parmigiana -sausage-polpette

Parimgiana di Pippo x 4 people

3 Eggplants –  Peeled and sliced  in approximately  1/2 cm width and fried in vegetable oil . * when frying place on plate and always keep it tilted so the oil drains out , (this is important , that they contain as less oil as possible ).

500 ml Tomato Sauce – fresh (See below )

large quantity of Basil leaves

200 g  of Mozzarella diced

200 g  Parmesan cheese grated

 

Tomato sauce

500 g of Piccadilly tomatoes  – briefly boiled and skinned and cut in quarters  (we can keep the seeds as they are not bitter)

2 garlic gloves

a large handful of fresh basil

A large lug of good quality extra virgin olive oil

Procedure : In a pan , place you tomatoes and keep on a medium heat for around 45 minutes , the tomatoes will loose their water and then the sauce will start to thicken and dry up .

Once its the right consistency , turn off the heat , add the basil and the 2 garlic cloves  and the oilve oil . (you can remove the garlic before you use the tomato sauce ) .

Your sauce is done.

 

In small – medium size baking tray . We can start layering the parmigiana  , on the bottom scatter some oil and dried breadcrumbs (so it does not stick )  always start with  eggplants , then  add your layer with tomato sauce s – a spread of  mozzarella , parmesan and basil and continue this process until your finish your egg plants  . Always finish off with the top layer of mozzarella and a large handful of parmesan on top.

Place in the oven at 180 ° for 30 minutes and always allow to rest at least an hour . The more it rests the better it is .

Maccheroni di Casa Sicilian sausage ,wild fennel & tomato . 

Ingredients for the Pasta for 4 -6 people 

Long thin metal skewers  .  called ferro, a metal spike . . However, a thin wooden skewer works as a substitute too.

800  g  of semola flour

a lug of olive oil

1o0 ml of water- adding it gently you may need more 

a large pinch salt

Ingredients for the pasta sauce 

1/2 Half red onion – finely chopped

300 g of sausage without the skin

100 g of chopped wild fennel (best substitute would be fresh dill )

6-10 fennel seed and fresh fennel

500 gr of Blanched  & chopped Piccadilly tomatoes (you can use Campari Tomatoes or Roma)

Preparing the pasta

On a clean surface add all the flour and add the pinch of salt .  With your hands create  a hole in the middle .

in the hole gently add the water and with your hand slow mix the flour into water . continue adding the water , until you get a nice firm dough. kneed the dough together , stretching it for about 10 minutes

now cover the dough and let it rest for minimum an hour .

Once the pasta has rested , we can start making the maccheroni .

Cut small pieces of the pasta dough  and place the skewer on top .

The trick, so to speak, is to apply enough pressure on the piece of dough so that it flattens and spreads around the ferro as you roll it, but not so much as to make it stick to the ferro. At the end of the process, you want to be able to slide the maccheroni from the ferro without misshaping it (if that happens, you can always re-roll the dough and try again).

It helps to flour the skewer often. I have two of them at hand: while I am using one, the other is inside the flour bag. When the first one becomes a bit sticky, I put it in the flour and take up the other.

Cook the maccheroni in salted boiling water for around 8 – 10 minutes

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Preparing the pasta Sauce 

In a frying pan add a large lug of olive oil , add the onions and large handful of basil, 

add the sausage meat , wild fennel leaves , and tomatoes. 

Let stew and taste to season.

Once you have drained your pasta , add to the pan of sauce and gently amalgamate together with a large handful of fresh basil leaves and parmesan.

 

 

Poplpette in lemon leves x 4 people 

500 g of mince – lean  beef  – (you can also mix with pork mince too ).

2 eggs

100 gr of parmesan

3 tables spoons of milk

100 gr of fresh white breadcrumbs

salt and pepper and some chopped parsley

lemon leaves plenty around 20 .

 

Mix all together – bake – grill -or oven .