Tag: recipe

Pasta with Gorgonzola

This quick and versatile recipe is another great representative of the cuisine of northern Italy. With any kind of strong, creamy cheese and a handful of always-ready ingredients, this delicious sauce can be whipped together from scratch in minutes. In Italy, there is absolutely no Alfredo sauce! The most famous dish that makes use of a creamy cheese sauce is ‘Gnocchi al Gorgonzola‘, but any kind of pasta can be used – and boxed dried pasta is actually recommended for this dish.

Pasta with Gorgonzola

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Pasta with Gorgonzola

Ingredients

  • 10 g butter (1 tablespoon)
  • 10 g water (1 tablespoon)
  • 10 g flour (1 tablespoon)
  • 100 g milk (½ cup)
  • some ground nutmeg
  • some ground black pepper
  • salt
  • 40 g Gorgonzola, Cambozola, or other blue cheese
  • One handful of crushed walnuts, pecans or pine nuts
  • 20 g grated Parmigiano
  • 140 g dried pasta. In the picture above you can see whole-wheat 'penne', but any dried pasta or fresh gnocchi can be used. Ricotta and spinach, or cheese ravioli also work very well with this sauce.

Preparation

  1. Put butter and water in a saucepan at medium heat.
  2. When butter has melted, add the flour.
  3. Stir until it sizzles.
  4. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Add the nutmeg.
  5. Add the walnuts, the Gorgonzola, the Parmigiano, and adjust with salt and pepper.
  6. Cook the pasta "al dente", then drain it and put it back in the pan adding the cheese sauce. Mix well and serve in pre-heated bowls.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/02/pasta-with-gorgonzola.html

Pizzoccheri della Valtellina

Pizzoccheri is a Northern Italian dish almost unknown in North America. It originates in Valtellina (known as Valtelline or Val Telline in English), a valley at the very top of Lombardy.

Despite the name, Pizzoccheri has nothing to do with pizza. It is a first course centered around a special pasta made of buckwheat flour, a type of grain also called Saracen corn (‘grano Saraceno’ in Italian). The recognizable hearty flavor and coarse texture of buckwheat pasta are almost absent from Italian cuisine, but they marry perfectly with potatoes, cabbage, butter, and Valtellina Casera cheese (also indigenous of Valtellina) to make a unique dish.

As detailed by its official website, Valtellina Casera is a medium-ripening, semi-cooked PDO cheese (see the ‘Formaggio Cheese’ post for more information on cheese classification) exclusively produced in Valtellina and made with partly skimmed cow milk. For the preparation of Pizzoccheri, Valtellina Casera is used when just over its minimum aging of 70 days while its flavor is delicate and milky and before it turns more intense.

In Italy, dried buckwheat pasta specifically cut for use in Pizzoccheri can be bought in stores. However, it can also be easily made from scratch without particular equipment.

Pizzoccheri della Valtellina

Yield: 2-3 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Pizzoccheri della Valtellina

Ingredients

     For 200 g of fresh Pizzoccheri noodles

    • 100 g buckwheat flour
    • 50 g white all-purpose flour
    • 1/8 tsp salt

     For the finished dish

    • 200 g fresh Pizzoccheri noodles (the same amount of dried Pizzoccheri can also be used).
    • 250 g potatoes (2 small, diced).
    • 150 g Savoy cabbage (sliced). For a more delicate flavor, it can be replaced or mixed with spinach.
    • 100 g Valtellina Casera cheese (thinly sliced). It can be replaced with other, easier to find, mild semi-cooked cheeses (such as young Fontina, Montasio, Raclette or Gouda).
    • 20 g Parmigiano cheese (grated).
    • 50 g unsalted butter.
    • 3 cloves of garlic (crushed).
    • 2 or 3 leaves of fresh sage (optional).
    • Salt and black pepper.

    Preparation

       For the Pizzoccheri noodles

      1. Mix the buckwheat flour with the white flour and the salt.
      2. Work in about 1/3 cup of water, just enough for a firm dough to form. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
      3. Roll the dough into a sheet 2-3 millimeters thick.
      4. Cut the sheet into small rectangles of about 0.5 by 5 cm.
      5. Using a spatula, separate the rectangles from the cutting board.
      6. Place the pieces on a floured plate (sprinkling with more flour before overlapping them).

