Farro Tajarin Pasta with Artichokes and Leeks

There are days when pasta is the only thing I crave. I don't know about you, but for me pasta is a comfort food that is so easy to dress up or down. We had a last minute, impromptu luncheon guest yesterday, so what to do? Lucky for me I had some home made farro, as spelt flour is know here in Italy, pasta dough in my freezer. Between that and some fresh artichokes and leeks ready to jump into the pan it made for a very easy choice. As with much of my cooking, ingrediens and amounts vary depending on what's on hand and how much of it, so this recipe is a guideline and open for much improvisation. You knew you would improvise anyway, so be my guest.  As I said I had pasta dough in the freezer and it didn't take long to thaw and roll out. The smallest setting for cutting pasta on my machine is a specialty of our Piedmont region called tajarin. Classic tajarin dough is very rich in eggs and yolks, but I made this one on the leaner side. You can, of course, use dry farro pasta or any of your favorite shapes. We get a great dry farro pasta by the brand name od Alce Nero. I have found all of their organic flours to be of excellent quality. Feel free to use any variety of pasta that appeals to you.

I feature a lot of farro pasta in my recipes I have noticed. I think it is because I tend to add recipes during our slow period and I try to eat a lot more whole grains that isn't always possible during our season when we are cooking for a wide range of tastes. Rest assured we eat lots of white pasta and rest assuredneither of us are very fond of straight whole wheat pasta. It's a texture thing for me. So suit yourself and enjoy what tastes best to you. 

For the pasta

Farro or Spelt Pasta

Yeilds: about 800g of pasta dough 

or approximately 8 servings (depends on your appetite and if it is part of a multi course meal)

80-100 g per person per serving

Ingredients:

140 g (3/4- 1c) faro or spelt flour, your taste

100 g (1/2c) semolina flour

260 g (2-21/4 c) plain flour, as needed

4 eggs, lg. room temperature

60- 120 ml (¼-1/2c) water, this will vary depending on the size of your eggs and absorption of flour

Pinch salt

Method:

Mix your flours together in a large bowl.

Make a well in the middle.

Crack your eggs into the well

Add ¼ cup water to start with.

With a fork, whisk your eggs to break them up, and emulsify.

Gradually pull the flour into the eggs in a circular motion little by little incorporating the flour into the eggs until you have workable dough.

If you find the dough too dry, add a bit more water, but you do want stiff dough.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.

Cover and allow to relax for about 20 minutes

Cut into 8 portions keeping the pasta pieces covered as you work with one piece at a time.

Roll out all 8 portions ( or save have in one lump, wrap well and freeze for another time)

Roll out each piece by hand or by machine. On my machine it goes to number 6 and I stop at 5 as it needs to have some body to it.

Let the strips dry slightly before cutting, usually about 15 minutes. Dust liberally with flour if your dough seems too wet, other wise dust with a little flour so it doesn't stick together when rolling and then underneath the strips on the table. 

I used the thinnest width on my machine to cut the tajarin shape or angel hair, as it is know in the US. 

I hang the strips on a pasta holder, but if you don't have one a broom handle between to chairs works just as well. 

Separate the pieces so that they don't stick together. Let air dry for 15 minutes to keep from sticking together when they are boiled. 

Cook for 5 minutes or less when cooking fresh. You can let any extra hang overnight to dry and use at another time. Depening on your humidity level, completely dry pasta will last for quite a while, weeks, but humidity will make it go off if you are not too careful. That's why I prefer to store extra dough in the freezer and roll out when needed. 

Once cooked add to your hot sauce, toss together.

Serve with fresh grated parmigiano. 

For the sauce:

 Fresh Artichoke and Leek Pasta Sauce

Serves about 4

4 medium fresh artichokes, cleaned and trimmed up, choke removed

2 medium leeks, sliced into 1/4 inch half moons, 

using some of the green as long as it is tender

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

Olive oil, I generally use all olive oil

2 Tb butter, optional

1/4 c white wine, or brandy if you like

1/2 c chicken or veggie stock

4oz  yogurt or sour cream

Salt & pepper

Fresh chopped chives and parsley of you have any on hand.

