Synthesi Aglianico del Vulture DOC Wine Paternoster

100% Aglianico Alcohol content 13,00% Combination Wild game, Sausage, Tagliatelle with mushrooms, Cockerel grilled, Cold cuts and salami, Scallops with mushrooms, Pasta all'amatriciana, Gnocchi al ragù. Tasting notes Bright ruby red. Intense, ethereal aroma. Dry and velvety flavor over time. Description of the wine For the Vulture Pater Noster winery, it is the product that best sums up the typology, territory, structure, longevity of the Aglianico wine and the volcanic soils from which it comes. The Domaine de la Vautours is its geographical territory of origin, exactly it is placed in the range of vineyards from 450 to 600 meters above sea level. Only 100% pure Aglianico is used for its production. The harvest period is in the second half of October. This is followed by the classic red vinification of the destemmed grapes, maceration on steel skins for 10 days at 25°C and 28°C, during which periodic pumping over and punching down are carried out. The ageing is carried out in large Slavonian oak barrels for 80% and in French barrels for the remaining 20%. Bottling and final refining take 7 to 8 months before being marketed.

Tomato Flan on Pecorino Cream

A simple but refined preparation, ideal for the very important occasions. A dish that recalls the genuine flavors of home cooking, perfect for a lunch or dinner with an informal but well-kept atmosphere. This is a nice, colorful and creative idea to open lunch with elegance, offering a delicious appetizer that will win over your guests. The recipe I propose today is an interesting idea to open the menu. The simple and complex flavors of the tomato, with its sour, sweet and salty note, are harmoniously intertwined with the intense aroma of one of the oldest but always current cheeses: pecorino. Its spicy and savory taste goes beautifully with tomato, creating a unique balance of flavors. Today, numerous scientific studies have shown that tomatoes are a valuable source of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, folate, potassium and carotenoids. Consuming it raw provides important benefits, but the tomato becomes even healthier when cooked. Cooking breaks down the cell wall of the fruit, releasing lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can reduce the risk of certain cancers, improve cholesterol profile, and help prevent heart disease. Now let's see what we need to make our Tomato Flan on Pecorino Cream. Ingredients for the flans 1 kilo of ripe tomatoes 6 sheets of isinglass 1 spring onion 1 white onion a few drops of balsamic vinegar a few basil leaves 1 lemon juice salt to taste extra virgin olive oil For the pecorino cream 30 grams of butter 30 grams of white flour 250 ml fresh milk 130 grams of Pecorino cheese Preparation Let's start by softening the gelatin sheets in cold water. In a pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, add the finely chopped white onion and spring onion and let it fry gently. Add the washed, peeled and chopped tomatoes, together with a few basil leaves for an aromatic touch (alternatively, you can use thyme). Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Once cooked, blend everything with an immersion blender, put the sauce back on the heat and let it thicken. Once ready, turn off the heat, wait a few minutes, then incorporate the softened gelatine, a few drops of balsamic vinegar and filtered lemon juice. Pour the mixture into single-serving molds and let it cool in the refrigerator for a few hours. Now let's move on to the pecorino cream. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sifted flour and mix carefully, creating a smooth roux. After a couple of minutes, pour in the hot milk, continuing to stir to avoid lumps. Cook until you get a slightly thick cream. Remove from the heat and add the pecorino cheese cut into cubes. Mix until the cheese melts completely, obtaining a velvety cream with an intense flavor. Remove the flans from the molds and place them on a plate, on top of the pecorino cream. We decorate as desired with imagination. Our Tomato Flan on Pecorino Cream are ready to be served.

Bigoli in Sauce

The history of Venice is evocative and characteristic, a history that is also intertwined with gastronomic traditions. The lagoon city, in fact, was one of the first to compare itself with the cuisines of other countries, a fact that is not surprising, considering that in the past Venice was a commercial power. This cultural exchange led to the integration of flavors and ingredients from every corner of the world: pepper, cinnamon, saffron, raisins, rice, cod, sugar, Malvasia wine... all elements that enriched Venetian cuisine, both in meat dishes and in local fish dishes. A typical dish of the Veneto region, in particular of the city of Venice. The characteristic of this dish is the sauce, which must be prepared in a workmanlike manner, obtaining a creamy consistency. To achieve this result, the secret lies in cooking the onion, cut very thinly, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil slowly, stewing it and not frying it, until you get a sort of cream. Only when the onion has reached this consistency, salted anchovies can be added, an ideal preserve for many typical dishes, especially in seaside cities. Anchovies, in fact, were preserved immediately after fishing, ideally in July, when they are larger and fleshier. They are not washed (otherwise they could rot) or deprived of the entrails, but are stored pressed in special glass containers, called "arbanelle". Once ready, they can be stored for a long time and, after being desalted, they become anchovies in oil. Now let's see what we need to prepare our Bigoli in Sauce. Ingredients 450 grams of bigoli 2 white onions 6 salted anchovies extra virgin olive oil salt Preparation Let's start by peeling the onion and cutting it finely. In a non-stick pan, pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, add the chopped onion and sauté gently over low heat, covering the pan. In the meantime, let's take care of the anchovies: desalt them under running water to remove the preserving salt, then remove the backbone and add them to the onions, which in the meantime have turned into a cream. Mix and melt the anchovies. Bring a pot with plenty of salted water to a boil, then dip the bigoli and cook them for the time indicated on the package. Drain them a couple of minutes before the end of cooking and transfer them to the pan with the onion and anchovy cream. Stir, adding, if necessary, a few tablespoons of the cooking water of the bigoli. Serve the bigoli hot. Our Bigoli in Sauce are ready to be enjoyed.

Pumpkin Tortelli

Are an irresistible proposal for a first course of stuffed pasta. This dish, rich and inviting, represents a specialty of the winter season, a typical delicacy of the Lombard tradition and, in particular, of the city of Mantua. Pumpkin tortelli are a festive recipe that has its roots in the peasant tradition, when lean ingredients were used in the kitchen. From the very first taste, our tortelli gently pamper the palate, impressing with their filling and providing a complete culinary experience. The contrast between the sweet flavor of pumpkin and the spicy, savory fragrance of fruit mustard creates a perfect balance between sweetness, flavor and delicacy, resulting in a harmony of flavors. Our rich gastronomic tradition offers a varied menu that, from north to south, offers unique experiences to the palate. We prepare dishes with love, dedicating ourselves to unusual preparations that are surprising both visually and tastefully. Tagliolini, tagliatelle, lasagna, cannelloni, ravioli, tortellini and tortelli are the real protagonists, to be enjoyed with a fork or spoon if cooked in broth. These dishes represent a comfort food that unites all Italians, without distinction between north and south. And if for us Italians fresh pasta triumphs on holiday tables, there are also traditional dishes of stuffed pasta in other parts of the world, albeit with different shapes and fillings. Now let's see what we need to make our Homemade Pumpkin Tortelli. Ingredients for the puff pastry 500 grams of semolina flour 2 eggs 1/2 glass of warm water salt Ingredients for the filling Pumpkin 200 grams of fruit mustard 150 grams of grated Grana Padano cheese 80 grams of amaretti biscuits Ingredients for the dressing butter to taste sage Preparation Prepare the pasta for the ravioli by putting 500 grams of semolina flour, 2 eggs, a pinch of salt and half a glass of warm water in the planetary mixer. We operate the mixer and work until we get a smooth, homogeneous and well-blended dough. Cover with a napkin and let it rest for 30 minutes. Now let's move on to the filling: pour the Pumpkin into a bowl, add the mustard cut into small pieces, the crumbled amaretti biscuits and the grated cheese. If the dough is too soft, add crumbled amaretti biscuits and increase the amount of grated cheese. Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator to cool. Take the dough, divide it into 4-5 parts and, with the help of a pasta machine, roll out fairly thin sheets. We can roll out the dough with a rolling pin. On the pastry place a knob of filling, close carefully and form the ravioli with a pastry cutter. Place the ravioli on a tray sprinkled with durum wheat semolina. Bring a pot with plenty of salted water to a boil, cook the ravioli for a couple of minutes, drain them and transfer them to the pan where we have melted the butter with the sage leaves. Add the grated Grana Padano and serve the ravioli while still hot.

Stuffed Savoy Cabbage Dumplings with Mortadella

Stuffed Savoy Cabbage Dumplings with Mortadella with Sauce are a rich and delicious second course, perfect for bringing a touch of comfort food to the table. Delicious ricotta and mortadella meatballs are wrapped in cabbage leaves, flavored with a tomato sauce and au gratin in the oven. A simple home recipe within everyone's reach, which conquers young and old with its irresistible flavor. The absolute protagonist of this preparation is the cabbage, also known as "Savoy cabbage". This vegetable, a symbol of poor peasant cuisine, is a precious source of essential nutrients. It contains vitamins of group A and C, mineral salts, anthocyanins and flavonoids, all bioactive compounds useful for health. In addition, it is very light, with only 29 calories per 100 grams, which makes it perfect even for those looking for a balanced diet. Now let's see what we need to prepare our Savoy Cabbage Dumplings Stuffed with Mortadella with Sauce. Ingredients 8 large cabbage leaves 200 grams of mortadella 200 grams of fresh ricotta 1 boiled potatoes 1 egg 100 grams of Grana Padano cheese 1 package of tomato puree a clove of garlic a spring onion parsley salt extra virgin olive oil Preparation Gently detach the cabbage leaves from the head, wash them under running water and blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes. Once softened, drain them and immerse them immediately in a bowl with water and ice for a few seconds: this step serves to maintain the bright color of the leaves, preventing them from going out. In a pan, heat a drizzle of oil with a clove of garlic. Add the tomato puree and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, prepare the filling: in a bowl combine 200 grams of chopped mortadella, ricotta, an egg, half of the grated Grana Padano cheese, boiled and mashed potatoes, a pinch of salt and a little chopped parsley. Mix everything carefully until you get a homogeneous mixture. Take the blanched and dried cabbage leaves. In the center of each leaf we place a little filling, then close it in a roll or bundle, sealing well to prevent the filling from leaking out. Arrange the dumplings directly in the prepared tomato sauce, which we will have poured into an oven dish. Cover everything with the remaining grated Grana Padano and bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, take it out of the oven and serve our Savoy cabbage Dumplings Stuffed with Mortadella and sauce hot and steaming immediately.

