Ernesto's Random-Cut Pasta with Sausage Sauce

Taccozze con Salsiccia

PASTA

2 1/2 cups finely ground durum semolina flour, plus additional if needed
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm filtered water
1 teaspoon Filippo Berio extra-virgin olive oil

Place the four and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and whirl the mixture to blend. With the motor running, slowly pour the water through the feed tube. Add the olive oil and continue processing until a ball of dough is formed that is moist and holds together. If the dough seems too dry, add a few drops of water and pulse.

Gather up the dough and knead it for a few minutes on a wooden surface, adding a little flour only if the dough is sticking to your hands. Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into quarters and work with one piece of dough at a time; keep the remaining pieces covered.

Roll the dough out into a rough circle or rectangle shape approximately 1/8-inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut across the dough so that you make strips about 1 1/2-inches wide. Then cut the strips into either squares, diamonds, or triangles. Put the finished shapes onto a floured towel, sprinkling them with a bit of flour to keep them from clumping together. Repeat the process until all the dough is used. Let the shapes dry for about 10 minutes before cooking.

Cook the shapes in salted water for about 4 minutes, just until al dente.

SAUCE

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage flavored with fennel, removed from the casing and broken up
1 small red onion, chopped
1 Little Devil hot red pepper, chopped, or more or less to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup prepared tomato sauce
Salt to taste
Pecorino cheese, grated, for sprinkling

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the sausage. Cook until the sausage is browned. Add the onion and cook for another minute or two. Add the hot pepper and cook for another minute. Add the wine and cook the sauce until most of the wine evaporates. Add the tomato sauce. Taste and add salt if necessary. Keep the sauce warm while the pasta cooks.

Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce along with about 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Mix well to coat the pasta and serve immediately with the grated cheese for sprinkling over the top.

Ernesto used a 2002 Masserie Flocco, Chardonnay "Podere del Canneto" in this recipe.

item recipe is featured on Ciao Italia in Episode 1524 of Season 15.

Watch Ciao Italia

with Mary Ann Esposito

Click here to find your local station

Ciao Italia, Mary Ann's website

Spanish Tortilla

Growing up, the Spanish Tortilla was one of my favorite comfort foods.

It is not a tortilla like a mexican tortilla, rather, more like an omelette.

My nana had many variations.  She routinely used chorizo (I don't like it and never use it), she would also add peas and/or onions.  I have made it adding bacon or breakfast sausage and it was delicious . . . I always top mine with cheddar cheese.  Use your imagination and what you like!  Whatever you do, use lots of potatoes . . . that is what makes this dish magical.

I'm remembering how awesome it was in a sandwich made with cuban bread and mayonnaise . . . haven't had it like that since I was a little girl.

INGREDIENTS

3 large potatoes

5 large eggs

handful of cheddar cheese

butter

salt to taste (I love using kosher salt)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the potatoes.  Before I get into the making of the tortilla, I want to share how I prepare the potatoes, no matter what dish I use it in (other than mashed potatoes).  Great method for preparing home fries for breakfast!

Wash and dice the potatoes. You can peel the potatoes or not . . . whatever you prefer . . . I don't.  Place in a microwave container with a lid, add salt to taste and I like to add little pieces of butter on top of the potatoes throughout the container.  Cook in microwave about 5 minutes or until tender (you'll have to experiment with the time, it depends on the microwave).  That's it!  Your potatoes will brown in the frying pan in no time at all.  So much better than starting with raw potatoes!

To make the tortilla . . . place cooked potatoes in a buttered pan and fry until they brown, stirring often.  When the potatoes are as brown as you would like them, pour in the scrambled eggs (I season with salt when I scramble the eggs).

Some people like to use a plate to turn the tortilla, but I cut it in four pieces to make it easy to turn.

Top with your desired amount of cheddar cheese (optional), cover the pan and lower the heat.  Since I use stainless steel pans, I take it off the heat and let it finish cooking off the burner to prevent burning.

The gauge I use that the tortilla is done . . . 

when the cheese is all melty and gooey.

It is a quick, easy and delicious meal that I make often!  Hope you make it and enjoy it :)

Photo source and another Spanish Tortilla variation

with photos of the different steps


Recipes from Spain

Rice and beans

Rice and beans is one of my favorite meals, even when there is enough money to buy whatever food there is a craving for . . . it is one of those southern meals that can be varied in so many ways.  The meal is not complete without a batch of corn bread that I love to crumble in the rice and beans.

Today I was on a quest to find different variations of rice and beans and I ran across the AandE Channel's pages for Duck Dynasty, which includes some of the Robinson family's recipes.  You can find the link to Miss Kay's recipes at the end of this post.  

