Spaghetti con asparagi

Spring is in the air and that means asparagus is flooding the market and grocery stores! I love to eat it raw, sautéed, roasted….. but my favorite is with spaghetti and Parmesan cheese sauce using the old Italian truck of adding starchy pasta water to the cheese to create an almost cream like sauce without the cream! 

Ingredients 

12 ounces spaghetti (if using a pound add 1/3 more of the rest of the ingredients)

1 large or 2 medium bunches of asparagus 

2 minced garlic cloves

Olive oil 1/4 cup

1/3 cup white wine 

1 tablespoon of butter

1 cup parmigiana cheese plus more for topping

Directions 

Sauté the asparagus and garlic (cut each stalk of asparagus at the bendable part) in the oil and butter until soft adding water as needed so it doesn’t burn.

Meanwhile bring salted water to boil for pasta.

Once it’s soft add the wine and cook for a minute or two to cook out alcohol.

Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.

Add the pasta to the pan of asparagus and toss & stir with tongs adding some pasta water to form a sauce. 

Add in cheese and stir to form a sauce! 

Serve with more cheese please 😘

French Baguette

 

This is my own version of French Baguette made by an Italian 😆 It is crispier and chewier than Italian bread due to its double rise, less yeast, and steam created by a water bottle. I also use a baguette pan for this recipe. So You will need a spray bottle filled with water and a baguette pan. 

4 cups unbleached  bread flour (King Arthur)

1.5 teaspoons active dry yeast 

2 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 cups tepid water (you may need a little more depending on how accurately measured your cups of flour are)

In standing mixer mix dry separating salt from yeast

Add in water and mix on number 2 setting for 7 minutes.

You’ll know after a seconds if it needs more, not too sticky not too dry

Cover with plastic in bowl and place in warm draft free area until double in size, about 1.5- 2 hours. I use my above stove microwave with the stove light underneath turned on. 

The finger (or poke) test checks bread readiness: poke dough with a floured finger; if it springs back slowly, leaving a slight indent, it's perfectly proofed; if it springs back quickly, it needs more time (underproofed); and if the indent stays or the dough deflates, it's overproofed. 

Punch down and place back until double in size, about 1 hour. 

Press out dough into 2 flat rectangles slightly shorter than the length of the pan. 

Roll up tight and pinch and seal seams & ends.

Preheat oven to 450

Place on (pre oiled) baguette pan and cover with a light cloth until double in size, about 1 hour. 

Slash tops 2-3 times at diagonal about 1/4 inch deep, I use my sharp bread knife.

Place in oven and spray oven with water and close door quickly! 

Bake 15 minutes at 450  then lower to 375 and open quickly to spray again and bake 15-20 more minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. 

When you remove set in a rack to cool completely and listen to it crackle, Voila! 

Mom's Pignoli Cookies

 

These are My sweet momma's Pignoli Cookies.I still have her hand written recipe and I cherish it! These are chewy, sweet & nutty, a perfect combo in my book any day but especially around the holidays!

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a sheet with parchment.

16 ounces almond paste (not marzipan)

1.5 cups powdered sugar

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup pine nuts

Beat almond paste until it crumbles and breaks apart.

Scrape mixer and add in egg white and honey, mixing together.

Add in powdered sugar and mix until it form a thick batter.

Use a heaping tablespoon cookie scooper or heaping tablespoon  (spray first with PAM) to scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of batter for each cookies.

Add pine nuts by sprinkling on top of  and gently pressing in to each cookie, use all of the pine nuts ! 

Bake 13-17 minutes or until golden brown

Cool a few minutes then gently remove form the parchment with a small metal spatula. Set on fresh shett of parchment on a rack to cook completely.

Nonna Cornaccio's Biscotti

 

This is my Nonna Cornaccio's famous Biscotti recipe she brought from Naples Italy to the states and is a cherished recipe for our family. See very important tips below for perfect crunchy biscotti! This makes a little over 2 dozen if you don’t include the ends, those are for the baker! 

Ingredients

2.5  cups all purpose flour 

1/4 of a stick of butter (1/8 cup) softened not melted!

