Many of you have been asking for some recipes that you can enjoy at home too. Below you will find some of the yummy adventures in food and cheese that I have had the pleasure of having here! Keep in mind, although in Italy, I have been eating mostly French foods because of the grandparents who are visiting from Nice, France. Love their cooking!! We have had amazing meals with meat- lamb, pork, beef, fish, chicken, veal, etc… but as you all know, I love the sides (contorni) the best!
Also keep in mind that the produce and dairy products here are far superior to what you can find in the states (sorry, but true) so although it will be delicious, it probably won’t be the same as it is here. The key to Italian eating is simple, peak flavor and high quality. The food presents itself and a minimal number of ingredients are used. That is what makes it so beautiful.
Steamed Leeks with Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
Whole Leeks, ends trimmed
4 parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 part Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Method:
- Steam whole leeks
- Serve with vinaigrette (to make vin, whisk EVOO while adding juice and mustard, season to taste)
Steamed Fennel
Ingredients:
Fennel, quartered
Broth
Butter
Parmiggiano Regiano
Method:
- Steam fennel in broth
- Place in pan, top with grated cheese
- Drizzle a little butter
- Place in hot oven and bake until cheese becomes golden brown
Spaghetti with Warmed Ricotta
Ingredients:
Spaghetti
Ricotta Cheese (full fat)
Butter
Lemon Zest
Salt & Pepper
Method:
- Cook spaghetti in salted water
- Just before serving, warm ricotta over low heat
- Add a “noisette” of butter (literally a nut of butter… so maybe 1-2 tsp)
- Add zest, salt and pepper to taste
- Serve warmed mixture over spaghetti
Pasta with Seafood
Ingredients:
Spaghetti
Mixed seafood (mussels, clams, squid, octopus, shrimp)
Sauce:
Onion, small dice
Garlic, minced
Zucchini, julienne (can substitute red bell pepper or eggplant)
Butter
Heavy Cream
Milk
Saffron
Lemon Zest
Italian flat leaf Parsley, chopped (can substitute basil if desired)
EVOO (drizzle at end)
Grated Parmigianino
Method:
- Cook pasta and steam seafood (or add raw seafood while simmering sauce
- Sweat onion and zucchini in butter
- Add garlic and sweat over low heat for 1-2 minutes
- Add 1 part Heavy Cream and 1 part Milk
- Add saffron and lemon zest and let simmer
- Toss with seafood and add parsley
- Drizzle with EVOO just before serving
- Grate Parmigianino to order
Salads
The olive oil is grown organically here at Casa Raia. It is rich, peppery and tastes a little of grass and artichokes. It is divine! You could drizzle it over dog food and it would be delicious! We eat a salad nearly every day at the end of lunch- as it ends the meal and aids in digestion.
We use a lot of mixed greens, primarily with arugula and radicchio. The other ingredients just depend on what we have in the house… but it always has vinaigrette made with the house olive oil- YUMMM!!
Some of the ingredient combos we have enjoyed are…
- Figs & Aged Gouda with a Gorgonzola Dressing (made with EVOO, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Gorgonzola cheese)
- Marinated Mushrooms, Sun-dried Tomatoes and EVOO Vinaigrette
- Blood orange segments, Sunflower seeds, Toasted Almonds, Red Bell Pepper, Scallion and Honey Basil Vinaigrette
Marinated Olives
Black & Green Olives
EVOO
Lemon Zest
Various dried herbs- oregano, rosemary, basil, cumin, coriander (whatever you wish!)
Let sit all together and serve room temp
Cheese- My favorite category!!
Pecorino di Pienza is the BEST! I have had three so far… one that was cave-aged in ash and good for grating, one that was younger and softer and covered with pepper and one aged for about a year and semi-soft. Love the sheep!!
Oka- This is a cave aged cheese made from cow milk in Canadian Monasteries.
Camembert washed with Calvados (Apple Brandy)
Roquefort
Aged Gouda
Raclette
Parmiggiano Regiano
Tallegio
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