Quick & Creamy Pine Nut Pasta Sauce

This is no alfredo sauce!! This quick and creamy (yet light enough for a hot summer day) pine nut sauce pairs perfectly with homemade pasta. After all the hard work of rolling your dough and making ravioli or cavatelli (or orecchieti, etc.) why drown your delicate pasta in a rich heavy sauce?!

Quick Pine Nut Pasta Sauce
Serves 6

handful of pine nuts (about 100 g or 4 oz) - you don’t have to use pine nuts, any nut of your choice
4 glugs of extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic
150 ml or ⅔ cup of cream
small handful (about 30 g or ¼ cup) of grated parmesan
salt & pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Preperation
In a blender or with an immersion blender puree the cream, salt & pepper, nuts, nutmeg & cheese until its thick and mostly smooth.

In a pan on low flame, heat oil. Place in garlic glove browning on all sides. Once the pasta is cooked, strain the cooked pasta into the pan. Remove the pan from heat and pour cream mixture over. Toss and adjust the consistency with pasta water and taste.  Place into serving dish and top with a few extra pine nuts.

Pasta Sauce with Pork Ribs: Tomatoes & Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans with Sage

 

Traditionally this is a summer sauce made when the borlotti beans & tomatoes are fresh but it's so heavy we prefer it in the fall and winter using our jarred tomatoes & frozen beans. Locals add pork ribs to the sauce adding extra flavor and resulting in a side dish of stewed meat! This is a stick to your ribs sauce perfect for a cold Sunday! Pairs great with any pasta shape/size but I prefer cavatelli for a full fledged nap inducing lunch!

Le Tagliatelle con i fagioli freschi
Borlotti & Tomato Sauce with Sage

serves 4+

2-3 handfuls of borlotti beans (preferrably fresh) dried
1 large jar or 2lbs/1 kilo of tomatoes, crushed, passed (seeded & skinned) or pureed
1 carrot
1 celery stick
1 onion
5-6 pieces of bone (whatever type you like) I normally use pork ribs that the butcher cuts in half
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 clove of garlic
sage
sprig of rosemary if you like
pasta of your choice
extra virgin olive oil for finishing the dish

This recipe calls for two pots: 1 for the beans, 2 for the tomato sauce. Make sure the pot for the tomato sauce is larger as we will add the beans into the sauce later in the recipe.

Place the beans (either fresh or dried & then soaked) and sage in a pot with plenty of water, in large pieces add: half the carrot, half the leg of celery & half the onion. Bring everything to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Allow to cook until the beans are tender. (Do NOT add salt during this process.)

Finely dice the other half of the celery, carrot & onion. In the larger pot, heat a few glugs of olive oil and add fine diced vegetables, along with the garlic & a little salt & pepper. Sweat 10-12 minutes on low-low heat or until very soft without browning.

Next, raise the heat, add in your bones and brown on all sides, keep ’em moving in the pot so they don’t burn.

Add in your tomatoes, rosemary and another leaf of sage if your feeling sporty. Bring up to a good simmer and then lower to a low slow simmer. Allow to simmer for 30-35 minutes until it reduces by about a third and becomes nice and thick. Stir it occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.

Now here’s where the magic happens. Remove the chunks of vegetables from the pot with beans. Add the cooked beans to the larger pot SAVING the bean water. Bring the tomatoes & beans up to a simmer, adding a little of the bean water to thin it out. Cook about 10 minutes on a low low simmer, adjusting with a little bean water if it seems too thick.

To serve; fish out the rosemary sprig, garlic clove & sage leaves if you can find them. Remove the meaty bones from the pot. (These can be served alongside the pasta or as another course entirely.) Adjust your seasoning with salt & pepper and toss with hot pasta. We pair it with tagliatelle or cavatelli and finish with a drizzle of good finishing oil - this is when you use the good stuff!

Cavatelli Pasta - Semolina Dough

This is one of the easiest pasta dough's to make and it doesn't need a machine or any fancy equipment - just your thumb or a pearing knife. Cavatelli pasta (or little caves) is traditionally from Molise & parts of Puglia.  It is very similar to orecchietti (little ears), another pasta made with semolina (ground durum wheat or grano duro). In southern Italy is where you will find most of these types of pasta made with semolina and no egg in the dough. 

