Fettuccine Pasta with Creamy Smoked Salmon Sauce

This is going to be your new favorite quick recipe, especially for those last-minute, unexpected guests joining you for dinner.
The fettuccine with creamy salmon sauce is a quite delicate, very fast and extremely delicious dish.
In this recipe, the smoky flavor of the salmon perfectly combines with the delicate taste of the cream and the sharp freshness of the parsley.
I love smoked salmon and I always have a small package in  my refrigerator. It can be used in many recipes: for a quick lunch in a sandwich or bagel, for brunch or dinner in a frittata or scrambled eggs...
The smoked salmon comes handy also when I don't have time to go to the fish market, and I want to make sure I have served to my family enough heart-healthy omega-3 fats for the week.
Also, if your children are not very prone at eating fish, this might be a good recipe to try. My boys absolutely love this pasta!
You can always substitute the fettuccine with other types of pasta, like linguine or penne.

Ingredients - serves 4 people:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 oz of smoked salmon
• 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon of fresh Italian parsley, minced
• 1 package, about 8.8 oz egg fettuccine, I like DeCecco egg noodles. Note: the cooking time on the DeCecco is only 5 minutes! 
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta when boiling and cook until al dente. About 5 minutes for the DeCecco egg fettuccine.

Step 2: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the salmon cut in slices. After a couple of minutes at most add the whipping cream. Let it cook for a few more minutes until the sauce becomes a little denser. Don't cook too much because we want to make sure the salmon does not dry up. Add the parsley.

Step 3: Drain the pasta, toss it in the skillet  and serve immediately.
Sprinkle with pepper or more parsley if you like.

Let me know if you try this recipe. Comments are always welcomed :)

Buon Appetito!

Ricotta Tart with Raisins

Happy Friday everyone!

I hope your weekend is off to a great beginning. Mine started at the dealership to have my car serviced ... not so much fun! I find it as dreadful as going to the dentist. I never know what could be wrong and it's generally expensive to fix it.

A question for you: how long do you wait before scheduling a service appointment once you first see the awful "maintenance required" light on?

I generally ignore it when it's just blinking. There can't be anything that needs immediate attention if the light turns off by itself, right? Since a week ago (or maybe two...) the light has been on. Persistently on. So this morning I had no choice.

Now I am sitting here waiting for my car and thinking about, first of all: how quickly I can leave and how much this is going to cost me (hopefully it's only an oil change). Second of all and more importantly: how I can make my Friday a little better. I don't yet know the answer to the first question, but I know the solution to the second: baking! 

There is nothing as therapeutic as making a delicious cake and then eat it. The best way to start my week-end is with this delightfully sweet ricotta tart with raisins.

The creamy and delicate taste of ricotta is a perfect match for the fruity, sweet flavor of the raisins.

This cake, with its crumbly crust, moist filling and citrusy aroma will be the perfect remedy for my day!

As most of my recipes, this tart is very easy to make. No need for a rolling pin. Just blend all the ingredients for the crust, following the directions, and mold it directly in the baking pan with your hands. Mix the filling, pour it in the crust and bake. Yes, it's this easy!

Here is the recipe for you:

Ingredients to make an 11 inch tart:

For the crust:
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter softened (or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of milk
1/2 lemon, finely grated zest
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

For the filling:
2 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 orange, grated zest
8 oz whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup of raisins, soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes to make the raisins softer

Preparation time: about one hour: 15 minutes to assemble, 45 minutes to cook.

Directions:
Step 1: In a large bowl combine 2 egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract, milk, lemon zest and salt. Mix well with a blender or a food processor until smooth and fluffy.

Step 2: Add the butter, and mix well again. Add the flour, one cup at the time and blend until the dough comes together.

Step 3: Transfer the mixture to an 11 inch tart pan, greased with butter and flour. I like those baking pan with a removable bottom, which makes it a lot easier to remove the tart from the pan without breaking it.
Sprinkle the dough with flour, and press it down with the palm of your hand, working around to make it as flat as possible. Pay attention to the edges and remove the extra dough. Prick the bottom with a fork, just like in my picture!

