Easter lamb alla romana (Roman style)

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 kg (1.2 lb) lamb shank
• 30 gr. (1 oz) anchovy fillets
• 3 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 cloves of garlic
• lemon juice of 2 lemons
• white vinegar
• white wine
• olive oil, salt & pepper

               Directions:

Prepare a marinade with olive oil, salt, pepper, filtered lemon juice and the leaves from two rosemary sprigs.

Stir the mixture with a fork until the salt dissolves and all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Marinate the lamb shank in the marinade you have prepared and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

Remove the lamb from the marinade and sprinkle with rosemary leaves.

Put the lamb in a large pan, add some olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 20 minutes.

Add some white wine and cook for 20 minutes more.

Process the anchovy fillets and the vinegar in a blender, pour the mix in the baking pan where the lamb is cooking and cook for 10 minutes more.

Serve hot with a side of roast potatoes.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara - Italian pasta

Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish, which originated in Latium and nowadays it is known all over the world. In Italy we usually cook Carbonara on special occasions, such as Easter.

When I was a child, my grandma used to tell me the history of Carbonara while preparing it - the name “Carbonara” is said to come from the Italian word “carbonaro” (charcoal burner). Charcoal burners had to stay away from home for months, and Carbonara was one of their favorite dishes because the ingredients could be easily found and preserved. Moreover, this nutritious dish gave them enough energy for their hard work. This is why freshly ground black pepper, which resembles coal, is a fundamental ingredient!

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 420 gr (1 lb) spaghetti
• 100 gr (4 oz) lean bacon
• 3 eggs
• 20 gr (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) butter
• 50 gr (½ cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil and add salt.

Cut bacon into small dices and brown it in a pan with olive oil and butter.

Beat eggs and parmesan cheese in a bowl.

Drop spaghetti into the pot and cook until al dente.

Toss spaghetti into the bowl with the egg and parmesan mixture and add the browned bacon.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pastiera (Wheat Tart)

Pastiera Napoletana - Wheat Tart

33 cm (h4 cm) flan tin:

For the pastry

Ingredients:

• 500 gr (4 cups) flour
• 250 gr (1 heaping cup) butter
• 200 gr (1 cup) sugar
• 4 regular eggs + 6 yolks
• orange zest
• a pinch of salt

Directions:

Sift the flour.

Add sugar, salt, orange zest and butter, previously softened.

Stir and then add the eggs.

Start kneading with your hands until you get a soft and firm dough.

Wrap up the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The dough can be prepared a day in advance and it can be frozen as well.

For the filling

Ingredients:

• 500 gr. (17oz) ricotta
• 500 gr.(17oz) canned cooked wheat
• 500 gr. (2 ½ cups) sugar
• 500ml (2 cups) milk
• 4 whole eggs + 4 yolks + 4 whites to be whipped
• 200 gr. (7oz) candied orange/citron peel
• 125ml (½ cup)orange flower water
• a pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

Mince half of the wheat in the food processor.

Pour milk and wheat in a pot, then put it on the heat. Cook it until it gets thick like a cream.

Remove the pot from heat and let it cool.

Sift the ricotta, add in sugar, whole eggs and yolks and mix.

Add candied fruit peel, cinnamon and orange flower water.

Add the cooled wheat cream.

Whip the egg whites and pour them into the mixture without letting them sit (stir them from down up with a spatula).

Butter the flan tin and sprinkle with some flour. Roll out 2/3 of the pastry in the flan tin. Pour the ricotta and wheat mixture in the pastry case (don’t pour it up to the very top of the pan, because it will grow).

Cut long strips from the remaining pastry and cross them to make a lattice top.

Preheat oven at 180°C (356°F) and bake for 60 minutes (160°C/320°F for 50 minutes in electric ventilated oven).

Once baked and cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar.

The Pastiera can be stored in fridge for 3-4 days.

Stracciatella (Italian egg soup)

Stracciatella - italian egg soup

Stracciatella is a warm, tasty egg soup usually served as an entrée during Easter Sunday lunch. My grandma raises chickens in her backyard, so each year she stocks up on fresh eggs to make this super healthy and totally organic soup for the whole family.

When I was a little girl I didn’t enjoy stracciatella that much, mostly because of its color, but my grandma always kept saying to me that I had to eat it because it would make me grow up faster. Then I actually grew up and I couldn’t wait for Easter to come because I knew we were going to cook stracciatella together.

Now that I live in New York I make stracciatella every now and then. It is perfect to warm up those chill winter evenings, especially when I don’t have time to cook anything more elaborate than that or when my pantry is quite empty!

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 2 eggs
• 2 heaping spoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 spoons breadcrumbs
• a pinch grated lemon zest
• 700 ml (3 cups) good chicken or beef, preferably homemade
• salt & pepper

Directions:

Prepare your own chicken or beef stock. Store bought is ok, but homemade is definitely better.

Bring the stock to a boil.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, then stir in Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.

Add grated lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste to the egg concoction.

Once the stock is boiling, remove the pot from heat and pour in the concoction whisking vigorously for a couple of minutes.

Return the pot to the heat and keep on whisking for another couple of minutes.

Serve steaming hot with additional grated Parmesan cheese or lemon zest to taste.