Taglierini panna, salmone e zucchini - Taglierini pasta with cream, salmon and courgette

For this Recipe is suggested the use of Taglierini pasta but might be very difficult to cook well, so Tagliatelle might be a good alternative.

INGREDIENTS for 4 people:

For the pasta:

• 400 gr of flour
• 4 eggs
• salt
• warm water

For the sauce:

• 2 courgettes
• 200 gr. salmon
• 125 gr of room
• 1 onion
• olive oil
• white wine
• parmiggiano cheese
• fresh basil leaves
• lemon zests or lemon skin

Prepare the pasta dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Using the help of a pasta machine or with a rolling pin, spread the pasta very thin than cut it in taglierini size.

Cut the courgettes in small pieces.

Cut the Onion in small pieces.

In a frying pan pour the oil and fry the onions till they are transparent.

Add the courgettes and let it fry for a while then add half a glass of white wine and cover the pan.

When the courgettes are ready put them in a mixer and reduce it in a cream with the help of the cream.

Pour the courgette cream back in the pan and start to prepare the salmon.

Cut the salmon in very small blocks. In a frying pan, add same oil and fry for 4-5 minutes the salmon blokes. Add some salt and pepper, stir and mix it with the courgettes cream.

Boil the water, add salt and cook the pasta.

Mix the pasta with the salmon and courgette cream.

Serve it decorated with lemon zest and fresh basil leaves and …

BUON APPETITO !!!

La Pastiera Napoletana - Easter Neapolitan Cake

This is the original recipe that my Gran Mother - Nonna Margherita mother in law of my Mother gave her when she married my father.

She did so cause my mother was obviously not from Napoli and she didn't know how a REAL PASTIERA was made.

In Molise, the region of my Mum is typical for Easter to bake a cake similar to the Pastiera but! not with Grain but with rice.

For a long time, we Neapolitans were able to savour the magnificent pastiera ONLY on Easter time.

In every house there was almost a fight for who was making the best Pastiera, the mother, the daughter, the sister in law, the mother in law, the old Granny... even sometimes there were discussion over the pastiera that my old Grandmother, she will rest in peace, was able to bake... the best in the world!

Nowadays you can buy the cooked grain almost every were in Italy and for the all year long.. so no big fuss but for Easter to bake at least one and eat it is a MUST !

So Mamma... prepare yourself, as soon as you put foot on the Netherlands's soil, you must start to bake!!! And bring the Grain and the Ricotta from Napoli... cause there is no better one!

First of all you have to remember, if you want to make a pastiera, that there is no ONE recipe cause every Neapolitan woman make here own.

You can bake it longer or use a dryer ricotta than you will get a dry pastiera.

Or as we like it in my family, a soft ricotta and an inside that make the famous drop of milk!

I didn't like the candy fruit when i was a baby now I appreciate it.

Somebody remove it completely, some mix it with a blender so you taste it but don't see it...

ANYWAY !!!

the first step is always to prepare the PASTA FROLLA.



You can prepare this dough when you want can you can freeze it ad defrost when ready to bake!

INGREDIENTS for the PASTAFROLLA

• 1 Kg of flour
• 5 Eggs yolk
• 2 Eggs
• 250 gr. Butter or Margarine
• 1 Vanilla Bag
• 2 t.s. liquor like Contreau
• half grated lemon skin





• a pinch of salt

PREPARATION

Softer Pastiera

Prepare the flour (only 800 gr) in the middle of the working table, make a hole in the centre and put all the rest of the ingredients in that hole.Whit the help of a fork mix before the ingredients and than let them mix with the flour. Work the dough till it's smooth and has bubbles of air inside. Keep on adding flour to the dough till is requested to obtain a smooth result.

To be sure that the dough is ready, cut it. The dough should have created bubble of air in the middle.
When the pasta is ready, pass a bit of butter on the oven plate to be sure that it won't stick and roll out the dough, than put it in the oven dish. keep always a bit of dough on the side to create the upper decorations of lines.

