Download here the RECIPE BOOK - Finest Italian Cheeses
WHITE, RED AND GREEN
Ingredients (4 people):
- 400 gr Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO
- 240 gr San Marzano tomatoes
- basil leaves
- 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp pesto (without garlic)
- salt & pepper
Preparation:
Drain the mozzarella, keeping the milky liquid in a container. Cut the mozzarella into small pieces and dress with extra-virgin olive oil, a small pinch of salt and pepper.
Cut the tomatoes into small cubes, remove the seeds and dress with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. With the help of a round cutter place the chopped mozzarella on the bottom, then the tomatoes and finish with another layer of mozzarella.
Garnish the top layer with a small basil leaf, a small piece of tomato and some drops of the pesto. Slowly remove the cutter and drizzle with the reserved milky liquid.
Credits: Chef Marziale
Country Frittata with Taleggio Gratin
Frittata campagnola gratinata al Taleggio
Ingredients (4 people):
• 200 g Taleggio cheese
• 100 g sliced and stewed onions
• 100 g roasted peppers
• 8 eggs
• 60 g chopped parsley
• salt and pepper
Preparation:
Beat the eggs with an egg whip in quite a large bowl.
Add the onions, strips of peppers, salt and pep-per and prepare a slightly undercooked frittata.
Place this on a plate and cover with knobs of Taleggio cheese.
Place in a very hot oven until the Taleggio is completely melted.
Serve at once.
Country Frittata with Taleggio Gratin Frittata campagnola gratinata al Taleggio
Ingredients
- 200 g Taleggio cheese
- 100 g sliced and stewed onions
- 100 g roasted peppers
- 8 eggs
- 60 g chopped parsley
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
Beat the eggs with an egg whip in quite a large bowl.
Add the onions, strips of peppers, salt and pep-per and prepare a slightly undercooked frittata.
Place this on a plate and cover with knobs of Taleggio cheese.
Place in a very hot oven until the Taleggio is completely melted.
Serve at once.
Pecorino Romano pralines with nuts and misticanza salad.
The pralines will be made in bite sizes. Only once in the mouth will they reveal their delicious filling.
Ingredients (4 people):
- 200 gr milk
- 200 gr fresh cream
- 300 gr Pecorino Romano P.D.O.
- 20 gr gelatine leaves, flour, eggs, grated bread, misticanza salad (a mixture of very young salad greens), nuts.
Preparation:
Heat the cream and the milk to 80 degrees, add grated Pecorino Romano, and let it melt.
Add the gelatine leaves, previously soaked in cold water.
Filter and let it cool down in the fridge.
Once it has hardened, take a small scoop and make tiny balls to be dredged in the flour, in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs.
Repeat the last two steps i.e. the egg and the breadcrumbs - twice.
Fry in deep peanut oil at a temperature of 180 degrees and serve not too hot.
In the plate, alternate them with the misticanza salad and the nuts.
ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH RICOTTA QUENELLES AND PGI PIEDMONTESE HAZELNUTS
Ingredients:
• 250 gr asparagus
• 4 shallots
• vegetable broth
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 50 gr fresh ricotta
• 2 tbsps grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
• chives
• nutmeg
• PGI Piedmontese Hazelnuts
Preparation:
Prepare the asparagus by removing the tougher ends.
Cut the rest into chunks.
Thinly slice the shallots.
Place a pan on medium heat with some extra virgin olive oil and cook the shallots until slightly golden.
Add the asparagus chunks and cook on high heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the broth and let simmer on medium heat with the lid on for roughly 20 minutes.
Add the pan components to a blender and mix until pureed.
Pour back into the pan on low heat.
Season to taste and let cook for a couple more minutes.
In the meantime prepare the ricotta quenelles.
Combine the ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, finely cut chives, a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
With the help of 2 tablespoons, form some oval quenelles that’ll be served directly onto the soup.
Garnish with a handful of PGI Piedmontese Hazelnut halves and serve.