The recipe for cavatelli varies greatly from region to region, village to village. Below is the recipe that has yielded the most consistent results for us - a soft delicate pasta that's not gummy.  After all your work in making fresh pasta you'll be happy to know that it freezes wonderfully! Now on a random Wednesday night just pull out your homemade fresh cavatelli, make a quick sauce and dinner is ready!

This pasta pairs perfectly in the Spring with peas, borlotti, sage & tomatoes in the Fall and norcina (sausage & cream) in the Winter!

You can find videos on youtube all day on the technique for cutting & forming the pasta. Below is a simple explanation. Stay tuned as we'll film our own demo soon!!

Cavatelli Pasta Dough
serves 4

200 grams/ 1.5 cups of semolina or ground durum wheat/ grano duro
25 grams / 1/4 cup of regular flour or soft wheat flour
pinch of salt
125 grams or 3/4 cup warm water

In a bowl mix the salt & both flours together, add in warm water and mix with a fork. Dump onto a board and begin kneading. Adjust the consistency as needed. The dough should have a firmness to it, not mushy, however not as hard as a ball. Continue kneading, until you have a nice smooth springy dough (8-10 minutes by hand). Wrap it in plastic and allow to rest at least an hour.

Now go online and find a video!

Make a snake about the width of a pencil.
Cut into segments as long as your thumb is wide. …..
Now you can either use your thumb or a knife for this next step.

To begin shaping cavatelli, stick your right thumb up and then turn hand so thumb is pointing left. Maintaining even pressure, use thumb to push a piece of dough forward and up, like an airplane taking off. The dough should spring up and form around the curve of your thumb.

Use a bench scraper or knife to transfer cavatelli to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and sprinkled with semolina, making sure no pieces of pasta touch. Continue until all dough is used. Let pasta dry slightly, 30-45 minutes. (You can then freeze in a single layer. Once frozen place in plastic freezer bag and will keep about a month.)

In a large pot, bring lightly salted water to a rolling boil and drop in cavatelli. Boil the pasta. It should take about 4-6 min depending on the size of your cavatelli. Just keep taking one out and testing!  Serve with the sauce of your choice.

Make this Sauce in the time it takes for your water to boil: "Sauce of the Moment"

Sauce of the Moment
Sugo al Momento

This is literally one you use with whatever you have - and/or the vegetable that looks good/in season at the moment.  Change it up with the season - you can add pine nuts, leave out the tomatoes, leave out the white wine and use a different acidic ingredient. Use this as an outline and make it your own.

For this recipe, we will use peas as our ‘veg of the moment.'

2 handfuls of fresh peas, shelled
small handful of cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons of white wine
4 tablespoons of chicken stock or pasta water
handful of parmesan cheese
clove of garlic, kept whole
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a pan, over low heat, warm about 4 glugs of olive oil and gently brown the garlic on all sides. In the bowling salted water you have going for your pasta, blanch your peas until they are half cooked. Remove from water and add to the pan with garlic & olive oil.

Raise the heat to med-high, add in your handful of cherry tomatoes. Give a stir, season with salt & pepper. Once your tomatoes start to cook down and slough the skin, add in 2 tablespoons of white wine. Allow the wine to cook out for 1-2 minutes, add in the chicken stock and allow to cook down. Shut off the heat. Give the sauce a taste and adjust your salt & pepper. Its now ready for your pasta.

Once the pasta is near cooked, return the pan to med heat. Drain the pasta directly from the bowling water into the pan with the sauce. With a spoonful of pasta water, incorporate the pasta into the sauce. Remove from the heat, make sure there is a little bit of moisture in the pan, adjust with pasta water. Now add a handful of parmesan cheese and incorporate into the pasta. Serve.


Change it up with the season - you can add pine nuts, leave out the tomatoes, leave out the white wine and use a different acidic ingredient. Use this as an outline and make it your own.

Sauce of the Moment - A Pasta Sauce in the Time it Takes the Water to Boil

Sauce of the Moment
Sugo al Momento

This is literally one you use with whatever you have - and/or the vegetable that looks good/in season at the moment.  Change it up with the season - you can add pine nuts, leave out the tomatoes, leave out the white wine and use a different acidic ingredient. Use this as an outline and make it your own.