Tagliatelle with Ricotta and Prawns

This dish, with simple and genuine flavors, presents a classic of the home tradition: homemade tagliatelle wrapped in a delicious ricotta and parmesan cream, enlivened by the intense aroma of grated lemon zest. This combination goes perfectly with shrimp, once considered "aristocratic food", which enhances the entire dish with their fine meats. This original dish is ideal for special occasions, such as the upcoming Easter holidays. Accompanied by a great wine with fine organoleptic characteristics, it becomes a divine choice to celebrate these occasions. This is a special time to share with family and close friends. It is an opportunity to prepare dishes handed down from generation to generation and delicious recipes that use the symbolic ingredients, creating a menu rich in symbolism. And tagliatelle are one of the pasta shapes that are impossible to resist, one of the most loved types of long pasta by Italians, with a centuries-old history that has its roots in the Emilian region. Their name derives from the verb "to cut", since traditionally a thin sheet is rolled out, rolled up and cut with a knife. Now let's see what we need to make our Creamy Homemade Tagliatelle with Ricotta with Prawns. Ingredients for the tagliatelle 400 grams of re-milled durum wheat semolina 200 ml of warm water salt 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil Ingredients 300 grams of ricotta cheese 120 grams of grated Parmigiano Reggiano 16 prawns 1 clove of garlic 1/2 glass of white wine parsley chives salt Pepper extra virgin olive oil zest of an organic lemon Preparation Prepare the tagliatelle by putting all the ingredients indicated in the planetary mixer and start the mixer. Knead for a long time until the dough is smooth and homogeneous. After working it, let it rest covered with a bowl for about 10 minutes. After the indicated time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you get a thin sheet. Roll up the dough and cut it with a knife according to the desired thickness. Pass the ricotta through a sieve and mix it with the Parmesan cheese, adding a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Next, wash and clean the shrimp, removing the carapace, and sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic and deglaze with white wine. Cook until the wine has completely evaporated. In a pot with plenty of boiling salted water, cook our tagliatelle until they are al dente. Drain them and transfer them to the pan with the prawns, adding the sifted ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Mix well to mix all the ingredients. Serve the tagliatelle with a few blades of chives, some organic lemon zest. Our Homemade Creamy Ricotta Tagliatelle with Shrimps, are ready to be enjoyed.

Spaghetti with Olives, Anchovies and Capers

This dish is certainly part of the Italian gastronomic tradition, whose origins are debated between Campania and Lazio. For others, the birthplace of this condiment is Rome, in the 50s, in a restaurant in the Testaccio district. The owner, to please some customers who arrived suddenly, invented a sauce with the ingredients at his disposal: olives, capers, tomato and salted anchovies. The name given to it derives from a purely Roman terminology that means "nonsense", in reference to the simplicity of the ingredients that compose it, always at hand in every pantry. From this improvised recipe was born what is now a symbolic dish of Roman cuisine. Whatever the origins of the dish, one thing is certain: we are talking about a recipe with an irresistible flavor! We can find food from every region of Italy and enjoy the true flavor of genuine products, prepared according to tradition, representing the best on the market. Now let's see what we need to make our Spaghetti with Olives, Anchovies and Capers. Ingredients 1 pack of Spaghetti 600 ml of tomato puree 4 tablespoons of Olives anchovy fillets in oil Capers in Extra Virgin Olive Oil garlic 2/3 cloves 1 chili pepper parsley, coarsely chopped salt extra virgin olive oil Preparation In a large pan, pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a chilli pepper and three cloves of garlic, then put on the heat and let it flavor. Add the anchovy fillets, let them melt and then pour in the tomato puree and olives, continuing to cook over low heat. In the meantime, bring the water to a boil in a large pot, add the salt and cook the spaghetti in an arch for 12/13 minutes. Drain them and add them to the sauce (in the meantime we would have removed the garlic cloves and chili), also adding the chopped capers. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Serve the dish with plenty of chopped parsley.

Watermelon Gazpacho with Tomato, Feta, Radishes and Taralli

Today's proposal is a reinterpretation of a great classic of Iberian and Andalusian cuisine: Gazpacho with tomatoes and peppers. This dish, together with Paella, is one of the symbols of world gastronomy. In this version, watermelon is combined with tomatoes, peppers, and onion to create an incredibly versatile and flavorful soup. Everything is made even tastier by the combination with feta cheese, radishes and homemade taralli with oil. Simple to make and with beneficial virtues, this soup has a bright red color that immediately recalls summer. Originally made with stale bread, oil and vinegar, gazpacho has seen the addition of vegetables and tomato over time. There are numerous versions, both hot and cold, and fruit gazpacho have become fashionable in recent years, allowing personal interpretations and perfect to be served not only as a soup, but also as a vegetarian aperitif in small transparent glasses or as a drink. Contrary to what was thought in the last century, watermelon is not just water and sugar. Its consumption offers significant benefits to the bone, cardiovascular and digestive systems. It contains a good source of antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals, slowing cellular aging and reducing inflammation. Now let's see what we need to make our Watermelon Gazpacho with Tomato, Feta, Radishes and Taralli. Ingredients 500 grams of watermelon pulp 2 red peppers 1 onion 1 small cucumber 500 grams of red cherry tomatoes 1 tablespoon of red vinegar Extra Virgin Olive Oil salt freshly ground black pepper You will also need 100 grams of feta cheese 4/5 radishes fresh mint Ingredients for the taralli 300 grams of re-milled durum wheat flour 300 grams of white flour 150 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil 180 ml white wine salt Preparation Let's start by preparing the watermelon: cut it into slices, remove the zest and seeds, and then cut the pulp into cubes. Peel the onion, remove the skin and cut it into small pieces. Wash the peppers, cut them in half, remove the seeds and reduce the layers to cubes. We also wash the cherry tomatoes, cut them in half and prepare the cucumber: after removing the skin, cut it lengthwise and remove the central seeds. Collect all the vegetables and watermelon in the kitchen mixer and blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove any seeds and obtain a smooth consistency. Add a tablespoon of red vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and place in the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours. Serve the Gazpacho with crumbled feta, thin slices of radish, mint leaves and taralli. Recipe for Taralli Let's start with the dough: in the planetary mixer we put 300 grams of re-milled durum wheat semolina flour and 300 grams of white flour. Add 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil and start kneading. Add 180 ml of white wine and 10 grams of salt. Knead the dough for a long time until you get a smooth, homogeneous and well-blended consistency. Let the dough rest covered with a bowl for 10 minutes. Form the taralli: take the dough and create small pieces of dough, closing them in a ring. Cook the taralli: bring a large pot of water to a boil and dip the taralli. Boil them for about 2 minutes. Drain the taralli on a cloth, let them dry and then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180°C for 40-45 minutes, until the taralli are golden and crispy. Our Watermelon Gazpacho with Tomato, Feta, Radishes and Taralli is now ready to be served and enjoyed!

Blueberry Risotto with Burrata

Its realization is extremely simple, but at the same time refined, making it perfect both for the most important occasions and for summer evenings in the moonlight, in pleasant sharing with friends. This dish, which evokes the scent of summer, is a real must for those who love the combination of fruit with savory dishes, with that touch of refinement and elegance that knows how to amaze and intrigue. The world of fruit and savory foods offers inspiration for our summer lunches, with recipes ranging from the most traditional and simple to the most daring and gourmet. This is nothing new in our gastronomic culture: there are many rustic peasant dishes, and as the saying goes, "don't let the farmer know how good cheese with pears is." The sweetness of pears goes well with any type of cheese, fresh and soft or aged and hard. Personally, I find wild blueberries tastier, which can be found walking in the mountain areas, along the high-altitude paths, in July and August. These blueberries have a bright blue color and a slightly sour flavor. It is not difficult to recognize them, but you should always be careful before picking them, as they could be confused with the so-called fake blueberry. Now let's see what we need to make our Blueberry Risotto with Burrata. Ingredients 320 grams of Carnaroli rice 150 grams of fresh blueberries + 2 tablespoons of water 1 spring onion 1 glass of dry white wine salt extra virgin olive oil a knob of butter a sprig of rosemary vegetable broth Ingredients for the broth 1 onion cloves a few celery sticks 2 carrots peppercorns Ingredients for the burrata sauce 1 buffalo burrata of 300 grams 2 tablespoons of fresh cream extra virgin olive oil salt Pepper 1 teaspoon of rice starch Preparation Let's prepare the broth: let's start by peeling an onion and piercing it with a few cloves. Next, we cut 2 carrots and 2 ribs of celery into pieces. Put the vegetables in a pot with about 3 liters of cold water, bring to a boil and cook for an hour. Let's now dedicate ourselves to the burrata cream: put the burrata in a mixer with the liquid cream, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of rice starch, salt and pepper, and work until you get a velvety cream. Divide the cream into two parts: 1/3 for creaming and the rest for decoration. In a saucepan put the blueberries with 2 tablespoons of water, bring to the heat and cook for a couple of minutes, then blend more than half with an immersion blender. Peel the spring onion, slice it thinly and put it in a saucepan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Let it flavor, then add the rice, toast it for a few minutes and then deglaze with a glass of dry wine. As soon as the wine evaporates, add the blended blueberries. Continue by adding a ladle of broth when necessary until cooked, about 10/12 minutes. When the rice is cooked, add the unblended blueberries and the third of burrata cream. Season with salt and stir in a piece of butter. All that remains is to serve with the burrata cream and rosemary in fantasy. Our Blueberry Risotto with Burrata is ready to be served.

