LENTILS AND STEWED SAUSAGES MARCHE STYLE

I call these stewed lentils and sausages "Marche style" because that's how my grandmother and mother, used to make them. Moreover, it is still a dish that is easy to find in the trattorias of the Marche hinterland. Lentils and sausages practically identical, however, are also cooked in Umbria and between Lazio and Tuscany. So it can rightly be said that it is a typical dish of central Italy. The feature that distinguishes them from most similar recipes is that there is no sauce or almost no sauce. All liquids are limited to a little water and tomato juices which are entirely absorbed by the lentils. For this reason, it is important that lentils are not used when dried. They must be soaked before being cooked. Including the smaller ones, which are normally sold "without the need for soaking". For the latter, it takes just ten minutes just before being used. This reduces the cooking time to a minimum, which – among other things – also allows you to control the cooking of the sausages, preventing them from drying out too much. On the table, stewed lentils and sausages lend themselves magnificently to be accompanied by potatoes. Above all, boiled (perhaps with a few leaves of sage and bay leaf in boiling water) or mashed, thus constituting a very tasty and complete lunch.

Ingredients

350 g dried lentils

4 large sausages

1 onion

500 g of tomato pulp

200 ml of ready-made broth

Sage

Laurel

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Let the lentils soak according to the type, considering that they will then have to cook no more than 20 minutes. With a toothpick, make a dozen holes in each sausage and then leave them for about 10 minutes in a covered saucepan over medium heat, so that some of their fat comes out. With a toothpick, make a dozen holes in each sausage and then leave them for about 10 minutes in a covered saucepan over medium heat, so that some of their fat comes out. Add the tomato pulp with a pinch of salt and let it flavor for a few minutes. Then drop the drained lentils and 1 glass of boiling water (about 200 ml) in which you have dissolved the stock cube. Put the lid on and cook gently for 10 minutes. Incorporate the sausages, add a bay leaf and complete cooking (it will take about 10-15 minutes) wetting with a little boiling water only if necessary. A minute before turning off the heat, taste and, if necessary, adjust the salt. Flavor with a puree of freshly ground black pepper and complete with a drizzle of raw oil. Serve your lentils and sausages moderately hot.

 

Pici all'aglione

The recipe for Pici all'aglione traditional and original from Tuscany, especially from the Val di Chiana area. In fact, the legendary aglione is grown in these areas, which is not a giant garlic as its shape suggests, but has a totally different flavor and much more delicate and sweetish. It is generally said that the real aglione must have six cloves to be considered original, and think that each clove can weigh up to 70 grams! Obviously pici are also traditional of Tuscan cuisine but also Umbrian, and are made of flour and water only, without eggs. Very similar to this fresh pasta without eggs, but 00 flour is used instead of semolina. The aglione sauce is really easy to prepare and also fast, just follow a few small precautions and you will get pici all'aglione to perfection, like in a real Tuscan tavern!

Ingredients

500 g pici

6 garlic wedges

 extra virgin olive oil to taste

700 g peeled tomatoes 

30 ml white wine

salt to taste

Steps

To prepare the PICI ALL'AGLIONE first peel the wedges and once cleaned, blend them in a mixer with a drop of extra virgin olive oil. Alternatively, you can crush them with a garlic press or slice them very finely. In the latter case, however, you will have to lengthen the cooking time because the aglione will have to melt and form a cream. Be careful, the aglione must not fry or darken during cooking! Once you have a homogeneous cream, transfer it to a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and cook gently over low heat for 10 minutes. Taking care to stir often! Deglaze with a little white wine and let it evaporate. (Like all traditional recipes, everyone has their own version.. there are those who don't put it and those who use a single tablespoon of white wine vinegar). Blend the peeled tomatoes and pour them into the aglione cream. Add salt and as soon as the sauce comes to a boil, cover with a lid, lower the heat to low and cook slowly for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally and if it dries too much, dilute with a little more hot water. (Even for the tomato, everyone has their own version, some use fresh, boiled copper tomatoes and deprived of seeds and skin. Others half puree and half peeled tomatoes). Cook the pici in plenty of salted water, taking into account the cooking minutes indicated on the package, because it changes a lot if you use fresh or dried pici. Another trick for a special aglione is in the water! Many argue that a clean garlic wedge should also be put in water and boiled with it to make the flavor and aroma even more intense. But even this, is not an essential step! Drain the pici al dente and add them to the sauce with 2 ladles of cooking water and stir well. Serve the pici all'aglione hot.

