Ragu Ferrarese

Ragu Ferrarese (from Ferrara)

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic, minced
200g of sausage, taken out of their casings
1/2 cup of tomato paste
1 1/12 cup of red wine
1 teaspoon of paprika
Thyme, about a Tablespoon
Olive oil for frying the onion
Salt & Pepper to taste

Recipe:
Fry the onion, garlic and sausage in a generous amount of olive oil.  Once onions have browned and meat has cooked, add one cup of wine and let liquid reduce half it's amount.  Add tomato paste, paprika and thyme.  Let cook for five minutes and add another half cup of wine.  Cover and simmer the sauce at a low temperature for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, do not allow to boil.
Serve with a hard cheese, recommended Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano).

Pizza dough

Pizza dough

Ingredients:

1kg of 0 flour or 800gr of 00 flour and 200gr of semolina

1 teaspoon of fine salt

1 cube of fresh yeast

1 tbsp of sugar

5 tbsp olive oil

600ml of warm water

Recipe:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast with the sugar by adding the two together and mixing a little with a fork.  Add the warm water, salt and then the flour.  Begin mixing with your hands very well and transfer to a tabletop to continue mixing and working the dough.  Kneed the dough and sprinkle with flour when it sticks to your hands or as needed for texture.  Open the dough and make some holes with your fingertips, add the olive oil to the dough and continue to mix.  Now put back into a clean bowl and allow the dough to “proof” or rise.  Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel or some kind of cover and place in a neutral temperature area (not in a drafty area).  The yeast will begin to raise the dough.

After about one hour, remove dough and cut into portions desired.  With your hands, gently make balls with the dough (using flower generously) and allow them to rise for another 30-60 minutes.

Now with dry hands, make the disks with your hands and try to keep uniformity in dough thickness as you open the dough for the pizza.  You’re now ready to make your pizza as you wish!  To bake, oven temperature should be at 180C or 350F.
Bake until the pizza bottom is brown.

Casunziei

For the filling:

3  tablespoons unsalted butter

2  pounds beets, trimmed, leaving about 1/4 inch of the stem

5 1/2 ounces smoked ricotta cheese, finely grated (2 1/2 cups)

1  large egg

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4  to 1/2 cup fine plain breadcrumbs

For the dough:

2 3/4  cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4  teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4  cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk

2  large eggs 

For the sauce:

5  tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4  cup plus 2 tablespoons grated aged Carnia or Piave cheese

3/4  teaspoon poppy seeds

Heat oven to 400º. Put beets in a baking dish and add water to come up about 1/2 inch. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and roast beets until they can be easily pierced through to the center with a knife or skewer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover and allow beets to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, make pasta.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Mound flour mixture and form a well in the center. Add milk and eggs to the well. Using a fork, gently break up yolks and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed, then knead in bowl until dough forms a complete mass. Transfer to a well-floured work surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes more. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, return to filling.

Using shredding disc on a food processor or coarse holes of a box grater, coarsely grate beets. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until melted; add beets, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until beets are dried out a bit, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add cheese, egg, salt and generous grinding of pepper; stir to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. If mixture seems damp, stir in remaining breadcrumbs.

Divide pasta dough into four pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap. Flatten dough so that it will fit through the rollers of 

a hand-cranked pasta machine. Set rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine. Roll pasta through machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta), until pasta sheet is about 1/16 inch thick.

Lay pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface with the long side facing you; using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut pasta into rounds. On 1 round, put about 3/4 teaspoon filling. Fold over round to form a half moon; moisten edges with a dab of water, press and crimp to seal and form decorative edge. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling. (The casunziei can be prepared and frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze freshly made casunziei, freeze them first on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer casunziei to well-sealed, airtight plastic freezer bags and keep frozen until ready to cook. Do not defrost before cooking.)

Bring a large wide pot of salted water to a low boil; avoid a rolling boil, which may cause the pasta to open up. In batches of 15 to 20, cook casunziei in water until they rise to surface, about 3 minutes (frozen pasta may take another minute or two longer). Using a slotted spoon, transfer casunziei to a large serving bowl. 

FOR SAUCE: In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat until melted and foamy. Pour butter over pasta, add cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cheese and poppy seeds.

Cinnamon Liquor

Cinnamon Liquor

For about 1½lt (51oz) of liquor
Ingredients: 

12 cinnamon sticks  

0,5lt (17oz) alcohol 95°  

400gr (1.8cup - 14.4oz) sugar  

0,7lt (24oz) water

In a glass, airtight can put cinnamon sticks and alcohol. Leave to settle for at least three weeks (alchool will turn amber brown).