Vegetable Lasagna

It is a healthy and light idea, which retains the scent of summer thanks to the colors and scents of the Mediterranean. The recipe combines rustic and genuine flavors with a touch of sophistication. The lasagna is enriched with layers of egg pasta that blend perfectly with a delicate and creamy ricotta cream, confit tomatoes baked in the oven at low temperature and caramelized with sugar, similar to roasted tomatoes but even tastier. The rich Parmigiano Reggiano with a pleasant flavor will stimulate the taste buds, while the basil, with its spicy and slightly pungent freshness, will complete the dish, offering a unique and unforgettable sensory experience. Lasagna is a dish that reflects Italian culinary creativity and features countless regional variations, all joined by fresh egg pasta sheets. The fillings range from the classics, such as Bolognese, Neapolitan and Sicilian lasagna, to vegetarian versions with artichokes, pumpkin, eggplant and broccoli, up to recipes with fish sauce or lentils and original combinations such as cabbage and pumpkin scented with cinnamon. Lasagna holds a special place in our gastronomic tradition, representing a source of pride. Despite their apparent simplicity, they are a symbol of conviviality and Italianness, typical of the classic Sunday lunch at grandmother's house. Now let's see what we need to make our Vegetable Lasagna. Ingredients for the puff pastry 400 grams of white flour 4 eggs a pinch of salt Ingredients for the ricotta cream 600 grams of fresh cow's milk ricotta 50 ml of fresh whole milk 80 grams of grated Parmigiano Reggiano salt Pepper For the confit cherry tomatoes 400 grams of cherry tomatoes 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil 1 clove of garlic 3 level tablespoons of granulated sugar salt basil You will also need confit cherry tomatoes grated Grana Padano cheese fresh basil a knob of butter Preparation Let's prepare the lasagna starting with the dough: put 400 grams of 00 white flour with 4 eggs and a pinch of salt in the planetary mixer and start kneading. Knead for a long time until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough, then transfer it to the work table and cover it with an upside-down bowl. Let it rest for 30 minutes. After the resting time, roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut it into rectangles. Let's prepare the confit tomatoes: after washing them, cut them in half and place them on a rectangular baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the surface with salt, sugar and a drizzle of oil flavored with minced garlic. Bake at 80°C for about 3 hours. For the ricotta cream, put the ricotta in a bowl with the cheese, chopped basil leaves and milk. Mix well, season with salt and pepper. Compose the lasagna in a baking dish: spread a thin layer of ricotta cream, then a layer of lasagna sheets, more ricotta, cherry tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used up. Finish with the ricotta cream, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and a few flakes of butter. Bake at 200°C until golden brown. Our Vegetable Lasagna is ready to be served.

Montefalco red wine

Montefalco red wine ages for 12 months in barrique, followed by at least 4 months in the bottle, a process that allows the wine to develop extraordinary aromatic complexity while maintaining impeccable freshness. Suggested pairings: best with succulent pasta dishes and roasted meats, offering a gastronomic versatility that is captivating. Serving temperature: 18°C. 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Merlot from Montefalco, Italy. The Montefalco Rosso may be paired with an extraordinary range of dishes including poultry, red meats, veal, charcuterie and cheeses. Tasting notes Dense in colour with burgundy and purple tones, this wine offers intense aromas of plums and vanilla. In the mouth it is full-bodied, dry with light tannins and a juicy finish. This wine opens with a wonderful, succulent aroma of sour black cherry, lots of violets, licorice, leather and spice. The wine tastes rustic yet soft and smooth and is full of tart fruit. This is a really delicious wine that is great on its own or with any kind of Italian fare. Licorice, leather and spice touches run throughout and lead into the dry, long finish. I love it!

Galettes with Apricots

The appearance is rustic, it includes a base of shortcrust pastry and does not require the use of the mold, which will give it an irregular appearance, beautiful to look at, such as ripe apricot fillings mixed with granulated sugar and corn starch. A rustic, scenic and delicious dessert, perfect for a delicious breakfast, for a rich snack or to make our desserts unique to end a lunch and/or dinner on a sweet note. To make it we will use shortcrust pastry that we can buy ready in the supermarket refrigerated counter or we can prepare with an easy recipe; If you like, you can replace part of the white flour with wholemeal, corn or buckwheat flour for an even more rustic flavor. Now let's see what we need to make our Galette with Apricots. Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry 250 grams of white flour 80 grams of butter 80 ml of water a pinch of salt You will also need 14 ripe apricots 50 grams of sugar apricot jam 20 grams of cornstarch For the cover powdered sugar Preparation Prepare the shortcrust pastry, put the 250 grams of flour in the planetary mixer, with butter, salt and start kneading until we have a sandy dough. Add the water and work to obtain a smooth and compact dough. Cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes. Wash and remove the apricots, remove the stone and cut them into wedges, put them in a bowl with the granulated sugar and cornstarch and mix. Roll out the dough in a circle on a sheet of parchment paper, distribute a thin layer of apricot jam jam in the center and arrange the apricot wedges, fold the free edges of dough inwards, pressing gently. Transfer to a baking sheet, using parchment paper; Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle the surface with granulated sugar. Bake at 180 C degrees for 30/35 minutes. Our Galette with Apricots is ready to be served.

Risotto with Raw Prosciutto and Caramelized Onions

Today I present you a classy and elegant dish, where the flavor of the fine raw ham harmonizes perfectly with the sweetness and aroma of caramelized onions. This delicious and creamy risotto is perfect to serve on a special occasion, such as festive lunches, thanks to its alchemy of flavors and textures, capable of surprising and surprising our diners. It is a constantly evolving dish, the muse of great chefs, who experiment with increasingly refined and tasty combinations. Just think of the risotto with zucchini and saffron ice cream or the cinnamon-scented risotto, with suckling pig ragout and a splash of coffee powder. There is a continuous search for new flavors for a dish that represents the Italian tradition from north to south, following a few basic rules: the toasting of the rice, the addition of a good wine to blend and the creaming, which gives the dish a unique creaminess. The main ingredient of the recipe is rice, which for us Italians represents the basis of countless dishes, both traditional and modern cuisine. In our culture, it is not a simple food to accompany a second course, as is the case in other parts of the world, but the great protagonist of many regional recipes. Think, for example, of the famous Sicilian rice balls, one of the classics of street food, which can have different shapes depending on the region: round, cone or pear, stuffed with a rich meat sauce, peas and caciocavallo. We cannot forget the rice sartù, a specialty of Campania, tasty timbales rich in meatballs, sausages, peas, hard-boiled eggs and Neapolitan ragout, and the supplì del Lazio, elongated croquettes stuffed with meat sauce and mozzarella. Now let's see what we need to make our Risotto with Raw Prosciutto and Caramelized Onions. Ingredients 320 grams of Carnaroli or Arborio rice 1 jar of Onions 150 grams of San Daniele prosciutto 120 grams of goat cheese 1 shallot 1/2 glass of dry white wine salt freshly ground black pepper extra virgin olive oil a knob of butter to cream marjoram vegetable broth Ingredients for the broth 1 onion cloves a few celery sticks 2 carrots peppercorns Preparation Let's prepare the broth: let's start by peeling an onion and piercing it with a few cloves. Next, we cut two carrots and two celery stalks into pieces. Put the vegetables in a pot with about 3 liters of cold water, bring to a boil and cook for an hour. Peel the shallot, slice it thinly and put it in a saucepan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Let it flavor, then add the rice and toast it for a few minutes. Deglaze with dry white wine, evaporating the alcohol. We continue by adding, when necessary, a ladle of broth until the end of cooking, which takes about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, cut the raw prosciutto into strips and make it crispy in a hot non-stick pan. When the rice is cooked, add the caramelized onions, the raw ham, season with salt and stir in the goat cheese, a knob of butter and marjoram. Our Risotto is ready to be served!

Battered and fried artichokes

Fried Batter and Fried Vegetables are a delicious and inviting side dish, a fried vegetable as good as a pancake, which is served strictly hot, like all fried foods, to savor its goodness. The protagonist of this recipe are artichokes, a vegetable that is the protagonist of various typical recipes of the Italian culinary tradition. Excellent to be enjoyed raw sliced into slices, for fantastic salads, delicious in sauces to season pasta, or stewed, baked or fried. We find them on sale from the beginning of December until late Spring and in this season they are perfect for purifying us from winter waste. Now let's see what we need to make our Artichokes in Batter and Fried. Ingredients 8 artichokes 1 lemon oil for frying Ingredients for the batter 250 ml milk 200 ml of water 400 grams of white flour 2 teaspoons dry yeast salt Preparation Peel the artichokes, cut them into thin slices and put them in a bowl with water and the juice of a lemon. Prepare the batter and in a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, mix and add the water a little at a time until you get a thick batter that falls like a ribbon, without lumps. Cover with cling film and let rise for about half an hour. Drain our artichokes into slices, dry them by gently patting them dry with kitchen paper and dip them a few at a time in the batter that has risen in the meantime. Drain the excess batter and fry in plenty of hot oil until golden brown. Place our artichokes in a sheet of kitchen paper, add a little salt and serve them immediately hot. Our Battered and Fried Artichokes are ready to be enjoyed.

Vegetable Soup with Black Cabbage

This great classic of the cold season is prepared with a mix of vegetables typical of the period, including black cabbage, a real superfood! This extraordinary vegetable, in addition to being low in calories, is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and precious mineral salts: a perfect ally for our well-being. A warm, colorful and flavorful dish, ideal for surprising your guests and celebrating the best of seasonal products. Perfect for those who want a winter menu that enhances authentic and genuine flavors. Ingredients 500 grams of mixed vegetables including carrots, green beans, celery, onion, spinach, tomatoes kale according to your personal tastes 1 slice of pumpkin 1 can of boiled chickpeas a pack of boiled borlotti beans 40 grams of guanciale grated Grana Padano cheese to taste salt black pepper to taste extra virgin olive oil Ingredients for the vegetable broth 1 onion cloves a few celery sticks 2 carrots peppercorns Preparation Let's prepare the broth: peel an onion and pierce it with a few cloves. Cut 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks into pieces. Put the vegetables in a pot with about 3 liters of cold water, bring to a boil and cook for about an hour. In the meantime, remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin, then cut it into cubes. Wash and peel the other vegetables, cutting them into small pieces or cubes. For the black cabbage, we remove the central rib and use only the leaves, which we cut into small pieces. In a large saucepan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and brown the bacon with the onion until it browns. Add the pumpkin and a ladle of vegetable broth, leaving to cook for about ten minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, beans and chickpeas already boiled (after removing the preserving liquid). Cover everything with the prepared broth and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender but not flaky. Serve the soup hot, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if you want, accompanied by crispy croutons.

