Roasted Garlic in Olive Oil

 

I've tried every which way to roast garlic and this is the best way for soft, buttery and smashable Garlic! I spread this on to toasted bread like its garlic butter!

Ingredients

2 garlic heads (I always do 2 at a time but 1 is fine)

Olive Oil

Aluminum Foil

Directions

Rip off a square of foil

Peel the outer loose leaves off and cut off the tops of the garlic bulbs (This will enable you to squeeze the garlic out afterwards) 

Drizzle oil on foil and place the bulb upside down drizzling more oil on top.

Bake at 350 for 50-75 minutes (May take less time or more depending on size of garlic cloves/bulb and on your oven so check after 50 minutes and add time accordingly, it will be soft to the touch if you gentle press a clove, not hard at all) 

Open foil and allow to cool.

Place your hand in a ziplock baggie and pick up the bulb open side down to squeeze out into a bowl that has a lid.

Pour over olive oil, add salt and any other herbs you like!

This keeps one week at room temp or 2 weeks in the fridge. 

Authentic Fettuccini Alfredo ( Only 3 Ingredients!)

This Roman dish is the original Fettuccini Alfredo its very rich and not your everyday meal but oh so good and comforting like you wouldn't believe.  If you want the authentic Roman Fettuccini  Alfredo served in restaurants in Rome than you use fresh homemade fettuccini but otherwise it's the same 3 ingredient recipe.

Ingredients

Fettuccini 16 ounces

Parmigiana Reggiano: This is where you make it your own use as much as you like! I use about 2 cups or so (Must be the real thing from Italy in Parma for this recipe or else it won't become creamy) 

Butter 1 stick

Directions

Cook pasta al dente in very salted water (reserving a mug of the pasta water)

Grate the cheese on the smallest grate possible

Add the butter to the pasta and stir with tongs to melt and coat, then the cheese and some of the pasta water (tablespoon at a time) tossing and stirring with the tongs to create a creamy sauce!

Paella For Two

This is my Paella recipe  for 2 using a 10-12 inch pan since its just my hubby and me now : ) The original Paella Recipe is HERE And the chart for making this in a larger pan is below.

Ingredients (My recipe has been adapted from the  La Paella pan booklet)
(1012  inch pan which serves 2-4 see modification chart for different sized paella pans below) my hubby loves it)
pinch saffron threads
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup white wine
sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 of a medium Spanish Corizo Sausage (not mexican as its a completely different product)  peeled and cut up
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 onion chopped fine
1 small tomato(Roma size) peeled and grated on large grate
1/2 red bell pepper diced small
3/4 cup Bomba Rice or medium grain rice (OR, My Dad always used Uncle Ben's Converted rice)
1 lemon cut into wedges

Directions 
Note: The paella pan must be turned through out the cooking in a circular motion for even heating.

Boil the water with salt and saffron covered for about 10 minutes, taste for salt, turn off heat and set
aside.
 Heat oil in paella pan on medium high and saute the shrimp and chorizo until the shrimp is just starting to turn pink, remove from pan set aside on plate.
Turn heat down to medium and in the oil saute the sofrito:onion, pepper, garlic, and tomato until dark burgundy adding a little water here and there if starting to burn, about 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste again..

Bring broth back to boil.
Add the rice and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add the wine and most of the saffron broth at this time (reserve a bit for end if needed) stir or shake to evenly distribute rice turn up heat to a vigorous simmer.
At this point no more stirring of rice but turning of pan is needed.

After rice and liquid are at same level (8-10 minutes) lower heat to medium and arrange the clams and peas on top simmer gently for another 10 minutes or until rice has absorbed all the liquid about 10 more minutes.Turning pan as needed.
If it is not finished (check a rice grain and it should be al dente or chewy with tiny white dot in the center) add more broth and continue cooking a few more minutes.
Arrange the shrimp and chorizo on top and turn up heat to high, turning pan in circles to create  a crust on the bottom (socarrat) but be careful not to burn  this only takes 1-2 minutes!
Squeeze lemon all over and arrange more wedges on top of paella.
Serve right away with bread and a good Spanish Red Wine!