Put in a saucepan 0,7lt (24oz) water and bring to boil; reduce temperature, add sugar and keep boiling for 2 or 3 minutes in order to dissolve sugar. Then cool down, add alcohol, stir well and bottle in (using filters).

Ginger liquor

Ginger liquor

Ingredients: 
3 or 4 dried ginger pieces  
0,5lt (17oz) alcohol 95°  
400gr (1.8cup - 14.4oz) sugar 
 0,7lt (24oz) water

Put in an airtight glass can ginger and alcohol. Leave to settle for at least one month. After this time, put in a saucepan 0,7lt (24oz) water and bring to boil; reduce temperature, add sugar and keep boiling for 2 or 3 minutes in order to dissolve sugar. Then cool down, add alcohol, stir well and bottle in.

Macadamia Cookies

Macadamia Cookies

Makes 18 biscuits

Ingredients: 

200gr (0.9cup - 7.2oz)flour  

110gr (0.49cup - 3.9oz) sugar  

130gr (0.6cup - 4.8oz) butter  

1 egg  

1 egg yolk  

1tsp vanilla extract  

100gr (0.44cup - 3.5oz) macadamia nuts

Knead together flour, sugar and butter, then add eggs, vanilla extract and finally, macadamia nuts (better if you use knife to avoid them crumble). Form a ball and wrap it in a polythene bag, place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. After this time, take the the pastry and, on a floured surface, roll it out with a rolling pin at half centimeter (¼ inch) thick, and cut out biscuits with your favourite cutter. I used a round one with a diameter of 5cm (2 inch)  to make 18 biscuits. Place them on a baking sheet coverded with parchment paper and bake at 160°  (310°F) for 20 minutes. Cool down a wire rack.

Pink bread

Pink bread

Ingredients: 
210ml (7.2oz) water  
120gr (½cup - 4oz) cake flour  
150gr (½cup-3.5oz) Semolina  
80gr (0.3cup-2.8oz) Bread flour  
70gr (0.3cup-2.4oz) boiled and crushed beetroot  
1 cube of fresh yeast  
1½ tsp salt  
1½ tsp sugar  
1tbsp extravirgin olive oil

With a kneader or a bread machine:
Put all ingredients into the kneader or the bread machine, following the constructor's instructions, selecting kneading program (the basic one), for bread machine. At the beep add beetroot

Without a kneader or a bread machine:
Mix all flour with salt, add by degrees warm water and then yeast melted in a bit of water with sugar. Knead until you'll obtain a very elastic dough, then add oil and beetroot. Knead other 5minutes. Leave the dough to rise for two e for two hours.

Form rolls and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 230°C (450F - gas mark 8) for about 15 minutes.

Buckwheat tagliatelle with nuts sauce

Buckwheat tagliatelle with walnuts sauce

Ingredients
Serves 4-5
For the pasta dough: 

150gr buckwheat (0.625cup - 5oz)  

250gr (1.125cup - 9oz) hard wheat flour  

4 eggs

For the sauce: 

180gr (0.8cup - 6.4oz) walnuts crumbled  

1cup milk 

3tbs whipping cream 

1garlic clove 

salt & pepper

For the pasta dough, mix well flour and eggs and leave the dough to rest about half an hour. Roll out the dough with the pasta machine then cut it with the tagliatelle accessory. If you don't use the pasta machine, roll out the dough with the rolling pin, then roll the sheet of dough up into a tube, then slice the tube into rounds of 0.7 cm (0.3inch) wide and shake the skeet out with your hands to free the strands; set them to dry on a rack for few hours.

For the dressing, take the breadcrumb and put it in a bowl with few tablespoons of milk. Crush nuts and mix them with bread, garlic, the remaining milk, salt and pepper. Transfer into a sauce pan and heat for few minutes. Pour in cream and eventually some more milk to smooth the sauce. Now cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes, drain it in a colander and return it to the saucepan with the sauce, stirring well. Eventually add pepper and grated parmesan cheese.

Chestnut fettuccine with pumpkin and bacon

Chestnut fettuccine with pumpkin and bacon

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the pasta dough: 

120gr (½cup - 4oz) chestnut flour  

180gr (0.8cup - 6.4oz) Semolina

3 eggs

For the dressing: 

180gr (0.8cup - 6.4oz) pumpkin  

150gr (0.66cup - 5.3 oz) smoked bacon

Sage  

Butter.

