Mangia Con Elena

  Mediterranean Turkey Vegetable Bean Soup The coolness in the air means that it is officially soup season and I couldn't be happier! I adore soup. My soups, just like most of my pasta dishes evolve as I cook them. I have a general idea in mind and then I add as I think of what else I can use. This is the way my mother made her soups and having learned by watching and helping her it only makes sense that I cook in the same manner. Nothing was ever wasted in our house. The forgotten carrot at the bottom of the crisper or the little bit of leftover broccoli from the night before were always repurposed into the next night's meal. More often than not, they flavoured a delicious vegetable soup.  This  Mediterranean Turkey Vegetable soup with creamy cannellini beans and fresh Swiss chard (bietola) from my mother’s garden was created with what I had in the house. I used up the last of my plum tomatoes to form a beautiful colour and more flavourful broth. Ingredients are below but plea

  Springtime Risotto with Asparagus, Peas and Parsley It's Spring and time for seasonal vegetables to start making its appearance. The trees, plants and grass are bright green and new life is all around! Risotto is a perfect dish to showcase delicious asparagus, sweet peas and flavourful parsley!  Risotto is a versatile dish with so many options. In an earlier post I made a classic risotto using meat sauce and it is delicious but is more suited for cooler days. This is definitely a perfect springtime dish!  As with all of my recipes the measurements for spices are just estimates. Don't like a spice? Then leave it out! If you feel you want more of one ingredient then add more! When it is enough for you is what QB signifies in my recipes. It is important to start with small additions of spices and then taste test and adjust as you go along. Quanto basta  is what Italian cooking is all about.  Let your taste buds be your guide! Cominciamo! Ingredients 2 cups of arborio rice 1 bunc

  Arugula Pesto Pasta with Pancetta IG: @mangia.con.elena Pinterest: Mangia Con Elena There are so many varieties of pesto and each and every one of them is delicious. Pesto Genovese is the traditional pesto that originated in Liguria and is named after its capital city Genoa. Pesto is a derivative of the verb pestare which means"to ground or crush" with a mortar and pestle. The history of pesto is quite fascinating and like so many other Italian dishes was born out of poverty and necessity. The impoverished would forage for basil growing wild and crush them  with large amounts of garlic and olive oil, pine nuts and cheese. The Genovese take pesto so seriously that they have competitions bi-annually to determine the best pesto producers! As time went on and the world began to experience pesto it became more diverse and now pesto has evolved to include many herbs and greens and a variety of nuts and vegetables.  My most favourite pesto is comprised of arugula, some basil, toas

  Uova in Purgatoria When I was telling my friend about this delicious dish and what it was called she told me they got it all wrong. They should have called this dish "Eggs in Heaven" and I agree. Curious as to why they would call it this, I did a little reading and found out that this is a Neopolitan dish that pays tribute to their ancient preoccupation with purgatory. The eggs symbolize the "souls" searching for purifications so they can enter Heaven and the tomatoes signifying the red flames of purgatory! Regardless the reason for its name it is delicious!  My mother would make this and simply call it "uovo in sugo" and is another dish from la cucina povera. My mother was a child during WW11 and times were tough. They lived off the land and so there were many days when all that was available was eggs and tomatoes. Eggs are gently poached in a simmering tomato sauce (sugo) and then eaten with a piece of crusty bread to sop up all the juices. My mother w

Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchi  If you are visiting this page then chances are you are a lover of gnocchi like me! Just like every other Italian dish, the way they are made varies from region to region. It is typically made with potatoes and flour but if you ask any Italian it's almost a guarantee that they will share a different recipe than the last. Some are adamant about adding eggs and others say no way. Some use semolina flour only and others use all purpose flour or double zero.  Each flour of course will result in a different consistency. I prefer my gnocchi with a bit of a chewy consistency. I love the pillowy soft ones and will gladly eat them but I most definitely prefer ones that don't melt in my mouth. Chefs and Italians everywhere will probably disagree with me and say that gnocchi should be pillowy and light and airy. Most definitely but being Italian, I believe that is entirely a personal choice (and I will gladly defend that!) 🤣  If you are new at making gnocchi t

  Pizza con Patate I adore this pizza. It is hands down my favourite pizza. Loaded with potatoes, rosemary and mozarella and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. How can you not but love it?  My mother would make this and I couldn't wait until it came out of the oven. We would immediately attack it.  It was always the first pizza gone and usually before dinner! It tastes great hot out of the oven, but also tastes amazing cold. This pizza is both rustic and delicious. Another traditional dish invented out of necessity and few ingredients. There are many variations of this pizza throughout Italy depending on the region and even the house. Even within my own family there is  a bit of a debate on which way is the best! My mother likes to add peperoncino whereas I prefer it without. All Italians like to believe that their version of whatever dish they are making is the best and will defend it relentlessly but the amazing taste and simplicity is indisputable and everyone agrees on that!

  Pollo alla C acciatore C acciatore  in Italian means "hunter." This classic dish gets its humble "cucina povera" beginnings during the Renaissance Period when hunters in the region of Tuscany would eat this dish after returning home with their cherished meat. That is a long time ago! It originally was made with rabbit as they were and still are in abundance in the wild!  It is and continues to be made with simple ingredients that braise slowly in a tomato and white wine sauce. The wine is optional and can be omitted or even replaced with red wine.  It typically consists of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions and spices. There are many variations of it. Some recipes can include capers, black olives, mushrooms, zuchinni and eggplant. My mother typically made this dish with freshly hunted rabbit or partridge that my dad and brothers would bring home. Over they years it had become more common to use chicken. Bone in, skin on chicken thighs and legs work the best as whit