Recipes for disastrous love
These recipes have been passed down and circulated through my family for generations. As several of these recipes originated from my bis-nonna, the measurements have been adapted for the US.
Also, for the most part, these recipes were made without measuring cups! Cooking is a great adventure (and stress-release)!
Nonna Rosa's Ravioli
Dough:
4 cups flour, 3 eggs, beaten, 3 TBSP water, ½ tsp. salt
Make a well in the flour and salt mixture; add eggs and water. Knead and roll out until thin.
Filling:
½ lb. raw, chopped spinach, ½ lb. raw ground beef or combination of beef, pork & veal (originally, she used brain!), 4 eggs, beaten, 1 cup parmesan, ½ chopped onion, 1 clove minced garlic, ½ cup olive oil, 1 cup minced parsley
Roll out pasta dough until very thin. Cut into 2x2 inch squares. Fill one square with about a teaspoon of filling and then top with another pasta square. With a fork, press the edges of the ravioli so that the two pieces seal together. Add to boiling water and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
Serve with sauce of choice.
Mamma Rosa’s Bread
Ingredients for 1 loaf:
1 & 1/4 medium temperature water (not hot/boiling), 1 tablespoon yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 3-4 cups flour
Dissolve sugar in the water
Add yeast
Leave for a couple of minutes
Yeast will start bubbling & frothing
Once the yeast has frothed, so it looks like a bowl of cappuccino, add 2 cups of flour
Add salt to flour
Mix
Add another cup of flour
Knead
Add another half cup of flour
Keep kneading and adding small amounts of flour until the dough is the texture of pizza dough
Leave dough in the bowl
Cover the bowl in plastic wrap
Let rise — minimum 30 minutes before kneading
Let rise another 30 minutes
Grease a pan (flat pan or bread pan) with some olive oil. Use enough oil to lightly coat the pan, but not dripping
While your hands are still covered in oil, knead the dough again
Place the dough on or in the pan — depending upon which pan you’ve decided
Let rise for another 30 minutes
Turn on oven to 400 degrees
Once the oven has reached 400 degrees, place the pan in the oven
In about 45 minutes, the bread should be golden brown
Nonna Stella’s Almond Pesto
Ingredients
Leaves from 2 bunch fresh basil, 2 tablespoons almonds, toasted, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in a blender and purée.
Add the cheese, salt and pepper, and mix again.
Serve over pasta – add cooked gamberi or calamari
Garnish with chopped tomatoes
Nonna Stella’s Orange & Olive Salad
Ingredients
1 cup black or green olives, 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 4 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds, Fennel seeds
Preparation
De-pit olives,
Combine olives and oregano, add a bit of olive oil
Layer 3 or 4 orange slices on each plate
Top oranges with a tablespoon of olive mixture
Sprinkle with a few fennel seeds.