 

Bresaola rolls with ricotta and walnuts

BRESAOLA ROLLS with ricotta and walnuts quick and easy recipe for a tasty, delicate and very tasty appetizer! Bresaola and ricotta rolls can be prepared in advance or at the last moment for a quick and sudden dinner. As you know I love ricotta and therefore I could not use any other filling but alternatively I guarantee you that any other soft fresh cheese such as robiola, stacchino or spreadable cheese is perfectly fine.

Ingredients

12 slicesof bresaola

200 g ricotta (fresh)

15 walnut kernels

fine salt

1 pinch black pepper

2 tablespoons Grana Padano (grated or pecorino cheese)

Steps

To prepare the BRESAOLA ROLLS WITH RICOTTA AND WALNUTS, put the ricotta, well drained from its whey, in a bowl. Add the grated cheese, a pinch of salt, one of black pepper and work it with a whisk or fork, until you get a soft cream without lumps. Coarsely chop the walnut kernels with a knife or chop them in a mixer. Add them to the ricotta and mix well. At this point you can create the bresaola rolls, spread plenty of ricotta and walnut cream on each slice and then roll the slice of bresaola on itself, forming a roll. Arrange them gradually on a serving plate and decorate with fresh spinach or rocket and other chopped walnuts.

 

Roast Pork with Potatoes and Carrots 

Roast pork with potatoes and carrots is simple to prepare, but is always very popular with all diners. A roast that in addition to offering a tasty dish also has an excellent side dish. Roast pork with potatoes and carrots is perfect with new chips, but you can also get a great result with larger potatoes cut into wedges. In this way, therefore, roast pork with potatoes and carrots can be prepared in every season of the year, not only in spring when new chips are more easily available.

Ingredients

1 kg pork, loin, raw

500 g new potatoes

300 g carrots

1/2 l vegetable broth

1 clove garlic

salt to taste

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 sprig rosemary

Steps

Before starting to prepare roast pork with potatoes and carrots, it is good to think about the pork loin by tying it in order to obtain a more regular shape. This operation can also be done by the butcher. In a high-sided saucepan, brown the piece of pork with a little oil and a clove of garlic. Add a sprig of rosemary and brown well on each side to seal the meat well. Add a little salt. Then add the already hot vegetable broth. Vegetable broth can be prepared by boiling celery, carrot and onion for about 1 hour, or using vegetable stock cube. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer slowly for about half an hour. In the meantime, peel the carrots and cut them into pieces that are not too small. Wash the new potatoes well without peeling them. Leave the new fries whole. Only if they are too large cut them in half. After the first half hour of cooking the meat, add the vegetables and adjust the amount of liquid. If necessary, add a little more vegetable broth. Gently cook the meat with the vegetables for about 40 minutes, reducing the sauce until you have a thick and tasty sauce. Season with salt. Remove the meat from the pot and wrap it in a sheet of aluminum foil. Allow the meat to rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing. This means that the rested meat can be sliced better. Remove the vegetables from the pot and keep them warm. In the meantime, add a little water to the pot and bring to a boil, at the same time detaching any cooking residues from the bottom and walls. Keep this tasty sauce warm. Then slice the pork. Serve the roast accompanied by the vegetables and its sauce.

 

PEELED RED LENTIL SOUP

The red lentil soup is a real treat especially in winter even if lentils are good in every season even in SALADS. I prepared this soup with lentils because I like them very much and since the peeled ones cook in a very short time it has become my favorite soup together with the LEGUME SOUP. Being Lazio, legumes are part of my culinary tradition, they are rich in these products that are truly versatile. To make the lentil soup creamy, I blended a part of it, for a truly amazing result, with very few ingredients. Try it because it is delicious!

Ingredients

200 g soup

280 g peeled red lentils

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1/2 onion

salt to taste

extra virgin olive oil to taste

1.5 l vegetable broth

Preparation

First wash the lentils well in running water and shake off the excess water. Finely chop the celery, carrot and onion and fatally wilt in a saucepan with a drop of extra virgin olive oil and stir occasionally. At this point, add the salted lentils to the sauté, cover with the vegetable broth and stir. Alternatively, you can use hot water or lean meat broth. Cook for about ten minutes, then blend a part of it and bring to a boil. Now add the soup to your liking, cook it and serve hot.

Tips, variations

You can also use lentils with the skin, in this case the cooking times change and usually double but the procedure remains the same. If you don't have vegetable broth, you can use hot water or dissolve a couple of tablespoons of granular broth in hot water.

 

Baguette with smoked provolone cheese and cooked prosciutto

Who hasn't come home late and not prepared anything in advance?! It happens to me often and if you add the lack of desire to get in the kitchen the result is catastrophic!! That's why I decided to offer you a quick recipe, easy quick and mouth-watering!! Today we pamper ourselves with this super sandwich, my absolute favorite that I prepare in emergency situations!!

