Pasta in Peppe's red sauce

A couple of days ago we had some of the pasta with the special Peppe's red sauce... I took a nice shot of it...

Check a couple of posts earlier for the recipe!

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 salmon in pink cream

All of us need to eat more fish. So if you have fresh smoked salmon or some left-over salmon from the day before why not add some pasta to it?

Preparation time: 15 min

1) Boil water for the pasta. Penne or mostaccioli required.

2) Add to a pan some olive oil, cut garlic, red hot pepper, half of a red bell pepper (optional) few fresh tomatoes. Let it cook for few minutes.

3) Add the salmon to it.

4) Add a teaspoon of butter and 1/4 of cup of half&half.

Yes you can add some vodka if you have it...

Before serving add fresh parsley, black pepper.

PS you can add a side of steamed broccoli or cauliflowers to it...

Buon appetito!

Rice with red sauce

Exactly it is rice with red sauce. Unthinkable for asian people... but a reality for many Italians.

Try to believe it!

Preparation time: 20 min (super-easy)

1)Boil water in a pot for the rice (Arborio rice). Add salt to the water.

2)Prepare a red tomato sauce: cut onions, olive oils in a pot for 5 min and then add a can of red tomato sauce. Add basil and a tiny bit of butter (optional).

3) Drain the rice using a pasta drainer.

4) Add red sauce on the top of the white rice.

Add basil, parmesan and black pepper as much as you like.

PS you can stir the sauce in the rice...

Buon appetito.

How to cook pasta the italian way

You can buy several different brands of pasta. I grew up eating Barilla pasta, but DeCecco is good too (a little bit expensive, though). Different brands taste different after cooking, mainly because they have different consistency once cooked. The perfect cooked pasta doesn't have to become fluffy, but always a tiny bit uncooked ("al dente" right?) and stay firm for all the time you are eating. Once you buy the right brand of pasta, my dad's recipe for the perfect cooked pasta is simple: just follow the time that is written on the package of pasta. If it says 11 min, then watch your clock, because 11 min after you put the pasta in the boiling water, the pasta needs to be drained and it will be as close to the perfectness as you can get. That is really so simple.

A step back. Once the water is boiling in the pot ( and before putting in the pasta) add the salt. How much salt? About a tablespoon, for a large pot full of water. I use my hand to measure, see the picture... A little secret: add few drops of olive oil to the boiling water to avoid pasta attaching to one another.

How to dress an italian salad

This is super-easy and a must-know. I figured out that here in the US people don't dress salads in the same way I always do. I don't use pre-made sauces. But instead I only use extra-virgin olive oil, salt and lemon or wine vinegar (red or white). Then I toss the salad and ...

Buon appetito!

Bucatini with red hot sauce and romano cheese

Here the pasta needs to be bucatini. It is kinda of hard to find in the store, but I suggest you to try it. It will kinda of whistle when you eat it, because it is made like spaghetti but with an hole inside. Then you need romano cheese (pecorino).

Time for preparation: 15 min

1) Boil water in a pot for the pasta (bucatini).

2)Add some onion, olive oil, red hot pepper  to a separate pot and let brown the onions for a few minutes.

3)Add plain red sauce and let it cook until the pasta is done.

4) Drain the pasta, add it back to the pot, add a bunch of pecorino cheese, and then the red sauce. Stir it. Add fresh basil and pepper too.

Buon appetito!