Italian Kitchen Secrets: parmesan

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4/01/2013

Creamy onions bucatini.

This recipe is easy, tasty and suitable for vegetarians or vegans (just avoid bacon, use extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter).
It's also really quick and you can prepare the sauce while the water is boiling and bucatini cook.
For 6 serves:

21 oz. bucatini

3 big blonde/ white onions

1/2 cup butter or extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups (more or less) water

a small pinch of baking soda

2 cups grated Parmesan (or Pecorino cheese if you prefer)

1 cup diced bacon if you like

Put the water pot on fire, meanwhile slice onions very thin, put them in a pan with the grease of your choice on low fire.
Add the pinch of baking soda, stir well and add water enough to let the onions simmer.
Keep the fire low, onions must melt, not get brown.
You must end up with a sort of onion cream.
In another skillet you can crisp bacon cubes then you can add them to onions and mix: taste and if necessary add salt (and pepper if you like).
Drain your bucatini, save half a cup of cooking water, add it to onions after you poured in bucatini.
Add grated Parmesan and mix well and quickly on fire for a couple of minutes.
Serve this dish hot.
Have a nice meal!! :)

7/11/2012

Cheese cigars.

This is a quick-quick-quick appetizer recipe, you can put the cheese you prefer inside, in the picture you can see cheddar because that was the cheese I had at home at the moment but they're fabulous with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese too or parmesan, a little mozzarella and rosemary.

You need:

toast bread in slices

same amount of cheese slices or diced mozzarella and tomato sauce

a little butter

Cut out the crust from bread slices, pass them under a rollpin to flatten then put on every slice a slice of cheese or a little tomato and mozzarella.

Roll the cigars, melt a small amount of butter in a pan then cook untill golden (first the seam side down to prevent them from open).

Serve hot, if you make the tomato-mozzarella version be aware that the filling will pour a little more than with plain cheese.

5/13/2012

Zucchini bites.

Lovely idea found somewhere on Pinterest: I've tried them, they're simply and delicious.

I prefer them room temperature rather than hot or warm, not tried cold.

I used a mini muffins pan (so hard to find it in Italy...Two friends of mine ordered it and gave to me as Christmas present and I still say thank you!), I don't think they would turn out well in a regoular muffin pan: too big, there's the risk they remain soggy inside.

This week end in my city there's a big flower fair: if you like flowers and gardens give a look to my facebook page, I've posted a lot of pics!

For 12 mini muffins:

1 medium zucchini grated

1/2 onion grated or finely diced

salt & pepper

1/2 smashed garlic clove

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, if it's seem too liquid add a little more bread crumbs, put the mixture with a spoon into the muffin holes (grease them if you don't have a non sticky pan).

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 F°, serve room temperature.

4/07/2011

Sicilian pesto (Pesto alla siciliana).

As promised I'm here with a recipe.

This is a pesto recipe: I've already posted the genovese one, now it's time for "pesto alla siciliana"!

It's a lovely and tasty recipe, very quick and good for the summer season, you just need good cherry tomatoes and fresh ricotta cheese.

As often happens there are many version of this recipe: some don't include ricotta cheese, some use almonds instead of pine kernels son don't be surprised if you find the same recipe around with different ingredients.

4 servings:

1 garlic clove

a bunch of fresh basil

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup pine kernels

2/3 cup fresh ricotta cheese (cow or goat)

2 cups cherry tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Open tomatoes in half and squeeze them to remove juice and seeds, put them into the mixer cup.

Add washed and dried basil leaves, pine kernels, oil, the garlic clove, Parmesan, ricotta cheese and oil.

Close the blender lid and mix for a while: you can choose pesto's thickness, if you like it creamy mix a little bit longer, if you prefer to taste pieces mix just few seconds.

Taste it and add salt and pepper, you can preserve it into a glass holder for about two days in refrigerator.

Cook the pasta you prefer, drain it and save a little cooking water, mix pasta with pesto and add water as needed to whisk well.

