Here is another wonderful monday of mouthwatering treasures:
I learned to make two different pasta recipes, Penne All'arrabbiata and Bucatini All'Amatriciana. The shape of the pasta in both these recipes was specifically picked to match the sauce perfectly. For those who don't know, penne is a short pasta in the shape of hollow cylinders, while Bucantini (my favorite when I was cooking in my Florentine home hehe) are a sort of hollow spaghetti- like long, thin, delicious straws. Enjoy these recipes from class sllluuuurppp!
Penne All'Arrabiata:
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| Can never have too much olive oil |
+ 1 pound penne pasta
+ 6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped**
+ 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
+ 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
+ 1/2 cup olive oil
+ 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
+ sea salt to taste
+ grated parmesan (lots of this if you're my father)
** Tomatoes are very easy to peel if done right. All you have to do is cut a shallow x at the bottom of the tomato, drop into some boiling water for about 30 seconds, then remove and put in some ice water. The skin should peel right off!
This recipe is so Italian: simple and delicious!!!
Put a pot full of water to boil for the pasta- this will probably take the longest so get it started!
Next, put the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, basil and chili. Simmer all together for a few minutes so all the flavors come together, and then lower the temperature. Add some salt to taste
When the pasta is al dente (cooked but firm) drain and toss into the pan with the sauce, stirring it all up! A little trick we learned was to save a little bit of the pasta water for the sauce as well, because the starch left in the water kind of brings it all together.
Now you can transfer the pasta to a serving dish and top with parmesan cheese. Buon Appetito!
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YUMMMMM!
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Bucatini All'Amatriciana:
Spicy and Savory- will definitely make your mouth water. This dish is very popular in Rome!!
+ 80 grams (about 3 oz) of Guaniciale**
+ 1 medium onion, finely chopped
+ 15 gr (1/2 oz) red hot pepper- more or less depending on how adventurous you're feeling!
+ 1 can of diced tomatoes
+ 400 grams (about 13 oz) Bucantini pasta (can use spaghetti if you can't find this)
+ salt to taste
+ 80 grams (about 3 oz) grades Pecorino Romano cheese
**Guaniciale is kind of like the Italian version of bacon, but it is never smoked (like bacon). If this can't be found, it can be substituted with pancetta. Use bacon only if you can't find those!!! I'm still thinking of what I can put for my vegetarian friends...
Heat the meat over low heat until the fat melts. Transfer it to a clean plate and put aside.
Next, cook the chopped onion in the fat left over from the meat (hmmm scandalous, but dellicccciousss) until the pieces are soft. Add the pepper, mix it all up real good, then add the tomatoes and stir. Season with salt to taste, add the guaniciale, and let it all simmer for about 10 minutes.
Hopefully you remembered to put a pot of water to boil for the pasta by now- cook the bucatini until it is al dente, and mix with the sauce. Serve with the grated cheese on top and enjoy!!
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hmmm that's-a-spicy!
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Moving on... to the sweet stuff! In chocolate class we made an Italian classic, cremino. You really can't find this anywhere else. I tried to do some research on google about its history but can't find anything! The ultimate specialty- during the chocolate festival (a few posts back), you could see the cremino towers all around the booths: layers of white and milk chocolate- flavored with delicious, nutty hazelnut.
Though the recipe itself is easy, most of the ingredients are a bit hard to procure if you're not a professional pastry chef (or study in a culinary school hehe)
Cremino layer:
+ 500 grams White chocolate
+ 250 grams hazelnut paste
+ 10 grams cocoa butter (this makes it creamy and basically melt in your mouth ahhh)
Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter together and then add the hazelnut paste. You must make sure it is all evenly mixed and is fully melted and smooth, otherwise you risk getting globs of cocoa butter. Line a pan with parchment paper and spread the chocolate in an even layer. Put in the fridge to cool.
Cremino Alpino layer:
+ 500 grams milk chocolate
+ 250 grams hazelnut paste
+ 10 grams cocoa butter
Repeat the process from above, and when mixture is ready, smooth over the first cremino layer in the pan. You can repeat this as many times as you want (some of the treats sold at the fair looked over 20 layers tall!) but we only made the two layers in class.
Next, when all the chocolate is set, you'll want to cut it into pieces and indulge!!
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| We wanted to be precise. Notice the cocoa butter globs- EEK! |
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| Cut into slices, then cubes! |
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| Fun-sized pieces of cremino! |
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| Our final, delectable masterpiece! |
