Italian Food Recipes

2006-01-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

Italian pizza with tomatoes sauce and mozzarella

FOR 4 PEOPLE
DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM
TIME: 2 HOURS FOR DOUGH + 20 MIN

INGREDIENTS

white flour 500 g
yeast 40 g
water 300 ml
salt 2 pinches
puréed tomatoes 400 g
dried chives 4 tablespoons
mozzarella cheese 250 g
olive oil 6 tablespoons

PREPARATION

1. Put flour in a bowl or on a work surface. Make a well in the center and crumble the fresh yeast in it. Melt it with some warm water with a fork and then
add salt. At this point slowly draw in flour from the edge of the well, stirring and adding warm milk gradually, until a soft dough forms.

2. Knead the dough on the floured work surface for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic and there is no trace of the dough on it.

3. Cover with a napkin and allow to rest for at least 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size in a warm place, faraway from draughts.

4. When the dough has risen, divide it in half and roll out each half to about 1/4 inch (about 0,6 cm) thickness to fit the pan. The doses are enough for two 30 cm round baking sheets. Oil the baking sheets with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer every portion of dough to a baking sheet.

5. Prepare the tomato sauce. Mix the puréed tomatoes with the remaining oil and chives; season to taste with salt.

6. Preheat oven to 220°C and cube mozzarella. Bake pizzas for about 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and arrange cubed mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake again for about 5 minutes. Cooking times are indicative.

2006-01-25T12:13:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti with Tuna sauce

FOR 4 PEOPLE
DIFFICULTY: LOW
TIME: 25 MIN

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti 350 g
Tuna in olive oil 50 g
Tomato sauce 3 tablespoons
4 fresh basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil 4 blespoons
Garlic 1
A few parsley leaves
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

PREPARATION

1. Heat the water, slightly salted, and as soon as it boils pour the spaghetti in it. While the pasta is cooking, heat in a pan the oil with a crushed clove of garlic. As soon as it turns golden, remove the garlic and add the tuna, well drained, in very small pieces.

2. Stir and let the tuna cook for a few minutes. Then pour the tomato sauce, slightly diluted in a little warm water. Add a pinch of pepper, a few basil leaves and the parsley finely chopped.

3. Drain the spaghetti when they are slightly uncooked, and pour them into a large bowl, garnishing them with the sauce.

4. Serve the spaghetti without sprinkling on them any grated cheese.

2006-01-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

FOR 4 PEOPLE
DIFFICULTY: LOW
TIME: 40 MIN

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti 350 g
Fresh tomato 600 g
Thin bacon 100 g
Small onion 50 g
Pecorino (Ewe's milk cheese) 30 g
Extra virgin olive oil 6 tablespoons
Red hot pepper 1 tip
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

PREPARATION

1. In a pan fry the chopped onion, bacon cut into thin strips, and then the hot pepper. Aside dip the tomatoes in boiling water, then peel them removing seeds and then cut them into small chunks.

2. When the onion and bacon are brown, add tomatoes. Then season with the salt and pepper. Stir. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if the sauce is too thick.

3. Cook Spaghetti in plenty of salted water. Drain al dente. Mix together with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino cheese before serving.