Tortelli di Zucca – Pumpkin Ravioli

Tortelli di zucca, cappellacci di zucca or ravili di zucca is a traditional dish which I always thought I should prepare once and that finally I made it for my family and for you!

This recipe of “pumpkin ravioli” (if I may translated in this way) has its roots around the city of Mantova, but you can find many different variation in the town of Ferrara (without amaretti), Piacenza (with the addition of ricotta), Cremona (with the sweet fruit mustard of Cremona, not to be confused with Dijon mustard), Pavia (where they use tomatoes with sausages for the sauce) and Reggio Emilia (less nutmeg and less mustard but more Parmesan cheese).

This specialty is are one of the most iconic dishes within the culinary repertoire of northern Italy. It should be best prepared with the “zucca mantovana” (a dry-fleshed yellow pumpkin) that has the best consistency for thefilling. The filling traditionally also takes crumbled amaretti biscuits and frequently “mostarda di Cremona” (a sweet, apple and fruits based sweet preserve) plus grated Parmesan cheese. The dough is regular fresh egg pasta (1 egg every 100 g flour), either shaped like a tortello (as I did) or like a square ravioli. I also saw different shapes, but is really up to you and how much time you would like spend for this fancy dish.

The addition of nutmeg to the filling and the herbs for the butter are essential and they give to this dish a rich and very enjoyable taste.

The version I made is without amaretti (I simply did not have them on hand), but I added a little bit of breadcrumbs the make the texture little stiffer.

• Time: 1-2 h
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Ingredients

• 400 g flour
• 4 eggs
• salt to taste

Filling

• 800 di sweet yellow pumpkin (best if zucca Mantovana)
• 80 g mostarda di Cremona
• 100 g parmesan cheese, grated
• 80 g di amaretti (or about 2 heaped tablespoons breadcrumbs), crushed
• 1egg
• Nutmeg to taste
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Seasoning

• 5 tablespoon butter
• 12 fresh sage leaves, or to taste
• little bit fresh rosemary, optional
• Grated parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. Roast the pumpkin in the oven: cut the pumpkin in the oven and cook it at 180°C for about 20-30 minutes or until soft.
2. During this time prepare the dough working the ingredients until smooth. Cover or wrap with plastic foil.
3. Prepare the filling: Scrape out the pulp pumpkin add the mostarda di Cremona and puree it with food processor. Add the other ingredients, combine well with the spoon and season to taste.
4. Roll out the dough to thin sheets with a pasta maker or by hand.
5. Shape the tortelli or ravioli as you like. I my case I made rounds of about 5 cm diameter, filled with 1 teaspoon filling, folded once and fixed the edges together. Place them on a clean towel.
6. Bring enough water to boil and add salt to taste (as usually for pasta).
7. In the meantime put the butter in a small pot and let it melt and just it begins to brown add sage and brown as desired. Do not burn the herbs!
8. Tranfer the tortelli into the boiling water, let them cook 2-3 minutes, more or less, depending how thin you have rolled the dough, obviously the ticker, the longer the time. They will float when ready.
9. Serve the tortelli, pour butter sauce on top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/  

• 

• 

• 

• 

Pumpkin Pudding

It’s pumpkin time and this recipe is an easy way for a tasty recipe and yummy dessert.

I used fresh pumpkin from the garden, which I previously baked und the microwave (10 minutes at max) and blended after cooling down.

How to prepare caramel sauce directly into the mold; Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease your mold with butter. Scatter 50 g brown sugar to the baking dish and 2 tablespoons butter spreading evenly. Place in the oven until you see it begins to turn lightly darker. Remove from the oven and whisk shortly. Return to the oven and continue to bake a few minutes until a brown color is reached (be careful, do not burn it). Let cool in the mold.

• Servings: 12
• Time: 30 min working time + 45 min baking time
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Ingredients:

• 

• Butter or margarine for the mold
• 4 tablespoons caramel sauce for the mold (quantity to taste)
• 500 g pumpkin puree
• 75 ml olive oil
• 100 g flour
• 20 g conrnstarch
• 100 g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (quantity to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon gingerbread spices (quantity to taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation:

1. Prepare the baking mold: grease with the butter or margarine and pour the caramel sauce
2. In a big bowl blend very well all the ingredients together.
3. Pour the ingredients in the prepared baking mold
4. Bake in the oven at 170°C for 45 minutes or until golden.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool down completely.
6. Invert on a plate for serving.

Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/  

Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Lime and Herbs Dressing

Each year we grow some pumpkin on or compost and just before the winter comes we collect them and we keep the in the cold cellar for the winter.

A few days ago, we needed some salad or veggies to complete or dinner but one of my guest had a dental surgery and only soft ingredients could be considered. At once, I remembered my pumpkin and I imagined that this would be perfect for this purpose.

I’ve also thought a lot about the way to serve this and how I can transform this in a very special dish.

This had be great in taste and appealing for the eye!

From another recipe (that at that moment I could not find again) I remembered a wonderful dressing which I loved so much and which could be used for this recipe.

The topping is crunchy, and except of the guest who had some dental problems, the caramelized nuts would add taste and texture to the melt in the mouth pumping slices.

For the arrangement I found some mini bowls (in effect candle holders! ) and I began to arrange the slices in the small dishes like flowers. I’ve placed the remaining slices in a separate bowl; after pouring the dressing over them I waited for my guests!

We didn’t expect so much success with this, the remaining had gone quickly and probably I’ve could have made the double quantity!

At the end, the remaining sauce at the bottom of the dish had been enjoyed with some homemade rustic bread.

I will make this again for sure many times!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 45min + resting
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Credit :Artandkitchen

Ingredients

• Pumpkin

  • 800 g pumpkin
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  Dressing:

  • 50 ml olive oil
  • 50 ml fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 lime, grated peel
  • 1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or winter savoury (winter savoury is my choice as I have this in the garden), finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and pepper to taste

  Topping

  • 50 g sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 50 g walnuts or pecan,
  • 1 pinch chili powder
  • 1 big pinch salt

  Assembling

  • Additional olive oil, to taste

Directions

Pumpkin

1. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut into ½ cm slices.
2. Place the slices in a big bowl and toss with olive oil.
3. Arrange the slices in a baking tray overlapping them slightly.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C until the pumpkin is soft and the borders begins to turn brown. This takes about 20-30 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Dressing:

6. In the meanwhile combine all the ingredients for the dressing

Topping

7. Heat slowly the sugar with lime juice in small non-sticky skillet until sugar melts and it begins to take color. Add nuts, chili powder and salt stirring to coat them well. Let roast for 1 minute. Pour the mixture on a baking sheet and let cool down completely. After this time, chop to 1/2 cm pieces.

Assembling:

8. Pour the dressing over the pumpkin or place the pumpkin into single portions dishes and pour the dressing over them. Let marinate at least 30 minutes.
9. Just before serving, drizzle some more olive oil and sprinkle with the caramelized nuts. Serve with a slice of rustic bread

 

Gnocchi di Zucca con Salsa ai Porcini

Today’s inspiration was a small pumpkin from the garden but at the beginning I planned to prepare simply some spätzle as they are quick to be prepared.

To go with this I was not sure if I wanted to prepare my walnut sauce or a mushrooms sauce. At once I remembered I had some porcini mushrooms in the freezer and with an Italian sauce I found that Italian gnocchi would be better. Perhaps too much work for a weekday dinner, but I could already imagine how good it would be and went in the kitchen.

All together I had about 2 hours, as the boiling/baking time for the potatoes/pumpkin and then the cooling time took a lot of time. The final cooking for the gnocchi and the sauce was quick and the smell coming out of the oven was divine.

Some people may like little cheese as topping; in our case the sauce was so tasty that we really did not need this.

Note: for the sauce I opted for the baking method as frozen mushrooms could turn mush, which is not really attractive. If you have fresh ones (any kind!) you may prepare the sauce in the skillet.

For the best results I really suggest to use porcini mushrooms; I can remember that my grandmother fried dried porcini after soaking them in water, this is another option.

I friend of mine said that eggplants are similar to mushrooms, this would be a method to stretch porcini if you don’t have a lot of them (if you try this, please let me know!).