For this recipe, we will use peas as our ‘veg of the moment’ since it’s Spring.

2 handfuls of fresh peas, shelled
small handful of cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons of white wine
4 tablespoons of chicken stock or pasta water
handful of parmesan cheese
clove of garlic, kept whole
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a pan, over low heat, warm about 4 glugs of olive oil and gently brown the garlic on all sides. In the bowling salted water you have going for your pasta, blanch your peas until they are half cooked. Remove from water and add to the pan with garlic & olive oil.

Raise the heat to med-high, add in your handful of cherry tomatoes. Give a stir, season with salt & pepper. Once your tomatoes start to cook down and slough the skin, add in 2 tablespoons of white wine. Allow the wine to cook out for 1-2 minutes, add in the chicken stock and allow to cook down. Shut off the heat. Give the sauce a taste and adjust your salt & pepper. Its now ready for your pasta.

Once the pasta is near cooked, return the pan to med heat. Drain the pasta directly from the bowling water into the pan with the sauce. With a spoonful of pasta water, incorporate the pasta into the sauce. Remove from the heat, make sure there is a little bit of moisture in the pan, adjust with pasta water. Now add a handful of parmesan cheese and incorporate into the pasta. Serve.


Change it up with the season - you can add pine nuts, leave out the tomatoes, leave out the white wine and use a different acidic ingredient. Use this as an outline and make it your own.

Pasta all' Amatriciana

Amatriciana is a simple, delicious sauce you can make while the water for your pasta is boiling! Move over regular old ragu because this savory porky tomato sauce is my favorite go-to winter sugo (pasta sauce)!  For centuries it has been prepared with guanciale di maiale (cured pigs cheek) and grated local pecornio (sheep’s milk cheese).  The sauce is originally from Amatrice (at the intersection between Le Marche, Abruzzo and Lazio). Of course the recipe varies slightly depending on what region you are in, a big debate is with onions or without. While tomato-less version Gricia is still prepared in some parts (especially Lazio), it is the tomato-enriched Amatriciana that has become a “classic” sauce all over Italy.

For any of you that know Dr. Gaggi & his wife Rossana she always reiterates the importance of the pasta you choose with your sauce. "For amatriciana, you should use only bucatini or spaghetti no. 5!" She would be horrified to see the photo above since we tossed the sauce with fresh homemade tagliatelle - call the pasta police! (I still ate every last bite.)

I am a huge fan of guanciale di maiale (so much so I sing a song about it every time Jason uses it in a recipe), it is basically the best bacon ever! Here is another mouthwatering recipe using cured pig's cheek as a simple antipasto/appetizer:  Crostini di Guanciale di Maiale

 Amatriciana with Bucatini

 Amatriciana with Bucatini

4 oz./120 g cured pig's cheek (guanciale di maiale) or fresh pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic
glug of olive oil
12 oz./325 g puree tomatoes (freshest, highest quality as possible) or jarred tomatoes passed through the food mill
grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
salt
chili flakes
bucatini or spaghetti pasta

In a heavy pot heat the olive oil, add the clove of garlic & onions on low heat season with salt & chili flakes as you like. Sweat slowly without color for 10 minutes.
Add guanciale or pancetta cook for an additional 5 - 6 minutes without browning.
Remove garlic clove & add tomatoes. Bring up to boil, then lower the heat to a slow simmer for 30-35 minutes. Stir occasionally. Check seasonings.
Toss with fresh cooked pasta (bucatini is best) & fresh grated pecorino or parmesan and a little pasta water.

Carpaccio of Zucchini

 
Carpaccio of Zucchini
Fine Fine Zucchini

zucchini
salt
pepper
olive oil
lemon
parmesan

handful of cherry tomatoes, radishes, zucchini flowers, arugula (optional)

Use mandolin or slicer, slice zucchini very very thinly - paper thin.

Lay out one layer on a plate or platter.

Crack of pepper, crack of salt, drizzle olive oil, squeeze of lemon. Let sit for 15 minutes.

