books
  music
  film & videos
  gifts

  travel
  food & wine
  genealogy
  italian american
  features

  news
  forums
  free email
  newsletter
  link directory

new york
events, links, forum

boston
events, links, forum

new!philadelphia
events, links, forum

chicago
events, links, forum

san francisco
events, links, forum

los angeles
events, links, forum


about us


you can help us!
We're an all volunteer website and need your help to keep going. Here are five ways you can contribute:
1 Donate
2 Buy something
3 Submit a story
4 Volunteer
5 Advertise

get in gear!
New in the gift shop, virtualitalia.com logo wear and use items!
  PLEASE NOTE: We are experiencing unexpected technical difficulties caused by our web host. We apologize for the inconvenience. During your visit you may experience service and page interruptions - we are in the process of fixing everything and hope to be fully back on our feet soon.
Gourmet Pastas and Sauces on-line

a tavola - the cuisine of molise
(return to food)

It's historic and political connection to Abruzzo ended when Molise became an independent region in 1963, but it still shares many of the same culinary traditions of Abruzzo, with more of a nod to the south. There is also a significant Albanian-speaking population, which increased after the fall of communism. The food of Molise is uncomplicated, rich in vegetables and pork, spiced with chile peppers, and sauced with tomatoes. There are, however, few dishes unique to Molise. P'lenta d'iragn, a white polenta made with potatoes and wheat and served with a tomato sauce, is one of the more unusual dishes. Calconi di ricotta rustica are ravioli stuffed with ricotta, provolone, and prosciutto, then fried in oil. The cheeses of Molise include scamorza, mateca, and burrino.

more molise....
* Italian Baptists?
* Rock of Ages
* Molise Cuisine
* What do you know about Molise?
* Molise region
* More Italian regions...

ANTIPASTO

Torta di Cipolla con Formaggio Svizzero - Salted Onion Cake with Swiss Cheese
350 g of flour
5 eggs
200g. of butter
60g of extra vergine olive oil
700g. of onions
200g. of Swiss Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
black Olives, pitted and cut into pieces
salt and pepper

Prepare the pastry by mixing 2 eggs 120 g of butter and oil, until you have a soft and elastic dough that you will cover with Saran wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest. Slice the onion and saute' lightly in a pan with the rest of the butter, for about 20 minutes. In the meantime roll out the pastry until you have two circles: with the larger piece cover the baking pan and with the smaller piece you will cover the top. Slice the cheese and cut into pieces place on the layer of pastry in the pie pan. Mix 3 eggs with the Parmesan, the cooled onions and the pitted olives until you have a well-mixed stuffing. Add salt and pepper and pour into the pie pan. Close with the smaller pastry circle brush with egg yolk and place in the over for 30 minuted at 180� (350 F).

Serves 6.

Frittelle di Verdura - Vegetable Fritters
Flour g 200
4 Eggs
2 Zucchini
2 Carrots
150g ofSmoked provola
Beer cl 20
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying

Wash the zucchini and peel the carrots, then cut them into "julienne" (thin sticks) with the appropriate kitchen tool, mix these julienned vegetables with the eggs, the beer and the flour, pouring the flour in a rainfall to avoid lumps. Knead it fixing with salt and pepper. Heat plenty of oil and pour a spoonful of the mixture (a little at a time) into the hot oil. As soon as they are golden take them out and allow them to drain on absorbent kitchen paper towels. Continue doing this until all the mixture is finished.

Serves 8.

PRIMI PIATTI - FIRST COURSES

PASTA

Capellini with Bread Crumbs
2/3 cups olive oil
2 cups of unseasoned bread crumbs
1/8-1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup pecorino/romano cheese
1 cup raisins (muscat, if available) soaked 1/2 hour
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 2 ounce tin of anchovies
1 pound capellini

Gently heat finely chopped (skinned) garlic in the olive oil until it softens and turns slightly golden. Be careful not to brown or burn the garlic. If the garlic browns or burns, start over. When golden, remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Combine and mix the bread crumbs, cheese, and pepper in a large bowl. Drain and mash the anchovies into a paste and add to the other ingredients. Add the raisins. Mix well.