       For the finished dish

      1. Bring a very large pot of salted water to a boil (using ½ tablespoon of salt per liter of water).
      2. Add the potatoes and the cabbage to the boiling water.
      3. Let the vegetables cook for 12-13 minutes (5 minutes if using dried pasta).
      4. Toss the (uncooked) pasta into the boiling water and keep cooking for another 2-3 minutes (10 minutes if using dried pasta).
      5. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the garlic and the sage in it; roast them until the garlic is golden, then discard both.
      6. Drain the pasta and vegetables mix removing it from the top by using a skimmer not to disturb the cloudy water.
      7. At this point start assembling the dish directly into individual bowls. Start layering the ingredients alternating some of the pasta and vegetables with a sprinkle of Parmigiano, a few cheese slices and some melted butter. Repeat 2 or 3 times using up all of the ingredients, ending with a layer of pasta and vegetables and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.
      8. Add some black pepper and serve without stirring.

      Notes

      A vegetable mincer can be used to make parallel cuts.

      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/01/pizzoccheri-della-valtellina.html

      More featured recipes

      Potato Gnocchi

      Potato gnocchi are a common alternative to pasta in first courses. They are made by mixing riced potatoes with flour and egg. There are, however, several other types of gnocchi, such as ‘gnocchi alla romana’ (typical of central Italy) which are made with semolina flour (and without potatoes). In the area near the Austrian border, flour ‘gnocchetti’ (the equivalent of the German spätzle) are used as an accompaniment instead of rice or potatoes.

      Potato gnocchi can be served with any pasta sauce. However, some sauces pair more successfully with their flavor and texture: tomato sauce, butter and sage, Gorgonzola sauce.

      This recipe yields 5-6 servings. It’s quite simple to make but may easily take 2 ½ hours.

      Potato Gnocchi

      Yield: 5-6 servings

      Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

      Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

      Cook Time: 15 minutes

      Potato Gnocchi

      Ingredients

      • 2 ¼ pounds (1 Kg) whole unpeeled Russet (Bakers) potatoes.
      • about 2 ½ cups (350 g) white all-purpose flour.
      • 1 egg.
      • ½ teaspoon salt.

      Preparation

      1. Boil the whole unpeeled russet potatoes, previously washed and scrubbed (fig. 1). This will take 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Alternatively, the potatoes can be baked in the microwave for about 6-8 minutes after having punched holes in them with a fork. Russet potatoes (also called Bakers) are particularly suitable because high in starch and low in moisture.
      2. Cut each boiled potato in half and mash it in a ricer; the skin will remain in the ricer to be disposed.
      3. Allow the mashed potatoes to cool, then add the flour (fig. 2).
      4. Work together flour and potatoes until you obtain an evenly crumbly mix.
      5. Add the whole egg and the salt (fig. 3).
      6. Mix and kneed for 2 minutes. The dough should feel light and fluffy, sufficiently elastic and not too sticky (fig. 4). If later on, during the process, the dough starts to feel sticky again, add enough flour to prevent it.
      7. Cut the dough in fist-size pieces, then roll out each piece until you have a long roll about ½ inch in diameter. Cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces (fig. 5).
      8. Roll each gnocco over on a fork to produce the well known indentations (see the picture below) - the corrugated texture will help the sauce bind.
      9. Let the gnocchi rest on a well floured plate or tray, ensuring they stay separated (fig. 6).

        Note: Gnocchi can be frozen at this stage, and then kept in the freezer in air-tight containers for up to 4 weeks.
      10. Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water until they float. Frozen gnocchi can also be boiled directly without thawing, just ensure you do so in small batches to avoid interrupting the boil.
      11. Warm up the sauce in a skillet. Drain and add the cooked gnocchi to the sauce allowing them to become fully coated.
      12. Serve in pre-heated plates with Parmigiano cheese if the sauce calls for it.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2010/11/potato-gnocchi.html

      Basic Tomato Sauce

      Even though tomatoes made their appearance in Europe in the 1700s, it took until the beginning of the 1900 for them to reach today’s popularity and central role in Italian cuisine.

      This recipe describes one of the most basic pasta sauces: the tomato sauce. The tomatoes, delicately flavored with salt, a hint of onion*, and (optionally) a leaf of basil, are simmered until they reduce their acidity. Smooth and velvety, this sauce is great on its own (like in ‘pasta al pomodoro’), or as a base for many tomato-based pasta sauces and dips (such as the one with bell peppers). These sauces are generally served with plenty of grated Parmigiano cheese.

      Other tomato sauces, instead, are only lightly cooked to preserve the fresh flavor of the tomatoes, and are often flavored with garlic and sometimes chili pepper. Examples are arrabbiata, marinara, with clams or mussels. These sauces are served without cheese.