 

If you have cherry tomatoes and/or radishes toss a small handful ontop as well as zucchini flowers, arugula or celery hearts, etc to give it a little extra bite & color. Finish with shaved parmesan over the top. Serve

THE holiday dish in Le Marche, Cappelletti in Brodo

Christmas celebrated in Le Marche, Italy is not complete without a heart-warming bowl of cappelletti in brodo or little stuffed hats in broth. I was once told is a dish served for only those you love because it takes so much time & patience to make!  In our area this dish is traditionally served on Christmas day for lunch and New Year's Eve for dinner.

Take the time and make it from scratch, buy the freshest eggs (it will make the color of the dough nice & golden) and enjoy this homemade pasta the way it was meant to be eaten - surrounded by family. (Plus they freeze well so you can have them on-hand, at the ready all winter long!)

Cappelletti in Brodo

Broth:

 1 whole chicken in pieces

1 beef bone
1 tomato
2 stalks of celery, chunked up
2 carrots, chopped in chunks
2 large onions, chopped in chunks
sprig of parsley
water

healthy pinch of salt

 

In a large stock pot add all ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil, skim the fat and impurities that come to the top.

Then lower to a very low simmer.
Simmer for 3-4 hours.
Strain stock - discard vegetables.

Now you have a delicious stock to be used in an array of dishes & soups.

Pick the meat off the bone & use in the soup, chicken salad or any other dish.

(Stock will last a week in the fridge or you can freeze in usable portions.)

 

Pasta Dough Recipe:

(serves 4)

400 grams of flour (type 0)

pinch of salt

4 eggs

To make the dough - follow our recipe - click here

Filling:

6 oz. lean beef cubed

4 oz. pork loin, cubed

half a chicken breast, cubed

1 sausage, without casing, cubed

1 carrot, diced finely

salt & pepper

a healthy pinch Nutmeg

handful of grated parmesean cheese

1 egg

pad of butter

glug of olive oil

salt & pepper

In a pot, melt the butter & toss in all the meat & carrot.  

Cook over medium heat, until meat is cooked & 2/3 of the liquid is reduced.

Set aside & let cool.

When the meat is cool toss it into the food processor & pulse until it resembles ground beef - not a paste.

Add the egg, salt & pepper, nutmeg & cheese - mix with your hands.  (It will hold a ball when squeezed together, but not wet)

Roll out pasta dough into about 2mm thick sheets.

It may help at this point to watch this clip on youtube (fast forward to about 6 minutes in): How to close your cappelletti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUR8KSY8hI)

Cut into 1 inch squares.  Place a pea size amount of filling in each square.

 Fold the square into a triangle - making sure to seal the edges very well! (Super important)

This is when it gets difficult to explain...Then take legs of the triangle & pinch them together.

Make sure not to over-stuff your cappelleti & to seal them properly - otherwise they will burst when you boil them.

Boil in brodo (broth) until they float - if they are fresh about 2-4 minutes. Jason suggests that when they start floating - try one.

To freeze for later: Let the pasta sit & dry overnight in a cool dry room in a single layer with parchment paper underneath.

Approved clip found on youtube - next year we'll have to make our own video - but she makes them right!! (Spoken language: Italian with English subtitles)

Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms

 

This has been a stellar season for mushroom hunting, collecting kilos of funghi from the woods surrounding our farmhouse Jason has made countless dishes incorporating the wild mushrooms. And to top it all off Gaggi stopped by the other day with a basket full of chanterelle or gallinaccio mushrooms. As soon as Jason laid eyes on these delicate golden mushrooms he knew he'd make fresh pasta and a simple sauce to let the chanterelle shine!

 

 

 Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms
Tagliatelle con Funghi

serves 4
2 cloves of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
meat of 1 sausage
1/2 lb of chanterelle or other wild mushrooms like porcini
2 tablespoons heavy cream
small handful of parsley, chopped
salt
pepper
tablespoon of white wine
fresh pasta

In a frying pan heat 3-4 glugs of olive oil & add brown whole cloves of garlic. Once brown, remove from pan & discard.

In the same pan, sauté sausage meat, breaking up into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon.

When sausage meat is broken into crumbly bits & it is thoroughly cooked (without pink meat) add the mushrooms & continue to sauté for a few minutes.

