RICE FRITTERS

Dessert

11 oz Rice
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1 orange
3 oz sugar
3 oz flour
1 lemon peel
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp liqueur (optional)
oil to fry

In a big pot put water, milk, sugar and salt and bring to a boil; cook the rice in it for 30 minutes at least. Set aside to cool.
Once it is at room temperature, add flour, the grated peel of both lemon and orange, the liqueur and the squeezed orange juice.
Mix well to combine all ingredients, it should look still liquid but thick.
Put a deep skillet with oil over high heat (when the oil is really hot, you can lower the heat to medium-high).
Try with only one fritter at the beginning, if it "melts" you need to add a little more flour and try again; when you reach your optimum consistency, fry them 6-8 each time, drain and put them over paper towel to absorb the extra oil.
Serve cold or slightly warm, dusted with sugar (or cocoa powder if you like it).

FUSILLI PEAS AND ITALIAN COOKED HAM

First course

6 oz Fusilli (or any other favorite pasta)
4 oz peas (fresh, frozen or canned)
2 oz cooked ham (Italian is better) roughly chopped
1 oz leeks, thinly sliced (only the white part)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Put a pot with water to a boil.
Meanwhile, put oil in a big skillet, warm it and add leeks, cook them for a couple minutes over medium heat until they become tender. Add peas, salt and pepper (if you like it) and cook for 5 minutes with 3-4 tbsp of vegetable stock (or salted water).
Now you can add the ham and cook it for just a couple minutes to avoid that it becomes too dry and salty.
As soon as the water boils, add salt and pasta; cook it for 7-8 minutes, drain it and toss it in the skillet with the sauce, stir and sautee it for a couple of minutes, just the time to better absorb the flavor.
Serve immediately sprinkled with a grated parmesan.
If you like a creamier sauce, you can blend half of the pease (before adding the ham) or you can add 3-4 tbsp of ricotta melted in a little milk.
You could use Parma Prosciutto but remember that it doesn't like to be cooked because it tend to become dry and salty pretty quickly.

CROSTATA FILLED WITH RICOTTA AND CHOCOLATE

Dessert

For the dough:
11 oz flour
5 1/2 oz sugar
3 1/2 oz butter, diced really cold
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
salt

For the filling:
4 1/2 oz ricotta
3 1/2 oz sugar
2 1/2 oz chocolate chips

In a bowl mix flour, sugar a pinch of salt and baking powder; add butter and eggs; mix quickly to combine all ingredients but not too long otherwise the butter warms up and the crust will become hard.
Put the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes at least.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 350 and prepare the cream. In a bowl, mix ricotta, sugar and chocolate, if you feel it too thick, add a couple tbsp of milk.
Take the dough out of the fridge, split it in two parts (one of them a little smaller) and roll both of them over a flour-dusted table, they have to be same thickness: about 1/4".
Put the bigger dough disk in a pie-pan (buttered and dusted with flour or with parchment paper), pinch it with a fork and put the cream in it.
Cover with the smaller dough disk (pinched as well) being sure to stick it really well.
Cook in the center of the oven for 30-40 minutes, the top should become nicely golden.
If you like it, you could put some banana or pear, diced.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

First course

1 lb Spaghetti
4 oz Italian pancetta or prosciutto crudo, julienne cut
2 eggs
2 oz Parmesan, grated
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Put a large pot with water to a boil; when it boils add salt and spaghetti, stir.
In a big skillet over medium heat put the pancetta and cook it, throw away the extra grease.
In the meantime, in a bowl, beat eggs with cream, salt and pepper and add the parmesan; mix well to combine.
When the spaghetti are "al dente", drain them and put them in the skillet with pancetta, stir and add the eggs; mix quickly and serve immediately.
Serves 4.

SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA

Second course

16 slices of veal (not too thick, about 1/4 inch)
8 slices of Prosciutto crudo (Parma ham), cut in half to obtain 16 pieces
16 leaves of sage
flour - oil - butter - white wine

Layer veal, sage and prosciutto in this order and use a toothpick to keep them together.
Pass them into flour on both sides, shaking excess and quickly cook them in a big pan with olive oil. Once they are golden on both sides, add wine and let it evaporate.
At this point, add salt on the veal side (not where the prosciutto is, because it's already salty) and a couple tbsp of butter.
Serve immediately.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA "SFORMATO"

Second course (vegetarian) - Side dish

10 oz cooked spinaches, well squeezed and finely chopped
6 oz ricotta cheese
2 oz parmesan, grated
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
nutmeg, bread crumbs

Pre-heat oven at 375.
Mix all ingredients (except for bread crumbs and 1 oz. parmesan) until you obtain a cream.
Bring an ovenproof pan, spread with oil and put the mix in, dust with bread crumbs and parmesan.
Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
You can also cook it in the microwave at maximum power for 5-6 minutes.
Serve warm.

MOZZARELLA IN CARROZZA

Appetizer

1 Buffalo mozzarella
3 slices of Italian cooked ham
12 slices of bread (wheat, white, or the one you prefer)
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
bread crumbs
oil to be used to fry

Beat the eggs in a bowl with milk, salt and pepper (if you like it); set aside.
Slice the mozzarella into 6 slices and let them drain; divide each Italian Ham slice in two parts; take away the crust from the bread slices.
Make six sandwiches with all these ingredients, dip them in the eggs/milk mixture and let the bread soak. Press it very well so that it won't separate while cooking.
Place the sandwiches in the bread crumbs and let them stick on both sidesw.
Fry the sandwiches in a big skillet with abundant hot oil until they become golden on both sides. Serve immediately.

If there is some eggs mixture left, don't throw it away, use it to make an omelette.