I took this from Yahoo's website. These are some great points/tips to creating the perfect pasta dish!!
Buon Appetito!!!

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There are certain labor-intensive recipe phrases that can make the most diligent cook roll her eyes. "Do I really have to do that?" we wonder. Leave your Do I Really Have To Do That?questions in the comments and they shall be answered, saving us all a lot of needless trouble.
Lots of questions come up when we're cooking pasta. How much salt should I add? Should I add a glug of olive oil? Do I really have to reserve some pasta water before draining? We answer all carbohydrate quandaries today with the help of the editors atAmerica's Test Kitchen in our master pasta edition of Do I Really Have to Do That? 

DO use more water than you think you need.
For every pound of pasta, you'll need four quarts of water. "This amount of water may seem excessive to some, but pasta contains tons of starch, and if cooked in too little liquid, the noodles will stick together." Ever had a pot of pasta foam up and boil over? That's a sure sign you didn't use enough water.

DO add salt.
Add 1 tablespoon of table salt or 2 tablespoons kosher salt to the boiling water. Some cooks say it should be as salty as sea water. "It really enhances the flavor of the pasta, making it taste fuller and wheatier."

DON'T add olive oil.
"Contrary to popular belief, adding oil to boiling water does not prevent sticking." The oil will just float to the surface and then be drained off with the cooking water. And there go a few dollars down the drain, to boot.

DON'T follow the package timing.
If you want al dente pasta, the suggested cooking times on the pasta box will likely lead you astray. Instead, "about 3 minutes shy of the package time, simply lift a piece of pasta and taste it." (You DON'T need to throw it on the wall.) Remember that like eggs and meat, the pasta will continue to cook as it's drained and sauced. "In the test kitchen, we compensate for this by pulling the pot off the heat and draining the pasta when it’s just shy of al dente."



DO reserve some of the pasta cooking liquid.
"Before draining, reserve some of the cooking water—about a ½ cup or so. A splash of this starchy water can adjust the consistency of a pasta sauce that’s become too stodgy or thick." To help yourself remember this step, place your colander in the sink while the pasta is cooking with a measuring cup inside as a visual reminder. If you still forget, "mix ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 cup of water and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until hot. Just a splash or two of the slightly thickened liquid creates a sauce with just the right consistency."

DON'T shake pasta dry.
"A little water clinging to the pasta is desirable because it helps the sauce combine with and coat the pasta." Besides, if you've ever refrigerated leftover spaghetti, you know what happens as pasta dries: the strands stick together in a tangled glob. Try this method instead. "Just pour the pasta into a colander, and let the pasta drain of its own accord for 30 seconds or so—resist the urge to vigorously shake the colander (although one or two gentle shakes won’t hurt)." 

DON'T rinse pasta.
Unless you're headed to a picnic with your signature pasta salad, don't rinse. It cools down the pasta––not what we want if it's a hot dinner we're after––"but it also washes away all of that beautiful starch that helps the sauce cling."

DO pair your pasta shape with the right sauce.
Cook's Illustrated senior editor Dan Souza explains how the ideal marriage between pasta and sauce offers a taste of both in every single bite. Thin pasta like angel hair and spaghetti goes best with a smooth, light sauce, like pesto or olive oil and garlic. Thicker strands like tagliatelle, fettucine, and linguine are better matches for a slightly chunkier sauce with ground meat, like a bolognese, or a creamy sauce like alfredo. Larger tube shapes like rigatoni or shells are best with a really chunky sauce that will get stuck in its crevices, like pasta alla norma. Smaller tube-shaped pasta like penne and fusilli are at their best with a lightly chunky tomato sauce.

So here’s a great little treat to help beat your winter-time blues. They’re called Polpetti di Riso or Rice Meatballs. Not to be confused with Arancini, this is a much simpler, peasant recipe and a real crowd pleaser. You’ll see that the ingredients resemble those of a meatball recipe, hence the name. When I make these, I have to make them by the “bushel”. Everyone just loves them and I hope you do too!