Add in white wine & lower heat, reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Pour in cream, cook for 30 seconds. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. If it looks a little dry add a spoonful or two of the pasta water.

Finish with chopped parsley. Toss with fresh cooked pasta.

Tagliatelle with White Truffles

The illusive white truffle is in season, found shaved over dishes all across the "Truffle Valley" we live in.  Travelers are enamored with truffles when they visit Le Marche in the fall and rightfully so with a price tag of 3,000 Euro a kilo. We recently served a truffle themed dinner with white truffles foraged from the woods behind our farmhouse. The aroma was so pungent the earthly smell filled our house, the guests were all curious how to cook this strange mushroom. But here's the secret you don't actually cook with them, instead shaving hundreds of euro over a finished dish like a paper thin fritatta, fresh pasta, risotto or a beautiful steak.  The truffle should never touch the heat of the pan or it will kill the flavor immediately. 

So go on and hock the family silver for a plate of irresistible homemade tagliatelle and white truffles!

Tagliatelle with Truffles
Tagliatelle con Tartufi

Serves 4

400 grams fresh pasta
 white truffles - as much as you can afford
2 egg yolks
1-2 sages leaves
salt and pepper
1 pad of butter
olive oil
3-4 spoonfuls of beef broth

In a pan melt butter with olive oil on low heat. Add in sage leaves and gently cook for a minute or two.

In a pot with plenty of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al'dente. Once cooked, scoop out the pasta and place directly in the pan with sage.

Remove from heat and toss the pasta gently. Add broth and egg yolks constantly tossing the pasta in the pan to coat the past in the egg without is scrambling.  Season with salt & pepper, remove the sage.

Transfer pasta to the plates and shave truffle on-top. The truffle should never touch the heat of the pan.

Classic Italian Ragu: Age-old, Tried & True

Classic Italian Ragu, everyone has their favorite, a family recipe passed down scribbled on scratch paper. "No one made it like Grandma" - well until now! Here's our classic ragu (meat & tomato) sauce that is easy & delicious, perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, tagliatelle .... the list goes on!

Ragu

1 small carrot, finely diced
1 med onion, finely diced
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1 clove of garlic
quarter pound of sausage meat
half pound ground veal
1.5 pounds peeled, seeded, pureed fresh tomatoes or 1 large can of peeled tomatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a pot add a couple glugs of olive oil & sauté clove of garlic until brown then discard.

On medium heat sauté veggies slowly for about 10 minutes - so they are not brown but translucent. Raise the heat slightly & add in meat - breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon.  Season with salt & pepper.

Add tomatoes & half a glass of water. Bring up to boil.  Lower to a very low simmer for 2.5 hours stirring occasionally.

Toss pasta with a few ladlefuls of sauce  (just enough to coat) and a ladleful of pasta water as well. You can finish with a dollop of sauce ontop if you like. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan or Aged Pecorino.

Pasta with Raw Tomatoes & Lemon Infused Olive Oil

  In the height of tomato season try this light and refreshing summer pasta sauce of raw uncooked tomatoes with lemon infused olive oil tossed over fresh pasta. The lemon compliments the tomatoes creating a bright & flavorful dish that's quick & easy.  On a hot summer day all it takes is to boil the pasta & you're done!

We first tried this pasta at our friend Daniela's house for lunch in Cassero, (Le Marche) and have been making it with our bounty of tomatoes ever since!

Tomato Lemon Pasta Sauce

Pasta di Daniela

serves 8
1 cup (250 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
zest of 3-5 unwaxed lemons, depending on the size
1 kilo or 32 oz, passed tomatoes, the best fresh tomatoes you can find or canned
salt and chili flakes to taste
handful of aged pecorino (sheep's milk cheese) or parmesan freshly grated

A day or so before you would like to use the sauce combine lemon zest and oil in a bowl, cover and allow to sit out.

The next day, strain out zest from oil and drizzle slowly into passed tomatoes as you constantly stir.  When all the oil is incorporated, season with salt and pepper.  Allow the sauce to sit once more for a bit to allow the flavors to come together.

To serve: Give the sauce a good stir as it will have surely separated and toss with hot thin pasta and a sprinkle of grated aged pecorino (sheep's milk cheese) or parmesan.

