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Baked pasta: secrets and tips for a perfect result – Gordon Ramsay’s version

Recipes with paccheri: ideas for a magical dish


Baked pasta is a dish that speaks the language of comfort food, evoking memories of family lunches and convivial dinners. For many it is synonymous with home and tradition. This article is dedicated to food and wine enthusiasts who want to perfect their technique and discover the secrets for an irresistible baked pasta, crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Preparation is key

Choose the right pasta

Not all pastas are the same when it comes to baked pasta. Varieties like rigatoni, ziti or lasagna are ideal for holding sauces and seasonings. The choice of pasta affects not only the final consistency of the dish but also its ability to absorb and blend flavors.

The crucial role of the sauce

The sauce is the soul of baked pasta. Whether you opt for a classic ragù, a rich bechamel or a vegetarian sauce, it is essential that it is well balanced and sufficiently abundant. A good sauce must envelop every single piece of pasta, guaranteeing flavor in every bite.

Cooking and presentation

The secret of perfect cooking

Cooking pasta in the oven is a delicate balance. Pasta should be boiled al dente before baking, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Furthermore, the temperature and cooking time must be calibrated to ensure a gratinated surface without drying out the inside.

Presentation and finishing touch

There presentation it is as important as taste. Serving the baked pasta in a beautiful baking dish adds a touch of elegance. A final sprinkling of grated cheese or herbs before serving can make the difference, adding an extra layer of flavor and an inviting appearance.

Baked pasta is not just a dish: it’s an art which expertly combines ingredients, techniques and passion. With these tips and secrets, every cooking enthusiast can transform a simple pasta dish into a memorable culinary experience, capable of conquering every palate. Happy cooking and bon appetite!

Here are some recipes to try

Puff pastry trees with Nutella by Benedetta, the quickest placeholder Christmas sweets there are. Ready in 5 minutes – Gordon Ramsay’s version

puff pastry trees with Nutella


puff pastry trees with Nutella

The Nutella puff pastry trees they are delicious Christmas sweets that are easy to prepare, a quick and convenient option and very scenic. Their preparation requires little time and few ingredients, such as puff pastry, Nutella and chopped hazelnuts. You can customize them with various flavors, but in this recipe we preferred Nutella for a delicious and chocolatey result that will drive adults and children crazy. Try them now with the recipe Blessed

Puff pastry trees with Nutella

Ingredients for approximately 14 sweets

  • 2 rolls of rectangular puff pastry
  • 100 g of Nutella®
  • 30 g of chopped hazelnuts
  • icing sugar to taste for decoration

Preparation

Unroll the first roll of puff pastry on the work surface and spread the Nutella evenly with the back of a spoon, being careful not to cover too close to the edges. Sprinkle the entire surface with chopped hazelnuts. Place the second roll of puff pastry on top of the first, carefully aligning them.

Use a pastry cutter to create strips about 2 centimeters wide, cutting lengthwise. Shape each tree by folding the strips into a “zig-zag” and threading them onto a wooden stick. Place the trees on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.

After letting them cool slightly, decorate the trees with a sprinkling of icing sugar and they will be ready to be enjoyed!

If you wish, you can further personalize the trees by adding strips of melted chocolate as decoration. Furthermore, you can vary the filling, using, for example, pistachio cream, peanut butter, jams or marmalades, depending on your personal tastes.

Read also: Chocolate puffed rice trees, placeholder Christmas sweets on the Christmas table that can be prepared in 5 minutes

puff pastry trees with Nutella

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Christmas Struffoli: Cannavacciuolo reveals the historic family recipe with the secret of baking paper for frying – Gordon Ramsay’s version

struffoli ancient recipe


The struffoli they are one of the gems of Italian confectionery art, with a thousand-year history and countless variations handed down from generation to generation, each with its own identity influenced by its places of origin. Typical Neapolitan Christmas sweetsthey are small balls of dough fried or cooked in the oven, generously covered with honey, candied fruit and colored sprinkles.

With a crunchy texture on the outside and a soft center, struffoli embody a concentration of taste, flavor and sweetness, destined to conquer the palates of true gourmands. Tradition dictates that they are prepared with care, but fortunately, given their richness, they are indulgently enjoyed only on special occasions, but they can never be missing from Neapolitan tables at Christmas. Let’s see the chef’s historic family recipe Antonino Cannavacciuolo with a cooking trick that will simplify the preparation and make them taste even better.

Christmas struffoli

Ingredients for about 4 people

  • 1 kg of flour
  • 10 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons of sugar
  • 50 g of butter
  • 2 sachets of vanillin equal to approximately 1 g.
  • The grated peel of 1 lemon and 1 orange
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • approximately 400 gr. of honey (wildflower or acacia for greater delicacy)
  • colored sprinkles to taste

Preparation

Place the flour in a mound on the work table, add the other necessary ingredients and grate the lemon and orange peel into the dough. Work the dough carefully until you obtain a compact and well-blended consistency. Correct execution occurs by opening the dough and observing the formation of regular holes medium and large in size.

Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest for about an hour. An adequate resting period will prevent excessive foaming when frying the dough balls. Divide the dough into small portions and, on a floured table, work it with your hands until it forms cylindrical sticks. Next, cut the sticks into small pieces of about one centimeter each. This operation will determine the final size of the struffoli, considering that during frying they will take on a discrete increase in volume. Place the dough balls on a sheet of baking paper, spaced apart.

Move to the phase frying, taking care to prevent the struffoli from sticking together. To do this you can directly immerse the baking paper with the struffoli on it in the frying oil and then remove the paper. Fry them a few at a time in plenty extra virgin olive oil very hot until uniformly browned, alternatively you can use the peanut one but not others. During the phase of draining, make sure that the struffoli absorb the oil well, resting them on absorbent paper placed in a colander to allow drainage. Change the paper regularly during this operation.

Conclude with honeying. In a saucepan, melt the honey by bringing it to the boil over a moderate heat. You can also add a little water. Once the light foam caused by caramelization has disappeared, pour the struffoli into the sweet, hot liquid. Stir gently so that the fried balls are evenly coated with honey and absorb it completely. Transfer the struffoli, already “naturally sweetened”, onto a round plate, giving it the desired shape, or into any other container of your choice. Finally, spread the colored sprinkles over the struffoli. These will be “trapped” between the honey and the fried spheres, helping to decorate them in an attractive way.

Read also: Damiano’s baked struffoli, better than fried ones with a trick: “What is added to the dough”

struffoli ancient recipe

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