The Captain and I are Duck Dynasty fans and I always love their references to food . . . except that I would never ever, even if offered huge sums of money, eat squirrel.  Squirrels are like little outdoor pets for me!  The Captain, on the other hand, tells me it was a favorite childhood meal after a day of hunting down squirrels in the woods and bringing them home for Mom to cook.  

Here is an excerpt from the write up on this recipe, followed by the recipe . . .

"The family subsided on rice and beans, cornbread, and whatever fish and game the boys could catch. Rice and beans was a staple dish at the Robertson dinner table. A hundred-pound bag of rice and several cans of beans would last for weeks. There are dozens of ways to prepare rice and beans, and the recipes could be altered by adding a simple gravy or squirrels, quail, or fish so it was a perfect meal for the struggling Robertson family.

You can be creative with this. Don't worry about doing it exactly the way it is written, try stuff, if you don't have an ingredient make it anyway. I make beans every time we make or buy a ham — the ham bone is the key. You will find hunks of that ham when it cooks off the bone that you never knew existed and they are delicious. NEVER throw ham bone away!"

INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound dry kidney Pinto beans
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 6 cups water
• a couple of slices of bacon, cut up
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if you are feeding kids)
• 2 bay leaves (if you don't have it in your cabinet don't worry about it)
• a pinch of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Phil Robertson's Cajun Style Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes (again, don't sweat it if you don't have it)
• 1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced (Add more if you like sausage, or a different kind if this is too spicy.)
• Ham bone with as much ham left on it as you want (I buy one that is honey glazed, take the ham off for sandwiches, then use what's left for beans)
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• Louisiana Hot Sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse beans and transfer to a large pot with ham bone six cups of water. Make sure the water is covers all the beans.
2. In a skillet, heat olive oil and cut up bacon over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery for three to four minutes.
3. Stir cooked vegetables into beans.
4. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, parsley, and Cajun Style Seasoning.
5. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook 4 to 6 hours, or until beans are soft and done. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
6. Cut sausage into slices and brown in skillet on medium heat with a teaspoon of olive oil.
7. Stir sausage into beans towards the end of cooking time and continue to simmer for thirty minutes.
8. Add a pinch of brown sugar to taste.
9. In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for twenty minutes. Serve beans over steamed white rice and add plenty of Louisiana Hot Sauce.

For more family recipes, visit our Kay's Recipes page.

My favorite italian chefs

Between all the food related televisions shows I watch and my obsession with Pinterest, I'm on recipe overload!  So, rather than share awesome recipes, I thought I would share my favorite italian chefs with you instead.

My #1 favorite italian chef is David Ruggerio.  His PBS cooking show from back in the day, Little Italy, remains my favorite cooking show ever.  He briefly went on to the Food Network, however, he ran into some personal problems that kept him in the headlines, but not in a positive light.  He disappeared from the Food Network and I haven't been able to find old episodes of Little Italy on PBS.  His recipes most closely resembled those of my nana, which is probably the reason he is my favorite.  I'm hoping he can overcome the obstacles and make a triumphant comeback.  Until then, he has a page on Facebook . . . and I found a video on You Tube . . .






Nick Stelleno spent the first 17 years of his life in Palermo, Sicily.  He enjoyed a successful Wall Street career after immigrating to the United States, but a culinary career kept calling him.  With no formal culinary education, he went from a dishwasher to one of the most popular chefs in the United States.

Click here for one of my favorite recipes from Nick Stelleno, which includes a video.  Check it out if you have never experienced Nick Stelleno, he is very entertaining!

Lidia Bastianich is an Emmy award-winning public television host, a best‐selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business.  I've enjoyed her television series for as long as I can remember.  What I love most about Lidia is the way she weaves stories of the old days in Italy, her travels, and her recent series features Italian-Americans and how they have brought the Italian culture to their communities . . . along with her delicious recipes and cooking tips.





What a busy lady!  Her zest for life and a passion for everything Italian is delightful and makes me so very proud to be an Italian-American.

There you have it, my top 3 favorite italian chefs . . . each of them has influenced my italian kitchen!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

April is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month

It has always been my philosophy that you will never go hungry as long as you have a loaf of bread, butter and some cheese.  There have been times in my life when I was forced to put that philosophy in action.  I would always thank God that at least they are a tasty treat and actually fool the mind into thinking I was spoiling myself.  If I happened to be lucky enough to have a jar of dill pickles in the fridge, it was a feast!

With the variety of cheese and breads in the market, the combinations for a great grilled cheese sandwich are endless.

Cheese is one of my favorite things and I love to experiment with all types as the budget allows.  My favorite thing to do with a grilled cheese sandwich is mixing two different types of cheeses.  Try it sometime!

Tips For The Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich from The Nibble

Use real butter. 

The flavor of fresh butter is important for a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.

Butter the outer side of the bread, not the pan. The butter will be more evenly distributed, which ensures a properly golden, crisp sandwich.

