Italy (11/2/15)
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Recipes contributed by Rudy Litwin.
Another delectable demo by Rudy and the Italian American Society sent amazing aromas wafting through the library. Click here to download these recipes. Want to try more Italian recipes? Click here for the archive from our program in 2012. Click here for the archive from our program in 2013. Click here for the archive from our program in 2014. Click here for the archive from our program in 2022. Click here for the archive from our program in 2023. |
Cheese Ravioli
Rudy's family calls this stand-up style of ravioli "Razor Back." He shared this recipe with us in honor of his mother, whose birthday was Nov. 2.
Ingredients
For dough:
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs oil
1/3 cup water or milk
For filling:
15 or 16 ounces of ricotta cheese (recipe below)
1/3 cup of minced parsley
¼ cup of grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
Method
Place flour on pasta board and make a well.
Add salt, eggs, egg yolk, oil and water to the center of the well of flour.
With a fork, start stirring and mixing the wet ingredients in the flour well, keeping them within the wall of flour created by the well until dough starts to get tacky. Finish mixing dough by hand. Knead dough for about 5 minutes. Roll into a ball and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thin, cut into rounds with a cutter or water glass. Add ½ tsp filling to each round. Wet round along the outer edge. Fold dough in half and seal the edges very well. Stand dough with ridges up. Slightly flatten bottom of ravioli and flute the edge with your fingers. This stand up style is what our family called Razor Back.
Ingredients
For dough:
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs oil
1/3 cup water or milk
For filling:
15 or 16 ounces of ricotta cheese (recipe below)
1/3 cup of minced parsley
¼ cup of grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
Method
Place flour on pasta board and make a well.
Add salt, eggs, egg yolk, oil and water to the center of the well of flour.
With a fork, start stirring and mixing the wet ingredients in the flour well, keeping them within the wall of flour created by the well until dough starts to get tacky. Finish mixing dough by hand. Knead dough for about 5 minutes. Roll into a ball and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thin, cut into rounds with a cutter or water glass. Add ½ tsp filling to each round. Wet round along the outer edge. Fold dough in half and seal the edges very well. Stand dough with ridges up. Slightly flatten bottom of ravioli and flute the edge with your fingers. This stand up style is what our family called Razor Back.
Ricotta Cheese
Try to find a milk that has not been pasteurized at too high a temp. Kilgus milk from Kilgus Farms in Fairview, IL is an example of lower temperature pasteurization. Pottstown Deli and Naturally Yours in the Metro Center (Peoria, IL) carry Kilgus Milk.
Ingredients
1 gallon of whole milk
1 ½ teaspoon of citric acid
1 tsp salt
Method
Pour milk in a non-reactive pot, add citric acid and salt, and stir.
Heat the milk to 195 degrees slowly. Stir often to prevent scorching.
When the curds and whey separate, turn off the heat and let set for 5 minutes.
Line a colander with butter muslin. Ladle the curds gently into the cloth.
Tie the cloth into a bag and hang to drain for ½ hour depending on desired consistency.
After draining to the consistency you prefer, the cheese is ready to eat. It can keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator or it may be frozen.
Note: Try saving the whey and using it in soups or to thicken a sauce if it gets too dry.
Ingredients
1 gallon of whole milk
1 ½ teaspoon of citric acid
1 tsp salt
Method
Pour milk in a non-reactive pot, add citric acid and salt, and stir.
Heat the milk to 195 degrees slowly. Stir often to prevent scorching.
When the curds and whey separate, turn off the heat and let set for 5 minutes.
Line a colander with butter muslin. Ladle the curds gently into the cloth.
Tie the cloth into a bag and hang to drain for ½ hour depending on desired consistency.
After draining to the consistency you prefer, the cheese is ready to eat. It can keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator or it may be frozen.
Note: Try saving the whey and using it in soups or to thicken a sauce if it gets too dry.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
1 Tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup red wine (doesn't have to be expensive, but
should be one you'd drink)
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 28-oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes (terroir
makes a big difference in tomato flavor)
Salt and Pepper to taste.
1 cup fresh basil
Method
Add the olive oil and chopped garlic to skillet and lightly brown.
When garlic is lightly browned, add onions. Sauté the onions until translucent.
Make some space in the center of pan add the tomato paste. Keeping the tomato paste isolated in the center of the pan, cook it until it starts browning to develop a sun dried tomato taste.
Add the wine and stir all together. Cook down the wine until it starts to thicken.
Add the tomatoes and mash the whole tomatoes with a potato masher until broken into small pieces.
Stir and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add fresh basil just before serving.
1 Tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup red wine (doesn't have to be expensive, but
should be one you'd drink)
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 28-oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes (terroir
makes a big difference in tomato flavor)
Salt and Pepper to taste.
1 cup fresh basil
Method
Add the olive oil and chopped garlic to skillet and lightly brown.
When garlic is lightly browned, add onions. Sauté the onions until translucent.
Make some space in the center of pan add the tomato paste. Keeping the tomato paste isolated in the center of the pan, cook it until it starts browning to develop a sun dried tomato taste.
Add the wine and stir all together. Cook down the wine until it starts to thicken.
Add the tomatoes and mash the whole tomatoes with a potato masher until broken into small pieces.
Stir and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add fresh basil just before serving.
Meat Sauce
Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp fennel seed
1 Tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup red wine
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 28 oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Method
Lightly brown pork and fennel seed in a large skillet (if the pork is dry, add a bit of olive oil). Set the browned pork aside in a paper toweled bowl to drain.
Add the olive oil and chopped garlic to skillet and lightly brown.
When garlic is lightly browned, add onions. Sauté the onions until translucent.
Make some space in the center of pan add the tomato paste. Keeping the tomato paste isolated in the center of the pan, cook it until it starts browning to develop a sun dried tomato taste.
Add the wine and stir all together. Cook down the wine until it starts to thicken.
Add the tomatoes and mash the whole tomatoes with a potato masher until broken into small pieces.
Add back the browned pork, stir and simmer for about 30 minutes.
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp fennel seed
1 Tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup red wine
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 28 oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Method
Lightly brown pork and fennel seed in a large skillet (if the pork is dry, add a bit of olive oil). Set the browned pork aside in a paper toweled bowl to drain.
Add the olive oil and chopped garlic to skillet and lightly brown.
When garlic is lightly browned, add onions. Sauté the onions until translucent.
Make some space in the center of pan add the tomato paste. Keeping the tomato paste isolated in the center of the pan, cook it until it starts browning to develop a sun dried tomato taste.
Add the wine and stir all together. Cook down the wine until it starts to thicken.
Add the tomatoes and mash the whole tomatoes with a potato masher until broken into small pieces.
Add back the browned pork, stir and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Pizzelle
Ingredients
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup melted butter (not hot)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp anise flavoring or 1 tsp anise oil
1 tsp anise seed
3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
Method
Beat eggs and sugar until light yellow.
Add melted butter, vanilla and anise oil and anise seed.
Mix flour and baking powder together.
Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir until well incorporated.
Place one tsp batter on hot pizzelle iron for 25 to 30 seconds.
Makes approximately six dozen, depending on how deep the grooves are on your pizzelle maker.
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup melted butter (not hot)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp anise flavoring or 1 tsp anise oil
1 tsp anise seed
3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
Method
Beat eggs and sugar until light yellow.
Add melted butter, vanilla and anise oil and anise seed.
Mix flour and baking powder together.
Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir until well incorporated.
Place one tsp batter on hot pizzelle iron for 25 to 30 seconds.
Makes approximately six dozen, depending on how deep the grooves are on your pizzelle maker.