The Menu
Buffalo Mozzarella With Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Peppers
Mussels In White Wine With Sopressata & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
warm rustic bread
Spicy Fettuccine With Dandelion Greens
Olive Oil Cake
recipe for:
Homemade Egg Pasta
The Recipes
Buffalo Mozzarella With Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Peppers
Serves 4 - 6
I like dishes such as this one that I can prep ahead and simply assemble when needed, particularly when I’m entertaining in the heat of the summer. When displayed on a nice big platter, this dish makes an impressive first course for a dinner party, or is also great as an addition to an antipasti table for a party. Just as I usually say, any dish is only as good as the ingredients used to make it, so choose the best mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil you can. If you cannot find buffalo mozzarella, choose a top quality fresh mozzarella instead. I have made this dish with small pacheri tomatoes that I roasted whole, and with larger plum tomatoes that I roast sliced in half and either works fine. I also like to serve this dish with some good crusty bread so folks can sop up the delicious juices.
http://www.italianfoodforever.com
1 Pound Buffalo Mozzarella, Sliced
1 Recipe Roasted Tomatoes
1 Recipe Roasted Sweet Peppers
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Basil Leaves
Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
On a large platter, arrange the tomatoes and peppers side by side overlapping in an attractive manner.
Spoon some of the pepper and tomato juices over the arranged peppers and tomatoes.
Tuck in basil leaves along the peppers and tomatoes.
In the center of the platter, arrange the sliced mozzarella in an attractive manner.
Drizzle some olive oil over the cheese and the tomatoes and peppers.
Drizzle just a little of the balsamic over the tomato mixture.
Sprinkle the dish with some sea salt and cracked black pepper and serve.
Mussels In White Wine With Sopressata & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Serves 4
Mussels can be sandy, and often require a good bit of cleaning. I use a wire brush to scrub my mussels of sand and seaweed and to remove the beard. An hour before we cook our mussels we put them in a bowl of water with a little cornmeal to help clean them of any sand. The mussels will release a good deal of liquid themselves as they open so you really do not need much liquid to cook them in, but you will end up with some delicious flavorful broth, so serve this dish with slices of grilled crusty bread to sop up the delicious liquid. A bowl of steamed mussels in a tasty broth served with crusty bread and a nice big salad would make a great, quick mid-week meal.
http://www.italianfoodforever.com
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Butter
4 Ounces Sopressata Sausage, Finely Chopped
1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Oil Packed Sun-Dried Tomatoes
4 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled & Minced
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Cup Dry White Wine
2 Pounds Fresh Mussels Scrubbed
1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Heat the oil and butter in a large bottomed saucepan.
Once hot, add the sopressata, tomatoes, pepper flakes, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the white wine and bring to a boil.
Add the mussels, cover with a lid, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.
Shake the pan and cook another 5 minutes or until all the mussels have opened.
Add the parsley and scoop the mussels and broth into individual bowls.
Serve with warm rustic bread.
Spicy Fettuccine With Dandelion Greens
Serves 4 - 6
You could use any greens you prefer you this recipe, but the cooking time will vary depending on the type of greens you use. Mustard greens, kale, or older chicory will require more cooking to tenderize the greens, while baby greens of any variety, spinach, or swiss chard will only require a quick blanching. I made my own fresh pasta for this dish, see the recipe for Homemade Egg Pasta below, and added two tablespoons of dried Calabrian chili pepper to my dough which created a nice rich golden colored pasta with a little extra spice. If you are short on time however, feel free to use any quality brand store bought fresh pasta, or even dried spaghetti for this dish. As a general rule, allow 115g-150g, or 4oz-5oz fresh pasta per person.
http://www.italianfoodforever.com
1 Bunch Greens (I Used Baby Chicory) - About 2 Cups Cooked
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Large Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Diced
1/4 Cup Diced Pancetta
3 Large Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Minced
2 Red Hot Peppers, Minced
Salt & Pepper
1 Pound Pasta (See Note Above)
To Serve:
Freshly Grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese
Trim the greens, and coarsely chop.
Bring a pasta pot of salted water to a boil, drop the greens in, and cook until tender.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the greens from the water and drain well.
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil, and add the pancetta, and cook until the pancetta is cooked and light brown.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the sun-dried tomatoes, and hot peppers, and cook over very low heat.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the pasta water to a boil again, and cook the pasta until it is "al dente".
