Meatless Monday anyone?

Or perhaps it's Friday and whether it's Lent or not, perhaps you grew up eating meatless on Fridays.  

Whatever the case may be, we all know that eating meatless a few times a week is better for your health. Lucky for me, I love most vegetables. My father was a greengrocer in Italy, so we never lacked for fresh produce. In fact, our dinner menu was frequently based on what he didn't sell during the day! This was also a treat during the spring and summer, as my sister and I were able to stuff our faces with fresh peaches, juicy strawberries, countless cherries and cantaloupes sweeter than candy. 

Growing up, our meals were frequently a combination of pasta with vegetables, or vegetables with a side of meat, such as chicken cutlets or other protein. My mother frequently felt that a meal was incomplete without meat, but over the years, as the health benefits of following a more plant-based diet were learned, we changed our ways a bit and opted for a few meatless meals a week.  

While frequently considered "peasant food," meatless meals are hardly that, since the cost of high quality vegetables rivals that of meat these days! 

Low in calories and high in a multitude of nutrients and antioxidants, cauliflower is a great option for those following a low-cal diet. While simply blanched is a bit dull for me,  I enjoy it topped off with some delicious tomato sauce and some added pasta. As you see from my pics, this is about 50/50 cauliflower to pasta. This ratio is, of course, up to you, but I enjoy an equal amount, and this is healthier for you as well. Many home cooks add more pasta, and it's up to you and how far you want to stretch your head of cauliflower! 

Prepare a basic tomato sauce by following the recipe you can find on this link. You will have leftover sauce, which you can freeze, add to soups or make some delicious eggs in purgatory. 

Separate the cauliflower florets and parboil them for about 5 minutes in lightly salted water. Cauliflower tends to break down very quickly, so you don't want to cut the florets too small or they will breakdown in the hot water! I like larger chunks for the florets, as you can see from the picture above. After it's been parboiled, add the florets to a sauté pan, adding about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the sauce. 

Cook the cauliflower and sauce together for 5 minutes on low-medium heat. In the meantime, you should be cooking the pasta in salted water.

Drain the pasta 3 minutes before the end of its cooking time. Add it to the cauliflower pan and finish cooking the pasta. Mix all ingredients well, and allow the pasta to obtain flavor from the sauce. Be gently here, you don't want to break down the beautiful large florets. One thing I see too often is that the pasta is added to sauces during the last few seconds. You want the pasta to gain flavors from the sauces, so let them cook together for several minutes. 

Plate, add some more sauce on top and serve with some grated Parmigiano cheese or topped off with peperoncino, both optional, of course. 

Pasta with Cauliflower 
Serves 4

Ingredients 
2 cups homemade tomato sauce + more for topping (recipe for my version is here.) 
1 fresh cauliflower, divided into florets
 1/4 lb dry pasta such as ziti or penne
Salt

Optional: Grated Parmigiano cheese, peperoncino 

Directions
1) Prepare the tomato sauce by following the recipe you can find here. 
2) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. 
3) Parboil the florets for 5 minutes in salted water. Drain and add them to a larger sauté pan. 
4) Add 2 cups of sauce to the cauliflower and cook the florets and sauce together for 5 minutes, mixing well but gently so that the florets don't break down too much.
5) Drain the pasta that has been boiling for 3 minutes less than the box instructs for al dente. Add the pasta to the cauliflower pan and again, mixing gently, toss all the ingredients together.
6) Plate, add a few more tablespoons of sauce on top, top with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese and peperoncino, if desired. 

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Light and airy, castagnole di ricotta, or ricotta donuts, are an indulgent treat typically enjoyed in Italy during the season of Carnival, which is kicking off this week-end in Venice and all over Italy. Fried foods such as chiacchiere, struffoli, zeppole or these castagnole are traditional for this time of year as a treat before the supposed season of fasting during lent. 

Here, I dusted them with cinnamon sugar, and topped them off with confectioners sugar as well. Because, you know, two sugars are always better than one! These are best enjoyed the same day they're made, but they should be left to cool off completely after frying and before enjoying them. Instead of the sugars, you can also opt to drizzle some fresh honey over them. 

These treats are incredibly easy to make. So easy in fact, that I think you would rather choose to make them at home than getting in the car to get to the local donut shop. They only have a handful of ingredients and come together in less than 5 minutes. Kids love these, as do adults! And don't worry, you don't just have to make these during carnival, they're great year round!

Depending on the brand of ricotta you use, you may want to drain it on some paper towels for a few minutes, if it's too wet. Mix the sugar with the zest in order to gain maximum flavor. 

With a whisk, blend the ricotta, egg, sugar and zest. Be delicate, you don't want to beat up the dough, just blend the ingredients. 

Add the flour and baking powder and mix well using a hand whisk. Shape them into desired size, I admit, these are a bit on the larger size. Depending on the size, you will end up with anywhere from 18 - 28 castagnole. 

Right out of the hot oil, roll them in cinnamon sugar so that the sugar adheres nicely while they're still hot. 

Castagnole di Ricotta 
Ricotta Donuts

Ingredients 
1 heaping cup of ricotta (drain on paper towel if it's looking very moist)
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 - 2 oranges or lemons
1 heaping cup of all purpose flour (plus more for shaping) 
2 teaspoons baking powder
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, sugar and zest using a hand whisk. Do not overbeat the mixture.
2. Add the flour and baking powder, and again using a hand whisk, mix the flour and baking powder until incorporated. Do not over mix. 
3. Using floured hands, shape the dough into small meatball shaped balls and place them on a floured dish. Continue with the rest of the dough, flouring your hands as needed. The dough will be sticky.  Depending on the preferred size, you will get anywhere from 18 - 28 castagnole. 
4. Using a deep frying pan (or deep fryer), add several inches of oil, or more than enough to fully cover the castagnole once immersed in the oil. Heat the oil to about 350 degrees.
5. Depending on the size of the pan, add 5 - 7 castagnole and fry for 3 - 4 minutes, until golden. Carefully remove them from the oil and place them on a dish that has been lined with clean paper towels. Continue frying the rest of the prepared castagnole.
​6. Roll them in cinnamon sugar and dust them with confectioners sugar. Cool completely before serving. *The castagnole are most delicious the day they are prepared .

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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! 

CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure!  
EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! 
CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY: DECEMBER 4 - 11, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! ​​