Most Americans today are familiar with pesto, which is a sauce that originated in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy. The traditional pesto, often called pesto alla genovese, consisted of basil, crushed garlic, grated cheese (parmigiano-reggiano and/or pecorino), pine nuts and olive oil. Originally, this would be made using a mortar and pestle, and this preparation technique gave rise to the name, pesto, which comes from the Italian pestare, to pound or crush. Nowadays, with a electric blender, the process is much easier.
Ingredients
On our active culinary tours in Italy, we see different variations of ‘pesto’, all made using a similar technique – combining something – and there are many, many choices here – with olive oil, garlic, nuts (optional), and cheese (optional). I’ve used garlic scapes (the tops of growing garlic), basil, mint, chives, parsley, arugula, radicchio, …., and here, peas.
Pesto cubes – garlic scape and chive
A basic pesto is a wonderful way of preserving excess fresh herbs you may have as a result of an overabundant garden. I first blanch the herbs for a minute or so in some boiling water. This keeps the fresh green color; otherwise, the pesto can turn grayish. I squeeze out as much water as possible, and puree the herbs in a blender with a bit of olive oil. I place a tablespoon or so of pesto in mini-muffin tins or ice cube trays, and freeze. When solid, I can take them out of the tin or tray, dump them all into a large ziplock, and store in the freezer. I can pull out an individual cube to flavor a soup, make a nice accompaniment for chicken or fish, or top some pasta.
Oiled and seasoned trout
At this time of year, I’m trying to find a way to use up all of last years’ cubes before this summers’ herbs are available. Here, I used one cube of garlic scape pesto, and one of chive pesto to flavor a delicious spring pea pesto – a great and healthy topping for some grilled trout.
Serves 4
1/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon garlic scape pesto, or 1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon chive pesto, or 1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 10 oz. package frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 whole trout
Extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the grill.
Place the toasted almonds, garlic clove (or pesto) and chives in a blender. Pulse to chop. Add the peas, then pour in the olive oil. Puree until the desired consistency. You may need to break it up a bit with a spatula, or even add more olive oil or water. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the trout on a sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil on both the inside and outside, then season the insides with salt and pepper.
Place on the grill, and cook, turning once. Serve on fresh greens, and top with the pea pesto.
I thought I would begin sharing some of the wines I am discovering as I ‘research’ the wines of Northern Italy for our Italiaoutdoors culinary vacations where we enjoy biking, hiking and skiing there. Yes, my job is so tough sometimes. But reading up on each wine, tracking it down (not easy here in the states, if possible at all), and documenting it does take a bit of discipline and time. Here’s my first post in this vein – the Bastianich Sauvignon “B” 2009 from Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
A well-known name in the US restaurant and Italian food world; mother Lidia, famous chef, TV show host and cookbook author, hails originally from the Istrian peninsula in this region; son Joseph is a very successful restauranteur (with his partner, Mario Batali.) Joseph operates several vineyards in Italy, with this being his most recent venture. The Bastianich’s have acquired prime vineyards in the Buttrio/Premariacco region on the southernmost hills of the Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC, and near Cividale, where their vineyards are subjected to the cooler winds from the north, resulting in particularly aromatic wines.
They cultivate Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon varietals, as well as local varieties such as Tocai Friuliano. This area is traditionally known for producing single-varietal wines, but the Bastianich’s are producing blends here, specifically their Vespa Bianco and Vespa Rosso (the name vespa means wasp, which are attracted to the ripening grapes.) Also produced here is a red blend, Calabrone (or hornet), made from dried grapes. The cellar here has a drying room, where the winemakers are experimenting with a variety of grapes. Another example is the Tocai Plus, which is a blend of late-harvest and dried fruit from a single vineyard of 60 year-old wines.
