Filed under: Grassroots Gourmet: Abroad, University of Gastronomic Science | Tags: food, Grassroots Gourmet, Italy, sardegna, sardinia, Travel, UNISG, University of Gastronomic Science
Tomorrow morning the UNISG group and I are going on our first culinary field trip to the beautiful island of Sardinia (Sardegna in Italian). We will be visiting various agritourisms, meat and cheese producers, a mask museum, wine producers, beer producers, and dining in some of the most authentic and delicious places you could imagine.
Beach in Sardegna
Sardegna: The pink one.
I am just prompting myself, and of course my readers, for some of the things I will come across this week. Here is a list of websites of some of the places we will be visiting:
http://www.molinas.it/index.php?lang=en
http://www.la-genuina.it/
http://www.presidislowfood.it/ita/dettaglio.lasso?cod=248
http://www.museodellemaschere.it/english.htm
http://www.fondazioneslowfood.it/ita/presidi/dettaglio.lasso?cod=289
http://www.vinicontini.it/englishome.html
http://www.fondazioneslowfood.it/ita/presidi/dettaglio.lasso?cod=36
Sorry some of these websites are only in Italian, but you get the idea… I have been dieting for a week in preparation for this momentous trip, though I will most likely come back with zero pants that fit and a happily expanded waistline… ahh the life I lead.
Anyway, I’ll be sure to make one big mega post when I return of all the crazy happenings on the trip, but I won’t have my computer there with me (will I survive?) so you will all have to wait until I get back next weekend 
Until then, I’m off to dig into some real Grassroots Gourmet.
Filed under: Grassroots Gourmet: Abroad, Local Food | Tags: Artisan, cheese, food, Grassroots Gourmet, italian cheese, Italy, Parmesan Cheese, parmigiano reggiano, University of Gastronomic Science
Another day, another delicious food excursion. The past two days here at UNISG we had the opportunity to study Parmigiano Reggiano in delicious depth, going to not only the production facility, but also specific regulation cow farms, the official Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, a cheese aging warehouse, as well as an international packaging and handling facility.
First of all, I must say that Parmigiano Reggiano is not the same thing as Parmesan ‘cheese’ gratings found in the little green Kraft can. Oh no, real Parmigiano Reggiano is a extremely delicate and well protected product, produced specifially in the towns of Parma, Modena, Reggio Emilia, and small portions of Bologna and Mantova. In fact, there are only 400 licensed producers of the product in all of Italy.
As Parmigiano Cheese buffs like to say, the production of Parmigiano Reggiano starts at the cow. In order for a farm to produce milk for Parmigiano cheese, it must feed it’s cows cereals and hay that is grown only in the region of Emilia Romagna. It is thought that by keeping this production completely localized, it is easier to regulate and maintain its quality standards.
Product Facts:
- 2.7 Million wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are produced per year
- Each wheel weighs around 60 kg (almost 150 lbs)
- An entire wheel costs about 500 Euros
- To produce 1 wheel of cheese about 640 litres (169 gallons) of milk are required
- Minimum aging period: 12 months, though it is usually not sold until 18 months of age.
Health Benefits:
- Its extremely high in calcium: recommended to women with tendencies for osteoporosis
- Something about the product’s composition makes it extremely beneficial for gastro-intestinal health.
- Was the first cheese in space, given to astronauts to aide in bone/organ strength while in orbit
I don’t want t bore you with facts and figures, so I’ll leave you with some photographs of my experience in the past 2 days. To say the least, I have had enough Parmigiano Reggiano to last a lifetime, though luckily I don’t believe I will ever run out of the product, given that I live here in Parma. ohhhh the difficult life I lead.
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- Parmigiano Reggiano official Consortium Office
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- Lunch: where each course (including dessert) included Parmigiano
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- Appetizer: Parmigiano Frittata and a vegetable gnocco infuzed with Parmigiano and a balsamic sauce
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- Tortelli d’erbetta with a ricotta/mascarpone sauce and lambrusco reduction, as well as Pasta al Forno with ragu and prosciutto
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- Pear and Parmigiano cheese torte, placed on a sweet parmigiano reggiano creme sauce
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- Me after the meal, ready to explode
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- Certified Parmigiano Reggiano Cows
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- Me feeding the cows.
