CANTUCCI COOKIES

The cantucci cookies are typical Tuscan biscuits particularly in the Siena area. They are served at the end of meals accompanied by a glass of vin santo. The origins of the nooks seem to date back to the end of the 1600s.

One thing is certain the cantucci are a simple and very convivial recipe like the Tuscan traditions and cuisine.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gr flour
250 gr sugar
150 gr almonds with peel
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 sachet of vanillin
1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind
1 pinch of salt


METHOD:

Place the flour in a bowl in a bowl. At the center of the fountain put the sugar, baking powder, vanilla and beaten eggs. Start working the dough with your fingertips and begin to let the flour absorb.

Knead well until the mixture is firm and homogeneous.

Add the crushed and partly whole almonds to the dough.

Mix the mixture well until it is homogeneous.

With the dough obtained, form 2 cylinders 3 fingers wide and 3 fingers high and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

The loaves will cook and then spread out, so leave plenty of space between one corner and another so they don't stick together, bake at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Once out of the oven the nooks cut them still hot diagonally in slices about 1 cm wide giving the biscuits the typical shape of the nooks.

Lay the nooks on the baking sheet and put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes at 100 ° to let the dough dry.

Allow the nooks to enter and serve them with vin santo in which they can be dipped before eating them.

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PUMPKIN AND PANCETTA CANNELLONI

Pumpkin and pancetta cannelloni are a very tasty recipe, a typically autumnal dish when you find excellent fresh pumpkins. A typical dish of traditional Italian cuisine.

pumpkin and bacon cannelloni


INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

400 grams of dried cannelloni
200 gr of ricotta
100 grams of pancetta
100 gr of bechamel sauce
1 liter of broth
700 grams of pumpkin pulp
50 grams of Parmesan cheese
50 gr of pecorino cheese
1 onion
rosemary
nutmeg
extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

Clean and cut the pumpkin into large cubes, cut the pancetta into cubes.

Cut the onion into joulienne and fry it in the pan with the extra virgin olive oil, add the diced bacon, brown it. Add the pumpkin and broth and cook for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the ricotta, béchamel, nutmeg and half of the grated Parmesan and pecorino cheese and mix well.

Fill the cannelloni with the pumpkin and bacon mixture and place them on a baking pan greased with oil.




Cover them with the remaining mixture of pumpkin and pancetta and the remaining grated cheese.

Bake at 180 ° C for 20 minutes and serve hot.

SPAGHETTI WITH CARBONARA SAUCE

Eggs, bacon and pepper, give an intense and enveloping taste to spaghetti carbonara. Here is one of the most famous Italian recipes in the world.

INGREDIENTS:
For 4 people
13 ounces of spaghetti
150 g of pork cheek
4 egg yolks
100 g of pecorino cheese
Salt and pepper to taste.

PREPARATION:
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water.

Meanwhile, cut the bacon into strips and fry it in a pan without adding oil.
Simultaneously beat the egg yolks with the pecorino in a bowl: add two tablespoons of spaghetti cooking water and a pinch of black pepper.

Drain the spaghetti al dente.

Pour the spaghetti into the pan with the bacon and mix well. Remove the pan from the heat and add the beaten egg yolks: mix well and add a tablespoon of the cooking water for a creamy result.

Sprinkle with grated Pecorino cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve immediately.

STORIES IN THE DISH

Pasta alla carbonara is one of the most famous Italian recipes in the world. And, as often happens with the most famous "inventions", in this case too many legends have arisen over the time of its origins. Although carbonara is a relatively recent preparation, in fact, the hypotheses on its invention are many and often contradictory.
The most accredited theories are two: the most famous holds that pasta alla carbonara was invented during the Second World War by a cook who, when American soldiers arrived, would use their rations of eggs and bacon to dress pasta, finally adding pepper and cheese to enhance the flavor.
According to another theory, instead, the carbonara would be the evolution of a plate of ancient Lazio origins called "cacio e ova" (cheese and eggs) which the Carbonari fed when they went to the woods to make coal.
Used over time as a condiment for pasta, this recipe would have definitely become the carbonara as we know it today during the Second World War when American soldiers asked the tavern cooks to add the pillow they had mistaken for the bacon they used to pair with eggs.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to one of the most accredited theories, is the name of the carbonara linked to the presence of ground black pepper which in the traditional recipe should blacken the dough to the point of making it seem covered with coal dust?

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PACCHERI WITH BLACK PEPPER AND SPECK

The paccheri are great Neapolitan macaroni. Made with durum wheat semolina. The name seems to come from the word "pacca" Neapolitan dialect that means in open-hand slap, and represent the large size of this pasta.

Given the size of paccheri are also often stuffed with ricotta cheese.
The recipe of Italian cuisine combines the cuisine of southern Italy (paccheri) with the "speck", which is a typical product of Northern Italy.
Paccheri with black pepper and Speck it's a really simple recipes.

DIFFICULTY ': EASY

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE:
400 of paccheri
100 gr Speck
50 g of butter
Dry white wine
black pepper
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PROCEDURE:
Cut the Speck into strips in a frying pan, melt butter and saute the bacon. Add the white wine and, when fully evaporated, add the black peppercorns. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, cook the paccheri in salted water and let them blow up in the pan to mix well with the sauce and Speck and black pepper.