Cat's tongues

We commonly know them as cat's tongues because of their flat, narrow, and elongated shape. The technical term in pastry for these delicious biscuits that are very simple to make is cigarette mass, who made them for us. We have all tasted them at least once, hidden among other biscuits and pastries in the Sunday pastry "cabaret". They are prepared in a few minutes, making a delicate dough based on butter, sugar, flour and egg whites. Ideal to serve as a snack together with small pastries, as they go perfectly with tea, or served with ice cream, spoon desserts, delicious creams and fruit salads. Cat's tongues can also be used to garnish cakes, adding an extra touch of elegance and deliciousness! INGREDIENTS Soft butter , with cream 50 g Icing sugar 60 g Egg whites 50 g Flour 50 g Preparation To prepare the cat lungs, first place the soft butter in a bowl. Add the icing sugar and mix with a spatula. In fact, this mass will not have to mount. Incorporate the egg whites and mix again until you get a cream. Add the flour and mix again until you get a soft mass. Transfer the dough into a piping bag with a smooth 10 mm nozzle. Make sticks about 10 cm long on a baking tray lined with parchment paper; you can make about 15 on the same drip tray. Bake in a preheated convection oven at 190° C for about 8 minutes. At this point the cat's tongues will be ready. Take them out of the oven and if you prefer to give a different shape than usual when they are still hot, transfer them to a rolling pin and let them cool. This will give you a wave shape. Otherwise, to obtain a straight shape, just let them cool in the pan. Transfer to a serving dish and serve, or use them to make a dessert giving vent to your imagination.

Fish soup

Fish soup is a tasty dish that is made with fresh fish, a must in the culinary tradition of the Italian maritime regions. Every town overlooking the sea, in fact, preserves its own recipe; just think of the famous brodetto fanese or the typical clam soup but also of the simple fish in stew. What makes this soup special is the fish stock: a broth with an intense taste made with the waste from cleaning all the fish present in the preparation, which will release all their aromas during cooking. Accompany the soup with slices of homemade bread, you will thus give a rustic and genuine touch to this delicious first course. Although a bit laborious, fish soup is worth preparing: its flavors and aromas will transport you to the seashore for a day. INGREDIENTS Prawns (to be cleaned) 6 Cuttlefish (cleaned) 400 g Gurnard (to be cleaned) 550 g Monkfish (to be cleaned) 500 g Red mullet (to be cleaned) 550 g Extra virgin olive oil to taste Garlic 2 Cloves Parsley to taste White wine 50 g Salt to taste Black pepper to taste Tomato puree 500 g Celery 1 coast Carrots 1 White onions 1 Water 1.5 l White peppercorns Parsley to taste Mussels 1 Kg Extra virgin olive oil to taste Garlic 1 segment Preparation To make the fish soup, start by cleaning the gurnards: after gutting and rinsing them, cut the back at the height of the central bone and divide them into two fillets, then remove the smaller bones with the special kitchen tongs, keep the fillet lying on the cut and rub it with your fingertips to identify the bones. Keep the scraps that will be used for the broth. Now take care of the mullets: after gutting and rinsing them, remove the head and tail, cut the spine and cut two fillets by removing the central bone. You can also proceed by making an incision at the base of the mullet head, then slide the blade from the head to the tail to obtain the first fillet. Remove the bones with pliers here too. Keep the scraps. Now clean the monkfish as well: gut it, remove the tail and fins, remove the skin and cut with a knife along the entire back, next to the central bone, cut the fillet, cut it into slices. Always keep scraps aside. Clean the shrimp: remove the head and tail, remove the carapace and extract the dark filament on the back, with the help of a toothpick. Now wash the vegetables for the fish broth and cut them into chunks. Pour the vegetables into a pan, parsley, fish cleaning waste and peppercorns, you can choose whether to use black or white peppercorns. Cover with water, turn on the heat and cook for two hours from the boil. During cooking, remove the foam that will form on the surface with a slotted spoon. Meanwhile, clean the mussels: make sure they are all closed, broken or open ones should be discarded. Remove any dog teeth on the shell with a small knife, remove the beard and, finally, scrape off the impurities with a clean scourer. Now rinse them thoroughly. In a saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil with a clove of pinafore garlic. Pour the mussels and cover with the lid. Cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. The mussels must all be open. Drain them through a sieve to collect their cooking water. Then shell them, taking care to keep aside some mussels with the shell for the garnish of the dishes. Now cut the cuttlefish into strips. In a large saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil with two pinafore cloves of garlic, pour in the cuttlefish and brown them over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with white wine and let it evaporate. Pour in the tomato puree and the cooking water of the mussels. Cover with the lid and cook for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, the fish broth will be ready, filter it through a sieve and keep it aside. Remove the garlic cloves from the soup, add the monkfish slices and 800 g of the fish broth you have prepared. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. At this point, add the gurnal fillets and red mullet, continue cooking for another 5 minutes, rotating the pan so as not to flake the fish. To finish, pour in the prawns. and shelled mussels. Season with salt and pepper only now, let it flavor for another minute, then turn off the heat, add the mussels in their shells, chopped parsley and serve the fish soup hot. Preservation The fish soup can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days. You can freeze it if you have used fresh ingredients.

Risotto with porcini mushrooms

Mushrooms are one of the most precious gifts that the earth gives us and there is no better way to enjoy them than a delicious porcini mushroom risotto, with an intense and unmistakable aroma. Porcini mushrooms, with their nutty taste and fleshy texture, go perfectly with rice which, thanks to the high starch content, gives a unique and velvety creaminess. The addition of a knob of butter and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese at the end of cooking complete the work, giving the classic "wave" effect. Finally, don't forget a touch of fresh parsley to balance the flavors and add a hint of freshness. Risotto with porcini mushrooms is a creamy and enveloping vegetarian first course, the perfect choice to snatch a round of applause from your guests but also a comfort food to pamper the family when the days begin to get shorter. Autumn is the ideal season to make recipes with mushrooms, a good risotto is the perfect dish to best enhance the flavor of freshly picked porcini mushrooms! INGREDIENTS Carnaroli Rice 320 g Porcini mushrooms 400 g Small golden onions 1 Garlic 1 segment Vegetable broth 1 l Butter 30 g Extra virgin olive oil 2 Tablespoons Salt to taste Black pepper to taste To cream and garnish Parmigiano Reggiano cold from the fridge 50 g Cold butter from the fridge 30 g Parsley 2 Tablespoons Preparation First prepare the vegetable broth. Now take care of cleaning the porcini: remove the base with a knife, scrape the stem to remove all soil residues and, finally, rub gently with a damp cloth. If the mushroom is very earthy, you can run it briefly under running water, but be sure to dry it immediately to prevent it from absorbing water. Once cleaned, cut the mushrooms into slices about 7-8 mm thick, keeping the entire section intact whenever possible. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry a clove of crushed garlic briefly, then turn up the heat and add the mushrooms. Brown the mushrooms over high heat for about 10 minutes so that they take on color, then pepper. Salted and remove from heat. In the meantime, peel and finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and stew it gently for 10-15 minutes, using a ladle of broth if necessary. When the onion is soft and transparent, add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes. Once the rice has become almost transparent, cook it by adding a ladle of broth at a time and stirring often; Make sure that the boiling bubbles remain constant and that the flame is not too aggressive. When the rice is very al dente, a few minutes before it is ready, add the porcini mushrooms. Mix and finish cooking, adjusting salt and pepper if necessary. Once cooked, stir the risotto off the heat adding the butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and mix everything. To get a perfect risotto all'onda you can add another ladle of broth, if necessary. Finally, garnish with chopped fresh parsley and stir again. Your porcini mushroom risotto is ready to be served.

Scallops au gratin

Scallops au gratin are a perfect appetizer before dinner a delicate and fragrant breading flavored with thyme, marjoram and parsley embellishes these refined seafood, a delicious alternative to the more common mussels au gratin. Scallops au gratin will be a perfect dish to present to your guests, an easy and tasty recipe at the same time, also ideal as a last-minute appetizer. You think about making the breading moist at the right point and choosing the meatiest scallops... the rest will be taken care of by cooking in the oven, so you can devote yourself to the last details of the table to be set. Scallops au gratin ready, let the party begin! INGREDIENTS Scallops 8 Breadcrumbs 100 g Lemon zest 1 Parsley to taste Thyme to taste Marjoram to taste Extra virgin olive oil 40 g Salt to taste Black pepper to taste Preparation To make scallops au gratin, start with the breadcrumbs: remove the crust of the bread (you can use it to make crispy croutons) and cut the crumb into cubes. Transfer it to a mixer, then add the oil, salt and pepper. Also add the aromatic herbs, parsley, marjoram and thyme and finally grate the lemon zest. Blend to obtain a coarse mixture; With these doses your breadcrumbs will be moist at the right point, so that the result is tasty and not too dry. Take the scallops, which you have previously rinsed under running water, and place them on a drip tray with the shell facing down, then stuff them with the breadcrumbs obtained. Bake in a preheated convection oven at 190° C for about 15 minutes or until an inviting crust forms. Your scallops au gratin are ready to be served!

Salmon rolls

The recipe for salmon and philadelphia rolls (or robiola) is quick and easy, suitable for delicious fish appetizers that everyone likes. They are really simple finger foods but rich in taste. They are prepared with smoked salmon but if you want a less strong taste you can use the natural one. And they can also be presented without cheese. After the recipe you will find, in fact, many variations to satisfy every taste, such as salmon and zucchini rolls, or smoked salmon and avocado, or salmon rolls and Russian salad, or even salmon rolls stuffed with rice. Try them all, they are really delicious! Ingredients Smoked or natural salmon 200 gr Fresh chives in strands 1 bunch Extra virgin olive oil to taste Cream cheese 200 gr Lemon 1 Salt and pepper to taste Preparation Put the philadelphia cheese in a bowl and season it with a pinch of salt and pepper. Take two slices of smoked or natural salmon and cut them into cubes. Add them to the cheese. Chop two stalks of chives and add them to the salmon and philadelphia mixture. Add the grated zest of half a lemon. Take the salmon slices one by one and stuff them with the prepared filling. Wrap the stuffed slices to form the rolls. Tie the salmon rolls with a blade of chives or a skewer and refrigerate until consumed. When ready to serve, you can decorate the salmon rolls with lemon slices.