Reserve a small cup of the pasta water, then drain well.
Return the pasta to the pot, and add the greens and sun-dried tomato mixture, tossing well to mix.
Add a little of the pasta water to moisten and toss well.
Serve in individual bowls and pass the grated cheese at the table.
******************
Homemade Egg Pasta
Serves 4
In just minutes, you too can make your own fresh pasta!
http://www. italianfoodforever.com/2008/05/homemade-egg-pasta/
3 Extra Large Eggs
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
Mound the flour onto a large board, making a hollow in the center.
Break the eggs one at a time, mixing the egg into the flour with a fork.
Once all the eggs have been incorporated into the flour, begin to knead with your hands until the dough is stiff and elastic.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 30 minutes before using.
To Roll Pasta With A Pasta Machine:
Break off a fist sized piece of the dough and flatten into a disc.
Flour well, then pass it through the widest openings of your pasta machine.
Remove, fold into thirds and repeat.
Do this 4 or 5 times, dusting with flour between each time.
Now start to decrease the rollers by turning down one notch each time.
Put the dough through each setting twice until you have reached your desired thickness.
For stuffed pastas, you will generally roll it to the thinnest or second thinnest setting.
******************
Olive Oil Cake
Serves 8
Using olive oil, this moist rich cake is delicious served for dessert with fresh fruit, or at breakfast with a cup of coffee.
Using olive oil, this moist rich cake is delicious served for dessert with fresh fruit, or at breakfast with a cup of coffee. It isn’t too sweet, but has a dense texture that stores well. La Cucina Italiana magazine reports that extra virgin olive oil is the most digestible of all the edible fats. It also helps to assimilate vitamins A, D and K, helps bile, liver and intestinal functions, as well as helping to assimilate vitamins A, D and K.
http://www.ital ianfoodforever.com/2008/05/olive-oil-cake/
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1 1/2 Cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Powdered Sugar To Serve
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare 2 (9 inch) cake pans.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and the sugar.
When well blended add the oil, milk, lemon juice and zest and mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add this mixture to the eggs, and stir just until blended. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
Cool and remove from the pan.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh fruit.
Buffalo Mozzarella With Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Peppers
Mussels In White Wine With Sopressata & Sun-Dried Tomatoeswarm rustic bread
Spicy Fettuccine With Dandelion Greens
Olive Oil Cake
recipe for:
Homemade Egg Pasta
The Recipes
Buffalo Mozzarella With Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Peppers
Serves 4 - 6
I like dishes such as this one that I can prep ahead and simply assemble when needed, particularly when I’m entertaining in the heat of the summer. When displayed on a nice big platter, this dish makes an impressive first course for a dinner party, or is also great as an addition to an antipasti table for a party. Just as I usually say, any dish is only as good as the ingredients used to make it, so choose the best mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil you can. If you cannot find buffalo mozzarella, choose a top quality fresh mozzarella instead. I have made this dish with small pacheri tomatoes that I roasted whole, and with larger plum tomatoes that I roast sliced in half and either works fine. I also like to serve this dish with some good crusty bread so folks can sop up the delicious juices.
http://www.italianfoodforever.com
1 Pound Buffalo Mozzarella, Sliced
1 Recipe Roasted Tomatoes
1 Recipe Roasted Sweet Peppers
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Basil Leaves
Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
On a large platter, arrange the tomatoes and peppers side by side overlapping in an attractive manner.
Spoon some of the pepper and tomato juices over the arranged peppers and tomatoes.
Tuck in basil leaves along the peppers and tomatoes.
In the center of the platter, arrange the sliced mozzarella in an attractive manner.
Drizzle some olive oil over the cheese and the tomatoes and peppers.
Drizzle just a little of the balsamic over the tomato mixture.
Sprinkle the dish with some sea salt and cracked black pepper and serve.
Mussels In White Wine With Sopressata & Sun-Dried TomatoesServes 4
Mussels can be sandy, and often require a good bit of cleaning. I use a wire brush to scrub my mussels of sand and seaweed and to remove the beard. An hour before we cook our mussels we put them in a bowl of water with a little cornmeal to help clean them of any sand. The mussels will release a good deal of liquid themselves as they open so you really do not need much liquid to cook them in, but you will end up with some delicious flavorful broth, so serve this dish with slices of grilled crusty bread to sop up the delicious liquid. A bowl of steamed mussels in a tasty broth served with crusty bread and a nice big salad would make a great, quick mid-week meal.
http://www.italianfoodforever.com
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Butter
4 Ounces Sopressata Sausage, Finely Chopped
1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Oil Packed Sun-Dried Tomatoes
4 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled & Minced
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Cup Dry White Wine
2 Pounds Fresh Mussels Scrubbed
1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Heat the oil and butter in a large bottomed saucepan.
