SEAFOOD RAVIOLI WITH FISH SAUCE

First course

1 lb seafood ravioli
8 oz tilapia or sole or cod, diced
6 oz shrimp, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, strained
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 pinch of chilli peppers flakes

Put a big pot with water to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a big skillet over medium heat put oil and onions; sautee onions for about 3 minutes and add fish, mix and add wine.
When wine is evaporated (2-3 minutes), add salt, pepper flakes and tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
When the water boils, add salt in it and then ravioli.
Cook for 5 minutes, drain and put them in the skillet with the warm sauce, cook for 1-2 minutes, mixing well to combine.

Served sprinkled with chopped parsley; the use of parmesan in this recipe is highly NOT recommended because parmesan flavor tends to cover every other one.
If you think that the sauce is becoming too thick, add a few tbsp of the ravioli's cooking water.

PENNE WITH RED PESTO

First course

12 oz Penne
5 1/2 oz pesto
1 pinch of hot chilly pepper powder (optional)
4 tbsp strained tomatoes
salt

Put a large pot with water to a boil; when boiling add salt and pasta.
While cooking, put a big skillet over medium heat and warm tomatoes and hot chilly pepper, once savory, remove from heat and add pesto, mix well.
Drain the pasta and put it in the skillet (over medium heat) mix well for 1-2 minutes, serve immediately.

You can use every kind of pasta you like, long or short cut.

SPAGHETTI WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES

First course

12 oz spaghetti
3 tbsp olive oil
8 oz sun dried tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp strained tomatoes
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 anchovies fillets
1 clove garlic, chopped
hot chilly pepper flakes
salt

Put a big pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, put a skillet over medium heat with: olive oil, anchovies, dried and strained tomatoes, garlic, chilly peppers and salt.
When the water boils, add salt and pasta, cook it for 6 minutes and drain it. Remember to save 1 cup of the water you cooked pasta with.
Put pasta in the skillet with the sauce and add a little of water to mix it well, and cook it for a couple of minutes (if pasta is too dry, add a little more cooking water) stirring frequently.
Serve sprinkled with parsley (and/or parmesan if you prefer).

RISOTTO WITH MOZZARELLA AND MUSHROOMS

First course

11 oz Carnaroli or Arborio rice
2 oz onion, finely chopped
3 oz dried mushrooms (porcini or mixed)
2 tbsp olive oil
6 oz mozzarella, diced or chopped
2 oz cream
2 tbsp parmesan, grated
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 qt broth (vegetable or chicken)

Put broth in a pot and let it boil; lower the heat until it sims.
Soak dried mushrooms in warm water for about 20 minutes, drain them carefully.
Put a big skillet on medium heat and drizzle the olive oil, as soon as it warms, add onions and cook it gently for 5 minutes, then add mushrooms, stir.
At this point add rice, stir it continuously for a couple of minutes and add wine; let it evaporate.
Cook for 15-18 minutes (following your taste) adding a cup of broth from time to time (only when the previous broth is almost absorbed).
Just before the rice is well done, take the skillet away from heat and add mozzarella, cream and parmesan stirring well to combine.
Serve hot, drizzled with chopped parsley

If you want a little less fat, you can use ricotta melted with milk instead of cream.

RICOTTA CHEESE FILLED VEGETABLES

Second course

1 Bell Pepper
1 Eggplant
2 Medium Zucchini
12 oz Ricotta cheese
6 oz Parma ham, chopped
1 egg
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
nutmeg, salt, broth (optional)

Put a big pot salted water to boil. When it's ready add salt and cook the vegetables (whole) for 5 to 10 minutes.
Drain them, let them cool and then cut in half (lenghtwise) and take out seeds (for pepper) and pulp (for the other vegetables); throw seeds away, keep pulp.
When pulp is room temperature, chop and put it in a big bowl, add ham, parmesan, ricotta, parsley, nutmeg and salt (carefully because you already have ham and parmesan that are "salty").
Mix the ingredients, lightly salt the vegetables inside and fill with the cream.
At this point you have two ways to cook them:
- on the stove, in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil and some vegetable or chicken broth
- in the oven, in a pan with a little bit of olive oil as well and sprinkle with a mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan; cover the pan with aluminium foil an cook at 320 degrees, a couple minutes before ready, uncover it to get a nice crust on top.
Cooking time depends o the initial boiling, if you boil them 10 minutes, vegetables should be ready in 20 more minutes.
SUGGESTIONS:
You can eat them at room temperature, too.
You can freeze the when cooked and warm them in the microwave or in the oven, when needed.
You can prepare them in advance and cook them when you need them; in this case you have to keep them refrigerated for not more than one day (because of the ricotta, that's very delicate) or freeze them.

PANDORO or PANETTONE ALLA CREMA

Dessert

1 Pandoro or Panettone
4 oz Mascarpone
5 1/2 oz Sugar
4 Yolks
5 tbsp Brandy (optional)
1/2 tsp Coffee powder (optional)
2 tbsp Almonds, chopped
2 tbsp Chocolate, chopped

Whisk yolks and sugar until they become light yellow; add mascarpone and continue whisking until you obtain a smooth cream.
Add chopped almonds, chocolate, coffee powder and brandy (both optional).
Slice Pandoro or Panettone, spread the cream over the slices or put it by side.

You can use ricotta instead of mascarpone and milk instead of brandy (if there are kids).
This cream can be used to fill any kind of cake, jus be sure that you use it in a short amount of time.
Pandoro is similar to panettone but without fruits.

CANNELLINI BEANS AND FARRO SOUP (quick version).

soup - complete meal

This is a typical Tuscan soup; farro is a cereal similar to rice and can substitute it in every recipe, it has more proteins and fibers.
This soup can be considered as a full meal because of the noble proteins and the carbohydrates contained in both beans and farro.
Having no animal food, it's also good for vegetarians.

Cannellini beans, 3 jars (drained and rinsed)
Farro, 8 oz
Potato, 1 big
Strained Tomatoes, 2 tbsp
Extra virgin Olive Oil, 4 tbsp
Rosemary, Sage, Garlic
Vegetable stock, 8-10 cups at least

Let the vegetable stock boils and keep it warm.
Boil the potato, or cook it in the microwave.
Blend the potato and half the beans together with 3 cups of stock, until you obtain a cream.
In a big pot, over high heat, put the cream, the whole beans, the tomatoes, rosemary, sage, 1 clove of garlic and at least 3 more cups of stock.
As soon as the soup boils, add the farro and adjust with salt, turn heat to medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
If the soup becomes too thick, add warm stock, little by little.
Serve drizzled with olive oil and, if liked, with a pinch of black pepper.