Grate or shred the cheese; it will melt faster.

When using dense breads, slice them no more than 1/2-inch thick, so that the heat can penetrate and melt the cheese.

Press the sandwich with a spatula after it’s been flipped, to help the melted cheese spread evenly.

Use a nonstick pan instead of cast-iron. The sandwich is less likely to stick to the pan, which makes clean-up much easier.

Click here for an awesome variety of

grilled cheese sandwich recipes and ideas.

Empanadas . . . a tasty treat!

"An empanada (called pastel in Brazilian Portuguese) is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries in South Europe, Latin America, and parts of Southeast Asia. The name comes from the Galician, Portuguese and Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. 

Empanadas are made by folding dough or bread around stuffing, which usually consists of a variety of meat, cheese, huitlacoche, vegetables or fruits, among others."

Source:  Wikipedia

click on the link for more history of the empanada

Today is National Empanada Day . . . if you have never had an empanada, let the celebration begin and try out an empanada recipe (links for recipes listed at the end of this post).  They can be as simple or as difficult to make as you like, depending on the method used :)

For as long as I can remember, empanadas have been a part of my life.  As a child, my nana made the most delicious sweet empanadas with guava and cream cheese.   As an adult, I made them stuffed with Italian sausage with peppers and onions cooked in a savory tomato sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese.  You can stuff them with whatever you like . . . great for leftovers!

As I think of these delicious treats, it occurs to me that you can take plain ole buttered American sandwich bread, place a generous portion or two (or three) of sliced guava paste (found in the ethnic section of your grocery store) and lots of cream cheese . . .  prepare in a sandwich maker, toast in the oven or grill in a pan (like a grilled cheese sandwich).  Not quite an empanada, but equally tasty!

My original recipe for empanada dough was lost, along with a huge notebook of  my favorite recipes and I still have not found a recipe that is up to the standards of the original recipe, but I'm still searching!  In the past, I used Hot Roll Mix, but it has been difficult to find at the grocery store.  So . . . to celebrate National Empanada Day, I decided to go on a search expedition for all types of recipes that I can start experimenting with.

About.com has an awesome section on empanadas!  That is where I am going to begin my search.

An excellent website dedicated to empanada recipes!


All About Empanadas from Laylita


Simple Empanada Dough and Fillings from My Columbian Recipes

There are plenty of recipes on these websites to get started discovering the delicious world of empanadas.  Enjoy . . . and Happy National Empanada Day!

Chicken and Rice ~ Two variations

Since we found that awesome little neighborhood meat market and deli that runs ridiculously cheap specials on chicken, don't you know we have been eating a lot of chicken.  I've said it before, but it is worth repeating . . . it is well worth the effort of looking for these little markets that offer package deals.  Even after getting a great deal on a package, our market will offer buy one get one free whole chickens.  Woohoo . . . double savings!!!  We usually buy a package that will provide us enough chicken for a whole month . . . so much cheaper buying this way!

To save on time, it is also a good idea to cook enough chicken in order to have leftovers for another meal.  Buy chicken stock and cream of chicken type soups when they are on sale to have on hand, they are awesome for putting together a delicious meal from leftovers.

The following two videos are all about chicken and rice . . . a great dish that is perfect for leftovers.  When you learn the basic techniques of putting these type of meals together, you can vary them to what you have on hand or what you like.

Beef-Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

  Sunny Anderson adds Sazon to her stuffed peppers! 

Nice twist to plain stuffed peppers . . . and the use of cubanelle peppers is awesome :) Click here if embedded video is not working.

Sausage Stuffed Stuffing

Awesome appetizer and a quick and easy gravy!

Stuffed Jack-O-Lantern Bell Peppers

What a cute idea for Halloween!

This post is for presentation inspiration,

 not necessarily the recipe. 

Click here for the recipe.

Lots of Pumpkin Recipes

Everything's coming up

pumpkins!

As I cruise through the internet, Pinterest and emails from
 blogs I subscribe to, all the buzz is pumpkins and Halloween!

How about a collection of pumpkin recipes?

I'll keep adding new blog posts and recipes as I find them . . .

25 Outstanding Pumpkin Recipes

Almost Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake

with Chocolate Shortcake Crust

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cider Sauce

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Amish Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Benny's Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Cinnamon Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

World's Easiest Pumpkin Bread

61 Pumpkin and Apple Recipes

3 Non-Pie Pumpkin Desserts

Pumpkin Roundup

mmm Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Creamy No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Spice Trifle

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Would you like your

 pumpkin recipe listed?

Leave me a comment

 with the link!

Sage Butter Macaroni and Four Cheese

This is comfort food at it's best!!

Better than plain mac 'n cheese is the decadence of four cheeses, sage and a delicious crunchy topping!!

