Risotto alla Milanese

Typical Italian risotto as the tradition of the city of Milano.

Prep. Time: 20 min.       Cook Time: 20 min.

Ingredients
-1 3/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
-1 1/2 quarts beef stock
-3 tablespoons beef marrow
-1 onion, thinly sliced
-1 teaspoon saffron powder
-3/4 cup dry white wine
-salt to taste
-1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions 
Melt half of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer the onion and beef marrow in the butter for about 10 minutes. When the onion is soft, remove the onion and marrow from the pan using a slotted spoon, and set aside. (I like to leave the onions in.) 
Saute the rice in the pan over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Stir constantly so the rice will not stick and burn. Stir in one ladle of beef stock, and keep stirring until it is mostly absorbed, ladling and stirring in more of the broth as well as the white wine in the same manner, until the rice is almost al dente. Stir in the saffron, remaining butter, and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 4 or 5 minutes. 
Serve as a bed for ossibuchi or by itself with as much of the remaining Parmesan cheese sprinkled over as you like. 

Buon Appetito!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a classic Roman pasta dish, that has become a standard on menus in Italian restaurants around the world.
The ingredients that most agree are contained in a traditional carbonara sauce are guanciale(cured pork jowel), eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and freshly ground black pepper. Since, guanciale is an ingredient that is not that easy to get your hands on, pancetta is often substituted.

Prep time: 5 min | Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients
(5 Pers.)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-2 tablespoons butter
-2 shallots, chopped fine
-8 ounces pancetta, chopped coarsely
-1/4 cup white wine
-1/4 cup chicken broth
-1 pound spaghetti
-4 large egg yolks
-1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
-freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions 
Heat olive oil and butter in a large sautè pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and pancetta and cook until the shallots are softened and translucent and the pancetta is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat while you cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook uncovered over high heat until al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the sautè pan and place it back over medium-high heat.
Add the egg yolks, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper, and cook, stirring vigorously until pasta is well coated and creamy. Transfer to individual pasta dishes and serve with extra Pecorino Romano cheese on the side.

Penne all'Arrabbiata

 

 Firstly, this fiery dish gains its name arrabbiata (angry) because of the use of chilli. When preparing this angry dish, feel free to use as much chilli as you want, it is up to you and to your mouth, to make it angry or very angry!

This is a recipe that has its origin in the central part of Italy, more precisely, it belongs to the Roman cooking tradition.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking: 25 mins


Ingredients
(4 pers.)
-400 g (14 oz) Penne rigate pasta

-90 ml (3 ½ oz) Extra virgin olive oil

-2 Cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 
-2 or 3 Whole dried red chilli (roughly chopped)
-500 g (1.1 lb) Chopped tomatoes 
-A small handful of flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
-Salt for seasoning  

Directions

Chop the garlic and chilli. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan (medium heat) and add the chopped ingredients (garlic/chilli) into the pan. 

Sauté for a couple of minutes or until the garlic becomes golden in colour.

When the garlic has turned to golden, add the chopped tomatoes. Stir for a few seconds.

Season with salt. Stir again for few seconds.

Now, cook on medium/low heat for about 20-25 minutes, to reduce the sauce. After this time the suace will be ready.

A few minutes before the arrabbiata sauce is ready, boil your pasta and when the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and add it into the pan containing the sauce.

Stir for few seconds to coat the pasta with the sauce. Do this when the pan is still on the heat.

Then, sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Give a quick stir and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

Arista alla Fiorentina

 
Arista derives from the Greek word aristos, meaning   "best  ". According to tradition, some Greek clergymen which visited Florence in 1430 for a Ecumenical Council were served the Tuscan-style roast pork and found it   "aristos  " or very good. The dish has been called this ever since then. Arista is equally good served warm or cold.


