All the pasta recipes (both long and short varieties) refer to the appropriate quantities of pasta (about 100g per person) already cooked in boiling salted water and drained while still “al dente”. The amount of extra virgin olive oil to use in the preparation of sauces is about 2 spoonfuls per person, but this will vary depending on individual tastes. The sauces and preserves require only a brief cooking time, simply to be reheated on a low flame for about 5-7 minutes. Each of the recipes can be used for other types of pasta than those indicated

Crispy garlic bread
Grill slices of bread for 2 minutes on each side. Put the toasted slices on individual plates and sprinkle with salt, and garlic oil.

“Crostini” (canape’)
Spread some slices of bread with olive pate’ and place them in a preheated oven (180°) for a few minutes then serve while hot, with a drizzle of chilli pepper oil as required.

Two ways to prepare « bruschetta »

Bruschetta
Ingredients for 4 persons :
8 slices of peasant bread, 2 garlic cloves, 2 large ripe tomatoes, extravirgin olive oil, basil, salt.
Peel the tomatoes and take away seeds, chop them and season with extravirgin olive oil. Toast the slices of bread and while they are still warm brush on one side peeled garlic, then add little extravirgin olive oil, put over the tomatoes and basil leaves, then serve. N.b instead of basil leaves you may use oil flavoured with basil.

With chicken and avocado
Ingredients for 4 persons: 8 slices of peasant bread, a chicken breast, a garlic clove, an onion, a lemon and extra virgin olive oil.
Dice the chicken breast and toast it on the grill on both sides. Peel the avocado, take away the stone and put it in the mixer with garlic clove, the onion, extra virgin olive oil and some drops of lemon. Put the sauce on bread slices then add chicken and a dash of extra virgin olive oil

Toast “alla pizzaiola”
Arrange the slices of bread on the grill and using a spoon, spread the chopped tomatoes (previously mashed with a fork). Then plut a few slices of fresh mozzarella on top of the tomato, some anchovies, salt to taste, and garnish with basil oil and chilli pepper oil. Put under the grill, about 15cm away from the element. When the mozzarella starts to melt the slices are ready and can be served.

Thin spaghetti with tomatoes
In a casserole, mix part of a bottle of chopped pureed tomatoes, a tablespoon of rosemary olive oil and a pinch of salt, heat for 5 minutes, add a couple more tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, a touch of chilli pepper oil, a touch of garlic oil and cook for another 2 minutes, toss in the spaghetti (already cooked in boiling salted water and drained while still “al dente”), sprinkle with parsley, mix well and serve immediately.

Vermicelli with clams
Empty the contents of a jar of shelled and cleaned clams into a casserole with a couple of dessert spoons of olive oil and heat through. Add a little chilli pepper oil, the vermicelli (already cooked in boiling salted water and drained while still “al dente”), sprinkle with parsley, mix well, remove the casserole from the flame and serve immediately.

Pasta alla matriciana
Ingredients:
450 gr. spaghetti
half an onion
150 gr. died pancetta
400 gr. tomato pulp
40 gr pecorico cheese
5-6 tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper and pepperoncino

Dice the pancetta and the onion. Sauté the pancetta in olive oil, then add the onion, simmer on low heat for two minutes. Add the tomato pulp, and mix well, let simmer on low heat. Salt and pepper to taste, then add the hot peppers. Cook the pasta in salted water. Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain the water and mix with the matriciana sauce. Top with the pecorino cheese.

Pasta spirals with vegetables
Heat up the contents of the jar of vegetable sauce in a large and deep saucepan, add the pasta spirals (already cooked in boiling salted water and drained while still “al dente”), add the olive pate as desired, mix again, remove from flame, a sprinkling of cheese and serve immediately.

Penne with olive and tomato paté
Empty the contents of a tin of chopped tomatoes into a casserole with a couple of dessert spoons of extra virgin olive oil, heat through mixing well for a few minutes, add the penne (already cooked in boiling salted water and drained while still “al dente”), add the olive pate as desired, mix again, remove from flame, a sprinkling of cheese and serve immediately.