Credits PETITCHEF.IT
ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH RICOTTA QUENELLES AND PGI PIEDMONTESE HAZELNUTS
Ingredients:
• 250 gr asparagus
• 4 shallots
• vegetable broth
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 50 gr fresh ricotta
• 2 tbsps grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
• chives
• nutmeg
• PGI Piedmontese Hazelnuts
Preparation:
Prepare the asparagus by removing the tougher ends.
Cut the rest into chunks.
Thinly slice the shallots.
Place a pan on medium heat with some extra virgin olive oil and cook the shallots until slightly golden.
Add the asparagus chunks and cook on high heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the broth and let simmer on medium heat with the lid on for roughly 20 minutes.
Add the pan components to a blender and mix until pureed.
Pour back into the pan on low heat.
Season to taste and let cook for a couple more minutes.
In the meantime prepare the ricotta quenelles.
Combine the ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, finely cut chives, a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
With the help of 2 tablespoons, form some oval quenelles that’ll be served directly onto the soup.
Garnish with a handful of PGI Piedmontese Hazelnut halves and serve.
Fresh egg pasta fettuccine with seasoned Asiago dop and butter
Ingredients (2 people):
- 100 g of seasoned Asiago dop
- 200 g of fresh egg pasta
- 30 g of butter
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
Cook the pasta while keeping it slightly just firm.
Drain it, but not too much, and keep half a glass of the cooking water.
Sauté it in a pan with the butter and the seasoned Asiago PDO that you have cut into thin flakes.
To keep the pasta soft until it is cooked in the pan, pour a little of the cooking water.
Serve hot.
Gnocchetti al Gorgonzola
Ingredients (4 people):
• 150 g Gorgonzola PDO cheese
• 300 g potatoes
• 100 g durum wheat flour
• 100 g spinach
• 2 eggs
• butter, cream, salt and nutmeg
Preparation:
Mix a part of the flour with the potatoes and the boiled spinach (having pressed out the moisture) and mix the remainder just with potatoes.
Leave to cool for a while.
After having mixed to a soft dough cut this in long strips about one finger thick and divide these into many 2 cm long segments. Shape these in the traditional way.
Heat a pan of salted water and when boiling throw in the gnocchi, gradually removing them as they float to the surface.
Melt the Gorgonzola PDO (having previously chopped it in pieces) with the cream and butter.
Mix the gnocchi in it gently and serve at once.
Gnocchetti al Gorgonzola
Ingredients (4 people):
• 150 g Gorgonzola cheese
• 300 g potatoes
• 100 g durum wheat flour
• 100 g spinach
• 2 eggs
• butter, cream, salt and nutmeg
Preparation:
Mix a part of the flour with the potatoes and the boiled spinach (having pressed out the moisture) and mix the remainder just with potatoes.
Leave to cool for a while.
After having mixed to a soft dough cut this in long strips about one finger thick and divide these into many 2 cm long segments. Shape these in the traditional way.
Heat a pan of salted water and when boiling throw in the gnocchi, gradually removing them as they float to the surface.
Melt the Gorgonzola (having previously chopped it in pieces) with the cream and butter.
Mix the gnocchi in it gently and serve at once.
SPAGHETTI WITH BROCCOLI RABE, SUN-DRIED CHERRY TOMATOES AND GRANA PADANO
Ingredients:
- 320 g spaghetti
- 50 g Grana Padano PDO
- 500 g broccoli rabe
- 40 g oil-packed sun-dried cherry
- tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 anchovy fillets in oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Parboil with broccoli rabe in plenty of salted water, drain and cut into pieces.
In a large pan, fry a clove of garlic in a drizzle of olive oil, add the anchovy fillets and allow them to dissolve, stirring with a spoon. Add the broccoli rabe and sun-dried cherry tomatoes, sauté on medium heat for a few minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente, drain and sauté with the broccoli rabe and a cup of the pasta cooking water, stirring to mix the flavours well. Finally, add the grated Grana Padano and serve immediately.