*For a heartier version add 150g (4 oz) prosciutto crudo cut into slender 1"baton lengths

 Add the parma ham when the vegetables are about cooked halfway

Method:

Clean and slice the artichokes into ½ rounds, cutting from the base up toward the tips discarding tough leaves if you haven't been  ruthless enough earlier when cleaning.

In a medium to large sauté pan (better if it has a bit of a side to it),

Add the olive oil/butter.

Sauté leeks, adding the artichokes  and garlic

Continue cooking until they start to pick up a little color. Add the ham now if desired. 

Sauté over a medium to low flame a minute or two more.

Deglaze the pan with your wine, cooking until all the alcohol has evaporated.

Add the stock. Stir and cover letting it simmer for a few minutes till the artichokes are soft.

Reduce the stock a bit, removing lid if necessary or add more liquid if needed. 

Add the yogurt or sour cream and whisk in.

Tastes ad season the sauce with a bit of salt and pepper, a few snipped fresh chives or flat leaf parsley would be nice as well

Warm through.

Add cooked pasta.

Toss together and serve immediately garnished with fresh grated Parmigiana.

*Recipe easily scaled up or down.

Pasta al Melanzane e Pomodori

Girandole

If you live in the northern hemisphere, you are probably up to your ears in tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini at the moment. I know we are here in northern Italy. If you are looking for a fast and easy way to use up some of these abundant veggies, I have an easy pasta option for you.  This particular pasta dish hails from the Puglia region, in the south of Italy where these veggies are even more abundant than here. My friend, Silvana, shared this recipe with me quite a long time ago when we were over one night for dinner. I have made it quite a few times with a variety of pasta, although the classic version is with hand made cavatelli, which I have made, but didn't get a photo of it with this particular recipe.

my hand made cavatelli

I have photographed it a few times thinking I would get around to writing it up, so you will see a few variations of pasta here in the photos. Hope you enjoy it. I hope to get a eggplant and zucchini lasagna recipe up soon as well, whilst we are still in the thick of the season. 

with cellentani pasta

Dicing your eggplant

Pasta al Melanzane e Pomodori

Eggplant/Aubergine and fresh Tomato Pasta

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 T or more as needed olive oil

2 garlic cloves, large or more if desired, small dice

1 large aubergine, (500g-1 1/2 #) medium diced, peel your eggplant and reserve the skin for topping

8-10 Tomatos, (1 kg / 2-2 1/2 # roma style, regular or cherry,  diced 

or a mix of roma and regular makes a good sauce

6 large basil leaves, fresh, maybe 1/4 cup cut up, more if you like

600g/1# or so pasta of choice, cavatelli, cellantani, Girandole, rigatoni, penne, or any big body type pasta

Method

Peel your eggplant in strips and reserve the peel to fry for a garnish on top.

Dice aubergine and tomatos into a medium dice.

Finely dice garlic and set aside.

Heat 2 T oil up in a large, heavy bottomed pan with deep sides or a non stick pan if you like.

When the oil is hot, add your garlic and cook just until the oil is aromatic making sure the garlic doesn't pick up any color.

Add your eggplant and shake or stir to coat the pieces with oil and cook till just starting to soften, lifting the eggplant or shaking your pan to keep it  from sticking.

Remove the eggplant into a bowl and set aside. I like the eggplant to retain its body and that is why I pull it out at this point and set it aside while the tomatoes cook. *If you don't mind or prefer your eggplant a tad more mushy, then just add the tomatoes in and cook them all together. Your preference.*

Add your tomatos to the pan and cook them till the tomatoes break down and create a luscious thick sauce, maybe 15 minutes or so. You might need to add some liquid, (water or stock) if your tomatoes are more meaty than juicy.

