Cilento Experience

Fusilli “I fusiddi”

                               

1 Kg of Flour                                                                        
4 Eggs                                        
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil ” Azienda agricola Maio”
Room temperature water as needed

                  

Prepare flour into a fountain shape on pastry board. Add eggs, oil and water into center of flour, using a fork mix together all ingredients combining well. Using your hands, slowly incorporate rest of flour and knead dough until consistent texture. Set aside for a half hour.

Using your palm, separate dough into small cigarette shaped sections. Roll pasta with the appropriate pasta tool until it is covered entirely with pasta. Gently remove and lightly lay pasta on tray. Continue until dough has all been used.

Once pasta has been cooked prepare with tomato sauce or with a meat ragu.

This recipe is definitely the most typical from our region. My mother in law, the great “nonna Rosa” always made fusilli first thing Easter morning. During her 86 years, Nonna Rosa had lived through war and famine, and pasta was to be made only during the holidays. I remember her always saying:

“Mamma mia, I remember saving the softest wheat flour so as to be able to make fusilli for the whole family for Easter. Remember to always make a little extra so as to bring to the chickens the following morning and give thanks for the eggs!”

I will never forget these words, from a long time ago,  but close to our hearts.

Pizza Chiena

Ingredients

Filling: 

100 grams Grated goat cheese

200 grams Fresh goat cheese

6 eggs

½ Soppressata cut in cubes

Pepper

100 grams dry sausage diced
Pastry:

1 Kg. flour

6 eggs

1 envelope of dry yeast

Lard

½ glass of white wine

Instructions:

For the pastry mix all the ingredients together until you get an even mixture. Set that a side. For the filling, join the eggs (beaten), soppressata, dry sausage, pepper, both goat cheese and mix well. Lay out the pastry dough in baking tray so that half the dough can be folded over the tray. Fill the baking tray with the pizza mixture. Place in oven at 350F for about half hour. Five minutes before removing brush with beaten egg yolk. Enjoy!!

Alici di Menaica in Cilentano Olive Oil With Bread and Fresh Ricotta

Serves 4

2 salted anchovies, preferably menaica ( check Local Products page )

About 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

About ½ cup extra virgin olive oil “Azienda Agricola Maio”

½ to 2/3 cup fresh ricotta, at room temperature

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 to 12 ½-inch-thick slices country bread, lightly toasted.

1. Rinse the anchovies under cold running water, pulling off the salt particles gently with your fingers. Remove the fins and collarbone. Starting at the collarbone, pierce the underside of the fish with your thumbnail and move down the belly to separate into two fillets. Remove the backbone and large bones, leaving the small edible ones. Pat dry. Repeat with each fish.

2. Place the anchovies, flesh side up, on a small plate and pour the vinegar over them just to cover. Let stand for 20 seconds and pour off. Pour enough olive oil over the anchovies to cover.

3. On each of 4 plates, place a mound of 2 to 3 tablespoons ricotta. Drizzle a pool of oil around and over the cheese. Season the oil and ricotta with salt and pepper. Lay an anchovy fillet over each mound. Serve with toasted bread

Eggplant Parmigiana

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized eggplants, washed and cut into 1/2 in. (1 cm) slices
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
6 Tbs extra virgin olive oil ” Azienda Agricola Maio”
1 tsp salt, plus more for draining eggplant
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups homemade sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Thin slices of mozzarella or Parmesan cheese ( goat cheese also)

Sprinkle the eggplant slices lightly with salt and place on paper towels for 30 minutes to drain.

Dry the eggplant slices, dust with flour, dip in beaten eggs, and cover with bread crumb mixture. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the eggplant slices until medium brown, about 5 minutes per side.

Place a thin coating of marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking pan large enough to hold the eggplant in a single layer. Arrange the eggplant slices on the sauce, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and place a slice of mozzarella on top of each eggplant slice. Cover with the remaining homemade sauce. Bake in a 325F (165C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes and BUON APPETITO!!!

Spaghetti all vongole

6 servings

1/2 cup olive oil ” Azienda Agricola Maio”
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions
1 Cook pasta in a boiling water pot.
2 Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, brown garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Stir in butter or margarine and seasonings until butter or margarine is melted. Add clams with some of their liquid; heat through.
3 Drain pasta. Toss spaghetti with clam sauce, and top with grated Romano cheese.

Zeppole alla Ricotta

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts of extra virgin olive oil “Azienda Agricola Maio”
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium saucepan, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir in the eggs, ricotta cheese and vanilla. Mix gently over low heat until combined. Batter will be sticky.
Drop by tablespoons into the hot oil a few at a time. Zeppole will turn over by themselves. Fry until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain in a paper sack and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm.

CIAMBOTTA

6 Servings

Ingredients

2.2 pounds of potatoes
2.2 pounds of peppers
2.2 pounds of eggplant
1 pound of small tomatoes
1/2 garlic
1/2 onion
basel
“Azienda Agricola Maio” extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation

Slice the potatoes, the eggplant and the peppers. Fry the extra virgin oil in a pot and add the sliced ingredients.
Fry lightly in a pan for a few minutes cut garlic and tomatoes. Add the potatoes, eggplant and peppers, plus some basil leaves, mixing delicately.

FIORI di ZUCCA

4 Servings

Ingredients

•12 zucchini blossoms
•A pint (500 ml) whole milk
•3 heaping tablespoons flour
•An egg, lightly beaten
•Pinch ofsalt
•Extra Virgin Cilento Olive oil ” Azienda Agricola Maio”

Preparation 30 minutes

Trim the stems of the zucchini blossoms, remove the pistils, wash them gently and pat them dry just as gently.

Prepare the batter by combining the milk, flour and egg.

Heat the oil.

Lightly salt the zucchini blossoms, dredge them in the batter, fry them until golden, drain them on absorbent paper, and serve them hot.