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and let's start working on the filling!
In a bowl mix well the eggs, sugar, vanilla and orange zest with a blender at high speed until nicely smooth.

Step 5: Blend in the ricotta, and mix in the raisins, well drained! Finally, pour the mixture in the pie crust.

Step 6: Bake for about 45 minutes, until brown around the edges and golden on top.

Let cool down and decorate by sprinkling the tart with powder sugar.

And here it is! You won't be disappointed.

As usual, please leave comments below!

Rolled Sole Fillets with Prosciutto and Olives

At the market this morning I bought some delicious dover sole fillets.
I love this fish because of its versatility and delicate flavor. You can combine it with a large variety of other ingredients to make tasty dinners. And, even better, these thin fillets cook really quickly!
Tonight I prepared (in no more than 30 minutes) my sole rolled up with some prosciutto and olives. I used Kalamata olives, which I love for their strong flavor. If you prefer something milder to match the sweet taste of the fish, you can use green olives.
This recipe is perfect for a family meal, and your children will love the fun shape of the rolls, or for a fancier dinner, and your guests will be impressed by the look, taste and aroma of these stuffed rolls.

Ingredients:

Serving about 4 people. If the fillets are small, you will need to increase the number of fillets per person.

• 8 dover sole fillets
• 8 slices of prosciutto (I like the San Daniele)
• 3 tablespoon of chopped olives (Kalamata or green)
• 3 tablespoon of fresh Italian parsley, minced
• 3 tablespoon of bread crumbs, plain
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt

Directions:

Step 1

Step 1: In a bowl mix the olives, 2 tablespoons of parsley, bread crumbs and a couple of tablespoon of olive oil.

Step 2

Step 2: Over each sole fillet spread a slice of prosciutto and some of the olive mix. Gently roll up the fillet and secure with a toothpick, as shown in my picture.

Step 3

Step 3: In large skillet, heat a few tablespoon of olive oil and add the fillets. Cook over medium heat, turning the rolls on every side. Be careful not to break them when turning.
After about 5 minutes, sprinkle the rolls with parsley and add the wine. Cook over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes or so, turning the rolls over once more.

Look absolutely delicious, right? ... it tastes amazing too!

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

Risotto is a well-known traditional Italian primo piatto, prepared by slowly cooking rice with stock. This dish is ideal for a casual dinner among friends, sharing a good glass of wine and a fun conversation.
Preparing a risotto is not much harder than cooking other rice dishes. With the right ingredients, some care, and a little bit of stirring, you will easily master this method that can be then used in many other risotto dishes.
First of all, you will need to buy the right variety of rice. I like to use Arborio, an Italian short-grain rice with high starch content, which absorbs more liquid making the risotto creamier and more delicious.
In tonight risotto I'd like to add dry porcini mushrooms. These mushrooms have a strong and unique woody aroma and flavor. You will love it!
It is easier to find dry than fresh porcini around here. Dry mushrooms need to be soaked in warm water before using, so they re-hydrate and become softer. The advantage of dry mushrooms is that they don't spoil as quickly as fresh ones. You can even store them in the refrigerator or freezer for a longer shelf life.
Check out the Amazon link below, where you can buy Arborio rice and dry porcini!

Ready to learn this simple technique for preparing risotto and impress your friends with your cooking skills?
Here is what you will need:


Ingredients (serving 4 people):

1 oz of dry porcini mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of dry white wine
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice

Preparation Time: About 30 minutes to cook the risotto, plus 20 minutes to soak the mushrooms.

Directions:

Step 1: Soak the dry mushrooms in hot water for at least 20 minutes.










Step 2: In large saucepan, saute' over medium heat one tablespoon of butter with the olive oil and the crushed garlic clove. Drain the mushrooms, cut them in big pieces if needed and add to the saucepan. Saute' for 4-5 minutes.







Step 3: Add the rice to the pan and let saute' for a couple of minutes. Now add the white wine and simmer for one more minute before adding one cup of stock and one tablespoon of parsley.