Prawns in paprika batter

Dear friends, today let's see together how to prepare prawns in paprika batter, an easy and delicious recipe excellent to serve as an appetizer with friends. Battered prawns are a delicious finger food whose strong point is the crispy and light batter that envelops the shellfish. In this paprika version they are irresistible! I recommend accompanying them with pink sauce or, if you want to give the dish an oriental note, with soy sauce! Ingredients 12king prawns 100 g flour 160 ml beer 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 11/2 lemon peanut oil Steps First, clean the prawns by removing the head and marrow, then remove the carapace while leaving the end of the tail. After rinsing the prawns, take care of the batter. Put 100 g of flour in a bowl (both durum wheat and soft wheat are fine) and add the beer (which must be very cold!) mixing with a whisk. Also add the paprika, oil and the juice of half a lemon. The batter obtained must be soft but not to liquid. Heat 3 fingers of peanut oil in a saucepan. When the oil is hot, gradually take the prawns by the tail and dip them in the batter, then dip them into the saucepan. Do not put too many prawns at a time so as not to lower the temperature of the oil. As the prawns are cooked, place them on paper towels. Complete with a pinch of salt and serve, alone or accompanied by sauces of your choice. Your paprika battered prawns are ready to be enjoyed!

Sardine cutlets

Dear friends, today let's see together how to prepare a delicious recipe of the Sicilian tradition: sardine cutlets! For me, sardine cutlets are a childhood memory, because my grandmother always prepared them and I loved to rub them still hot on absorbent paper and eat them in bites secretly! Sardines are part of oily fish and are light, nutritious and rich in Omega-3. Cheap and tasty, they are the protagonists of various traditional Sicilian dishes such as pasta with sardines or sardines a beccafico. They differ from anchovies because sardines are larger, tastier and with more tender meat. They are an excellent second course of fish but they are also perfect for an appetizer: this "poor" but very rich in taste preparation conquers everyone at the first taste! So let's see together how to prepare Sicilian sardine cutlets in a few simple steps. Ingredients 500 g sardines 80 g re-milled durum wheat semolina 2 eggs 150 g breadcrumbs extra virgin olive oil salt A few sprigs of parsley 1 lemon Preparation First, take care of cleaning the sardines: remove the head, which will take part of the entrails with it. Insert a finger and push it along the entire length to open the fish and then, with the help of a small knife or finger, detach the central bone. Place the fish in a colander and rinse them well to remove any impurities. Prepare three bowls: one with flour, another with beaten eggs and the last with breadcrumbs. Put the sardines first from the flour, then from the eggs and finally from the breadcrumbs. If you have time, place them in the refrigerator for a quarter of an hour so that the breading compacts even better. You choose the frying method to use: I prefer the one by immersion in peanut oil in a saucepan, while grandma heated a finger of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and was careful to turn the sardines so as not to burn them and ensure uniform cooking. Dip the sardines (a few at a time) in the boiling oil and cook them until golden brown: it will take a few minutes. Place them gradually on paper towels and serve your sardine cutlets with a sprinkling of salt and a few drops of lemon juice and/or a handful of chopped parsley to taste. Enjoy your meal!

Beef Stew with Wild Mushrooms and Polenta

Is a rich and tasty proposal, a tasty alternative to the classic stew with potatoes, a must on autumn tables. Easy to prepare, creamy and enveloping, it can be considered a single dish if accompanied by polenta, as in today's proposal, or mashed potatoes. Meat stew is one of the "great classics" of Italian cuisine, a traditional dish that brings with it many memories and great symbolic value. Always present on holiday tables, it is able to make every occasion of conviviality special. A preparation that never sets, loved for its simplicity and its ability to adapt to time and fashions, as well as a source of inspiration for starred chefs who enjoy reinterpreting it in new variations. Small, tender chunks of meat slowly cooked in gravy have given rise to countless combinations over the years. Among the most traditional meats we find beef, veal and pork, but the more rustic flavors of the mountain huts also offer variants with game meat, such as roe deer, deer, fallow deer or wild boar. Today, for lighter cuisine, white meats such as chicken or turkey are also used. There are also vegetarian versions, in which meat is replaced by legumes such as white beans, lentils (rich in protein and low in saturated fats), soy bites, seitan or wheat muscle, a wheat gluten derivative with an intense flavor reminiscent of chicken meat, combined with mushrooms. Now let's see what we need to make our Beef Stew with Forest Mushrooms Polenta. Ingredients 1 kg of beef 500 grams of frozen mixed forest mushrooms + 80 grams of dried porcini mushrooms 2 cloves of garlic mixture of 1 carrot, 2 celery stalks and 1 onion, finely chopped 1 glass of dry white wine white flour to taste 1 package of peeled tomatoes salt Oil parsley to taste Ingredients for the polenta 280 grams of polenta 1 liter of water 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil Preparation Let's start by putting the dried porcini mushrooms in warm water to soften them, leaving them to soak for about 40 minutes. Then, gently, we remove the excess water. In a large pan, pour a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Company, add a clove of garlic and let it brown. At this point, add the frozen mushrooms (not thawed) and the porcini mushrooms that we have found in water, removing excess water. Let everything cook for about ten minutes. At the end of cooking, season with salt and add chopped fresh parsley. Now let's prepare the meat: dip it in white flour, removing the excess. In a saucepan, heat a drizzle ofbExtra Virgin Olive Oil, add a clove of garlic and a mixture of carrots, celery and onions, making it brown. Remove the garlic and add the meat, browning it over high heat to seal the juices. Add the wine and let it evaporate, then add the peeled tomatoes, the previously cooked mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and lower the heat. Cover with a lid and continue cooking over low heat. For a good result, cooking must be slow and long, for at least an hour (if necessary, add a few ladles of vegetable broth during cooking). In the meantime, prepare the polenta: bring water to a boil with salt and a teaspoon of oil. Add the polenta in a rain, stirring constantly, and cook for about 40 minutes. We serve our Beef Stew with Forest Mushrooms with oil from together with Polenta.

Dolcetto d'Alba

Tasting notes Dolcetto d’Alba is a lively ruby red color. The nose offers vivid sensations of freshly pressed grapes that echoes floral notes and hints of ripe red fruit, especially cherries. The palate is fresh, well-balanced and is exceptionally easy to drink. Historical Data Dolcetto is a historic wine from Piedmont’s long-established winemaking traditions. Aging occurs in steel vats in order to bring out the full expression of aromas and flavors characteristic of this grape variety. Raised entirely in tank, this is surprisingly deep, yet also so juicy and bright, with flavours and aromas of ripe plum, dark cherry, iodine and violet, supported by ripe, yet abundant, chalky tannins. I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of a Dolcetto I’d love to see this with a few years of age. Dolcetto is perhaps the most typical wine of Alba and all of Piedmont. Thanks to its strong but not excessively alcoholic, full and harmonious flavor, it is a versatile wine, easy to pair and can satisfyingly be drunk daily. Alcohol: 13.5% Food Pairings Cured or Smoked Meats, Country Paté, Pasta with Meat Sauce, Baked Pasta with meat filling, Duck Confit, Roast Duck, Grilled Pork, Grilled Veal, Tacos, Burritos, Fajitas, Pizza, Hamburgers.

Farfalle with Vegetable Sauce

Our tables are tinged with bright, bright and cheerful colors, and we are constantly looking for simple and creative recipes that enhance the flavors of summer, the season par excellence for vegetables and fruit. Nutritionists recommend a varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables, a step towards a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the colors of the foods we consume daily also play a role of fundamental importance. In fact, each color of fruit and vegetables corresponds to specific nutrients and, while it is important to vary foods every day, it is equally important to consume them in different shades. In our dish today we find the red color represented by the tomato, which is a precious source of antioxidants and cancer prevention, as well as offering protection to epithelial tissue and providing vitamin C. This color seems to be recommended by experts in the field to be consumed in moderation, without exaggerating. The green color is given by zucchini, vegetables rich in chlorophyll, folic acid and a good source of carotenoids, magnesium and vitamin C, which help the body defend itself against viruses and toxins. According to experts, the color green gives serenity and reduces stress. The yellow-orange color is represented by zucchini flowers, which prove to be valuable allies in the prevention of cancer. These foods have an antioxidant function, strengthen the body's defenses and have purifying and anti-inflammatory properties. When this color is present on our tables, it stimulates the appetite and gives positive sensations. Now let's see what we need to make our Farfalle with Vegetable Sauce. Ingredients 350 grams of Farfalle pasta 1 pack of Vegetable Sauce 1 shallot 15 zucchini flowers 15 cherry tomatoes 2 zucchini a few basil leaves salt freshly ground black pepper to taste For the Zucchini chips 2 zucchini salt white flour seed oil for frying Preparation Peel the shallot and cut it thinly. Put it in a large pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and let it flavor for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Wash and peel the zucchini flowers, removing the pistil, and add about half of them to the sauce. We also add the Vegetable Sauce. Wash and peel the zucchini, then cut them into thin slices using a vegetable slicer. Place the zucchini slices on a sheet of baking paper, dry them gently with paper towels and flour them, removing excess flour. At this point, we can opt for two ways of cooking zucchini chips: fry them in plenty of seed oil, then dab them with paper towels to remove excess fat; or, for a lighter version, wash and cut the zucchini into slices, let them dry between two sheets of kitchen paper for at least half an hour, then place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, salt them, add a drizzle of oil and bake them in the oven at 200 C degrees until golden brown. In the meantime, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, drain it al dente and add it to the pan with the sauce. Stir the pasta with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few tablespoons of grated Grana Padano, the remaining zucchini flowers and fresh basil. Serve the pasta with the zucchini chips. Our Farfalle with Vegetable Sauce accompanied by zucchini chips and zucchini flowers, are ready to be enjoyed.

