Category: Recipes

Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta : Recipes at My Table

Nonna Emilia’s Baked Pasta

Nonna Emilia’s Baked Pasta

Some things leave their mark on you and years later, this is just that dish!  I can smell it, taste it and love it like the very first time I ate it.  Nonna Emilia’s Baked Pasta brings me back to simpler times when food was at the centre of the home.  This pasta was a take-along for the beach.  If you grew up in Sault Ste. Marie in the 60s, all the Italians headed to the beach on Sunday.  They all prepared their homemade dishes and there was a feast on the sand.  Imagine the longest line of picnic tables with a feast made for kings.  I can still smell the beach and the sand when I cut this pasta.

Whether the beach or at home, we all gathered and there were smiles all around.  Nonna’s simple, but good ingredients come together for the most comforting dish.

I miss nonna and  I want one of her dishes; being in the kitchen always makes me feel her arms around me.  The marinara sauce comes together with the tiny meatballs and they both give this recipe texture and flavour.  In typical Calabrese style, I boil eggs and all the other ingredients are cut hunter style in big chunks.  Sharp Asiago and and mild Friulano are also a part of the stuffing.  Of course, I put in lots of grated parmesan.

Our favourite sauce that we made together:  https://recipesatmytable.com/calabrese-sunday-sauce/

Growing up I watched nonna use everything in the kitchen and nothing went to waste.  She often used bacon fat to season and fry.  I don’t do this often, but today I use duck fat to fry the meatballs.

 

The duck fat is pure and flavourful.

Tiny meatballs: use my recipe link and take a teaspoon of the mixture and cut in half for each meatball.

Look at the brown flavour in these meatballs.

All the cheeses and meatballs lined up.

Slice the eggs.

Put a layer of sauce and then half the pasta followed by the eggs.

Then add the meatballs and the chunks of cheese.

Top with some marinara sauce and then start the second layer.

Second layer all done.

Ready for the oven.

Full shot of this extraordinary pasta!!

Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta : Recipes at My Table

 

Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta : Recipes at My Table
5 from 1 vote
Print

Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta

A combination of Asiago, Friulano and Parmesan add flavour to this dish.  

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 4 cups marinara sauce
  • 80 tiny meatballs
  • 4 tbsp canola oil frying meatballs ( I used duck fat today)
  • 1 cup Asiago
  • 1 cup Friulano
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan
  • 4 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 package 500 gr short pasta

Instructions

  1. Cook the sauce.

    Make the meatballs.  Each little meatball is about 1/2 a tsp of mixture. 

     Roll about 80, and fry. 

    Set aside in a bowl. 

    Boil the eggs, cool, peel and slice.

    Cut up all the cheese into cubes about 1/2 inch.

    Boil your pasta according to package directions.  Any short pasta like penne or rigatoni is good.  

    Take a 9 X 13 baking dish and put 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom.

    Put half the pasta in and spread it out.

    Add parmesan, eggs, meatballs, cubed cheese and 1/2 cup sauce.

    Repeat this again.

    Wrap with tinfoil and place in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes.

    Remove foil and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

    Pour remainder 1/2 cup sauce over dish.

    Let sit for 30 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Notes

Marinara sauce:  https://recipesatmytable.com/marinara-sauce-passata-making/ 

 

Meatballs:  https://recipesatmytable.com/italian-meatballs/

 

2 Comments
Giant Peach Pancake Recipes at my table

Giant Peach Oven Pancake

Giant Peach Oven Pancake

Giant Peach Oven Pancake is an easy breakfast to any time of the year.  Peaches are everywhere in Leamington, and I take advantage of them.  This dish is a good summer dessert served with ice cream.

Peaches are sweet and delicious when ripened to perfection.  My favourite peaches come from Sicily where the flesh is white but very succulent.  Some peaches are flat and twice as sweet. Whatever, shape or colour, peaches are luscious and delicious raw or cooked.  If you like cooking with peaches view this site for some easy and great recipes: https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g1499/peach-recipes/

My nonno tried to grow peaches, but never succeeded in Northern Ontario.  He did grow a chestnut tree which graces the shores of Lake Superior at our cottage on Whitefish Bay.  It’s sentimental how the immigrants tried to recreate the land they left.  My nonno also grew orange plants which we cultivated indoors.  My mom still has one in her sun room.

Fruits make up a large part of the Italian diet.  We end every meal with it and to this day, I grab one whenever I am hungry.

Peaches from our local markets

Fresh Peaches Recipes at My Table

cut the peaches into slices.  Leave the skins on and sprinkle with brown, sugar, spices and maple syrup.

