Pizza Recipe

UrbanoeFresco!
           Your Bite of Italy

Pizza Dough 

       Pizza

The history of pizza begins in antiquity, when various ancient cultures produced flat breads with toppings.

The precursor of pizza was probably the focaccia, a flat bread known to the Romans as panis focacius, to which toppings were then added. Modern pizza developed in Naples, when tomato was added to the focaccia in the late 18th century.

The word pizza was first documented in AD 997 in Gaeta and successively in different parts of Central and Southern Italy. Pizza was mainly eaten in the country of Italy and by emigrants from there. This changed after World War II, when Allied troops stationed in Italy came to enjoy pizza along with other Italian foods.

" Buon appetito."

Ingredients 

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1-1/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Prep
  25 m
• Baking
  25 m
• Ready In
  60 m

1. In large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in water; let stand for 5 minutes. Add oil and salt. Stir in flour, a cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.
   
   
2. Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 2-3 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
3. Punch down dough; divide in half. Press each into a greased 12-in. pizza pan. Combine the tomato sauce, oregano and basil; spread over each crust. Top with beef mixture, green pepper and cheese.
4. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Yield: 2 pizzas (3 servings each).

Footnotes

• 2 slices: 537 calories, 19g fat (7g saturated fat), 40mg cholesterol, 922mg sodium, 64g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 4g fiber), 25g protein.

Crème brûlée

UrbanoeFresco!
           Your Bite of Italy

    Creme Brulee

       Dessert  

Marinara (English: "mariner's") sauce is an Italian tomato sauce that originated in Naples, usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions. Its many variations can include the addition of capers, olives, spices, and a dash of wine

This sauce is widely used in Italian-American cuisine, which has greatly diverged from its Old World origins.

Italians refer to marinara sauce only in association with other recipes. For instance, spaghetti alla marinara literally translates to "spaghetti mariner's style" (from the adjective marinara with the feminine suffix -a pertaining to salsa, Italian for "sauce", and also to maniera, Italian for "style"), but tomato sauce alone in Italy is called sugo/salsa al/di pomodoro or pummarola (the latter being Neapolitan language).

This is not to be confused with spaghetti marinara, a popular dish in Australia and New Zealand, where a tomato-based sauce is mixed with fresh seafood.

" Buon appetito."

Ingredients Serving for 5 person 

• 6 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

• Prep
  10 m
• Cook
  30 m
• Ready In
  2h 60 m

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons white sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
3. Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
4. Pour cream mixture into the top pan of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to broil.
7. In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

Marinara Pasta

UrbanoeFresco!
           Your Bite of Italy

Spaghetti Marinara

       Pasta dish

Marinara (English: "mariner's") sauce is an Italian tomato sauce that originated in Naples, usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions. Its many variations can include the addition of capers, olives, spices, and a dash of wine

This sauce is widely used in Italian-American cuisine, which has greatly diverged from its Old World origins.

Italians refer to marinara sauce only in association with other recipes. For instance, spaghetti alla marinara literally translates to "spaghetti mariner's style" (from the adjective marinara with the feminine suffix -a pertaining to salsa, Italian for "sauce", and also to maniera, Italian for "style"), but tomato sauce alone in Italy is called sugo/salsa al/di pomodoro or pummarola (the latter being Neapolitan language).

This is not to be confused with spaghetti marinara, a popular dish in Australia and New Zealand, where a tomato-based sauce is mixed with fresh seafood.^[

" Buon appetito."

Ingredients Serving for 8 person 

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons capers
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

• Prep
  30 m
• Cook
  30 m
• Ready In
  60 m

1. n a large saucepan combine crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, minced garlic, sugar, parsley, garlic powder, salt, oregano, basil, and ground black pepper. Add capers and crushed red pepper if desired. Cover. Bring to a boil.
2. ower heat and simmer, with cover, for 45 to 60 minutes.
3. As simmering time nears, in a large pot with boiling salted water cook spaghetti until al dente.
4. Toss spaghetti with cooked sauce. Serve warm.

Footnotes

• Per Serving: 273 calories; 1.3 g fat; 55.9 g carbohydrates; 10.3 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 716 mg sodium.

