Italian Recipes

The Torta di Patate is really a very tasty pie that is made up of mash potato. It can eaten either cold or hot, whatever you choose. It can also be eaten as a primary course or maybe your tea time snack. Some even take it as their main meal. In every Italian picnic basket, this can be surely found. This recipe would serve 4.

Ingredients:

Plain flour, 250 grams

1 large egg

Water

A pinch of salt

A tbsp of butter

Ovenproof dish

Mixing bowl

Rolling pin

Directions:

You must pour the flour into the mixing bowl. Add salt, egg, water and turn it into a dough mixture. Wrap it in a cling film and place it inside a refrigerator to cool for about 30 minutes. Then it is time for you to prepare the filling. Do procedures as you would in making the usual mash potato and make it as filling for your dough. You must also prepare the crust and cook it through the oven. It is really served best with some salad.

Photos via italiantraditionalfood.com

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Gnocchi is served hot in a rich and thick pasta sauce with some hints of Parmesan Cheese. This is what you really can consider as comfort food. However, the type of Gnocchi you serve depends on which part of Italy you are from. From this aspect, your ingredients to be used would vary. But what we have here is the traditional Potato Gnocchi or might as well be called as potato dumplings. This ingredient is good for two.

Ingredients:

1 pound of potatoes, peeled

.5 oz butter

Flour, 4 tbsp

Pepper and salt to taste

1 beaten egg

Butter for serving

Directions:

You must first boil the potatoes and drain them after. Crush them with a masher and allow it to totally cool and dry. Mix in the butter, flour, seasoning and the egg while preventing it from being sticky. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes and form it into a ball before you divide it into tiny pieces. Turn each into a sausage size type and create some ridges. Cook them in salted water and bring them to a boil. Drain them, add some butter and sprinkle some lashings of cheese.

Photos via italiantraditionalfood.com

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Ingredients:

• Salt
• Parmesan cheese, 3 oz.
• Unsalted butter, 3 tbsp.
• Polenta, 1 cup
• Water, 3 ½ cups

Direction:

Use some large microwave dish to place the polenta in combined with water without bringing to so much of a boil. Mix the water and polenta and cook for about 5 minutes without cover. After the given time, stir it then put in microwave for another 5 minutes without cover still.

After that time, take out the dish from the microwave and mix in some 3 tbsp of butter and the parmesan cheese. You can also choose the asiago cheese. Flavor it all up in any means you like. You can spread this polenta in a pan and chill it inside the refrigerator.

Photo via sideofsneakers.com

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of Red Wine
• 1 can of Italian diced tomatoes, with sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 tbsp of dried oregano
• ½ tbsp of dried thyme
• 3 pcs of bell peppers of different colors
• 1 onion, cut in huge pieces
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 packages of Italian sausage, spicy or sweet
• 2 tbsp of olive oil

Directions:

Smash the garlic with a large knife and peel off its skin. Cut them in huge pieces and chop for about an inch each.

Heat up the olive oil in a huge skillet over medium heat and brown up the sausages as you turn them to all their sides for 5 minutes.

Place all the chopped vegetables in the bottom part of the crockpot and pour some wine. Add up the spices and crushed garlic. Pour the canned tomatoes.

Place the cooked sausages on top of the vegetables and cover up. Cook under low heat for about 6 hours.

Photo via southernfood.about.com

Ingredients:

• 9 oz of fresh or frozen ravioli
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 1 cup of water
• 1 can of Italian tomatoes
• 1 tbsp of jarred garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 onion, chopped

Directions:

Chop the onion and sauté with olive oil in a dutch oven until it is soft. Add up the oregano and garlic and sauté again for a minute with more stirring this time. Add up some canned tomatoes with all the liquid ingredients. Drain the beans and add them up as well along with the ravioli. If you happen to use frozen ravioli, then you would need to boil them first.

Let the soup boil and cook the raviolis until they become tender. You can start pouring it in bowls once the soup is done.

Photo via tasteofhome.com

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup milk
• 5 oz gorgonzola sauce
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• ¼ cup of cream
• 3 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Some salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put all the milk into your pan or bowl (pyrex) and add in three tablespoons of butter which is cut into pieces. Then place the whole bowl inside the microwave oven and heat it up until the butter melts all the way and the milk gets warm enough. Stir and combine the gorgonzola sauce and mix it until the cheese melts again with the milk to achieve a pasty texture.

Add some cream and blend until it creates a smooth texture with the use of a blender. Put in some salt and pepper for the right taste and you can pour it over any kind of pasta that you have prepared. If you have made that is good enough for more than one serving, then you can just refrigerate for several days more and just reheat it in the microwave all over again.

