Editor’s Note: Utilisima Chef Donato De Santis, born in Italy and a nationalized Argentine, is an award-winning Chef who definitely knows his way around pasta. Here are two wonderful examples of Italian-flavored dishes that definitely offer more than just a hint of Fall Food.
Chef Donato is currently featured in the second season of Italianisimo which airs on Tuesdays at 11pm ET/PT, until November 5.
FARFALLE WITH MUSHROOMS & ONIONS
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Water
Coarse salt
Farfalle (dry pasta) 400 g
1 Red Onion
Mushrooms 150 g
Portobello 150 g
Olive oil 4 tbsp
Garlic, minced 1 clove
Broth of vegetables 4 tbsp
Salt and pepper
Parsley, chopped 80 g
Parmesan Cheese finely grated 100 g
Instructions
- Boil water in a pot with coarse salt. The ideal ratio is 1 liter of water to 10 g of salt. This way the pasta will be salty enough that you will not have to add more salt when adding sauce.
- Once the water boils, place the dried pasta and stir to prevent sticking. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the onion into julienne strips and slice the mushrooms.
- Brown the mushrooms in a hot pan with olive oil and garlic. Do not salt the mushrooms at this stage as they can lose water and boil. Salt the mushrooms once they are golden brown.
- Deglaze with vegetable broth and salt and pepper.
- Once the pasta is al dente, pass it directly to the pan with the mushrooms and add sauce. Make sure it is covered with the flavors of the mushrooms.
- Finish the pasta with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately so that it is hot. Pair it with a good bread and a glass of wine.
PANCOTTO SOUP A LA DESE
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Yellow and red cherry tomatoes 200 g
Day Old Bread 500 g
Sea salt
Fresh oregano 1 tbsp
Bay leaves 2
Garlic 1 clove
Fresh water ½ cup
Extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup
Instructions
- Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Place them in a large ceramic bowl.
- Use day-old bread, cut into 1 cm slices, approximately. Cut the slices in half. Place the slices in the ceramic bowl with cherry tomatoes.
- Add sea salt, fresh oregano, laurel leaves, fresh garlic clove, grated or crushed garlic clove and fresh water from the refrigerator to the mixing bowl.
- Mix everything with your hands until the bread slices are moist then add in the extra virgin olive oil.
- Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes or so, so that all the flavors are absorbed into the bread.
- Place the pancotto mixture in a clay pot or on an oven plate and cook at 390º F until golden and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes to cool.
- Add a splash of olive oil on top and serve with a glass of white wine.
Recipes and Photos Courtesy of Utilisima and Chef Donato De Santis.