Ingredients

8 tbsp salted butter

1 baguette

cooked prosciutto

provolone cheese

Dijon mustard

pickled gherkins

Preparation

A classic of the picnic out of town is the cooked prosciutto and cheese sandwich. Here is my version. You need 8 tablespoons of softened salted butter, a baguette cut horizontally and then divided into pieces, thinly sliced cooked prosciutto, thinly sliced provolone cheese, Dijon mustard and pickled gherkins. Spread a tablespoon of butter on each piece of baguette. Divide the cooked prosciutto and cheese between the two parts of the sandwich, serve on a small plate with mustard and gherkins.

 

Vegetarian sandwich

Fancy a nice sandwich like those you eat in fast food but homemade? Here is my proposal! A delicious vegetarian sandwich based on mozzarella cheese, chickpea hummus, & sun-dried tomatoes... I can't describe the goodness of this sandwich in words but I assure you that it is delicious! The family definitely liked it and it was a great satisfaction to bring it to the table and see it torn to pieces!

Ingredients

1 wholemeal sandwich

1 mozzarella

150g chickpea hummus

1 lettuce leaf

50 g of roasted pistachio

2 sun-dried tomatoes

Olive oil to taste

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Preparation

Cut the sandwich in half, season it with a drizzle of oil and heat it slightly in the oven. Stuff it with hummus, dried tomato, lettuce leaf, mozzarella cut into slices seasoned with a little salt, pepper and oil. Finally, before closing the sandwich, add the chopped pistachios and serve.

 

Farfalle with artichokes, leeks and zucchini 

Farfalle with artichokes, leeks and zucchini: a vegetarian first course full of merits as it is very tasty, simple to prepare and very cheap, I am convinced that when it arrives on your tables it will win you over as it happened at my home.

Ingredients

300 g farfalle (or other short pasta)

4 artichokes (heart only)

200 g leeks

200 g zucchini

1 bouillon cube (vegetable)

1 clove garlic

1 sprig parsley

extra virgin olive oil to taste

salt to taste

1 pinch black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

In a large non-stick pan, put the oil with a clove of minced garlic, bring it to the flame, heat the oil and when it is hot add the leeks – only the white part – washed and thinly sliced. Also add the washed zucchini, without the stem and end and also thinly sliced. Clean the artichokes by removing all the hard outer leaves and leaving only the heart, divide each artichoke heart into four parts and add these to the pan as well. Brown everything over low heat for a few minutes, then add a glass of boiling water where you have dissolved a vegetable stock cube. Cover and cook over very low heat for at least thirty minutes, stirring occasionally, just before the end of cooking, check the salt, add a grind of black pepper and a sprig of chopped parsley. Separately, in a saucepan with boiling salted water, boil the farfalle or the pasta shape you prefer; Drain the pasta al dente and pour it into the pan with the sauce, adding, if necessary, a little cooking water, sauté so that everything is flavored well and with the flame off, add the grated Parmesan cheese.

Recommendations

If your dish is leftover, don't throw it away: add a few eggs and you will get a mouth-watering omelet.

Lamb chops with peas

Lamb chops with peas are an ideal second course to serve during the Easter period, but not only. Their unique taste and goodness make them perfect to present even when you have guests at the table, among other things by preparing this dish you will have the second course and the side dish ready at the same time.

Ingredients

1 kg lamb chops

600 g peas

60 ml extra virgin olive oil

1spring onion

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 sprig parsley

salt

1 pinch black pepper

Preparation

Get a pot with low sides – preferably earthenware – put the oil and the thinly sliced spring onion in it, brown for a few minutes and add the lamb chops. In this regard, it should be noted that I preferred to cook the chops with all their fat, however if you don't like the latter you can remove it before putting the chops in the pot. Brown the chops on all sides over low heat for about 5 minutes, then deglaze with wine and when it has evaporated add the peas (I chose the frozen ones, but the fresh ones will also be excellent), salt, add a pinch of black pepper and a sprig of chopped parsley. Cover the pot and cook for about 25 minutes, but keep in mind that cooking depends a lot on the degree of tenderness of the meat. When the dish is ready, serve hot.

 

Heart-shaped pizza, easy, beautiful and delicious!

The heart-shaped pizza is a delicious leavened product! A delicious variant of the classic Pan Pizza and Pizza by the Slice; perfect for special occasions and children! Believe me, you will be amazed at how easy it is to make heart pizza at home! All you need is excellent pizza dough, scissors to give the shape, tomato, mozzarella and a few slices of salami; from which to make many salami hearts to add to the surface as a condiment! An enchantment for the eyes and pure delicacy for the palate!