Rigatoni with basil.
Heat gently four dessert spoons of basil oil and one of garlic oil in a casserole for 2 or 3 minutes, add the rigatoni (already cooked in boiling salted water and drained while still “al dente”), drizzle over the chilli pepper oil or finely chopped chilli pepper, mix well, remove from flame, sprinkle with cheese, and serve immediately.

" tortiglioni" with shrimps and " pesto"
Ingredients for 4 persons:
"Tortiglioni" 450 gr.
Tomatoes pulp 400 gr.
Peeled shrimps 300 gr.
Parmesan cheese grated 150gr.
Toast almonds without shells 100 gr.
Pine nuts 60 gr.
3 garlic cloves
extra virgin olive oil 2 dl.
White win 1 glass
Fresh mint 5 leaves
1 bunch of basil
Salt, pepper

In a large sauté pan put oil and a garlic clove, when hot add the shrimps, then white win and tomatoes pulp you will have diced. Add salt and pepper and let simmer for just about 10 m

For the "pesto": a part, with the help of a food-mixer, prepare a mixture with almonds, pine nuts, , mint and garlic, add remaining oil and mix all to obtain a cream, salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta and cook "al dente", drain and put in the pan with tomatoes sauce. Add the pesto, parmesan cheese and mix .

Add some basil leaves and serve

Pesto alla Genovese
Ingredients to season 600gr of pasta
2 garlic cloves
4 little bunches of fresh basil
1 pinch of kitchen salt
1 tablespoon of pine nuts toasted in the oven
3 tablespoons of grated pecorino cheese not too strong.
3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese.
1 glass of extra virgin olive oil

The "pesto alla genovese" is done with the help of a mortar in marble and a pestle in wood and a lot of patience . Now days we use a food-mixer but the best solution is still the old one !!!!!

In a food-mixer put garlic cloves, the basil leaves you will have carefully washed, the salt that help to preserve the green color of the leaves, and the pine nuts. Start mixing while adding little by little the cheeses and extra virgin olive oil. When you have a homogenous cream, put it in small glass pots and cover with oil so to preserve it. To season pasta, you have always to dilute pesto with a little of pasta cooking water

Spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli pepper
Add some garlic oil and 2 chopped hot chilli peppers and heat on a low flame for 2 minutes, add the spaghetti (already cooked in boiling salted water and drained while still “al dente”), sprinkle with parsley, toss the pasta mixing well for another two minutes. Serve immediately.

Linguine with pesto
Ingredients for 4 persons :
600 gr of « linguine »
4 peeled potatoes of medium size.
About ten green beans.
A ladle of pasta cooking water
To season:
"Pesto alla Genovese"
80 gr of grated parmesan cheese

Preparation : In the typical Genoa recipe of pasta with pesto you need to add boiled potatoes and green beans. In a large pot boil in salted water diced potatoes and green beans. When they are nearly cooked, add "linguine", mix and let finish cooking.
Drain the pasta when "al dente" together with potatoes and green beans, season immediately with "pesto" that you will have dilute with a ladle of pasta cooking water before.
Add grated parmesan cheese and serve

Spaghetti with olive paté and dried tomatoes.
Mix together in a dish some extra virgin olive oil, the olive pate’ and the dried tomatoes, finely chopped.Cook for 10 minutes adding a ladle of vegetable stock. Pour over the spaghetti, already cooked “al dente” in boiling salted water.

Rice with pesto
Ingrédients :
300 gr rice
Salt
grated cheese
A small pesto pot

Preparation:Cook the rice in salted boiling water. Put the rice very warm in a soup-tureen, add the pesto pot and mix carefully. Add as much as you like grated cheese and serve.

(Preparation time: 16 / 20 minutes)

Rice with oil.
Line in a high sided saucepan with 3 dessert spoons of extra virgin olive oil, add the uncooked rice, mix well and cover with water, adding a 1/2 teaspoon of meat extract, a bay leaf and bring to the boil without stirring so that the rice remains “al dente”, remove from flame, add another few spoons of extra virgin olive oil, mixing briskly and serve.