Place the pan with the olive oil and garlic over low heat and add all the mixed ingredients. Stir and mix the bread crumb mixture with the olive oil and garlic. Gently warm the mixture stirring frequently to a golden appearance (about 15 minutes)...stir and turn over the mixture from the bottom up to prevent browning.

While you are warming the bread crumbs, start your capellini water boiling. When the bread crumbs are done, cook the pasta until it is al dente. Remove the pasta from the heat. Using a pasta fork, quickly begin removing pasta from the pot layering a 1/4 of a pound into a casseole or lasagna dish. Best in a dish 9 to 10 inches long, 5 to 6 inches wide with sides about 4 inches high. The pasta can retain water as you transfer it from the pot to the dish. Sprinkle on 1/4 of the bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle the mixture with 1/4 cup pasta water. Add two more layers of pasta, bread crumbs and water. The final layer is pasta and bread crumbs with no extra water.Warm in the oven and serve.

Serves 6.

Tagliolini, Campobasso
Fresh Taglolini: 300 g (already prepared)
80g of Prosciutto Crudo in small pieces
1 small onion cut in thin slices
1 small bunch of parsley
1/2 of a red hot chili pepper
3 tablespoons of Olive oil
salt and pepper

Cook the tagliolini in salty boiling water. At the same time, pour the oil in a sauce pan and brown the onion together with the red hot chili pepper, mixing frequently with a wooden spoon. Add the pieces of prosciutto crudo - they should just warm up. Add 1 or 2 spoons of the water in which you are cooking your Tagliolini, add the minced parsley and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Strain the tagliolini when they are al dente and pour them in the sauce pan mixing them with the other ingredients. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

SECONDI PIATTI

Torta di Spinachi, Ricotta e Prosciutto - Spinach, Ricotta and Prosciutto Torte
A roll of frozen puff pastry
300 g. cooked and squeezed spinach
150g. of Ricotta Cheese
2 eggs
Parmesan Cheese
1 slice of Prosciutto Cotto
Nutmeg
salt and pepper

Thaw the puff pastry and, roll it out on a board until it becomes 2 or 3 centimeters high. Cut into pieces, and in a bowl blend with the ricotta, the Parmesan, and most of the beaten eggs (Leave a little to brush on top later), salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Put the spinach stuffing inside and a slice of ham on top of the pastry. Make cuts all around until you have formed many slices. Close the torte trying to form a braid then brush with the remaining egg and place in the oven for 30 minutes at 180� (350F).

Serves 6.

VERDURA - VEGETABLE

Zucchine alla Molisiana - Zucchini Molise Style
800g of zucchine
1 clove of garlic
1 bunch of mint
10 tblsp of extra virgin oliv oil
7 tblsp of white wine vingar
1 sliced chili pepper
peanut oil for frying
salt

Wash the zucchini and drain them on a plate covered with a paper towel. Cut them in thin slices. Fry the zucchini in a pan. Drain them, on a plate covered with a paper towel and put them in a serving dish. Season them with some salt. Wash and dry the mint. Chop garlic with mint and the chili pepper. Pour this mixture on zucchini and then pour the vinegar on them. Allow to marinate for 3 hours then serve.

Serves 4.

DOLCI - DESSERTS

Crostata ai Frutti di Bosco - Fruit Torte
500 gr. strawberries, raspberries, blackberrries
whipped cream
1 stick of vanilla, cut lengthwise
120 gr, sugar
20 gr. gelatin
pie plate
butter
plain bread crumbs

Make a bread crumb crust by buttering the pie plate and sprinkling bread crumbs on it. Wash and dry the fruit. Arrange it in the pie plate. Mix together 120 gr of sugar, 2 teaspoons of water and the vanilla stick. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove the vanilla stick. Pour over the fruit. Refrigerate. Decorate with the whipped cream at the moment of serving.

Serves 6.


www.virtualitalia.com

 

© 1998-2005 by virtualitalia.com unless otherwise noted