Modification Chart by Size of Paella pan
16 inch pan serves 4-6 multiply recipe by 1 1/4
18 inch pan serves 6-8 multiply by 1 1/2
22 inch pan serves 8-10  multiply by 2
26 inch pan serves 10-12 multiply by 3
32 inch pan serves 12-14 multiply by 5

 (A larger pan will require 2-3 burners)

Authentic Cacio e Pepe

  There is nothing like eating Cacio e Pepe in Italy but this recipes comes pretty darn close! The key in this, as in and all Italian recipes, is the quality of ingredients rather than the technique and this is kind of what separates Italian cuisine from many others. That being said there are a few technique tips that sets this recipe apart from many others on the internet. This recipe is my modification from the many many many recipes I've tried over the years trying to duplicate the Italian version. find my simpler verion using Parmigiano Reggiano here: My Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano (Must be Sheep's milk MUST be from Italy DOP) BUT NOT Locatelli as it simply wont melt! Visit an italian shop, WholeFoods  or Amazon as these all carry the real thing.
12 ounces spaghetti
1/8 - 1/4 cup Fresh ground black pepper on the bigger grind.
Directions
Cook pasta about 1 minute short of al dente directions on package and set aside 2 cups of the pasta water for later use.
Grate Cheese on smallest grind into a fine powder.
In a large saute pan toast the pepper in the dry pan for a minute.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan with 1 cup of the  reserved water and finish the last minute of cooking in the pan.
Mix the 1/2 cup of reserved water with the cheese into a sauce.
Mix both together off the heat using the last bit of reserved pasta water if needed. 
Eat this right away to enjoy the creaminess!

My Simple Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e peppe is translated to cheese and pepper in english and its similar to American Mac n Cheese! My kids grew up on this stuff and so did I. I add egg yolks like Cacio e Pepe’s cousin carbonara to make it creamier since parmigiana doesn’t tend to cream up as good as Percorino which is in a true Cacio e Pepe. It’s essentially Italian Mac n cheese and is perfect for a quick meal! 

Find the authentic version here: Authentic Cacio E Pepe 

Ingredients 

Spaghetti (enough for 4)

2 egg yolks

1 cup of powdered Grated Parmigiana Reggiano grate on smallest grater holes (if it’s not the real thing from Reggiano it won’t turn into a cream but will get gummy) plus more for topping 

Salt for pasta water

Lots of fresh Cracked black pepper 

Olive oil 

Directions

Bring water to boil and salt when it boils  add spaghetti cooking for 11 minutes (package directions for Aldente)

While it comes to a boil grate cheese in a large bowl and add lots of fresh black pepper and egg yolks and beat.

Once you add the spaghetti scoop out the water only by the tablespoons and add water and beat quickly so the eggs won’t cook! Continue doing so until it is a creamy sauce.

Drain spaghetti and add to sauce and toss and toss with two forks or tongs.

Add fresh grated Parmesan and a little olive oil to top and serve with bread  🥖 to scoop up excess sauce called Scarpetta in Italian 😋 

Nonna Cornnaccio's Onion Whole Wheat Pizza

Ingredients
Dough: 2 cups bread flour (250 grams)
2 cups whole wheat flour (250 grams)
2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1 1/4 cups warm water (12 ounces)

 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Topping:
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter

1 pound sweet onions

oregano

salt and pepper

1/4 - 1/3 cup white wine

2-3  cups mozzarella shredded 

Directions
In a kitchen  Aid  mix flour, salt, and yeast with the kneading hook on mix on 2 a few times.
Add  1 cup of the warm (not hot or cold) water and olive oil and mix until forms a ball. If its too dry add the 1/4 cup of water.  Once a ball forms knead for 10 minutes.
Add a bit more oil to coat ball and cover with plastic for 2- 3  hours.
Meanwhile, cut onions in to half rings kind of thickish. 
Heat up oil and butter and cook onions and oregano  (Do not add salt until end or else they won't brown) on medium high-high heat until caramelized.
Add wine and salt and pepper and cook down a few minutes until you no longer smell the wine in the steam coming off. Remove from heat and set aside until ready for use.

