Visualizzazione post con etichetta italian. Mostra tutti i post
Visualizzazione post con etichetta italian. Mostra tutti i post

martedì 29 ottobre 2013

What CAN YOU DO WITH....ZUCCHINI?

Sooo many things! The first thing that comes to my mind is...LOOVE (!) but, let's do as if we were real americans (=100% puritan ;P), and stay on the culinary side of life... Your aunt brought you a lot of zucchini from her garden, and you don't really know what to do with 'em? Impress all your friends with a great italian menu!

Pasta with creamy sauce made of zucchini, chick peas, curry and fried raw ham 
Zucchini boiled and then fried with cheese and raw ham
Zucchini and chick peas salad

Pasta with creamy sauce made of zucchini, chick peas, curry and fried raw ham 

Pasta with creamy sauce made of zucchini, chick peas, curry and fried raw ham 

Ingredients for 2 people:
- Pasta "shells" (200g), we call them "conchiglie"
- Zucchini (2)
- Cooked chick peas (half handful)
- Raw ham (4 strips)
- Fresh milk cream (70ml)
- Onion (1 small)
- Garlic (1 clove)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Curry powder (1-2 tea spoons, as you wish)
- Salt
- Pepper

Put a pot of water for the pasta on medium-high heat. Cut the onion and the garlic into small pieces, put them in a pan and fry them together with a little extra virgin oil until the onion turns yellow (don't let it turn too dark 'cos it'd taste like sh..! It already happened to me, more than once...hehe). While the onion is frying cut also the raw ham and the zucchini in little pieces leaving half of one zucchini by side. First put the ham into the pan with the onion, let it fry a couple of minutes (until it looks crispy) and then add the zucchini and a couple of chick peas. Let it cook on medium heat for about 10 min.

Now put the half zucchini and the rest of the chick peas in a bowl and mix them together with a mixer until you get a cream. Add the cream to the pan. Finally add a pinch or two of salt, the curry powder and the fresh milk cream. Leave the sauce on medium-low heat for another 10 min. 

When the pasta water boils put the salt and the "conchiglie" into it.
When the pasta is ready (al dente, please!), trickle it and mix it with the sauce. At the end if you wish add a little bit of pepper. Ready, ENJOY!



Zucchini boiled and then fried with cheese and raw ham
This is super easy! Just put one ore more entire zucchini into boiling and salted water until they become soft. In a pan fry one slice of raw ham for each zucchini. When zucchini are ready take them out of the water, cut each zucchini in a half and put on each half one slice of cheese (swiss cheese or whatever kind you like) and one slice of fried raw ham. Now put the zucchini in the pan with a little olive oil and leave it on medium-high heat until the cheese melts. Ready to eat!
Zucchini boiled and then fried with cheese and raw ham

Zucchini and chick peas salad
Boil one or more zucchini in salted water until they get soft. When ready take them out of the water and cut them into wheels. Put them together with the cooked chick peas in a plate and season it with vinegar, extra virgin oil and salt. Reeeeeady and...so easy!
Zucchini and chick peas salad


sabato 27 luglio 2013

Penne or spaghetti with CHEESE and BACON

Yeah, I love pasta! Here's a new recipe for you


Ingredients for 2 people:
- Penne or spaghetti (200g) (hey, don't mix them together!!!)
- Garlic (1 clove)
- Smoked bacon (4 strips)
- Pepper jack cheese (2 slices) or any other type (eg. swiss)
- Baby spinach (2 big fists)
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil

Put a pot of water on medium-high heat. Cut the bacon strips into small pieces and put it in a pan, on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then remove with a spoon the fat in excess. Add the garlic (cut in half, so you can pull it off easily before serving the dishes) and spinach and cook all at medium-low heat until the spinach will turn dark and soft. Finally, add the cheese, letting it melt with the rest of the sauce.
When the pasta water boils put the salt and the penne or spaghetti into it.
When the pasta is ready (al dente, please!), trickle it and mix it with the sauce. If you want you can add a bit of raw extra virgin oil. Ready, ENJOY!

mmh, good! ;)

Now same in italian...

Penne o spaghetti con formaggio e bacon

Ingredienti x2 persone:
- penne (200g)
- aglio (1 spicchio)
- bacon affumicato (4 strisce)
- formaggio pepper jack (2 fettine) o qualsiasi altro tipo (ad es. swiss)
- spinaci baby (2 pugni grossi)
- sale
- olio extravergine di oliva

Metti una pentola piena d'acqua sul fuoco.
In una padella metti il bacon tagliato a piccoli pezzettini e soffriggilo per 5 minuti, poi togli con un cucchiaio il grasso in eccesso. Aggiungi l'aglio (tagliato in due così lo puoi togliere più facilmente a fine cottura) e gli spinaci, cuocendo il tutto a fuoco medio-basso fino a quando gli spinaci diventano scuri e morbidi. Infine aggiungi il formaggio, lasciandolo amalgamare con il resto del sugo.
Quando l'acqua bolle, salala e butta la pasta. Cottura al dente, mi raccomando! ;)
Quando la pasta è pronta scolala e mescolala insieme al sugo, se vuoi aggiungi un filo di olio extravergine a crudo. Pronto, BUON APPETITO!