Ingredients 
(5 pers.)
-1 kg boneless center-cut pork loin roast (about 2 pounds)
-3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
-3 large cloves of garlic, minced
-½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper
-cooking string
-2 tbsp olive oil

Directions
Mix together the rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Make deep cuts into the pork roast, stuff the incisions with the garlic mixture and spread any remaining mixture over the entire surface of the meat.
It is recommended you tie the roast with some cooking string in order to maintain its neat, compact shape and ensure even cooking; if it is a single-piece roast, then the tying is optional. Pour the oil into a large enough saucepan and heat over a medium flame. Add the pork roast and roll it around until you've browned the piece on all sides. Now place the roast on a baking dish (the dish/pan should not be too big otherwise the juices will dry out before you can use them) and place it into the oven to cook at about 350 °F (180°C) for about an hour and a half. Check the roast periodically and baste with the pan juices, rolling the roast around every once in a while.
If you have a meat thermometer, the roast is done once the thickest part of the roast has reached 150-155 °F. Since we don't have one, our method is to make a hole in the thickest part of the roast with a long thin metal toothpick and remove it; the roast is done when no pink liquid comes out of the hole.
Remove the roast to a cutting board, cover loosely with alumnimum foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Slice the meat and serve with the pan juices.

Buon Appetito!

Piselli alla Fiorentina

One of the most often served vegetable dishes in Florence. The springtime fresh pea season is short in Tuscany, but since this is such a favourite, we've gone global, using the best frozen peas we can find. Whirl up any leftovers with a touch of broth, milk or water for a wonderfully sweet pea soup.

Cooking Time: 18-20 min.


Ingredients  
-2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
-3-4 oz. diced ham or pancetta (un-smoked, Italian bacon)
-1 ½ pounds frozen petite peas
-1 cup water
-¼ tsp. salt
-freshly ground pepper
-1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Directions
In a 2-quart saucepan, gently cook olive oil, garlic and ham or bacon for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic.
Add the frozen peas, water, salt and pepper and cook covered for approximately 15 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper, stir in parsley and serve.

Crostini Salsiccia e Stracchino

Cooking time: 15 minutes. 


Ingredients
-3 salsicce (fresh Italian pork sausages)
-300g stracchino cheese (a sharpflavoured creamy, spreading cheese) 
-12 slices unsalted country bread


Directions
Remove the skin from the sausages; place the meat in a large bowl and combine with the stracchino, working them together until smooth with a wooden spoon. Cut a dozen or so slices of bread about a centimetre thick and put in the oven for ten minutes, until crisp on both sides. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then spread some of the mixture on each slice. Put back in the oven for five minutes and serve the crostini hot.

Do ensure that the sausages are entirely pure pork and that they are not seasoned, as these have an entirely different flavour.

Pappardelle sulla Lepre

This dish is especially appreciated in the winter as it is not only tasty but also warms you up. Either hare or rabbit can be used according to what you like best.

Preparation time: 40 minutes.
Cooking time: two hours.

Ingredients
(4 pers.)
-One carrot.
-One onion.
-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil.
-Parsley.
-2kg hare (or rabbit)
-500g fresh pasta.
-One glass red wine.
-2 tomatoes.
-One lemon.
-Parmesan.
-Salt. 

Directions
Wash, peel and finely chop the carrot, onion, celery, and parsley. Fry over a medium heat in a large pan.
Cut the cleaned hare into large pieces and add to the vegetables. Increase the heat and brown on all sides; add the glass of wine and let it evaporate rapidly.
When the hare is well cooked, remove it from the pan, bone then chop the meat and return it to the rest of the sauce. Add a glass of warm water and the peeled, chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook over a low heat for ten minutes.
If liked, add some grated lemon rind, though be careful to avoid the pith, as this lends a bitter flavour to the meat.
Cut fresh pasta into broad strips (pappardelle) and cook in boiling, salted water.
When cooked, drain and tip into the pan on top of the sauce. Toss gently for a minute and serve, topped with grated Parmesan, in a large bowl, warmed with some of the pasta water. Domenico Romoli wrote: "Hare with pappardelle...use fine, soft lasagne to line the bowls and pour the meat sauce on top, flavoured with pepper".

Pellegrino Artusi suggested adding "a pinch of nutmeg", but added, "I think it enhances the flavour, but if you don't like it then don't bother".
In Florence, the pappardelle are traditionally placed on top of the sauce and then gently mixed through and not vice versa, as this method tends to spoil the subtlety of the flavours.