Mix together chestnut and hard wheat flour and eggs and leave the dough to rest about half an hour. Roll out the dough with the pasta machine or the rolling pin, then cut it with the fettuccine accessory if you use the pasta machine, otherwise do like this: roll the sheet of dough up into a tube, then slice the tube into rounds of 1cm wide and shake the skeet out with your hands to free the strands; set them to dry on a rack for few hours.

For the dressing, in a large saucepan fry bacon and then set aside. In the same saucepan melt some butter (about 2tbs or more) and brown pumpkin with the sage, thinly sliced, at medium heat for no more than 10 minutes, stirring often. In the meantime bring to boil salted water in a pot, then cook the tagliatelle for about 6-7 minutes, drain them in a colander and transfer into the pan, stirring well and cooking for two more minutes. Eventually add more butter. Serve hot.

Carrot cake Italian style

Carrot cake Italian style

Ingredients: 

200gr (½cup-3.5oz) flour  

400gr (1.75cup-14oz) brown sugar  

4 eggs  

350ml (12oz) vegetable oil  

400gr (1.75cup-14oz) carrots, grated  

275gr (1.2cup-9.6oz) nuts, crushed  

16gr (3½tsp) baking powder  

1tsp cinnamon powder  

½tsp nutmeg  

1 pinch salt  

oil to grease the tin

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl whisk eggs with sugar then add oil. Pour in flour mixture, then carrots and nuts. Grease a 18cm (8inch) square cake tin (a rectangular one will be perfect as well), then spoon in the mixture and bake at 170°C (325°F - gas mark 3) for an hour. Cool down in the tin first and then on a wirerack. Wrap the cake with tin wrap and leave to rest for a day before serving.

Polenta Cake

Polenta Cake

Ingredients:

400gr (1.75cup - 14oz) polenta  

140gr sugar  

120gr butter  

3 eggs  

4tbs flour  

80gr (0.35cup - 2.8oz) raisins  

30gr (1oz) pine nuts  

zest of one lemon

Soak raisins in warm water(or brandy, limoncello etc), then drain them and dry them with a cloth. In a bowl cream softened butter with sugar, add eggs one at a time, then polenta already smashed with a fork. Stir and don't worry if you see some polenta lumps. Pour in flour, raisins, pine nuts and lemon zest. Place the mixture in a greased round tin of 22cm (9inch) of diameter, spreading it out as evenly as possible. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 40-45 minutes. Cool down well befor serving.

Herbs and honey bread

Herbs and honey bread

Ingredients: 

1 cup water 

1 cup semolina flour

2 1/2 cup bread flour

1 cube of fresh yeast

1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs leaves, finely chopped *

1 tbs salt 

1tsp sugar  

1tbs honey 

 1/4 cup  olive oil
*for a stronger aroma add few more

In a big bowl dissolve the yeast with sugar, then add water and mix. Add the semolina flour and mix with a spoon, then add the flour and salt. When is hard to mix with the spoon, add the olive oil on your hands and start to kneed the dough adding slowly the herbs. Divide the dough in 20 balls and let rise for two hours in a baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes on the convection mode of the oven in 180C.

Fagottini with Beetroots and cheese

Fagottini with Beetroots and cheese

Serves 2

Ingredients

for the pasta dough: 

1/2 cup semolina (100 grams)
1/2 cup flour (100 grams)

2 eggs

for the filling: 

1 boiled betroot (about 120/150gr - 4.2/5.2oz)  

100gr (2.11oz) Smoked ricotta  

2tsp bread crumbs

Salt & Pepper to taste

for the dressing:

Melted butter 

Grated parmesan

Sage or poppy seeds
2 tbsp pine nuts

Knead well flour and eggs, then pop the dough into a polythene bag and leave to rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling, placing in a food processor betroot (peeled off), cheese and bread crumbs. Reduce them to a puree and set aside. Roll out the pastry with the pasta machine or the rolling pin, then with a pasta cutter or a glass, cut out rounds with a diameter of 8cm. Place a tsp - or a bit more - of the filling in the centre of each round. Press with your fingers three angles and edges to shape and seal the fagottini. To cook them, bring to boil salted water in a pot, then cook for 7-8 minutes (depends from the thickness of the pasta), drain them and serve with melted butter with pine nuts  and grated parmesan and sage or poppy seeds.