This simple batter consists of buttermilk, flour and melted butter.

After 15 minutes in the oven, the peaches soften a bit.  Another 15 minutes before we add the batter.

Pour the batter evenly over the peaches. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

You know that I always peek into the oven.

It comes out of the oven and the aroma tells me that this dessert is bursting with flavour.

I invert it easily onto the plate. It is silky and sugar-coated.

Giant Peach Oven Pancake Recipes at my table

Giant Peach Pancake Recipes at my table
Print

Giant Peach Oven Pancake

Watch this giant pancake disappear.  

Course Breakfast
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 6 peaches sliced
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

  1. Set oven to 375 F.

    Prepare a 9 inch pie plate by greasing it with butter.

    Combine, peaches, brown sugar, maple syrup cinnamon, and nutmeg.  

    Put fruit into the prepared pie plate.

    Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

    Remove from oven and increase the oven to 425 F.

    Whisk eggs, milk, flour and butter in a bowl.

    Pour over peach mixture.

    Return to oven for another 15 minutes.

    Invert pancake onto a platter.

    Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

    Serve with ice cream. 

Recipe Notes

If you don't have fresh peaches you can use canned peaches.  Use a large tin and turn down the oven to 350.  Cook peaches for 15 minutes at this temperature before adding batter.  

I also like to use apricots in this oven pancake. 

You can also dress it with whip cream and chocolate: get creative.  

Leave a comment
Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

Tagliatelle with Fennel and Zucchini

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini

There is a myth that pasta makes you fat.  Every time I go to Italy, I remember that it isn’t the pasta that makes us fat, but what we dress it with.  Nonna believed in everything in moderation; she was a tall slender woman who ate pasta every day. These days I make more homemade pasta dough, but dress it with healthier sauces. Tagliatelle with Fennel and Zucchini makes me think of nonna’s cooking.

When I made pasta with nonna, we hung a broom pole right across the kitchen to dry the noodles.  She would let me hang them as she rolled and cut by hand.  I carried them over to the pole on a wooden spoon.  It was so much fun.  We seasoned life with laughter mixing fun and making memories.

My nonna and mom encouraged us all to cook; they believed that no one was born a great cook, but we learn by doing.   The person doing the cooking brings soul and love to the recipe.  For them food was medicine and when you eat well you feel well.  Isn’t that some of the advice we hear today?  With more and more people getting sick, we need to get back to basics; therefore, ditch the packaged stuff and spend a little more time in the kitchen.

Today’s sauce contains olive oil, garlic, pepperoncino, and zucchini. It does not get simpler or healthier than this.  We eat pasta twice a week and for me it’s as easy as opening the refrigerator and choosing some fresh ingredients.

For a simple pasta, don’t forget this easy recipe:  https://recipesatmytable.com/old-time-pasta-dough/

I can’t take enough pictures of the flour and eggs; so simple, but good.

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

The dough comes together with a little water.

Wrapped in plastic and ready for resting.

A Modern machine makes my life easy in the kitchen.

After I cut all the sheets, I use the tagliatelle attachment.

I dust the noodles with semolina.  It keeps it from sticking and doesn’t clump like flour.

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

I make little nests and they go into the refrigerator.

Fennel is one of my favourite vegetables.  I eat it raw, but today it will make the sauce for these noodles. 

Sliced thinly it hits the frying pan.

It is soft and ready to come out of the pan and into the blender.

I chop the zucchini and onion.

Use the same frying pan to sautee them.

Then I pour the pureed fennel into the zucchini.

The noodles don’t take long to cook.

I dress the pasta with the sauce and add the fennel fronds.

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

All plated and I use one of the garlic cloves that I pulled out earlier.

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table
Print

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini

An easy healthy pasta sauce.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The tagliatelle

  • 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 5-6 tbs cold water

The Sauce

  • 1 bulb fennel remove outer layers, wash
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp olive oil reserve 1 tbsp for zucchini
  • 1/2 tsp pepperoncino
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 small zucchini
  • salt and pepper
  • grated parmesan to dress pasta
  • 1 cup water reserve 1/2

Instructions

The Pasta

  1. Place flour and eggs in a food processor.

    Pulse on high.

    Add water one tbsp at a time until dough forms a ball.

    Remove and knead for a minute.

    Wrap in Plastic and put in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

The Sauce

  1. Wash the fennel and remove the outer leaves.

    Thinly slice include the fronds.  Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the fronds for dressing the pasta. 

    In a large sauce pan place the 2 tbsp of olive oil and the garlic.  Let the garlic infuse the oil.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  

    Remove the garlic and add the pepperoncino.