10/05/2009

Onion soup ( Zuppa di cipolle)

Maybe it's because the cold is slowly coming, maybe it's because I feel in need of comfort food but I'm here with a soup recipe again. :D

It' warm, creamy, tasty, cheap: anything better?

Don't worry about your breath, cooked onions don't make it smell!

For 4 serves you need:

2 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

15 small blonde onions

salt and pepper

4-5 cups meat (better) or canned broth

1 cup fontina cheese chopped in dices

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan

8 big slices of rustic Italian bread, thick and stale

Heat in a big pan oil and butter, add finely sliced onions and let them stirfry mixing often.

Keep them on fire untill they're soft and golden.

Add salt and pepper.

In individual soup bowls put a dipper of meath broth, then a piece of stale bread, then cover with onions and add some fontina cubes.

Cover with another layer of bread and onions, add another little dipper of broth, spread a generous part of grated cheese.

Cover with an allumionion foil and put in preheated oven (around 375F°) and cook for about half an hour.

Check if the soup needs a little more broth, keep off the alluminium foil and cook 10 minutes more untill the grated cheese is brown, remove from the oven, let it rest for few minutes and serve hot or at least warm.

P.S.: You can use Pecorino cheese instead of Parmesan and another stringy cheese instead of Fontina if you can't find it.

9/17/2009

Treviso's radicchio lasagna (Lasagne al radicchio di Treviso)

Of course abroad the most famous kind of lasagna is made with white sauce and meat sauce but it's not the only kind of lasagna you can make.

You can serve vegetarian lasagna made with white sauce and vegetable ragu' just for istance; today I'll give you an idea for a very refined dinner or lunch, a kind of lasagna that you maybe can't find usually in Italian restaurant worldwide (or maybe yes, I don't know, but making it at home is better ;) ).

For 4 serves you need:

1 lb. treviso radicchio (or a red radicchio-chichory)

10 oz. fresh pasta for lasagna

3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 oz. butter

1 oz. bacon

1 small white onion

2 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

freshly grated Parmesan

For the white sauce:

1/2 cup whole milk

5 tablespoon butter

2 1/2 oz. flour

salt

nutmeg

Take the radicchio and cut it in thin stripes, then wash and dry it well.

In a big pan heat oil and butter with onion and garlic cloves, add bacon in stripes and let it fry for few minutes then add radicchio, salt and pepper, cover and let it cook untill it's stewed.

To make white sauce melt in a pan the butter, add flour little by little, mixing: when you have a sort of thick cream add milk, salt and nutmeg, cook on low heat for 3 minutes after it comes to boiling point.

Boil pasta sheets in hot salty water, spread some butter in a oven-proof dish then pour white sauce, stewed radicchio, pasta and grated Parmesan in layers, finish with a generous spread of radicchio, Parmesan and white sauce: put in the oven for 40 minutes, if it becomes too brown cover with a sheet of alluminium.

You can prepare it a day in advance then put in the oven just in time for the guests arrival or even prepare it then freeze: it last for 2 month.

It's a great thing to avoid the pressure of cooking everything last minute!

5/15/2009

Spelt salad with tomatoes, arugula, grated Parmesan and balsamic vinegar (Insalata di farro con pomodori, rucola, Grana e balsamico)

Today an easy and tasty recipe that fits the need of something fresh and light we have with the first really hot days of the year.

Spelt is a cereal, quite common in Italy, very used in some regions like Tuscany and Umbria.

It grows even in poor grounds, it's the less calorific cereal and contains about the 15 % in proteins.

For 2-3 persons you need:

7 oz. spelt

salt

extra-virgin olive oil

some red and ripe tomatoes (great the cherry ones)

a bunch of fresh arugula

3 spoons of freshly grated parmesan

3 spoons of good balsamic vinegar

Let the spelt soaking all night long, then cook it in salty water the time written on the packaging.