Other recipes of italian cuisine on http://italy-recipes.blogspot.com/

Tuna stuffed zucchini

Tuna stuffed zucchini are a typical Ligurian recipe, blanched, emptied and stuffed with tuna, capers, pine nuts and various herbs.

Some time ago I was lucky enough to taste the tuna stuffed zucchini in Liguria and I remember that they had literally conquered me!

The recipe is very similar to that of the classic baked stuffed zucchini but made even more savory by the presence of tuna and fresh aromas that the Ligurians use everywhere.

Of course the same filling can also be used to stuff other vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Tuna stuffed zucchini
Ingredients for 3 courgettes:
Genoese zucchini: 3
olive oil
white onion: half
anchovy fillets: 3
tuna in oil: 100 gr
capers: 1 tbsp
pine nuts: 1 tbsp
sliced bread: 3 slices
grated cheese: 3 tablespoons
parsley, basil, thyme, oregano
bread crumbs

Here's how to prepare zucchini stuffed with tuna also known as Ligurian zucchini.

How to make zucchini stuffed with tuna
Wash the zucchini and cook 10 minutes in boiling water.

After this time, cool the zucchini in cold water.

Check the courgettes and cut them into 2 parts.

tick and cut zucchini

Dig the zucchini inside and set the pulp to one side.

empty zucchini

In a frying pan pour a round of olive oil and add the chopped onion.

As soon as the onion is dried add the anchovy fillets and melt them.

Add the chopped capers and then the pulp of the courgettes.

Cook everything for a couple of minutes without adding salt.

After this time, remove from the heat and add the tuna in oil.

Finally, add the smoothed pancarrè, grated cheese, pine nuts and chopped herbs.


Fill the zucchini with the tuna stuffing and place them on a baking sheet greased with oil.

Cover the courgettes with breadcrumbs, pour a little oil on the surface and bake in a hot oven at 200 ° for 20-30 minutes.

Take the Ligurian-stuffed courgettes out of the oven and let them cool before serving.


They are delicious even cold!

You can find another Italian recipe with zucchini:http://italy-recipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/zucchini-flan-with-cheese-sauce.html

LIVER AT VENETIAN WAY

The liver is one of the many Venetian traditional recipes of Italian and Venetian cuisine.

Among the various recipes, this is definitely one of the best known worldwide for its unique taste and special flavor that combines the aroma of the onion and of the liver.

The origins of this dish, called in Venetian dialect "figà àea Venessiana", date back to Roman times they used to cook the liver with figs because to cover up the smell a little bit strong.

The Venetians over time replaced the figs with onions and made this recipe to become one of the most popular Venetian cuisine.

INGREDIENT for 4 people:
2 medium white onions
3-4 slices of beef liver
red wine
red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

Cut onions in joulienne and brown them in a pan with little oil butter (you can also use the olive oil ).

Meanwhile, cut the liver into strips and add to the onions when they are well browned.

Shortly afterwards blurs with wine and a little vinegar. Cook with the lid, salt, pepper ... and the liver at venetian way is ready.

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SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO AND BASIL

Spaghetti with tomato and basil is a symbol of Italian cuisine in the world. The simplicity of this recipe contains a wealth of aromas and suggestions once associated with Mediterranean cuisine.
The ideal time to prepare this recipe is the summer, during July and August when the tomatoes are fully ripe. Spaghetti with tomato and basil are also a good dish diet rich in carbohydrates and low in fat are ideal for hot summer afternoons.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

- FRESH TOMATOES 1.5 kg
- BASIL LEAVES n 6
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Garlic cloves 1 n

PROCEDURE

Cut into the skin of the tomatoes and blanch them in water. Drain, peel and dice.
In a large skillet, brown the garlic in olive oil. Not too much otherwise it becomes bitter. Add a few basil leaves and brown slightly.
Add tomatoes and cook for 2 3 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water for about 8 minutes. Drain and add to tomato sauce and basil and mix well.

Serve the spaghetti with tomato and basil hot.

Other recipes of italian cuisine on http://italy-recipes.blogspot.com/

FARINATA WITH ZUCCHINI

Farinata is a typical recipe of Italian cuisine, especially of the lower Piedmont and Liguria. It 'a kind of pizza made with chickpea flour.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

- 125 g chickpea flour
- 3 n ZUCCHINI
- Onion n 1 2
- CHIVES n 1 chopped bunch fresh
- OLIVE OIL

PROCEDURE

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then sliced ​​very thin, cut the onion and brown it joulienne with a little oil in a pan, add the zucchini, salt them and cook them.
Beat the chickpea flour with 4 tablespoons of water and a bit 'of salt until it forms a thick batter.
Combine the cooked zucchini and chives and mix well.

Grease a frying pan and heat it well, then pour the batter and cook for 2 3 minutes until the flour is browned zucchini chives.
Turn it over and brown for 2 3 minutes.
Serve hot.

Other recipes of italian cuisine on http://italy-recipes.blogspot.com/

PLIN

"Plin" are a typical product of Piedmont, especially in the western Piedmont.

In the Piedmontese dialect, "Plin" is the pinch, this term derives from the name of this egg pasta filled with roast meat, plin is the pinch that is given to the pasta.

The Plin are cooked in boiling water and served with butter and sage sauce, or roast. But to fully appreciate the taste, tradition has it that you may taste on a napkin with no seasoning.

During the demonstration Gustadom in Asti you can taste the agnolotti Gobbi served in this way.