Sicilian Pasta ala Norma

Great pasta with some eggplant!

Pasta Primavera

What ya need:

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 3/4 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Tsp. Oregano

1/4 Tsp. garlic powder

2 Cloves garlic (mince these up)

2 Cups broccoli flowers

2 Med. carrots, sliced (about 1 cup)

1 Med. onion, cut into chunks or wedges

1 Med. tomato, diced (about 1 cup)

1/2 lb Thin spaghetti, cooked and drained (or noodles of your choice)

3 Tbsp. Parmesan or Romano cheese

What ya gotta do:

Stir the cornstarch and 3/4 cup broth in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.

Now heat up the rest of the broth, mix in the oregano, the garlic powder, the broccoli, carrots, and the onion in a sauce pan until it boils.

Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 6 minutes or until the veggies are cooked(not too soft).

Add the bowl of broth and cornstarch to the saucepan.

Bring the pot to a boil and gets thick.

Now add your tomatoes and the pasta!

Remove from the heat and add your cheese.

Ready to serve!

Homemade Pasta Noodles

What you'll need:

4 extra large eggs
1/4 cup water
3-4 cups all purpose flour (Or the flour of your choosing, but note I've only ever used all purpose!)
Dash of salt
A large table or counter space
Rolling pin and a knife or a pasta roller/machine

What ya gotta do:


First coat your table or counter in flour so the dough doesn't stick!
Make a 'nest' outta your flour and crack the eggs into the center bowl.
Add your salt.
Now you knead the dough for a bit but not too much.  It should be firm.
If the dough is too dry add water bit by bit.
After kneading for a few minutes (make sure to apply more flour to your surface if things start to stick) you'll need to roll out your dough.



Here you can do one of two things.

1. Roll out your dough by hand and cut it into thin slices.  Toss these slices around a bit on the surface covered in flour and let them dry for a few hours.

or

2. Use a pasta machine where you add balls of pasta dough to the maker and you crank out thin sheets of dough which you can then cut by hand or use the machine to make thin strips.  Once the strips are made, powder with the flour and allow to dry for a few hours.

All that's left is to boil your homemades al dente and toss in some pasta sauce that I taught you how to make earlier!  Enjoy.

(If you want to make more or less follow a general 1 extra large egg per cup of flour rule.  You need the extra large eggs for moisture in the dough and it's all about the feel of the dough.  Add a handful of flour here a splash of water there to make it right for you.)

Simple Pasta Sauce

What you need:

1 large can of crushed tomatoes. (Make sure the only ingredient is tomatoes, organic is better as they are usually fresher.)
1 large can of tomato puree. (Same as the crushed.)
1 thick cut pork chop
1 medium sized head of garlic
Oregano
Bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Water
Large pot with a lid or a crock pot

Procedures:

Pour some oil in your pot to coat the bottom and get it heated up to about medium.
Peel and chop the garlic into small chunks.
Coat both sides of your chop with salt, pepper, and some of the garlic.
Throw the pork chop in there with the rest of the garlic chunks.
Brown both sides of the chop but don't worry if it's fully cooked, he'll be hanging out for a while.
Take care not to burn your garlic.
Lower the heat to low.
Pour in the cans of tomato puree and crushed tomatoes.
Fill both cans with water and dump the water into the pot.
If you have any meatballs now is the time to add them.
Bring the pot to a low steady simmer and leave the lid off or cracked.  (Watch out for splattering as the bubbles pop)
Let this cook down until the 2 cans worth of water has boiled off.  (about halfway)  This takes about 3-5 hours.
During this time you need only stir the pot every so often so it is not very labor intensive.
I like to add the oregano, 4-5 bay leaves and some extra salt and pepper, perhaps some red pepper as well to taste during the last hour of cooking.
After your sauce has boiled down to the thickness you desire you just need to boil the pasta of your choice and add some sauce to it.

This recipe will give you some tasty sauce without many chunks, and good flavor from the added meat.

Lidia's Italy : Videos

If I could marry this woman I would.

What's To Come

I'll primarily use this blog to post the recipes of delicious food I have inhaled at one time or another in my life.  If you have any preparation questions feel free to ask.