Homemade Tagliatelle

Prep time: 55 to 60 minutes 

Serves: 4

Tagliatelle is a type of pasta rooted in the tradition of Italy’s northern region of Emilia Romagna. The term “tagliatelle” means “to cut”. After this pasta is cut into ¼-inch thick ribbons, it is cooked and combined with your favorite sauce. 

In Italy, the women who taught me to make this truly spoiled me. I mean, I make and eat homemade pasta exclusively. Enjoy these divine tagliatelle, and your pasta palate will change forever.

For the Tagliatelle:

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/3 cup durum wheat semolina

4 large eggs

1. In an 8-quart glass or porcelain mixing bowl, stir to combine the flour and semolina. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add eggs to the well and beat with a fork. Gradually stir the flour mixture from the sides of the well into the eggs until almost all the flour is absorbed.

2. Using your hands, knead the dough in the bowl until it is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and cover it with an inverted bowl; let it rest 10 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes, cut off 1/4 of the pasta dough and cover the remaining portion (it will be cut into 3 more pieces later).

4. Using slightly floured hands, pat the pasta dough to a ½-inch thickness.

5. With the pasta machine dial on Setting No. 1, slightly push the blob of pasta into the rollers while turning the handle. Stretch out the pasta.

6. Fold the pasta in in thirds; lightly flour the pasta.

7. On Setting No. 2*, roll out the pasta. Fold the dough in half and lightly flour it.

8. On Setting No. 3, roll out the pasta and lightly flour it.

9. On Setting No. 4, roll out the pasta and lightly flour it.

10. Lay the pasta sheet on work surface and, with a pasta wheel, cut the pasta crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces (6 to 8 inches long). Lightly flour the pasta sheet.

11. On Setting No. 5, roll out the pasta. Lay it out on lightly floured, flat surface to dry. Continue rolling instructions with remaining pasta dough, breaking off a piece three more times.

12. As you work with remaining pasta, flip over the previous pieces that have been laid out to dry and lightly dust them with flour. This will speed up the drying process.

13. After all the pasta has been laid out, take the first pieces you worked with and roll them through the ¼-inch wide “tagliatelle” cutter. Place them on a lightly floured surface to dry. Repeat the cutting process until all the pasta has been cut into tagliatelle. Lightly flour the tagliatelle, gently picking them up and arranging them to dry in wavy shapes on a flat surface with some spacing in between the pieces. 

14. Meanwhile, prepare your favorite sauce and bring a 6-quart pot of water to boil. Add the tagliatelle to the boiling water with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and cook 5 to 7 minutes.

15. Drain the cooked tagliatelle in a colander and then transfer them to a large serving bowl. Add 2 to 3 ladles of sauce, gently toss. 

16. Divide the tagliatelle among four pasta dishes. Place a bowl of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on table for your guests.

Serve with your favorite red or white wine.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy Real

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*As the setting number of the rollers increases, the opening becomes narrower in order to stretch the pasta sheets.

Tomato, Walnut & Basil Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Traditionally, I've enjoyed tomatoes sliced and tossed with onions, olive oil and basil.

But recently, I tweaked this tomato salad from Southern Italy by adding walnuts. When I served it to guests, it was a hit. And now, I'm sharing it with all of you - enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large, vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup chopped, freshly shelled walnuts

4 large, fresh basil leaves, cut in slivers with cooking shears

In a serving platter, lay out the tomatoes in overlapping circles. Scatter the red onion slices over top of tomatoes, followed by salt and pepper. 

Drizzle the olive oil over tomato salad, followed by a sprinkle of walnuts and slivered basil.

Serve immediately with ciabatta bread (Italian slipper bread) or focaccia.

This salad can also be served as a side dish to meat, fish or poultry.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy Real.

Fast and Fresh Plum Tart

Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 30 to 40 minutes

Makes: One 9-inch tart

What fruit are you enjoying these days? Mmm, that's what I thought - plums. If you're buying them from your local farmers' market, then you're getting fresh, ripe plums. And, they're sweet!

For an easy dessert this summer, make or buy pie pastry, slice up those plums, sprinkle them lightly with sugar et voilà. It's fast, fresh and everyone will go, "Wowwww, how beautiful!"

Ingredients:

Nancy's Easy Pie Pastry* (recipe previously posted on this blog)

   -0r- 

ready-made pie pastry

3 to 4 fresh, ripe plums, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices

2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Follow the rolling-out instructions for one sheet of pie pastry and transfer it to a large cookie sheet. 

Lay out the plum slices in concentric circles and sprinkle sugar over them. Turn the pastry edges inward, over the plums.

Cover the pastry edges with one-inch thick aluminum foil sheets.

Place tart on a rack positioned in center of oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until plums are tender and slightly bubble. Remove foil strips for last 5 minutes of baking.

Cool on cookie sheet set on counter. 

Serve warm or cold, topped with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy Real.

*Note: Fast and Fresh Plum Tart requires one rolled-out pie pastry. You can either make Nancy's Easy Pie Pastry recipe which yields two pastry sheets; freeze one in double freezer bags and use the other. Or, you can make half the pastry recipe which will yield one pastry  sheet.

Nancy's Healthy Pie Pastry

Prep time: 30 to 45 minutes
Makes: one 2-crust* pie, tart or quiche (cut recipe in half to make one-crust)

The light, flaky texture of this pie crust/tart recipe is due to a high quality oil that I use. Omitting the heavy butter and/or hydrogenated fats, I make my pastry with sunflower or safflower oil.  Use this healthy pastry for sweet pies and fruit tarts, or savory quiches and vegetable tarts.

