Rice with asparagi (Asparagus risotto)

This is another risotto. So... you need Arborio rice, lot of Parmesan cheese and some white wine. Asparagi are really good for you and in season right now.

Preparation time: 15-20min

1) Cut fresh asparagi about 1 inch long. Add them to a food processor with some oilve oil and some water. Make a "green asparagi sauce" out of it.

2) Add olive oil, sliced onions, and the "asparagi sauce" to a pot.

3) Add 1-2 cups of white wine and the rice (3 tablespoons per person).

4) Add 3 cups of warm water and let it cook until the rice is done.

5) Add the half lemon juice and fresh parsley, a bunch of Parmesan cheese, black pepper.

Stir and serve it.

One of the secret of a good risotto is that you stir the rice very often while cooking, so it releases the starch and it taste better.

Buon appetito!

Pasta with garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Garbanzo beans or chickpeas are very good for you. They are the main ingredient of hummus. You can make a sauce kinda like the hummus and add it to the pasta. Usually we use some short kind of pasta. You don't have it? No problem, what we do is to cut the spaghetti in 3 or 4 pieces... in this way we shorten them! :)

Preparation time: 15 min

1) Put 3 cups of water to boil in a pot

2) Add garlic, olive oil, red hot pepper, cut carrots and celery

3) Add the garbanzo beans to the pot (you can use a can of organic beans, otherwise make sure to rinse them very well before using)

4) Cut the long pasta (spaghetti or linguine or fettuccine)

5) Add the pasta in the pot and let cook for 5-10 min

When it is ready, the water will be almost completely evaporated.

You can then add some fresh parsley and black pepper...

Buon appetito!!

Pasta with Garlic and Oil

Let me tell you: this is a classic. This is the simplest Pasta dish ever. When I was in Italy hanging out with friends at night we used to propose to the gang: shall we have a Spaghettata Aglio and Olio? The term derives from Spaghetti, which is the shape of pasta required for this kind of dish, and it means a big feast of spaghetti with garlic and oil. Please remember to use only olive oil.

Time for preparation: 5-10 minutes (Super-easy)

1) Boil water in a pot for the pasta (spaghetti!)

2) Add 4-5 cloves (per person) of smashed garlic, olive oil (2 tbs per person) and hot red pepper to a pan at medium-low fire

3) Drain the pasta and add it to the pan stirring all together

4) Add chopped parsley (parsley will help to cancel the garlic bad smell form you mouth!)

Add parmesan cheese and pepper if you like.

PS because I needed to eat some fish, I opened a can of tuna and with some olive oil added as side to the pasta...

Buon appetito!

Pasta with Portobello mushrooms

I rarely cook mushrooms at home, because not everybody likes them. But few days ago I had some Portobello mushrooms in the fridge that needed to be cooked. I was undecided between a nice risotto with mushroooms or a pasta with mushrooms. I went for the second option. Yes the real story is that I had also some baby tomatoes in the fridge that I wanted to cook. Therefore I thought mmmhh...mushrooms+baby tomatoes...maybe some parsley and garlic and olive oil and voilla` ...a nice dish...

Preparation time: 10-15min

1) Boil water in a pot for pasta (fettuccine!)

2)Add olive oil, red hot pepper and 2 cloves of chopped garlic in a pan at medium fire

3) Wash and cut the mushrooms

4)Add to the pan for 3-4 minutes

5) Wash and cut in half the baby tomatoes

6) While you start cooking the pasta, add the tomatoes to the pan with mushroom

7)Before draining the pasta, add some chopped fresh parsley to the mushroom sauce

8) Add the pasta to the pan and stir it.

At the end add pepper and parmesan cheese.

Buon appetito