Add fresh basil and the reserved cooked aubergine and simmer a few more minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. 

Heat some additional frying oil in an small pan that you can quickly deep fry your eggplant peels that have been cut into narrow strips. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle a little salt on top. Add to the top of each serving or your bowl of pasta as you serve for a bit of a wow factor. Optional of course. 

Tomatos with basil, cooked eggplant in bowl and fried eggplant peels

Sauce is great used immediately with your favorite cooked, hearty pasta or sits well overnight and the flavor just improves. The flavor of your sauce is almost completely determined by the quality and flavor of your tomatoes. 

Don't worry if you think this is a large portion of pasta and sauce. This makes a wonderful baked pasta dish the second day, by adding some fresh grated parmesan or pecorino cheese and turned into an oiled baking dish and baked till bubbly, adding a bit of water it if seems too dry. 

This is a flavorful pasta, that is sure to please. 

Italian Unification marks 150 years today..Celebrate with Tagliatelle Tricolore

Viva l'Italia! 

Tri colore pasta

The party started Wednesday night with a nostalgic and patriotic musical extravaganza on television and in all three of the former and current capitals of Italy, Torino, Florence and Rome. Fireworks  for the grand finale, which for some was enjoyed in the steady drip of rain, but from the looks of it the piazzas were full to over flowing everywhere and a sense of unity pervaded, even if it might only be for a fleeting moment. 150 years, not all that long for a country with thousands of years of history, brought together by a desire for a common language and freedom from foreign rule that exploited them without understanding them. Unification came and still 150 years later most Italians usually identify themselves first from their region and it's culinary traditions, secondly as Italians with a broader alliance.
It is a time to celebrate when perhaps not everyone feels like celebrating, for the oh so many reasons too easy to enumerate. It's turbulent uncertain times in the world and here is no different. Italians have as many challenges that separates as opposed to uniting. United they are however, in spite of their differences, they all love their homeland with fierce pride and sometimes with idealistic longing for a grander day. I think most countries and people are feeling the same these days. So let us celebrate our common ground and put aside our differences. For me and I think most Italians as well, the best way to do that is to share a meal with drink and animated conversation. It's the balm that unites and gives us the strength to debate, laugh and love.

mixed pasta 

This home made three colored tagliatelle recipe was put forward by Alessandra Spisni, a frequent guest on a popular daytime cooking show in honor of the World Cup football matches last year. She hails from the Bologna region whose rule of thumb for hand rolled pasta is for every one hundred grams of flour, you add one egg and after mixing, roll.  I adapt this recipe to use the pasta machine by substituting some of the plain flour with a some semola or durum flour to give the pasta a bit more tooth. I have given her original recipe and not made the substitutions for the metric measurements, as they can vary so greatly from cook to cook. For me, 1 c flour =150g, no matter what converters usually say (usually 100g = 1c, but for me it taint so) Be that as it may, if you find your dough too dry, wet your hands and soften it up and conversely it it;s too wet, add more flour. You dough should be pliable and firm earlobe texture.  This pasta  will go with just about any of your favorite sauces. You want to use a clearer sauce for the colors to show through though. The sauce I have given below is a typical light handed coating for the pasta's colors and subtle flavors to shine through. Many of our guests tell us that they are surprised at the lack of sauce on pasta here in Italy. Italians like there to be a balance of sauce to pasta so that all the flavors shine through. You, however may find this to be a bit on the dry side for your taste, so you could add some chicken stock or light cream for a saucier version. It's also not quite full on zucchini flowers season, so feel free to substitute enough julienned zucchini  or fresh artichokes slices to make a great tasting colorful pasta, sure to brighten anyones day.

Buon appetito and  Viva l'Italia!!