    Add the thinly sliced fennel and sauté. 

    Add the vegetable broth and cook to soften the fennel.

    Remove add the other 1/2 cup water and puree.

    To the same pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the diced small onion.

    Cut the zucchini into small bite size pieces and sauté. 

    Introduce the pureed fennel sauce to the pan. 

    Stir and remove from the heat.  

The Pasta

  1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.

    Roll it out and make the tagliatelle.

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Salt the water generously after you put in the pasta.

    The pasta will cook quickly.

    Remove with tongs and place in the pan with the sauce. At this point turn the heat on to medium for your pan.

    Toss.  This is where you might need a bit of the pasta water to thicken the sauce.

    Remove from heat.  Add the cheese and a little more olive oil.

Leave a comment

Special Occasion Sponge Cake

Special Occasion Sponge Cake

I can still hear my nonna saying “don’t walk across the floor when I have my sponge cake in the oven.”  If you are Italian, you will understand, and if the cake deflated, you were in trouble.  Special Occasion Sponge Cake makes me smile because I can see nonna standing there with her hands on her hips and guarding the kitchen entrance.

Today, my mom is the queen of sponge cakes and we all wait eagerly for our birthdays because she dresses them up differently for each of us.  Of course, hers contain a variety of special liqueurs.  Special Occasion Sponge Cake is very versatile.  This sponge is versatile.  We usually make it for birthdays and you can put your own special touches on this one. Mom fills hers with a variety of fruit and whipped cream.  I use a cannoli filling today because I have extra ricotta on hand.  Experiment and have fun.  This cake is light and pleases everyone!!

My mom and nonna do not use milk in their sponge.  I like to use warm milk because it produces a more forgiving batter. Warming the milk and adding it at the end helps to emulsify the ingredients making the cake lighter.  The warm milk also helps infuse the flavour of the orange zest.  Some say that old recipes required the milk heated to kill any bacteria.  I find that using warm milk and some baking powder helps this cake rise and it is hardier than the old sponge with only eggs. The following article suggest chocolate milk in the cake: I will have to try it.  https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-xpm-2013-11-19-ct-tribu-daley-question-hot-milk-cake-20131119-story.html

One thing I know for sure is that nonna’s recipe called for 12 eggs and I cut it to 4.  I bought whipping cream for the filling and icing because then I control the sugar.  In our house, we love ricotta and I made a cannoli type filling for this cake.  The possibilities are endless, and you can make this recipe your own to bring to the table.

 for a lighter cake, Always sift the flour

It’s important to beat the eggs until frothy.

Then I add the sugar and this happens.

A little orange zest will compliment the Amaretto later.

Into a springform pan.

Peeking into the oven.

Cooling on a rack.

One slice for me.

 

5 from 1 vote
Print

Special Occasion Sponge Cake

Course Dessert
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Special Occasion Sponge Cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 56 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 16 minutes
Servings 12
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 2 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder nonna use to say a pinch
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • juice of half an orange 2 tbsp ( approximately)
  • zest of half an orange

The Filling and Icing

  • 1 cup ricotta strained
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
  • orange zest
  • juice of half an orange

Decorations

  • chocolate chips or pistachios

Instructions

  1. Set oven to 350 F.

    Prepare to round 9 inch cake springform pan by greasing and placing parchment paper on the bottom.

    In a large bowl place the eggs and beat for 4 minutes.  I used my kitchen aid.

    After 2 minutes slowly add the sugar and beat for another 5 minutes.

    They should be frothy and creamy.

    Sift the flour and the baking powder in a bowl.

    Gradually add the flour; 1/4 cup at a time.

    Mix on medium low.

    Warm the milk and butter in a small pan.

    Slowly pour in the warm milk.

    Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the orange juice and zest with a spatula.

    Make sure that you get to the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all the flour.

    Pour into the prepared pan.

    Place the pan on a cookie sheet.

    Oven temperature varies.  Mine took 50 minutes.

The Assembly

  1. Put the ricotta into a bowl and add the sugar and cinnamon.

    Whip up the cream and fold it into the ricotta mixture.

    Slice the cooled cake into 3.

    Put 1/4 cup of amaretto liqueur over the sponge and then spoon on some filling and sprinkle on some chocolate chips.

    Repeat with the next layer.

    Put the top on and use the remaining filling to spread all over the cake.

    Dust with cocoa powder.

Recipe Notes

You can double this recipe and use large sheet pans.

If you want a thicker icing, add 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar to your filling.  

2 Comments