Cooking Italian

Sorry guys, I didn't realize that I hadn't posted the recipes for the Italian cooking class till now. It was a great class taught by Kelli. Thanks for all of your hard work. Enjoy the recipes, they are yummy.

Pecorino Crackers
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
* Combine the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the cheese mixture and butter until combined. Add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing only until incorporated and the mixture holds together.
*Place tablespoon-size balls of the dough on the parchment-lined baking sheets, tapping the dough down gently with your fingertips. Baking until just beginning to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer them to a serving plate.

Fussilli alla Caprese
1 pound fussilli pasta
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
*Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl.
*Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky sauce, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta and toss to combine. Stir in the basil leaves and mozzarella, then add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Beef and Cheese Manicotti
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 (15-oz) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 teaspoons olive oil
12 pieces of manicotti pasta (from one 8-ounce box)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (recipe follows)
1 Tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
*Heat a medium-size, heavy skillet over a medium flame. Add the ground beef and onion and saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
*Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in the meat mixture and set aside.
*Brush 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over a large baking sheet. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, add the manicotti and cook until softened but still firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the prepared baking sheet and let cool.
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over a 13x9x2 glass baking dish. Spoon 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture, and arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining cup of sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and then the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese over the manicotti. Dot the top with the butter pieces.
*Bake the manicotti uncovered until it is heated through and the sauce bubbles on the bottom of the dish, about 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Marinara Sauce (makes about 2 quarts, or 8 cups, sauce)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
*In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Spaghetti
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
Parmesan cheese
*Set a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add a handful of salt and then add spaghetti noodles, stirring. Cook as directed on the package or until al dente.
*Meanwhile, put olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until the garlic is lightly golden. Remove from heat.
*Drain the spaghetti noodles and return to the pot. Pour garlic oil over the spaghetti and toss to coat. Serve immediately topped with Parmesan cheese.

Nutella Ravioli
16 wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten to blend
1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
Vegetable oil, for frying
16 fresh mint leaves
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Granulated sugar, for dredging
Powdered sugar, for dusting
*Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 wonton wrapper on the work surface. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with the egg. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of Nutella into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half and press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg, and Nutella.
*Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees.
*Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a place lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli.
*Dust the pravioli with powdered sugar. Serve immediately. (Ravioli can also be made a day ahead and can be rewarmed in a preheated 375 degree oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes).

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to grease the pan
1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Zest of 1 orange
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with butter.
*In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
*Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, ricotta, and the 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and orange zest, and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, beating just until incorporated.
*Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Using a sieve, dust the cooled cake with the confectioner's sugar.
*Meanwhile, place strawberries in a small bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Toss to combine, then set aside until the strawberries have released some of their juices.
*To serve, slice the cake and serve topped with a spoonful of strawberries and their juices.