Barbecued leg of lamb
Have a buthcer remove the bone from a leg of lamb weighing about 1kg (for 4 people) and make an incision along the length of the lamb. Place it in a steel or terracotta dish. In another dish mix together 8 spoons of rosemary oil, 2 spoons of garlic oil and 1/2 a glass of white wine, salt, pepper or finely chopped chilli pepper, mix well and pour over the leg of lamb, then leave to soak for an hour. Place the dish under the grill about 10-15cm from the coals and cook for about 12 minutes, if possible keeping it covered. Turn the lamb, cover again and cook for another 12 minutes. Remove from grill, slice and serve. You can serve it with potatoes or salad.

Grilled lamb chops.
Arrange 16 lamb chops (4 people) on a large oven tray, sprinkle with 4 spoons of basil oil, one of garlic oil and one of rosemary oil, and cook for 2 minutes on both sides, add salt and pepper, 1/4 glass of white wine, finish cooking and serve. You can serve them with salad.

Entrecote with olive paté.
Put the entrecote into a frying pan with 4 spoons of rosemary oil. Fry on both sides on a high flame, remove from the pan, then add 4 teaspoons of olive pate diluted in 1/4 glass of marsala wine (or rosè wine) to the same pan and 4 dessert spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Heat until the wine evaporates, return the entrecotes to the pan and finish cooking.Can be served with salad or dried tomatoes.

Beef kebas with anchovies.
Cover the kebabs with garlic oil and rosemary oil, place on the barbecue about 10cm from the coals, heat four anchovy fillets in 3 dessert spoons of oil and a little salt. Use this mixture to season the kebabs until they are fully cooked.Serve with salad and sweet peppers.

Salmon with dill
Ingredienti :
600g of fillet of salmon very fresh
extra virgin olive oil
a spoon of pink pepper
2 or 3 little branches of dill
an onion
half an orange juice

Preparation:
Put away salmon skin and bones. Wash it and dry it carefully, put it in a fireproof dish and add little extra virgin olive oil. Add a spoon of ground pink pepper, chopped dill, finely diced onion and half orange juice. Cover and let marinate for half an hour. Then put away the onions and put the salmon in the oven already warm for 20 minutes at 180 °. Once the salmon is cooked, put it a dish, add pink pepper to flavour, decorate it with dill and serve

Maiden shrimps.
Cook the shrimps in boiling salted water for 2 or 3 minutes. When cooled, remove the shell. Season with lemon oil, salt and drizzle with chilli pepper oil to taste

Shrimp omelette.
Lightly cook the peeled shrimps in a little extra virgin olive oil (400g per person). Beat 4 eggs with a little salt and a touch of chilli pepper oil. Add the shrimps and pour the mixture into a frying pan pre-oiled with extra virgin olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes on both sides. Serve while soft and hot.

Fresh cheese omelette.
Slice thinly 100g of fresh cheese (sheep’s’ cheese is best) e chop up a hot chilli pepper; beat 4 eggs, add a pinch of salt and mix together. Fry the mixture in boiling extra virgin olive oil till golden on both sides. Serve piping hot.

Lettuce salad.
Wash the lettuce well, bunch together the leaves and cut into strips. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar (in the ratio of 4:1) and add a pinch of salt.

“Caprice” salad
Slice the fresh mozzarella (or use bite size mozzarella’s) and the tomatoes. Arrange on a serving dish alternating a slice of tomato and a slice of mozzarella. Season with oregano, salt, pepper and a generous quantity of basil oil.

Fantasy salad.
Clean and slice a cucumber, a red pepper, a lettuce, an onion, a tomato and 2 or 3 bite size mozzarella’s. Put all the ingredients into a salad dish and season with salt, pepper, a little wine vinegar, basil oil and extra virgin olive oil.

“Ricca” (lavish) salad.
Wash the potatoes and beetroot, peel both and cut into cubes. Wash the apples, remove the core and slice. Boil two eggs, and mash in small container. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl, season with salt, pepper, lemon oil and mix well.

Acquasale lucitese.
Chop some mature tomatoes and place in a small bowl, add salt, pepper, oregano, garlic oil, basil oil, and chilli pepper oil, mixing well. Soak the “friselle” with a little water and dress with the tomato mixture.

Chicken salad with sweet peppers
Add the peppers with tomatoes and onions to the pre-boiled chicken strips. Season with extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar (in the ratio of 4:1) add salt.