Three color pasta in a light cream sauce

Tagliatelle Tricolore
Serves : a bunch of hungry people 15 or so

For the pasta:
Rosso/Red
500g flour, plain/all purpose
5 eggs, room temperature
2 t tomato paste


Bianca/White
500g flour, plain/all purpose
5 eggs, room temperature

Verdi/Green
500g flour, plain. all purpose
4 eggs room temperature
100g spinach, cooked, liquid squeezed out

Simple light sauce

2 shallots, diced
20 zucchini flowers, large ones roughed chopped More if yours are the smaller type
or 3 (or so)good sized zucchini shredded into about 1 1/2-2" thin, thin strips, julienne
Parsley, chopped, a big handful
Olive oil to saute
Parmesan, grated, to taste, figure about 100g/ 1/2 c or so

2 T butter

Salt and Pepper

Mixed plain, spinach and tomato pasta

For the Pasta

I start with the white, by placing the flour in a bowl.

Make a well in the middle and crack your eggs into the middle.
Whisk the eggs with a fork, whisk or our fingers in a circular motion till the yolks and whites begin to emulsify. Gradually bring in  the flour little by little until you get a shaggy mass of dough.
Dump the dough on to a generously floured wooden board or table.
Begin to knead your dough until you reach a smooth pliable dough, adjusting your flour or adding a bit of water by wetting your hands, if needed.
Cover your dough with a plastic bag or film when the dough is smooth and set aside. This allows the dough to relax, usually about 15 minutes, which will be about the time  it will take you to get the other doughs finished.
Important to keep the doughs covered so they don't dry on you making it more difficult to roll out.

Repeat the process for the other two colored varieties.
Purists will mix the chopped spinach and tomato paste respectively directly in to the well with the eggs.
I like to use a small mini food processor attachment, that fits on my hand emulsion mixer, to blend a couple of the eggs with the spinach and later the tomato paste to get a smoother green and red mixture.
I find especially with the spinach, that it makes for a less ragged speckling of the dough, but it's entirely up to you whether you feel like dirtying another utensil.
Roll out your dough till thin enough to make nice rustic pasta. (1/4mm/ 1/8"or thinner)
By hand you will get approximately a 90cm x 60cm (30"x 24") rectangle.
You can roll each dough in two batches for more manageability, as it is a very large rectangle.
If using a pasta machine, divide dough into at least six sections and roll each dough section out to the next to the last setting.
Let the dough strips dry for about 15 minutes before cutting in to the tagliatelle shape.
It will be the wider setting on the cutter that comes with your machine.
Let the tagliatelle air dry 15 minutes before cooking to insure that the strands don't stick together.
You can hang them on a broom handle suspended between two chairs.  If you don't want to make the full batch, you can dry part of the pasta over night for a later date.
 If you live in a dry climate, the pasta will stay well indefinitely. If you live in a humid climate, don't leave it too long before using. Store in an air tight container when thoroughly dry.
The unrolled dough also freezes well for rolling out at a later date.  Roughly 100g of pasta for a servering per person, depending on your appetites and if there are other courses to the meal.
Get your salted water boiling.  Fresh pasta only takes a few minutes to cook. You will probably need to cook this large amount of pasta in several batches.
Mix your three colors of pasta when cooking so your colors are mixed when adding to the sauce.
Make sure you have a large pot of water boiling and  fish out the pasta on each batch adding it to the sauce pan, so you don't need to bring a second batch of water to a boil.

Male zucchini flowers

For the sauce
Have all of your ingredients ready and start the sauce when you are ready to drop the pasta in the water. 
Saute the chopped shallots in a generous amount of olive oil in a large saute pan with tall sides.
As the shallots start to soften, add  the chopped zucchini flowers. Saute till wilted. Add the parsley. If you want a saucier pasta add about a cup of chicken stock at this point. Bring to boil and add the butter. When the butter has melted you are ready for the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce in the sauce pan. Add the parmesan, stirring and shaking the pan to combine and coat the pasta. adjust your salt and pepper to taste. Seve immediately serving extra parmesan on the side.
Feel free to substitute your favorite sauce as well.

