A Taste of Puglia: Orecchiette with Garbanzos, Tomatoes, Arugula, and Feta

This recipe takes you all the way to Puglia (also known as Apulia), the heel of Italy. This was one of our favorite regions in all of Italy. This region has only recently become a tourist destination. It is very Greek and very Italian at the same time (it was actually part of Greece at one point). On our trip we headed to Alberobello, Trani, Locorotondo, and Ostuni.

Most people know little about the region or it's products. In fact, Apulia produces 20% of the world's olive oil and 43% of Italy's olive oil! As a region, it also produces more wine than any other region and has 25 D.O.C. wines. I guess the Tuscans have just been more successful at marketing their product and their region!

The cuisine of Puglia is known as the poor man's cuisine. Vegetables have the leading role in the Puglian diet, including pasta sauces. Most sauces are simple, barely cooked and usually made from vegetables-barely cooked tomatoes; creamy ricotta; toasted breadcrumbs and garlic; broccoli and cauliflower, beans and chickpeas, fennel and arugula.

This recipe utilizes orecchiette or "little ears," the typical pasta of this region. It's made with hard flour and water rolled into sausage shapes and then cut into little disks with a knife.They are then pressed with a thumb to resemble little ears that catch and hold the pasta sauce.

Orecchiette with Garbanzos, Tomatoes, Arugula, and Feta

(adapted from a recipe found on Epicurious)

1 pound orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta)
1 pound tomatoes diced (liquid reserved)
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small thinly sliced red onion (can also use green onions)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus sprigs for garnish
4 garlic cloves, minced (or to taste)
4 cups Arugula
1 15 1/2-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, patted dry
2 cups feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

Preparation:
1. Combine diced tomatoes (and tomato juice), garlic, onions, oil, and parsley in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit at least 30 minutes.

2. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.

3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garbanzo beans and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garbanzo beans, arugula, and pasta to tomato mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Add feta; toss briefly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.

Serve warm or let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

For more reading on the region check out some of our travel adventures:

Ostuni Highlights
The Highlights of Puglia: Alberobello and Some Trulli
Our First Taste of Puglia: Trani and Ostuni

Gnocchi

Gnocchi is the Italian word for dumplings. The word "gnocchi" means "lump" or "knot" and is originally a Germanic word that may describe the distinctive shape of gnocchi.

Gnocchi vary from region to region throughout Italy. The most common way to prepare gnocchi is with potatoes and flour. In Rome, gnocchi are made with semolina flour, milk, and cheese and are known as gnocchi alla romana. In and around Tuscany, the gnocchi are made with spinach and ricotta and are called strozzapreti, or priest stranglers. According to popular legend, a priest choked and died after eating too quickly because the gnocchi were so delicious! In the Lombardy region of Italy, the spinach/ricotta gnocchi are called malfatti meaning "malformed" since these gnocchi are made from leftover ravioli and do not have uniform shape of other varieties. Lastly, gnocchi di pane is a popular version in the Friuli and Trentino-Atlo Adige regions and is made from bread crumbs.

My Gnocchi recipe:
5 lbs (9-10) baking potatoes (i.e. russets)
2 1/2 tsp salt
pepper
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
4 egg whites
3 3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of nutmeg

1. Pierce potatoes and bake at 400 degrees for an hour. Peel potatoes while warms and press through a potato ricer.

2. Mix potatoes, salt, pepper, baking powder, and egg whites in a large bowl. Add flour (a little at a time) and mix with hands until the mixture forms a rough ball.

3. Knead dough on a dry, lightly floured board until smooth (about 7 minutes). If using 5lbs of potatoes, separate dough at this point and do in two batches. Keep non-working dough covered.

4. With a sharp knife cut a piece of dough and roll into a rope about the thickness of your index finger.

5. Cut rope into 1 inch pieces and form slightly.

6. Boil in gnocchi in batches in salted water.

Small batch
2 lbs potatoes (about 4 lg. baking potatoes)
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1-2 egg whites
1 1/2 c flour

Toss gnocchi with sauce (tomato, butter and sage, Gorgonzola, or........)

