Easy Italian Recipes

Ciabatta, which literally translates as 'slipper bread', is originally from Como. This recipe is based on one I learnt from Thane Prince, who really gave me the confidence to make ciabatta. She claimed it was one of the easiest breads to make. I didn't believe her until I tried her method - she explained that ciabatta doesn't need kneading, which is just as well as the dough has to be very wet. Thane uses a mother for her ciabatta, which gives the necessary acidity of flavour to the loaf. I have adapted her recipe to use my biga or madre starter, The biga recipe makes 400g, so either use half for something else, freeze it or only make half the biga recipe to start your ciabatta.

Makes 4 large Ciabatta

200g biga or madre
500g strong white flour
2 teaspoons fine salt
10g fresh yeast
400ml tepid water
5 tablespoons olive oil

Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the water and add 3 tablespoons of the oil. Pour into the bowl and mix roughly, then add the biga or madre. This is a wet dough, so use a mixer, mix by hand with a plastic dough scraper until amalgamated, or follow the method for Crispy Pugliese Focaccia.

Pour the dough into an oiled bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil over the surface of the bread. Use the scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl, tucking the dough in as you go until all the dough is covered in oil. Try to get the oil beneath the dough so it does not stick to the bowl. This helps the dough to rise and pour easily when you are ready to shape it. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 11/2 hours (or an hour an a warm kitchen). The dough doesn't need to be covered because the surface is coated with oil. For slower fermentation and extra acidity of flavour, leave to rise in the fridge overnight. Bring the dough to room temperature before the next stage.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7 and put in two baking trays upside down. Heavily flour the work surface and two palas or flat baking trays. Pour the ciabatta mixture onto the work surface, using the dough scraper to cut it free. Form it into a rough rectangle using the scraper. Scatter flour over the top and cut into 4 lengths. Pick up each length of dough from either end with your hands and transfer to the palas or baking trays, pulling it out to lengthen it. The less you fiddle with the loaves now the better to keep the air bubbles inside. Sprinkle a little flour over and leave to prove for 11/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Slide the loaves from the palas or trays onto the hot inverted baking trays and spray the oven with water. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and the bases sound hollow when tapped. Or bake for 15 minutes, cool, freeze and bake for 15-20 minutes from frozen.

 MAKES 6 servings

For the filling
- 1 sugar pie pumpkin or butternut squash, about 11/2 lb (750 9)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup (1 oz/30 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 Ib fresh egg pasta dough
For the sauce
- 1/2 cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter
- About 10 small fresh sage leaves

Aromatic, velvety gray-green sage is a perennial that grows in profusion ali over Italy. In Roman times, it was prized for both its medicina! properties and as a flavoring. Today, its chief use is culinary, inciuding in such traditional recipes as chicken livers sautéed in butter and veal saltimbocca. Here, it infuses melted butter, to create a common northern Italian preparation for saucing stuffed pastas, in this case tortelli, a classic Lombardian ravioli.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment (baking) paper.
Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Peel the pumpkin halves and cut the flesh into chunks. Place on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until very soft when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 25 minutes. Let cool to the touch, then put into a food processor. Process the pumpkin unti! smooth. Add the egg yolk and cheese and pulse to blend. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and pulse to combine. Set aside.
Make the pasta dough, then divide and roll out each piece into a sheet 1/16 inch (2 mm). Lightly flour a rimmed baking sheet. Trim each pasta sheet into long strips that will fit on the baking sheet. Layer the strips flat on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them so they don't touch and separating each layer with a lightly floured kitchen towel.
To make the tortelli, piace one pasta strip on a floured work surface. Use a 2-inch (5-cm) round pastry cutter to make pasta circles. Place 1 teaspoon filling in the center of half the circles. Lightly brush a little water around the filling, top with the remaining circles, and press the edges to seal. Place in a single layer on a lightly floured rimmed baking sheet, separating each layer with a lightly floured kitchen towel. Keep the top layer covered as you prepare the tortelli. Repeat with the remaining strips. They will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 hours before cooking.
To make the sauce, in a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook, swirling the pan, unti! the butter foams and begins to brown. Add the sage and cook until the leaves crisp slightly and the butter turns nut brown, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the butter. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil. Add about 2 tablespoons salt, and then add the tortelli and stir gently. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat so the water simmers gently, unti) the tortelli rise to the surface and are al dente, 3-4 minutes.
Return the frying pan with the sauce to low heat. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the tortelli to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Divide among warmed plates and serve at once.

Buon appetito !