      *Shallot, garlic, or a combination of onion and garlic can be used as well.

      Basic Tomato Sauce

      Yield: 6 servings (as pasta sauce)

      Total Time: 45 minutes

      Prep Time: 5 minutes

      Cook Time: 40 minutes

      Basic Tomato Sauce

      Ingredients

      • 2 pounds fresh or 1 ½ pounds of canned strained tomatoes (uncooked tomatoes, salt)
      • 1 onion wedge, finely sliced
      • 1 tablespoon olive oil
      • 2-3 leaves fresh basil
      • salt

      Preparation

      1. Sauté the onion wedge in the olive oil at medium-high heat until translucent.
      2. Add the strained tomatoes.
      3. Stir until the tomatoes start to boil, then turn down to low.
      4. Simmer for 40 minutes with lid on, stirring every 10 minutes and making sure the boil is always gentle.
      5. Adjust the salt to taste and optionally add a leaf or two of fresh basil.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2010/11/basic-tomato-sauce.html

      Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

      Risotto is a staple northern Italian dish obtained by toasting the rice in the pan and then slowly adding liquid and mixing until absorbed, for as long as the rice takes to cook. Even though the recipe requires constant stirring, the procedure is very easy and guaranteed to produce perfect results as long as the rice is kept at a constant boiling temperature for the correct amount of time.

      This recipe serves two hungry people, or three not so much. It takes about 25 minutes from start to finish.

      Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

      Yield: 2 servings

      Total Time: 25 minutes

      Prep Time: 5 minutes

      Cook Time: 20 minutes

      Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

      Ingredients

      • 1 cup of Carnaroli Rice (Arborio as a second choice)
      • 3 ½ cups of vegetable or beef stock
      • One handful of dried or fresh Porcini mushrooms
      • 1 tablespoon of chopped onion
      • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
      • 1 glass of white wine (best if at room temperature)
      • ¼ cup of Parmigiano cheese (grated)
      • Some ground black pepper
      • (Recommended) 1 pouch of Italian saffron
      • (Optional) 1 green onion or a bunch of chives

      Preparation

      1. Bring the stock to a gentle boil (ensure the stock is flavorful, but not too salty).
      2. If using dried mushrooms, wash them well under tap water and then soak them for 5-10 minutes in lukewarm water to rehydrate them. Let any grit sediment settle to the bottom, pick up the mushrooms leaving the dirty water in the bowl.
      3. In a second pan, sauté the onion in 2/3 of the butter until soft and translucent.
      4. Add the rice and stir at medium heat for a couple of minutes (this will "toast" the rice, adding flavor).
      5. Add the wine and set the timer: 18 minutes if using Carnaroli, 15 minutes if using Arborio.
      6. Add the re-hydrated or fresh mushrooms.
      7. Keep stirring. When the rice dries out a bit, add some stock and go back to stirring. (Note: it might be necessary to lower the temperature, but make sure the rice keeps boiling, and so does the stock.)
      8. 3-4 minutes from being ready, add the saffron (dissolved in a tablespoon of stock).
      9. When the time is up, turn off the heat, move the pan off the burner and add the remaining butter. Keep stirring for 1 additional minute. At this point the Risotto should be creamy and soft, and without any liquid running around.
      10. Serve in bowls covered with the grated Parmigiano, some ground black pepper and (optionally) garnished with fresh thin-sliced green onion or chives.
      11. Eat immediately, as this dish absolutely can't be reheated.

      Notes

      Other than mushrooms, many other ingredients can be added as flavors (some of the most common are: leek, artichokes, asparagus, radicchio, Taleggio, Gorgonzola, seafood, sausage).

      Even though the flavors are important, Risottos (or Risotti in Italian) are as much about the rice as they are about the add-ons. The particular type of rice and the gradual hydration while stirring constantly is what extracts the starch and gives creaminess and texture to the dish. Using the wrong type of rice or a different cooking technique can completely ruin the result.

      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2010/10/risotto-with-porcini-mushrooms.html

       

      Formaggio – An Introduction to the Many Varieties of Italian Cheese

      Even though Italy is a pretty small place, its regions are quite different from one another. And cheese (formaggio , in Italian) is one of the products that changes the most across the territories. Since the area of origin is a big part of what defines each cheese’s properties, many Italian cheeses have a protected denomination under European Union law (PDO – “Protected Designtrecciation of Origin”, or DOP – “Denominazione di Origine Protetta” in Italian). For a cheese to be labeled as PDO, every step of its production needs to happen in a specified geographic area: from local cows eating local hay, through production happening entirely in local facilities, to aging (or, for fresh cheeses, just packing) occurring rigorously in place.