Soup of Lazio with Bean

Soup of Lazio with Bean is a rich and tasty first course. This celebration has its roots in a tradition that has lasted for five centuries in Gradoli, a town in the province of Viterbo, in Lazio. The real protagonists of this tradition, and of the dish that I propose today, are the Beans, because they are at the center of the event of the same name. The production of these beans is exclusive to Alta Tuscia Viterbese, in particular in the volcanic soils of the municipalities of Gradoli, Grotte di Castro, Latera, Onano, San Lorenzo Nuovo, Valentano and Acquapendente. The land where they are grown is located in a hilly area about 400 meters above sea level and is characterized by great fertility and low presence of limestone. Thanks to the cultivation methods and the unique characteristics of the soil, these beans boast exceptional quality and organoleptic properties: they are rich in proteins of high biological value, starch, mineral salts and crude fibers. Every 100 grams of product provide about 95 kcal, with 0.7 g of fat, 14.7 g of carbohydrates and 7.5 g of protein. Now let's see what we need to make our Lazio Soup with Bean. Ingredients 600 grams of Beans 1 onion carrot a celery stalk 6/8 cherry tomatoes salt black peppercorns extra virgin olive oil Ingredients for the croutons 2 stale sandwiches that we cut into slices 2 cloves of garlic a mix of Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, basil, chives, parsley.... to your choice and taste) 4/5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil Steps Put the Beans in a colander and wash them under running water, without soaking them, as this would ruin the integrity of the bean. Now let's place them in a pot, covered with water. Wash and peel the vegetables: onion, carrot and celery stalk, then cut them into cubes. Add them to the pot with the beans, together with the cherry tomatoes. Bring the pot to the heat, cover it with a lid and cook over low heat for about an hour. Every now and then check and, if there is no water, add a little hot, since the beans must always cook covered with liquid. At the end of cooking, add salt, add a grind of black peppercorns and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. Serve hot, accompanied by a few slices of toasted bread or croutons with oil and rosemary. To prepare the croutons, cut slices of stale bread and brush them with a sauce based on a finely chopped clove of garlic, 3-4 tablespoons of oil and a little chopped herbs to taste. Put them in the oven to brown for 5-10 minutes. Our soup is ready to be served!

Homemade tagliatelle with salami

An explosion of pleasure for those who love dishes with a strong flavor, in which two fine ingredients are harmoniously combined: Salame di Salami and Parmigiano Reggiano, a hard cheese famous all over the world, originally from the city and province of Reggio Emilia. This proposal is a reinterpretation of a great classic of Italian cuisine: pasta with salami. A popular dish that offers many variations, from the chosen pasta shape, usually long (such as spaghetti) or short for those who prefer this type, to the type of salami and sauce used. Easy to prepare and always appreciated, it is a dish that will give a smile at the table. Tagliatelle are therefore mentioned in the first historical sources in 1549, in the treatise "Banquets compositions of food, and general apparatus" by Christopher of Messisburg. In this text reference is made to a pasta shape similar to tagliatelle, called "lasagnuolle", which was nothing more than a thinner version of lasagna, rolled and cut into strips. The preparation of this pasta, which we know well today as tagliatella, is the same: flour, eggs and salt, and a process that requires skill and patience. Ingredients for the tagliatelle 400 grams of re-milled durum wheat semolina 200 ml of warm water salt 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil For the Sauce with salami 250 grams of salami 200 grams of tomato sauce 1 spring onion parsley extra virgin olive oil salt Pepper Method To prepare the tagliatelle, combine all the ingredients in the planetary mixer and start the mixer. It is important to knead the dough for a long time until it has a smooth and homogeneous consistency. Once ready, cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for about 10 minutes. After the resting time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you get a thin sheet. At this point, roll the dough on itself and cut it with a knife, adjusting the thickness of the tagliatelle according to our taste. Let's move on to the preparation of the sauce: in a large pan, pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add the thinly sliced spring onion. Cut the salami into thin slices and brown it together with the spring onion. Add the tomato sauce, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cover with a lid. Let it cook over low heat. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. When the water reaches a boil, dip the tagliatelle and cook for a few minutes. Drain the pasta and pour it into the pan with the sauce, stirring well. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of cooking water to mix everything. Now let's prepare the Parmigiano Reggiano cream: heating the milk in a saucepan, melt the butter in another over low heat. Add the flour and let it toast for a few minutes. Pour the milk slowly and continue cooking until you get a smooth and silky cream. Remove from the heat and add the Parmigiano Reggiano, stirring with a whisk until you get a homogeneous cream. Pour a little Parmigiano Reggiano cream into serving dishes and place the tagliatelle on top. Our Homemade Tagliatelle with Salami are ready to be served.

Chocolate Banana Squares

The Banana Chocolate Squares are a delicious and delicious sweet proposal, without sugar and without baking in the oven easy to make; A clever recipe to use ripe bananas, the ones that no one wants to eat because they have a dark skin. A recipe that includes only two ingredients: bananas and chocolate; Bananas are a fruit to be enjoyed naturally, perfect to be cooked together with other ingredients to make delicious desserts. And chocolate represents a combination of the most classic and the best. Today's proposal is very simple, but it will win you over instantly with a perfect dessert, ideal at any time of the day, from breakfast to snack, for dessert at the end of lunch or dinner, to be combined perhaps with melted chocolate and fresh raspberries which, with their sour note, go well with the whole. Now let's see what we need to make our Banana Chocolate Squares. Ingredients 4 ripe bananas 300 grams of dark chocolate 1 teaspoon of cinnamon Steps Let's start by breaking the dark chocolate, put it in a glass bowl and bring to the heat to melt in a bain-marie. Now peel the bananas and blend them with a mixer, until you get a homogeneous mixture; Add the blended bananas to the melted chocolate, mix carefully with the help of a spatula until the ingredients are well mixed. If you like, you can flavor with a pinch of cinnamon powder. Pour the mixture into a rectangular pan, lined with parchment paper and put it to rest in the refrigerator for at least three hours; After the resting time, remove it from the fridge, turn the cake upside down and cut it into cubes, serve with melted chocolate, cocoa and hazelnut spread and raspberries. Our Banana Chocolate Squares are ready to be served.

Lemon Semifreddo Cake

The Lemon Semifreddo Cake is a delicious dessert proposal, a fresh dessert ideal to serve at the end of lunch and / or dinner or to delight our moments of afternoon break; A delicious soft cake base with the scent of limoncello and a semifreddo with a delicate and light texture with that fragrant and aromatic note of lemon, which makes it perfect for refreshing the palate. Now let's see what we need to make our Lemon Semifreddo Cake. Ingredients for the cake 3 eggs 90 grams of granulated sugar 1 plain yogurt 50 ml of seed oil 30 ml of limoncello 110 grams of white flour 1 lemon grated peel a pinch of salt 1 sachet of baking powder Ingredients for the Semifreddo 3 lemons 4 eggs 120 grams of granulated sugar 600 ml of fresh whipping cream 1 small glass of limoncello a pinch of salt Steps In the planetary mixer we put the eggs with the sugar and the grated lemon peel and start working them, work for a long time to obtain a frothy mixture with a straw yellow color. Slowly add the seed oil, limoncello and plain yogurt. Add a pinch of salt, the sifted white flour and the sachet of baking powder. Butter and flour a springform mold with a diameter of 24 centimeters and pour our dough. Bake at 180 C degrees for 30 minutes. Now prepare the semifreddo and after washing the lemons, grate the zest avoiding the white part that would be bitter: then squeeze the juice, filter it to remove any seeds. Separate the yolks from the whites and whip the latter with a pinch of salt, while we put the yolks in a planetary mixer with the sugar and whip them for a long time until you get a light, swollen and frothy mixture, to which we add the lemon juice, limoncello. Now add with a spatula, gently with movements from the bottom to the top, the whipped cream previously until stiff and the egg whites. Pour the mixture obtained on the cake and place the mold in the freezer for at least 8 hours, even better overnight; to taste with the tines of a fork of the drawings. Our Lemon Semifreddo Cake is ready to be served.

Lime squares

Lime squares are an inviting dessert proposal with an enveloping and irresistible scent with a soft texture and that unique flavor that distinguishes lime; that sweet that is impossible to resist. An idea reinterpretation of a classic of the English tradition, the lemon bars which sees a thin crumbly base of butter dough and a layer of cream that in the original version is made with lemon while in today's proposal it is made with lime. The peculiarity of this dessert is that after cooking it must be cooled in the refrigerator and served cold. Now let's see what we need to make our Lime Squares. Ingredients 5 eggs at room temperature 220 grams of granulated sugar 100 ml lime juice + 100 ml lemon juice 1 lime grated zest 200 grams of butter 350 grams of white flour a pinch of salt For the decoration 1 lime, sliced powdered sugar Method In a bowl put 300 grams of 00 white flour and the cold butter from the refrigerator cut into small pieces and start kneading, now add a pinch of salt, the grated zest of a lemon and three tablespoons of sugar taken from the total. We obtain a dough that we transfer to a rectangular pan lined with parchment paper and distribute it evenly; Bake at 180 C degrees for about ten minutes. Now let's dedicate ourselves to the cream and put the eggs in the planetary mixer, start working them into a cream, then add the lemon and lime juice in a trickle, the sugar and the remaining flour; We must obtain a smooth, homogeneous cream. After the cooking time of the base, pour the cream and bake again at 180 C degrees for 25 minutes. Once cooked, let it cool to room temperature and then transfer to the refrigerator for a few hours; then cut it into squares and sprinkle with icing sugar, decorate with lime slices. Our Lime Squares are ready to be served.

Beans with Potatoes

Beans with Potatoes are a rich side dish, a vegetarian proposal typical of the Tuscan culinary art precisely of the city of Florence. A dish that we can accompany slices of toasted bread and that for its preparation are generally used beans but we can also use cannellini or borlotti. The recipe I propose today is a reinterpretation of the classic peasant recipe that sees potatoes in addition to beans. Ingredients 2 large potatoes 400 grams of borlotti beans 600 grams of coppery tomato 500 ml of 1 clove of garlic 2 onions salt extra virgin olive oil sage Procedure First of all, prepare the sauce and wash the tomatoes, cut them into pieces and put them in a pot where we would have sautéed the garlic and thinly sliced onion in a drizzle of oil; Over low heat, cook for about ten minutes and then blend everything with a mixer. Wash, peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces, peel the beans as well. In a saucepan put a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, the thinly sliced onion, let it flavor and pour our beans and 500 ml of water cook for 5 minutes; Pour our tomato puree, potatoes and some sage leaves. Add salt and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking (if necessary, add a drop of water). It will take about 30 minutes to cook, this depends on the potatoes how big the pieces are and the variety of beans. At the end of cooking, you can add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Our Beans with Potatoes are ready to be enjoyed.

