pesto

 [space height=”50px”]

 

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 .

After a while  Add the tomato sauce , fried cubed aubergines , the boiled celery  ,  then add the sugar and vinegar and gently mix together . add pines nuts and raisins –  and leave on heat for 10 minutes .  TASTE FOR SALT AND ADD to liking . 
 add the large handful or basil  and stir – serve cold or slightly warm. 

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