The same procedure can be used to prepare a multitude of different salads with many different vegetables, both raw or cooked, green beans and potatoes, cabbage, spinach and apple, onion and watercress, mushroom and celery and asparagus, carrots and salsify, cauliflower, beetroot, courgettes, Saovy cabbage, fennel etc. The main secret is to cut the vegetable into thin strips or slices so that the dressing can be soaked up.In this case the aromatic oils play an extremely important role, and along with the wine vinegar can make easy work of preparing a salad.

Truffles recipes

Veal scaloppine with truffles.
Ingredients: Slices of lean veal , flour, olive oil, cream, salt, truffle.
Preparation: Tenderize the slices of veal and flour. Sauté in a frying pan with olive oil. When half cooked, add cream (one or two table spoonfuls), season everything with salt and meat extract. Finish cooking and serve with a generous portion of truffle.

Taglionlini with cream and ham
Ingredients: fresh tagliolini, olive oil, ham, onions, salt, pepper truffle.
Preparation: In a frying pan, sauté the onions until clear with olive oil, then add the ham, cream, salt and pepper. Cook for another two minutes. Sauté the pasta, pre-cooked in salted water. Do not over drain the pasta, leave a little of cooking water. Serve with slice of truffle

Gnocchi allo spazzacamino - Gnocchi.
Ingredients: potato gnocchi, olive oil, onions, smoked pancetta, sausage, cream, salt, pepper, truffle
Preparation: Sauté the onions in the olive oil, add sausages and cook for a couple of minutes. Add smoked pancetta, cream, salt and pepper and add a portion of truffle. Sauté the gnocchi (pre-cooked in salted water), pay attention so they do not ver dry, add a little of broth. Serve with truffle on top. This sauce accompanies meat tortellini very well.

Penne with "Ricotta" cheese and black truffle
Ingredients for 4 persons : 500 gr. of "penne", extra virgin olive oil, 200 gr. of "ricotta", some spoons of milk, 100 gr. of julienne sliced raw ham , salt, pepper, grated "pecorino" (ewe's milk cheese) and slivers of black truffle
Preparation: crush "ricotta" cheese with the help of a fork, add salt, pepper and the milk so to soften "ricotta".
In a sauté pan put the extra virgin olive oil, warm on high heat and sauté the julienne sliced raw ham and slivers of truffle. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the "penne" and cook "al dente", drain and add "penne" to "ricotta" cheese mixture. Then add on pasta the mixture of ham and truffle. Decorate with "pecorino" slivers and serve warm

Shells with mussels and truffle cream sauce
Ingredients: Mussels, béchamel, sauce, emmenthal cheese, truffle, olive oil, salt, pepper.
Preparation: Cook mussels on brisk fire until open, in a pot. Take them out of their shell, and place them in a deep dish. Mix the mussels with the béchamel sauce then replace them in their shell. Sprinkle with truffle and emmenthal, bake in the oven until “au gratin”. Add another portion of truffle.

Potato salad with salmon and truffle.
Ingredients: potatoes, fresh salmon, black truffle, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
Preparation: Dice potatoes into small cubes, put them into salted water. Cook a little, make sure that they stay firm. Boil the fresh salmon, remove bones, then flake with a fork. Once the salmon and potatoes are cooled, mix with mayonnaise, add the truffle and a pinch of pepper. Arrange the mix as desired on a plate. Garnish with slices of black truffle

Fresh tuna scaloppine with truffle.
Ingredients: Fresh thon slices, flour, olive oil, cream, salt, pepper, truffle
Preparation: flour the fish slices, season with salt and pepper and cook them in olive oil. Prepare in a frying pan the cream with little fish broth and truffle, add fish slices and a drop of white win. Cook until sauce becomes creamy. Serve with slices of truffle.

Truffle “frittata”.
Ingredients: Eggs, truffle, cream, cheese, olive oil, salt
Preparation: Beat the eggs, add cheese, truffle, cream and salt. Sauté in hot frying pan.

Chicken salad.
Ingredients: Cooked chicken pieces in a broth, sliced truffle, finely chopped celery, egg yolks and olive oil sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation: Mix all ingredients together with the sauce in a bowl. Serve cold

Sorpresa di pollo - Polenta.
Ingredients: Yellow corn meal, water, parmesan cheese (grated), emmenthal cheese, truffle.
Preparation: Prepare a not too thick corn meal according to package directions. In ovenproof moulds, spoon in two tablespoons of polenta. Top with parmesan and truffle, then top with two more tablespoons of polenta. Top with more cheese and truffle. Bake as muffins.