Timbale of Tortellini with Meat Sauce and pasta

Is a spectacular and sumptuous first course, rich in flavor and a true typical specialty of the Emilia Romagna region, known as "Scrigno di Venere". In its traditional version, this dish includes a shortcrust pastry casing and a rich filling of tortellini, a symbol of Emilian cuisine, seasoned with meat sauce, béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano, iconic ingredients of the region. It is an elaborate preparation that, although it requires a long preparation, conquers at the first taste thanks to the crunchiness of the casing and the softness of the filling. A recipe from the past, perhaps a little forgotten, but which I assure you deserves to be tried at least once in a lifetime. The dish I propose today is a great classic that tells the story of the Emilia Romagna region, using typical ingredients of the area. Its original name, "Casket of Venus", recalls the divine origin of tortellino, an ingredient that, like no other, has stimulated the popular imagination and given rise to many legends and tales. Among the many stories related to tortellino, the one I want to tell you has as its protagonist Venus, an ancient Italic divinity, famous for her extraordinary beauty and for being a symbol of the love that arouses desire in every creature. Legend has it that, during the war between Modena and Bologna, in the period of the "Secchia Rapita" (an episode that really happened in 1325, when the Bolognese, after sacking Modena, were chased by the Modenese to Bologna and brought home a wooden bucket as a trophy), Venus, Bacchus and Mars went to the rescue of the city of Modena. They stopped to rest in an inn, the Corona inn in Castelfranco Emilia. The next morning, the two gods left, leaving the beautiful Venus still asleep. When she woke up, the Goddess presented herself to the innkeeper without veils. Struck by the perfection of her body, and in particular by the impeccable shape of her navel, the man tried to reproduce her in a pasta shape... This is how the first tortellini were born. Now let's see what we need to make our Timbale of Tortellini with Meat Sauce. Ingredients for the pasta 280 grams of white flour 120 ml of cold water 40 ml of extra virgin olive oil 15 ml white vinegar salt Ingredients for the ragù 500 grams of beef 150 grams of pork belly 1 carrot a leg of celery leek red onion 500 ml of peeled tomatoes extra virgin olive oil 50 grams butter 1/2 glass of sweet red wine a glass of milk 50 grams dried mushrooms Ingredients for the béchamel sauce 1 liter of milk 80 ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 120 grams of 00 white flour salt nutmeg You will also need 350 grams of tortellini Parmigiano Reggiano Procedure Prepare the pasta by putting 280 g of 00 white flour in the planetary mixer with a pinch of salt and gradually adding the extra virgin olive oil. Knead the dough until smooth, then add 15 ml of white vinegar and continue to work until a smooth and well-blended dough is formed. Let it rest for 30 minutes, covered with an upside-down bowl. In the meantime, wash and peel the vegetables, then dice the carrots, celery, leek and red onion. In a large earthenware pot, heat 50 g of butter with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, then add the vegetables and brown gently. Add the minced pork belly and coarsely minced beef, leaving them to flavor. Pour a glass of sweet red wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the peeled tomatoes, mash them with a fork, cover with a lid and let it simmer for about two hours. Towards the end of cooking, add half a glass of milk and (to taste) the dried mushrooms previously soaked and well squeezed. Continue cooking without a lid, until the milk is completely absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. For the béchamel sauce, heat 80 ml of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Add 120 g of flour, stirring with a whisk until you get a golden roux. Gradually pour in the hot milk, continuing to stir, until you get a smooth and velvety sauce. Boil the tortellini in plenty of salted water and drain them al dente. Season them with half of the meat sauce and half of the béchamel sauce. Line a 22 cm pan with the pasta matta and distribute half of the seasoned tortellini on the bottom. Add the remaining sauce and béchamel, sprinkle with plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and cover with the remaining tortellini. Complete with another generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. From the leftover crazy dough we make a lid and, with cookie cutters, we create decorations to be applied on the disc of dough, fixing them with beaten egg. Bake in a static oven at 180 ° C for about 45 minutes. If the surface darkens too much during cooking, cover it with a sheet of parchment paper. Our Timbale of Tortellini with Meat Sauce with Pasta is ready to be served.

Aglianico del Vulture Docg Don Anselmo 2016 Paternoster

Dedicated to the memory of the founder of the winery, Don Anselmo is Aglianico del Vulture which represents the symbol, history, roots and continuity of the Paternoster family. A unique red wine for finesse, austerity and longevity, vinified in steel and then left to mature in large Slavonian oak barrels for 50% and in French barriques for the remaining 50%, a period followed by a further aging in the bottle for 12 months. An indispensable Aglianico, which cannot be missing from the cellar of every enthusiast. Region: Basilicata Grapes: Aglianico 100% Alcohol: 14% Vol. Serving temperatures: 18-20 °C Type: Red Tasting notes Deep ruby red, almost impenetrable, the nose expresses a broad and complex bouquet, characterized by unmistakable sulphurous notes, currants, blueberries, cocoa, leather and sweet spices. On the palate it is warm, dry, with great structure and elegance.

Stuffed Guinea Fowl with Chestnuts with Pomegranate Sauce

This great classic of Italian cuisine is often the protagonist of holidays and Sunday family lunches, perfect for those who want to bring a touch of refinement to the table. Prepared with typical ingredients of the autumn-winter season, such as chestnuts and pomegranates, this dish enhances the meat of guinea fowl, an aristocratic bird native to West Africa. Tradition has it that in Ischia, on December 24th, people gather in the square to enjoy fried cod and the famous escarole pizza together, all accompanied by a good glass of wine. This bird, also known as "guinea fowl", has a darker color than turkey or chicken and an intense and decisive flavor, considered more valuable and sought-after. Its unique taste is reminiscent of a cross between chicken and pheasant. Guinea fowls from more mature animals may have slightly less elastic and more tenacious meat; for this reason, slow and prolonged cooking is ideal for making them particularly soft and succulent. And now, let's see what we need to prepare the Stuffed Guinea Fowl with Chestnuts with Pomegranate Sauce. Ingredients 1 whole guinea fowl 250 grams of sliced bacon 2 pomegranate salt to taste extra virgin olive oil 1 glass of wine Ingredients for the filling 4 sausages 100 grams of mixed ground coffee 400 grams of chestnuts mixed aromas: rosemary, sage salt Pepper extra virgin olive oil Procedure Here's how to prepare the guinea fowl: start by quickly passing the skin next to the fire to remove any residual feathers, then wash it thoroughly under running water, just like you would do with a chicken. Once clean, gently dry it with kitchen paper. Salt and pepper the inside of the bird, then set it aside and dedicate yourself to the filling. To prepare the filling, put the chestnuts in a pot, cover them with water, add a bay leaf, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (which will facilitate the removal of the skin) and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 35 minutes. Peel the chestnuts and chop them with a knife, then put them in a bowl. Add the sausage without the casing and crumbled, mix carefully, and season with a pinch of salt, a grind of black pepper, chopped rosemary and a few sage leaves. Take the guinea fowl, stuff it with the filling and close the opening by sewing it with needle and thread. Cover the bird with the slices of bacon. In a saucepan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and brown the guinea fowl on all sides. Deglaze with a glass of wine, let the wine evaporate and continue cooking with the lid on for about 2 hours, until the meat is well cooked. In the meantime, prepare the pomegranate sauce. Cut the seeds from the pomegranate and pass them through a sieve to obtain the juice. Transfer the juice to a saucepan, add the granulated sugar and a teaspoon of cornstarch, then bring to the heat and thicken while stirring. When the guinea fowl is ready, transfer it to a serving dish, cut it into pieces and slice the filling. Serve everything accompanied by the pomegranate sauce. Our Stuffed Guinea Fowl with Chestnuts with Pomegranate Sauce is ready to be enjoyed, enjoy your meal!

Rabbit with olives

Rabbit with olives is a second course of meat that embodies the authentic taste of Italian tradition. Rustic and full of flavor, it is a perfect combination of country products, recipes handed down in the family and unique aromas that enhance the genuine character of rabbit meat. This preparation is a tribute to Mediterranean cuisine and has deep roots in the tradition of Western Liguria, in particular Liguria, but is appreciated throughout the peninsula for its goodness and simplicity. The recipe is based on rabbit meat, a nutritious white meat, rich in high biological value proteins and easily assimilated amino acids. It is a light, low-calorie and highly digestible option, as well as being considered hypoallergenic, so much so that it is used for baby food during weaning of the little ones. Belonging to the Leporidae family, like the hare, the rabbit offers meat with a characteristic flavor that varies depending on its diet, oscillating between sweet and a slightly pungent and aromatic note. Now let's see what we need to prepare our Rabbit with Olives. Ingredients 1 rabbit of about 1/1.5 kg 1 large onion a glass of wine 80 grams of olives pine nuts to taste salt black pepper Aromatic herbs, thyme, bay leaves Extra virgin olive oil meat broth Ingredients for the broth 1 piece of white celery 1 onion cloves a few celery stalks 2 carrots peppercorns chives Steps Let's start by preparing the broth: peel an onion, pierce it with a few cloves, then cut two carrots and two celery stalks into pieces. Put the vegetables and meat in a pot with about 3 liters of cold water, bring to a boil and cook for about an hour. Now let's move on to the preparation of the rabbit: remove the head and offal, wash it under cold running water and cut it into pieces. Gently pat dry with kitchen paper to dry it. In a large pot, pour a drizzle of extra vergine olive oil and add the onion cut into thin slices, frying it until it becomes soft. Add the rabbit and brown it well on all sides. Deglaze with the glass of red wine, season with salt and cook for 35-40 minutes, adding the meat broth when necessary to maintain the right consistency. When the rabbit is almost cooked, add the olives, chopped herbs, black pepper and pine nuts. Continue cooking for another 30-35 minutes, adding meat broth whenever necessary to prevent the dish from drying out too much. Our Rabbit with Olives is now ready to be served, a dish that will conquer with its simplicity and enveloping flavor.

Pizzas with Bacon and Cheese

The Pizzas with Bacon and Cheese are a proposal for a delicious appetizer of sure effect, a proposal for a snack full of flavor or to enrich a buffet table; They are prepared with a few simple ingredients and are always appreciated by everyone, young and old. A base of thin bread dough, a rich filling with crispy bacon, mozzarella and stringy brie; A perfect mix between the soft of the dough, the sweetness of the cheese and the salty of the bacon, irresistible, they will certainly sell like hotcakes. Now let's see what we need to make our Pizzas with Bacon and Cheese. Ingredients for the pizzas 200 grams of sweet bacon mozzarella in pizza dough 100 grams of brie cheese Ingredients for the pizzas 1 roll of pizza dough that we find ready in the supermarket refrigerated counter Steps Unroll our roll of pizza dough, flour it lightly and roll it out with a rolling pin; Cut out circles with a pastry cutter that we place in a baking pan lined with parchment paper, cover with a cloth and let rise for about ten minutes. We heat a non-stick pan, put our bacon and let it become crispy; Cut the mozzarella and brie cheese into cubes and mix them together. We just have to fill our pizzas, lay some pieces of crispy bacon, a few pieces of the cheese mix and oregano to taste. Bake at 180 degrees C for about 12 minutes, serve them hot on a wooden cutting board accompanied by cherry tomatoes cut in half and serve them hot with stringy cheese (they are still delicious even cold). Our Pizzas with Bacon and Cheese are ready to delight our guests with simplicity but a lot of taste.

