Pesto

I'm back from staying at my aunt's restaurant for a few days and have so many new recipes to share with you!  Since my family is from Liguria, and the regional dish here is pesto, I thought it would be fitting to start with that.

 

Formaggio Fritto and Basic Pasta Dough

Formaggio Fritto (fried cheese), is a simple antipasto (appetizer) made with a basic pasta dough and filled with two types of Italian cheese.  Since I will be using the same pasta dough in different recipes, I'm going to go ahead and separate the recipe for the dough and the Formaggio Fritto.

Il Ristorante della Mia Zia (My Aunt's Restaurant)

Bocca Moa

Yesterday I finally made it to my aunt's restaurant and got my first cooking lesson after being put to work.  I think all of her customers enjoyed learning how to say things in English, while I got a little experience of what it's like to have to cater to large groups of people.

Torta di Patate

After being in Italy for a week I am finally posting my first recipe!  I am going to apologize now though, because I realized on my way to the airport that I forgot to bring my measuring cups with me.  Not to worry though, I am going to teach you all how to cook like a real Italian without measuring things out exactly.  Also, just to let you know, most of the recipes that I will be posting are typical dishes from Liguria, the region in Italy where my family is from.

Torta di Patate, Potato Torte, is a typical Ligurian side dish similar to scalloped potatoes with a layer of prosciutto and cheese between the potatoes.  It is not however Baciocca, which I will be posting a recipe for at a later time.

Ingredients:
olive oil
7 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt, divided
5-6 slices of prosciutto
Fontina cheese, sliced
dash of nutmeg
2 eggs
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cover bottom of 9 x 12 x 1 inch baking pan with olive oil.  Cover bottom of pan with a layer of potatoes, overlapping to make sure entire bottom is covered.  Sprinkle layer of potatoes with 1/4 tsp salt.  Cover layer of potatoes with Prosciutto and then with Fontina cheese.  Add another layer of potatoes, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.

In a separate bowl mix together a dash of nutmeg, eggs, Parmesan cheese and milk.  Pour mixture evenly over potatoes.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and potatoes are cooked thoroughly. (Side note: the ovens in Italy measure temperature in degrees Celsius so cooking time might vary.  If cheese starts to become too brown on top, cover with foil and continue baking)

Italian Accordion Music

Just a typical night out in Italy... I would have taken a longer video but I didn't know these people and I felt awkward just standing there.