Polpetti di Riso

2          cups     Long Grain Rice

8          cups     Water

½         cup       Bread Crumbs

½         tsp        Salt

¼         tsp        White Pepper

½         tsp        Granulated Garlic

2          Tbl.      Chopped Fresh Parsley

1          cup       Grated Cheese (Romano, Parmigiano, etc…)

3                      Eggs

Put the rice and the water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so or until the rice is tender. Then, drain the rice in a colander (or a scola pasta) and run a little cold water over the rice for a few seconds to help cool it down.

Then, mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.

Wet your hands with a little water and roll some of the rice mixture about the size of a golf ball. You can flatten them a little to form a patty or make then a little oblong to resemble and “Old School” meatball.

Fry the polpetti in a couple inches of oil heated to about 350° until golden brown on both sides. Allow them to cool before serving.  

Buon Appetito!!

Escarole In Brodo

So next to Minestra di Cavolo (recipe below), one of my favorite things to have when the weather gets cold is my Nana's Escarole Soup. I usually make a large pot of it and enjoy it for a few days. I have put a few things into the recipe that I think improves it just a little. Of course, much like Nana herself, I make it when Escarole is on sale! HA! See the note in the recipe about adding Cannelini Beans and Italian Sausage to turn the soup into a meal!

1                                                                                Extra Large Head of Escarole (or 2 small ones)

2                stalks                Celery, chopped

2                tablespoons      Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4                quarts               Simmering Chicken Stock

Salt, Pepper, & Granulated Garlic to taste

Put a pot of boiling water to boil. Meanwhile, cut the bottom of the escarole off and separate the leaves into the kitchen sink and fill the sink with cold water. Wash the escarole well, it gets pretty dirty at the bottom, and transfer it to a colander. When the water is boiling vigorously, put a couple teaspoons of salt in it and add the escarole. Continue cooking until the water comes back to the boil. Then, drain the escarole in the sink and rinse with lots of cold water.

Once it’s cool enough to handle, gently squeeze the excess water out of the escarole and place it on a cutting board. Cut the escarole a few times across and a few times down. Get a large soup pot on the stove and heat it on medium-high heat. Add the Olive oil and heat another few seconds*. Add the chopped escarole to the oil and sauté for 3-5 minutes**, season with the Salt, Pepper, & Granulated garlic. Once you’ve sautéed the escarole and celery, add the simmering stock. Bring the soup to a low boil and simmer for an additional 20 minutes or so.

Buon Appetito!!!   

*At this point you could add a half pound or so of Italian Sausage (out of the casing) and sauté it before adding the escarole.

**At this point you could add 1 can of Cannelini beans to the pot. Be careful not to stir too roughly and smash the beans.

Your favorite loaf...

Here's a picture of some fantastic crusty bread that I took on a recent trip to Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Where's your favorite bread from?

Roasted Red Peppers……Pepperoni  Arrostiti

As summer comes to a close, one of my favorite seasons commences, Canning Season! It’s really the best way to take the season’s best farm fresh vegetables and keep them year round without losing flavor or paying out-the-nose!

So, get your culo to a farm or farm stand and get a big bunch of Red Bell Peppers and roast them over some white-hot coals on the grill. As they blacken on all sides, put them into a covered container with a little water in the bottom (the water will help steam the skins off of the flesh of the peppers). Once they’re all roasted, let them steam for a few minutes. Then peel the skins from the flesh of the peppers and clean out the seeds. This is a really messy job so you might want to be like a good Italian and do this in the back yard! Once you have all the peppers cleaned, mix them with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and stuff them into pint jars and close the lids tightly. Place the jars into a large pot, make sure they fit tightly. Fill the pot with water about 2 inched above the rims of the jars. Put the pot on the stove and, once the water begins to boil, boil the jars for 1 hour. Then, allow the water to cool slightly and CAREFULLY remove the jars from the water. Place the jars onto a table and cover them with a towel. The jars that are not sealed when they come out of the water should seal as they sit (12-24 hours). The jars that so not seal at all should not be eaten. If there is any bachteria in the jar that causes it not to seal, it could be due to botchulism and could cause very serious harm if consumed.

