Pasta with pesto sauce

Pasta with pesto sauce

Ingredients for pasta with pesto sauce

Basil leaves: 55 gms
Pine nuts: 20 gms
Garlic: one or two cloves
Parmesan (two years old): 40 gms
Sardinian pecorino cheese: 10 gms
Coarse salt: a few grain
Extra virgin olive oil from the liqurian Riviera: 550gms

Direction for pasta with pesto sauce

Wash the basil leaves in plenty of cold water. Leave them to dry on a towel. You can also use a hand-operated salad spinner. During this process, pay attention not to break, crush or rub the basil leaves. You need to use a marble mortar and wooden pestle when making Genoese pesto. Once clean, crush the garlic and pine nuts in the mortar until they are creamy. Add the dry basil leaves a few at a time, and salt. Don’t beat the mixture, but use the pestle with a delicate movement, rotating it against the sides of the mortar. This movement is necessary to extract the essential oils from the veins of the basil leaves, which are therefore not broken but rubbed against the side of the mortar. Continue this movement until the sauce is homogeneous and well-mixed, and the basil is very fine. Add the parmesan and the Sardinian pecorino cheese. Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil and stir again with a wooden spoon until the cheese is mixed in.

Spaghetti with wild mushroom

Spaghetti with wild mushroom

Ingredients for Spaghetti with wild mushroom

Olive oil: 3 spoons
Garlic pods: 3 pods
Slice fresh button mushrooms
Dry shitake mushrooms
Dry Chinese or Thai mushrooms
Dry oyster mushrooms
Dry chilli flakes
Black pepper

Direction for Spaghetti with wild mushroom

Soak dry mushrooms in lukewarm water for at least ½ hour. Slice grossly. For shitake, add the whole dry mushrooms to a boiling water for another ½ hour, then let it rest olive oil in a non-stick pan at medium flame. Add three garlic pods with their skin. Add the fresh mushroom slices. Also add the soaked mushroom slices after squeezing their excess water, and serving. Remove the garlic pods and add some salt and grossly chopped parsley. Blanch the spaghetti in abundant boiling water. No need of adding any oil, if you enough boiling water. After adding the spaghetti in water, wait for the boil to start again and then add 10 gms of salt per litre of water in case after mixing the dressing, the spaghetti is too stuck. Mix immediately with the mushroom preparation and sprinkle with fresh parsley and grinded black pepper.

Italian Recipe-Chicken, Mushrooms and Parmesan with Orzo

Ingredients for Chicken, Mushrooms and Parmesan with Orzo
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
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Italian Recipe - Broccoli Stir Fry with Peanut butter

Ingredients for Broccoli Stir Fry with Peanut butter
1 tablespoon (15 ml) peanut butter
1 tablespoon (15 ml) hot water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil
3 cups (750 ml) chopped broccoli
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Chicken Recipe-Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients for Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts

• 6 boneless chicken breasts with skin
• 1/4 pound prosciutto
• 2 ounces fontina cheese
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup Marsala Wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt & pepper to taste

Pound chicken breast thin. On each piece of chicken lay a piece of prosciutto, fontina cheese, some parmesan, and a sage leaf. Fold sides of chicken and roll. Secure with a toothpick or skewer. Season chicken.

In a saucepan on high heat, brown both sides of chicken rolls in oil. Add wine and broth, cover and lower heat until finished cooking. Serve chicken with sauce. Remove chicken and stir cream into sauce to warm. Pour over chicken

Italian Recipe: Pizza margherita

Make the base: Put the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 200ml warm water and the olive oil and bring together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. You can leave the dough to rise if you like, but it's not essential for a thin crust.

Make the sauce: Mix the passata, basil and crushed garlic together, then season to taste. Leave to stand at room temperature while you get on with shaping the base.

Roll out the dough: If you've let the dough rise, give it a quick knead, then split into two balls. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into large rounds, about 25cm across, using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift the rounds onto two floured baking sheets.

Top and bake: Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C /gas 8. Put another baking sheet or an upturned baking tray in the oven on the top shelf. Smooth sauce over bases with the back of a spoon. Scatter with cheese and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season. Put one pizza, still on its baking sheet, on top of the preheated sheet or tray. Bake for 8-10 mins until crisp. Serve with a little more olive oil, and basil leaves if using. Repeat step for remaining pizza.