Ingredients for the dough

500 g flour 

400 g water

10 g extra virgin olive oil

10 g salt

7 g fresh brewer's yeast (or 3 g dry brewer's yeast)

Ingredients for the dressing

250 g tomato puree

200 g mortadella 

150 g mozzarella for pizza

oregano

extra virgin olive oil

salt

PREPARATION

 Line a heart-shaped pan with parchment paper or oil it well and roll out the pizza dough. Season it with the tomato sauce, salt, oregano and oil.   Spread the sliced mortadella on the surface. Bake the pizza in the lower part of the oven at 220°C for about 15 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and distribute the mozzarella. Re bake for another 5 minutes. Here is the heart-shaped pizza ready!

 

Pasta with artichokes and shrimps

Pasta with artichokes and shrimps are a first course that contains all the taste of the sea and the land prepared with a few simple ingredients. Scialatielli, as we know, are a pasta shape that goes well with fish and seafood-based condiments. I like to prepare them at home when I have a little more time available but also buy them ready-made. Today I wanted to experiment with a really delicious and I dare say spring condiment: artichokes with their strong taste, shrimps with a delicate flavor, cherry tomatoes that are almost inevitable in fish-based first courses and of course the touch of fresh parsley. A mix of flavors and aromas that go well together and that create a creamy condiment without adding cream that is really perfect for scialatielli!

Ingredients

320 g Pasta 

300 g Shrimps

4 Artichokes

200 g Cherry tomatoes

1 Onions

1 clove Garlic

4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

1 sprig Parsley

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

Prepare the Pasta with artichokes and shrimps first of all by cleaning the artichokes: remove the toughest outer leaves, cut the tips keeping only the hearts of the artichokes; then cut them in half by removing the central beard and cut them into slices. Place them gradually in cold water with lemon so that they do not blacken. Also clean the shrimp by removing the head, the carapace and the black fillet. Clean the cherry tomatoes, divide them in half and then into wedges. Peel the garlic and onion, thinly slice the onion and chop the garlic. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the garlic and onion over low heat for a few minutes; then add the artichokes well drained from the acidulated water. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for about ten minutes or until the artichokes are cooked without having lost their crunchiness. Wet if necessary with a ladle of broth or hot water if the cooking juices dry out too much. Finally, add the shrimps and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, adjusting salt and pepper at the end of cooking and flavoring with chopped fresh parsley. In the meantime, cook the scialatielli in plenty of boiling salted water; Drain them al dente and pour them into the pan with the sauce, stirring in a little cooking water from the pasta itself. Serve the Scialatielli with artichokes and shrimps hot, sprinkling it with more chopped fresh parsley.

 

 Shrimp risotto

Shrimp risotto is a delicate, refined and tasty first course, simple to prepare and perfect on many occasions, especially on holidays but not only. A risotto rich in taste prepared quickly and easily with a few fresh quality ingredients.

INGREDIENTS 

rice 

shrimps

onion 

vegetable broth

butter

extra virgin olive oil 

white wine 

salt

pepper

rosemary

garlic

tomato puree 

PREPARATION

 First of all, cook the shrimps: it will take a few minutes and, once ready, keep them aside. Using the same pot, cook the risotto in the usual way, that is, toasting it, blending it with the wine and then continuing to cook, stirring constantly and gradually adding boiling vegetable or fish broth. A few minutes after the end of cooking the risotto, add the shrimps. Then we stir the risotto off the heat with the butter and it's ready!

VARIATIONS OF SHRIMP RISOTTO

You can add vegetables such as zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peas, asparagus, zucchini flowers, or flavor the risotto with grated lemon or orange zest or embellish it with pomegranate seeds. Shrimp risotto is the perfect first course for special occasions, parties, important lunches and dinners but it is so easy and quick that it is always good, even every day!

Spaghetti with cod, olives and cherry tomatoes

Spaghetti with cod, olives and cherry tomatoes is a simple and tasty first course of fish, rich in aromas and flavors. An inexpensive dish because it consists of few ingredients and at the same time substantial. But above all a dish that can be prepared in a few simple steps: the pasta sauce is made with cod, green olives and cherry tomatoes, a condiment in which the cooking of the drained spaghetti is completed halfway through cooking and are "risotto" in the prepared fish sauce. In this way, a creamy whole is created between the pasta and the sauce, all the ingredients blend and bind perfectly together, releasing a unique taste and aroma. A mouth-watering first course, perfect for holidays and beyond!

