07/24/07 Sweet Peppers, Ricotta and Basil Pie

07/24/07 Sweet Peppers, Ricotta and Basil Pie from CookiesFromItaly.com

"Dio ci salvi dal povero arricchito e dal ricco impoverito." (God save us from the enriched poor and from the impoverished rich.) Welcome to another recipe edition from Adriana's Italian Bakery!

This week's Italian recipes:
-Patate Ripieni con Pancetta
-Fettuccine con Pesto e Gamberi
-Crostata di Peperoni, Ricotta e Basilico

Enjoy the recipes, the rest of your summer and the complimentary news article report from "Only In Italy.com".

Enjoy the issue!

Yours Truly,
Adriana Ciccarello

Cookie of the Week: Buccellati

"Italian Buccellati" A soft and chewy fig cookie with a crisp outside and tender inside. Made exclusively from our own home grown natural figs, almonds, the freshest farm eggs, milk, flour and sugar. No preservatives, additives, artificial colors, nor flavors. Serves 5-7.

900 grams (2 lbs.) is only 10.49 Euro ($14.25-$14.50) + Shipping.

Example Order: One order to anywhere in the USA costs 10.49 Euro plus 8.70 Euro for Global Priority Mail shipping (7-8 days) for a total of 19.19 Euro ($26.25-$26.50 U.S. Dollars).

Recipe: Patate Ripieni con Pancetta

Patate Ripieni con Pancetta
Pancetta Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 gold potatoes, scrubbed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped oregano (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried)
6 short rosemary sprigs
12 thin slices pancetta
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place the potatoes in a large pot, and add enough cold water to cover.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, oregano and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

Cut the potatoes lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Place them in an oiled baking dish.

Stuff the herb mixture and 2 slices of pancetta into each of the cut potatoes.

Secure them with toothpicks, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until done. Serves 6.

That's it!

Recipe: Fettuccine con Pesto e Gamberi

Fettuccine con Pesto e Gamberi
Fettuccine with Pesto and Shrimp

Ingredients:

For the pesto sauce:
4 cups packed basil leaves, washed
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted briefly in the oven
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Sea salt to taste
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

For the shrimp:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 lbs shrimp, shelled and de-veined, tails on
1 lb fettuccine pasta

Directions:

To make the pesto sauce:
Place basil, pine nuts, garlic and salt in a food processor. Puree until mixed but still slightly coarse. Gradually add the olive oil and blend until fully mixed.

Pour the paste into a bowl; stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Continue mixing until combined.

To make the shrimp:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shrimp; saute, stirring frequently, until the shrimp turn pink.

Boil the pasta in lightly salted water until 'al dente'.

Toss pasta with pesto and top with shrimp. Serves 4.

That's it!

Recipe: Crostata di Peperoni, Ricotta e Basilico

Crostata di Peperoni, Ricotta e Basilico
Sweet Peppers, Ricotta and Basil Pie

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1/2 lb butter, cold and diced
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:
3 roasted red bell peppers, skin and seeds removed
1 cup ricotta cheese
10 leaves fresh basil
3 eggs
1/2 cup cream
4 tablespoons grated Grana Padano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Make the crust:
Place the butter, flour and water in a food processor. Pulse until it starts coming together. Remove, gather in a ball, flatten, wrap in plastic film and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Make the filling:
Place the peppers, ricotta, basil, eggs, cream and Grana Padano cheese in the food processor; puree. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out with a rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thickness. Place in a fluted quiche pan (like a tart pan, only higher).

With a fork, poke holes on the bottom, then place in the middle of the oven, preheated to 350° F; bake for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Pour the filling inside the baked crust and return to the oven. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the batter is set and slightly golden on top.

Let cool and serve at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

That's it!

Submit Your Thoughts

What's the secret ingredient for your favorite Italian dishes? Angela's Italian Organic Oregano! It's grown on the only certified organic oregano farm in Sicily, Italy. One order contains 7 bags of beautifully bunched organic oregano, still on their small branches, for a total of over 195 grams (over 7 ounces). Just 10.99 Euros! Give it a try for the upcoming spring feasts and summer barbecues! You'll smell and taste the difference!
Visit OreganoFromItaly.com and give it a try for your next Italian recipe!

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:

$260,000 Cost of Impotency

An Italian man has been fined $260,000 for marrying his girlfriend without telling her he was impotent.

A court in southern town of Palermo found Luca Prodi, 26, guilty of fraud because he deceived his wife.

Prodi claimed he wanted to wait until they were married before having sex, and it was only after the wedding the woman found out the truth.

But the court ruled that she had a right to know about his impotency before entering into the marriage contract.

Prodi also has to pay $38,500 in court costs. His wife has since divorced him.

"Oh, Porca Puttana!" Heaven must be missing an angel...and she crash landed in southern Palermo.

Here's a woman whose life ambition is very specific and firmly believes in the Sicilian proverb: "Lu maritu senza affetu comu la casa senza tettu." A husband who lacks affection is like a house that lacks a roof.

No roof in Palermo is worth 260 grand!

What a poor Sicilian sap! We swear we've seen more compassion from a drive-up clown at McDonald's. Mussolini had a happier look on his last day than loser Luca at his sentence hearing.

By the way, is it really necessary to procreate and multiply south Palermo? Of course! We need another young Palermitano committing road rage on a scooter while eating a "vastedda" or "panelle" sandwich with fries.

"Vastedda": stewed-spleen sandwich. If you've never had it and you're dying to try one, cow spleen has a relatively inoffensive, meaty flavor. The real beauty in this sandwich is the topping of milky ricotta and grated parmesan cheese.

"Panelle": chickpea fritter sandwich dressed with the same cheeses.

"Only In Italy" Subscribe today and you'll discover why the last improvements to Italy were made by Julius Caesar and why it's been downhill ever since! Click Here to Subscribe!

http://www.CookiesFromItaly.com/newsletters/072407.htm
To unsubscribe simply click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this newsletter. You may also unsubscribe or change your delivery address by visiting any page at CookiesFromItaly.com. For further information, please refer to the sidebar.

Read Past Issues
What's New?
Our Cookies
Order Our Cookies!
People are Talking!
Try Our Almonds!
Tour Our Bakery
Shipping
About Adriana
Customer Service
Italian Sources
Our Privacy Policy

Submit Your Thoughts
Email Adriana

Recipe Feeds

Subscribe!

Recipes

Biscotti con Pignoli
Calamari Fritti e Zucchini
Chicken Vesuvio
Crostini con Pancetta
Panna Cotta
Penne alla Cipolla
Red Snapper Livornese
Sicilian Pasta al Forno

More Recipes!

More From Italy Newsletters!

Questions: Need more Italian recipes? How about Italian gift ideas? Or just plain Italian fun?

Subscribe to these interesting newsletters from our closest and trustworthy Italian affiliates located here in Italy? Just click the sites that may interest you and sign up:

Silver From Italy.com
Oregano From Italy.com
Only In Italy.com

This newsletter is powered by Libero. It no longer uses NOR does it recommend the services of Tiscali S.p.a.