Fresh Romano Beans with Tomatoes (Fagioli a Corallo in Umido)

     Romano beans, also known as flat beans, are like the cool cousins of green beans. Inside, you’ll find small, juicy beans that are both crisp and sweet.  These Italian-born beans thrive during the summer months, stretching from June through September. 

                                                   

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 lb. very ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, or 1 small can of plum tomatoes, chopped.
• 1 small red chili (optional) 
• 1 lb. Romano beans, ends trimmed 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional) 

Romano beans ends trimmed

 

Directions:

Snap off the stem ends and boil beans until tender-crisp and set aside.

In a saucepan warm the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent.

Add the tomatoes, chili, salt and pepper and simmer.

After 30 minutes, stir in the beans for a few minutes and serve.

Great dish to eat mixed with pasta.

Also great as a side dish.

 

Flat green beans with grilled tuna

RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANTS (Rigatoni con Melanzane)

Rigatoni with eggplant is a delicious pasta dish.

The eggplants I use are Japanese or Chinese eggplants.  I use this kind of eggplants because they get very soft and creamy when cooked and have an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Japanese eggplants from our vegetable garden

Ingredients:

One pound of Rigatoni

4 long eggplants

1/2 cup of olive oil

5 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 small onion

Salt and black pepper

Fresh basil leaves and parsley for sauce

Some chopped parsley for decor

Some grated Parmigiano cheese

Sauce with fresh tomatoes

Directions:

Wash and cut the eggplant into 1 inch or so cubes.  

Eggplants cut into cubes

Heat a pan and add half of the olive oil.  

When it shimmers, add the eggplant and sauté until soft.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the pan again and add the remaining olive oil.  

Add the chopped onion and cook until golden.

Add the tomatoes, salt and black pepper.  Add basil leaves and parsley.

Cook for one-half hour, stirring often.

Start heating up the water for pasta.

Add the eggplant in the sauce pan and cook for few minutes.

Cook the pasta, drain, reserving a cup of the water just in case sauce seems too thick.

Place the pasta into a plate, add the sauce on top of the pasta.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and chopped parsley for decor.

 

PASTA WITH SNAKE BEANS (PASTA CON FAGIOLI SERPENTI)

     Snake beans with pasta is a home-made dish with a delicious flavor, very simple and quick to prepare in the months of July and August.

    While many cook snake beans stewed with fresh tomatoes, I prefer them with pasta mista and garlic.

    Pasta Mista is a type of pasta that combines various pasta shapes.

Snake beans are much longer and thinner than normal beans.

Snake beans hanging in our vegetable garden

Ingredients

1 lb. snake beans (cut into 2" pieces)

1/2 lb. pasta mista

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tsp. red pepper

Salt and pepper

Cook the Beans:  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the beans and cook until tender.  Drain and set aside.

Cook the Pasta: In the meantime, in another pot of salted water cook the pasta until al dente.  

Sauté the Garlic:  In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.  Add the red pepper.

Combine and Season:  In a large dish combine the pasta with the beans and add the garlic sauce.  Toss everything together until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm, topped with grated cheese, if desired.

Buon Appetito!

ANNUALS THAT THRIVE IN SUMMER HEAT (Annuali che Prosperano nel Caldo Estivo)

As a gardening enthusiast, I choose plants that can not only survive but thrive during those scorching hot summer months.

Here are some perfect annuals to add a touch of brilliance in my garden.

LANTANA

COSMOS

MARIGOLDS

           

GERANIUM

ZINNIAS

CAPUZZELLO (TESTINA) DI AGNELLO AL FORNO (OVEN ROASTED LAMB'S HEAD)

 Lamb's head is a traditional delicacy, often associated with the Easter holidays. Although it may seem unusual, its flavor and tenderness can surprise you. It can be cooked braised and oven baked. We prefer the oven baked because it's crispier.

Oven baked lamb's head with potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 lamb's head cut in half

1 lb. red potatoes

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 sprigs of fresh parsley

1/2 cup of vinegar

1/2 cup of olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of peperoncino

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Wash the head under fresh water.

Fill a bowl with fresh water, add the vinegar and the lamb's head.  Let it sit for few hours.

In the meantime, place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and add chopped garlic and parsley.

Scrub potatoes (do not peel them) and dice.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Wash the head once again with fresh water and tap dry it.

Sprinkle both sides with salt and black pepper.

Take the seasoned breadcrumbs and place over the lamb's head brain area.

Place the lamb's head in a large baking plan with potatoes and bay leaves.

Add salt and black pepper over potatoes and peperoncino.

Drizzle with olive oil and bake.

Ready to be baked.

This dish might seem unusual, but its rich flavor and Mediterranean aromas make it a unique and unforgettable culinary experience.   

Baked with mixed potatoes.  Love the crispiness of those brains.

Absolutely worth trying!

 

ROLLED PIZZA (STROMBOLI ) FILLED WITH SAUSAGES AND PEPPERS

 Being that I make my own pizza dough, I make many varieties of pizza.

This particular pizza is filled with cooked sausages and peppers.  Another rolled pizza that we enjoy eating is filled with roasted peppers.

1 pound pizza dough (using my recipe or storebought)

1/2 pound of pork sausages

3 or 4 red bell peppers

1/4 cup of olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Heat oven at 400 degrees.  Place a skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of oil and add cut sausages.  Cook for 15 minutes then add sliced bell peppers.  Add salt and black pepper.  Sauté for 10 minutes or until the peppers are slightly wilted.  Do not overcook the sausages and peppers because they will still cook in the oven.  Remove the skillet and set aside.  Drain and discard any remaining oil from the skillet.  Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.

Take a 14-inch round pizza pan.  Add a drop of oil and spread throughout the pan.  Spread the pizza dough over the pan to about 1/4-inch thick.  Add the sausage and peppers, 

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• Take one end of the circle and roll the dough up into a cylinder, gently folding in the ends.  Brush the dough with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. 
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•  Place the dough on pizza pan and bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.  

• 
• • Allow the pizza to cool for 10 minutes.  Cut the pizza and serve.
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    Rolled pizza with roasted peppers

                                      

    
    
    
    

Sfogliatelle Casalesi

You say sfogliatella, you say Naples. But no, because of the glorious sweet from Campania, there is also a version Abruzzese, or rather Casalese.

Ingredients for 20-24 sfogliatelle

For the dough:

1 lb. flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs 
½ cup white wine
1/2 cup melted lard (Crisco)

Filling: Crema pasticcera

In addition:

¾ to 1 cup of melted lard (Crisco) to brush over the dough

Dough:

Pour the sifted flour, sugar, eggs, wine and lard into a bowl.  Mix well until a smooth and elastic paste is obtained, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour to rest.

After the hour, flatten the dough as thin as you can*, brush it with lard and fold in half. Brush again with more lard and fold halfway again. Brush the dough with lard and roll for the last time. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for an hour.

*Use a rolling pin to flatten dough. 

Have filling ready.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the roll of pasta from the fridge, cut it into thin slices about 1 inch, flatten slices with the roller pin and place a teaspoon of filling, fold in half and seal the edges well.

. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, remove from oven and cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.