From the demo Autumn Bites
Recipe Courtesy of Chef Meg Hall

Ingredients:
1 box                     Rustichella Corn Fusili, cooked al dente

Sauce:
2 lbs                       Butternut Squash Cubes, microwaved until fork tender (about 8-10 minutes)
2 ozs.                     Dried “California” mix Mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water, drained and rough chop.  (Reserve mushroom water)
1 large                   Shallot, minced
2 T                          Unsalted Butter
8 oz.                       Mascarpone
½ cup                    Heavy Cream
6 oz.                       Fresh Mozzarella
TT                           Kosher Salt
TT                           Freshly Cracked Pepper

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Use 1 Tablespoon of butter to grease 11 ¾ “ X 10” glass casserole or baking pan
3. Place softened butternut squash cubes in food processor and process until smooth.  Add some reserved mushroom hydrating liquid to help loosen squash, if needed.
4. In large skillet melt butter and cook minced shallot until slightly caramelized.   Turn off heat.
5. Add butternut squash mixture, mushrooms and mascarpone.  Blend until smooth
6. Add corn fusilli to mixture and season to taste. Add mushroom water or stock if too dry.
7. Pour pasta mixture into the casserole dish or baking pan and top with fresh sliced mozzarella slices and cover with foil.
8. Put casserole dish or baking pan into oven and cook for 10 minutes then remove foil.  Cook until mozzarella is golden brown.  Approximately 10 minutes.
9. Let rest for 10 minutes and then serve.

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From the demo: A Big Bowl of Love
Recipe Courtesy of Cristina Ferrare

4 TO 6 SERVINGS

This is my mother’s favorite sauce, and I have to say without a doubt mine too. She would tell stories of how when she was little she would pick fresh ripe tomatoes every day, right off the vine in the garden. Her mother would make all kinds of wonderful dishes, but this slightly sweet, delicate sauce was her favorite. My mother is from the northern region of Italy, where the sauces are lighter than the heartier sauces from the south, which is where my dad’s family is from. Whenever I serve this sauce to someone for the first time, the reaction is always the same: one of pure discovery and Wow! The aroma is so sweet and fragrant, and the flavor of the sauce so delicate.

16 Roma (Italian plum) tomatoes, quartered
2 medium onions, one peeled, quartered. The other peeled, finely chopped, covered, and set aside in the refrigerator
2 small carrots, cut into four pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into four pieces
¹⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 scallions, chopped small
4 tablespoons butter
¹⁄3 cup white wine
3 teaspoons kosher salt
8 ounces of your favorite pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
5 to 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely

1.      In a large sauce pot, combine tomatoes, quartered onion, carrots, and celery, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, leaving the lid slightly open, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Remove from heat.

2.      Puree the vegetables in a blender until smooth.

3.      Over another pot, pass the pureed sauce through a chinois or tomato strainer  to remove the tomato skins and seeds. Do not use a strainer with tightly woven small mesh; the holes are too small and the resulting puree will be too liquid. Set aside.

4.      Heat a large saucepan on medium heat until warm but not hot. Add the olive oil, finely chopped onions, scallions, and butter. Cook until the onions are translucent (5 to 8 minutes). Add the white wine and continue to cook, reducing by more than half. Add the pureed vegetables and salt, and mix well. Simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.

5.       Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and pour into a large warmed pasta serving bowl. Ladle 2 cups of sauce over the pasta, and mix. Ladle 1 more cup over the pasta, or more if you like, and sprinkle on freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil.

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Piccolo Chef has monthly classes at Surfas for the mini-chef of all ages. Check them out today!

Recipe makes 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup butter
½ cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup freshly shaved Pecorino cheese

 Directions:

1. In large bowl, combine pumpkin and butter; add flour, yolk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Knead into soft dough (if necessary, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time); divide into 4 sections. On floured surface, roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness; cut into 3/4-inch pieces, rolling each piece against the tines of a fork to create ridges. Repeat with remaining dough.
2. In large pot, bring 6 cups salted water to boil. Cook gnocchi in 2 batches; dropping into water and cooking 2 minutes or until pieces float. Remove with slotted spoon to warmed bowl.
3. Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium heat, cooking until it just starts to deepen in color. Add hazelnuts, sage, salt and pepper, cook 1 minute more. Drizzle Sage and Hazelnut butter over gnocchi and top with shaved Pecorino.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Orecchiette
1.5 lbs of Rapini
4 Anchovies
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste
1-2 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
sea salt