Once hot, add the sopressata, tomatoes, pepper flakes, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the white wine and bring to a boil.
Add the mussels, cover with a lid, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.
Shake the pan and cook another 5 minutes or until all the mussels have opened.
Add the parsley and scoop the mussels and broth into individual bowls.
Serve with warm rustic bread.
Spicy Fettuccine With Dandelion Greens
Serves 4 - 6
You could use any greens you prefer you this recipe, but the cooking time will vary depending on the type of greens you use. Mustard greens, kale, or older chicory will require more cooking to tenderize the greens, while baby greens of any variety, spinach, or swiss chard will only require a quick blanching. I made my own fresh pasta for this dish, see the recipe for Homemade Egg Pasta below, and added two tablespoons of dried Calabrian chili pepper to my dough which created a nice rich golden colored pasta with a little extra spice. If you are short on time however, feel free to use any quality brand store bought fresh pasta, or even dried spaghetti for this dish. As a general rule, allow 115g-150g, or 4oz-5oz fresh pasta per person.
http://www.italianfoodforever.com
1 Bunch Greens (I Used Baby Chicory) - About 2 Cups Cooked
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Large Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Diced
1/4 Cup Diced Pancetta
3 Large Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Minced
2 Red Hot Peppers, Minced
Salt & Pepper
1 Pound Pasta (See Note Above)
To Serve:
Freshly Grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese
Trim the greens, and coarsely chop.
Bring a pasta pot of salted water to a boil, drop the greens in, and cook until tender.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the greens from the water and drain well.
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil, and add the pancetta, and cook until the pancetta is cooked and light brown.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the sun-dried tomatoes, and hot peppers, and cook over very low heat.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the pasta water to a boil again, and cook the pasta until it is "al dente".
Reserve a small cup of the pasta water, then drain well.
Return the pasta to the pot, and add the greens and sun-dried tomato mixture, tossing well to mix.
Add a little of the pasta water to moisten and toss well.
Serve in individual bowls and pass the grated cheese at the table.
******************
Homemade Egg Pasta
Serves 4
In just minutes, you too can make your own fresh pasta!
http://www. italianfoodforever.com/2008/05/homemade-egg-pasta/
3 Extra Large Eggs
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
Mound the flour onto a large board, making a hollow in the center.
Break the eggs one at a time, mixing the egg into the flour with a fork.
Once all the eggs have been incorporated into the flour, begin to knead with your hands until the dough is stiff and elastic.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 30 minutes before using.
To Roll Pasta With A Pasta Machine:
Break off a fist sized piece of the dough and flatten into a disc.
Flour well, then pass it through the widest openings of your pasta machine.
Remove, fold into thirds and repeat.
Do this 4 or 5 times, dusting with flour between each time.
Now start to decrease the rollers by turning down one notch each time.
Put the dough through each setting twice until you have reached your desired thickness.
For stuffed pastas, you will generally roll it to the thinnest or second thinnest setting.
******************
Olive Oil Cake
Serves 8
Using olive oil, this moist rich cake is delicious served for dessert with fresh fruit, or at breakfast with a cup of coffee.
Using olive oil, this moist rich cake is delicious served for dessert with fresh fruit, or at breakfast with a cup of coffee. It isn’t too sweet, but has a dense texture that stores well. La Cucina Italiana magazine reports that extra virgin olive oil is the most digestible of all the edible fats. It also helps to assimilate vitamins A, D and K, helps bile, liver and intestinal functions, as well as helping to assimilate vitamins A, D and K.
http://www.ital ianfoodforever.com/2008/05/olive-oil-cake/
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1 1/2 Cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Powdered Sugar To Serve
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare 2 (9 inch) cake pans.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and the sugar.
When well blended add the oil, milk, lemon juice and zest and mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add this mixture to the eggs, and stir just until blended. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
Cool and remove from the pan.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh fruit.
