Italian

FETTUCINI CARBONARA

Ingredients

3 rashers of bacon cut into small pieces
4 crushed garlic cloves
3 tbsp chopped onion
3/4 cup white wine
3/4 cup half-and-half (half cream, half milk)
1/2 cup grated Romano or parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk
2 servings of cooked fettucini
Chopped parsley or shredded cheese for garnish

In a pan, fry the bacon until the fatty portions are just beginning to turn clear. Add the onion, and saute over high heat until the onion is translucent. Drain off the fat, remove the bacon and onion, and set aside.

Add the garlic to the pan, and deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any bacon leavings. Simmer for about 1 minute. Add the half-and-half to the pan, and wait until the sauce come back up to the simmer (with practice, this can be done so that the half-and-half does not curdle in the wine. If it does curdle, that's okay - the taste will still be there, it just won't look as nice).

Add the Romano cheese (parmesan is acceptable, but the taste will be a little more pungent), and stir until smooth, about 30 seconds. At this point, the sauce may be removed from the heat and held for about 15 minutes.

To serve, bring the sauce back up to temperature. Add the cooked fettucini to the pan and toss to coat the pasta. Add the bacon, onion and raw egg yolk, and toss to mix thoroughly. Dish onto two plates, garnish with a bit of chopped parsley or sheets of cheese, and serve immediately.

TRADITIONAL CAPRESE SALAD

Ingredients

4 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 package of fresh mozzarella cheese
20 sprigs of fresh basil
5 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper
Salt

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese to 1/4in thick. Place tomatoes and mozzarella alternately in a pattern around the perimeter of a small serving dish. Alternatively, for single serving dishes, place the mozzarella slices on top of the tomato slices, arranging for 8 servings (arrange for four servings, if using it as a main dish).

Place whole (or torn) basil leaves on top of the tomatoes and mozzarella, using pieces that roughly match the size of the tomato and mozzarella slices. Sprinkle the salad with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Sprinkle the salad lightly (or to taste) with the salt and ground black pepper and serve immediately

A simple variation of this dish would be to use small round baby mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, or include aspects suited to your own tastes such as olives and varieties of lettuce.

ITALIAN LASAGNE

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagne sheets, cooked al dente
2 packets (10oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tbsp unsalted butter (optional)

Béchamel Sauce

5 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

To make the Béchamel sauce

In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming.

Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

To make the Lasagne

In a sauté pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely. In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the béchamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top.

Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the béchamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining béchamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagne.