Category: Italian

Gnocchi

Gnocchi

Equipment

  • potato masher

Ingredients

  • 2 medium (2-1/4″ to 3″ diameter raw) potatoes
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.
  2. Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long “snakes”. On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.
  3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.

Notes

original source: allrecipes

Tiramisu

Tiramisu

Equipment

  • 9 inch square nonstick pan

Ingredients

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1.25 cup mascarpone cheese (room temperature)
  • 1.75 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 30 Italian ladyfingers
  • 1 cup cold espresso or strong coffee
  • .5 cup coffee flavored liqueur
  • 1 ounce unsweetened cocoa for dusting

Instructions

  1. Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler, over boiling water using a whisk to mix. Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.
  2. Remove from the heat and continue to whip yolks until thick and lemon-colored.  Allow to cool briefly.
  3. Add room temperature mascarpone to whipped yolks, mix until well combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer whip cream to stiff peaks (do this slowly, beginning whipping on low). 
  5. Gently fold the whipped cream in the mascarpone sabayon mixture and set aside.
  6. Mix the cold espresso with the coffee liquor and dip the ladyfingers into the mixture just long enough to get them wet, do not soak them!
  7. Arrange the ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish.
  8. Spoon half the mascarpone cream filling over the ladyfingers.
  9. Repeat process with another layer of ladyfingers 
  10. Add another layer of tiramisu cream
  11. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.
  12. Dust with cocoa before serving

Notes

  • original source: Ask Chef Dennis
  • instead of using coffee and kahlua, can use matcha powder (.5 cup water and 1.5 Tbsp matcha) and rum/marsala wine (2 Tbsp)
  • alcohol is option

Ladyfingers

yields 24

Ladyfingers

Equipment

  • pastry bag w/ 1/2″ round tube

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs separated
  • .3 cup white sugar
  • 7 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • .25 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two 17 x 12 inch baking sheets with baking parchment.
  2. Place egg whites in bowl and beat on high until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy.
  3. In another bowl beat egg yolks and remaining sugar. Whip until thick and very pale in color.
  4. Sift flour and baking powder together.
  5. Fold half the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in flour, and then add the remaining egg whites.
  6. Transfer mixture to pastry bag and pipe out onto prepared baking sheet.
  7. Bake 8 minutes.

Notes

  • To make Chocolate Lady Fingers, substitute 3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder for the all-purpose flour.
  • Without a pastry bag, just spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and cut it into ladyfingers after baking; this will require a longer baking time.
    • flip over halfway through baking
  • If for tiramisu, bake at lower temperature for longer to get a drier cookie.
  • original source: allrecipes

Vegetable Lasagna

Vegetable Lasagna

Equipment

  • baking dish

Ingredients

  • 10 lasagna noodles
  • 1.5 cups fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • .75 tsp salt
  • .25 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 small egg
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella
Chunky Marinara Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped
  • 4 cups packed fresh spinach
  • .5 large yellow onion, cut to 1/2-inch dice
  • .5 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 4 fresh basil leaves
  • 14 oz can tomato sauce puree
  • 14 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed or coarsely chopped, juice reserved
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook olive oil, onion and garlic in a pan for about a minute.
  2. Cook zucchini for about a minute.
  3. Cook spinach until it is wilted.
  4. Add oregano, pizza sauce, diced tomatos, basil, salt, pepper.
  5. In a baking dish, layer the lasagna from bottom to top: vegetable sauce, pasta, ricotta cheese, mozzarella. Repeat layers twice.

Notes

Add however much mushroom desired.

Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli

Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli

Ingredients

  • Fresh pasta
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 cups mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 pack (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • .5 cup mozzarella, shredded
  • .5 cup parmesan, shredded
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • .25 cup onion, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Parmesan, grated

Instructions

  1. Make pasta dough. Let rest for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat oil in a pan.
  3. Saute mushrooms, garlic, and onions until most moisture has evaporated. Let cool.
  4. Combine cheese, spinach, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add mushroom mixture.
  5. Split dough into two and roll until smallest setting.
  6. Allow pasta to dry for 20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes.

Fresh Pasta

Fresh Pasta

Equipment

  • pasta machine

Ingredients

  • 1 part flour to 1 part egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Form a well in the middle of the flour.
  2. Add the egg and egg yolks into the well.
  3. Mix with a fork.
  4. Knead until well incorporated.
  5. Let dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
  6. Roll the dough out and laminate before inserting into pasta machine.
  7. Cut and flour pasta.
  8. Cook for 60 sec in salted boiling water.
  9. Drain and rinse in cold water or add butter/olive oil to prevent sticking.

Notes

Roll dough out thoroughly and slowly to prevent cracking.

Ratatouille

* confit byaldi style

Recipe Name

Equipment

  • 15″ x 10″ glass baking tray

Ingredients

  • 1 green zucchini
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 Chinese/Japanese eggplant
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • Basil
  • Salt & pepper
  • .5 yellow onion
  • 1 jar tomato sauce
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 5 cloves minced garlic
  • Balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
  2. Use mandolin to slice zucchini and squash.
  3. Slice eggplant to similar thinness.
  4. Blanch tomatoes for 45 sec. Slice.
  5. Place deribbed & deseeded bell peppers to roast in oven for 15 minutes.
  6. Peel bell peppers.
  7. Finely dice peppers, onion, and garlic.
  8. Put oil in pot. Cook onions and garlic.
  9. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, spices, and vegetable trimmings.
  10. Spread piperade on the bottom of pan.
  11. Place vegetables in alternating and spiral order in pan. Cover with parchment.
  12. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic. Sprinkle over vegetables.
  13. Bake at 275 F for 2 hours.
  14. Remove parchment and bake for 30 minutes.
  15. Mix piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, salt, and pepper for a vinaigrette.
  16. Serve with vinaigrette.