and add the crushed walnuts. If the sauce is to thick add some whole milk or white wine.

Making the apples is easy as well. Cut the apples in wedges, and cook with butter until golden brown. Avoid mixing it. Let it cook!

Ok... So now the pork is ready and the kitchen smells amazing... Slice the pork, and serve with the sauce and the pears as a side dish.

You can also do the same using beef fillet mignon or chicken breasts!

Antipasti

Bruschetta alla Zucca

Ratatouille

Bruschetta al pomodoro

Involtini di melanzane

Patatas Bravas con Chorizo

Tapenade

Eggplant rolls (Involtini di melanzane)

Easy, healthy and impressive antipasto!

2 big eggplants, sliced
1 kg ricotta of good quality (If you are not in Italy the ricotta taste and texture is different, so to make it similar add 4 table spoons of parmiggiano Reggiano grated)
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of basil leafs
1 tbsp dried or fresh oregano
Chopped olives, roasted almonds and cappers (optional)
Olive oil to grill the eggplants
Salt & Pepper to taste
Arugula to fill the eggplants

The first step is grill the eggplants in a pan until brown. Reserve the eggplant.
Mix all the other ingredients together, expect the arugula.
Wrap the eggplants with the filling and add the arugula if you would like.
That's it! Very simple and delicious summer antipasto that you can enjoy with a good bread and a good glass of dry white wine! :)
It will be good for four days at the refrigerator, depending of the quality of your ricotta. Good quality ricotta smells bad after 4 days.