Recipes from Cooking Italy

PASTA DOUGH (serves 2)

• 200gr all-purpose flour
• 2 medium eggs

1. Put flour in a bowl, make a hole in the centre and break the eggs inside
2. Beat the eggs with a fork and slowly mix in the flour
3. When it comes together, roll into a ball and move it to a flat surface
4. Knead: with the palm press down, stretch forward, fold it and repeat
5. Roll pasta dough with machine at its wider: roll, fold, repeat many times
6. When pasta is smooth, roll it – only once – to the thickness you want

FETTUCCINE AI 3 POMODORI

• Dust flour on the pasta sheet, roll it and cut the fettuccine with a knife
• Cook the fettuccine for 4/5 minutes in salted boiling water
• In the meantime, prep the sauce: in a pan fry for a couple of minutes some extra virgin olive oil with finely diced garlic and basil.
• Add diced San Marzano tomatoes, cherry tomatoes cut in half and at last tomato passata. Add salt and let it boil (for a more intense taste, marinate the cherry tomatoes cut in half with sugar and thyme and cook at 300 °F / 150 °C until crispy)
• Drain the fettucine and energetically stir them in the pan with the sauce

RAVIOLI BURRO E SALVIA

• FIRST prep the filling and let it rest in the fridge for one hour: boil and squeeze spinach, mix with cow ricotta cheese, Parmigiano, salt and pepper
• Make sure to get two thin pasta sheets of the same size
• With a cookie cutter ‘stamp’ the circle of ravioli on one pasta sheet
• Put the filling in the center of the circle
• Use egg as glue to paint the pasta sheet around the filling with a brush  ̄ Put gently the other pasta sheet on top and push air out
• Seal ravioli and cut with the cookie cutter
• Cook the ravioli for 4/5 minutes in salted boiling water
• In the meantime, prep the sauce: in a pan melt butter together with fresh sage
• leaves and add some milk till creamy
• Drain the ravioli and gently stir them in the pan with the sauce

TIRAMISU’ (serves 8)

• 2 cups americano coffee, unsweetened, cold or room temperature
• 16 ladyfingers (savoiardi)
• 500 gr mascarpone cheese
• 8 medium eggs
• 8 tablespoons of sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Separate yolks and whites in two big bowls
2. Add sugar to the yolks
3. Whip whites until very fluffy, thick and firm
4. Whip yolks until silky and light yellow
5. Slowly add the mascarpone cheese to yolks and stir gently
6. Add whites to yolks, stir slowly with a folding movement bottom to top

Cream is ready! To assemble the tiramisù, in a cup or in a glass layer ingredients this way:

Cream at the bottom ≫ Ladyfingers dipped in coffee ≫Cream on top ≫ Cocoa powder

PIZZA 

Ingredients 

• 1 kg 00 flour – all purpose
• 600 ml cold water
• 20 g salt 
• 2 g fresh yeast in summer or 4 g in winter (If using dry yeast: use 1/3)

Process 

1. Dissolve the yeast in a little splash of water.
2. Add the salt (if you’re using a stand mixer, you can add it at the end).
3. Pour into the flour and start mixing with a fork, adding the rest of the water little by little.
4. Once the dough starts to come together, switch to your hands and knead.
5. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
6. Divide it into 4–5 small balls.
7. Let the balls rest at room temperature for 6–8 hours (the cooler it is, the longer you wait).
8. Now the fun part: stretch the balls gently with your hands and add your favorite toppings!

Baking 

• With a home electric oven: preheat to 270–280 °C (static mode) and bake for 3–5 minutes.
• With a professional oven: after the 6–8 hours of rest, do a cold ferment in the fridge (≈3 °C) for 12–14 hours. Take the dough out 1 hour before baking (important: never shape the dough while it’s cold!). Preheat oven to 450 °C and bake for 60–90 seconds.

VANILLA GELATO 

Ingredients 

• 450 g milk 
• 130 g cream
• 80 g sugar
• 20 g inverted sugar
• 30 g dextrose
• 35 g milk powder
• 3 g neutral stabilizer
• 1 vanilla bean

Method 

1. In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream and inverted sugar. Heat the mixture to 40°C (104°F).
2. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix all the powdered ingredients: dextrose, milk powder, sugar and neutral stabilizer.
3. Once the liquid mixture reaches 40°C, gradually add the powdered ingredients while whisking continuously to avoid lumps.
4. Continue heating the mixture until it reaches 80°C (176°F). Turn off the heat.
5. Add the vanilla bean seeds (and pod if desired for infusion). Mix well.
6. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
7. Pour the base into an ice cream maker and churn until smooth and creamy.

CHOCOLATE GELATO 

Ingredients 

• 450 g milk 
• 70 g cream 
• 80 g sugar
• 20 g inverted sugar
• 35 g milk powder
• 70 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 30 g dextrose
• 3 g bean gum
• 25 g dark chocolate

Method 

1. In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream and inverted sugar. Heat the mixture to 40°C (104°F).
2. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix all the powdered ingredients: milk powder, cocoa powder, dextrose, sugar and bean gum.
3. Once the liquid mixture reaches 40°C, gradually add the powdered ingredients while whisking continuously to obtain a smooth mixture.
4. Continue heating until the mixture reaches 80°C (176°F), then turn off the heat.
5. Add the chocolate and stir until fully melted and incorporated.
6. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
7. Transfer the base to an ice cream maker and churn until creamy and smooth.

BUON APPETITO

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