Spaghetti alla Carbonara

1 pound dry spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Cook the pasta while preparing the sauce to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; the hot pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce, so this is an important step

Boil salted water, then add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta, keeping 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.

Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

Polenta with Fontina

1 2/3 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup speck
1/2 cup fontina
3 leaves sage
1/4 cup parmesan 
2 tbs. butter
salt, pepper


Preparation:

1. Cook the flour in lightly salted water for 45 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and let cool.
2. With a knife, cut polenta into 1-1/2 inch squares.  
3. Arrange the squares of polenta into a buttered baking dish, alternating with the cheese slices and cut the bacon into small pieces.
4. Melt the butter with the sage leaves and pour over the polenta sprinkle with parmesan and pepper, and then brown in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve.

Squid Ink Risotto

I had this in Venice and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only that, but when I got back I was thrilled to find out that my host mom had a recipe for this dish. It is truly delicious. 

11 oz. rice
2 lb. squid
1 cup vegetable broth
3 chopped shallots
6 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
3 anchovies 
2 chili peppers
2/3 cup white wine
3 peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
4 tbs chopped parsley
salt, pepper

1. Clean the squid by removing the outer skin, cutting the back from head to tail and extract the bones. Open the cut and take out the ink bag and remove the innards.
2. Rinse the squid under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the tentacles above the eyes and remove the beak, then cut the squid into 1/4 inch strips.
3. Cook the chopped anchovies with 3 tablespoons of oil, add the squid and fry with garlic and chillies. Pour in half of the wine and let it evaporate. Add in 1/4 cups of water and reduce the mix.
4. Cook the rice with the shallots and the remaining oil. Pour the wine and add the broth. When it is half cooked, add the tomatoes and squid ink. Add the squid and then add the parsley, salt and pepper. 

Italian Cheese Dumplings

1 cup puff pastry 
1/2 cup taleggio cheese
1/3 cup Swiss cheese
4 sprigs of parsley 
1/8 cup salted butter
pepper

Preparation:


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unroll the puff pastry on a flat working surface with parchment paper, and cut it into 4 pieces. Slice the taleggio and cube the Swiss.
2. In the center of each pastry place the two cheeses and distribute evenly. Pepper the pastries and add the parsley.
3. To close the pastries fold into a triangular shape and, using wet fingers, combine the dough of the corners in the center.
4. Melt the butter and brush it over the pastries. Place the pastries
on a backing sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 25 minutes.

Belgian Endive with Cream Cheese

2 heads Belgian endive
1/2 cup red beans
2/3 cup goat cheese
2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
4 fresh chives, chopped
1 small handful chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika 
8 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation

1. Clean the endive and get rid of the outside lives. Keep the large leaves and cut the heart a julienne.
2. Boil the red beans in water, let them cool, and then drain them. Afterwards, put them in a food processor with 1 tsp. of oil, and mix in the processor until pureed.
3. In a bowl mix the cheese, the bean puree, chopped chives, chopped parsley, paprika, vinegar and the endive julienne. Then add the salt and pepper to taste.
4. Divide the mixture onto the endive leaves and top with half of a cherry tomato.

If you want, you could also add a shrimp or a slice of smoked salmon for extra flavor.

Pasta with Clam Sauce

2 cups spaghetti
2 cups fresh shelled clams
4 anchovies
2 garlic cloves
1 sprig of parsley
1 cup dry white wine
salt
pepper or chili pepper
oil

Preparation

1. Fry minced garlic in a pan with some oil and anchovies (crushed with a fork).
2. Add the clams and cook for ten minutes.
3. Add thee wine, and when it evaporates add the parsley and pepper and mix.
4. Boil the pasta and cook al dente.
5. Remove the pasta and put it in a bowl and toss with the clam sauce.

Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Ricotta

2 cups penne
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes
2 cups ricotta
1/2 cup parmesan
2 onions
olive oil
basil
salt
black pepper

Preparation

1. To prepare the sauce slice the tomatoes into small pieces, chop the onions, and add the basil and salt in a pan.
2. Cook until the liquid part of the tomato evaporates.
3. Strain the sauce and add oil and pepper to taste.
4. Melt the ricotta in a bowl with a little bit of water.
5. Boil the pasta in salted water, stir with a fork and add to the bowl with the ricotta.
6. Sprinkle the parmesan over the pasta.
7. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. 

If you don't have time to make a tomato sauce or your tomatoes aren't ripe enough, you can just heat up some sauce from a can and mix it with the ricotta.