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- Artisan Cheesemaker cracking open a whole wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano
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- Cheese cauldrons, where milk is boiled
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- Salting Stage: Parmigiano Reggiano is left for a month in a bath of salt water to begin the aging process
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- My friend Martina and I, hanging out in the aging warehouse
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- Packaging Facility: Where Parmigiano-Reggiano is cut and packaged for national/international distribution
And here are a couple of videos of my new best friend Parmigiano Reggiano:
Filed under: Grassroots Gourmet: Abroad, Local Food | Tags: Casu Marzu, cheese, Grassroots Gourmet, gross foods, international delicacies, Italy, maggot cheese, rotten, sardegna, sardinia, worms
Just when I thought I was in a country full of edible delights, delicious pastries, pastas, cheeses, and wines, I come across a cheese that I only imagined to be true in my most vivid nightmares: Casu Marzu.
Casu Marzu
Coming from the beautiful and enchanting island of Sardinia, off the west coast of central Italy, Casu Marzu is considered a traditional delicacy. Let us first deconstruct the cheese’s name…..
Casu Marzu, is Sardinian dialect for rotten cheese (in Italian formaggio marcio). Rotten?! Absolutely. Though the cheese starts as a pleasant and delicious form of Pecorino, it then undergoes various processes of decomposition by being left outside for extended periods in order to reach its final and ‘perfected’ state. When the cheese is in it’s advanced stages of decomposition, the eggs of the Phiophila Casei larva species are implanted into the cheese and allowed to hatch. mmmm worms.
Piophila Casei Larvae Development
The worms are an essential part of the development of the cheese’s texture and taste. It is thought that as these larvae hatch and begin to eat through the cheese, they break down the cheese’s fats giving it an extremely soft and unique texture. The taste of the cheese has been compared to an extremely ripe gorgonzola…only without the blue veins and of course, the sanitary guarantee.
Aside from the disgusting, the cheese has been the topic of much controversy in Italy in the rest of Europe regarding issues of sanitary health and legality. It has been found that mass consumption (or any consumption in my opinion) of Piophila Casei larvae can cause various health concerns, including vomiting, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and gastric lesions. This is because this particular breed of larvae is somewhat resistant to human stomach acids, allowing them to live and reproduce for extended periods within the gastric system!!!
Regardless of its legal state, this cheese is continued to be produced in Sardegna, and can be found on the black market for double the cost of normal Pecorino cheese.
If that doesn’t tempt you enough, Casu Marzu might be the world’s only cheese that requires protective eye-wear. Casu Marzu is considered toxic if the larvae inside have died and fermented, therefore it is required that this cheese is eaten while the worms are still alive. It is important to note however, that these worms have the capacity to jump has high as 6 inches. If they make contact with the eye, they may lay eggs immediately and cause further vision concerns. Because of this minor detail, many prefer to place their slice of Casu Marzu in a paper bag in order to suffocate the living worms. Once the popping sounds of the larvae hitting the bag have subsided, the cheese is safe to eat.
Now you AND your dog can have worms!
I don’t know if this cheese concerns anyone else, but there is a distinct possibility that I will have to eat this next week on my field trip to Sardegna… basically if I don’t update in 3 weeks, I am either dead/hospitalized by cause of intestinal worm infestation..
Grassroots Gourmet folks, Grassroots Gourmet.
Filed under: Current Issues | Tags: buffalo mozzarella, cows milk cheese, italian cheese, Italian food, Italy, Mozzarella, mozzarella di bufala, naples, news, scandal
Mozzarella di Bufala
Italy, a country that cherishes it’s nationally protected products such as its precious wines, cured meats, and olive oils, was completely devastated to discover that 25% delicious bufala mozzarella cheese coming out of central Italy was being diluted with cow’s milk!
Theoretically, bufala mozzarella is made with the milk of the Asian black water buffalo, that (as the story goes) came over with the Norman kings in the year 1000. Italian farmers have cherished this breed of buffalo since the 1200s.
Asian Water Buffaloes
Unlike cow’s milk mozzarella cheese, bufala mozzarella is a richer and creamier version, used on neapolitan style pizza, caprese salads, and various other delicious recipes.
This is a huge scandal in the world of cheese and Italian food! Bufala mozzarella tainted with 30% cows milk!! AN OUTRAGE!!!!!
To read more about the crazy ordeal, check out the article
This isn’t the only blow to this cheese’s reputation, “In 2008, tests at hundreds of mozzarella plants showed that the cheese was being produced with milk that contained dangerous levels of dioxin, and mozzarella sales plunged.”-ABC news
Oyyyyy che scandaloso!!!!