Drain it and let it get cold, meanwhile cut tomatoes in little cubes, if you have cherry tomatoes split them in 4 parts.

Put them in a bowl and add cold spelt, olive oil as much as needed, Parmesan and balsamic vinegar.

Mix very well then put on the serving dish.

You can spread it or put it into a big round-shaped cookie cutter to give it a most elegant presentation.

Put on top of spelt fresh arugula well washed then add another drizzle of oil and vinegar.

Isn't it tasty and nice?

Enjoy it!

4/14/2009

Four cheeses pasta ( Pasta ai quattro formaggi)

Here we are, still sad but strong and hopefully.

Today a quick recipe, in poor words a tasty way to season pasta.

Gorgonzola cheese is quite savoury, if you don't like you can omitt it and use double parmesan or another cheese you like.

For 4 serves:

1 pound pasta (dried one: fusilli, maccheroni, penne or any kind of short shape)

1/3 cup grated parmesan

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

3 oz. gorgonzola cheese in crumbles

4 oz. fontina cheese in crumbles

3 oz. mascarpone cheese

black pepper if you like

Cook pasta the usual way untill it's al dente.

Meanwhile in a large saucepan heat butter and heavy cream on low heat.

Add cheeses and stir untill they're completely melted, then add pepper.

Drain pasta, pour it into the saucepan, stir and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes, put in dishes and serve hot.

This sauce is great to season potado gnocchi too.

3/01/2009

Bolognese cutlet ( Cotoletta alla bolognese)

This recipe is really ancient and so important in our typical cooking that is deposed at Bologna's chamber of commerce by Italian Cooking Accademy (Accademia della Cucina Italiana) a national cultural istitution.

If you know Milanese cutlets or the Wiener Schnitzel you'll probably find in the Bolognese version a richer and luxury variation.

For 4 serves you need:

veal rump, about 8-9 oz. divided in 4 slices

2 oz. butter

3 1/2 oz. Parmesan in slivers

2 oz. Parma ham in slices

1 egg

breadcrumbs

a glass of meat broth

salt and pepper

frying oil

Thump meat slices to softner them, add salt and pepper (not too much salt, ham and cheese are salty enough).

Pass them in the breadcrumbs, then into beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs once again.

Fry on both side for few minutes then put the slices in a oven pan, on each one put a slice of ham, enough Parmesan slivers, pour the broth glass and butter in small chunks.

Heat for about 7-8 minutes at 345 F° then serve with a light salad and or mashed potadoes.

This recipe with little variation of some black truffle slivers on top (put at the end of cooking) is called Cotoletta alla Petroniana ( Petroniana cutlet).

This name comes from Petronio (Petronius) who is the patron saint of Bologna city.

2/20/2009

Beef steak with arugola salad and Parmesan chips (Tagliata di manzo alla rucola e scaglie di Parmigiano)

This is one of the most popular ways to eat beef steaks here in the North of Italy.

Maybe you can't believe that arugola Parmesan and beef is a winning trio but trust me it is!

If you want to give a class touch you can drizzle the completed dishes with some balsamic vinegar.

So tasty now I feel like eating that! ^^

4 medium sized good quality steaks at least 1 and 1/2 inch

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 bunches fresh arugula well washed and dried

sea salt

black pepper if you like

parmesan chips

Grill the steaks sprinkled with pepper and oil on a grill, bbq or on a steak pan for about 4 minutes on each side.

The steak shoul be pink inside, rare.

Cut the steaks into 1/4 inch slices, put each steak on the dish on a bed of arugola dressed with some more oil and salt, put a little salt on the steak too and cover with some Parmesan chips.

1/23/2009

Risotto with Dry Porcini Mushrooms (Risotto ai funghi porcini secchi)

Risotto is surely a famous Italian preparation; it's not quick to prepare but often eaten here on Sundays or when people have time to prepare it and to taste it.

Abroad it seems to me it's considered a refined dish, so I suppose you can try this recipe when you have guests.