MILLEFOGLIE (15 people)
Ingredients (4 people)
- 1000g Mascarpone Cream
- 800g puff pastry
- 120g apricot jam
- 70g icing sugar
- 10g cocoa
Roll out the puff pastry thinly, forming strips 10 cm wide; prick them, let them rest for a few minutes and put them in a hot oven at 200° for cooking, together with the leftover pasta scraps.
Then sprinkle a third of the cooked strips with the jam and a very little cream whipped lightly with a whisk.
Place the second strip on it and sprinkle it with the remaining cream, then cover with the third part of the pastry, turned upside down, so that the surface remains as smooth as possible.
Garnish the outer sides with the coarsely crumbled dough scraps and sprinkle the surface with plenty of icing sugar.
Decorate the mille - feuille with a few lines of cocoa powder and serve.
MILLEFOGLIE (15 people)
Ingredients (4 people)
- 1000g Mascarpone Cream
- 800g puff pastry
- 120g apricot jam
- 70g icing sugar
- 10g cocoa
Preparation:
Roll out the puff pastry thinly, forming strips 10 cm wide; prick them, let them rest for a few minutes and put them in a hot oven at 200° for cooking, together with the leftover pasta scraps.
Then sprinkle a third of the cooked strips with the jam and a very little cream whipped lightly with a whisk.
Place the second strip on it and sprinkle it with the remaining cream, then cover with the third part of the pastry, turned upside down, so that the surface remains as smooth as possible.
Garnish the outer sides with the coarsely crumbled dough scraps and sprinkle the surface with plenty of icing sugar.
Decorate the mille - feuille with a few lines of cocoa powder and serve.
CAPRESE WITH TOMATOES
Ingredients (4 people):
- 4 very ripe tomatoes
- mozzarella cubes ('orecchiette')
- fresh basil
- extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper
- crusty bread
Preparation:
Cut the upper part of the tomatoes and with the help of a spoon remove the seeds and the vegetation water from inside.
In a bowl, season the mozzarella orecchiette with oil, black pepper and fresh basil.
Fill the tomatoes with the orecchiette and serve them accompanied by croutons.
BURRATA RAVIOLI
Ingredients:
- 50 g of flour
- 200 g of 00 flour
- 2 medium eggs
- 200 g of burrata
Preparation:
Mix the flours with the eggs and a pinch of salt, until you get a homogeneous mixture.
When the pasta is ready, form a smooth ball, wrap it in a bag and leave it to rest for 20 minutes in a container in cool place.
Arrange the dough, roll it out with a rolling pin and spread it out on the table.
With a pasta cutter get circles or squares, put the burrata in a sac a poche and continue your recipe with the filling.
Close the dough in the shape of a crescent and close them on their outer ends to form the ravioli.
Cook in salted water for a minute or so, drain the ravioli and transfer them to the plate.
Sauces, gravies and condiments to your personal taste.
BURRATA RAVIOLI
Ingredients:
- 50 g of flour
- 200 g of 00 flour
- 2 medium eggs
- 200 g of burrata
Preparation:
Mix the flours with the eggs and a pinch of salt, until you get a homogeneous mixture.
When the pasta is ready, form a smooth ball, wrap it in a bag and leave it to rest for 20 minutes in a container in cool place.
Arrange the dough, roll it out with a rolling pin and spread it out on the table.
With a pasta cutter get circles or squares, put the burrata in a sac a poche and continue your recipe with the filling.
Close the dough in the shape of a crescent and close them on their outer ends to form the ravioli.
Cook in salted water for a minute or so, drain the ravioli and transfer them to the plate.
Sauces, gravies and condiments to your personal taste.
SAVORY CAKE WITH TUSCAN PECORINO
Ingredients (6 people):
- Shortcrust pastry 250 gr.
- Milk 240 g.
