Italy Puglia cooking vacations and wine tours

I and Marika interrupt our series of Mediterranean recipes and cuisine from Puglia to bring you something a bit different and very delicious.

As Marika (the Cardiologist!!) says: “the important thing is to eat everything in moderation“!

So today we decided to join our internet friends Michelle and Sara and celebrate the World Nutella Day!

And what’s better than the traditional bread with nutella that all Italians have had for breakfast at least once in their life? Therefore, we decided to prepare a very easy breakfast recipe, with a Pugliese twist: we used our home-made durum wheat bread with some Pugliese ricotta!

Two days ago we made a huge loaf of home-made and durum wheat bread, that we cut in slices and froze (so that we can have for breakfast for the next days).

 

Today we used this bread to make our breakfast bruschetta.

Bruschetta with home-made bread, ricotta, nutella and orange zest.

INGREDIENTS

1 slice of durum wheat bread
1 oz cow milk ricotta
2 tsp nutella
bitter cocoa powder
orange zest
2tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp rum

PREPARATION

Slice the bread and toast it.

Spread a good amount of ricotta on half of the bread. Spread a good amount of nutella on the other half.

Cut the orange zest in small pieces and caramelize it by melting in a saucepan sugar with water. Then add the orange pieces and keep stirring. When the water is all absorbed switch the flame off and add the rum.
Once the orange zest is caramelized, add it on top of the ricotta.
Sprinkle some bitter cocoa powder on top.

Have fun celebrating nutella!

Happy Nutella Day 2011!

I and Marika woke up very early this morning. We wanted to get to the local cheese artisan before he finished his delicious ricotta cheese.

While the fresh ricotta was being made just in front of us, we were both mouthwatering at the idea of making our favorite Agnolotti pasta, stuffed with ricotta and Parma ham.

If you ever come to Puglia, you will be surprised by the fact that we look like a whole region of vegetarian people: we eat lots of vegetables (eggplants, artichokes, bell peppers, zucchini), legumes (chickpeas, fava beans) and cereals (wheat, faro/spelt etc).
Moreover, all traditional pasta from Puglia: orecchiette (which means little ears), tagliatelle, trofie, sagne…is made with NO EGGS! Just water, a pinch of salt and durum wheat flour (or barley flour).
Everybody attending our cooking classes is always impressed by how diverse, Italian culinary traditions can be from region to region. This applies to the fresh pasta: which is without eggs in Southern Italy; and with eggs in Northern Italy. However, when we come to agnolotti, ravioli or lasagne, also in Puglia we use eggs.
Ricotta and Parma ham are the best combination for the stuffed pasta! You can make different shapes using different cutters: squared ravioli or the round agnolotti. For the filling, instead of the Parma ham, you can also use asparagus or spinach, or a mix of fresh herbs if you prefer.
Please try and tell us what you think.

Agnolotti stuffed with ricotta and Parma ham.

INGREDIENTS
Agnolotti pasta:
(3 servings)
200 grams durum wheat flour (you can use all purpose flour)
2 eggs
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Stuffing and dressing:
150 grams Ricotta cheese
100 grams Parma ham
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Sage leaves
100 grams grated Parmesan cheese (good quality)
a pinch of grated nutmeg

PREPARATION

Put the flour in a bowl with the two eggs and the extra virgin olive oil. Knead the dough until it gets very smooth.
Cut the dough in little balls and using the pasta machine, stretch out the dough in very thin sheets of pasta.

Cut the Parma ham in very small strips and mix it with the ricotta using a spoon.
Using a teaspoon, place some ricotta and Parma ham on the pasta sheet (in the middle), and fold it.

Cut the stuffed pasta using a pasta cutter and close it with your fingers.

It is important you cook these stuffed agnolotti right away. Boil the water in a pan adding a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (so that they don’t stick). Add a tsp of sea salt and cook the pasta for 5 minutes.
Remove the pasta al dente and sauté in a saucepan with a few drops of olive oil and the sage leaves, for 2 minutes.
Serve adding the grated parmesan cheese and nutmeg.