One of my new favorite cooking shows is Ask Aida on The Cooking Channel . . . check it out sometime!  That is where I found this recipe.  The link to The Cooking Channel is listed after the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish

4 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

1 pound macaroni

3 tablespoons thinly sliced sage

6 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese

4 ounces shredded aged Cheddar

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to broil and arrange rack in top. Butter a 9 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter and mix in a medium bowl with 1 cup of the Parmigiano and all the bread crumbs until thoroughly moistened; set aside.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for half the time indicated on package.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it starts to foam, add sage and cook until crisp and butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside until pasta is ready. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.

Return pasta to pot and place over low heat. Stir in sage butter, reserved pasta water, remaining 3 cups Parmigiano, Gruyere, Cheddar, mascarpone, and salt, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Stir constantly until cheeses are evenly melted and the pasta looks well coated. 

Turn pasta into baking dish and evenly top with bread crumb mixture. Place under broiler until mixture bubbles and top is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Source: The Cooking Channel

German Chocolate Cake

This is the most gorgeous German Chocolate Cake I've ever seen!

German Chocolate Cake is definitely in my top ten favorite cakes and I have made it often for a special occasion or a weekday treat.  

By all means, use your chocolate cake from scratch recipe if you like, but for convenience, I love the semi-homemade idea of using a cake mix for the cake.  

The frosting in this recipe is homemade and sounds yummy . . . you can make it easier on yourself if you want to use canned frosting, which I have found to be awesome.  But I think I will be making my own frosting just to test out the recipe!

In my opinion, the gorgeous presentation makes this recipe super special, as well as the awesomeness of a German Chocolate Cake, whether you make it homemade, semi-homemade or totally from a box mix and canned frosting.  When I use the canned frosting, I always buy two cans to make it extra special . . . don't forget the chocolate frosting for embellishing!

The photo and recipe source is Mr. Food, who never lets me down.

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix, prepared according to package directions
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup canned chocolate frosting

Directions

1. Bake cake according to package directions for 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Let cool.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, butter, and vanilla. Cook about 5 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in pecans and coconut.
3. Place one cooled cake layer flat side down on a serving platter. Spread half the coconut mixture on top. Top with second cake layer and remaining coconut mixture.
4. In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave frosting 10 to 15 seconds, or until slightly thin. Drizzle over top and sides of cake. Store cake in refrigerator.

Source:  Mr. Food's website 

Fiesta Chicken Taco Cups

Love the concept of this recipe, using refrigerated crescent dinner rolls in a muffin tin to form these cups that can be used in a number of food combinations.

I'm not sold on the taco sauce with chicken, but with a little imagination, all types of recipes can be adapted from this basic idea.  I'm thinking more along the idea of italian sausage with peppers, onions and cheese . . . left over roast pork with barbeque sauce . . . something similar to chicken pot pie . . . breakfast cups with scrambled eggs, ham and cheese.

You can even use this idea for dessert . . . apple pie filling with a cream cheese topping . . . whatever you like!!  The possibilities are endless :)))  I love these type of food discoveries!

Wouldn't it be awesome to make these in different variations as appetizers for a party?

I'm an advocate of using leftovers for other meals . . . this idea is perfect for using those small quantities of food leftovers to make a meal with variety or lunches to go?  I'm sure these little cups would reheat in a microwave at work with no problem.

Now that I've got you thinking of alternatives . . . the original recipe follows!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups refrigerated taco sauce with seasoned chicken (from 18-oz container)

1/2 cup Green Giant® Niblets® frozen corn (from 1-lb bag)

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup finely shredded Mexican cheese blend (2 oz)

Sour cream, salsa or sliced ripe olives, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. 

Spray 8 medium muffin cups with cooking spray. 

In 1-quart saucepan, heat taco sauce with chicken over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated.

Unroll dough and separate into 4 rectangles; press each into 8x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. 

Cut each in half crosswise, making 8 squares. 

Sprinkle both sides of each square with cornmeal. 

Press each in bottom and up side of muffin cup; turn edges of dough under, pressing to extend 1/4 inch above edge of cup.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons chicken mixture into each cup. 

Sprinkle cheese over each.

Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. 

Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes; remove from muffin cups. 

Serve warm.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Serving)

• Calories 340
• (Calories from Fat 140),

• Total Fat 15g
• (Saturated Fat 6g,),
• Cholesterol 45mg;
• Sodium 1330mg;
• Total Carbohydrate 38g
• (Dietary Fiber 3g,
• Sugars 10g),
• Protein 14g;

Percent Daily Value*

:

Exchanges:  

• 2 1/2 Starch;
• 1 Lean Meat;
• 2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choices:

• 2 1/2;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Recipe and photo source:  Betty Crocker . . . always a great source for awesome recipes and food inspiration!