Photo via foodnetwork.com

There’s nothing more exciting than a saccharine food that comes at the end of a luscious meal. And here is a perfect dessert to complete the course. Presenting the authentic Italian Dessert, the Ginger Biscotti with nutty Pistachio.

.Ingredients

• 2/3 cup almonds
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

Directions

1. Grease and flour one large baking sheet.
2. Finely grind the almonds with the flour, ginger and baking powder in a food processor.
3. Beat the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and well blended. Add the grated orange peel, egg and vanilla and beat well. Mix in the dry ingredients and beat until just blended. Stir in the pistachios.
4. Divide the dough in half. Using floured hands, roll each half on a lightly floured surface into a 1/2 inch log. Arrange logs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 4 inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush dough logs with beaten egg and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons white sugar. Bake logs until deep golden brown and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let logs cool for 10 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
7. Using a serrated knife cut logs crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange sliced cut side down on baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) until deep golden on top, about 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake other side until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer biscotti to a rack and cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

(Photo via closetcooking.blogspot.com)

It’s time to make one of the most popular Italian cakes that really tastes heaven in your mouth. It is light, creamy pastry that has the rich aroma of strong brewed coffee and enticing allusion of the liquor.

Here are the ingredients:

• 5 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups strong brewed coffee, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 48 ladyfinger cookies
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. To make zabaglione: In the top of a double boiler, beat yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth and pale yellow. Place over simmering water and gradually beat in Marsala. Continue to beat over simmering water until soft mounds form, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cool bowl, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Whip heavy cream with 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in mascarpone and zabaglione. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
3. In a small bowl, combine coffee, 2 tablespoons sugar, brandy and vanilla. Arrange 16 ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9×13 inch dish. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of coffee mixture over each cookie. Ladyfingers should be soaked, but not crumbling. Spoon one-third of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers, and spread evenly. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cocoa. Repeat layering twice. Cover and refrigerate 5 hours before serving.

If you don’t have mascarpone, you can substitute it with 16 ounces of cream cheese combined with 1/2 cup heavy cream and 5 tablespoons sour cream.

(Photo via calibriataste.com)

Here is another mouth watering, quick and easy pizza made with fine pizza crust mix, a jar of scrumptious Alfredo sauce, bacon, and mozzarella cheese.

Here are the ingredients:

• 2 packages pizza crust mix
• 1 cup hot tap water
• 3/4 cup Alfredo sauce
• 1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the pizza crust following the directions as labeled on the package. Pat dough into an 18 inch pizza pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Bake in the oven and place it on the lowest rack for 5 minutes. Remove crust from oven and top with flavorsome Alfredo sauce and crumbled zesty bacon. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Put the pizza back in the oven and place it in the middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is light golden brown.

• It is good to melt butter on the edge of the crust after adding the toppings to give it an extra nice color and flavor.

(Photo via tasteofhome.com)

Making a homemade pizza is economical and fun. It’s easy to create your own pizza recipe provided everything is set on the table, like the variety of toppings you can get from a grocery store and a ready to cook dough. Although, it’s more exciting and cost effective if you make your own pizza bread.

But you need to have the right tools to begin with. Of course a dough roller is an essential tool to form the preferred thickness of your crust.

And now here are the ingredients:

• 4 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups of warm water
• 1 package of active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbls of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbls of sugar

Preparation:

In a large bowl pour in warm water and sugar.  Stir to dissolve sugar. Add yeast and gently stir until yeast is dissolved. Let mixture sit for around 15 minutes to activate yeast. Add oil and salt and gently stir. Then add one cup of flour and mix, add a second cup of flour and mix until sticky. Add third cup of flour and mix until dough becomes thick. Place the dough on a floured board and gradually knead in the remaining flour. Dust with extra flour and continue kneading until dough becomes firm. About 10 minutes.

Kneading is complete when you have a smooth silky ball of dough. It’s better to over knead than to under knead. Grease a large bowl with a little oil then place dough in the bowl turning once to coat the dough. Cover with a dish towel an place in a warm place for about 2 hours allowing the dough to double in size.

Take the dough out of the bowl and cut in half and roll the into two balls. With a rolling pin roll the dough and place onto a grease baking pan or carefully place in the stove on an already heated pizza stone. Cover and let it sit in a warm place for around another hour.

Finally, you can start putting toppings on your dough to make the pizza you’ve always wanted.

(Photo via foodnetwork.com)