Stuffed Artichokes (Carciofi Ripieni)

Ingredients: 4  Servings/ 2 large Globe artichokes cleaned and placed in lemon water.  Be sure to hollow out the center and remove the choke completely.  Always peel away the hard, outside leaves until you see a lighter color, somewhat yellowish green.  This is to ensure the artichoke will be tender when cooked.  Throw away the hard leaves.

Place 2 liters of water into a large bowl with  one tablespoon of salt and sliced  lemon (1-2).

Place a large pasta pot of water to a boil (to blanch your cleaned artichokes

Don't panic, there is alot of waist.

Clean your artichokes by peeling away the green leaves until you see some brighter leaves underneath.  The Globes turn yellowish grean as you peel away the leaves.  Discard those leaves. Cut about an inch off the top.  Hollow out your center and dip in lemon water.  Rub some additional lemon inside the cavity.   Trim your stems some until you can get your Artichoke to sit upright.   When your water is at a hard boil, place your artichokes in the boiling water for 5 minutes.  Remove from that water and drain.  Place upright in a baking dish to cool. 

Method:  Into a bowl place one cup of cooked and browned sausage.  You may use chicken sausage if you like or just bread stuffing if you prefer a meatless recipe.   I will give you both versions.  I used Pork Sausage here.

1.  If your are using simple bread stuffing.  Using one cup of fresh bread crumbs in a bowl, add 1/4 cup diced parsley and a few leaves of fresh mint.  

  1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese grated. 

One clove of garlic diced.  You may substitute onion if you prefer.

One teaspoon of salt

One teaspoon of pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

One egg

2.  If you are using sausage, you will need one cup or 2 links of Sausage, cooked and drained, 

 1/2 cup bread crumbs.

one teaspoon salt

one teaspoon pepper

One clove of garlic diced

1/2 cup  Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup of diced parsley and a few sprigs of mint mixed in

One egg

Mix your ingredients until everything comes together.  Gently stuff the cavity of your artichokes.  Sprinkle with additional Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Standing the artichokes upright in your baking dish,  add one cup of white wine plus one cup of water creating a bath for your artichokes.  The liquid should be no more than half way up the artichoke. The liquid creates steam during the cooking process.  The artichoke needs to soften while cooking. 

 You do not want the artichoke to topple over.  

You could use a little less depending on the size of your artichoke.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Cook, covered tightly with foil for 45  minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Uncover for 10 minutes.  Remove the artichokes gently from the pan.  Cool for 10 minutes and cut in half if serving them as a first course or appetizer.  Sprinkle a few drops of olive oil over each plate.  Enjoy!  Buon Appetito!

Pasta con Ceci (Chick Peas, Sauce version)

I love keeping cooked beans in the freezer.  I keep them measured out in 2 and 4 cup bags ready to go at any time.  Use them for soups or a Pasta sauce, or just alone as a side dish.  They are so versatile and so good for you.  Why don't we eat them more often?

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 cloves of garlic chopped into small pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped tomatoes and their juice (You can dice them or put them in the blender first)

1/2 cup white wine

12oz of Rigatoni or tube Pasta shape that is wide enough so the sauce will get inside the pasta.

2 teaspoons of salt.

Optional/ basil/ parsley/rosemary/ whichever you prefer.

Method:

Serves 4

Heat your olive oil in a large enough pan to accommodate your ingredients at the end.  Add your garlic until fragrant.  Add your chickpeas and saute.  With the back of your spoon, smash a few of your chickpeas.  Keep mixing for about 5 minutes until your chickpeas are heated through.  Add your tomatoes, wine, 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a simmer.  Set your lid ajar and let your sauce cook for about 15-20 minutes.  Your sauce is done when a ring forms around your sauce in your skillet.  Set your sauce aside to cool.   Cook your pasta and drain.   Toss in the skillet and serve. You don't need anything else.  It's very filling and satisfying all by itself.  Buon Appetito.

Pasta with Sausage, Spinach and Mascarpone

It's a simple recipe you will be making over and over again.  Sausage and spinach are two of the most versatile ingredients in cooking.    Who doesn't like sausage?  You can use turkey if you like.  Whichever you use, be sure you have a little fat in the pan remaining before adding the pasta.  These ingredients serve as a wonderful stuffing for ravioli which will be a later post.   You can even make stuffing for Cannelloni.  Whatever you do, start with the freshest ingredients you have available.   If you are using frozen spinach, be sure and add salt to the water when boiling your spinach.  Be sure the spinach is well drained before adding it back to the pan for a quick saute.  Fresh spinach will cook faster.  It is not necessary to boil it first.  You can just saute it in your pan.  Here is the recipe.   Buon Appetito!
Ingredients:  Serves 4
12 ounce good quality Italian Pasta
12 ounce bag of frozen spinach
1/2 pound pork or turkey sausage
3 tablespoons of olive oil plus extra if your pan is to dry.
2 tablespoons of red/white onion diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
2 teaspoons of salt 
2 teaspoons of pepper
pinch of red pepper
1/2 cup of white wine
One large saute pan (flat)
1-2 tablespoons of Mascarpone cheese
Plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to serve.  I  like about 1/2 cup sprinkled over your pasta, just before you take it to the table. 
 