Viva l'Italia

Fabrizio serving up tricolore pasta

Going, going.....

Strozzapreti Broccoli e Taleggio

Yesterday I had some broccoli that called my name out as I passed it on my way to bake some bread. It persuasively let me know that if I didn't cook it immediately it was going to go all soft on me and it's fresh solid firmness would be lost. I saw this recipe done on one of the local daily cooking shows, La Prova del Cuoco and had been wanting to try it. I rose to the occasion and whipped out some simple pasta to go along with the insistent broccoli. I married up the two of them with some soft stracchino cheese and lunch was done in nothing flat. 

The hand rolled pasta I made is called Strozzaptreti and hails from the Emilia-Romagna region. Strozzapreti or priest stranglers? Humm, intriguing name for a pasta shape indeed. There are a few theories about how this pasta received its name and all seem to be on the anti clerical theme. According to Wikipedia, one story goes that the gluttonous priests ate too quickly and choked on the pasta. Another purports that the farmer's wives would make Strozzapreti for the clergy in partial payment for their land rents, infuriating the farmers so, that they wished they would choke on the pasta. Either way, it seems the priests were none too revered. Lucky for us these are easy to make, as you don't need to be too fussed about their shape as they are rustic and hearty. They seem to disappear quickly when paired with the broccoli and cheese and their lumpy character goes well with sturdy broccoli. The dough is water and flour rubbed together to form medium rolled strands that are cooked with the broccoli and finished off with the cheese. I didn't have taleggio, which is a mild soft cheese that melts easily. I used another even milder cheese, stracchino that I think next time I would add some Parmesan and or gorgonzola to kick up the flavor profile just a bit. Either way, I didn't use as much of the cheese as called for as I wanted the broccoli to shine through and I think that was just about right for me. You be the judge for your taste buds. If you are not of a mind to make pasta, use a fresh or dry pasta of your choice. Whatever you do, make sure to give it a go for a simple and satisfying dish that's sure to please.

Strozzapreti Broccoli e Taleggio

(Priest Stranglers with Broccoli and cheese)

4-5 servings

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 400g/ 4c/14oz flour, all purpose
• 200g/ 3/4c/ 7 oz, cool water

For the rest:

• 1 shallot, diced or 1/2 red onion if you don't have a shallot,
• 500g/ 1# broccoli, peel stems and cut into 2cm/1 in pieces. I sliced some of the larger florets in half
• 200g/ 7oz, Taleggio, small cubes or any soft cheese of your preference. I used stacchino. Next time I would add a little gorgonzola cheese
• 50g/ 1/4c Parmesan

• Olive oil
• Pepper

Method

Mix the water and flour and pull together to make a soft but firm dough. Knead a few minutes till smooth and pliable, dusting generously with flour if needed. Cover in a bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough relax for 15 minutes. The rest gives the flour time to absorb the water properly.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle to a thickness of about 3mm/1/4 in.

Cut the dough into long strips across the shorter end. 

Take each strip and rub the lengths of dough together between your palms in a quick rolling motion to get a rolled length that you pinch off into comfortable lengths. Continue till you finish all the dough. I cut a few strips at a time so they don't dry out too much while I am rubbing them into strips. Sprinkled or flour generously a wooden board or trays and lay your pasta out in a single layer. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta as well, to keep them form sticking together. Set aside while you finish the rest of the dish.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

You can prep your vegetables and cheese now.

Begin to heat a large sauce pan or skillet with tall sides.

Add a bit of olive oil and your shallot or onion and let it gently cook.

Once your pot is at a rolling boil, drop the broccoli and cook until the broccoli is bright green and tender but still firm. That is how I like it. You can cook it further to your taste, if you like.

I removed the broccoli because I didn't want to over cook it and added it to the olive oil and onion.

Other wise add the pasta to the broccoli and cook until the pasta is cooked al dente. The timing will depend on how thick your strips are. Usually fresh pasta only takes a few minutes. Do test a thick piece as it can be quite doughy if under cooked.

