Ribolita

While not your typical Ribolita, this was absolutely delicious and will satisfy both the meat eaters and the vegetarians in your life.
I made this without any meat tonight, and did not use the typical leafy vegetables that are usually used for this delicious twice heated soup. I used what I had, and what I had came from my own garden and that made it taste even better.
I started by cutting up an onion and a few cloves of garlic.
I added them into a stock pot with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and cooked the onions until they were  cooked to a clear color. I added the garlic, and then I added a huge zucchini that I had cut up into chunks, skin and all. This is where my recipe changes from a traditional Ribolita. I believe that Kale, Escarole, Spinach, Chard  and or other leafy greens would have been used. I just didn't have them!
I cooked the zucchini until they started to wilt and then I added some fresh cut up tomatoes from the garden.
I added enough vegetable stock to cover my cooking vegetables and seasoned the soup with salt, pepper, a pinch or red pepper flakes, and pinches of fresh rosemary, fresh thyme,  and fresh sage.
I added a can of Cannellini beans. I know, I cheated. I usually like to cook them, I just didn't plan this one out.
I always keep the "rind" from the parmesan cheese wrapped up in my freezer. I added a nice piece to the soup. It's going to add such nice flavor!
I brought it all to a boil, added a few chunks of day old stale bread and a few handfuls of Fregula.
Fregula is beautiful little round balls of pasta. You cook it like you would cook rice. It is delicious. I once had an argument with someone who insisted that it was a legume. Boy is that a story for another  another time! I just love google! haha!

 I covered the pot and let it all simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes.

Just before serving I added a little fresh chopped parsley and some grated parmesan cheese, and drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil on each serving. Yum!

I think I heard a moan from the table. It was that good!

I'm going to make this again, and the next time I make it there is going to be some pancetta and leafy veggies simmering in the pot!

Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Peasant Food

The Italians are known for making delicious dishes with very few ingredients and most times the ingredients are fairly inexpensive. Only the freshest and most flavorful  ingredients are used resulting in simple but exquisite tasting dishes.  I am always excited by the enjoyment created when a peasant dish is served.
My mother was the queen at making something from nothing! She could turn a can (Yes, OMG! I said can!) of lentil soup into something that you had never tasted before, and you would want more!
If you like Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Garlic and Cannellini Beans keep reading. You will enjoy this dish and so will everyone you serve it to.

From start to finish this took approximately 30 minutes to prepare. Quick and easy!
This recipe will make 6 first course servings or 4 main servings.

6 pieces of Italian Sausage
1 Head of Broccoli Rabe
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large can of Cannellini Beans
(If you plan ahead use fresh beans instead of canned beans)
2 - 4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 pound Orecchiette Pasta

Put a large pot of water on to boil.
This will be your pot to cook the pasta in.

Take the Sausage meat out of the casing.
On medium heat, heat your frying pan and add the sausage meat to the pan.

Add the chopped garlic and a little bit of the olive oil.  You can also add a little bit of wine, water or chicken stock to deglaze the pan if necessary.
Add the large can of beans, juice and all into the sausage.

After you have washed the broccoli rabe, cut it into pieces, and add to the beans. Drizzle with the olive oil.
By now, your water should be boiling. Add salt to the water and then add the pasta. Don't skimp on the salt in the water. Pasta cooked without salt is tasteless. Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time on the box. Strain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.

Season with salt, and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Add the pasta to the broccoli rabe, sausage and beans.  If needed add some of the cooking liquid back to the pasta.

Spoon into individual serving bowls, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and enjoy!
Did I hear you say "Yum"?

Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Cooking with the Trinity

I just realized that although I have been cooking this whole week I did not take a single picture of anything that I made! I made some awesome dishes this week, you'll just have to take my word for it.
This week is Holy Week, and I choose to not eat any meat this week. We've eaten some delicious fish this week, and it's only Thursday!
Here's what you will need for tonight's fast and simple dinner.

Cleaned Calamari (I used 5 pounds)  keep reading even if you're not a calamari fan...you can substitute shrimp! It's actually another delicious dish made with shrimp!
1 -2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4- 5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 jars of crushed tomatoes
1 large can of cannellini beans (the big can!) 1 pound 13 ozs
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
a few fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of red pepper seeds
fresh arugula
1 pound of linguini

Tonight's dinner was a simple one, pretty fast to cook, and not too much prep. Depends on how fast you are in the kitchen. I bought the calamari cleaned, but still rinsed them off and made sure there was nothing inside the tubes.
First start by getting your pan hot and then adding your extra virgin olive oil. 1 - 2 tablespoons will do the trick.

Add your chopped onions, garlic and celery to the pan and lower your heat. You want to saute the onions, garlic and celery (the Trinity) in some extra virgin olive oil. My great uncle, Uncle Zio Tilio (lol) was a chef and he said that anything worth eating always started with a Trinity, tonight, my Trinity was the onion, garlic and celery. Just let the Trinity sweat, do not brown.  Add tomatoes....I used two quart sized jars of delicious chunky tomatoes that I jarred this past season! YUM!

mix it all in and season with your salt and pepper and don't forget that pinch of hot pepper seeds. It will add another dimension to the flavor. Black pepper and red pepper hit different parts of your tongue!

Let the tomato sauce simmer for 5 - 10 minutes and add your can of beans and stir. I also add the chopped parsley and basil at this time.  And then it's time for the cleaned calamari to go in! 

before adding the calamari I cut the tubes into rings

Don't over cook the calamari! I think that this took about 10 minutes to cook on a med to high flame.

While the calamari is cooking I start my pasta. Tonight it was linguini.

Drain the linguini, and now here is the fun part and the surprise of the dish!

Arugula! Raw Arugula! Put as much of it in the dish as you want. I used quite a bit. It gives the dish such a lovely peppery flavor!

toss the hot pasta right on top of the arugula

Spoon your calamari sauce over the pasta and using some tongs mix it up!

Serve into individual bowls and enjoy!

Bon Appetito! 

Thanks for the visit! Come back soon!

Lorraine

xoxoxo