Quiche alla Italiana- Pancetta and Fontina!!

Buongiorno mei amici! Today, I will be sharing a yummy favorite of mine, Homemade Quiche!! I know, I know, it’s not very Italian, but the filling sure is. Pancetta and Fontina, I mean, how good does that sound, right? I love quiche; a nicely flaky buttery crust filled with cheesy fluffy eggy deliciousness mixed with smoky pancetta….mmmmm. The key to a homemade quiche for me is really making a homemade quiche. Don’t wimp out on me and purchase a ready made crust, because once you have a homemade crust, you’ll never believe you ate the other stuff!! I also added some ramps in this recipe because ramps are only in season very briefly and I like to use them whenever I can!!! Enjoy!!

Quiche alla Italiana

Crust

2 ½ cups of unbleached pastry flour (As I’ve said, I only use King Arthur)

¾ teaspoon salt

1 tbsp. dried Italian herb mix

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1 stick of cold butter

½ cup plus 1-2 tablespoons ice water

In a medium bowl whisk your flour, salt and herb mix. Cut in the shortening until it’s broken down to small pieces, almost resembling peas. Dice the butter in ½ inch pieces and cut into the mix, again, until it is broken down into small pieces. Add the water, only a few tablespoons at a time, mix with a fork. When the dough is moist enough to hold it together, transfer to a piece of floured parchment paper. Fold the dough over itself three or four times to really bring it together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes have passed, begin to roll and put the crust in an 11 inch quiche pan. You want to crust to be around a quarter of an inch thick. Bake partially for 10 minutes on 350 degrees. Remove from the oven and let it rest while you make your quiche filling…..

Quiche alla Italiana

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. garlic, minced very finely

8 slices of pancetta, roughly chopped

1 bunch of ramps, cleaned and chopped (I have to admit, I like my ramps raw, but if you want to blanch them before adding, I’ll understand!!)

5 eggs

3 egg yolks

½ cup of cream

2 tbsp. dried Italian herb mix

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

½ cup of fontina

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a medium size pan over medium heat. Add you olive oil and garlic, cook until slightly roasted. Add the pancetta and let it crisp up, around 10 minutes. While the prosciutto is cooking, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, cream, Italian herb mix, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Make sure it is thoroughly whisked. Take your pie pan and spread the prosciutto/garlic mix in the pie crust. Next, add the chopped ramps. Add the egg mix and sprinkle with the fontina. Bake for an hour or until the top is set and slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Remove the quiche from the pan and serve. I love to have this for brunch with a side of endive with a balsamic reduction. Buon Appetito!! 

Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck

Ciao a tutti!! I am so sorry for not posting for a while, things have been hectic. Between a recent family vacation, preparing for culinary school in Italy at the end of next month, an active social life and my fabulous internship with Feast on History, I've been pretty busy. But that’s the way I like it!! As I mentioned, I’m an intern with an amazing company called Feast on History where I recently got to help develop recipes and cook for their Feast of the Seven Fishes which was HUGE SUCCESS!! The kitchen space they used was so beautiful; it actually inspired me to use it for my own upcoming event!!! For more than a year, I have been toying around with the idea of doing a supper club. But where to do it? I didn't want to do it in my own apartment and all of the spaces I found where way too big for what I needed.

When I saw this space, I felt like Goldilocks. Not too bag, not too small, it was just right. So, I will be inviting close friends to this first event to get some feedback...it will be a Masquerade Pop Up Dinner tied in with Halloween. The theme is good vs. evil, as is showcased in the menu. Sweet, light and luscious vs. rich, spicy and indulgent. Eventually my plan is for people to purchase a ticket for the event, but I want to do a few test runs and receive some feedback first. For those that interested in the underground dining scene, does this sound like something that might interest you in the future? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! So, I would like to share with you one of my recipes that will be served at my Masquerade….Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck…fried carbs  with a light, sweet mousse topped with a piece of smoky cured Italian meat…how good does that sound?

Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck

Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse

1 Butternut Squash

1 tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup of mascarpone

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. crushed Aleppo chili

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with foil. Clean and cut your butternut squash in half. You will want to remove all of the seeds and “guts. ”Rub with olive oil and top with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Roast for 2-3 hours or until the butternut squash is tender. Scoop out the butternut squash and put it in a food processor (if you have a Vitamix, use the Vitamix, I swear by this thing!!). Process until smooth and creamy and no fibers remain. Add your mascarpone, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, dried rosemary and Aleppo chili. Puree until thoroughly combined and smooth. Put the butternut squash mascarpone mousse in a container to chill for 3 hours.

Fried Polenta

1 ½ cups of polenta

4 cups of water

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. crushed Aleppo chili

1 cup of neutral oil (canola, peanut)

1 cup of flour

Prepare 4 cups of water in a medium size deep pot over high heat. While waiting for the water, butter a casserole dish. When water is boiling, add your polenta and stir with a wooden spoon for five minutes. You want to get the polenta nice and smooth. Add salt, pepper, dried rosemary and Aleppo chili. Pour the polenta into the casserole dish and spread so it is even. Put it in the refrigerator to chill for two-three hours.

When the polenta is done “chilling”, take it out to fry. In a medium size pan over medium-high heat, heat your oil. Cut your polenta into 1 inch squares and lightly drench in the flour. Put in the oil and fry on each side for three minutes. Continue doing this with all of the polenta bites.

Fried Speck

6 slices of speck

1 tsp. olive oil

In a medium size pan over medium heat, add your olive oil. When it is hot, fry your speck very briefly, around 2-3 minutes. Take it out of the pan and allow to cool before breaking the speck into small pieces.

Assembling the bites:

Take one of the polenta squares and using a small ice cream scoop, scoop some of the butternut squash mascarpone onto it. Top with a small piece of fried speck. Buon Appetito!! 

Stuffed Calamari for The Feast of the Seven Fishes with Feast on History

Buongiorno mei amici!! Next up for The Feast of the Seven Fishes with Feast on History…Stuffed Calamari!! No Feast of the Seven Fishes would be complete without it. Like the other recipes, I wanted to keep it traditional with a bit of a twist. I made mine stuffed with mushrooms and ricotta. It’s a wonderful mix of flavors and textures and the tomato sauce is reduced with some white wine. For more information on the upcoming Feast of the Seven Fishes be sure to head over to Feast on History for information on purchasing tickets for the dinner. Enjoy!!

                                     

Stuffed Calamari

1 pound of calamari tubes (around 6 tubes)

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

2 tbsp. crushed red pper

2 cloves of chopped garlic

2 cups of mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp. Italian parsley

2 cups of bread crumbs

½ cup of ricotta cheese

¼ cup of parmigiana

White Wine Tomato Sauce

2 cups of diced canned tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes (in my opinion, they’re the best!)

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup of white wine

Begin by cleaning your calamari in cold water. Add olive oil to a medium size pan over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and garlic. Cook until slightly golden. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they are tender. Add the parsley and turn off the heat. Put the mushrooms in a medium size bowl and add the bread crumbs, ricotta and parmigiana.

Meanwhile, in another medium size pan, add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and olive oil. Add the white wine.

Stuff your calamari with the mushroom stuffing. I like to use a tiny spoon to really get in there and then I press down the stuffing with my thumb. Put the stuffed calamari in the sauce and cook until opaque and tender, around 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Buon Appetito!! 

Fusilli with Sausage, Ramps and White Wine

Ciao a tutti!! I feel like it’s been a while since I've posted a pasta dish, so I think it’s about time I do!! When I was in Italy last Christmas, I brought back A LOT of pasta. I loved seeing how many different shapes they offer. A lot of people think all pasta tastes the same, but to me, there is always a difference. Some has a bit more a bite, some is milder, but either way, I love all pasta. The pasta I’m using today is Fusilli Avellinesi. It has a twisted shape, so it’s perfect for dishes that you really want the sauce to cling to and get in there!! Since this pasta is hard to come by, I will suggest using regular fusilli. I made this pasta with sausage, ramps and white wine. I mean, what else do you need right? Enjoy!!

