INGREDIENTS METHOD
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat 1. In a food processor, place first 3 ingredients and pulse pastry flour to combine. Turn on the machine and drizzle in the egg • 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour mixture and then the Bertolli Olive Oil. Add water in 1 • 1 tsp. salt tbsp. at a time. Make sure to check the consistency of • 4 eggs plus one yolk, the dough. As soon as the dough begins to come to- beaten all together gether, take it out. • 3 tbsp. of water 2. On a dusted work surface, start to knead dough for • 1 tbsp. Bertolli Olive Oil about 2 minutes. It should feel pliable and easy to stretch. If too wet, add a little more flour at the time until it feels slightly harder than Play-Doh. It should be very smooth. 3. Let the dough rest wrapped in plastic for 20-30 min- utes. At this stage, you can follow whatever recipe you have based on the shapes you want to eat. GLUTEN-FREE PASTA
INGREDIENTS METHOD
• ¾ cup corn flour 1. Sift first 6 ingredients together twice. Place them into • ½ cup quinoa flour the food processor with the blade attachment. Mix all • ½ cup potato starch the eggs into one bowl and start the mixer and add the • 2 tsp. xanthan gum eggs. Mix the dough about 3 minutes. The final dough • 1 tsp. guar gum should feel firm yet still pliable. • 1 tsp. fine sea salt 2. Cut the dough ball into 8 pieces and roll each one out • 2 large eggs as thin as possible. If it starts to break, it is thin enough. • 4 egg yolks from large 3. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, and cook pasta eggs for 3-5 minutes. Taste the pasta to the texture you en- joy most. Serves 2-4
FRESH EGG PASTA
INGREDIENTS METHOD
• 4 eggs 1. Place the eggs in a food processor with the blade at- • Pinch of table salt tachment, add the salt, pepper, and Bertolli Olive Oil, • ½ tsp. ground black pep- and pulse a few times. per 2. Add half of the flour and pulse until the eggs absorb it • 1 tsp. Bertolli Olive Oil and you have a semi-thick paste. Add the rest of the • 2 cups all purpose flour, flour and allow the blade to rotate continuously. When plus more for dusting the dough is ready, you should see a ball-shaped mass of flour and eggs bouncing around the canister. If the dough is still too wet to the touch, add an extra tablespoon of flour. If it is a bit dry, add a little water as needed. 3. Take the pasta out and roll/shape according to the directions of the recipe you are making. If you’re sav- ing it for later, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 6 days. BASIC PASTA RECIPE
INGREDIENTS METHOD
• 1 quart Flour 1. Pour flour into a stand mixer and using a hook attach- • 1/2 quart Water ment, start on medium speed. Slowly add the water in • 2 tsp Salt and let fully combine until adding the next batch. Do this 5-6 times. You may need more or less water. De- pending on the consistency, you are looking for some- thing that can be formed together when squeezed. This is the correct texture. 2. Take out dough from the mixer and make thick “snakes” with the dough. Pass this dough through a meat grind- er attachment and slice off every 2-3 inches. Make sure to have plenty of flour so the dough doesn’t get stuck coming out. Toss all pasta in some flour to make sure it’s fully coated. 3. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until no more white can be seen when cut into the cooked dough. Drain and set on a sheet tray to cool in the fridge. Makes 2-3 quarts
GRANDMA’S MEAT SAUCE
The original of this sauce comes from the city of Bologna in northern Italy. For hardcore flavor, you can replace a quarter of the meat with mortadella. If you have time, I bet you to make this recipe with the heat on low. It will take six to eight hours, but you will dou- ble the flavor.
