Erbazzone

Ingredients:

For the puff pastry:300 gr. flour½ tablespoon lard (strutto)1 knob butter2 glasses olive oil

saltwarm milk

For the filling:1 kg. spinach or Swiss chard 1 onion1 handful chopped parsley100 gr. lard or minced pancetta1 egg

100 gr. breadcrumbs250 gr. grated Parmesan cheese250 gr. Ricotta cheese 1 stock cube1 teaspoon salt

Method:Blanch the spinach, chop them and squeeze the water out. Brown the finely chopped onion with the lard (or pancetta) and the parsley, then add the stock cube, the salt, and finally the spinach. Cook for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat, add the egg and, keeping on stirring, add the breadcrumbs. (If the mixture is too soft, add some more breadcrumbs). Leave to cool.When the mixture is cold add the Ricotta cheese and the Parmesan cheese and combine very well. The filling must not be too soft.To make the dough, combine all the ingredients very well. Finally add some warm milk to obtain a soft mixture. Let it rest for 2 hours covered with a bowl. Divide the dough in two parts and roll them out using a rolling pin to obtain a thin pastry. Line a baking tin (bottom and sides) with one disk of rolled out pastry, pour in the spinach filling and level it using a spatula. Cover with the other layer of pastry and pinch the edges of the two pastry disks together. Prick with a fork, add some little pieces of lard on top, and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180-200°C for about 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Gnocco Fritto Con SalumiGnocco Fritto with Cold Cuts

Mixed cold cuts:

Parma hamHamMortadellaSalamiCoppa (pork neck salami)Pancetta

Ingredients for the “gnocco fritto”:600 gr. flour60 gr. butter1 level tablespoon salt

warm milkhot lard (strutto) or oil to fry

Method:

Knead all the ingredients with warm milk until you obtain a smooth and soft ball and leave to rest for about 2 hours, covered with a bowl. Roll out the dough about 2 – 3 mm. thick. Cut it into squares or rectangles about 10 x 10 cm. Fry the pieces of “gnocco” in a large quantity of hot lard (strutto) or oil.

Tortelli Verdi

Ingredients: serves 12

For the Pastry:500 gr. flour5 eggs

For the filling:1 kg. spinach or Swiss chard1 onion1 handful chopped parsley100 gr. lard or minced pancetta1 egg100 gr. breadcrumbs250 gr. grated Parmesan cheese250 gr. Ricotta cheese 1 stock cube1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Blanch the spinach, chop them and squeeze the water out. Brown the finely chopped onion with the lard (or pancetta) and the parsley, then add the stock cube, the salt, and finally the spinach. Cook for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat, add the egg and, keeping on stirring, add the breadcrumbs. (If the mixture is too soft, add some more breadcrumbs). Leave to cool.When the mixture is cold, add the Ricotta cheese and the Parmesan cheese and combine very well. The filling must not be too soft.On a working surface, knead the flour with the eggs until you obtain a smooth ball. Roll out the pastry and cut it into long strips about 12 cm. wide. Place a spoon of filling at regular distances of about 10 cm. along the strips, then turn the pastry on the filling to make a kind of ravioli. Press the pastry between the fillings and on the edge, so that the filling cannot come out. Cut the edge of each tortello and press again.Cook the tortelli in a large quantity of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes stirring all the time. Drain them and place them in layers in a serving dish, adding melted butter and plenty of Parmesan Cheese to every layer of tortelli. Serve hot.

Cappelletti In Brodo

Ingredients: serves 12

1250g. flour1 ½ pork sausages 770g. minced pork and beef meat50g. Mortadella50g. Parma ham12 eggs (for the pastry) +

1 egg (for the filling)Parmesan Cheese

2 clovesvery little cinnamon1 stalk celery1 carrot½ stock cube

breadcrumbs

Method:

Put the minced meat, the sausages, the half stock cube, the celery and the carrot in a pot. Make a “bouquet” with the cloves and the cinnamon and add it to the pot. Pour in water until the meat is almost completely covered, put on the flame and let it cook very gently for 4 – 5 hours. Remove the cloves and cinnamon “bouquet”, pass the mixture to the mixer when it is still hot, together with the Mortadella and the Parma ham, and add some breadcrumbs. Let it cool, then add the egg and some Parmesan cheese.

