Thanks to all who came to Authentic Tuscan Cooking Dinner and Wine Pairing to celebrate the recipes in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style. I enjoyed meeting every one and sharing an Italian dinner with you at this premier event at Nordon Culinary Center in Langhorne Pennsylvania
And for those who missed the 5 course dinner and 5 wine pairings, here is one of the recipes from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:DaVinci Style.. Caterina DeMedici is really responsible for the invention of Beschamel sauce so I consider this sauce to have Tuscan roots…..look forward to seeing you at other upcoming events and to inquire about corporate training events, meet and greets, book signings, cooking classes, demos, culinary travel you can email us at [email protected]…….A Presto!
Lasagna with Porcini Tartufata
(Lasagna with Porcini mushrooms and truffle oil)
from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style, copyright 2011, Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati
*Lasagna Pasta
*2 dried ounces porcini mushrooms
*2 tsps black truffle oil
*¼ cup Parmigiana Reggiano cheese or grana padano
*1/4 cup Santa Margherita Prosecco wine
*3 tsps plain breadcrumbs
*Bechamel sauce (See recipe below)
*2 tsps chopped fresh parsley
*1 tblsp butter to butter pan
*1 tblsp olive oil
Lasagna Dough
*3 1/3 cup fine white or 00 flour
*4 eggs
*pinch of salt
Make a mound on a wooden work surface with the flour. Make a well in center of flour and place in eggs broken one at a time, add in pinch of salt. Begin mixing the dough with your hands until dough is smooth. Knead for about 10-15 minutes, if dough is too thick add a few drops of water. Don’t skimp on kneading or dough will tear easily.
*When smooth, roll into a ball, then divide into 2 balls.
*Flour a wooden or marble board and place one ball on it. Roll it out, sprinkling some flour on it , flipping as it becomes thinner. Dough should be almost transparent.
*cut dough into desired equal sizes for lasagna layers. Roll out second ball of dough and do the same. Let pasta stand for about 10 minutes.
When ready to use ,boil each layer of lasagna pasta for about 15 seconds in boiling salted water, dry on paper towel and then layer with beschamel sauce, then a few porcini mushrooms, then grated parmigiana reggiano cheese. Top final layer with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes covered, then uncover and place under broil for 5-10 minutes until top is golden.
Beschamel Sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
1 ½ tblsp of flour
2 ½ cups milk
Place butter in saucepan, let it melt, stir in flour and little by little stir in milk. Use wire whisk to blend all together in clockwise motion till the liquid is creamy. Remove from heat,
Dried Porcini Mushrooms
Soak porcini mushrooms in ½ cup warm water for 30 minutes. Place 1 tblsp of olive oil in saute pan with mushrooms, liquid and ¼ cup Santa Margherita Prosecco wine. Saute till liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with ½ tsp chopped parsley.
For more great recipes get your copy also of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays and Special Occasions-2nd edition
