Linguine con Finferli-Linguine with Chanterelle

We've just returned from an amazing vacation in the Dolomites, which are located in Alto Adige, the region in Italy that borders with Austria.  It was an inspiring vacation that I took with my husband and two of my dogs, Chardonnay and Bellone Benny Boo Boo.  There are incredible flower and vegetable gardens in every yard I saw, all perfectly groomed and manicured.  You can eat while on the run as well.  I hiked in one forest and picked wild strawberries for about 2 km.  These were wild uncultivated strawberries that changed my life in a serious way.  I now know what a strawberry really is and trust me; it ain't those giant cultivated ones you find in supermarkets such as Whole Foods.  No, these were tiny and had intense aromas and flavor.  Tiny strawberries on crack, in my opinion.  

Crackberries?

    Then, of course, there is the scenery.  Have you ever seen The Sound of Music?  The hills really are alive.  Every turn you make is like a picture perfect postcard.  So much green and so much clean fresh air invigorates the soul.  I had not been back to the Dolomites since 2008.  It was in the Dolomites that I made a connection with the cow that changed my life, when I was determined once and for all to make my life animal free.  I came back from this trip with more determination.  I feel healthy, reinvigorated and alive.  The Alps must be on a vortex!

       Alto Adige is the northern most region in Italy.  It has the Dolomites and also a great wine making tradition.  In fact, the lovely Gewurztraminer comes from Alto Adige.   In some ways the culture is more Germanic than Italian, but when it comes to the food, just like in every other region, they are experts with local ingredients.  In Alto Adige it was harder than most other regions in Italy to be vegan, because they rely on dairy for almost everything.  There are cows in the fields eating Alpine grass and you encounter cows on your walks up the mountains.  Luckily, it is a heavily forested area and gorgeous vegan local products are, in fact, readily available.  Unlike other regions in Italy, Alto Adige and, I suspect, most of the other Alpine areas, has a variety of fresh and delicious mushrooms available in the summer.  One night of rain and you're practically swimming in them.  We had an apartment rather than a hotel.  It was better for nights when I wanted to cook, and it was much better with for the dogs.  Please enjoy this yummy version of Linguine con Finferli

   Linguine con Finferli

Ingredients for 4 people

500 grams of fresh Chanterelle Mushrooms

6 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 tbsn of dry vegetable broth

I can of peeled whole tomatoes

3-5 tbsn of olive oil 

Splash of white wine

Course Himalaya Salt for the pasta water

1 tbsn chopped flat leaf parsley to toss in at the end

1 packet of linguine

pot of boiled and salted water

Directions:  First, you will need a deep pan.  Put the olive oil, splash of wine, broth and garlic in the pan and sautè for a few minutes until  garlic softens.  Then add the can of tomatoes.  Fill the can with water and also put the water in the pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Let this simmer on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Meanwhile bring water to a boil in a large pot, add the salt for the pasta and cook the linguine.  As soon as you place the linguine in the pot and have stirred in a few times, stir in the mushrooms to the pan along with the garlic, olive oil, wine and broth.  Simmer at a low to medium heat while the pasta is cooking at the same time.  When the pasta becomes al dente, drain and replace in the the pot.  Stir in about 3/4 of the mushroom recipe into the pasta and the parsley.  Serve in bowls and garnish with the rest of the mushrooms on top of the pasta.  You can also include a garnish of parsley.  Serve with a lovely Teraldogo.  

Buon Appetito!

Foradori 2008 Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGT Teroldego

The Real Stars of the trip:

Chardonnay

Bellone Benny Boo Boo

Orecchiette con Cime di Rape-Orecchiette with Turnip Tops

Orecchiette con Cime di Rape

  We are in the process of re-roofing and so I have been making lunch daily for Ettore and our friend, Roberto, who is helping us with this.  I figure it is the least I can do for them as they burn under the hot August sun.  Our friend, however, has a few products he cannot eat such as tomatoes, bell peppers, and peppers in general, eggplant and potatoes.  It is summer (time for these products).  I have a garden (need to eat these vegetables).  I am in Italy (tomato allergy aaahhhhhh).  What to make?  Yesterday I made lovely pasta with a basil almond pesto.  Today I made orecchiette. 

    I have always liked the texture of Orecchiette, and I like that we buy them fresh, and they do not have egg.  Broccoli Rape are turnip tops and is called  Cime di Rape in Italy.  I have to admit that before I moved here I did not eat anywhere near the amount of leafy greens I do now.  There are so many varieties and often, it just takes going out to your nearest field to gather some.  However, many of the field greens I eat here are very bitter.  While I have grown to absolutely LOVE the bitter field greens, I always feel that the rape is a nice sweeter treat.  Much nicer to eat than spinach with less of a mushy mouth feel. 

According to Wikipedia:

Orecchiette (singular: orecchietta) is a kind of home-made pasta typical of Puglia or Apulia, a region of Southern Italy. Its name comes from its shape, which reminds one of a small ear. In Italian orecchio means ear, and the suffix 'etto' means 'small'. In the vernacular of Taranto it is called recchietedd, or chiancaredd. A slightly flatter version is called 'cencioni', while in the vernacular of Bari, strascinate are more similar to cavatelli. In China a similar type of pasta is called maoerdo (cat's ears).

An 'orecchietta' is a disc of about 2 cm (¾ inch) and looks like a small dome with its center thinner than its edge and with a rough surface. Like other kinds of home-made pasta, orecchiette are made with durum wheat, water and salt, but unlike pasta all'uovo, eggs are rarely used in the preparation of orecchiette

Couldn’t have said it better myself!  It was a delightful lunch, though I usually add red pepper flakes when I make it, but I didn’t this time for the sake of our friend.

Ingredients for 2-4 servings:

½ kilo of Broccoli Rape already trimmed of stems and blanched

½ kilo of fresh orecchiette

6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed

2-3 tbsn of olive oil

Splash of white wine

1 tbsn of vegetable broth powder

Sea salt

½ cup of water

Large pot for boiling water

Directions:

   In a deep pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil, white wine and broth, about 2-3 minutes. If you want yours to be spicy I would add about 2 tspn of red pepper flakes.   Add the water and the broccoli rape and stir well for about 2 minutes, add salt, and then cook and cover for about 5, until tender.  Meanwhile bring water to a boil and add about 1 tbpn of course sea salt.  I like to use Celtic sea salts because of the minerality.  When the water comes to a boil add the pasta, which will sink to the bottom.  When they float to the top, it means they are ready, but I would taste anyway and taste that they are al dente.  It is super easy and a great way to get your daily greens. 


Here is a very interesting video describing a pugliese method for making this dish.  A little more time consuming, but I have had them this way, while obviously omitting the cheese,  and they are incredible!

I would enjoy this with a lovely rosato from Puglia.  Buon Appetito!