Place a stone on the middle rack. 
Preheat oven to highest setting.

 Press out 2 pizza doughs on 2 pieces of parchment on top of pizza pans or bottom side of sheet pans or a pizza paddle.

Place the onions on top and add mozzarella.

Slip the parchment with the pizza on to the stone . 

Bake 6 minutes and remove parchment.

Bake until golden brown maybe 2-4 more minutes.

White Beans and Tomatoes

 

Fresh Tomatoes

This is one of those super fast and super simple meals from La Povera Cucina (The poor kitchen) that will blow your mind at just how good it is!  We eat this when I don't want to cook but want something that feels like a homecooked meal.

Ingredients

Cannellini Beans 1 can rinsed/drained or 2 cups (canned or precooked)

*1& 1/2 pounds fresh small-ish tomatoes (small plum, cherry, sweetie, gold nugget, grape etc..) ~OR~1 cup prepared tomato sauce 

fresh basil 

olive oil

salt & pepper

*For Fresh Tomato Recipe:1 garlic clove minced and 1/4 cup white wine

 White Cheese to serve on top (Parmesan, Feta, Burrata, Gorgonzola ,Fontina, etc...)

Day Old Bread

Fresh tomatoes: Heat olive oil in skillet add garlic and soften on medium low heat (don't burn or brown), as soon as it softens add wine cook 1 minute then add tomatoes and bring to a low simmer, cover and allow to cook down a few minutes. Once they are cooked down and very soft use a potato or meat masher to mash tomatoes. Cook a few minutes without the lid. You can remove any skins that are not attached to tomatoes using a tong if you like but this step is not necessary. Add beans salt and pepper to taste and cook for a few more minutes. 

Directions

Remove from heat add chopped basil & cheese. Stir to melt in.

Serve over toasted Italian Bread that was rubbed with garlic, salted and drizzled with olive oil yummy!

Tomato Sauce: Heat a little olive oil with sauce, then add beans and cook on low simmer for a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat add chopped basil & cheese. Stir to melt in.

Serve with day old bread broken up and incorporated into the dish OR over toasted Italian Bread that was rubbed with garlic, salted and drizzled with olive oil yummy!

Neapolitan Stuffed Peppers (Nonna Flora's Recipe)

~My Nonna Flora with my Dad  in the front, he can probably smell the peppers cooking!

This is my family's recipe, the same peppers my Father's Mother, my Nonna Flora Casolaro, used to make for him when he was growing up in Naples, Italy. These stuffed peppers are quintessentially Italian: simple but  good and you find yourself asking, how can such simple ingredients taste so good? Well..... it is just that in fact.......sticking to simple but good ingredients--at their peak-- and then allowing the ingredients to sing for themselves. I would say these peppers are singing a scene from the Neapolitan Opera Buffa La Serva Padrona!

Ingredients
4 Yellow or Red Sweet Bell Peppers
1 egg beaten
4 thin slices of Prosciutto chopped into bits
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs for filling & a little more to sprinkle on top
4 whole basil leaves
olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

Clean peppers, cut off tops, and scoop out seeds and ribs using a spoon leaving the peppers whole. Set tops aside.
Mix all the above ingredients (except the basil) adding enough oil to moisten. You want a light filling not mushy and compact.
Line the peppers up on a lightly olive oiled pan and drizzle some oil in each pepper.
Stuff each pepper without compacting tightly, add a whole basil leaf to each one pressing down inside the filling, sprinkle a few more crumbs on top and drizzle on more olive oil. Replace the lids.
Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Crockpot Meatballs and Red Sauce (Ragu)

This recipe is perfect for hot summer days when you don't want to heat up your cucina simmering, sauteing, and frying! This recipe will not be as thick as regular sauce and the meatballs won't have that crispy skin BUT the ease of making these and moisture you can only obtain from crock pot cooking will make up for it..... I promise. Plus I have a little trick for thickening up this sauce pretty well even in a crock pot : )

All my ingredients ready for the crock pot!