- Smoked bacon 120 gr.
- Cream 120ml.
- Flour 80 g.
- Eggs 2
- Yolks 1
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
- Nutmeg to taste
- Grated Tuscan Pecorino DOP 180 gr.
Preparation:
Mix the butter with the flour, add the eggs, salt and sugar. Let it rest in
fridge for about 30 minutes.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry to a thickness of ¾ mm, line a cake tin and prick
with a fork.
Cut the bacon into strips, blanch it in boiling water, let it dry in a pan without
dry it and place it on the bottom of the pan.
Boil the milk and the cream with a pinch of nutmeg, beat the eggs and the yolk
with salt and pepper, add the milk and the grated Pecorino Toscano PDO, mixing well.
Pour into the pan and bake at 180°C for 30 minutes.
Provolone and mushroom salad
Ingredients (2 people):
- 5 mushrooms
- 16 slices of sweet provolone
- berries to taste
Preparation:
Cut the provolone cheese and mushrooms into thin slices and arrange them on the plate.
Garnish with songino leaves and a few raw onion rings, add fruit such as currants or blackberries which will enhance the taste of the Provolone with their flavour.
Provolone and mushroom salad
Ingredients (2 people):
- 5 mushrooms
- 16 slices of sweet provolone
- berries to taste
Preparation:
Cut the provolone cheese and mushrooms into thin slices and arrange them on the plate.
Garnish with songino leaves and a few raw onion rings, add fruit such as currants or blackberries which will enhance the taste of the Provolone with their flavour.
Provolone Valpadana with tomato and oregano sauce
Ingredients: (for 4 people):
- 8 slices of sweet provolone Valpadana of about 60 grams each or 4 slices of 120 grams
- 500 grams of tomato puree
- 2 slices garlic
- a piece of chili pepper
- 3 spoons of olive oil; oregano; salt.
Preparation:
Pour oil in a big pot.
As soon as it starts to fry add the crushed garlic and leave it to brown for a few seconds, before adding the tomato pulp.
Add the chili pepper, add salt and mix.
Cover and leave to cook for 10 minutes.
Then, lift the lid off the pot and add the slices of provolone Valpadana, placing on top of each other if necessary.
Sprinkle with oregano to taste.
Cover the pot and leave to cook for a further few minutes until the cheese starts to melt.
Spicy spaghettoni with roasted cauliflower, capers, breadcrumbs and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Serves 4
Difficulty: easy
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 360g spaghettoni
- 250g cauliflower florets
- 4 anchovy fillets in oil
- 1 garlic clove
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 dry red chilli pepper (or 1 pinch of red chilli pepper flakes)
- 40g desalted capers
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste
- fresh thyme
- salt
- pepper
Preparation:
Heat up the milk without bringing it to the boil.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a pot. Pour the hot milk and continue stirring to prevent the formation of lumps.
Remove from the heat and add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Stir quickly to allow Parmigiano Reggiano to melt.
Cook the pasta in abundant salted boiling water.
Drain and dress it with the Parmesan cream.
Finish the dish with milled pink pepper, the leaves of sage and marjoram and some slivers of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Spicy spaghettoni with roasted cauliflower, capers, breadcrumbs and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Serves 4
Difficulty: easy
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 360g spaghettoni
- 250g cauliflower florets
- 4 anchovy fillets in oil
- 1 garlic clove
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 dry red chilli pepper (or 1 pinch of red chilli pepper flakes)
- 40g desalted capers
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste
- fresh thyme
- salt
- pepper
Preparation:
Heat up the milk without bringing it to the boil.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a pot. Pour the hot milk and continue stirring to prevent the formation of lumps.
Remove from the heat and add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Stir quickly to allow Parmigiano Reggiano to melt.
Cook the pasta in abundant salted boiling water.
Drain and dress it with the Parmesan cream.
Finish the dish with milled pink pepper, the leaves of sage and marjoram and some slivers of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.