Fusilli with Sausage, Ramps and White Wine

4 Italian sausage links

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 box of fusilli

1 bunch of ramps, cleaned and finely chopped (including the green part!!)

1 ½ cups of white wine

2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Prepare a medium size pan over medium heat with the 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Remove the sausage from the case (you can easily do this by wetting the sausage link and cutting it with a knife, the inside of the link should easily come out). Tear the sausage into small pieces and put in the pan. Thoroughly cook through for 30-45 minutes. Always be careful with pork. When the sausage is almost done cooking, prepare a large pot of water over high heat. Generously salt your water. When the water is boiling, add the fusilli. Cook until al dente, depending on your pasta it could take 4-7 minutes. Once it is done, drain the pasta and put it in the pan with sausage and toss. Add the ramps, white wine, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook on medium until half of the wine has reduced. Buon Appetito!!

Fried and Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Ciao a tutti!! For years, I heard my mother speak of Zucchini Flowers. They’re not as popular in the United States as they are in Italy, so getting your hands on them can be pretty difficult. You’re best trying a farmers market once they are in season. I only first tried Zucchini Flowers on my first trip to Italy in the summer of 2011. When my mother and I were in Rome that trip, we made sure to indulge in zucchini flowers every single day. Since then, anytime they’re in season, I buy them once a week and go to town. There are many ways to prepare zucchini flowers, toss them with some pasta, serve them on a white pizza, simply grill them…but my favorite way is to stuff them with ricotta and fry them. Very healthy, I know. But life is short so you gotta live a little! If you have never had zucchini flowers and can get your hands on a batch, I promise you, you will LOVE them!

Fried Zucchini Flowers

Makes 8-12 zucchini flowers

For the ricotta filling

½ cup ricotta cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tbsp. dried Italian seasonings

For the batter

¾ cup of cornstarch

¼ cup flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 egg

For frying

1 ½ cups of neutral oil (Vegetable, canola or peanut)

Start off by cleaning your zucchini flowers. Check the insides for petals or small bugs (I know, it’s yucky, but they can sneak in there!) Rinse them and then pat them dry. In a medium bowl, add your ricotta, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, parsley and dried Italian seasonings. Mix until well combined. 

In a shallow dish or container, add your cornstarch, flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Lightly mix with a fork. In a bowl, crack and whisk your egg.  Take your zucchini flower and gently open it and add a tsp. of the ricotta mix, then roll it in the cornstarch mix and then dip in the egg. Set aside on a separate plate. Continue doing this until all of your zucchini flowers are covered. If you need more egg, you can always crack another. 

Prepare a medium size deep pot over medium-high heat and add your 1 ½ cups of oil. When the oil is heated, gently place in your zucchini flowers. Each flower should take around 3-5 minutes to fry. As they are each done frying, place them on a wire rack to cool, a wire rack will also help them avoid steaming up. There is a chance you may have some cornstarch mix leftover, so you will just have to throw it out. Eat right away while they are still nice, hot and crunchy!! Buon Appetito!! 

Maple Beer Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze and Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle

Ciao a tutti!! I have a confession to make….I do occasionally make non-Italian recipes. I know, I know, shocking right? The truth is, every now and then I prepare treats that are nowhere near Italian recipes. Hence, my newest creation…..Maple Beer Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze and Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle. I recently made this for a party and everyone went nuts for it!! Since everyone seemed to love it so much and was begging for the recipe, I figured other people might enjoy it. So, even though it’s not Italian, I knew I had to share this with all of you. Enjoy!!!

Maple Beer Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze and Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle

Serves 8 large slices

Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle

6 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped

¼ cup of beer

1 cup sugar

½ cup corn syrup

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup of peanuts, chopped

Prepare a large pan over medium heat and add the bacon to the pan. Cook until very crisp, around 30 minutes. Cover a plate with a paper towel and put the bacon on the plate to soak up any extra oil. Chop the bacon very finely.

Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper and set aside. Combine the bacon and peanuts in a bowl and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine beer, sugar and corn syrup until well mixed. Over medium high heat, bring mixture to 250 degrees F without stirring. Add the butter and stir constantly until mixture reaches 320 degrees F. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda (the mixture will begin to foam). Fold in nut and bacon mix. Pour onto lined baking sheet and spread out evenly. Let harden and cool completely and then break into small pieces. Add the pieces to a food processor and pulse until pieces are small and fine. Once the brittle is done, prepare your glaze…

Salted Caramel Glaze

5 tablespoons butter

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

Pinch of salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, dark brown sugar, heavy creamy and salt to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract. Add 1/3 cup of the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Continue to whisk in the sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Set the glaze aside and prepare the cake. 

Maple Beer Cake

2 cups of flour

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

¼ cup real maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. maple extract

2 eggs

1/8 cup milk

1/8 cup beer, any kind

Spray a standard 8 by 8 brownie pay with cooking spray and pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and maple extract and mix until well combined. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the milk and beer and dry ingredients and mix gently until well combined. Pour into the pan and bake for 40 minutes. You will want to brownies to completely cool before adding the glaze and brittle, around 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

Once you have waited an hour and 30 minutes, add the glaze on top of the cake. You can simply spread it with a butter knife or pour the caramel in a ketchup bottle and squirt it out. After you glaze the cake, add the crumbled Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle. Slice into 8 large pieces and enjoy!

Fried Zucchini

If you are like me (and most people out there), you love fried food. Anything that tastes good to begin with can only taste even more amazing when fried, right? When I was in Italy last summer, I had the ultimate pleasure of sampling every single vegetable you can imagine fried! The Italians have something called Fritto Misto, which is a dish of pieces of meat, seafood or vegetable dipped in a light batter and fried. 

When my mother and I are in Rome, we share an order of Fritto Misto everyday. We had fried artichokes, eggplant, peppers, lemons, apples. The beauty of this dish is that you can pretty much fry whatever your heart desires. One of my favorite fried vegetables however, (Besides my all time favorite, Fried Cauliflower) is fried zucchini.

I was inspired to make my fried zucchini when I went shopping at my local farmers market. They had the most beautiful, fresh zucchinis. I couldn't resist. What I love about this batter is how light it is because of the corn starch. It’s not thick and heavy where you can’t even taste the vegetable insides. It is a very thin batter, so don’t get nervous and think you made a mistake. Don’t be fooled by how thin it is, it will stick to your vegetables and fry up perfectly. It’s so crispy, you will love these. Let me know what you think!!

Fried Zucchini

3 zucchinis

1 cup of oil (for frying)

3/4 cup of cornstarch

¼ cup of flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ cup of water

1 egg

Clean your zucchinis and dry them. Then cut them into very thin slices (You can make them however thin or thick you like, but they will fry better when they are thin and taste even crispier.) Mix all of your dry ingredients, the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Then add your water and egg and beat lightly.

Use a deep enough pan to fry. Set your stove on high heat and put the oil in the pan. You will want to wait for it to really heat up before beginning to fry. Once it is hot, dip your zucchini slices in the batter and carefully immerse in the oil. Allow each side to fry for at least two minutes. Take the zucchini and put on a wire rack to cool. Salt lightly and enjoy!!

Grilled Steak with Balsamic Madeira Reduction with a Baked Ricotta Parmigiana Mousse over Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Sorbet

I want to win a week in one of your Tuscany villas! A chance to be in Tuscany in a beautiful villa where I can shop and eat all of the delicious food that Tuscany has to offer? This recipe is entered in a competition to win a week in a Tuscan Villa!! A dream come true! For today’s meal, I am sharing with you a Grilled Steak with Balsamic Madeira Reduction with Baked Ricotta Parmigiana Mouse over Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Sorbet. I first had a steak prepared like this in Florence, the winter of 2011 and boy, would I love to have it there again! I made a delicious baked cheese mousse to go with the steak (just because I love cheese), some fresh grilled eggplant (because we need our veggies!) and a lovely, light Tomato Sorbet, a perfect palate cleanser. Enjoy!