Add your drained pasta ad broccoli to the pan with the shallot.

Add your soft cheese and mix to blend and melt the soft cheese. Adjust your seasoning and turn your heat on or off depending ont if the cheese is melting or not.

Serve immediately, stirring in the parmesan at the last moment or sprinkling it over the top when served. A grind of fresh black pepper is a nice finishing touch as well.

Spaghetti and Lentils, Hearty Fare for a Winters Day

It's still comfort food time as far as I'm concerned. I don't know about you, but spring is still a ways away and this is a tasty somewhat lighter variation of the classic Italian dish," pasta e fagioli", or pasta and beans. It's a dish I love. I usually use a short tube pasta with borlotti beans. The broth of the beans and the starch of the pasta makes for a simple thick stew whose rich flavor is comfort at it's best. This version combines lentils and spaghetti. There are many variations in the different regions and when I came across Joe of Italyville family's version, who hail from Calabria and whose recipe features lentils and spaghetti, I knew it would be a combination I would love, and I do. You can find his family's "Italian Lentil Soup" original recipe here.  I've updated mine to include farro or spelt spaghetti as it's nutty flavor goes well with the earthy lentils. Generally, I'm not a fan of whole wheat pasta (don't get Joe started on that subject) as I find it heavy and strange in it's texture, but spelt is entirely different, in my opinion. It has all the slippery qualities of regular white pasta, but with added flavor and many health claims that are attached to spelt. I find that it just tastes great. I like to use small lentils as they cook up faster and with out the need to soak them over night. I find that I tend to decide to make this pretty much last minute, so the minimal cooking time is a bonus, although regular lentils don't really take that much longer to cook and makes a hearty bowl of pasta goodness.

I always have a bit of a chuckle whenever I make pasta and beans, as it reminds me of an incident that cemented in my mind just how regional Italian cuisine is. When we first opened  Bella Baita, our B&B, back in 2003, we were casting about looking for guests, since we returned to Fabrizio's family business that had really only focused on their osteria/restaurant, La Baita. Even though they had built on a few rooms, they never really pursued the business side of renting out the rooms. Although we were on the map for the locals, as "La Baita" had been very popular over the years, there was no past history to draw upon. We cast about for what ever we could find that came our way and luckily we made a connection with a couple of companies that were building the new tunnels for the new and improved road up our valley. This effort was all a part of the infrastructure improvement and run up to the 2006 Winter Olympics that were held here. We were fortunate to have a group of workers, from the south of Italy, that were here working to build the new tunnels. They were to stay with us until their company could arrange more permanent accommodations for them. We sent them off at 5 am after a quick coffee and brioche and they returned to eat dinner with us in the evening. The first couple of days we made what is typical of primi piatti here, soup and risotto, to a less than enthusiastic response. How odd indeed, as these are the things that you find on menus and in the homes of northern Italians and we didn't think we were that bad of cooks. On the 3rd night one of them asked us why we didn't serve pasta. Ah ha, the light bulb over the head goes on. Yes, of course, pasta! The next night we served pasta e fagioli and were greeted with ear to ear grins and clean plates all round. It was pasta every night every night after that to happy eaters and satisfied cooks. I still remember that first plate of pasta e fagioli and their beaming faces, and I find a myself braking out into a grin.  I think you'll find this might rustle up some smiles and satisfaction to you and yours as well.
I made half this recipe for the two of us with enough to serve for lunch the next day. 