You need:

1/2 oz dry porcini mushrooms, soak in warm water funtil soft

5 cups broth (even canned broth), hot or at least warm

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 + 2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped (or even better 2 green onions)

1 garlic clove, finely diced

1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped (if you like)

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper

4 oz parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated

In a saucepan put the extra-virgin olive oil and 3 tablespoons of the butter.

Turn heat to medium.

When the butter starts foaming, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion becomes soft.

Add the mushrooms (well drained but keep their water apart) and half of the parsley, and sauté for few minutes.

Add the rice stir for about 2 minutes until well coated.

Add the wine and stir to evaporate it.

Add ¼ cup broth (more or less, no need to be very accurate), and salt and pepper.

Stir to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan.

When the rice begins absorbing the liquid add more broth.

Repeat this step of adding the broth and stirring, keeping the rice at the consistency of a dense paste.

Also stir in half of the mushroom soaking water (filter it, sometimes dried mushrooms have got a little residue).

After about 18 minutes stir in the parmigiano reggiano cheese, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Continue stirring and adding a small quantity of broth.

The rice will be ready in about 2 more minutes, the grains must be firm but not too soft or overcooked.

Cooking time may vary, taste the rice now and then to adjust the salt and control the cooking.

When the risotto is ready, top with the rest of the chopped parsley.

1/06/2009

Noodles with Parma ham and Parmesan (Tagliatelle al crudo e Grana)

A different way to serve noodles, the proof that here in Bologna we don't only know Bolognese sauce ;)

According to me it's a very refined dish, perfect for a special dinner.

Remember to add salt to boiling water but not in the sauce: this is beacause sauteed ham and Parmesan are salted enought!

You need for 4:

18 ounces egg noodles

1 ounces butter

1 leek

4 spoons freshly grated Parmesan

3 1/2 ounces Parma ham in 2-3 thick slices

pepper if you like

Cut the ham in sticks of about 1/2 inches then clean the leek and cut it in very thin slices.

Put the ham in a pan with butter, brown it for 2-3 minutes then low fire, add leek and cook for other 4-5 minutes.

Boil noodles just slightly firm, drain them and take aside 3-4 spoons of cooking water: put noodles in the pan with sauce,light fire, add 2 spoons of Parmesan, pepper, cooking water and saute' for one minute.

Put in dishes , add the rest of Parmesan and serve.

You can garnish the plate with a wisp of parsley.

12/28/2008

Potado gnocchi (Gnocchi di patate)

Potado gnocchi are a quite famous Italian dish: it's prepared in the whole peninsula but more often in the North of Italy.

They could be dressed in many ways, the most commons are: tomato sauce, genovese pesto, bolognese sauce.

To make gnocchi you need (for about 4-5 persons):

2 lb whole potatoes unpeeled

2 cups flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon salt

Place washed potadoes in a large stock pot filled with water and bring to a boil.

Cook until the potatoes are soft.

Peel immediately while potatoes are still hot (ok, I know it's not funny but the peeling is easier) then mash them on a work surface using a food mill.

When the potatoes are still warm (but cool enough to be handled), shape them in a mound with a hole in the middle and add inside the flour, the egg and salt.

Draw the ingredients together and mix to form a dough.

If the dough is sticky sprinkle a little more flour and work the loaf of dough. add flour and work again untill the dough is no longer sticky.

Cut the dough into four pieces. Sprinkle the work surface with a little flour, and place the first piece on it.

Roll the dough into one or two long sticks approximately 3/4 inch in diameter.

Cut the sticks in little pieces (about 3/4 inch each).

Roll the pieces along the the surface of a cheese grater.

Work this way every piece of dough, work always on a lightly floured surface.

Fill a stockpot with water, bring to a boil, and add salt.

When the water is at a fast boil, drop the gnocchi in.

The gnocchi will fall to the bottom of the pot: after about 2-3 minutes the gnocchi will come up to the surface, this mean they're cooked.