Step 4: Cook the risotto for another 15-20 minutes stirring constantly and adding more stock or water when it's absorbed. Add salt to taste.
Note: Add smaller amounts of liquid when the risotto is almost ready. The secret is to end with a risotto with the right consistency when the rice is cooked. Not too runny, not too dry!





Step 5: And here is the secret that will make your risotto not just good, but exceptional: when the rice is cooked al dente (please don't overcook!) remove the saucepan from heat, add one tablespoon of both butter and parsley. Add the Parmesan cheese. Mix well, cover the pan and wait 3-4 minutes before serving.







Here is my rich and velvety risotto with porcini mushrooms!

Delizioso!

Homemade Pesto Alla Genovese

Tonight I am going to prepare a homemade Pesto alla Genovese, so called because it is originally from Genoa, town of Liguria in Northern Italy.

After you see this recipe you will realize that there is no need to buy pesto in a jar.
This is so much tastier and is ready in no time!
The preparation takes no more than 15 minutes. By the time we boil some water and cook the spaghetti, the pesto will be ready.

It's called pesto, which is a derivative of the Italian "pestare" meaning "to pound", because the traditional Italian recipe asks for the use of a mortar to crush the ingredients.
In the case (like mine) that pastle and mortar are not readily available, you can use a blender or a food processor. The result is as good... or so I say! Well, I can tell you for sure that this pesto is so good that you will not question it!

Here are the ingredients:


If you are making spaghetti with pesto sauce, this will serve 4 people - with 12 oz of spaghetti or other pasta.

• 6 tablespoons of a good quality extra virgin olive oil
• sliced garlic clove - I used half clove, but if you like a stronger garlic taste you can use 1 or 2
• 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
• 1 oz of fresh basil
• 4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt (this will help keeping the bright green color of the basil once it's crushed!)

Suggestion: Slice the garlic clove lengthwise and remove the greenish central part - the sprout. This way, the garlic should be easier to digest and its flavor a little less strong.
Try it and let me know if you notice a difference!

Directions:

Step 1: Combine the oil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until chopped.

Step 2: Add the basil and salt, and pulse a little more. Don't over do it.











Step 3: Add the Parmesan cheese and mix well with a spoon. If the sauce is too dense, add a little more olive oil.

It's this simple!

Spaghetti with Pesto alla Genovese

Tip: To have fresh basil all the time for my recipes, I buy a basil plant every few months at Trader Joe's. They are quite inexpensive and great to have around the kitchen or your garden.
I should probably work on my gardening skills though, so my plants can last a little longer than two months!

Check out these photos.
My beautiful plant before preparing the sauce:

and my poor, sorry-looking plant after!

Bruschetta with Tomatoes

 This morning I went to the local farmers market, here in Santa Monica, and found these amazing organic tomatoes on the vine. And got inspired. 

Tonight I prepared the classic Italian Bruschetta.
Bruschetta is an easy and fast appetizer that only requires few simple ingredients.
The secret to success with this recipe is to buy savory tomatoes and the right loaf of bread, with a crunchy crust and soft interior, like a French loaf, a Pugliese bread, or a French baguette (you will need to cut the baguette diagonally to make bigger slices).
You cannot go wrong with this recipe. Wholesome, fresh, few ingredients - that's all it takes!
.
Here are the ingredients:

• 8 thick slices of bread
• 3-4 fresh tomatoes
• 4-5 leaves of fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves
• extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper

Directions:

Step 1: Cut the tomatoes in cubes. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Add one garlic clove sliced and the basil broken in pieces.
Let it sit for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the bread. This way, all the flavors will mix nicely together and the tomatoes will pick up the aroma of the basil and the garlic.
Simply delicious!!

Step 2: Cut the bread in thick slices and sprinkle both sides with olive oil. Toast the bread on a grilling pan.
Note: Make sure the bread stays soft on the inside, and crunchy only on the surface!

Step 3: Brush each slice with garlic and top with the tomatoes (after removing the pieces of garlic that we added to the tomatoes earlier).










Serve immediately when the bread is still warm.

What do you think? Buonissime, right?  Let me know!