Ingredients:
2-2/3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sunflower or safflower oil
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
Three 2-inch wide aluminum foil strips (to place over pastry edges during baking)

1. In a 4-quart mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the oil and, with a pastry cutter, mix until flour and oil combine to form pea-sized clusters. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time; mix until dough amalgamates and sides of bowl are clean. If needed, add 1 more tablespoon water.

2. Gather dough with hands; separate into two equal balls. Cover each dough ball in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare a fruit filling of your choice and set aside.

4. Transfer one dough ball from the freezer to the refrigerator. Unwrap the second dough ball and, on a flat, floured surface, flatten it to a 5-inch circle.

5. Place the pastry dough circle in between two lightly-floured, 15-inch long waxed paper sheets.

6. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry from the center and outwards. After two to three rolling motions, peel off the top waxed paper sheet and lightly flour the pastry dough. Replace the waxed paper sheet over the pastry dough. 

7. With one hand over the top sheet and the other underneath the bottom sheet, quickly flip the dough over. Remove the second waxed paper sheet and lightly flour the pastry dough. Cover it with the waxed paper sheet again.

8. Continue rolling and flouring the pastry dough until it is 3 inches larger than the diameter of the pie plate edges. To measure this, lightly hold the pie plate upside down over the rolled-out pastry.

9. Remove the top waxed paper sheet from the rolled-out pastry pastry dough. With one hand underneath the bottom waxed paper sheet and the other hand over the pastry surface, make a quick flip onto the pie plate. 

10. Gently and slowly peel off the remaining waxed paper sheet from the pastry dough. Carefully fit the pastry dough into pie plate edges. Using a fork, poke random holes in the  pastry dough; set aside.

11. Repeat above rolling instructions with the second pastry dough. After rolling it out, keep the pastry dough inside paper sheets and set aside.

12. In the meantime, gently transfer the fruit filling onto the rolled-out pastry dough set in pie plate. Carefully flip second pastry dough over filling; peel off the waxed paper sheet.

13. Trim the pastry to a one-inch overhang. Turn and tuck the pastry edges underneath. With fingers, crimp or pinch the edges, creating fluted shapes. Cover fluted pastry edges with aluminum foil strips.

14. Follow baking instructions for the pie recipe you are making.

*Note: To make a one-crust pie, make a half-recipe by using "half" the ingredients.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy Real

Melon-Tequila Cooler

Prep time: 3 minutes
Serves: 2

At poolside this summer, bring your temperature down with this refreshing melon cooler. Blended in minutes, the drink is laced with that wonderful south-of-the border specialty - Tequila.

While swimming, tanning or just lounging around, our Melon-Tequila Cooler will make you feel relaxed in no time.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups cut-up cantaloup melon (cut in 1-inch pieces)
2 to 3 shots Tequila
3-1/2 cups ice cubes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)
1 lime, sliced (for garnish)
2 sprigs mint leaves (for garnish)

In a blender, mix together the melon and Tequila shots.

Add 2 cups ice cubes and pulse-blend until slushy.

Add 1-1/2 cups more ice cubes and pulse-blend once more. 

Adjust Tequila level and add sugar, if desired. 

Divide the drink among two tall glasses and garnish with lime slices and sprigs of mint.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy Real.

Caprese with Basil Almond Pesto

Prep time: 7 to 10 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

The classic Caprese Salad consists of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil and basil leaves. I've changed this recipe because I like tweaking and creating new recipes.

My version has some fresh pesto sandwiched between the tomato and mozzarella. There are no words or emotions to describe the luscious flavors of this Caprese with Basil Almond Pesto!

Ingredients:
2 to 3 ripe tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
salt and pepper, to taste
6 to 8 teaspoons Basil Almond Pesto (previously published on this blog)
1 pound fresh mozzarella balls (these are called "bocconcini" or small bites)
4 to 6 large, fresh basil leaves

1. Slice the tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices and lay on a serving platter.

2. Drizzle the oil over tomato slices, followed by salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Spread 1 teaspoon Basil Almond Pesto on each tomato slice.

4. Drain all water from the mozzarella bocconcini and, on a cutting board, gently cut them in half.

5. Lay each one, flat side down, over the pesto and tomato (the rounded side of bocconcini should be face-up).

5. Drizzle some olive oil over each tomato-bocconcini component, followed by salt and pepper, to taste.

6. Cut the basil leaves in slivers and use them to decorate the plate or to decorate the salad.

Enjoy as a starter or salad course.

Text and Photograph © 2012 Nancy Real.

July 4th Sorbet with Balsamic Cream®

Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4


We're celebrating Independence Day on Wednesday, July 4th. It's so nice to have a break from work mid-week. And I mean ALL WORK, including the kitchen.


Along that line, I thought I'd end my holiday cookout by scooping some sorbet or ice cream onto a plate, adding a drizzle of Balsamic Cream®, followed by a garnish of berries. That's as hard as I'll work for this July 4th Sorbet with Balsamic Cream® recipe.


Enjoy and stay safe!


Ingredients:
One pint raspberry sorbet (vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt can be substituted)
Balsamic Cream® (also known as Crema di Balsamico®)*
Strawberries, for garnish
Blueberries, for garnish
8 sprigs mint leaves, for garnish (optional)


Place a scoop of sorbet on each of 4 individual bowls or dessert plates.


Add a drizzle of Balsamic Cream® and garnish with strawberries, blueberries and mint leaves.


Serve immediately.


*Balsamic Cream® can be purchased at Wholefoods Stores® or online at Amazon.com®.
Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy Real