      Since Italian cheese names are so representative, in Italy they are never used as adjectives. For instance, you just say Mozzarella , not formaggio Mozzarella. And this even when the cheese name is indeed an adjective (for instance in the case of Parmesan which means ‘from the city of Parma’ – in Italian you just say Parmigiano , in English Parmesan cheese is instead more common). It has to be noted, however, that the name alone doesn’t guarantee the origin. For instance, “Mozzarella” isn’t a PDO cheese per se, while Mozzarella di Bufala Campana is (http://www.mozzarelladop.it/).

      Specialized cheese stores in North America can provide a good sampling of the most important cheeses found all around Italy. However, even the best stores are incapable of handling fresh cheeses (some need to be consumed within 3-4 days from their preparation), and locally made equivalents are sometimes sold instead (although, generally, they don’t compare with the originals).

      Cheese is considered very highly in Italy. Italians are very proud of and take their cheeses very seriously. They use them in their cuisine, but mostly eat them on their own, just with some bread or accompanied by fruit (pears, grapes), by compotes (figs), or kinds of honey. All aged cheeses go very well with wine. Often, cheese is a course on its own (served at the end of the meal, before fruit or dessert). Eating Italian cheese is a true multi-sensorial experience, from the look, to the aroma, to the deeply multi-faced flavor. And, with the many varieties found from north to south, cheese is also a fascinating journey, both geographically and historically.

      Let’s go over the main Italian cheeses, classifying them by the process used to make them.

      Formaggi a Pasta Cruda (Uncooked Cheeses)

      Fast ripening (less than 30 days):

      • Caciotta (e.g. Caciotta Toscana DOP) –usually a blend of ewe (70%) and cow (30%)– traditional creamy farmhouse cheese.
      • Mascarpone –cow– one of the main ingredients of Tiramisù , also used in other preparations as an alternative to heavy cream or butter.
      • Stracchino –cow– gets its name from the word ‘tired’ (in Lombard dialect: stracco), referring to the fact that used to be made from the milk of cows who were tired because of the transhumance to the valley after the alpine summer.
      • Caprino –goat– an aged version also exists.

      Medium ripening (1-6 months):

      • Bel Paese (trademark) –cow-.
      • Taleggio (PDO, Taleggio Valley, Lombardy) –cow– [pronounced “ta’leddʒo”, not “ta’lejeeo”!] when very young, tastes similar to Bel Paese.
      • Gorgonzola (PDO, Lombardy) –normally, cow– soft and creamy if is less than 2 months aged, crumbly and spicy-hot when aged for longer.

      Formaggi a Pasta Semicotta (Semi-cooked Cheeses)

      Medium ripening (1-6 months):

      • Fontina (PDO, Aosta Valley) –cow– soft when younger, harder and more pungent when aged. Differs from Danish fontina which has a red wax rind.
      • Asiago (PDO, Veneto region) –cow– great on its own as a table cheese, can be used on pasta (grated or in slivers).
      • Montasio (PDO, Friuli and Veneto regions) –cow– also consumed on its own or added as an ingredient to several dishes.
      • Piave (trademark, Veneto region) –cow– mostly a table cheese, three varieties are produced: mezzano (medium aged), vecchio (old), and stravecchio (extra-old).

      Formaggi a Pasta Cotta (Cooked Cheeses)

      Slow ripening (more than 9 months):

      • Grana Padano (PDO, northen Italy) –cow– considered inferior to Parmigiano Reggiano because aged less (9 months minimum) and produced with less strict quality regulations.
      • Parmigiano Reggiano (PDO, Provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Mantua) –cow-, one of the most representative Italian cheeses in the world – its origins can be traced back to the middle ages and the recipe hasn’t changed substantially (this cheese is aged at least 12 months and up to 30). It’s eaten on its own or used as a complement to hundreds of recipes, most pasta dishes, and risottos.
      • Aged Pecorino – (4 varieties of PDO: Sardo, Romano, Toscano, Siciliano from the corresponding regions) –sheep– a mildly aged variety also exists.