Arugula Walnut Pesto with Fresh Pasta

 For a peppery twist, update your pesto recipe with a new classic: arugula and walnut!
Serve tossed over fresh pasta or rubbed on toasty bread with a ribbon of Parmesan, a delicious topping for pizza or a beautiful frittata with a dollop of arugula pesto! Pesto with endless possibilities...

I love using arugula, rocket or ruccola (depending on where you're from), not only for the peppery kick but also because it grows much faster & heartier in our garden than basil. Which means we can make it over & over again!!

Arugula Walnut Pesto

pesto di ruccola

2 big handfuls of arugula, cleaned
1-2 cloves garlic
small handful of walnuts, crushed
extra virgin olive oil*, as needed
lemon juice of half - 1 full lemon
small handful parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper to taste

With this recipe you play with the amount of ingredients based on your likes & the strength of the garlic, arugula, etc.

Best to use a mortar & pestle but if you don’t have one the food processor works just fine.

In the mortal & pestle or the processor start off with your arugula and a drizzle of oil to get it working. Once pulverized add in 1 clove of garlic & continue to grind. Now add in your nuts, lemon juice and a bit of salt & pepper & give it one more grind. At this point abandon the mortal & pestle or the machine & dump the mixture into a bowl.
Add a small handful of cheese and while continuously mixing add in the olive oil until you achieve your desired consistency. For crostini I would leave as a paste, for a pasta sauce keep it a bit looser - this is all based on the amount of olive oil you use.

Now recheck your seasonings - more garlic? A little light on the acid? Add a squeeze of lemon. Is it flat? A pinch of salt will wake it up. Let sit for an hour or so to let the flavors incorporate. Store in the fridge. It will last a few days before the arugula will turn.

Serve tossed over fresh pasta or rubbed over toasty bread with a ribbon of parmesan, a delicious topping for pizza or a beautiful frittata with a dollop of arugula pesto! There are a million ways to use this - enjoy!

*Note on olive oil: Use a lighter/mild oil as to not over power the arugula.

Passatelli in Broth

Passatelli is a rustic Italian pasta meets German spatzle, noodle/dumpling made of breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, eggs, nutmeg & lemon zest. Found on dinner tables across Le Marche & Emilia Romagna, passatelli is best served in chicken broth but can also be dressed with sauce. (Some recipes call for no flour, others just a handful - this is a hotly debated topic even within Le Marche.)
 I love pasta, I love bread, I love cheese and I love passatelli!

It may not look pretty but it is surprisingly light with a nice bite, and a lovely nutty flavor from the parmesan & nutmeg.
 

Passatelli in Broth

Passatelli in brodo  

6 eggs
250 g parmesan
250 g breadcrumbs
50 g type 00 flour
nutmeg
lemon zest
2.5 liters broth
This recipe does require a passatelli press or potato ricer to push the dough through, making thin snakes of passatelli. 

Beat the eggs in a bowl.
In a separate bowl add all the dry ingredients including the nutmeg & lemon zest. Make a well in the center of the breadcrumb mixture bowl, pour in the beaten eggs and mix together to form a dough.

Turn it out onto a board & knead it 10 times. If it's still tacky dust it with a little flour. Then wrap it up in plastic & let rest for at least an hour.

After that push the dough through the passatelli press directly into simmering broth.
(Note: If you are making this to serve with sauce, allow it dry on the board for a few minutes.)

Allow to cook for a couple minutes in the simmering broth. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan over top.

Fresh Pasta with Formaggio di Fossa

For a rich, creamy, cheesy pasta sauce, skip the adolescent 'alfredo sauce' and try something more sophisticated: fresh pasta with formaggio di fossa (pecorino) or cheese from a pit, a pungent sheep's milk cheese from Le Marche, Italy.  Formaggio di Fossa is considered one of the most delicious culinary rarities from Romagna and Marche with a unique flavor, deep coloring & strong aroma. This cheese is best grated over pasta or eaten with fruit & honey as dessert.