Gnocchi di Zucca

• Servings: 4
• Time: 1 hrs 30 min
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com

For the pumpkin gnocchi you need:

• 400 g pumpkin pulp, peeled, seed removed and sliced
• 400 g potatoes, washed
• 150 g flour, more if necessary
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 dash nutmeg
• Four to dust
• Salt for boiling water
• 2-4 tablespoons vegetal oil for boiling water

Procedure:

1. Place pumpkin on a baking tray. Bake at 200°C/400°F for about 30 minutes until soft and lightly roasted
2. In the meantime boil the potatoes until soft. Time depends form the size
3. When pumpkin is ready remove from the oven, place in a bowl and mush with the form, do the same with potatoes after peeling them.
4. Flatten potatoes and pumpkin and let cool down until lukewarm.
5. Add flour, salt and nutmeg, work with the fork in a big bowl until combined, if it is too wet add some more flour, the should be not to sticky and but still soft!
6. Slice some of the dough, dust with flour (abundant) and roll it out, cut into 1.5 cm (1/2”) pieces and place on a floured baking tray with parchment paper.
7. Bing a big pot with water to boil (about 3-4 liters), add salt and water.
8. Transfer the gnocchi using the parchment paper to the boiling water.
9. After about 5 minutes the gnocchi should rise, they are now ready.
10. Use a colander and transfer them into a greased baking mold. Place into warm oven (about 150-180°C) until serving or keep warm if the sauce is not ready

Salsa ai Porcini

• Servings: 4
• Time: 30 min
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com

For the porcini sauce you need:

• 300 g porcini mushrooms, frozen and diced
• 1 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, finely diced (or one shallot)
• 2/3 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon broth granulate (beef, chicken or vegetables broth granulate)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• Pepper to taste
• Salt or broth granulate to adjust
• Parsley to sprinkle

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C /450°F.
2. Pour frozen mushrooms on a greased baking mold (mine was about 25 cm / 10 inch wide) and bake for about 5 minutes.
3. Add onion and bake until the borders of the mushrooms begins to brown.
4. Dissolve four in wine and water and add granulate.
5. Pour this mixture over the mushrooms. Stir only once, gently.
6. When sauce begins to thicken (after about 5 minutes) add heavy cream and pepper. Stir once gently.
7. Adjust salt if necessary and bake for other 3 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve with the gnocchi or pasta.

Shrimps Saganaki with Vegetables – γαρίδες σαγανάκι με λαχανικά

In Greece the most famous saganaki is the cheese saganaki or Tyri Saganaki a dish that you can find as appetizer in many restaurants.  There are many other saganaki recipe one of them is the delicious  shrimps saganaki ( γαρίδες σαγανάκι, garides saganaki) recipe shrimps and Feta cheese.  We should also mention the mussels saganaki (μύδια σαγανάκι, midia saganaki), calamari saganaki (Σουπιές σαγανάκι, supies saganaki), eggplant saganaki (Μελιτζάνες σαγανάκι, melitzanes saganaki) and many more recipes with vegetables (as Σαγανάκι με λαχανικά χωριάτικο και ανθότυρο, vegetables saganaki with white cheese).

What is a saganki? These kind of dishes have been named by the small frying (saganaki = diminutive of sagani) pan used to prepare this delish, these metal frying pan are provided by one or two handles (no wood or plastic handles) and are suitable for the stove as well for the oven. “Sagan” comes from the Turkish word sahan ‘copper dish’, itself borrowed from Arabic صحن (ṣaḥn).

The same phenomenon happened with the word “paella” (Spanish, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paella) and “tiella” (Italian, http://cucina.grandinetti.org/recipes/sides-and-vegetables/tiella).

Today as I was coming home from work started to plan our supper. We had quite warm days during the last two weeks, but evening, after sun disappeared, we feel that the winter is approaching and I wish a warm place. And what’s the best? The fireplace, the chimney! OK, and how with the dinner? No problem, I’m used to handle with the fire and I will prepare the dinner on the open fire.  It was in that way that I created this recipe, an almost summer recipe, with summer vegetables, with shrimps and with the heat of the fire.

I have a paella pan, which is perfect for 3-5 persons and I can use this as saganaki (or sagani, as it is not “small”).

In the freezer I had a portion of shrimps, the vegetables were already at home and I also had a great homemade bread which was perfect to be combined with this dish.

The flavor was fantastic and smoked component made this dish even better.