Tomato Sorbet

3 large tomatoes

1 cup of granulated sugar

Clean and chop your tomatoes. Add the chopped tomatoes to a medium size container and put in the freezer for an hour and a half. Take them out, add to a food processor and mix on high until thoroughly blended. Prepare a medium size pot over medium heat and slowly pound in the tomato mix. Add the sugar and mix until blended. Pour the tomato sugar mix back into your container and put in the freezer for four hours. Serve with a garnish of fresh basil.

Baked Ricotta Parmigiana Mousse

¾ cup of ricotta cheese

5 tbsp. grated parmigiana

1 ½ tbsp. salt

1 ½ tbsp. pepper

1 ½ tbsp. crushed red pepper

1 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. Italian seasonings

1 egg

4 small ramekins

2 tbsp. olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size bowl, mix the ricotta until smooth. Add the parmigiana, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasonings. Taste for flavor, if you want to add more seasoning, go ahead! Once it seasoned to your liking, add the egg and mix until combined.  Using the 2 tbsp. of olive oil, oil your ramekins and fill with the ricotta parmigiana mix. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until completely set. Take them out and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Eggplant

1 medium size eggplant

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. Italian seasonings

Clean and cut your eggplant into slices. Prepare a pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasonings directly to the pan. Add the eggplant slices, flip them after 20 minutes or until slightly crispy. Once flipped, cook for another 15 minutes.

Grilled Steak with Balsamic Madeira Reduction

1 tbsp. peanut oil

1 ¼ pound prime boneless strip steak

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. smoked salt

1 tbsp. pepper

Prepare a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the peanut oil and allow to heat for around 3-4 minutes. Rub your steak with olive oil, smoked salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook on one side until medium rare, around 6 minutes, flip and allow to cook for another 6-7 minutes. Turn off the pan and move the steak to a plate to settle.

Balsamic Madera Reduction

6 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

½ cup of Madeira

Add the balsamic vinegar and Madeira to the cast iron skillet with the remaining liquid from the meat. Cook over medium heat until slightly thick and syrupy.

Assembling your plate:

Plate a circle of eggplant on your plate and place the Ricotta Parmigiana Mousse on top. Add a few slices of steak to the plate and glaze with some of the Balsamic Madeira Reduction. In a small cup on the side, scoop out some of the Tomato Sorbet and add a fresh leaf of basil. Buon Appetito!

Olive Oil Muffins with Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Chips and Almonds

Ciao a tutti!! Mi dispiace for not posting for a few days, things have been pretty nuts because…droll roll…. I am so excited to officially announce that I will be attending cooking school in Florence in the fall!!!! I am beyond grateful and so, so excited for this opportunity. Ever since I was little, I would speak about studying opera and cooking in Italy. I studied opera in Italy a few years ago, now cooking gets its turn!! Today I am sharing a yummy American style classic breakfast…or dessert, however you look at it, but with my own Italian twist. Olive Oil Muffins with Dark Chocolate Chips and Almonds.

I loooooove muffins. For me, they have always been one of my favorite comfort foods. When I was little, there was this tiny whole in the wall bakery in my neighborhood that specialized in muffins, they were so perfect. Light, moist, not at all heavy, just delicious. My favorites were of course Chocolate Chip and Double Chocolate Chip….time hasn't really changed!! The other day, all of a sudden I had an intense muffin craving, but no place around me sells really REALLY good muffins. 

What was I to do? Well, make them myself!! These are very yummy. A few tips for making these muffins...for the chocolate chips, I will only use Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate Chips; the chocolate is so rich and intense. Whenever I bake, I also only use King Arthur Flours; they are just lighter and producer a better product. This is a classic bakery style muffin. You will love them!!

Olive Oil Muffins with Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Chips and Almonds

3 cups of King Arthur All Purpose Flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of almond milk (you can use regular milk, the almond milk just adds a slightly sweet almond flavor that I like)

½ cup of olive oil

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

1 cup of Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup of chopped almonds

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 6 muffin tin with non stick spray or you can use muffin liners.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until combined, add the milk, oil, vanilla and almond extracts. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold. You do not want to over mix, that will result in heavier muffin. Fold in the chocolate chips and almonds. Pour the batter into your muffin tins, make sure to fill it all the way to the top, you want that nice muffin top!! Bake for 30 minutes or longer if needed. You can stick a tooth pick in to make sure they are set. Everyone’s oven is different so baking time may vary. When they are done, let them cool for around 15 minutes in the pan. Then after 15 minutes….go to town!!!! Buon Appetito!!! 