Spaghetti e Lenticchie (Lentils)

 Serves 4-6 

• 100g pancetta, speck or prosciutto crudo, or bacon, diced
• 2 leeks, sliced in semi circles or 1 large onion, diced 
• 2-3 stalks of celery – diced, mine were kind of small
• 2  large carrots – diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced'
• 2 bay leaves
• 1tsp thyme, dry  
• 60g /1/4 c white wine
• 200g /1c lentils, I like to use organic and the really small ones for faster cooking
• water or vegetable or chicken stock about 700g/3 cups
• 6 plum type tomatoes,  peeled and chopped, I used San Marzano varieties that I had frozen
• or a can of diced tomatoes, can size is up to you
• 300g /a little over 1/2 box of spaghetti,  I like farro or spelt spaghetti
• small piece of parmesan rind, if you have it
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

• Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley if you have any, for a nice touch

Method

In a large deep saute pan Pour a small amount of oil and begin to cook your pancetta or bacon. If you meat is very  fatty, you might not need the oil. If you are using a lean parma/prosciutto  ham you will need the oil. Saute for a while until it starts to get crispy. I like to remove most of the pork, reserving it to add at the end so it still retains some texture and flavor. 

Either drain off some of the fat if too oily or add a little more olive oil and add your diced leek, or onion, carrot, celery and garlic. 

Continue to cook over a moderate flame until just starting to soften, about 5 minutes or so.

Add the thyme and bay leaf and white wine

Continue to cook until the white wine is almost evaporated

Then add the lentils and stir thoroughly and let it cook a few minutes.

Add vegetable or chicken stock if you like, but I usually just use water to completely cover the whole mixture and you have a loose soupy consistency. You will probably add about 3 c or more. You will be adding more later. 

If you have a piece of parmesan rind, add it at this time for that little added flavor to your mix and it will be the cooks reward later.

Let it all simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Add more water now, not stock, and bring your liquid back up to where you started and maybe even a little more. 

Add some salt. Taste it. You want to be able to tell that you have salt, but is not enough that you would serve it, yet. You will adjust your salt at the end. 

Add your diced tomatoes.

Break your spaghetti in half and add to your soup.

Let it all simmer till your spaghetti is just about al dente. 

Add your reserved pancetta or salty pork.

Taste it again and adjust your salt and add some pepper. 

Retrieve the softened parmesan rind, your cooks reward 

Garnish with fresh chopped herbs like thyme and chives or parsley and serve.

Wait for the grins from ear to ear!

Buon appetito!

My crusty bread to sop up the juices

Away with La Befana and Caramelle di pasta per la Befana

  The calender says it's the 6th of January, also known as 12th night, or twelve nights after the birth of Jesus, when the 3 kings arrived to pay their respects. Here in Italy,  today is the last day of the Italian festivities. On the night of the 5th, La Befana flies around on her broom to everyone's house and brings either candy or coal to place in your stocking depending on if you have been naughty or nice. Sound familiar? So it's a day for children and to indulge in yet more sweets, treats and another round of gifts.

When she goes, so do the decorations and the festivities. If you are interested in  some of the lore around this holiday, check out my post here.

In general, I find the whole La Befana festival most interesting. as it is such a melange of traditions, beliefs, some religious and others pagan till is quite the stew. The news today seemed fixated on the coal or candy question, like it was some new development and the Addams family has been playing for the past couple of nights on TV. Watching the Pope's St Peter's square festivities, decorated with massive and lavishly decorated Christmas trees, with the 3 kings on hand, and La Befana handing out candies to the faithful, just struck me as weird. I do enjoy the holiday is just seems to be such a mish mash. So the inspiration for this recipe came from another classic Italian TV cooking show, La Prova del Cuoco.  The dish features potato salami filled pasta, in the shape of a wrapped candy, which are called caramelle  over a bed of lentils shaped as a stocking. Lentils and a special sausage called cotechino are a favorite combination for New Years an La Befana as lentils are to bring good luck and the shape of the lentils are like small coins, like the magi brought to th Christ child.

My smaller version  of the stocking,  isn't quite as recognizable as a larger version, but the taste is definitely there.

We gobbled ours up like greedy children falling upon lusted after caramelle. I hope you do as well.

Caramelle di pasta per la Befana

Serves 4-6

For the pasta

4 eggs

400 g flour

Mix together and knead till smooth. Cover with plastic or damp cloth to keep from drying out and set aside while making your other ingredients.