Pasta Arrabbiata

2 cups pasta
2 lbs. tomato
2 medium onions
4 anchovies
1/2 cup black olives
1 garlic clove
olive oil
basil
oregano
chili pepper

Preparation

1. Lightly brown anchovies and chopped onions in a pan with some olive oil and the garlic clove.
2. Add peeled and seeded tomatoes in small pieces, olives, basil, and oregano.
3. Mix well over low heat.
4. Boil the pasta in salted water until it is cooked al dente and mix with the sauce.
5. Add your desired amount of chili pepper. This can be done individually or you can add the peppers to the whole batch.

Salmon Lasagna

Serves 6

9 oz. lasagna noodles
14 oz. thinly sliced fresh salmon
4 oz. smoked salmon
1 lb. 5 oz. robiola cheese
1 oz. parmesan
1 oz. bread crumbs
1 oz. butter
4 tbs. milk
marjoram, cognac, salt, pepper and olive oil

Preparation

1. Chop the smoked salmon, put it into a bowl with the robiola, a dash of pepper, a little marjoram and salt. Soften the cheese with a fork, add the milk a little at a time, stirring until the mixture is creamy.
2. Cook the lasagna noodles for 3 minutes in lots of salted boiling water and 3 tbs. olive oil. Drain. cover the bottom of a buttered baking sheet with one layer of noodles.
3. Cut the fresh salmon into narrow strips, put them into a buttered skillet with a drop of cognac, cook until the liquor evaporates.
4. Put a little of the cheese mixture and a few strips of the fresh cooked salmon on top of the lasagna noodles. Cover with another layer of pasta.
5. Repeat and keep on making layers until you have used up all the ingredients, ending with a top layer of the cheese mixture.
6. In a small bowl combine the parmesan, breadcrumbs and a few marjoram leaves, sprinkle over lasagna.
7. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 390 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes at 425 degrees.

Penne with Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 6

14 oz. penne
1 small/medium zucchini
1 tbs. basil
2 tbs. mint leaves
2 oz. aged, salted ricotta
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Preparation

1. Wash, dry and slice the zucchini. Saute them in a skillet in olive oil, when they are nicely browned, season with salt and pepper, add the balsamic vinegar and let it evaporate.
2. Cut the mint and basil leaves into narrow strips; grate the cheese.
3. Cook the pasta in boiling water, drain when it is al dente, and turn into the skillet with the zucchini and mix well.
4. Pour some olive oil into the serving bowl, then add the pasta.
5. Sprinkle with mint, basil and cheese and toss thoroughly.

Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

Serves 6

2 lbs potatoes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 lb. canned tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 tbs. shredded basil
4 tbs. olive oil
4 tbs. grated parmesan 
salt and ground chili pepper, to taste

Preparation


1. Wash the potatoes and put them into a pot of cold water. Put on stove top over medium heat. When the water starts to boil add 1 tbs salt and finish cooking the potatoes until tender.
2. Prepare the sauce with garlic, olive oil, diced tomatoes, basil, salt, and chili pepper.
3. Peel the potatoes and put them through a ricer while still hot, onto your work station. Add the flour and mix with your hands until it is not sticky, the dough should be smooth and firm.
4. Sprinkle some flour on the table, take small bits of dough and shape them into rods as thick as your finger. Cut the rods into 1 inch pieces.
5. Gently press the gnocchi over the tines of a fork using your fingers so that they curl slightly and put them on a clean, well floured cloth.
6. Cook part of the gnocchi in lots of boiling, salted water, as they float tot he top remove them with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl where you have already put some of the sauce.
7. repeat until you have cooked all of the gnocchi, dress with the rest of the sauce, fresh basil leaves and grated parmesan cheese.

Risotto with Mushrooms and Gorgonzola

Serves 6

13 oz. rice
7 oz. mushrooms
2 oz. Gorgonzola crumbled
1 oz. butter
1 oz. pine nuts
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs chopped parsley
1/2 glass dry wine
salt and ground chili pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Clean and slice the mushrooms, saute them with olive oil, chopped garlic, chili pepper and salt in a covered skillet for 10 minutes. When they are done sprinkle with chopped parsley.
2. Melt 2/3 of the butter in a large saucepan, add the chopped shallot and the rice, stirring constantly to brown the rice; add the wine and let it evaporate; then add enough boiling water to cover the rice, salt to taste, and then cook and stir until the rice is done, adding water if necessary.
3. Turn the rice into a bowl and mix in the remaining butter, half the crumbled Gorgonzola and the sauteed mushrooms.
4. Toast the pine nuts lightly in a skillet and sprinkle them over the rice along with the rest of the diced cheese.