If you don’t have a chimney, you can work on the stove top and after adding the feta and shrimps, place pan in the preheated oven. I suppose that with the BBQ may work as well, if provided of lid.

Shrimps Saganaki with Vegetables

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

You need:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 big onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 big eggplant, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup salted water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 200-300 g feta, crumbled
• 24 medium shrimp, deveined

Procedure:

This procedure had been performed on the open fire, you can prepare the recipe on the stove (or in the oven under the broiler) and from step 7 in the preheated oven (220°C/430°F) or continue on the stove covering the pan with a lid.

1. Heat oil in a fireplace proofed skillet as a paella pan.
2. Add onions and stir fry until they change the color.
3. Add garlic and eggplants. Stir fry until they start to turn soft
4. Add zucchini and peppers, stir fry again for about 5 minutes.
5. Add salted water and cook until zucchini becomes to turn soft, but not too much.
6. Add salted water, season with salt and pepper and bring to boil.
7. Now it’s time for the last step: add crumbled feta and shrimps. When the shrimps turn pink, the saganaki is ready! Enjoy with bread!

Variations/Suggestions:

• Broth instead salted water
• In not on the fire add little smoked paprika
• Vegetables of your choice, roasted cherry tomatoes are wonderful
• Replace with water
• Add ouzo
• Eggs instead of shrimps (for vegetarians)
• Prepare in the oven on single ramequins molds
• Combine with noodles
• Top with parsley
• Serve with lemon wedges

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Pumkpin and Quince Cake

When the fall is here and I have quinces on hand I can’t resist to find and create new recipe including this inspiring wonder fruit. Yes, now it’s time to bake with the fall ingredients and time to enjoy the colors of the season.

In this recipe you will find a special combination: quinces and pumpkin. To be exactly we have wine or grapes inside as well.

I know that quinces are not everywhere available and in this case I suggest to try this recipe using pears. Using pears I think the best is to poach them whole and to insert them standing in the batter.

Have fun and enjoy the fall harvest!

• Servings: 8-10
• Time: 1hr 30mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

For the poached quinces

• 1000 g quinces, peeled, sliced cored
• 300 ml red wine, red most would be very good as well!
• 1 piece of cinnamon
• 100 g sugar
• Juice of one orange
• 1 clove, optional

For the batter of the cake:

• 100 g butter
• 3 eggs
• 150 g sugar
• 200 g flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powdered, sifted
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom ground, if freshly grinded the seed of one pod are enough
• 1 pinch of salt
• 300 g pumpkin, peeled seeded and coarsely grated

Topping:

• 2-3 tablespoons slivered almonds

Procedure:

1. Prepare the quinces, and in the meantime combine in saucepot wine, cinnamon, sugar and orange juice and bring to boil. Add quinces and boil for about 15 minutes until the quinces get tender but not mush. The time depends on the quinces, mine need only 10 minutes.
2. Drain the quinces, reserve on dish and bring the juices to boil. Boil until thick and remove from heat.
3. In a mixing bowl combine egg and butter, beat until soft. Add sugar and beat until combined. Now add all the other ingredients except of the pumpkin and beat until well combined. Fold in the pumpkin with a spatula.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and pour the batter in a prepared (greased and floured) baking form (Springform) of about 26 cm (10 inches). Level the batter.
5. Top with the quinces arranging them nicely. Pour the condensed juice over them and top with almonds.
6. Bake for about 60-70 minutes until done (toothpick test).
7. Enjoy cooled down, but lukewarm is delicious as well!

Nusät – Italian Savory Pumpkin Cakes

The origins of this cake seems to be found until the middle age as this cake was served in the Lombardia (Northern Italian region) around  the 23^rd of December as the last of a 7 course meals.

We suppose that at this time not many could afford expensive ingredients, but in the last time this cake became richer and richer including different kind of nuts, raisins, almonds or sweet ingredients as fruits-mustard.

I will present you a simple recipe based on the ingredients available at that time. I added the nutmeg as this ingredients may have been THE ingredient which gave the name to the dish.

Usually this is baked as a single cake, but I decided to make a variation and make 4 single portions.