Back label
My tasting was of the Bastianich Sauvignon B 2009. Note that this is an IGT (Indicazione Geographica Tipica) wine, which indicates a wine that is considered to be higher quality thatn your average table wine, but does not adhere to the established DOC/DOCG wine laws for this region. Made from 100% sauvignon blanc grapes, I found it very crisp, dry and refreshing with a fruity aroma – the description on line describes it as a mix of grapefruit, mango, mint, tomato leaf and white sambuco. I found it had a good balance between the tartness and the other flavors, but not overbearingly grapefruity like some Sauvignon Blancs can be. A nice first course wine, which would pair well with antipasti and risottos – a wonderful match with my Risi e Bisi with Radicchio and Mascarpone.
Americans are very familiar with the Prosciutto di Parma, but there are many other wonderful hams produced across Italy that are virtually unknown to us. We sampled the great Prosciutto Berico-Euganeo and a few types of speck on our culinary bike trips last season. But there are many more to discover, especially in the mountains of Trentino and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Hundreds of years ago, the first settlers to the area known today as Friuli-Venezia Giulia were the Celts and the Carni, both Celtic peoples who settled in the mountains here. They brought with them their methods of preserving hams, and their expertise enabled them to recognize that this area, located between the mountains and the Adriatic sea, provided the perfect climate for air drying of these hams.
Nonino grappa – secret ingredient!
I am still struggling to understand the difference between a ‘prosciutto’ and ‘speck’. I have been told, and read, that prosciutto is brined, salted, and air dried, while speck is smoked. In my recent readings on the Prosciuttos found in Fruili-Venezia Giulia, the difference between the two is said to be that a speck is a prosciutto with the bone removed, so both prosciuttos and speck can be smoked, or not. I admit to being mystified. But I don’t worry too much about the definition, and just enjoy using these wonderful hams. For more information on this Prosciutto di Sauris, visit our food and wine section of our Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine web site.
This hors d’oeuvre recipe was inspired by the great mountain flavors of Northeastern Italy – pears from their orchards, a amazing prosciutto (or speck), and finally a little touch of grappa to add a bit of a kick to the cheese spread. It’s also quite a pretty and delicious addition to any antipasti platter.
Pear with core and string removedSliced pear
Pear and Grappa Crostini with Prosciutto di Sauris
Makes 16
1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 16 1/4” slices, or 16 crostini size pieces of thick flatbread crackers
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (preferably homemade, recipe here)
1 tablespoon grappa
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pear
juice of 1/2 lemon, strained
8 slices of Prosciutto di Sauris, or another smoked prosciutto or speck
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Place the baguette slices on a sheet pan, and cook until just beginning to brown. Don’t let them get too hard, or they will break apart when you bite into your crostini. Remove from oven and brush with the olive oil.
Place the mascarpone and ricotta cheese in a small bowl. Stir in the grappa. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the pear in half lengthwise. Remove the core and the string that extends from the stem to the base. Place each half cut side down on a cutting board, and slice each half lengthwise into thin slices. Place in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
Cut each prosciutto slice in half.
Lay the 16 baguette slices out on a sheet pan. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on each baguette. Top with a slice of the prosciutto, then top each with a slice of pear. Garnish each with a sprinkling of poppy seeds.
Sauerkraut is a classic German dish that is not usually associated with Italy, but is often seen in the Northeastern regions of Trentino and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Both regions have been ruled by the Germanic peoples to the north before becoming part of Italy as we know it today. On our Italiaoutdoors bike, hike and ski trips to these regions we see the germanic influence everywhere – in the dress, the architecture, the foods and use of both German as well as Italian languages. And my research into this food has uncovered many surprising health benefits to sauerkraut as well – including some pretty amazing cancer fighting properties. A Polish study, undertaken to discover why Polish women who moved to the US had higher rates of breast cancer than those who stayed behind found a link to the consumption of sauerkraut, especially amongst adolescent girls – sauerkraut not playing much of a role in any US teenager diet that I am aware of!