Bolognese Pasta

UrbanoeFresco!
           Your Bite of Italy

Spaghetti Bolognese 

       Pasta dish

"Spaghetti bolognese" (sometimes called spaghetti alla bolognese, or colloquially "spag bol" or just "spaghetti") is a pasta dish that is commonly served outside Italy. It consists of spaghetti served with a sauce made from tomatoes, minced beef, garlic, wine and herbs; sometimes minced beef can be replaced by other minced meats. In this sense it is actually more similar to Neapolitan ragù from the south of Italy than the northern Bolognese version of Ragu. Often accused of 'inauthenticity' when encountered by Italians abroad, it may be served with a larger proportion of sauce to spaghetti than is common in some Italian spaghetti dishes, and the sauce may be laid on top of the spaghetti (rather than being mixed in, in the Italian manner) or even served separately from it (leaving diners to mix it in themselves). It is often served with grated parmesan on top, but local cheeses, such as grated cheddar are also often used. The sauce is commonly referred to as "Bolognese sauce" or just "spaghetti sauce", but is actually closer to a Southern or Central Italian style of pasta dish, as true Bolognese sauce is generally served in Italy with tagliatelle ribbons, and not with spaghetti.

" Buon appetito."

Ingredients Serving for 4 person

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400g/14oz beef mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 100g/3½oz carrot, grated
• 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400ml/14fl oz stock (made from stock cube. Ideally beef, but any will do)
• 400g/14oz dried spaghetti
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Prep
  30 m
• Cook
  60 m
• Ready In
  90 m

1. Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and once hot add the beef mince and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the mince until well browned over a medium-high heat (be careful not to burn the mince. It just needs to be a dark brown color). Once browned, transfer the mince to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add another tablespoon of oil to the saucepan you browned the mince in and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and fry gently for 5-6 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the grated carrot then pour the mince and any juices in the bowl back into the saucepan.
3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir well to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to simmer gently for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and rich. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
4. When ready to cook the spaghetti, heat a large saucepan of water and add a pinch of salt. Cook according to the packet instructions. Once the spaghetti is cooked through, drain and add to the pan with the bolognese sauce. Mix well and serve.

Footnotes

• Use Italian pasta for best results. 
• Substitute pecorino Romano  for the Parmesan cheese  if desired.

Lasagna Recipe

UrbanoeFresco!
            Your Bite of Italy

LASAGNE

                            Pasta dish

Lasagne (/ləˈzænjə, -ˈzɑːn-, -ˈsɑːn-/; Italian: [laˈzaɲɲe]; singular lasagna) are wide, flat pasta, and possibly one of the oldest types of pasta.^[1] "Lasagne", or the singular "lasagna", commonly refers to a dish made with several layers of lasagne sheets alternated with sauces and other ingredients, such as meats and cheese.

Lasagne originated in Italy during the Middle Ages and has traditionally been ascribed to the city of Naples. The first recorded recipe was set down in the early 14th century Liber de Coquina (The Book of Cookery). It bore only a slight resemblance to the later traditional form of lasagne, featuring a fermented dough, flattened into a thin sheet, boiled, sprinkled with cheese and spices, and then eaten with the use of a small pointed stick. Other recipes written in the century following the Liber de Coquina recommended boiling the pasta in a chicken broth and dressing it with cheese and chicken fat, or in one case walnuts, in a recipe adapted for the Lentenfast.

" Buon appetito."

Ingredients For 12 Serving

• • 9 lasagna noodles*
  • 1-1/4 pounds  Italian sausage
  • 3/4 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cans (one 28 ounces, one 15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, divided
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 3/4 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Prep
  1 H
• Cook
  50 m
• Ready In
  2 H

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook sausage, beef and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking up meat into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Drain.
2. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, 3 tablespoons parsley, basil, fennel, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. In a small bowl, mix egg, ricotta cheese, and remaining parsley and salt.
4. Preheat oven to 375°. Spread 2 cups meat sauce into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles and a third of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce and cheeses (dish will be full).
5. Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

Footnotes

• Use Hand made pasta noodles for best results. 
• Substitute Mild Sausage  for the Italian Sausage  if desired.