You need:

• 1000-1200 g Pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 60 g breadcrumbs
• 60 g parmigiano cheese, freshly grated
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, sliced
• Nutmeg to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 4 half walnuts for decoration

Procedure

1. Cut the pumpkin in wedges, remove the seed and peel it with the potatoes peeler.
2. Place the pumpkin slices in a baking mold and bake in preheated oven at 200°C until soft. This takes about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Place the pumpkin slices on a sieve over a bowl to drain for about 15 minutes.
3. In the meantime you have time to prepare the ingredients. Heat in a skillet butter and oil and fry the onion at low-moderate heat for about 7 minutes until golden. Drain the onions (reserve for another recipe) and keep the oils for the pumpkin cake.
4. Mash the pumpkin pulp (I got 750 g of it) with a potato masher.
5. Add breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, oils and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
6. Grease the baking mold and coat the walls with the chopped walnuts. Distribute the remaining chopped walnuts on the bottom.
7. Distribute gently the pumpkin mixture in the molds, flatten with a fork forming nice patterns and top with half walnut.
8. Place in the still preheated oven at 200°C for about 35 minutes until the borders change the color.
9. Remove from the mold and place on dishes. Decorate to taste and serve warm.

Honey Pumpkin Roll

Looking at my pumpkins I had to find a new way to make use of them.

What I find was a pumpkin roll. I changed and adapted the recipe in order to increase the taste and make it beautiful.

The inspiration was honey and not only cinnamon, but also nutmeg and ras el hanout  a Moroccan spice mix.

I proposed allspice as alternative as I know that this would suit as well.

According to the honey I thought that honey bees made with páte d’amandes and a few fresh flowers would make this cake pretty.

Note: To prepare fresh pumpkin puree, place peeled and seeded pieces of pumpkin in the oven at medium temperature until soft and begins to brown; use a blender and let cool down completely.

You need:

Pumpkin Batter

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons liquid honey
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pinch ras el hanout (alternative allspice)

Dusting

• powdered sugar

Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup walnuts, roasted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. In a bowl beat eggs for 5 minutes until fluffy.
3. Add pumpkin puree, sugar and baking powder. Mix shortly.
4. Add flour, salt and spices. Mix through.
5. Line a 10″x15″ baking tray with baking foil (for example wax paper), grease.
6. Pour and spread the batter evenly.
7. Bake 15 minutes at 350°F/180°C.
8. Sprinkle a towel (suitable sized) with abundant amount of powdered sugar.
9. Lift the cake with the foil and invert onto the prepared towel. Carefully remove the foil.
10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar again.
11. Roll the cake with towel and refrigerate until cooled. This takes about 1 hour in the fridge
12. In the meantime prepare the filling combining all the ingredients with the mixer.
13. Unroll the cake, spread the filling evenly roll again removing the towel (the towel will make rolling easier).
14. Place on a cake dish seam side down in the fridge until cooled.
15. Just before serving dust with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Fritters with Orange Zest

This recipe is correlated with childhood memories; I loved these fritters, I loved them too much! Today I decided to prepare them for my children as my mother prepared them for me. We are not used fried food, for many years I didn’t prepare something deep fried, but the approaching Halloween and the fresh squash form our garden inspired me to try.

You need:

• 1 lb pumpkin, skinned, seeded and cubed
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 lb sugar
• 2 oranges, grated zest only
• 1/2 lb flour
• 1 -2 tablespoon breadcrumbs, finely grated ( if necessary)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• oil ( for frying)

Procedure:

1.       Cook the pumpkin in the oven until soft. This takes about 20-30 minutes.
2.       Take out of the oven and let cool down partially.
3.       Place pumpkin in a big bowl; add eggs, sugar and zest.
4.       Mash with the fork or use a blender.
5.       Add flour and baking powder, mix (or blend) until incorporated.
6.       If the pumpkin were too watery and the dough result to liquid add some breadcrumbs and incorporate it into the batter.
7.       Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and drop in spoonfuls of the batter or place the batter in a bag, cut the edge and drop into the oil. Make several batches.
8.       Fry the fritters on both sides until golden brown.
9.       Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and place over absorbing paper.
10.   Serve best warm dusted with powdered sugar.

Tip: To remove more oil, place the fritters over the absorbing paper on a baking tray. Place in the oven at 275°F/130°C for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

→ Back to home