Sauerkraut, bacon, chicken, wine, onions
Sauerkraut, which translates to ‘sour cabbage’ in German, is thinly sliced cabbage that is fermented in order to preserve it. The sliced cabbage is salted and packed into a crock. The salt draws the liquid from the cabbage, and creates a brine. Lacto-bacteria then ferments the sugars in the cabbage, giving the sauerkraut its’ distinctive sour flavor. It is traditionally served with pork. In Trieste, the many restaurants that serve buffets (a Trieste mainstay) will offer a piatto misto con kraut, mixed pork with kraut. This recipe, adapted from La Terra Fortunata by Fred Plotkin, hails from the farmhouses in the Corso region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, along the Slovenian border. It gives a nice variation to the traditional pork and kraut combination, a braise with chicken. The sauerkraut that is served in Italy is a bit more mild than that found in the US, but the 40 minutes or so of cooking here will mellow it a bit. Rinsing the sauerkraut before using it will also help.
A nice white wine from the Carso DOC in Friuli-Venezia Giulia would make a wonderful pairing – this region, located right on the Slovakian border, produces a nice Malvasia, as well as Vitovska, both made from grapes grown here since ancient times.
Pollo del Carso con Crauti
Serves 4
1 organic chicken, cut into two legs and two breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons bacon fat, or 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 pounds sauerkraut
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup white wine
Place the chicken pieces on a sheet pan, and season with salt and pepper.
Seared chicken
Heat the bacon fat or butter and oil in a large enamel or other heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the chicken pieces on all sides, until nicely golden brown all over. Remove from heat and place on sheet pan. Do not crowd the chicken pieces in the pan while searing; they will steam rather than sear if they are too close together.
Add the onion, and cook until softened. Add the peppercorns and sauerkraut, reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.
Chicken braise
Place the chicken on top of the sauerkraut. Pour the wine over the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and cover with a sheet of parchment and foil, then cover with the lid. Cook for 40 minutes, until the chicken is quite tender. Serve with the sauerkraut on the side.
Tortellini, and their larger relative, tortelloni, are homemade stuffed pastas originally from the Emilia-Romagna region of Northeastern Italy. This region is renowned for its’ many wonderful varieties of stuffed pastas, which date back to the Middle Ages. In Bologna, these small ‘dumplings’ are referred to as tortellini; in the Romagna provinces of Rimini, Forli and Ravenna they are called cappelletti, or “little hats”. Traditionally, these pastas were handmade in the home kitchens of this region, often to serve as a Sunday lunch dish. Pasta dough is made from two simple ingredients: eggs and soft-wheat flour, with the addition only of spinach or chard should a green pasta be desired. The dough is kneaded until soft and smooth, then rolled out with a long rolling pin until almost transparent. It is then sliced into strips for square shapes, or cut into circles for rounded shaped pasta.
Tortelloni in market in Italy
A ‘traditional’ stuffing recipe would not have made much sense to a woman making her own Sunday lunch tortellini – the stuffing would be made from whatever leftovers were on hand. And you would not purchase these from a store; who could know what would be inside! But today, busy lifestyles are the norm worldwide, and both here and in Italy homemade pastas are becoming a lost art. But luckily, specialty stores and even large multinational pasta companies are producing their own versions of these stuffed pastas, making them even more popular today than ever. No longer do we need to wait for Sunday lunch to enjoy these!
Tortellini are synonymous with Bologna, and Bologna’s own Learned Confraternity of the Tortellino has arisen to ward off the ersatz imitators who may want to capitalize on the popularity of this favorite traditional dish. Tortellini alla bolognese is the classic dish, traditionally served in capon broth. The Confraternity specifies all the pertinent details involved in producing the traditionally correct version of this – including the size of the pasta squares (3.7 cm), the filling recipe, which includes mortedella, prosciutto, parmesan, eggs, nutmeg, and pork loin that has been allowed to sit for two days in a mixture of salt and herbs before being cooked in butter. A small dollop of the filling is placed in the center of one of these 3.7 cm squares, then the square is folded in half diagonally, forming two triangles. The edges are then pressed together and sealed with a bit of water or egg.
To shape the final tortellini, one would pick up a triangle by the folded over end, with the tip pointing up toward the ceiling, and wrap that folded end around your index finger, preferably an index finger that is 18 millimeters in diameter (thanks again to the Confraternity for this detail.) Bring the two corners together and pinch to seal. Slip it off of your finger, and place on a floured sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining tortellini.