Drain them then saute' for few moments in a pan with the choosen sauce.

Add a spoon of fresh grated parmesan and enjoy your gnocchi!

10/05/2008

Cheese and courgettes tureen (Terrina di formaggi e zucchine)

This recipe comes from a cooking magazine I book every month: it's pocket, well organized and it's also have menus and shopping list for the whole month.

It's called "Cucina no problem", Mondadori ediction: maybe you can find it abroad, I see on the first pages foreign prices...

For this recipe you need:

a tureen plum cake shape

9 onces ricotta cheese

7 onces robiola cheese (or philadelphia or any similar creamy cheese)

4 courgettes

3 eggs

nutmeg

5 spoons of grated parmesan

1 garlic clove

butter

extravirgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Wash and clean courgettes, cut in thin slices, then stirfry them in a pan with oil and the garlic clove for about 3-4 minutes.

Keep off garlic and add salt and pepper.

Open eggs in a bowl, add ricotta cheese, robiola or philadelphia, 5 spoons of grated parmesan, a little grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Mix ingredients with a fork untill you have a smooth cream.

Pass butter on the tureen walls, cover bottom with the cream, then add half of the courgettes and another cream layer and finish with courgettes.

Cook putting the tureen in another saucepan with a little water ( it's called "bagnomaria" here in Italy) at medium heat in the owen for about 45 minutes.

Let it getting warm before serving, you can decorate with chopped mint leaves if you like or put ham or bacon between layers.

Light and healthy but tasty!!

4/03/2008

Chicken with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan (Pollo al balsamico e parmiggiano)

After a while I'm back with a little quick recipe.

Just take a chicken breast, chop in pieces and put it in a bowl.

Add abundant balsamic vinegar, a little salt and abundant grated parmesan cheese.

Mix well and let it rest for about 2 hours in fridge.

When dinner time comes put the chicken and the balsamic in the bowl and put in a hot pan.

Let it cook well, serve hot with fresh salad as side dish.

Light, healthy, tasty...

What do you want more?

3/03/2008

Fennel gratin (Finocchi al gratin).

Inspired by a request from a member of DC (Discuss cooking) today I post the recipe to use in a tasty way fennels.
Chop each fennel in four, then boil them in salty hot water untill they're soft.
Put them in a pirex pan with thin slice of butter and cover with grated parmesan.
Let them golden under the grill and serve.
If you want to add taste and softness you can use bechamel instead of butter: cover fennels and mix well then use parmesan.
You can do the same with boiled cauliflower, it's fantastic!
It's a light alternative to pasta al forno or a tasty side dish.

Italian Kitchen Secrets

4/01/2013

Creamy onions bucatini.

7/11/2012

Cheese cigars.

5/13/2012

Zucchini bites.

4/07/2011

Sicilian pesto (Pesto alla siciliana).

10/05/2009

Onion soup ( Zuppa di cipolle)

9/17/2009

Treviso's radicchio lasagna (Lasagne al radicchio di Treviso)

5/15/2009

Spelt salad with tomatoes, arugula, grated Parmesan and balsamic vinegar (Insalata di farro con pomodori, rucola, Grana e balsamico)

4/14/2009

Four cheeses pasta ( Pasta ai quattro formaggi)

3/01/2009

Bolognese cutlet ( Cotoletta alla bolognese)

2/20/2009

Beef steak with arugola salad and Parmesan chips (Tagliata di manzo alla rucola e scaglie di Parmigiano)

1/23/2009

Risotto with Dry Porcini Mushrooms (Risotto ai funghi porcini secchi)

1/06/2009

Noodles with Parma ham and Parmesan (Tagliatelle al crudo e Grana)

12/28/2008

Potado gnocchi (Gnocchi di patate)

10/05/2008

Cheese and courgettes tureen (Terrina di formaggi e zucchine)

4/03/2008

Chicken with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan (Pollo al balsamico e parmiggiano)

3/03/2008

Fennel gratin (Finocchi al gratin).

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