Pasta con crema di Peperoni

Pasta with an Orange Bell Pepper Cream Sauce

I found this recipe off the web site Mestolando. I made a few changes to the recipe, swapping light cream for the heavy cream, and using a blender instead of a food mill since we don't have one. Check out the Mestolando web site if you are looking for simple, easy, Italian dishes.

Recipe:
1 lb pasta (such as rigatoni or penne)
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package basil, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup light cream (can use heavy cream)
salt and pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Boil pasta according to directions. Slightly under cook the pasta since it will finish cooking in the sauce.

2. Saute the diced red and yellow peppers and garlic in olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Cook the peppers on medium high heat for about 10 minutes until cooked thoroughly.

3. Put 2 Tbs of cream in a blender. Add the cooked garlic and pepper mixture. Blend until a sauce is formed. Place sauce back in the saute pan and add remaining cream (you can add more cream if the sauce is too thick). Add basil and heat over low heat for a few minutes.

4. Add pasta to sauce and toss. Add a handful of Parmesan to thicken sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

When serving, add more Parmesan and basil if you want.

Tagliatelle con Asparagi, Piselli, e Carciofi

Tagliatelle with Asparagus, Peas, and Artichokes

This recipe was adapted from the book Lorenza's Pasta by Lorenza de'Medici. It is a great authentic Italian cookbook. The recipe calls for fresh artichokes, and those should be used if you have the time.

1 can artichokes drained and quartered (or three artichoke hearts, cleaned and quartered)
olive oil
1 lb asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper
1 1/4 cup peas (can use frozen or fresh-defrost if using frozen)
1 cup light cream
1 lb pasta (if fresh pasta is not available, use egg noodles)
Parmesan cheese

1. Saute asparagus in olive oil until cooked through (you could also steam or roast the asparagus). Toss in artichokes and warm through.

2. Puree 1 cup of peas and cream in blender. When blended, put in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup peas, artichokes, and asparagus. Season with salt and better (use white pepper if you have it).

3. Boil pasta. Slightly under cook the pasta. When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce mixture.

4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Linguine alle Vongole

This recipe has a thicker sauce that coats the pasta better than traditional recipes.

(Adapted from a recipe found on Epicurious.)

Linguine alle Vongole
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium white (or yellow) onion
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
handful of parsley (about 1/4 cup)
1 can white clam sauce (preferable Colavita white clam sauce)
1/2 can veg broth
1 lb. fettuccine (or linguine if you want to be authentic)
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Saute onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in 1 Tbs butter until translucent (about 5 minutes) over medium high heat. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Slowly add in the 1/2 can veg broth making sure to wisk out any clumps of flour. When sauce starts to thicken, lower heat to medium and add white clam sauce. Stir to combine
   
2. Meanwhile, cook 1 lb of pasta. Slightly undercook pasta.


3. Add juice of one lemon, zest of one lemon, salt and pepper to taste to sauce. Let thicken slightly over low heat. Drain pasta and toss with sauce and parsley. Add a generous handful of Parmesan to help thicken the sauce even more!

Farfalle with Gorgonzola, Arugula, and Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is quick and east and great for a hot summer night.

Adapted from a recipe that appeared in the New York Times.

1 cup light cream (can also use heavy cream or half and half)
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other good blue cheese
1 pound farfalle
2 cups of arugula, trimmed, washed and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes cut in half
salt and pepper
freshly ground Parmesan to taste

1. Cook pasta until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. While pasta is cooking, warm the cream and Gorgonzola in a small saucepan just until the cheese melts a bit and mixture becomes thick.

3. Add the Gorgonzola cream mixture, arugula, and cherry tomatoes to the cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan and serve.

Pasta di Pomodoro, Basilico, Aglio e Feta

Reed's Tomato, Basil, Garlic and Feta Pasta

1 lb pasta (such as penne)
1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes diced (reserve all tomato juice)
1 package fresh basil (about 1/2 cup chopped)
6 garlic cloves minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1.5 cups feta (or to taste)
salt and pepper

1. Combine chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, chopped basil, and chopped garlic in a bowl. Mix. Add 2 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper. Let sit at least one hour.

2. Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain.

3. Add tomato mixture to drained pasta. Mix in feta.