Read more about our experience unearthing this culinary rarity: formaggio di fossa 

Fresh Pasta with Formaggio di Fossa

Serves 4

200 grams grated formaggio di fossa
500 grams of fresh pasta: spaghetti chitarra or tagliatelle
2 tomatoes - seeded, skin removed, chopped
2 glugs of olive oil, extra virgin
clove of garlic

In a frying pan on medium heat, add a couple of glugs of olive oil to the pan.
Add the whole clove of garlic (skin removed) and lightly fry for a couple of minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes, cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit.
Add in cooked pasta & add half he cheese in the pan. Toss. Add the other half of cheese & toss again.
Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
Put on a platter to serve & top with a bit more cheese.

Decadent Lasagna Bianco with Porcini & Sausage

During the snow storm of the century in Central Italy, I can't think of a better way to warm up than devouring a plate of decadent pasta & a good bottle of red after a day of shoveling the drive. Perfect for a cold winter's night, lasagna bianco,  'white lasagna' is made with porcini mushrooms, sausages & rich creamy bechamel, a local classic in northern Le Marche. A refined take on the usual red sauce classic, that will have your mouthwatering for more after the first bite. 

Extra Delicious Tip: Make sure to have your pasta sheets large enough to hang over the edges creating golden crispy edges!

Lasagna Bianco
White Lasagna

serves 6
1 recipe of egg pasta or 4 sheets of fresh pasta
1 recipe of béchamel sauce
8 oz. sausage meat (250 gr)
2 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
2 big handfuls (about 2 cups) chopped mushrooms (we use porcini, chanertelle and other local wild mushrooms)
small handful of chopped parsley
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

In a skillet on low heat slowly brown whole peeled cloves of garlic for 2-3 minutes turning frequently. Then raise the heat to medium, add the sausage meat to the pan and all to cook slowly until there is no pink in the meat about 8-10 minutes.  With the back of a fork smash the meat into little pieces.  Then add in your mushrooms and season with salt & pepper.

Once the mushrooms cook out their liquid, lower the temperature and cook for 10-15 minutes until nice & soft. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan if all the liquid cooks out so the pan doesn’t go dry.

Shut off the heat and taste, checking your salt & pepper, stir in parsley.

Assembly of the lasagna
Have ready parmesan, sausage & mushroom mixture, béchamel, pasta sheets & baking dish.

Start by placing a small amount of bechamel in the bottom of your baking dish - spreading it out.

One layer of pasta into boiling water until it is half-cooked. (Cooking time will vary based on type of pasta - fresh vs. dried)

Put the pasta down in the baking pan. Add a quarter of the mushroom sausage mixture, dotting the top with bechamel and a healthy sprinkle of cheese. Repeat this process until you have 4 layers.

Bake at 400 degree oven until the edges are golden brown & bubbly.
Freezes well. If you take out of the freezer, allow to defrost & come up to room temperature, then hit the corners of the lasagna with a few drops of milk to add moisture.

Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes & Basil

This is a sauce you can make while you wait for your water to boil. Use this as a base & add any other vegetables to it you like. It is best when the tomatoes are ripe and sweet.

Super Simple Sauces:
Pasta Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes

2 big handfuls of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 onion med yellow
1 garlic clove
3-4 glugs of olive oil
chili flakes
2-3 slices of pancetta, prosciutto, bacon or ham
salt & pepper
basil, handful to top (optional)

In a frying paying on low heat sauté garlic and onion slowly for 10-15 minutes.
Add in a pinch of chili flakes as you like.
Toss in the tomatoes and pancetta, raise the heat to medium - medium/high.
Allow the tomatoes to cook down about 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes have melted down and made a sauce.
(It may be necessary to add a spoonful or 2 of water if too thick)

Taste and check seasonings, add salt & pepper.
Toss with fresh pasta and drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and top with fresh basil.

Ravioli Stuffed with Greens in Butter & Sage

Photo: La Tavola Marche

  Homemade Ravioli Stuffed with Greens in Butter and Sage Recipe

Egg Pasta Dough Recipe

Pasta

Serves 1
100 grams (or 1 scant cup) of tipo 0 flour (high quality AP flour)
1 egg
pinch of salt

Pour flour onto the table in a mound.  Make a well in the center & crack the eggs into the well.
Slowly incorporate the eggs into the dough using a fork - pulling in the flour to the center of the well. Form into a nice dough, knead for 5-10 minutes until you have worked the dough well & it has a nice shiny outside.  Let stand for half hour to hour & then roll out.