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1.5 - 2 tablespoons almond extract

3 eggs 

Optional: 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips melted for topping

Directions

Mix butter and sugar in stand or hand held mixer, add eggs and extract and mix , mix eggs and extract in a separate cup then pour in slowly so eggs can incorporate and mix until a dough forms.

Add in dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. 

Scoop dough out and place in a baggie and put in fridge until cold or over night or freeze for future use.

Set oven to 350

Form 2 logs and slightly flatten, see photo below, and bake for 30 minutes or more, they need to be golden brown and firm in center, if they aren’t they will not cut properly. If it’s still very soft in center put back in for 3-5 more minutes. 

Pull out and cool to touch (they won’t cut properly if not cooled) , then slice into diagonal slices (see below)  turn over to sides (see below) and bake 10-15 more minutes. Flip to other side for 3-5 more minutes. 

Cool completely before next step.

OPTIONAL: Melt chocolate and spread thinly on flat sides of each biscotti ( I use a small frosting knife) then place the cookie tray in fridge to set. 

Remove and serve at room temp, these last 1 week at room temp.

Important Tips for crunchy biscotti: 

Form long thin and logs and slice thin or else  they’ll be cakey, these are small not like the big store bought biscotti! 

Use regular butter not Irish butter as it will change the recipe. 

Turn back on to bottoms (like they baked initially) to cool.

Spread chocolate thin.

Remove from fridge as soon as the chocolate sets and keep covered at room temp. 

My sweet little Nonna Cornacchio (far right)

                                                               

                                                                                                             

Italian Wedding Soup (Nonna Soup)

Italian “wedding “ soup is translated from the Italian for a soup "wedded" by many different leftovers not actually made for a wedding! The traditional Neapolitan soup was simply a Zuppa di Nonna (grandmother’s soup) made from left over cuts of meat and my Nonna Cornaccio’s soup had some strange meats like a pigs foot and even horse meat one time! But this modern version uses bite sized meatballs (don't worry mine is made from turkey not horse) perfect for more modern tastes. 

My sweet Nonna Cornaccio sipping digestivo after cooking for hours! 

Ingredients

Mini meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey

1 cup grated parmesan

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 slices left over homemade italian or sour dough bread torn into small pieces (remove any hard crusts)

1 egg

1-2 garlic cloves minced

salt & pepper to taste

water to moisten bread

Soup:

water to cover

1/4 cup olive oil

3 bay leaves

8 ounces spinach or broccoli rabe or a softer kale chopped

1 small or half of a cabbage chopped

1 onion diced

2-3 celery ribs diced

1 large carrot diced

1/4 cup olive oil 

1/2 cup white wine

2-3 tablespoons better than bouillon ( I used vegetable) 

Water to cover or broth if not using Bouillon

Directions

Make meatballs bite size and sauté in some olive oil (2 tablespoons) Tip: roll really good and smooth with no cracks or else they will break open.

Remove and set aside and add more oil (1/4 cup) and saute celery onion and carrot (Italian Trinity of cooking) until soft and translucent but not brown, don't add salt or it will brown..

Add white wine and cook for a few minutes to cook out alcohol.

Add back in meatballs and cover with water and bouillon or broth, add in cabbage and kale and broccoli rabe (if using) adding enough water or broth to cover. Then add in bay leaves and salt & pepper to taste, cover and cook on a low simmer 20 minutes. Add spinach (if using) in the last 5 minutes. 

Remove bay leaves before serving!

Serve with more parmesan, red pepper flakes and broken pieces of day old bread, this is a must for this "left over" wedding soup!

Spinach Pizza

 

This is my own creation for my spinach and garlic loving husband! 

Ingredient 

Pizza Dough Recipe (this is for 2 large pizzas)

4-5 ounces spinach (fresh)

4-6 ounces whole mozzarella shredded

2 ounces provolone cheeses

2 ounces Parmesan shredded or grated 

4-6 garlic cloves minced 

Olive oil 

Salt and plenty of cracked black pepper 

Prepare pizza dough by firming 2 large pizzas

Drizzle olive oil all over except very edges 

Spread garlic (I find hands do this best)

Sprinkle a little salt all over  lots of cracked black pepper 

Pile up the spinach to edges (it will shrink)

Place the mixture of cheeses all over spinach 

Bake at highest temp on a preheated stone for 7-10 minutes, bake until you can remove the parchment by slipping it out, remove parchment and bake until golden brown about 2-5 more minutes but watch close as it may burn. 

