Tag: truffles
Pork Ragu with Penne
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup white onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup half and half
- Salt
- ½ pound penne, al dente- ½ cup spare pasta water
- 2 tablespoons truffle paste or 1 tablespoon truffle oil
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the pancetta and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the pork and separate with the back of a wooden spatula while sautéing the meat on medium high heat about 2-3 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook on medium low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, till a thick sauce is formed. Add salt and half and half. Add the truffle paste or oil. Mix well and add the cooked pasta and pasta water. Check for seasonings and serve.
Almond Coconut Truffles
I have been trying to come up with a snack that does not have any added sugar, agave or any other sweetener. It is very tough to have a truly healthy snack other than a piece of fruit or some nuts. So, I came up with these fabulous truffles. The sweetness comes from dried dates and coconut. I added some almond meal and almond butter to bind everything together. Of course the unsweetened cocoa provides tremendous flavor! read more …
Lamb and Mushroom Pizza
I had a lot of leftover lamb from the other night. I divided the meat into two bags- one went into the freezer and one in the fridge. I plan on making a lamb ragu served on top of pasta or even better- polenta, in a few weeks.
The leftover meat in the fridge will be used for pizza.
We love making pizza at home- we usually do it on Friday evenings. I buy some dough from a local pizzeria. One ball of dough is good enough to make four to five individual pizzas.
As usual, I always have fresh tomato sauce in the fridge. I love using it for the pizzas- nothing like your own homemade, delicious sauce.
I made a quick topping with cremini mushrooms, chopped up lamb and some white truffle paste- the secret ingredient. It gives the dish a very rounded, complex flavor- one of my favorite things to add to pasta, etc.
The pizzas were delicious- especially because of the lamb and the truffle paste. Try this combination next time you are looking for a new topping for your pizza.
read more …
A Visit To Assisi
The second day started kind of late. We assembled out in the garden with a big tray of toasted bread, cheese, jam and of course- coffee. This is the first place in a long time where I have not brought my own coffee contraption- they have it in the apartment, three of them. They also have the yummiest ground coffee. The breakfast was very enjoyable and we lingered for a while.
We then strolled around Spello and landed at a Gelateria for a snack. We had delicious hazelnut and coffee gelato and a few paninis (fish, proscuitto and eggs) and of course a cappucinno- I have to have at least one if not two everyday.
It was quite hot and we decided to get in the car and drive around. We ended up in Assisi– another small old town. It was nice to walk around and have gelato again- it really is all about the food. We also bought delicious marzipan and pistachio cookies- yum!
Dinner was back in Spello at a tiny wine bar. We started with fabulous glasses of red and white wine. We were served a platter of brushchetta- very different than what we know in the US- the toasted pieces of bread had a smear of the different pastes. These were 5 or 6 different kinds- two were doused with different olive oils. The rest were with black truffles, white truffles, sundried tomatoes and my favorite- arugula and capers. It was like a pesto- I asked the lady for thean ingredients and she told me arugula, almonds and capers- I will make this when I get home- it was delicious!
Dinner continued with a plate of ham and salami and a platter of 5 different kinds of pecorino cheese served with honey. I had no idea there were so many different kinds! Well, needless to say- we all had a wonderful time sitting outside in the late evening enjoying the local food and wine and listening to our neighbors speak Italian.
Today – it is Perugia- famous for it’s chocolates. Will report back tomorrow, as, right now I need to go in the kitchen and make my fabulous coffee. Ciao!