Photo: Stephania Hua, Lick My Spoon

Filling
1 cup (200 gr) (greens (chard, spinach), boiled, drained, squeezed
salt in the water
1/2 cup (125 gr) of sheep’s milk ricotta
1/4 cup (50 gr.) of grated parmesan
squeeze of lemon juice
salt & pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. The mixture/filling must be dry - a moist filling you will have difficulties closing the ravioli with too much moisture in-between the pasta sheets.

Mix it all up - use to stuff cappelletti, tortellini or ravioli.

Photo: Stephania Hua, Lick My Spoon

To stuff your ravioli ~

    •    Roll out a sheet of pasta to 2-3mm thickness -the thinner the better.
    •    Evenly space out small mounds of filling.
    •    Lay another sheet of pasta over the top.
    •    With your fingers gently smooth out any air bubbles, making the basic form of the ravioli.
    •    Cut out ravioli - either squares with a pizza knife or ravioli cutter or a shot glass for circular ravioli. Most importantly making sure the sides are closed without any trapped air.

Tip: To avoid having ravioli from bursting in the water - do not overfill. Too much filling makes the dough over-stretch

Photo: Stephania Hua, Lick My Spoon

Ravioli with Butter & Sage
    •    In a pan slowly melt a couple of tablespoons of butter & gently fry a handful of sage leaves for 1- 2 minutes.
    •    Raise the heat, toss in your cooked pasta with a bit of pasta water.
    •    Season with salt & pepper & serve.

Photo: Stephania Hua, Lick My Spoon

Tip: Ravioli can freeze well in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag. Will last for a few weeks in the freezer. To cook frozen ravioli toss in the boiling water frozen. Allow to cook 2-3 minutes and then try one to make sure the filling is not still cold in the middle.

Photos taken during a pasta class at La Tavola Marche Cooking School in Italy by Stephanie Hua of Lick My Spoon.

Get Down & Dirty - Homemade Pasta from Scratch!

Have you ever wondered what's the difference between Barilla's pasta & mamma's pasta? Well it's HUGE! Dry, store bought pasta is just fine if you've never tasted the real homemade kind. 

So try out the Cappelletti in Brodo recipe or just pasta & sauce - this will blow your mind - the color - soooo yellow, the texture - soooo soft and the taste - soooooo good!

So here's how to make pasta dough at home -

Standard Pasta Recipe

1 egg & 100 grams of flour = 150 grams of pasta

100 grams of tipo 0 flour for every egg

pinch of salt

Pour flour onto the table in a mound.  

Make a well in the center & crack the eggs into the well.

Slowly incorporate the eggs into the dough using a fork - pulling in the flour to the center of the well.

Form into a nice dough, knead for 5-10 minutes until you have worked the dough well & it has a nice shiny outside. 

Let stand for half hour to hour & then roll out.

1mm thick by 3mm wide - Tagliatelle

After you cut your pasta allow to dry for about 1-2 hours, depending on room temperature.

Boil for 1-2 minutes in plenty of salted boiling water.

Pasta con Vongole - Little Clams

The Adriactic Sea is closed - so in honor of my favorite dish this month's pasta sauce is: Tagliatelle con Vongole. I love these sweet little clams, you just can't get enough.
Enjoy your rest fish - we will eat you in September....Even the fish in Italy get a vacation in August!!

Tagliatelle con Vongole
Pasta with Clams

4 people

1.5 lb fresh vongole or small clams
1/4 of a yellow onion, diced
chop garlic as you desire - I use 3-4 cloves
glass of white wine
3-4 glugs of olive oil
handful of chopped parsley
chili flakes as desired

In a large skillet over medium - low heat olive oil, sauté garlic & onions - slowly until translucent. About 7-10 minutes with no color.

Add your chili flakes.

Turn up heat to med-high.

Throw in your washed clams into the pan & saute for 1 - 2 minutes.

Add in white wine,cover & bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer & cook 2-3 minutes until all the clams have opened.

Turn the heat off & toss in your parsley . Check your seasons - it shouldn't need any salt as when the calms open they release sea water.

Serve over al dente pasta and give a drizzle of good olive oil over the dish once its done.