Tortellini
At this point, we can all appreciate why this labor-intensive task is unfortunately disappearing. Even when I go to the effort of making my own stuffed pastas, I usually opt for a larger and easier shape to form. But here I’ve used some packaged tortellini (Barilla) to create these two spring pasta dishes – same flavors in each, but a little change in preparation creates two different dishes.
Lynne Rosetto Kasper, author of The Splendid Table, developed her stuffed tortelloni recipe to reproduce the original which she discovered in Tamburini, a gourmet store in Bologna. Their pasta stuffing was a combination of artichokes, mascarpone, and fresh white truffles. It is currently pea season in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, a neighbor of Emilia Romagna, and the home of the first business to produce and distribute pre-made tortellinis. So I thought peas would be a nice addition here.
If you are lucky enough to have a white truffle, you could shave that on top of the pasta – for those of us without a pig, I’ve suggested a drizzle of white truffle oil as a final garnish.
On our Italiaoutdoors web site, you will find a description and pictures of how to trim the artichokes for cooking, should you choose to use fresh artichokes. Trimmed artichokes were found at just about every market we visited last year on our culinary bike trips, the vendors would pass the time between customers trimming artichokes and adding them to the basin of lemon water.
So here you are, a tortellini with sauce, and a baked tortellini version – let me know which one you prefer!
Tortellini with Artichokes, Mascarpone, Peas and Mint
Tortellini with Artichokes, Peas, Mascarpone and Mint
Serves 4
4 trimmed, raw artichoke hearts, soaking in 1 1/2 cups acidulated water
3/4 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Zest of one lemon
Sprig of basil
Sprig of mint
or:
4 canned artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
for both:
8 ounces mascarpone
1 clove garlic, minced
4 artichoke hearts, thinly sliced
1/2 package (5 ounces) frozen baby peas, defrosted
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
10 leaves mint, chiffonade (thinly sliced)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound tortellini
4 whole small mint leaves
White truffle oil (optional)
Artichoke hearts
If you are using raw artichoke hearts, you must cook them before continuing with the remainder of the recipe. If you are using canned hearts, you can skip on to the step in which you slice the cooked artichokes.
Place the 4 raw artichoke hearts and the acidulated water into a large saute pan. Add the white wine, garlic cloves, lemon zest, basil and mint. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the hearts are tender enough to be pierced with a skewer, about 20-25 minutes. If your hearts are quite different in size, they may not all be done at the same time. As they finish cooking, remove the hearts and set aside. When all have been removed, use a slotted spoon to extract the garlic cloves and herbs from the cooking liquid. Increase the heat, and reduce the liquid to a glaze, 1 to 2 tablespoons.
For both canned and fresh versions:
Bring a large pot of water for the pasta to boil over high heat.
Sauce for tortellini
If using canned artichokes, add the lemon juice, zest, olive oil and wine to a large saute pan. Cook until reduced to a glaze. If using the raw artichokes, use the saute pan in which you cooked the artichokes, as this contains the glaze, ready to use.
Add the mascarpone, stirring as it softens. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the sliced artichoke hearts, peas, and the Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese. Stir until combined into a smooth sauce. Season with the mint, salt and pepper.
When the pasta water is boiling, add salt, return to a boil, and then add the tortellini. Cook until al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Add the drained tortellini to the sauce in the saute pan, stirring to combine. If the sauce seems a bit thick, you can use a little of reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it up a bit, but this may not be necessary.
Serve in four bowls, garnished with a mint leaf and a drizzle of truffle oil.
Baked Tortellini
Baked Tortellini with Artichokes, Peas, Mascarpone and Mint
Same ingredients, with an additional 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Complete the recipe above, but instead of serving the pasta in four bowls, pour the tortellini and sauce into a casserole pan. Top with the 1/2 cup grated cheese. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Place for a minute or two under the broiler if the top is not browned to your liking. Serve, with an optional drizzle of truffle oil.
I think these various additions would be wonderful as well!
