Tag: cuisine

Porchetta di maiale

Posted on by Trips 2 Italy

Porchetta di maiale

Porchetta di maiale Recipe

An authentic Italian roasted pork recipe.

  • Prep Time15 min
  • Cook Time2 hr
  • Total Time2 hr 15 min
  • Yield8 Servings

Ingredients

  • 3 ¾ - 4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast, skin on
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons fennel pollen
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Kitchen twine

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Finely chop the rosemary and place in a small bowl. Add the fennel pollen, minced garlic, salt, and pepper and mix together with a spoon.

2

Score the skin of the pork in a diamond pattern with cuts that are about 1/8 inch deep. Lay the pork flat and make 10 or more cuts throughout the pork. Stuff the pork with about 1/3 of the herb mixture.

3

Roll the pork and tie together with kitchen twine by running the twine horizontally along the longer side of the pork and making a knot. Then, place the twine in the opposite direction and make a second knot. Repeat until all of the pork is tied.

4

Cover the skin with olive oil and rub with the remaining herb mixture.

5

Place the pork in a roasting pan and roast in the oven at 375 degrees for about 1 hour and a half, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 156 degrees. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes then slice and enjoy!

Minestrone – The Italian Vacation from a Cold Winters Day

Posted on by Tommaso De Poi

Minestrone Soup

Soups are a mainstay in any part of the world and Italy is no exception. Minestrone is uniquely Italian and there are many different ways the soup is prepared. This is an authentic Italian minestrone recipe that will go along way during these cold winter months.

  • Prep Time5 min
  • Cook Time10 min
  • Total Time15 min

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 1 large carrot
  • ¼ lb. zucchini
  • 1 head of cauliflower (about 14 oz.)
  • 1 acorn squash (about ½ lb.)
  • 2 Yukon gold potatoes (about ¾ lb.)
  • ¾ lb. vine ripened tomatoes
  • 1 rib of celery
  • 5 oz. leeks
  • 7 oz. peas
  • 3.8 oz. diced pancetta
  • 7 oz. cranberry beans
  • A pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3-4 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 cups of water (set ¼ cup apart)
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Nutmeg to taste

Preparation:

1

Prepare the vegetables: Peel the acorn squash, remove the seeds using a spoon, and cut into cubes about 1 centimeter wide. Cut the zucchini into cubes as well. Shell the cranberry beans if they are still in the pod. Cut the cauliflower in half, remove the core, then cut into florets. Remove the green, external part of the leek and cut the leek into thin rounds. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. Cut the tomatoes into cubes as well.

2

Prepare the soffritto: Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery.

3

Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute then add the pancetta.

4

Tie the sprigs of rosemary and bay leaves together with cooking twine then add to the pot. Add the leek and pour in ¼ cup of water. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the squash and beans then cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5

Add the potatoes then grate the nutmeg over the pot to taste. Add the cauliflower and zucchini. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed. Cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.

6

Add the peas and tomatoes then pour in the remaining water a little at a time. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Remove the garlic and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Stir in the fresh parsley.

7

Pour in another ¼ cup of water (add a little less if you prefer denser minestrone). Remove the rosemary and bay leaves and stir well. Serve immediately.

Roasted Veal and Potatoes

Posted on by Tommaso De Poi

Roasted Veal and Potatoes

Roasted Veal and Potatoes is a common Christmas Day meal.

  • Prep Time5 min
  • Cook Time10 min
  • Total Time15 min

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. veal tenderloin
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1 garlic clove, cut in half
  • 2 sage leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ladle of warm beef broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparations

1

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Tie the veal with kitchen twine and season with salt and pepper on all sides. In a pot large enough to hold the meat, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the meat on all sides. Use two wooden spoons to carefully turn the meat.

2

Add the white wine and allow it to evaporate. Next, add the herbs, beef broth, and garlic. Allow the flavors to mix for a minute or two and then roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the meat and baste frequently while it’s cooking. If the pan starts to dry up, add more warm beef broth.

3

Turn off the oven and allow the veal to rest for 10 minutes in the oven. Then, drain the liquid from the pot and strain it. Remove the twine and cut the meat into even slices. Serve with the strained sauce.

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Posted on by Tommaso De Poi

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Spaghetti Alle Vongole or Spaghetti with clams is a classic dish any time of year, but at Christmas, this dish often takes center stage.

  • Prep Time20 min
  • Cook Time25 min
  • Total Time45 min

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ lbs. clams
  • 10.5 oz. spaghetti
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparations

1

Preparing the clams: the day before cooking, clean the clams by placing them in a bowl of salted cold water for at least 12 hours. Immediately before cooking, rinse the clams under cold water to ensure that all sand has been removed.

2

Place the rinsed clams, garlic, and white wine in a skillet over high heat. Let the wine evaporate, cover the pan tightly with the lid, and wait until the clams open completely, this should take about 3 minutes. Remove the clams and garlic. Drain the liquid, strain, and reserve.

3

In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about 1 minute. Return the clams and filtered liquid to the pan and heat for 2 minutes.

4

Finely chop the parsley and cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until it is almost al dente.

5

Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan with the clams. Stir for a few seconds and serve immediately with sprinkled parsley and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Roasted baccalà with Tomatoes and Potatoes

Posted on by Tommaso De Poi

Roasted baccalà with Tomatoes and Potatoes

This is a classic Italian Christmas Eve Dish

  • Prep Time20 min
  • Cook Time35 min
  • Total Time55 min

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs. prepared salt cod/baccalà (see step 1)
  • 1 lb. potatoes, cut into thin slices
  • 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 onion, diced
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Preparation Instructions

1

Preparing the salt cod: Three days prior to cooking, soak the pieces of salt cod in a large pan with cold water. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for three days to rehydrate the fish and remove the salt. Be sure to flip the pieces of fish occasionally and replace the water every 8 hours. Immediately before cooking, rinse the cod with cold water and pat dry to remove any excess salt. Cut the salt cod into cubes about 2 inches long.

2

Pre-heat the oven to 355 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, a small ladle of water (about 2 ounces), and a pinch of salt. Once the onions are transparent, add the white wine and wait for it to evaporate. Next, add the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the garlic and reserve 2 tablespoons of sauce then place the rest in a baking dish.

3

Meanwhile, in another pan heat the remaining olive oil and sauté the potato slices for 4 minutes. Then, add the potatoes to the baking dish with the tomatoes and stir.

4

Place the salt cod in the baking dish on top of the layer of potatoes and tomatoes and top with the reserved sauce. Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 355 degrees. Serve immediately.