 One large 8quart pasta pot filled with salted water, brought to a rolling boil
Method:
I love a recipe that in the time it takes to boil and cook pasta, your condimento is ready.   This is perfect.  
1.  Place your water on to boil for your pasta
2.  In the meantime, salt your water, add your spinach and boil according to package directions.  Drain well and set aside.  If you are using Fresh spinach, you will skip this step as the spinach can go straight to the saute pan.  Cook until wilted and remove.

 3.  Heat your oil in the saute pan and add your sausage.  Carefully brown your sausage.  It should just take a few minutes on medium.  Add one teaspoon of salt, your wine and let cook for a few minutes.   Cook until your wine has completely evaporated from the pan and the sausage looks somewhat dry.  There still should be some fat left in the pan.  If it look to dry, add some olive oil.        Remove your sausage from the pan and add your onion and garlic.  Carefully add another tablespoon of olive oil and saute until fragrant. 

4.  Carefully add your spinach back to the pan and saute for just a few minutes and mix in your sausage.   Turn the heat off and let it rest.  Add your black and pinch of red pepper.  Cook your pasta.
When your pasta is almost done, add your Mascarpone.   Do not turn on the heat.   Add some starchy cooking water to your spinach (about a 1/3 of a cup), and you will notice the cheese will begin to melt some.   Do not worry.  The heat from the pasta will do the rest of the work for you.  You can use a bowl if you like, but I like to serve things straight from the pan.   Who wants to wash another dish?

 5.  Drain your pasta, mix and serve.   Don't forget to add plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.  
Buon Appetito!

Pappardelle con sugo di Pomodorini, pollo, rosmarino. (Pasta with tomatoes, chicken and Rosemary)

The Italian kitchen is a simple one.   Take a few ingredients and make the most of it.  Creating a meal out of simple ingredients is what Italian food is all about.   My Grandmother added peeled tomatoes to her chicken and baked it in the oven for added flavor. This variation involved slow, stove top cooking.  Keep your pieces of onion and garlic in large pieces and discard before serving.   The cooked tomatoes make a great addition to any of your favorite pasta's or with some crusty bread alongside.    Don't forget to pass the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  
Serves 4
Ingredients :  For the Ragu (sauce)
 4-6 chicken pieces including thigh/leg cut up.  Leave the skin on or remove some of it if you like. 
One small white onion cut up in pieces large enough to discard later.   This is an option. 
3 to 4 garlic closes smashed with the back of a knife. 
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
4 tablesspoons of olive oil
a Handful of fresh Rosemary.  Optional basil to add on later before serving.
one cup of white wine
One container of small grape tomatoes.  The container should be about one pound worth. 
One large pot of boiling water
about 8-12 ounces of Papardelle pasta
One large skillet (flat)
One large pasta pot filled with salted water.  Bring to a rapid boil right when the sauce is done and the chicken is resting.
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Salt and pepper your chicken parts.  Head your oil in a skillet to medium and gently slip in your chicken.  Brown your chicken on all sides.   This should take a good 10 minutes or so.  Be careful not to burn.  Add some fresh rosemary and continue to cook.  Remove your chicken from the pan and let rest.  Using the same skillet,  add your cut up onion and garlic.  Add a pinch of salt.  Mix in the skillet until fragrant.  (Just a few minutes).  Add your tomatoes and put a lid on the pan.  Shake the pan a bit and turn your heat to low.   After about 5 minutes or so, your tomatoes should soften.  With the back of a wooden spoon, flatten them some.   Add your wine and continue to cook slowly scraping the tiny bits from the bottom of the pan. 

 Add your chicken back to the pan and mix with the tomatoes.  Turn your heat down to simmer and put a lid on the pan slightly ajar.   Cook slowly and evenly until the tomatoes begin to stick some to the bottom   If the pan looks a little to dry,  add some water and cook.  Total cooking time should be about an hour or until the chicken is cooked through.  Add some additional rosemary.  Let rest and cook your pasta.   Toss your pasta with the sauce and serve with a little sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Buon Appetito!

 

 I used my sauce for Pasta, kept my chicken warm and served it alongside some crusty bread  as a secondo or second dish.  Italians always serve their salad last, to cleanse the palate.