This Basic white risotto is the simplest way to prepare the dish, and for many, the finest. Good as it is, it can be even better when blanketed by shaved white truffles.

Yield : For 6 servings
  



Ingredients
5 cups Homemade Meat Broth, OR 1 cup canned beef broth diluted with 4 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons onion chopped very fine
2 cups Arborio OR other imported Italian risotto rice
½ heaping cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
OPTIONAL: ½ ounce (or more if affordable) fresh OR canned white truffle
Salt, if required

Directions

1. Bring the broth to a very slow, steady simmer on a burner near where you'll be cooking the risotto.

2. Put 1 tablespoon of butter, the vegetable oil, and the chopped onion in a broad, sturdy pot, and turn on the heat to medium high. Cook and stir the onion until it becomes translucent, then add the rice. Stir quickly and thoroughly until the grains are coated well.

3. Add ½ cup of simmering broth and cook the rice, stirring constantly with a long wooden spoon, wiping the sides and bottom of the pot clean as you stir, until all the liquid is gone. You must never stop stirring and you must be sure to wipe the bottom of the pot completely clean frequently, or the rice will stick to it.

4. When there is no more liquid in the pot, add another ½ cup, continuing always to stir in the manner described above. Maintain heat at a lively pace.

5. Begin to taste the rice after 20 minutes of cooking. It is done when it is tender, but firm to the bite. As it approaches that stage, gradually reduce the amount of liquid you add, so that when it is fully cooked, it is slightly moist, but not runny.

6. When the rice is about 1 or 2 minutes away from being fully cooked, add all the grated Parmesan and the remaining butter. Stir constantly to melt the cheese and wrap it around the grains. Off heat, taste and correct for salt, stirring after adding salt.

7. Transfer to a platter and serve promptly. Shave the optional white truffle over it, using either a truffle slicer or a swiveling-blade vegetable peeler. Some prefer to shave the truffle over each individual portion.

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb spaghetti or pasta of choice
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation:

Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, reserving tips separately. Cook asparagus stems in 5 to 6 quarts boiling water with 2 tablespoons salt until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander, reserving cooking water in pot, and rinse under cold water. Drain asparagus well and transfer to a food processor or blender.
Cook asparagus tips in same boiling water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to colander, reserving boiling water in pot, and rinse under cold water. Drain tips well.
Purée asparagus stems with zest, oil, and 1/2 cup asparagus cooking water. Transfer sauce to a 4-quart saucepan.
Cook pasta in boiling asparagus cooking water until it still offers considerable resistance to the tooth, around three fourths of the recommended cooking time. Reserve 2 cups cooking water and drain pasta.
Add pasta, asparagus tips, and 1/2 cup reserved water to asparagus sauce and cook over high heat, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes, or until pasta is almost al dente and sauce coats pasta. Add more cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, until sauce coats pasta but is a little loose (the cheese will thicken it slightly).
Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted.

Buon Appetito!

Courtesy of Chef Emanuele Murgia

Tortellini:
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tbsp diced Italian parsley
3 eggs
salt and pepper
2 cups all purpose flour

Sauce:
4 oz. prosciutto
1/2 cup Panna da cucina
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:
12 oz. Del Verde orzo
1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 Tbs. Sasso extra virgin olive oil 
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, minced
 salt
Fresh ground pepper
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano*

Bring 2 large pots of water to boil.  Add a big pinch of salt in each.

To one pot, add asparagus and blanch, about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus.  Place blanched asparagus in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and keep them green.

To the second pot, add the orzo.  Cook per package instructions.  When tender, drain and place in a large bowl.  Add blanched asparagus and tomato halves.

Mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir into orzo and vegetables.  Stir in parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

This can be served warm, room temperature or cold.

*Note:  If you want to keep this salad vegan, leave out the Parmigiano Reggiano.



thanks to :www.abigmouthful.com

Ingredients:
1.41 oz of butter
0.88 fontina
0.55 lb whole milk
 4 egg yolk
a pinch of white pepper

Cut the Fontina cheese in thin slices and let it sit in a pot with the milk for at least two hours. After two hours, put the pot on the stove at slow heat and add the butter. Keep stirring until the cheese melts completely (this process is very important and be careful not to allow the cheese to boil). At this point you can add the egg yolks and keep mixing for another 30 minutes until everything is nice and creamy.
Turn off the stove and serve the Fontina in a designated container with a tea candle underneath or a ceramic pot kept hot in the oven so the Fontina will stay hot and keep the same density.
It goes well with vegetables, meat, polenta or with roasted pieces of bread.

Ingredients:
34 fluid oz of whole milk
1/4 tsp of salt
3 tbs of lemon juice or white vinegar
1 cheesecloth
You can use 2% milk, whole or whole plus heavy cream...(the flavor depends upon the contents of the milk's fat you will decide to use, the fattier and fresher the milk is,  the richer the flavor of the ricotta will be). 
Pour a liter of milk (34 fluid oz) in a pot and place it on the stove on medium heat. Once it boils, add a pinch of salt, take it off the heat and add three tbs of lemon juice or white vinegar (this choice will influence the flavor of the final product and it will help to make the milk become lumpy). Stir very well and with three layers of cheesecloth, on a strainer, (which you can find in any grocery store) let the ingredients sit until all the liquid is out. After a few minutes, ring out the cheesecloth and keep it in the fridge for at least two hours. If you like, while you prepare the ricotta to make it a different flavor, you can add black pepper, green onions or red hot peppers. Enjoy! 

 Si puo' usare 2% milk, whole or whole+heavy cream...(il sapore dipende dalla concentrazione di grasso che contiene il latte usato, piu' grasso e' piu' ricco e' il sapore). Di solito un litro di latte o mezzo gallone. Si porta a bollore il latte si aggiunge un po' di sale e dopo 3 minuti si aggiungono 3 t cr s di succo di limone o aceto bianco (anche quello influisce nel sapore) Con tre strati di cheese cloths (si trovano quasi ovunque) adagiati sullo scolapasta si versa il composto grumoso. In tal modo l'acqua si separera dal formaggio. (una variante, a chi piace si puo' aggiungere del pepe e erbette fresche) Dopo qualche minuto si strizza il tutto e si lascia in frigo per 2 ore. Enjoy.

1 pound bucatini or thick stranded spaghetti
1/4 pound (100 g) pancetta or guanciale, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
Half of a small onion, minced
A hot pepper, seeded and shredded (leave it whole if you want to remove it )
1/2 cup olive oil
An abundance (a cup) of freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Preparation:

Set the pasta water to heat, salt it when it boils, and cook the pasta. While this is happening, heat the oil in a skillet, add the diced meat, and cook until the fat starts melting a little, stirring the pieces about. Add the onion, and when it begins to color add the tomato pieces, which should be well drained. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes and add the hot pepper. Drain the pasta while it's still a little al dente, turn it into the skillet with the sauce, cook a minute more, stirring the pasta to coat the strands, and serve, with grated pecorino.


Courtesy of Miss Tatiana Loi