 Ingredients
Sauce: 
Three 28 ounce cans crushed Italian Plum tomatoes (Marzano) *see note below
4.6 ounces tomato paste (1 can or tube)
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup minced onion
1/3 cup golden raisins soaked in 1/2 cup white or red dry wine (remove and reserve the raisins for the meatballs)
olive oil (enough to coat bottom of crockpot
1 teaspoon sea salt and a small amount of black pepper
a few fresh basil leaves
1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Meatballs:

2 pounds ground meat (half pork half beef or half turkey etc...)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove minced
olive oil to moisten
1 teaspoon salt and a little black pepper
a pinch or more red pepper flakes (to your taste)

My secret for thickening sauce in crockpot

The reserved 1/3 cup golden raisins
1-2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley 
1/4 - 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (Or for GF replace with same amount of finely grated Parmesan cheese)
1 egg beaten
Directions
Important!: Add oil, garlic, and onion to the crock pot and heat on high with the lid while you prepare the meatballs.
Meanwhile,heat up the wine in microwave for 1 minute, add raisins and allow to soak.
Mix meat, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs,minced garlic, chopped parsley, pine nuts, fennel seeds, redpepper, salt and pepper and stir well.
Add egg, olive oil, and raisins mixing well with hands.
Now add tomatoes (see note below), wine, tomato paste, basil, and oregano to crock pot and stir.

I usually make the meatballs as I add them to the sauce one at  time. I like them bigger for this recipe because they seem to hold together better.
Now very very gently push the meat balls down to cover with the sauce.
Cover turn down to low and cook for several hours.
* If the tomatoes are whole you can crush them in the cans with an immersion blender or add to crock pot and use an immersion blender in the crock pot before adding meatballs or blend in a blender for a quick few seconds or crush by hand but try not too not over blend.
  *You can also add the rind of the Parmesan you used to add more flavor.

Easy & Fast Roasted Pork Tenderloin!

 
This is so EASY and so Fast its ridiculous! You can easily double or even quadruple if you have a large enough pan. The hint is to use an oven proof pan so you only have 1 pan to clean in the end. And serving it Italian Style on top of a bed of greens it makes a complete meal La Buona Cucina!

Ingredients
No salt seasoning I used Costco brand (enough to rub in and cover both sides of the pork)
pork tenderloin
salt
olive oil
1 cup  or so of dry white wine
a fresh rosemary sprig if you have it
Directions


About a half hour before cooking (or you can do this literally just before cooking) rub the seasoning with some salt and olive oil all over the pork both sides right in the pan and allow to sir on counter top to come to room temp.
Preheat oven to 425
Heat up stove top to medium and place the pan on to brown both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, its ready to flip when it easily pulls away from pan. Do not have too high of heat you just want a seal to the meat.
Now add 1/2 cup wine and allow it to boil  just for a few seconds and place in oven.
Cook until it reaches a temp of 145 (medium rare) - 155 (well done) this takes about 10-15 minutes.
Allow it to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
 Note: take temp in middle and that will be the rarest section noting that the end pieces will be more well done. I always go for a temp of 145 so the middle is medium rare and the ends are well done, something for everyone.
Place the pork right on top of salad greens in a platter with the Rosemary sprig on top.
Easy Reduction Sauce: In the very same pan with all the good bits stuck to bottom (aka favor) add 1/2  wine and 1/2 cup water cooking on top of stove high heat scraping the bottom and whirling around until reduced. You can also add a tab of butter before the wine and this will make a more lush sauce. Note to self : ) Use oven mit for handle!
Serve Italian Style right on top of a plate greens using the sauce and the heat of the pork to both flavor and soften the greens underneath......Delizioso!