Amaretto Sauce with Homemade Blueberry Pasta: Winner of the Connoisseurs Choice Award

A sweet pasta indulgence for the connoisseur in you. This winning recipe is great for special occasions, parties and to add variety to your traditional Italian cooking.

Give you pasta a colorful kick this Easter season or anytime you are throwing a festive party. Never the same old white pasta on this kitchen table.

Homemade blueberry pasta dough:

1 cup semolina flour    * sub gluten free, vegetable, rice, coconut if you like.
2 tbs. Virgin Olive Oil 
1/2 cup blueberry puree

Blueberry puree:

1 cup blueberries, washed well
2 tbs. pure cane sugar
3 tbsp. of fresh squeezed lemon
Lemon zest 
1/4 cup water
Pinch of cinnamon

Amaretto cream sauce:  You can just keep the dish simple with pasta & classic Olive oil, garlic and Parmesan cheese as well as the sweet desert alternative here.

1/2 cup marscapone cheese
3 splashes of Amaretto liquor    * sub real almond extract
1/2 Blueberry Puree
Mint to garnish

Put the blueberries in a saucepan, cover with water, add the sugar lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook slowly over a medium heat.

Save half of the sauce and berries for the pasta. Mash with a fork or puree with a blender.

Using a food processor to fold the the pasta dough into a solid ball.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into tagliatelle shaped strips., 
You can wind the dough through a pasta machine if you have one.

Cover dough in plastic and let dry.

Mix the ingredients for the amaretto sauce until smooth and creamy.

Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente. Fresh pasta takes about 4 minutes.

Serve the pasta with the amaretto sauce and the blueberry sauce.

If you are making this for a birthday party dessert you can use peach half's instead of pasta. Or use baking pie dough recipe for individual pizza pies. Decorate with blackberries, mint & or strawberries & mint.

Purple Basil Pesto & Tagliatelle Pasta

Purple Basil Pesto is great dish to create for parties. The eye popping color is festive and healthy for you.

Ingredients:
1 cup of purple basil  or  1/2 head of purple cabbage, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup Virgin Olive Oil
dash of sea salt
dash of pepper
dash of chili flakes
* dash of fresh garlic if you like
1/4  of Parmesan cheese or vegan cheese
Vegetarian: add steamed or sauteed asparagus * purple cauliflower & fresh mushrooms
 * purple eggplant & shallots * purple broccoli  * purple spinach & shallots
Protein: add fresh grill salmon or grilled shrimp

Variations: in Pesto base:
*1/2 cup  unsalted sunflower seeds
* 1/2 cup fresh unsalted cashews  or  * 1/2 cup pine nuts

Blender:
Add basil, garlic, nuts and ingredients to food processor. Blend and add olive oil until the mixture forms a nice smooth paste.

Cook and drain pasta.
Try different shaped pasta like Farfalle, bow tie pasta to create a party atmosphere.
Bucatini pasta is nice as well.  Add vegetables and your favorite protein.
* gluten free pasta, vegan pasta and fiber pastas are great as well to create a delicious alternative version for your families heath.

Savory Spaghetti Puttanesca- Winning Restaurant Recipe

Spaghetti Puttanesca is the classic Italian dish with olives and anchovies for the sophisticated palate. We add a touch of sage to give it a delicate savory flavor. We are going to use taglionlini  pasta to create a winning restaurant recipe variety.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp anchovies  (add more or less to taste)
2 garlic cloves      chopped
2 medium size fresh roman tomatoes
2 1/2 tabsp Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp fresh basil chopped
1 tsp Orgeono
1 sprig of Fresh parsley   (finely chopped)
*1 tsp Sage  (to give it a savory kick)
1 tbsp capers
dash sea salt
dash ground black pepper
dash of chili flakes   (or fresh cut chili)
3 1/2 tbsp Kalamata Olives  (whole or halved)
splash white wine
Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano aka Parmesan Cheese  (sprinkle lightly on top of pasta)
Variations:  
*add 1 tsp fennel  or  rosemary sprig  to enhance the flavor mood.
*add fresh sliced fennel  *add fresh finely chopped red onion  *add fresh chopped shallots

Cook:
1. Cook  tagliolini pasta:
Try any of these varieties of spaghetti: vegan, gluten free, spinach pasta, wheat pasta, rice pasta, seaweed pasta, coconut pasta or fiber pasta.

2. Put olive oil in a pan. Saute garlic, anchovies, herbs and pepper flakes in a pan over medium heat.

3. Add the fresh tomatoes and stir in. Add splash white wine to taste.

4. Add remaining ingredients: olives, capers and salt to taste.

5. Put in a nice dish and put on a table with beautiful fresh flowers.  Pull out the fine decorated china and serve 4-6.

 Eat and enjoy this classic family Italian pasta dish.

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Nutella Chocolate Dream Cheese Cake!

Nutella Chocolate Dream Cheese Cake! There is something so special about this chocolate
 hazelnut spread.  Make chocolate impressed leaves for decorate topping. Delicious and chocolaty.

1 box of cream cheese softened 8 oz
1 tub of mascarpone cheese              * equal parts for sweeter taste.
3 eggs
1/4 cup cane sugar                            *sweeten to taste
1  1/2 cups Nutellea spread
pinch sea salt
drop real vanilla

Pie crust:
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker biscuits
1/4 cup  butter
1/4 cup cane sugar                 Party ideas make individual cheese cakes in decorate glasses :)

Topping:
Fresh strawberries or raspberries for a color pop
Fresh mint leaf
semisweet chocolate chips white or chocolate
        *melt and impress a real lemon leaf. Cool and pull leaf off
          You can make hearts and different shapes with cookie cutter animal shapes as well
Shaved chocolate sprinkle on top
Fresh real whip cream
For parties you can put in small decorative glasses if you do no bake style or cut into individual sizes.

Pie crust whisk and mix in butter, sugar and crushed graham cracker. Refrigerate.

Pie Mix:
In bowl add softened cream cheese, mascarpone, add eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla and stir.
Bake in oven pre-heated oven 375  for 45 minutes until nice and firm. Middle will be soft.

Let cool. Put on pie crust. Add layer of Nutella on top.

Toppings:
Fresh real whip cream and decorate with strawberries and mint. Decorate with chocolate leaves.

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Italian Escarole Pizza

Italian Escarole Mini Pizzas is a modern twist on a classic pie favorite.

Pizza Dough:
4 cups of all purpose Italian flour
                                  Healthy substitutes: almond flour, rice flour, wheat or gluten free flour
2 cups warm water
2 tsp. sea salt
1 packet dry active yeast
1 tsp. Olive oil

Mix dough in bowl with mixer and roll into little balls 4 inches. You will make mini pizzas with these balls. Cover dough with plastic and let rise 1 hour and half.


Prepared Escarole Topping.
Escarole  6 heads fresh
4 garlic gloves
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

Optional to add variety:
1/2 cup black Olives
1/2 Sun Dried Tomatoes  1/4 onions
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Prosciutto or 1 cup white beans

You can make it  with or without Sauce:
Fresh roman tomatoes
Canned tomato sauce
Fresh basil, sea salt/pepper

Boil escarole until tender in water. Remove from heat and drain.  Add cold olive oil, chopped garlic and salt to taste.

On pie baking dish add escarole topping to mini pizza dough and place in oven. Pre-heat oven 400 degrees. Oven temperature 350 for fifteen minutes.

Your mini pizzas will be delicious with a healthy twist to a classic favorite.

The Ultimate Italian -Greek Salad!

The Italian version of Greek Salad! To start off the new year for 2015 we are going to mix up some
exciting twists of your classic favorites. "You ready?"
The Italian- Greek Salad!

3 Persian cucumbers  shaved or chopped
1/2 cup of black Greek Olives
1 cup chopped red bell pepper and green bell pepper
6 Julianned sun dried tomatoes
 Fresh Mozzarella balls or Fresh crumbled Sheep or Feta Cheese
sprig of fresh basil leaves
dash of fresh oregano or parsley
dash sea salt & pepper
2 shallots chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic optional
1/4 cup pepperonis

Traditional Dressing:
1 cup Olive Oil
2/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
dash of salt & pepper
dash of garlic powder
1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice

New Italian Twist Dressing:
add Basil Pesto Dressing
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
2/3 cup Olive Oil your favorite Extra Virgin is always great to use
dash sea salt & pepper to taste
dash of garlic powder optional
1/2 cup of Pecorino Toscano Cheese,  or  Grana Padano cheese. 
1/4 cup pine nuts or cashews nuts are optional to save calories & your waist line
dash cayenne pepper optional 
Add ingredients to blender or food processor and slowly add oil as you mix

PARTY IDEAS:
cut fresh bell pepper top and use as salad bowl
or
roast the red and yellow peppers in oven till golden for 25 minutes 375 degrees in oven
Open top of peppers and put salad inside
serve on tray