Filed under: University of Gastronomic Science | Tags: blog, communication, eating, Food Blog, food shows, Gastronomy, gourmet, Grassroots Gourmet, internet, serious eats, this is why youre fat, University of Gastronomic Sciences
What is gastronomy? What is it about food that fascinates readers so immensely, making audiences eager to digest every delectable detail? To link the two concepts, I offer a simple analogy of food and gastronomy. Food is the brick, culture and history are the mortar in building the edible sanctuary that is Gastronomy. Stated clearly, Gastronomy is a multileveled, interdisciplinary, interpersonal, and active way to approaching subjects of food, cooking, and most importantly eating.
But! There is an important disconnect here to be explored. While food and cooking traditions have been a part of our global society since the invention of the wheel, gastronomy, comparatively, is an innovation that has begun to take our society by storm relatively recently. Though initially the notion of gastronomy was thought to be limited to the ‘high culture,’ those that could afford expensive ingredients who had the time to care, there has been a sharp change in the definition and access to the term.
What sparked this change? Aside from various cooking shows that have popularized this post-modern interest in food and culinary culture to the general public, the vast accessibility of the internet has given gastronomy its true ‘facelift’, allowing anyone and everyone to discuss their personal recipes, food opinions, restaurant reviews, and general shared excitement for eating. This limitless forum has taken over the blogosphere, making food blogs an incredibly fun and easy way to spread the word on the world of gastronomy.
Serious Eats (www.seriouseats.com) is an American food blog that I have been following for some time. The website advertises itself as both a food blog and a community which is a true and important detail about the site. Rather than being just one author, the site allows readers to interactively contribute their ideas, recipes, food photos, and reviews which has truly helped the site grow over the years. Though this is an example of a more sophisticated food blog, directed for those living in metropolitan areas, it is a great resource to discover new restaurants and recipes from users just like myself as well as professionals.
Conversely, This Is Why You’re Fat (www.thisiswhyyourefat.com) is a completely different type of food blog, and definitely not for the faint of stomach. Unlike Serious Eats, which celebrates food for its diversity and cultural importance, This Is Why Youre Fat is a blog that bastardizes food through disgustingly unhealthy food concoctions. Despite the some of the stomach wrenching images, the website has seen great success, and has even published a book full of the calorific delights. An important detail to note is that This Is Why You’re Fat is based entirely off user contributions to the website, making it an interactive and communal experience.
The contrast in the aforementioned websites shows the interesting juxtaposition in our society’s approach to food and gastronomy within the microcosm of the internet, though these opinions are not limited to the virtual world. Gastronomy has become the world to describe all food-related fascinations, not simply those directed to those with time and money. The evolution of this concept has been catalyzed by popular media, and will continue to grow with increased access to these media sources. Eating is an activity in which everyone in society participates, therefore, we can all connect in someway with this deepened interest in the multi-faceted study of food that is gastronomy.
And then of course, according to Wikipedia, Gastronomy is….
Filed under: Current Issues, Economy | Tags: cadbury, Chocolate, economics, food, food company, kraft, world economics
Filed under: Do it yourself, Recipes | Tags: bologna, food, Grassroots Gourmet, italian american food, italian cooking, Italian food, Italy, pasta, Recipes, spaghetti and meatballs, tagliatelle
Though the late 1800s-early 1900s marked the boom of the popularity of Italian cuisine in the United States, with the immigration of many Italian immigrants into America, the authentic recipes these immigrants had brought over from the ‘mother land’ have significantly changed with the passing of time. Many of these recipes can no longer be considered ‘Italian’ at all, but rather ‘Italian-American’.
I remember the first time I looked at a menu on Italian soil, overcome by a feeling of ignorance and shock to how little I knew about a cuisine that was once as familiar as a hamburger and french fries. Despite language barriers, there were pasta varieties I’d never even heard of, sauces that seemed completely alien, and pizza toppings that seemed completely insane. It was at this moment I realized, “We Americans have got it all wrong”.
In America, “Italian” dishes that we cherish include:(just to name a few)
- Spaghetti and Meat Balls
- Pasta Alfredo
- Some of our favorite pizza toppings: Chicken, Pineapple, Canadian bacon, broccoli, BBQ sauce
Reading through an Italian food news site (www.NewsFood.com) I came across an article about Spaghetti Bolognese, a dish that doesn’t exist in Italy.. according to the article. But why?
