Spaghetti in Rome

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
Here is a recipe for one of my favorite pasta dishes..brought to mind because I just enjoyed a dish at one of my favorite restaurants in Rome-
Serve with Chianti wine in recipe, dine al fresco as we did in Rome-for an added touch..


La Matriciana

for 4 people

*1 lb of pasta (spaghetti, bucatini,rigatoni)
½ onion
1 clove of garlic
¼ pound bacon (optional), cut into thin strips
3 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil
½ cup of dry white wine (Chianti)
½ tblsp of white wine vinegar
5-6 leaves of fresh basil
¼ of a dry, hot ,red pepper
a pinch of black pepper
2 lbs of ripe red plum tomatoes
¼ cup of pecorino romano cheese freshly grated

Place olive oil in saute pan and warm, place in bacon and chopped onion, hot red pepper, garlic .Saute until onion begins to become golden. Pour in wine and let liquid evaporate. Then add in the tomatoes that have been fileted (seeds removed) and fresh basil leaves.
Saute on medium heat for approx 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Cook the pasta till al dente. Drain and place in sauce, toss and place in half of the grated cheese, toss. Serve each portion with a pinch of black pepper and more grated cheese.

Slow Food, Slow Living

In the US we call it 'being frugal' but in Italy we call it the Slow Food movement . It is all about appreciating what you have and not wasting anything...a lot of the recipes come from the 'cucina povere' or peasant kitchen of Italy... healthy, authentic foods.
Here is one of my favorite recipes that was invented in Naples during the heyday of the cucina povere..Pizza Margherita
http://www.marialiberati.com/blog 2

Join me at the Gourmet Women & Wine Event on March 28th at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia from 11-2. I will be signing copies of my best selling book and sharing stories of my cooking school in Italy and culinary tours. For more info email us at events@marialiberati.com
Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,
Maria

Bruschetta old & new..

Did you know that Bruschetta goes far back to the days of cucina povere (poor people's kitchen) in Italy. It was a way of making use of day old bread. Today bruschetta is served in many resturants but not considered 'cucina povere'..served in many as a gourmet dish.

But I know many think of bruschetta as having a tomato and basil topping..but the toppings can be different and varied.
Here is my recipe for bruschetta made with tofu and zucchini flowers:

Bruschetta with Tofu and Zucchini Flowers

*15 minutes to prepare
*7 minutes cooking time
*300 calories per portion
*Easy

For 4 people
*1 loaf of crusty Italian bread or a baguette with sesame seeds on top (8 slices)
*10 ounces of fresh tofu- firm
*10 zucchini flowers
*1 clove garlic
*the grated peel of 1 lemon
*4 ounces arugula
*1 tsp thyme
*1 tblsp fresh basil chopped
*2 tblsps soy sauce
*1 tblsp Balsamic vinegar
*3 tblsps extra virgin olive oil for marinade
*2 tsps extra virgin olive oil to sautee zucchini flowers
*dash of pepper

Make a marinade by mixing together 3 tblsps olive oil, 1 tblsp balsamic vinegar, and 2 tblsps soy sauce.
Place in marinade the garlic clove, chaopped basil and chopped thyme, grated lemon peel, tofu cut into cubes, let marinade for 1 hour.

Cut 8 slices from bread and place in oven (350 degrees) to toast for 5 minutes per side. Open the zucchini flowers, remove the pistols inside and the stem. Wash the flowers very gently. Saute in 2 tsps of olive oil in a saute pan. Saute for 3 minutes.

Remove garlic from marinade. Wash and dry arugula. Distribute arugula on 8 slices of bread, then top with tofu mix and lastly top with zucchini flowers. Dress with the liquid from the marinade and a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve

TO see more about the adventures at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking kitchen in Italy and our making of a Sacher Torte go to http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2

For more great recipes get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

Cold pasta to lift your spirits....

(Sorry I have not been writing as frequently as usual, I am here at my office in Italy now till mid September). Hope this little splash of words helps yourday as it did mine yesterday...
Anytime I need something to lift my spirits a wonderful dish of pasta is a great start. And todays' meal was no exception. Of course I had to rush home so that I would have enough time to make the pasta dish I was dreaming of; A cold pasta salad with fresh mozzarella, small 'pachino'tomatoes, fresh basil and some extra virgin olive oil..
I say 'rush home' because I had a lot of work to finish up and had to quickly stop to pick up fresh mozzarella before stores close at 1:30. ( I am writing from my office in Italy). But I made it a few minutes before 1:30. As typical Italian approach to life- no one was rushing or running-even though it was 3 minutes till closing and people were still entering the store -albeit in a relaxed pace.

We were getting really hungry it was now 2 PM by the time I got home.
Water in the pot..
Pinch of salt in the water...
Place gas on...
Cut small tomatoes in half
Chop fresh basil
Cut fresh mozzarella into small chunks

Now place fresh tomatoes. fresh basil, fresh mozzarella in bowl. Place penne pasa in boiling water and cook for 9 minutes. Drain. Place in bowl with fresh tomatoes, drizzle with jsut about 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and toss gently to coat and mix all ingredients..

Oops, don't forget the freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese on top. Grate on top of each individual serving...
Ahh.. perfect pasta to lift anyone's spirits. And a glass of chilled white wine like a light Trebbiano goes well and keeps the meal light and refreshing.

Ciao for now, and don't forget to visit me at http://www.marialiberati.com