For the pasta filling

200g cotechino or  salami or sausage ( I used a combination of spicy and mild salami), chop very fine

400g potatoes, boiled till soft ( I used a combination of sunchokes and small crumbly  and boiled them in their skins and peeled before smashing)

50 g grated parmesan or other hard type of cheese

Mix them all together and season if desired. Set aside.

For the sauce

100g Lentils dry or already cooked if you prefer

1 onion, chopped fine

1 carrot, small dice

1 stalk celery, diced

3 tomatoes, diced or half a small can of tomatoes

For the cooked pasta

1 sprig of rosemary

1 garlic clove smalshed

olive oil to lightly saute

Cheese to garnish when serving.

Start your sauce for the pasta.

Saute the onion, carrot, celery in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, till translucent, 5 minutes or so

Add the lentils and enough water to cover the lentils and a bit more for when they absorb

Simmer the lentils till soft, maybe 1/2 hour, adding more water when needed so they don't dry out.

When the lentils start to soften, add the tomaotes and simmer another 10 minutes. Season with salt.

While the sauce is simmering, make your caramelle

Roll out your dough till very thin.

Cut your dough into rectangles about the length of your middle finer to the knuckle.

Let sit on a well floured surface a little while before filling, 5-10 minutes

Place a teaspoon or so in the middle of the dough.

Fold the dough over the filling and press the dough on three sides to insure they don't come apart.

Pinch the dough together on either side if the filling 

Once you have them all made. Let them dry for 10-15 minutes before boiling in salted water.

 When you are about ready to serve, make sure your sauce is ready.

Place the sprig of rosemary, garlic clove and 1-2 Tb olive oil, in a saute pan.

Heat till hot and is aromatic.

Cook your pasta al dente. It should take less than 5 minutes, as it is fresh pasta.

Toss the cooked pasta in to the oil and shake to coat the pasta in the oil.

Arrange your lentils on a large oval platter ideally to look like a stocking.

If you have some cherry tomatoes, place tomato halves at the top of the stocking and a few sprigs of rosemary sticking out.at the top.

Gently place your caramelle on top of the lentils.

Garnish with some shredded hard cheese and serve.

Scoop up the lentils and pasta.

. 

It is an excellent combination and worth the effort.

 

Fresh Artichoke Lasagne Recipe for BloggerAid

As I count off the days till the end of the month and before I head over to London, I would like to make sure to mention the wonderful effort of some very dedicated bloggers, Ivy, of Kopiaste ,Val of More Than Burnt Toast and Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen and BloggerAid who have organized a social network called BloggerAid, and are publishing a cookbook !!! The purpose of BloggerAid is to bring bloggers together to help alleviate world hunger, one event at a time. If you haven't already discovered them and joined there is no time like the present. There also is a link to the site where you can find out all about the site in my side bar. It's free and there's no obligation, just a great opportunity to discover new blogs and friends.
The proceeds from the cookbook will be directed to the School Meals program, one of the largest of the World Food Program's efforts. I remember how much I looked forward to lunch every day at school. Imagine if it was the only secure meal that you had to look forward to for the day. What a worthy investment in the future.

So that brings me to the title of this blog, Fresh Artichoke Lasagne. You thought I'd never get there didn't you. Well, I'm just going to leave you a little appetizer of a photo, because I'm submitting the recipe to be published in the cookbook. So if you want this recipe along with a few tips, tricks and twists on this fresh home made layered pasta, then you'll need to buy the cook book. Naturally we'll let you know when and where that will be. In the mean time enjoy the photo and submit a recipe for yourself. You don't have to be a member or blogger to submit a recipe.

Find out how to submit a recipe here for the BloogerAid cookbook. You still have time. The deadline is 31 March. Join a growing group of bloggers and don't miss out on the opportunity to help make a difference in someones life.

Carciofi Lasagne