Anna was a true inspiration in the kitchen, and her passion for cooking was unmatched. With her elegant attire and flawless make-up, she worked her magic in her domain, the kitchen. She fiercely and proudly ruled her kitchen, and her food brought joy to everyone who tasted it. Sitting at Anna's table was always a joyous occasion, as each meal was a testament to her love for cooking. Her dishes were simply amazing and created an explosion of flavor in your mouth. Even a simple dish like "pasta e fagioli" was transformed into a feast by Anna's touch!
This page is dedicated to Anna, in loving memory.
Capri, 1938 -2017
Tender, fluffy clouds of delight... and definitely one of Anna's favourite dishes! It's a pretty simple recipe but it can create a big mess in your kitchen. Best is to make a lot and freeze them for later. This is how to make 120 ravioli's. 120 might sound crazy but believe us; you will regret it when they're finished so better make as many as possible!
What you need:
For la pasta (dough) combine on a clean surface the flour, water and olive oil and stir. The best "mix technique" is to make a mountain of flour, with a hole in de middle just like the Vesuvius. Step by step pour some water and oil in the hole and start stirring with a fork from the edges of the flour, your way out. It sounds complicated but it's not and it's very efficient. This is how Italians do it, it's called "a fontana". Be patient and you will end up with a nice firm ball of dough.
For il ripieno (filling) beat the eggs. Combine the Caciotta, Parmesan and the eggs. Stir well. Add the finely chopped marjoram, some salt and pepper for tasting. Stir again.
Dust the work surface and the rolling pin. Take one third of the dough and roll it into a thin (3 mm) rectangle. Place teaspoons of cheese filling on one half of the rolled dough. Make sure they're 1,5 cm a part. Gently fold the other half of the dough over the balls of filling. Use a small round cutter mould to cut out the ravioli. Note: Ravioli Capresi are round not square!
Portions of 8 to 10 ravioli a person are perfect. Just boil them in a large pot of salted water and take them out when they start to float. Serve the ravioli with a sugo (sauce) of fresh pomodorini, olive oil, garlic, fresh basil leaves, oregano and peperoncino. Buon appetito!
The one seafood dish you definitely have to eat in Capri is spaghetti alle vongole! Don't leave the island before you tried this dish because you're missing out on something pretty amazing. Anna's version of this classical Neapolitan recipe is with linguine instead of spaghetti... mamma mia che buono! And with chilled glass of good italian wine it tastes even better!
Try Greco di Tufo or Falanghina.
What you need:
Firstly, wash the vongole in cold water and let them rest in a bowl of water in order to let them "spit out" and get rid of all the sand and dirt. After one hour, rinse them and repeat this process a couple of times. It's boring but very important, because otherwise you will be eating sand and it will ruin your dinner. When your clams are sand free, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta al dente. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the vongole to ensure that the linguine will be hot and ready when the sauce is ready. Timing is key. In a deep sauté pan , heat up a good layer of olive oil over medium fire. Add the sliced garlic and the peperoncino flakes. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the vongole and stir well. Add the wine, cover the pot with a lid and shake the pot periodically, until the clams are open. Add the butter to thicken the sauce and season with salt and freshly grounded black pepper. Sprinkle 1 handful of parsley on the vongole. Crank the flame up to medium high heat. Add the drained linguine to the pan. Toss the pasta with the clams until they're beautifully coated with the sauce. Shower with the rest of the parsley and your amazing dish is ready!