INGREDIENTS METHOD
• 3 tbsp. Bertolli Olive Oil 1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add • 2 cups celery, diced the Bertolli Olive Oil. When it has heated up, add the • 2 cups carrots, diced celery, carrots, onion, rosemary, and sage and cook un- • 2 cups onion, diced til caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, cook • 1 sprig rosemary for 2-3 minutes more, then deglaze the pan with white • 1 sprig sage wine and reduce until the pan is almost dry. • 5 cloves garlic, smashed 2. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small • 1 cup white wine pieces, until no traces of pink remain. Add the red wine • 2 lb. ground beef and reduce until it has disappeared. Add the tomato • 2 cups red wine sauce and then the tomato paste, and reduce until the • 2 cups Fabio’s Tomato sauce is thick and rich. If you prefer to cook the sauce Sauce faster, turn the heat to medium-high and make sure to • 1 cup tomato paste • Salt and pepper stir frequently to prevent the sauce from burning at the bottom of the pan. It will take about 2 hours this way. 3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta. Something long like fettuccine or spaghetti works well, but anything is fine. FOUR CHEESE SAUCE
INGREDIENTS METHOD
• 2 cups Heavy Cream 1. In a sauce pot, slowly heat cream to a simmer. Reduce • ¼ cup Grana Padano, by a ¼, add all the cheese and turn on heat to low. Cook grated until all the cheese is melted and blend with either a • ¼ cup Pecorino, grated stick blender or stand blender. At this point the sauce • ¼ cup Fontina, shredded should be thick and creamy. If the sauce is still not as • 2 tbsp. Blue Cheese, thick then reduce on low heat until desired thickness. crumbled Season to taste with salt and pepper. • Salt and Pepper Makes 2 cups
FABIO’S TOMATO SAUCE WITH OIL AND GARLIC
This is the simplest of sauces out there, so simple I don’t even feel I want to call it cook- ing. But it’s also delicious, so it does deserve the name of sauce.
INGREDIENTS METHOD
• 6 cloves garlic 1. Smash the garlic with the back of a knife. Place the gar- • 8 tbsp. Bertolli Extra Vir- lic and 5 tablespoons of Bertolli Olive Oil in a saucepan gin Olive Oil and cook over medium heat until the garlic is golden • 1 28-oz. can of whole brown. Add the tomatoes and generous pinches of salt plum tomatoes (packed and pepper. only in tomato juice) 2. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce is thick • Salt and pepper and no longer watery, about 10–15 minutes. Add the re- • 10 basil leaves maining 3 tablespoons of Bertolli Olive Oil and turn the heat to high. Stir, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until the oil turns red, then turn off the heat and add the basil at the very end. Makes 8 meatballs
FABIO’S MOM’S MEATBALLS This is probably the best meatball you ever had in your life, or perhaps second only to the one your grandma makes. It’s certainly easier, because there is no bothering Grand- ma here. The best thing about these meatballs is that they stay super moist regardless of how much you cook or overcook them. The tomato sauce preserves the moisture. Ev- erything about meatballs calls for soft and moist. Everything about cooking something in the oven calls for hot and dry. Soft and moist does not go with hot and dry, so meat- balls should cooked on the stovetop in marinara sauce.
INGREDIENTS METHOD
• 1 lb. ground beef 1. Place all ingredients except the tomato sauce, the pars- • 4 oz. whole milk ricotta ley, and the Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a medium-size cheese bowl and mix thoroughly by hand until they are com- • 1 cup Grana Padano pletely combined and the mixture is uniformly firm. cheese, grated 2. Coat your hands in Bertolli Olive Oil, and form balls • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs slightly bigger than a golf ball. • 1 egg 3. Heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan over medium • 2 cloves garlic, minced heat, then drop the meatballs into the sauce and add • 2 shallots, minced enough water to allow the sauce to reduce and simmer • 1 tbsp. Bertolli Olive Oil but not so much that the sauce is totally liquid. Cook • Salt and pepper for about 10 minutes on one side, then turn the meat- • 2 cups Fabio’s Tomato Sauce balls over, add some more water, and cook for another • Fresh parsley, chopped, 10 minutes, using a spoon to cover the meatballs with for garnish the sauce as they simmer. Remove from heat and let • Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive rest for 5 minutes. Oil, for drizzling 4. Serve with chopped parsley, salt and pepper, more Grana Padano, and a drizzle of Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, of course! TIP: Don’t waste expensive cuts of meat on meatballs! If prepared correctly, a cheaper cut of meat like beef shoul- der/chuck, or even scraps will work perfectly. Makes 4 cups
CHUNKY BASIL PESTO
Anyone with at least one finger can make pesto, and if for some reason you’re not equipped with fingers, you can press the food processor button with your elbow. That’s how easy this is. If you want to season a pasta, add a bit more oil so it’s more liquid. If you want to use it as a topping or a spread, make it nice and thick. And if you have a date, ease up on the garlic.
INGREDIENTS METHOD
• 3–4 cups basil leaves, 1. In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, Bertolli packed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper • 2 cups Bertolli Extra and process until just mixed but still chunky. Virgin Olive Oil 2. Add the Grana Padano or Romano and pulse to com- • 1 cup pine nuts bine. Do not over-process. Store in the fridge in an • 5 cloves garlic airtight container or jar, topped with a layer of Bertolli • Salt and pepper Olive Oil. • 1 ½ cups Grana Pada- no cheese or Romano cheese, grated