Truffle lasagna.
Ingredients: Lasagne sheets, cooked, stemmed and chopped spinach, ricotta cheese, nutmeg, béchamel sauce, parmesan cheese, truffle.
Preparation: Mix the chopped spinach with the ricotta cheese. Add some nutmeg. In the lasagne pan repeatedly layer béchamel, pasta sheets, ricotta mixture and chopped truffle until you have reached seven layers. Top with parmesan cheese and bake

Potato "tortelli" with truffles.
Ingredients: Cooked potatoes, garlic, parsley, olive oil, butter, cheese, nutmeg, pastry sheets, truffle.
Preparation: Mash hot potatoes, add butter, salt, cheese and truffle. Sauté garlic lightly in olive oil, then add chopped parsley. Add potato mixture with a pinch of nutmeg. Place small amount on pastry sheets, fold over and close with a fork. Separate and boiled in salted water, sauté in butter, top with truffle and serve.

Risotto with scampi, brandy and truffle.
Ingredients: Rice, scampi, brandy, truffle, scampi broth, onions, olive oil, salt, cream.
Preparation: Boil the scampi in salted water. Drain and peel. Re-boil with “shells” only until you have a broth. In a stew pan, sauté the onions with butter, add rice and from time to time add filtered broth. In a frying pan, add the scampi a touch of cream, flambé with brandy: When rice has cooked, add the scampi and cream. Serve hot with truffle

Rissoles of chicken with truffle.
Ingredients: Chicken breast, eggs, mozzarella, onions, truffle, parsley, bread-crumbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, flour. Sauce: water, flour, butter, truffle, salt and pepper.
Preparation: slice finely chicken breast, put it in a bowl and add eggs, finely chopped onions and parsley, dices of mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper and mix well together, if mixture appears too liquid add bread-crumbs. Make rissoles, flour them and fry in olive oil. Once cooked, drain
In the meanwhile prepare sauce with butter, flour and water. Put then rissoles in it and boil down. Serve hot with truffle.

“Crostini” with black truffle.
Ingredients: Butter, flour, broth, parmesan, salt, brandy, chopped truffle, toast bread.
Preparation: In a frying pan, melt the butter, add flour and make your béchamel sauce. Dilute with broth and add chopped truffle. Cook for two minutes, add the brandy, finish by adding the parmesan cheese. Spread onto toasted bread

Potato truffle “tortino”
Ingredients: Béchamel sauce, goat cheese, whites of eggs beaten stiff , boiler potatoes, salt, truffle.
Preparation: In a béchamel sauce, mix in sliced potatoes, goat cheese, white of eggs and truffle. Place in ovenproof moulds. Bake at 100 degrees Celcius

Potato Frittelle
Ingredients: Potatoes, truffle, eggs, butter, whipped cream, cheese, olive oil for frying.
Preparation: cook the potatoes in water, flake them. Mix all ingredients until very compact, form rissoles and fry them in olive oil.

Truffle sformatine.
Ingredients: White truffle, a blend of fontina, goat , emmenthal and parmesan cheese, eggs, milk, pinch of nutmeg.
Preparation: Scramble the eggs with milk (6 eggs to 1 litre of milk) and add the other ingredients (cheeses have to be dice). Butter the moulds, fill with the mixture, cook at 90 degrees. Serve hot

Veal delight
Ingredients: very thin tenderized veal sliced, truffle, ricotta cheese, cream, salt.
Preparation: Mix truffle and salt with ricotta cheese. Fill the veal with this mixture by making closed “packets”. Place in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with cream. Bake in the oven, serve hot, garnish with truffle

Scampi salad
Ingredients: boiled and peeled scampi, truffle, celery, lemon infused olive oil, salt, lemon, parmesan cheese.
Preparation: Place the cooked scampi on a platter, cover with celery finely chopped celery, then season with salt and lemon juice. Sprinkle with parmesan, and drizzle with lemon oil. Finally, garnish with sliced truffle