Ingredients

300 g Spaghetti 

300 g Cherry tomatoes

250 g Desalted cod

120 g Black olives

120 ml Dry white wine

1 Onions

Oregano

4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Preparation

Prepare the Spaghetti with cod, olives and cherry tomatoes first of all by washing the cherry tomatoes and cutting them in half. Peel the onion, slice it finely and wilt it in a pan with oil. Add the black olives, cherry tomatoes, cod cut into small pieces and cook for about ten minutes. Pour in the white wine, let it evaporate and continue cooking over low heat, seasoning with oregano. While the cod, olives and cherry tomatoes sauce is cooking, boil the spaghetti in boiling salted water. Drain the spaghetti halfway through cooking, pour them into the pan with the sauce, stir them and cook them, basting occasionally with the cooking water. Serve the Spaghetti with cod, olives and cherry tomatoes and serve.

 

Cod and potato soup or Zuppa di baccalà

Cod and potato soup is a simple dish to prepare, hot, creamy, made up of a few ingredients but at the same time rich in taste. You know, in winter, especially on days when the cold is more intense, there is nothing better than a hot and steaming soup and this one I propose today is an example. A soup prepared with ingredients from the sea and land simple, quick and tasty, an excellent single dish if we accompany it with some croutons. But now let's see how to prepare the Cod and Potato Soup.

Ingredients

800 g Desalted cod

800 g Potatoes

400 ml Tomato puree

1 Onions

1 chili pepper

Oregano

4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Preparation

Prepare the cod and potato soup first of all by washing the cod and peeling it. Dab it with absorbent kitchen paper and divide it into pieces. Peel the potatoes, wash them and cut them into rather thick wedges. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the potatoes, chopped chilli pepper and a pinch of salt, and brown for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree and cook covered and over medium heat for about fifteen minutes. Add the pieces of cod and a handful of oregano, add water if necessary, and continue cooking for another 7-8 minutes (at this stage avoid stirring so that the pieces of cod do not fall apart; rather grab the pot by the handles and turn it over). Distribute the cod and potato soup on serving plates and serve.

 

Pecora alla Callara

Pecora alla callara dates back to a time when nothing was wasted. In the days of the shepherds, female sheep that had died from old age or illness were stewed in a copper pot called a callara along with any vegetables, herbs, and wine that were on hand. To ensure safety, the stew would boil for hours, making the meat tender while infusing it with the flavors of the mountains. The dish not only reflects the resourcefulness of the people but also their deep connection with nature.

The sheep alla callara (in the Teramo area) or alla cottora or cutturo in the L'Aquila area or 'ajiu cutturo' in the Marsica area is widespread above all in the mountain belt of L'Aquila and Marsican and in the area of the Laga Mountains. It owes its name to the cauldron hanging from the chain of the fireplace and cooked directly on the fire, a strong dish, archaically Mediterranean, but capable of leading back with unforgettable vigor to the origins of the Abruzzo regional culture. It is one of the most characteristic dishes of the inland areas of Abruzzo, in particular of L'Aquila, Marsica and Teramo (territory of the Gran Sasso and the Monti della Laga). There are numerous festivals dedicated to this dish such as those in Macchia da Sole di Valle Castellana, Torricella Sicura and Rocca Pia.

Ingredients

1.5 kg of sheep meat

3 glasses of white wine

salt to taste

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1 onion

1/2 chili pepper (optional)

1 sprig of rosemary

1 clove of garlic

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

500 g cherry tomatoes

1 bunch of parsley

Preparation

Clean and cut the meat into fairly large pieces. Put it in a pan and cover it with plenty of water and a glass of white wine. Put on the stove and boil, cooking over low heat. Let it boil for 1 hour, removing the foam and impurities that form on the surface, from time to time, with a slotted spoon. After 1 hour, drain the meat and wash it under running water. Put it in another pot, with more water and another glass of wine, letting it boil for about 35 minutes. Next, wash and peel the carrot. Also clean celery, onion, chili pepper and rosemary. Chop all these ingredients. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters, peel the garlic and clean the bay leaves. Take a pan, fill the bottom with a drizzle of oil and add carrot, garlic and celery. Sauté over low heat, then add the sheep meat (after draining it). Let it brown for 10 minutes, blending with another glass of white wine. After that, add all the other herbs and vegetables, 4 glasses of water and season with salt. Let it cook for 1 hour over medium-low heat. Once cooked, season with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Preservation

The original recipe for sheep alla callara is very simple to make at home, you just need to respect the long cooking times. If you have any leftovers, you can keep it for a few hours and heat it up at the moment.