INGREDIENTS for the FILLING

Kooked Grain

• 1 Kg of Kooked Grain
• 1 Kg sugar
• 1 Kg Ricotta
• 7 Eggs yolk
• 7 Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Candied fruit
• 3 ampule of "estratto di fiori di arancio" scented water of flowers of orange
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a bit of grated lemon skin





Dry Pastiera


• 100-200 ml of milk





PREPARATION

Mix the sugar with the ricotta.

Add the 14 eggs ( 7 entire and 7 yolks)

Add the Kooked grain.

Add the rest of the aromas.

Fill the Pastafrolla dough and cover with dough decoration.

Bake in the oven for 1hour and half at 150-180°C

Tiramisu' alle Fragole - Strawberries Tiramisú

This recipe is fantastic, fresh and can be prepared in different ways so you can always surprise your guests! You can substitute the strawberries with other juicy fruit but i still think that strawberries are the favourite of the most!

INGREDIENTI:

• 500 gr mascarpone
• 500 ml whipping cream
• 200 gr sugar
• 2 bags of vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 6 paks of long light biscuit (around 10 -15 per pack)
• 1,5 kg of strawberry
• mint leaves

PREPARATION:

Separate the yolk from the white of the eggs.

Whip the whites till they are hard but fluffy.

Whip the whipping cream till is solid.

Whip the yolks with the sugar and the vanilla extract. When they are nicely mixed add the mascarpone to them and keep on mixing.

When this cream is ready add to it before the cream and then the white eggs cream mixing with the help of a wooden spoon from the bottom going up.

Put this cream in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Wash and clean the strawberries.

Put some strawberries on a side for the decoration.

Cut the rest in pieces and mix them, with some mint, in a mixer with the sugar to obtain a thick strawberry-juice.

Place the biscuits on the plate or in the glasses ( for a individual portions), cover them before with the strawberry-juice and then with a layer of mascarpone cream.

Going up like this till the top, normally 3 layers, and garnish with the rest of the strawberries and the mint leaves

Keep the Tiramisu' minimum 3 hours in the fridge before serving!

Soup of Pumpkin Mushroom and Barley

Also in Italian!

Recipe by Laura Valente.

INGREDIENTS:

• 500 gr Pumpkin
• 130-150 gr Barley
• 150 gr of Champignons or Penny Bun - Italian Porcino
• 1 Onion
• 500 ml Vegetable Stock
• 1 Garlic clove
• Olive Oil or Butter
• Salt and Pepper

PREPARATION:

Slice the onion in small pieces than fry them in olive oil or butter till golden brown.
Cut the Pumpkin in small pieces and add it to the onion.
Put the lid over the pan and cook the pumpkin with the help of some vegetable stock for about 20-30 minutes till it is nice soft.
Put the pumpkin in the the blender and mix it till become a soft cream. If necessary add some more stock water.
Add salt if necessary.

Slice the mushrooms and fry them in a pan with the garlic.
At the end remove the garlic.

Cook the barley in salty water,  proportion of water with barley  1:3.

Mix the three ingredient together and add some more water stock if necessary to make it nicely smooth.
Add pepper and salt.
Serve it hot.

Pinzimonio

Also in Italian!

Pinzimonio is the name that we give to the sauce in which fresh raw vegetables get dipped. It's a light, healthy appetizer that can be served in any season serving with what the land offers.

The best veggies to serve "in pinzimonio" are:

• tomatoes
• peppers
• endives
• onions (normal, spring or red)
• salad with small leaves
• cucumber
• fennel
• celery
• avocado

The Pinzimonio must be prepared only with:

• pure extra virgin olive oil
• lemon or vinegar
• salt

to which eventually according with taste, add:

• basil
• parsley
• thyme
• sage
• chivesp
• pepper
• chili pepper
• yogurt
• mustard
• etc...

To create the pinzimonio sauce mix the olive oil with the herbs, the lemon/vinegar and the salt with the help of a fork or a whisk until it become an emulsion.

Serve the veggies cut in small sticks arranged in a big serving plate to place in the center of the table with the oil in a small bowl placed in the center of the plate

To serve individually use transparent glasses with the oil at the bottom and all the veggies arranged inside like small colored crayons.