Mini Mascarpone Cheesecakes

This is a delicious variant of the classic Anglo-Saxon cheesecake, one of the most loved desserts in the world and perfect in any season. Enjoyed cold at the end of a meal, perhaps together with a coffee or a liqueur, it is always a good choice. This dessert is now an icon in the United States, but its origin dates back to Ancient Greece, precisely to 776 BC, when it was served to athletes at the Olympic Games for its energetic virtues. The first literary reference to cheesecake is the first recipe book in history, where the art of making cheese cakes made from fresh cheese, honey and wheat is described. In Roman times, the recipe was enriched with the addition of eggs and other types of cheese, then spread throughout Europe and, thanks to the expansion of the Roman Empire, also in America. Now let's see what we need to make our Mini Mascarpone Cheesecakes. Ingredients for the base 200 grams of digestive biscuits 130 grams of melted butter Ingredients for the filling 200 grams of cream for cakes 250 grams of mascarpone cheese 30 grams of sugar 1 sachet of vanillin 3 sheets of gelatine For the cover 1 jar of Rose Jam a few drops of organic lemon juice Steps Let's start by preparing the base: finely chop 200 grams of digestive-type biscuits, then add 130 grams of melted and cooled butter. Mix well until you get a homogeneous mixture and distribute it in the muffin cups. With the back of a spoon, press the mixture well to form a compact base, then put the cups in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Let's move on to the gelatine: immerse three sheets in a bowl with cold water. When they have softened, squeeze them and transfer them to a saucepan with a drop of hot milk to dissolve them completely. Whip the cream until stiff, then add the mascarpone, 30 grams of sugar, a sachet of vanillin and the melted gelatin. Mix until you get a smooth and uniform cream, which we will pour into the cups over the biscuit base. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. In the meantime, prepare the topping: pour a jar of Rose Jam into a saucepan, add a few drops of lemon juice and heat slightly. Turn off the heat, let it cool, then spread the jam on the surface of the cheesecakes. We put the sweets back in the refrigerator to cool for a few hours. After the indicated time, unmold the mini cheesecakes and decorate as desired. Our Mini Mascarpone Cheesecakes with Rose Jam are ready.

Shrimp and Octopus Salad on Pumpkin Cream

An original and delicious idea that combines simplicity and refinement, ideal for surprising your guests with a perfect balance of flavors and textures. This light and tasty dish contains the scents of the sea and the land, making it particularly suitable for this period: after the sumptuous and abundant lunches of the Christmas holidays, it is important to return to a balanced and nutrient-rich diet, without giving up the pleasure of good food. The combination might seem unusual, but the result is a harmonious and refined combination. The sweet and delicate flavor, with slight marine notes of the octopus with soft flesh, blends perfectly with the slightly elastic texture and sweetish taste of the shrimp. Pumpkin cream completes the whole: an autumn and winter ingredient loved for its velvety texture, its warm colors and pleasantly delicate flavor. And now, let's find out together what we need to make our Shrimp and Octopus Salad on Pumpkin Cream. Ingredients 1 kg of octopus 600 grams of shrimp 1/2 glass of white wine 1 organic lemon salt Extra Virgin Olive Oil Ingredients for the Pumpkin cream 400 grams of Pumpkin 2 potatoes 1 spring onion vegetable broth to taste salt Extra Virgin Olive Oil Steps Let's prepare the octopus: let's start by removing the eyes, the ink bag and the beak, then wash it thoroughly under running water. With a meat mallet, beat the octopus several times to make the meat more tender. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and immerse the octopus holding it by the head. Repeat the dipping operation 2-3 times, withdrawing it each time to curl the tentacles. Finally, immerse the octopus completely and cook it for 30-40 minutes, until tender. Once cooked, let it cool in its cooking water. When the octopus has cooled, cut it into small pieces. Let's prepare the pumpkin: wash it thoroughly, removing any traces of soil with a toothbrush. Cut it in half and, with a spoon, remove seeds and filaments. Tip: The seeds can be roasted in the oven with a pinch of salt to make a delicious snack. Cut the pumpkin into quarters, remove the zest and cut it into cubes. Let's prepare the pumpkin cream: chop the spring onion and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of oil. Add the pumpkin and potato cubes, let it flavor for a few minutes, then add a couple of ladles of broth and cook until the vegetables are soft. Blend everything with an immersion blender and season with salt. Let's prepare the shrimp: wash and clean them by removing the carapace. Sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic and deglaze with white wine. Cook until the wine has completely evaporated. In a bowl, combine the octopus and prawns, season with a pinch of salt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Assemble the dish: arrange the pumpkin cream as a base, place the shrimp and octopus salad.

Italian Mixed Fried Fish

The Italian Mixed Fried Fish is a rich and sumptuous appetizer, one of the most delicious and appetizing. Perfect for special occasions, lunches and dinners with family or friends, it is one of the convivial dishes par excellence. An abundant tray of strictly fried delights, both sea and land, sweet or savory. There is no single recipe for Italian Mixed Fried Food: each family, region and chef has their own version. Famous are the Piedmontese, Bolognese, Tuscan and Neapolitan variants. From vegetables to offal, from meat to fish, everything can find a place in this symbolic dish of Italian cuisine. Now let's see what we need to prepare our Italian Mixed Fried Food. Ingredients 250 grams of old homemade bread milk to taste 2 eggs 80 grams of aged pecorino cheese salt black pepper parsley flour for breading seed oil for frying Steps In a bowl, crumble the stale bread and pour the milk over it, making sure the bread soaks evenly. Let it rest for 10 minutes, so that the bread can soften. After the time has elapsed, squeeze the bread well to remove excess milk, then add the eggs, a pinch of salt, a grind of black pepper, grated aged pecorino cheese and chopped fresh parsley. Mix carefully until smooth. With slightly damp hands, form walnut-sized balls, then roll them in flour to coat them evenly. Fry them in plenty of hot oil until they are golden and crispy. Drain them on paper towels and serve hot.

Winter Persimmon Salad Apple with Walnuts and Pecorino 

Winter brings with it cold temperatures, cold, flu, but also vegetables and vegetables, wonders of the garden that despite the cold remain productive and allow you to prepare delicious salads to be enriched with fresh fruit such as persimmons, pomegranates, apples, pears, as well as dried fruit and legumes. Although we look for "comforting dishes" and feel the desire for rich, full-bodied and caloric foods, it is always good to orient our choices towards light dishes, with healthy and genuine seasonal products. Today's proposal is a pleasant, particular and very colorful idea that exploits the beneficial properties of apple persimmons, which with their pleasant sugary note and their crunchy pulp go perfectly with a pecorino flavored by the encounter between milk and candied orange. To give the whole a pleasant "crunch" note. Now let's see what we need to make our Winter Salad of Persimmon Apple with Walnuts and Pecorino.

Ingredients

4 persimmon apple

150 grams of spinach

100 grams of Pecorino 

2 tablespoons of walnuts

2 tablespoons mustard

salt

extra virgin olive oil

croutons to taste

Steps

Wash and peel the persimmons, then cut them into slices that are not too thin. Grill the persimmon on a very hot griddle for three minutes on each side. Next, wash the spinach and dry it by gently patting it dry with absorbent kitchen paper. Arrange them on a serving plate, add the slices of persimmon, the Pecorino with Candied Orange Peel and distribute the coarsely chopped walnut kernels. To complete the dish, prepare an emulsion with mustard, salt and oil; Season the salad and serve everything with croutons to taste. Our Winter Persimmon Salad Apple with Walnuts and Pecorino is ready to be served. 

 

Parmesan rice flan 

Parmesan rice flan is a really delicious baked first course with eggplant, tomato and mozzarella! Here is the recipe for a very easy timbale ideal for summer lunches or dinners! Baked rice with tomato, eggplant and mozzarella is an easy and tasty first course, with Mediterranean aromas and flavors! A simple and delicious recipe! This rice flan lends itself very well to being prepared in advance and to be consumed after a short passage in a hot oven! Convenient to carry, the homemade rice parmigiana flan lends itself easily to being portioned and served, therefore perfect for picnics and trips out of town.

Ingredients 

320 g rice

800 ml water

700 ml tomato puree

3 black oval egg plants

300 g mozzarella

1 clove garlic

50 g grated parmesan cheese

40 g butter

3 table spoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

peanut oil (for frying)

fresh basil

Steps

Cut the eggplant into slices about a centimeter thick, then arrange them in layers in a colander sprinkling each layer with salt. Leave them to lose the vegetation liquid for a couple of hours. In a saucepan, fry the garlic with extra virgin olive oil for a minute, then pour in the passata, the chopped basil leaves and cook for about ten minutes. Then remove it from the heat and set it aside. Drain the egg plants and pat them dry with a clean cloth, then fry them a few at a time in hot, deep oil. Place them gradually on absorbent kitchen paper, then salt lightly. Bring the water to a boil with the butter, a pinch of salt and a little pepper, then cook the rice, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is completely absorbed. When cooked you will have obtained a soft risotto, check the degree of cooking of the rice and remove from heat. Season the rice with the tomato sauce. Place half of the tomato rice on the bottom of an oven dish, then top with the fried eggplant and finally with the sliced mozzarella and a little grated cheese. Finally, cover with the rest of the tomato rice. Sprinkle the surface with a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese and then bake the parmesan rice flan au gratin in the oven at 200 ° C in static mode for about 10/15 minutes with the grill on. Finally, take the parmigiana rice timbale out of the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes and serve. The parmigiana rice flan is perfect to prepare in advance even in individual food trays. You can freeze it and pass it directly from the oven before consuming it.