Italian Food Recipes

Although I’m not an Italian, I really like these two Italian food recipes that I got and copied from Recipe Trove’s website. It’s tasty and delicious of these Italian recipes. In case that, you want to try to make these recipes, you won’t be disappointed.

Basic Polenta

9 Cups Water
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Cups Cornmeal; coarse-grained

• Bring water to a boil in a large heavy pot.
• Add salt and reduce heat until water is simmering.
• Take cornmeal by the handful and add to water very slowly, controlling the flow to a thin stream through your fingers.
• To avoid lumps, stir quickly with a long handled wooden spoon while adding cornmeal.
• If necessary, stop adding cornmeal from time to time and beat mixture vigorously.
• Cook and stir constantly 20 to 30 minutes. Polenta will become very thick while cooking. It is done when it comes away cleanly from the sides of the pot.
• Pour polenta into a large wooden board or a large platter.
• Wet your hands and smooth out polenta evenly, about 2 inches thick. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes or until polenta solidifies.
• Cut cooled polenta into slices 1 inch wide and 6 inches long. Place slices in individual dishes.
• Serve hot, covered with your favorite sauce. Make 6 to 8 servings.

Variation: Fried Polenta (Polenta Fritta): Prepare polenta and let cool
completely. Cut cooled polenta into slices 2 inches wide and 6 inches long.
Pour oil about 1 inch deep in a large skillet. Heat oil until a 1−inch cube
of bread turns golden almost immediately. Fry polenta slices on both sides
until light golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot. It is important to
insure the oil is hot enough, otherwise the polenta will absorb oil and your
polenta will be greasy and unpalatable.

Carbonara Sauce

4 Tablespoon Butter
8 Slice Bacon; cut in 1/4" strips
2 Eggs
2 Egg yolks
1 Teaspoon Red pepper flakes
1 Cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup Heavy cream
1 Teaspoon Salt
Black pepper
1 Pound Spaghetti
8 Quarts water Cream soft butter.

• In another bowl, beat eggs & yolks and whisk until blended, add 1/2 cup cheese. Heat large casserole dish in 200F oven.
• Bring water & salt to boil in large pot. Meanwhile, fry bacon in skillet over med heat until crisp.
• Pour off half of fat and stir in red pepper flakes and cream.
• Bring cream mixture to simmer and keep warm until spaghetti is done.
• Transfer cooked spaghetti to heated serving bowl and stir in creamed butter.
• Coat well. Stir in hot bacon & cream mixture and finally the beaten eggs and cheese. The heat of the pasta will cook the raw eggs.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with remaining grated cheese.

Enjoy cooking!!