04/08/09 Tagliatelle with Mussels, Clams and Pesto from OreganoFromItaly.com
Italian sterling silver tableware. Three generations of Italian silversmiths with an international reputation for excellence can be found at Caterina Collezione, Sicily's leading producer of fine silver creations. Today, Caterina Collezione specializes in a unique selection of hand worked items, some preserving the techniques and forms of ancient treasures and others reflecting modern influences. Many are one-of-a-kind treasures made for exclusive hotels and private collectors around the world.
"Rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera." (Red sky in the evening, one hopes for good weather. Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.) Welcome to another recipe edition from Angela's Organic Oregano Farm!
This week's Italian recipes:
-Tagliatelle with Mussels, Clams and Pesto
-Veal Scaloppine with Mushroom Cream Sauce
-Custard Gelato
Thanks again for subscribing!
Yours Truly,
Angela Reina
Recipe: Tagliatelle with Mussels, Clams and Pesto
Tagliatelle with Mussels, Clams and Pesto
Tagliatelle con Cozze, Vongole e Pesto
Ingredients:
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
12 mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 cup dry white wine
8 ounces Tagliatelle or linguine pasta
6 tablespoons purchased pesto
1/4 cup sliced drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Directions:
Combine clams, mussels and wine in heavy large pot; bring to boil over medium-high heat.
Cover pot; cook until shellfish open, about 7 minutes (discard any that do not open).
Using tongs, transfer shellfish to bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. Reserve shellfish juices.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in medium pot of boiling salted water until 'al dente'.
Drain pasta; return to same pot.
Add reserved shellfish juices, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and crushed red pepper.
Toss over medium heat just until sauce coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide pasta between 2 bowls; top with shellfish and serve. Makes 2 servings; can be doubled.
That's it!
Recipe: Veal Scaloppine with Mushroom Cream Sauce
Veal Scaloppine with Mushroom Cream Sauce
Scaloppine di Vitello con Crema di Funghi
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms*
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped shallots (about 6 large)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 and 1/2-ounce package dried morel mushrooms*
2 cups hot water
4 tablespoons (or more) extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as oyster and stemmed shiitake), sliced
1 cup whipping cream
1 lb veal cutlets (each about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick or pounded, if necessary, to 1/4-inch thickness), cut into 3-inch pieces
Directions:
Finely grind dried porcini in spice grinder or coffee grinder.
Transfer 2 tablespoons ground porcini to heavy medium saucepan (reserve any remaining ground porcini for another use).
Add wine, 1/2 cup shallots and vinegar to saucepan.
Boil until porcini broth is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Place dried morels in small bowl.
Pour 2 cups hot water over; let stand until morels soften, about 30 minutes.
Drain; reserve soaking liquid.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add fresh mushrooms and remaining 1/2 cup shallots and saute until tender, about 7 minutes.
Add drained morels and stir 3 minutes.
Add porcini broth, 3/4 cup reserved morel soaking liquid and whipping cream; simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
Season sauce with salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat; cover to keep warm.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle veal with salt and pepper.
Working in batches, add veal to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 2 minutes per side for medium, adding more olive oil to skillet if necessary.
Divide veal among 4 plates.
Spoon mushroom sauce over veal and serve. Makes 4 servings.
Note: *Dried porcini mushrooms and dried morel mushrooms are available at specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.
That's it!
Recipe: Custard Gelato
Custard Gelato
Gelato alla Crema
Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 cups whole milk
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and salt.
Heat the milk over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Set aside and cover to keep hot.
In a blender or food processor, blend the sugar and egg yolks together until very thick and smooth.
With the machine running, gradually add the hot milk.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon.
Remove the pan from heat and set it in a bowl of ice water.
Stir for 2 minutes to cool the mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
In a deep bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form.
Fold the whipped cream into the custard mixture.
Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes 1 and 1/2 quarts; serves 6.
That's it!
Printer Friendly Version :: Submit Your Thoughts
Delicious and Chewy Almond and Amarena Cookies from Sicily! Italian gourmet almond, fig and pistachio cookies baked and shipped from our little bakery in Italy to you; all natural, fresh, and made to order. Soft and chewy cookies with a crisp outside and tender inside. Your cookies are made exclusively from our own homegrown natural almonds, figs, pistachio, the freshest farm eggs, flour, and sugar.
"Adriana, The cookies have arrived just in time to have a couple with my early afternoon Espresso. The orange flavored are magnificent! My wife's mother is with us for the summer and she says that they are truly wonderful! Thanks again for the great products and superlative service!" Joe S. (South Dennis, Massachusetts)
Only In Italy!
"Only In Italy" is a daily news column that translates and reports on funny but true news items from legitimate Italian news resources in Italy. Each story is slapped with our wild, often ironic, and sometimes rather opinionated comments. And now, for your reading pleasure, a sample of today's edition:
Town Suffering From Too Much Free Time Sews Record Christmas Stocking
Santa Maria a Monte – January 6, 2009 – A record 279 meter long Christmas stocking made by merchants and residents of this Tuscan town near Pisa was presented Tuesday to mark the Epiphany holiday, also known as the 12th day of Christmas.
The stocking, which took three months to sew together and was stuffed with 4,500 balloons, broke the record which this same town set last year, 216 meters.
Measuring two meters wide, the stocking was again this year hung from a town hall widow and stretched along the via Carducci to reach the town's main church, San Giovanni Battista.
"Che culo!" What a wonderful winter wonderland. What can be more perfect than 12 days of Christmas? There's jolly Santa Claus running the town hall trying to motivate the comatose and meaningless employees while Mrs. Claus is baking lasagnas, polenta and panettone for its egotistical Tuscan population of 10,000."Cacchio!" How can they do all this alone?Working hard behind the scenes are Santa's elves. Typically underappreciated during the holidays (according to the deafening union leaders), the amount of labor these tiny, mythical creatures do is pretty astounding.So what do elves look like? Well, they're constantly mistaken for trolls that emigrate from Calabria, Naples and Sicily and invade the north looking for measly work with no health benefits and vacation time."The stocking, which took three months to sew together and was stuffed with 4,500 balloons, broke the record which this same town set last year, 216 meters." Take a guess at what they'll be making next Christmas.