‘Bolognese’ is a type of meat sauce that comes from the city of Bologna, here in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Spaghetti is never served with this type of sauce, but rather Tagliatelle a cut of pasta typical from Bologna
Tagliatelle Pasta
For a list of other pasta varieties click here
Anyway, though SPAGHETTI alla bolognese doesn’t exist… (and surely spaghetti and meatballs will never ever ever ever appear on a menu in Italy) Tagliatelle alla bolognese is one of the most delicious and typical dishes to come out of the city of Bologna.
Tagliatelle are thin strips of egg-based pasta, similar to fettucine
Tagliatelle alla bolognese
Americans, let us transform the “Italian” food that we eat in the United States.
Here is a recipe for traditional Tagliatelle alla bolognese
This is the beginning of a huge transformation in American eating, I feel it in my limbs!!!
Filed under: Product Review, University of Gastronomic Science | Tags: castelmagno, Cheese Tasting, food, Grassroots Gourmet, italian cheese, Italy, pecorino, raschera d'alpeggio, taleggio, Travel
Though many people might think that wine tasting is the most complex form of high cultured experience, the world of cheese tasting is an unexplored gem that in fact exceeds the intricacies of the wine world.
In class yesterday we were given the pleasure of meeting Mr. De Riccardis, a professional cheese taster here in Italy, who gave us a detailed lesson on how to properly taste and evaluate top quality cheeses. For this particularly tasty lesson, we evaluated 4 different Italian cheese varieties: Raschera d’Alpeggio, Taleggio, Pecorino Romano, and CastelMagno.
Before I go into detail about each cheese, there are several rules for tasting and evaluating cheese properly.
First and most importantly, cheese must be eaten alone (no bread or wine) and using ones hands… forget about cutlery folks, this is the real deal.
1.) Evaluating Shape: There are 7 different shapes of cheese. These include
- Sferic (stretched curd): ie Mozzarella
- Oval: ie Provola
- Cylindrical: ie Parmagiano Reggiano
- Parallelepiped/Square Slab: ie Taleggio
- Log: ie Goat
- Truncated Pyramids: ie Valencay
- Undefined Shape
2.)Evaluating External Surface:
- Is the cheese with or without rind?
- Smooth or Rough surface?
- Crust with natural molds or no molds? (90% of molds come from Penicillin family)
- Dry or Moist rind?
- Paraffin wax covering?
- Washed rind? Washed with water/brine solution
3.)Evaluating Undercrust: If the cheese has a present rind.
- is the depth/distribution of the rind uniform? If the cheese fails this test then it cannot be considered a top quality cheese (though is usually still edible)
4.)Evaluating Colors of Cheese Paste:
- Milk white, Greyish white, Ivory white, Straw Yellow, Orange (Mimolette), Bleu
5.)Evaluating Eyes/Holes:
- Absent (Parmagiano Reggiano)
- Round: (range from dot size-nut size) ie Swiss.
- Lengthened Partridge Eyes: ie Asiago
- Irregular: ir Roquefort
OK! so now that we know the physical regulations for evaluating cheese, let’s get into the good stuff. How does it TASTE! What I found particularly interesting for all of our tasting samples was that the smells of the cheeses sometimes differed entirely from their taste. In other cases, the tastes became far more complex and defined when tasted.
Raschera D’Alpeggio:
Raschera D'Alpeggio
- Production Area: Piedmont, Italy city of Cuneo
- Milk Used: Whole raw cow’s milk
- Rennet Type: Calf
- Average Aging Period: 7-8 Months
- Production Period: June-September
- Average Weight: 12-13 Kg
Personal Notes: This cheese is delicious, milk, and soft. Would have gone great with a Pinot Noir and a piece of bread but also was delicious on its own. Comparable in taste and texture to Asiago.
Taleggio:
Taleggio
- Production Area: Lombardia, Italy
- Milk Used: Whole raw cow’s milk
- Rennet Type: Calf
- Average Aging Period: 2 Months
- Production Period: Year Round
- Average Weight: 2.5 kg
Personal Notes: I really enjoyed this cheese, the texture reminded me of Brie… despite a somewhat strong smell this is a relatively mild cheese. Delicious
Pecorino Toscano:
Pecorino Toscano:
- Production Area: Tuscany, Italy
- Milk Used: Whole ewe (sheep) milk
- Rennet Type: Calf
- Average Aging Period: 3-5 months
- Production Period: March-November
- Average Weight: 3.5-4 kg
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes: This cheese has a texture similar to Parmagiano Reggiano but a much heavier taste. I don’t particularly like it but it can be good in certain dishes as it adds a particular complexity that can’t be found in Grana or Parmagiano.
