World Recipes

Gnocchi Verdi

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
2/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Boiling salted water
3 tablespoons butter

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well; let cool. Squeeze spinach very dry. Chop spinach very fine; place in medium bowl. Stir in ricotta cheese. Add eggs; mix well. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons of the flour, the salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir to mix very well. Refrigerate covered 1 hour.

Spread remaining 1 cup flour in shallow baking pan. Press a heaping tablespoonful of spinach mixture between spoon and hand to form oval gnocchi; place on flour. Repeat until all spinach mixture is used. Roll gnocchi lightly in flour to coat evenly. Discard excess flour. Slip 8 to 12 gnocchi into large kettle of boiling salted water; reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered until gnocchi are slightly puffed and medium-firm to the touch, about 5 minutes.

Remove gnocchi with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate; then transfer immediately to greased flameproof shallow baking dish. Reheat water to boiling. Continue cooking and draining gnocchi in batches until all have been cooked. arrange gnocchi so that they are in single layer in baking dish. Heat broiler. Melt butter in small saucepan. Spoon butter over gnocchi; sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Broil gnocchi 5 inches from heat source, until cheese topping is light brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve at once.

Makes 24 gnocchi.

Gnocchi alla Romana

Vegetable oil
3 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Large pinch of ground nutmeg
Large pinch of pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon semolina
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan
6 tablespoons butter

Line the bottom of a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Generously oil the foil. Heat milk, salt, nutmeg and pepper in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat just to simmering. Do not boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Begin whisking or stirring milk briskly and add semolina in thin steady stream, taking care not to let lumps form. Cook, stirring frequently, until thick enough for spoon to stand upright and unsupported in center of mixture, 5 to 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Add egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the butter to semolina mixture; stir until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Pat out with spatula to 3/8 inch thickness. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Turn mixture out of pan onto flat surface; peel off foil. Cut gnocchi out of mixture with 2-inch round cutter. Arrange gnocchi overlapping in 10-inch square shallow flameproof baking dish.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Drizzle melted butter over gnocchi. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until tops of gnocchi are crisp and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Place under broiler about 4 inches from heat, until light brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve at once.

Pavia Soup

Posted by artsycook at recipegoldmine.com

Pavia is a small but very old city to the south of Milan, and this soup is its specialty.

3 tablespoons butter
6 slices firm, coarse-textured bread (like
    Italian, shepherd or French- hard crust)
6 cups chicken broth
Salt
6 eggs
Freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and turn off. Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the bread slices on both sides until golden brown. Divide among 6 soup bowls. Place bowls in oven.

Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil, adding sale if necessary. Break an egg onto each slice of bread in the bowls and pour the boiling broth over it. Add pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan and garnish with chopped parsley and a little grated nutmeg if desired and serve.

Italian Dinner Soup

Posted by Annette at recipegoldmine.com 1/16/2002 10:35 am

1 pound lean ground beef
1 quart water
1 cup finely cut onions
1 cup finely cut celery
1 cup finely cut carrots
1 quart diced tomatoes
2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup uncooked broken spaghetti
1/2 teaspoon Italian spices
1 cup peas

Cook and drain ground beef. Using a large kettle, pour in water, add onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, spaghetti and simmer 20 minutes. Season with Italian spices and add peas.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Italian Cinnamon Sticks

Servings: 4

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy; gradually add flour, mixing until well blended. Shape dough into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

Divide dough in half; place one portion between 2 sheets of lightly floured wax paper, and roll into a 10 inch square (about 1/8 inch thick). Brush with egg, and sprinkle with half of sugar mixture. Cut into 5 x 1/2-inch strips; twist strips, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and crisp. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Italian Sour Cream Horns

Posted by kdipaolo at recipegoldmine.com May 14, 2001

Dough
1 package active dry yeast (regular, not rapid rise)
3 tablespoons warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar

Filling
3 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar

For dough: Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sift flour; add salt. Add butter, eggs yolks, sour cream, vanilla and dissolved yeast mixture to flour mixture; work with hands until a moist dough forms. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

Divide dough into eight pieces. Dust rolling pin and work surfaces with powdered sugar. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thickness (slightly thinner than pie dough, more like noodle dough).

Cut dough into a circle approximately 8 inches in diameter. (You may want to use a stainless steel bowl and just press out a circle). Refrigerate dough circle. Continue rolling and cutting remaining dough, refrigerating circles as you go. Re-roll leftover dough pieces and cut into circles.

Cut each circle of dough into 16 triangular pieces or wedges.

For filling: Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar; beat until stiff. Fold in pecans and vanilla.

Spread 1/2 teaspoon filling on each triangle of dough; roll up, beginning with largest end. Place roll, small end down, on greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350 degrees F oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly browned on bottom. Immediately transfer to racks to cool.

Sift powdered sugar over cooled cookies. Store in airtight container. Yield: About 10 dozen cookies.

Limoncello (Lemon Liqueur

Source: Rosamaria Restiani - The Arizona Republic, February 12, 2003

Keep a bottle in the freezer for friends and dinner guests. Limoncello in small bottles or Mason jars also makes a good Easter or Passover gift.

15 fresh, thick-skinned lemons (large are preferred)
    plus a few lemon leaves
1 (4-quart) Mason jar or similar size jug
1/2 gallon 100-proof vodka
5 cups bottled spring water
3 to 5 cups granulated sugar

Scrub the lemons and leaves in warm, soapy water. Pat them dry and use a vegetable peeler or zesting tool to remove the yellow zest from each lemon, being careful to separate the white pith from the zest. (Pith will make the limoncello taste bitter.)

Place all the zest in the Mason jar, along with a few lemon leaves.

Add the vodka and seal the jar. Allow the jar to rest for 20 days in a cool, dark place, shaking it every 2 days to move the ingredients.

After 20 days, open the jar.

In a pan over medium heat, combine the spring water with 3 to 5 cups of sugar. The amount depends on your personal taste. If you like sweet liqueurs, use 5 cups. If you like them less sweet, 3 or 4 will be adequate. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow the mixture to cool, then pour it into the vodka jar. Allow the jar to rest for another 20 days in a cool, dark place, shaking it every 2 days to mix the ingredients. It is normal for the limoncello to take on a somewhat cloudy appearance.

After 20 days, slowly pour the mixture into a very large bowl, using a cheesecloth to strain the lemon zest and leaves. Discard the zest and leaves, and transfer the limoncello back into the jar or into several smaller bottles. Seal all the containers tightly.

While the limoncello does not need to be stored in the refrigerator, it is best to chill it before drinking. Since the mixture is about 50-proof, placing it in the freezer will not cause it to solidify.

Italian Rum Balls

1 cup soft butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons rum or extract
2 1/4 cups flour
Melted butter
Chopped nuts
Cinnamon-sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add rum and blend well. Gradually add flour to butter mixture. Blend in enough flour to make a smooth ball. Chill 1 hour.

Take pieces of dough and roll into balls the size of a walnut. Drop into melted butter, then nuts, and into cinnamon-sugar. Shake off excess and place on cookie sheets. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen.