ROSAMARIA: Ciao bellas! This morning your intrepid reporter is coming to you from Cipressa, a small coastal town in Liguria, Italy.I was not supposed to be here.
The plan was for me to go to Mozambique in late September with Habitat for Humanity, but that trip was cancelled due to upcoming elections and the fear that there might be unrest in the area. Jeez, I remember when unrest meant you had noisy neighbors at the all-inclusive resort.
So we were looking at a long (for us) stretch of time between trips. A old friend was celebrating a milestone birthday at this home in Provence and we had thought we wouldn't be able to make it with all the trips we had planned (lest you think I'm some madcap heiress this included trips to New Brunswick, NJ, Suffield, CT and Brooklyn, NY.) But now we were free.
The party was lovely - I felt quite the worldly author surrounded by agents, publishers and an assortment of colorful characters worthy of their own book or short story. But even the best hostess wants you to come and then eventually wants you to leave, so we kept our stay brief enough so that they'd ask us back - and then set off for Italy.I've never been to this part of Italy before but I will keep you posted on how it goes! If my other trips to Italy are any indication - Molto Bene!
In the meantime, here's a tasty recipe from the Ligurian region. I trust I'll be eating lots of pasta with pesto....
Trenette with Pesto
1 lb trenette pasta
For Pesto
1 oz basil
½ oz pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
2 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 ½ oz grated Pecorino cheese
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
20 minutes preparation + 12 minutes cooking
Place into a mortar (or mixer) well-washed and dried basil leaves, finely chopped garlic and pine nuts; add the necessary oil bit by bit.
Once you have quite a creamy mixture, blend in cheese to bring everything together, and salt to taste. Cook the pasta until “al dente” in abundant salted boiling water, drain well and pour into a tureen.
Dress with pesto sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve immediately.
Rosamaria's addition - serve with wine. Centanni'!
Once you have quite a creamy mixture, blend in cheese to bring everything together, and salt to taste. Cook the pasta until “al dente” in abundant salted boiling water, drain well and pour into a tureen.
Dress with pesto sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve immediately.
Rosamaria's addition - serve with wine. Centanni'!