Castelmagno:
Castelmagno:
- Production Area: Piedmont, Italy
- Milk Used: Whole raw cow’s milk
- Rennet Type: Calf
- Average Aging Period: 7-8 months
- Production Period: July-Sept
- Average Weight: 2 kg
Castelmagno is considered one of the most expensive and rare cheeses in the world. Sold at 60E/kg only 600-700 wheels are produced per year.
Personal Notes:Though this cheese is considered one of the most rare and expensive in the world, I couldn’t get myself past the first bite.. The cheese was so pungent it actually burnt my tongue, and though I tasted the mushrooms, the overwhelming taste of soap kind of killed my appetite. Others in the class seemed to like it though.
OK enough cheese for one day, but to say the least I had a very tasty lesson. The first of many “Quality Food Tasting” lessons that we will have throughout the course of the year. I am going to go and buy some cheese from the market across the street to continue my ’studies’. I am a very good student.
Filed under: Grassroots Gourmet: Abroad | Tags: food, Grassroots Gourmet, Italy, Gastronomy, Travel, Wine, Trentino, Alps, Holidays, Traditional Meals, Montalcino, Brunello, German Cuisine, Travel Blogs, Snow
Now that the holiday season is winding down, I have a chance to write an update on the various eating endeavors I’ve taken on in the past several weeks. For Christmas, I went to a friend’s house in Montalcino, a small but famous wine area in Tuscany.. For those of you wine afficionados, Montalcino is the home of Rosso di Montalcino as well as Brunello… Brunello has a very affluent following as a bottle in the States sells for as much as $300.
Montalcino Countryside: A view from the top
To say the least, I ate and drank very well over the Christmas holidays. But that wasn’t the end of my adventure. Within two days of returning home to Parma, my boyfriend Andrea and I embarked on a 4 hour journey into the Italian Alps, to a quaint little town called Pozza di Fassa where he has a cozy mountain apartment. Not discouraged by the winding mountain roads, and occasional hydroplanes close to the cliff’s edge, I was excited to see this new region of Italy, Trentino, a place I had never been in the country I call home.
Just a quick aside, I was shocked by how German this area of northern Italy truly is. Trentino-Alto Adige is quite close to Austria, making the culture there very different from the rest of Italy. In fact, the first language there is Ladino, a dialect that combines German, Austrian, and some Italian. Me being me, I was particularly interested in the cuisine of this region, because while traditional pasta and pizza plates can be found in restaurants, so too can German specialties such as kraut and wurstel!
Infatuated by this geographical change in menu, Andrea and I decided to go traditional for New Years and sign ourselves up for something called a “Cenone” which translates to “Big Dinner” at a hotel near his apartment. Now, keep in mind that a “big dinner” on Italian terms isn’t your traditional 3 course meal… rather, a 4 hour 13 course eating extravaganza. Could my underfed American tummy handle the pressure??? For a belly busting 90 Euro a person, I was well aware of the magnitude of the feast that was before me.
Starting with an Aperitivo (remember what that is?) at 7:30pm, we were welcomed with sparkling Prosecco, various bitter cocktails, and some light snacks. I made sure not to eat too much of the early stuff because I was well aware of the feast that awaited.
Then we went to our table, which was nicely marked with our names. Then the real deal began. Here is the menu:
New Years Cenone Menu
For those of you that can’t see the menu clearly, there were 5 starters, 2 first plates, 4 second plates, a palate cleanser, and 2 desserts.. accompanied of course by bottomless wine and champagne. This was the hedonists dream.
Aside from the fact that our dinner companions were the strangest mix of Austrians, Germans, Italians, and various other Nordic cultures, we definitely had ourselves a ball of a time. The experience could be described as a strange mix between a John Hughes film from the eary 80s and an awkward European sitcom.
Nonetheless. I thoroughly enjoyed my holidays. A little romance, a lot of food, and of course, always gourmet.
Here are some more photos from the trip:
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- Germanic Style Architecture in Trentino
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- Montalcino Countryside: A view from the top
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- Course #13 of our New Years Cenone
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- Yours truly relishing in the Tuscan countryside over Christmas
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- Andrea playing in the snow
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- Panoramic View of the Italian Dolomites
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- Menu outside an enoteca in Bolzano, Italy.. Written in Ladino I believe..
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- WEIN=Wine.. of course… Is this Italy?
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- 1 Bakery, 3 Languages.
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- Typical Trentino Treats
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- Frozen Fountain. Italy is not warm right now.