For the pastry: knead together the flour and the eggs (12) until you obtain a smooth ball. Leave to rest for minimum 3 hours closed in a plastic bag and covered with a bowl.Roll out the dough using a rolling pin to obtain a thin pastry and cut it into squares of about 3cm x 3cm. Place a bit of filling in the middle of each square. Close well in half to make a filled triangle, then join the points of the Cappelletti to obtain the characteristic shape of little “caps”.

Cook the Cappelletti in boiling stock for a couple of minutes. Serve

them with hot stock, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Coniglio ArrostoRoast rabbit

Ingredients:

1 rabbit3 garlic cloves½ glass vinegar½ glass extra-virgin olive oil1 level tablespoon salt1 sprig rosemaryjuice of ½ lemon

Optional: 3 spoonfuls tomato sauce

Method:

Cut the rabbit into quite small pieces, wash them and dry them. Chop the rosemary and the garlic finely, put the mixture in a bowl together with the vinegar, oil and salt. Mix all the ingredients and turn the pieces of rabbit over in the bowl. Leave to rest for 24 hours at least, turning the meat pieces over now and then.Place in a pan, cover and simmer for 2 hours at least. When the rabbit is almost cooked, uncover, pour in the lemon juice and let it evaporate for a few minutes.

• Optional: you can add 3 spoonfuls of tomato sauce to the ingredients before cooking.

Bolliti mistiMixed boiled meat

Ingredients:

700 gr. beef shoulder¼ capon1 beef bone with marrow3-4 pieces beef tail1 small carrot½ stalk celery1 small piece onion

Method:

Pour 5 litres of water in a pot, put it on the gas stove and bring to the boil. Add the carrot, the celery, the onion, the stock cube and salt to taste. Put all the meat in the pot and simmer for 3 hours at least. Remove the meat from the pot, slice it and serve hot accompanied by different types of sauces.

Zuppa Inglese

Ingredients: serves 8

4 egg yolks2 ½ cups milk

cocoa powder

about 20 Savoiardi (sponge fingers)3/4 cups sugarone piece lemon zest1/2 cup flour1 cup Alchermes liqueur (A red Italian liqueur made from

rose and jasmine extract added to nutmeg, cinnamon, and coriander distillation.)

Method:

Warm up the milk in a non-stick sauce pan.

In a large bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar, add the flour and combine the ingredients until well mixed.

Add the milk to the egg mixture, a little at a time, mixing well.Put the mixture into the sauce pan and cook it on the stove at a medium low heat. Stir the custard continuously with a wooden spoon. Pour half of it into a bowl and add cocoa to the saucepan. Keep on cooking over low heat to let the cocoa melt. Dip quickly both sides of the savoiardi in the liqueur. Layer them one at a time in a glass bowl and line bottom and sides.Spread the yellow custard first, then repeat a layer with savoiardi. Pour in the chocolate custard, and end with a layer of savoiardi. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, better yet overnight. Turn the bowl upside down on a plate before serving.

Torta di risoRice cake

Ingredients:

150 gr. rice1 lt. fresh whole milk 150 gr. sugar3 eggs Sassolino liqueur 1 pinch salt

Method:

Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Pour the milk in a saucepan with the sugar and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Pour the rice in and let it cook for about 8 minutes. Turn off the burner and leave to cool for 10 minutes.Pour 4 tablespoons of Sassolino liqueur in and add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring well. Beat the egg whites slightly with a fork and fold them in. Butter and flour a baking dish.

Pour the mixture in the baking dish and let it rest for 2 hours, so that the rice gets to the bottom of the dish.

Bake in a moderate oven at 180°C (350°F) for 40/45 minutes.Finally, sprinkle one or two tablespoons of caster sugar and a little Sassolino liqueur on top and return the cake to the previously turned off oven for 10 minutes.