      Formaggi a Pasta Filata (Spun Paste Cheeses)

      Fast ripening:

      • Mozzarella –cow, water buffalo– can be made of cow milk, but the one made of water buffalo milk is more renowned and “Mozzarella di Bufala Campana” is PDO. Small sized mozzarellas, usually with high water content are called bocconcini. Similar products are fior di latte and Treccia.
      • Scamorza (from the Naples area) –cow– both smoked and mild varieties are used for instance on pizza and with pasta.
      • Burrata (also from southern Italy) –cow or water buffalo- mozzarella on the outside and cream plus mozzarella on the inside. Eaten as is at room temperature is a true delicacy.

      Medium ripening (1 month):

      • Caciocavallo (southern Italy, e.g. PDO Caciocavallo Silano) –sheep, cow– a smoked variety also exists.
      • Provolone (e.g. PDO “Provolone Val Padana”) –cow– [pronounced provolone-eh!] originated in the south but is now produced mostly in northern Italy.

      One characteristic of Italian cheeses that definitely stands out in North America is that they often have some kind of moldy rinds. In general, the rinds are not meant to be eaten (with a few exceptions, e.g. scamorza and provola which have edible rinds), but they are essential for the aging process. Italian stores, whenever possible, try to keep the cheese wheels whole and only slice them to order (this is especially true for fresh or medium ripened cheese; aged cheese gets more “stable” and better maintains its properties when stored).

      Even though Italy is a big producer of cheese, a few foreign brands managed to make their way into the Italian cheese market, with moderate success. For instance, in 1971 the American Kraft introduced Philadelphia, a pre-packed cream cheese, and in 1975 a type of cottage cheese (sold under the brand name “Jocca”). Kraft also introduced a kind of processed cheese slices called “Sottilette” (Italian for “thins”). It has to be noted that the words “cottage cheese” and “cream cheese” don’t even exist in Italian, let alone “processed cheese” – these products are exclusively known by their brand names (to Kraft’s advantage).

      Pasta 101 – A Primer on the Most Iconic Italian Food

      Pasta is probably the most recognized Italian dish. And for good reasons. Pasta plays a fundamental part in the diet of every Italian – even daily! This article describes all main pasta types.

      Italians like pasta because they know it’s a filling meal that is easy to digest, a great option for the lunch break. The scientific reason behind this is in the high percentage of carbohydrates that pasta contains, a source of ready-to-use energy. Most Italians don’t believe in low-carb diets, since pasta and bread are so entrenched in their culture, although they do know that the excess of carbohydrates will show on the scale.

      Now that we have the Atkins debate out of the way (probably the most controversial debate that we will ever have on this blog), let’s talk about the different ways to classify pasta (limiting to its more basic forms, and leaving some of its variations, such as gnocchi or ravioli, for another post).

      Short or Long

      Pasta can be short (‘corta’) or long (‘lunga’). Examples of short kinds of pasta are: maccheroni , rigatoni, penne, rotini, farfalle. Examples of long kinds of pasta are: spaghetti , tagliatelle , linguine .
      Even though subtle, the shape, size, and thickness of pasta affect its texture on the palate, and the way it takes the sauce (hence the flavor). Because of this, tradition tends to dictate whether to choose short or long based on the preparation, in some cases even calls for a specific cut (e.g. in the case of penne all’arrabbiata  – not arabiatta!).

      The shortest kinds of pasta are usually eaten in broth (‘pasta in brodo’), as opposed to in dry preparations (‘pasta asciutta’). ‘Mac and cheese’ is an exception where a very short pasta is used in a dry dish – this, however, is not a traditional Italian recipe.

      Long pasta typically poses some “mechanical difficulties” to those that are not used to eating it. The proper way to eat long pasta doesn’t involve cutting it with a knife! Instead, it consists in rolling the strings around the fork (by rotating it in the hand), optionally using a spoon as support (although this is not common in Italy). Long pasta is known to splash the person eating it, especially if tomato or oily sauces are used. That’s the main reason why in Italy it is not unusual to see people in restaurants wearing napkins around their necks.

      Fresh or Dried

      Pasta can be fresh (‘fresca’) or dried (‘secca’). Fresh pasta (either industrially made or hand made) is preserved by keeping it in the fridge in air-tight wrapping (and only lasts a few days). Dried pasta is industrially treated to remove its moisture and can be stored for quite a long time even if the box has been opened.

      Because of its different texture and flavor, fresh pasta is considered more highly than the dried one, and on certain dishes, it’s almost mandatory. However, quality dried pasta has different properties that work well for certain dishes, and in every day’s cooking, it’s far more popular than the fresh one. Every Italian has their own favorite brand of dried pasta, and they are very loyal to it (the most popular ones are Voiello, Barilla, De Cecco).
      Both dried and fresh pasta may or may not contain eggs. Egg pasta has a different flavor and texture that works well for some delicate preparations. Common cuts of egg pasta are tagliatelle, pappardelle, garganelli.