Otherwise, these puppies are ready to onto the shelf for future use. Buon Appetito!!!!

Fiori di Zucca! 
(Zucchini Flowers!)

Every summer in early to mid August one of my most favorite delicacies are in season, Fiori di Zucca, or Zucchini flowers. So what the hell is a Zucchini Flower? Well, before the fruit or vegetable grows on the plant or tree, a flower is first formed and the fruit or vegetable grows out of that flower. In the case of Zucchini, or any squash for that matter, the flowers are large and yellow-colored. They must be picked early in the morning while they’re still open (usually before 7:00 a.m.). Then you clean them by removing the stamen very carefully and rinsing them in running cold water. And if you can do that without breaking them, you’re a pro! If you happen to get your hands on some Fiori, here’s a great recipe. You can make them plain or stuffed. Buon Appetito!!!

20

Zucchini Flowers, cleaned

Parmesan Batter

20		Zucchini Flowers, cleaned
8	oz.	All Purpose Flour
1/2	tsp.	Salt
1/4	tsp.	White Pepper
1	cup	Grated Cheese (Romano, Parm, etc…)
1		Egg
1 1/2	Cups	Tepid Water

Ricotta Filling

1	lb.	Chellino Ricotta, drainer well
1	cup	Grated Cheese (Romano, Parm, etc…)
1		Egg Yolk
1/2	tsp.	Salt
1/4	tsp.	White Pepper

For the batter, mix all of the ingredients together until smooth. It should be the consistency of thin pancake batter. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more.

For the filling, beat all the in ingredients together. You can fill the flowers by using a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the end cut off. Dip the filled (or plain) flowers into the batter and GENTLY lay them into hot oil (approx. 350°). Fry the flowers until brown on both sides. Remove them from the oil and allow them to drain on paper towels for a few minutes.

I’m craving them just writing this! Buon Appetito!!  

Piscia Lietu!!

Piscia Lietu

In America they call them pretzels and in most of Italy they call them Taralli, but for some of us Calabrese Italians, we call them Piscia Lietu (Piscia letto)! It translates to “pee the bed” but they’re far from such a bad experience. They are first blanched briefly in boiling salted water and laid on a clean bed sheet to dry, hence the nickname. After that, they’re baked directly on the grates in the oven until they’re brown and crunchy. Traditionally, (black) anise seeds are added for flavor, but you could make them plain, with granulated garlic, or with some ground hot red pepper to make them spicy. Any way to make them or any way you call them, they’re a traditional treat you’ll love…Buon Appetito!

3          cups                 Warm Water (90° - 110°)

20        grams               Instant Dry Yeast

1          cup                  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

14        grams               Salt

2 ½      lbs.                   Flour

A Sprinkle of Anise Seeds (black if you have them)

Dissolve the yeast in the water.

Mix all the rest of the ingredients together to form a smooth dough. Knead the dough for a few minutes until silky and smooth. Place into an oiled bowl and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour to 1 hour and a half).

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Cut off pieces of dough and roll into a rope about ½ inch in diameter. Cut the rope into about 6” pieces. Take each 6" piece of dough and form them into circles and pinch the ends together to fasten them. Once all the dough has been rolled and cut. Drop the taralli into simmering salted water. Once they float allow to cook for about 1 minute, turn them over, and cook about another 1 minute. Lay them onto a surface covered with a clean table cloth or bed sheet (you just peed the bed!).

Once all the taralli have pisciatta il letto, very carefully lay them onto the grates of the oven. When you’ve filled up the oven, push the grate in close the door, and allow to cook until golden. You may need to turn them over half way through depending on your oven. Repeat until all the taralli are baked.

They keep very well for a couple of weeks in an airtight container, or if you’re really Italian, a basket on the table.