Preparation:
Clean the rapini and remove some of the leaves and rough stems. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. (It is best to use coarse sea salt). Throw the pasta into the pot. After five minutes add the rapini vegetable to the pot of boiling pasta. (Save some water to add later if the pasta is dry.) Meanwhile, in a separate pan saute the garlic in the olive oil with the hot peppers and anchovies. Remove the garlic before it browns and take sauce off flame. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta and saute’ briefly together with the sauce in the pan. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

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Ingredients:

21-30 shrimp
1 package Pappardelle or Fettuccine
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
4 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pancetta, cubed or chopped
1 orange peel
1 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
3-4 jars of prepared quality marinara sauce or 32 oz. of your favorite personal recipe
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of cream

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pot. Sweat the shallots, garlic, hot pepper, and pancetta over medium heat until soft. Deglaze with wine for 1-2 minutes and add the tomato sauce while stirring. Cook over low heat stirring frequently until thick. Season with salt and pepper. Cook pasta in salted water while boiling rapidly for 8-10 minutes. Pasta should be al dente. Add cream to sauce and mix well. Sauce should have an orange-pink hue. Add the drained pasta to a saucepan with the sauce and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce for about 1 minute over medium low heat.

For shrimp: Wash and peel, devein and toss with salt and pepper. Sear in hot olive oil over high heat. Finish with 1 tbsp zest of orange. Reserve and place over pasta.
Place the shrimp on top and garnish with leafy Italian parsley.

Serves 4

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This is a classic Marathi dessert that is easy to make! Eat it with puris (Indian fried bread) or on its own.

Ingredients:
2 liters whole milk
3/4 tablespoon clarified butter (optional)
3 ounces vermicelli
6 ounces sugar
1 teaspoon powdered cardamom
4-5 strands saffron
8-10 cashews / almonds, slivered
Cook milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning or sticking.

Meanwhile, heat clarified butter in a skillet. Toast the vermicelli in the butter till golden, 4-5 minutes.

Add the toasted vermicelli to the milk and bring the milk back to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Add sugar, cardamom and saffron to the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, till the milk is golden and slightly thickened, about 12-15 minutes. Stir in the nuts. Serve hot, at room temperature or chilled.

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Ingredients:

6 Strips Raw Bacon
½ lb. Dry Angel Hair Pasta
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (more as needed)
¼ cup Onion or Shallot, minced
½ cup Frozen Peas, thawed and rinsed
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese
Generous Freshly Ground Pepper

Preparation:

Cut the bacon into 1/8” pieces. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside on paper towel. Drain all but 2 tbsp. of the bacon fat.

Cook pasta according to directions on the box, less 1 minute. Drain pasta, then toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and set aside.

Heat the remaining bacon fat until shimmering. Ad the onions and cook over medium heat until soft. Add garlic and peas and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the bacon and cream until simmering. Add pasta, stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute more.

Top with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

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Ingredients:

1/2 cup Paradiso extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves peeled and cut in half
1 can Italian plum tomatoes, San Marzano if possible
1 can of anchovies, drained and rinsed, or anchovy paste
Capers – as many as you like
Pitted olives, dried or brined. If they’re big, chop coarsely. Otherwise, throw them in whole (1/8 cup = 6 olives)
Hot red pepper flakes or a shot of Tabasco or Sriricha
3/4 pound of pasta:  spaghetti, linguini – kamut, corn, whole wheat, egg, or spinach
Fresh Italian parsley leaves, coarsely chopped or ripped by hand

Preparation:

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.  Let the garlic get some color, then throw it away.
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2. Lower the heat, wait a minute, and add everything but the parsley. Avert your face when you add the tomatoes in case the liquid splatters. Mash them with a fork to break them up.
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3. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the flavors are blended. Taste. Correct the seasoning.
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4. Pour it over the pasta, mix, and serve with the parsley on top.  Or just ladle it into a bowl and dip some good Italian bread into it until it’s all gone. It’s that easy. And that good.
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Buon appetito!

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Ingredients:

1/2 lb Farfalle Pasta                                                                                                  
1/2 Lb Fresh Shrimps peeled Head off tail off           �
1 Tsp Garlic Minced                   
1 Tbsp Evoo                   
Salt & Pepper To Taste
1/2 Tsp Fresh Dill                                                                                                       �
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream              
1 Cup Dry White Wine                                                                                                         
1 Pinch Fresh Marjoram                     �
4 Oz Artichoke Heart Sauce                                                                                                                                                                      

Preparation:

In a frypan with the evoo sauté shrimps and garlic, wet with white wine allow to evaporate, join the heavy cream.

Adjust the Salt & Pepper then add the herbs and the Menu Artichoke Heart Sauce, simmer for 1 min then add the pasta previously cooked “al Dente” in abundant hot salted water.

Dress all together and serve.

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