      Boiled or Baked

      Pasta can either be boiled in abundant salty water, or baked in the oven. When boiled pasta is ready, it is quickly drained and served with a sauce (for best results, boiled pasta should be added to the sauce while still in the pan and allowed to rest in it for a minute). The boiling time is extremely important as you want the pasta to be “al dente” (for commercial pasta, most Italians simply follow the cooking time on the box). The expression “al dente” literally means “to the tooth”, indicating that the cooked pasta should be firm enough to require it to be chewed. The chewing process makes al dente pasta easier to digest than overcooked pasta. Pasta can also be boiled in broth and served in the same broth.

      Baked pasta, on the other hand, is filled or layered with other ingredients, covered in sauce, and baked in the oven. If dried pasta is used, it gets sometimes lightly pre-boiled before going in the oven. Examples are: cannelloni  (not caneloni!), or the world-famous lasagna  (plural: lasagne ).

      Durum or Regular Wheat

      Italian dried pasta is made exclusively with durum wheat semolina. Fresh pasta can be made of regular wheat semolina or even all-purpose flour. Durum semolina is high in gluten, and the pasta made from it holds the cooking much better, i.e. doesn’t overcook as easily as regular wheat pasta. Even the best durum pasta, however, don’t reheat well at all – no Italian would eat leftover pasta the next day. Baked pasta instead can be reheated (sometimes, Italians even bake their lasagnas intentionally the night before and warm them up the next day for a more uniform and intense flavor).

      As mentioned, every boiled pasta is served with some kind of sauce, and the sauce has to be in a sufficient quantity to coat the pasta, and just a little more. It’s a common Italian habit to eat the sauce remaining in the plate with some bread. This operation is called ‘fare la scarpetta’, which literally means: doing the little shoe – shaping a chunk of bread like a small shoe and wipe the plate clean!

      Regardless of the type of sauce used, grated Parmigiano (or in some cases aged Pecorino) is added (just before serving) pretty much to every pasta dish. A common exception is for sauces containing fish.

      It is interesting to note that probably 50% of pasta sauces are traditionally vegetarian – this contributes to making Italy a vegetarian-friendly country.

      Every Italian region has its own exclusive pasta sauce recipes, and it would be impossible to mention them all here. However, there are a few families of sauces that are popular all around Italy. Here is a list of them where every sauce is paired with its most typical cut of pasta.

      • Based on just olive oil, e.g.:
        • spaghetti ‘aglio, olio e peperoncino’ (with garlic and chili pepper)
        • linguine with shell fish or other seafood (usually with some garlic and white wine)
      • Based on tomato, e.g.:
        • tomato basil rotini
        • penne all’arrabbiata (spicy, with garlic and parsley)
        • creamy tomato farfalle (with heavy cream)
      • Pesto (basil, oil, pine nuts, Parmigiano), e.g.:
      • Just butter, e.g.:
        • pappardelle (also, ravioli) butter and sage
      • Based on meat, e.g.:
        • spaghetti al ragù (Bolognese)
        • tagliatelle ‘al cinghiale’ (with wild boar)
      • Based on cream, e.g.:
        • pappardelle with mushrooms
        • fettuccine with salmon
        • farfalle with ham and peas
      • Based on eggs, e.g.:
      • Based on cheese, e.g.:

      Finally, I can’t help but mention the most common mistakes found in North America. You are likely not going to have an authentic Italian pasta dish if:

      • You are getting served preparations that in Italy don’t exist. For instance:
        • Alfredo sauce. In Italy, there are several cheese and butter sauces, but nothing called Alfredo.
        • Spaghetti with meatballs. There is some evidence of such a dish in some areas of southern Italy, but this dish is virtually extinct in Italy.
      • Your pasta is terribly overcooked – Italian pasta has to be “al dente”.
      • There is too much sauce – pasta is a dry dish, not a stew!
      • There is too much pasta – 80-100 grams (around 3 ounces) is the average amount.
      • Pasta is served with a side of salad or garlic toast – it just doesn’t happen in Italy (however, bread would be on the table).

      Also, if you are making pasta at home, using pre-made sauces from a jar is a big no-no. You can buy some OK pre-made Italian sauces, but they don’t compare with the freshly made ones and don’t have a big market in Italy.

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