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PESTO ALLA TRAPANESE x 4 pax
500 g of picadilly tomatoes
2-3 garlic cloves
a large amount of basil
200 g of skinned almonds
150 -200 ml of olive oil ( extra vergine if possibile )
taste for salt and pepper
firstly put all you ingredients in the food mixer without the oil – mix well and then taste to see how it doing in salt – at the end add the oil.
DONE .
CAPONATA
Numerous local variations of the ingredients exist with some versions adding olives, carrots and green bell peppers, and others adding potatoes, or pine nuts and raisins.
Our Caponata
2 onions – roughly chopped
6-10 celery stciesk – chopped in large slices (include leaves ) and boiled for 10 minutes in boiling water
100 g of tomato sauce (see below)
4 eggplants – chopped in cubes of around 2cm diameter
5 peppers.- chopped in squares of 2 cm diameter
salt
pepper
2 teaspoons of sugar
3 tables spoons of vinegar ( we used nero’dcvola red wine or any red Wine vinegar is fine).
20 g pine nutes
20 g raisins
handful of basil chopped
olive oil
peanut oil
Preparing the eggplants
Take most of the skin off with a peeler and cut 3 the aubergines into cubes of around 2-3 cms .
If you are using the Turco Varies eggplant – drain : Add a generous amount of salt to all the eggplant and place in a drainer and let them drain for around 1.30 -2 hours . (This will take all the bitterness out and water from the eggplant , meaning they will absorb less fat ) .
** If you are using the Viola Variety eggplant (round and purple ) You can immediately Cut, dice and fry in sun flower or peanut oil.
Preparing the base of the Caponata
in a frying plan add a large lug of olive oil and add the onions and pepper nd gently fry for at least 40 minutes , adding a few table spoons of water once and while so it stays nice and soft .
The caponata is done.
MACCHERONI
Pasta for 4 -6 people
Long thin metal skewers . called ferro, a metal spike . . However, a thin wooden skewer works as a substitute too.
1/2 kg of semola flour
a lug of olive oil
250 ml of water
a large pinch salt
Preparing the pasta
On a clean surface add all the flour and add the pinch of salt and olive oil . With your hands create a hole in the middle .
in the hole gently add the water and with your hand slow mix the flour into water . continue adding the water , until you get a nice firm dough. kneed the dough together , stretching it for about 10 minutes
now cover the dough and let it rest for minimum an hour .
Once the pasta has rested , we can start making the maccheroni .
roll the dough into sausages and cut your maccheroni into pieces of more or less a 1cm .
Technique – place one piece of the dough onto the middle of the skewer – rolls gently with your hands and slide off .
Cook the maccheroni in salted boiling water for around 8 – 10 minutes
Tomato Sauce
500 g of Piccadilly tomatoes – briefly boiled and skinned and cut in quarters (we can keep the seeds as they are not bitter)
2 garlic gloves
A large lug of good quality extra virgin olive oil
Procedure : In a pan , place you tomatoes and keep on a medium heat for around 45 minutes , the tomatoes will loose their water and then the sauce will start to thicken and dry up . Add 2 teaspoons of salt
Once its the right consistency , turn off the heat , add the basil and the 2 garlic cloves and the oilve oil . (you can remove the garlic before you use the tomato sauce ) .
Your sauce is done.
INVOLTINI WITH LEMON X 4
400 g of sliced sword fish or ( veal – pork – chicken – turkey ) – important that they are thin slices more or less 5x 5 cm – hammered
Provola cheese in small slices- this can be personal – (chopped sun dried tomatoes- herbs – soft/hard cheeses- hams ) .
1 lemon grated zest
300 g of Fresh breadcrumbs
100 g of Parmesan cheese grated
Parsley finely chopped
salt and pepper
Take each piece of hammered veal and roll into the breadcrumb mixture , place a piece of cheese or ham (whatever your filling is ) and tightly roll them Put each involtino on the wooden skewer , max 4-5 pieces per skewer.
* we placed them in the oven for 10-15 min at 180 °c –
PASTA
Long thin metal skewers . called ferro, a metal spike . . However, a thin wooden skewer works as a substitute are great . .
1/2 kg of semola flour
a luhttps://villabritannia.com/wp-admin/upload.phpg of olive oil
250 ml of water
a large pinch salt
Preparing the pasta
On a clean surface add all the flour and add the pinch of salt and olive oil . With your hands create a hole in the middle .
in the hole gently add the water and with your hand slow mix the flour into water . continue adding the water , until you get a nice firm dough. kneed the dough together , stretching it for about 10-15 minutes.
We can start making the maccheroni .
roll the dough into long sausages and cut your maccheroni into pieces of more or less a 1cmx 50 cm .
Technique – place one piece of the dough onto the middle of the skewer – rolls gently with your hands and slide off .
Cook the maccheroni in salted boiling water for around 8 – 10 minutes