Handmade Pappardelle with Creamy Wild Mushroom & Balsamic Sauce

Pappardelle Pasta
2 cups all purpose flour
3 large eggs
a pinch of salt

Using a food processor, combine the flour and salt.  Add the eggs and process in pulses until the flour is completely moistened.  Remove the dough and knead for about five minutes, adding only a small amount of flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and allow to relax for an hour.  Roll out with a pasta machine to setting 7, or use a rolling pin to roll it as thinly as possible.  Cut the pasta sheets in to long pappardelle noodles and hang on a rack or dust lightly with flour until ready to use.

Makes about one pound of fresh pasta    

Wild Mushroom & Balsamic Cream Sauce
1 cup dried mushrooms such as shitake, porcini, and morel
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons Ultra Premium, Olio Nuovo Coratina from Chile
1/3 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup reserved mushroom stock (soaking liquid)
2 tablespoons Traditional Style Balsamic Condimento 
1 large shallot, sliced thin
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
1 - 2" sprig of fresh thyme, leaves only
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Place mushrooms in a small bowl and pour one cup of boiling water over the mushrooms and set aside. Place a large saute pan, over medium heat.  Add the Coratina, onion and shallot and a small sprinkle of kosher salt.  Saute slowly until the onions are caramelized, being careful not to burn them.  This should take approximately 5 minutes until they are golden brown.

Drain the mushrooms well reserving the soaking liquid.  Chop lightly if the pieces are large.  Add the mushrooms and thyme leaves to the saute pan.  Saute for another minute and then add the Marsala wine, scraping up any browned bits.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Reduce the wine by half, and add the mushroom stock. Continue cooking over medium heat until liquid is again reduced by half.  Add in the balsamic, and then the heavy cream stirring well to combine.  Allow to simmer for an additional minute or two, to allow the sauce to thicken.  Season well with kosher salt and a generous amount of fresh ground pepper.

Boil the fresh pappardelle in the boiling water for a minute.

Add the cooked, drained pappardelle to the saute pan.  Toss it with the sauce and allow it to simmer in the sauce for an additional minute.

Serve with grated fresh Pecorino Romano cheese.

Serves 4-6  

Local Almonds Slow Roasted in Ultra Fresh, High Polyphenol Nocellara Del Belice Olive Oil With Fresh Rosemary

Ingredients
1 pound fresh, whole almonds (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoons of Nocellara Del Belice
2 teaspoons fine to medium sea salt - or to taste
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves as an optional garnish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl toss the almonds with the Nocellara and 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves.

Distribute the almonds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and slow roast for 40 minutes, until the almonds smell toasty and the rosemary leaves are fragrant and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. While still warm, toss with sea salt and garnish with remaining tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves and 1 tablespoon of Nocellara.

Allow to cool fully and serve

>.2 FFA Robust Olio Nuovo Empeltre Focaccia with Caramelized Shallots & Rosemary

Crusty, chewy, fragrant, and savory would all be excellent descriptors for this olive oil laden baked beauty above. It is, my friends, a perfect union of wheat and olive oil and serves to highlight what can be done with the right olive oil plugged in to the right application. The Empeltre's larger-than-life personality, boasting throat closing pepper, bite, and savory, strong green vegetable notes is pleasantly tamed here and marries perfectly, balancing well with the sweet caramelized shallots, herbaceous fresh rosemary, and earthiness of fresh ground black pepper.

When we use well made extra virgin olive oil as a spice or flavor enhancer in our baking and cooking, it has the potential to elevate our food to a whole new level. Thinking of olive oil as a one size fits all ingredient is akin to reading a wine list in a restaurant with a single wine offered to pair with all the dishes on the menu. The right wine will do for the dishes what the right olive oil will.

Super Robust Olio Nuovo Empeltre EVOO Focaccia with Rosemary & Caramelized Shallots

Ingredients
5 cups all purpose, unbleached flour
2 cups lukewarm, water, filtered if possible
1 cup cooled, unseasoned, mashed russet potatoes
1/3 cup + 1/3 cup + more for drizzling: Empeltre EVOO, or similar, intense olio nuovo with excellent chemistry: super low FFA, >.2, super high oleic 79+, and super high phenol count of 400+, with strong savory flavor notes and heady bouquet.
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 medium shallots thinly sliced
1 package active dried yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves rough chopped
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt to taste

Directions
If making the dough in your bread machine, follow its instructions for the order of adding ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the water sugar and yeast. Allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes, Add 1/3 cup of olive oil, mashed potatoes and sea salt. Mix to combine.

With the mixer running on the lowest speed, begin to add the flour, cup by cup, until the dough has come together and becomes elastic and just slightly tacky. Reserve any leftover flour for rolling the dough out.

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for one hour.

On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment, gently push the dough to the edges, using fingertips to stretch it and make dimpled indentations. Cover and allow the dough to rise for another hour in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Distribute the thinly slices shallots and rosemary evenly over the focaccia. Drizzle with remaining 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper, and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until golden brown. While still hot out of the oven, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil to taste. Serve warm.

Dark Chocolate & Blood Orange Agrumato Olive Oil Cream Buns

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup lukewarm cream or half & half
1/3 cup warm lukewarm water
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh blood orange agrumato olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest
16 - 1" chunks of dark chocolate or 5-6 dark chocolate morsels for each bun

1 egg beaten for glazing the buns

Sweet Orange Glaze

1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoons half and half
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

Directions:

Follow the directions for your bread machine, or place the warm water, half and half, eggs, sugar, blood orange agrumato olive oil, and yeast in bowl of standing heavy-duty mixer; stir until yeast dissolves. Fit mixer with dough hook. Add flour, zest, and salt to bowl and mix on low speed just until flour combined, about 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium and beat until dough comes together, about 3 minutes.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Gently deflate the dough and cover bowl with plastic; chill dough overnight.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Make a short log from each piece and cut each log into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a bun.  Gently push a 1/2" piece of dark chocolate in the center of each bun and pinch the bottom of each bun to seal securely. Arrange the buns about an inch apart, pinched side down on the prepared sheet pan and allow to rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Gently brush top of the buns with the beaten egg glaze. Bake until buns are golden brown and fragrant, about 25 minutes.

Allow the buns to cool for 5 minutes.  For Sweet Orange Glaze, mix together the orange juice, half and half, and confectioners' sugar. Brush each bun with glaze.  Serve warm while the chocolate is still molten in the center.

Makes 16 buns