Beet Gnocchi with Beet Greens Pesto

I have confessed my love for pasta multiple times. I mean, I’m Italian, not liking pasta would practically be considered a sin, right? Well, maybe not, but to some people. The funny thing is, I hated pasta when I was little, I didn't want any part of it. But now, I’d say I have pasta anywhere from 3-4 times a week. 

Since I really started cooking and when I say really, I mean REALLY. When I use to cook, I would make eggs, simple pasta dishes and I loved to bake. Now I’m very into making everything from scratch and that includes my pasta. One of my favorite pastas is gnocchi, which is an Italian dumpling that is traditionally made with flour and potato, of course like any pasta, there are a million variations. I've even made Gluten Free Pumpkin Gnocchi, so pretty much nothing is off limits!! 

For weeks, I've been wanting to experience with different gnocchi’s and what intrigued me…was the beet. Beet Gnocchi that is!! I knew I wanted to serve it in a special sauce, something a little “out there”…beet greens pesto!!

When you get beets the top have all of these beautiful greens that most people don’t bother using, but when I got my beets, they were extremely fresh, so I turned the greens into pesto! These gnocchi have a wonderful earthy taste, the flavor is not of your typical gnocchi, however the texture is. There is nothing like homemade gnocchi, they are so light and tender. I call gnocchi little clouds, because to me, that’s what they taste like! Making homemade gnocchi does take some effort, but to me, it’s completely worth it. You’ll never want to buy packaged gnocchi again!

Beet Gnocchi

1 pound of potatoes

½ pound of beets

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

¾ cup of double 00 flour (if you don’t have double 00 flour, you can substitute semolina or AP)

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Cleaning your potatoes and beets. Cut the beet greens off of the top and set them all aside in a large bowl. Bake the potatoes and beets until they are tender, this could take anywhere from an hour or so, depending on the heat of your oven.

Once the beets and potatoes are done, take them out of the oven. Split the potato so steam escapes. Allow to beets to cool while preparing the potatoes. With the potatoes, peel off the skin and take out of the flesh. Set the potatoes aside.

When the beets have cooled, peel the skin and transfer the beets to a food processor. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Process until smooth.

With the potatoes, pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl. Add the beet puree. Add the flour in shifts. Use your hands; do not use a spoon or a whisk of any kind!! As you go along, you will be able to tell if you may need more flour. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll a piece of the dough into a rope and then cut into little pieces. Continue rolling the dough into ropes and cutting until you have finished making all of your gnocchi. I kind of like it when my gnocchi are slightly different sizes and shapes, there is something rustic about it me. Put the gnocchi on the parchment paper. I put my gnocchi in the refrigerators for around an hour to set and make sure they hold their shape.

In the meantime, make your beet greens peso…

Beet Greens Pesto

½ cup to 1 cup of olive oil (depends how thick or thin you want it)

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

½ cup of toasted pistachios

The beet greens from your ½ pound of beets, cleaned, blanched and chopped

¼ cup basil, cleaned, blanched and chopped

¼ cup parsley, cleaned, blanched and chopped

½ cup grated parmigiana

Add your olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper, lemon juice and pistachios to a food processor. Pulse a few times. Add your beet greens, basil, parsley and parmigiana. Taste, you can adjust the salt and pepper if you like. Mix until smooth and creamy. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator. I would suggest using this within a week.

Back to the gnocchi!! Prepare a large with water over high heat. Set a pan on the stove where you will transfer your gnocchi when they are done. When the water is boiling, add the gnocchi. Fresh gnocchi cooks VERY quickly. Once it floats to top, using a slotted spoon, put the gnocchi in your other pan. Add ½ cup of the beet greens pesto to the gnocchi and gently toss. Enjoy!!