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- New Years Cenone Menu
Happy 2010 everyone! I look forward to a very eventful and successful year, and I wish the same to all of my loyal readers. The best is yet to come
P.S. Good luck to everyone who is attempting the beginning of the year diet. I’m with you on that one… until lunch that is…
Filed under: Recipes | Tags: cooking, Grassroots Gourmet, Italian food, Italy, liguria, Parma, Pesto pasta, Recipes, Travel, Wine
I seem to be getting the hang of this ‘living alone’ thing. I am trying to avoid getting to comfortable living in my own filth with no one around to tell me what to do, as eventually the housemates will be back from the winter holidays. Nonetheless, without the immediate pressure to CLEAN EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE, I have had some time to experiment with recipes and cooking. As I’ve been lamenting in previous entries, the ominous freezing rain outside the window is a deterrent from walking through the streets, enhancing the romanticist perspectives we Americans have of the Italian world.
OK, enough philosophy. Yesterday I was feeling inspired and perhaps a bit ashamed that I am here in Italy studying gastronomy with absolutely no cooking skills (well some, but… nothing to call home about). I said to myself, enough salad, enough sandwiches, “Michelle you’re going to make yourself a grownup meal.” I needed to act quickly as these bursts of culinary inspiration are few and far between.
It was a pasta night. I rushed to the grocery store, bought myself some fusili pasta, sundried tomatoes soaked in oil with capers, cannelini beans (white beans), goat cheese, fresh bread, and a bottle of Cabernet. What did I make?? Only the best pesto pasta in the history of man…of course.
Ingredienti
Whoever said cooking for yourself is a depressed, reclusive, liar. Of many of the nights I’ve had in this house, I have to say that last night might have been one of the most entertaining. If I was going to make this huge expansive dinner for myself, I was going all out. I put the music on in the kitchen (Italian of course), put water to boil on the stove, and with the flick of the flame my night of culinary excstasy began!
Rather then explaining how delicious my meal was, I figure it’s more important to share the wealth and give you my recipe for the world’s best pesto pasta.
Sassy Solidarity Pesto:
Ingredients:
- Fusilli Pasta (100g/person)
- Sundried Tomatoes (to taste, I used about 4 big ones)
- Salt: To taste
- 1/2-1 TBSP Coarse Salt (for pasta water)
- Pesto Sauce (I used Barilla)
- 1/2 can Cannellini Beans (Italian white beans)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 large clove red garlic
- 1 small finely diced onion
1) Put water up for boil. It’s always nice to do this first because by the time your finished chopping and preparing your veggies the pasta is ready to be put in the pot. Do not forget to add salt to your water or your pasta will taste really bland
2) Finely chop garlic and onion, put into pan with olive oil. Saute until onions become translucent (In Italian the onion/garlic/olive oil saute is called a Soffritto and makes up the base of any good hearty pasta sauce.
3) Take 4 large sundried tomatoes and chop coarsely. I used sundried tomatoes from a jar filled with oil as these are more tender, but normal dry sundried tomatoes should work just fine.
4) Once onion/garlic mixture is ready add beans and sundried tomatoes to the pan, add a bit more olive oil to prevent burning, as well as a pinch of table salt.
5) Is the water boiling? Good. Put your fusilli in the boiling water until it reaches Al Dente (about 9-10 minutes)
6) Drain pasta and place into a large bowl. Add veggie/bean mixture from the pan, and a goccio (drop) of olive oil. Mix well.
7) Add 2-3 large spoonfuls of pesto sauce, and as much goats cheese* as you like (I added a lot because I like my pesto pasta super creamy). Mix. *Some prefer not to fully mix in goats cheese as it might be tasty to leave it in large creamy chunks.
Serve. Mangia like you’ve never Mangia-ed before.
My Pesto Masterpiece
I don’t know if my wine choice (Cabernet) was what a Sommelier would recommend with a pesto dish, but I’ll speak from personal experience that I thought it complimented the meal quite nicely. The fresh bread wasn’t too bad either. In a full, partially drunken stupor, I fell asleep feeling fulfilled and utterly satisfied. I was under the impression that I didn’t have the capacity to cook, but the truth of the matter is I just have ‘Kitchen Fright’
Ah, another night in the Grassroots Gourmet household, and another recipe for the books. Sadly what awaits me now is the aftermath of cleaning my kitchen…but I’d say it was well worth the mess.
Buon Ingrassamento! (Happy Weight Gain!)