Quick Pizza Dough

 

This is for when you want pizza in just a few hours. My regular pizza dough recipe starting a day ahead. This crust will not be as crusty but its still yummy!

4 cups AP flour (500 grams)

1& 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1& 1/2 teaspoons salt

1& 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1& 1/2 cups lukewarm water (12 ounces)

Mix dry in Stand Mixer then add water and olive, knead on settting #2 for 9 minutes.

Lightly coat in olive oil, cover with plastic and set in warm place until double in size around 2-3 hours.

Proceed to pizza recipe.

Italian Zucchini Turkey Meatballs

 

These are not the meatballs you cook in a sauce but rather eaten more like a burger. They are a great way to use up that summer zucchini and are perfect for a main dish along side some juicy roasted bell pepper or Peperonata or Caponata but my favorite way is in a bun with Roasted Bell Peppers or Peperonata!

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey

2 zucchini

2 cloves garlic

3/4 - 1 cup fine plain bread crumbs 

1/2- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

salt and pepper

olive oil

Optional Add In: 1 tablespoon fennel seeds for a sweet sausage flavor or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for a spicy sausage flavor 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375

Grate the zucchini and place in a bowl with the turkey and egg.

Add in cheese and bread crumbs starting with the smaller amount, feeling the texture to see if you want more breadcrumbs and/or cheese. It should be moist yet firm enough to form and hold a ball.

Add in salt and pepper and mix well.

Form balls and place on baking sheet, drizzle each with olive oil and bake 15 minutes.

Then flip meatballs drizzle more olive oil on top and bake for 2-5 minutes under the broiler (I keep my oven door open and stand right there) but WATCH closely as they will burn quickly!

My favorite way to eat these are on a bun with Peperonata!

Peperonata (Italian Ratatouille)

 

This is the perfect Summer dish to use up and enjoy all of those delicious garden veggies! Peperonata is the less "vinegary" cousin of Caponata and a close relative to France's ratatouille. Peperonata mostly uses bell peppers as its flavor base and is jam packed with flavor, full of health and beautiful to look at making it the perfect "last hoorah" dish of the summertime!

Ingredients

1 pound red and/or yellow or even green bell peppers (red is traditional as they are the sweetest)

1/8- 1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes OR  calabrian paste or 1 small hot pepper red or green

2 medium tomatoes

1 zucchini

1 small eggplant 

1/2 -1 large potato

1 glass white wine

pinch of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

optional herbs: dried oregano, fresh parsley and/or basil etc..

Directions 

Cut all of the large veggies to about same size, not too small or too big, you want some toothsomeness.

Heat up oil medium low in large pot and saute onion and garlic and oregano if using along with a little salt to prevent browning until onion is translucent, don't burn garlic.

Turn up heat to medium/high and add wine and cook until you don't smell alcohol, lean over the pot and smell, you'll know.

Add in the hot pepper, bell peppers, and potatoes and more salt (layering the salt is important) cook until soft stirring here and there, about 15 minutes. Add a little water here and there if its sticking as needed.

Add the tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini season with and pepper this time and stir here & there to cook down  until ALL veggies are soft, check each one. It will take around another 20-30 minutes give or take depending on size of veggies.

Add the chopped fresh  herbs at the end and taste for salt & pepper.

Serve on bread for an antipasto, as a "sauce" for pasta or in a sandwich, this is really good with a sausage or meatball sub!

Italian Pickled Onions

 

These are a quick pickle and you can make them just a an hour or 2 before using. They bring balance to a heavy meat dish like my Porchetta and will add some zing to any sandwich!

Ingredients 

1 large Red onion sliced thin

Red pepper flakes (add as many as you prefer your  heat level)

1/2 cup Red wine vinegar (I’ve used apple cider vinegar as well) 

1/4 cup Water

2 teaspoons Sugar 

1 teaspoon Salt 

Place all together in a bowl or jar cover and refrigerate atleast 1 hour or a few hours before using and they will keep up to several weeks in the fridge.