Light summer minestra: "Pasta with tenerumi"

Do you know what "tenerumi" are? And how do we cook them with pasta? Tenerumi which basically means 'tender' are the big leaves of the long green squash, a summer vegetable that is used a lot here in Sicily. Infact this recipe is similar to the one with squash, and they are both pasta a minestra. Do you remember my previous recipe: pasta with squash?

I know what you are thinking: a soup dish with pasta during summer? Isn't it too hot for that? Well... you just have to try them and you will answer to that question by yourself.
Now, to prepare the dish with such vegetable is always difficult to tell the exact amount of tenerumi you need, because here in Sicily you find them wrapped in bunches and their volume can change according to the greengrocer.

Ingredients & preparation for 4 people:
A bunch of tenerumi if big, two if medium size
350 gr. broken spaghetti (Ital. spaghetti spezzati)
4-5 ts of tomato sauce
80 gr. matured caciocavallo cheese cut in small pieces
salt (or a bio stock-cube if preferred)
extra virgin olive oil 
1 clove of garlic
a small piece of fresh ginger
a small piece of dried red pepper

1. Clean the tenerumi, removing the stems and wash the leaves under running water.

2. Put a pot half full of water on a medium heat.
3. Cut the tenerumi in pieces with a sharp knife and when the water boils add salt (or the stock cube) and drop the tenerumi adding the garlic, the red pepper and the ginger.
4. Let them cook for about 15 minutes.
Now at this point you can choose either to follow the traditional process or instead go with the healthier and faster method, but I can assure you the result is absolutely the same.
In the first case with a slotted or perforated spoon you should take the tenerumi out of the casserole and in another frying pan do the soffritto, putting a drizzle of oil, garlic and then the tenerumi, but what I suggest you do instead is simply: (taking from phase 4 in which everything is cooking together)

5. Drop the spaghetti spezzati inside the casserole and let the pasta cook, then add the table spoons of tomato sauce and stir to mix all together like in the pic on the left.
6. Cook until pasta is perfectly al dente and only when it's ready put the little pieces of matured caciocavallo cheese (pic on the right) and some more extra virgin oil of olive in the pot. Mix together again and serve while hot.

You won't find a simpler, warmer and more familiar dish than this one, especially when the first summer rains start to pour (usually at the end of august/beginning of september here). Enjoy!!! :-)

Pasta with squash, our summer & fall "minestra"

Do you know how to cook "pasta con la zucchina a minestra"? I already told you about pasta a minestra in general, now we are preparing a specific minestra with squash. This is a great summer and autumn dish.

I know I know, everyone thinks that in summer you only have to eat cold or refreshing food, but Sicilian tradition do not agree with that. Infact in Summer we also prepare some types of pasta made with broth, like a soup, and this is exactly one of them. You may not have it too liquid (like it is in the pic above, but that depends only on your personal taste!) Even better is having it in this season, when the first rains arrive.

Ingredients & preparation for 4 people:
1 half of a squash (if very long)
1 small onion
400 gr. broken spaghetti (Ital. spaghetti spezzati)
4-5 ts of tomato sauce
80 gr. matured caciocavallo cheese in small pieces
salt (or a bio stock-cube if preferred)
olive oil
a small piece of dried red pepper

1. You peel the squash (pic on the left), cut it in half and then in thin slices. 2. On a medium heat put a large pan with half the water. 3. As soon as the water boils put salt (or a bio stock-cube if preferred), onion and the squash in pieces. 4. After about 12-14 minutes put the pasta and the tomato sauce. For this dish we use the "spaghetti spezzati" type of pasta, which are simply broken spaghetti.
5. When the pasta is almost cooked (usually after 10-12 minutes) put the little pieces of caciocavallo cheese inside the soup, so that they have the time to melt a bit (matured caciocavallo is very hard).This local cheese is very salty and tasty, so is the perfect contrast with the delicate taste of the squash.

If you want to try this lovely pasta don't hesitate: it's simple, healthy and tasty. Perfect for vegeterians or even health food nut people :) Enjoy!

"Pasta a minestra" and "Pasta asciutta": what are they?

Do you know what is pasta a minestra? And what about pasta asciutta? As you know, in Sicily, just like in the whole of Italy, we eat pasta every day and for us is a great deal.

We normally distinguish in these two main differences: pasta a minestra and pasta asciutta. 
Pasta a minestra means soup or potage with also small pasta cooked in it, the specific one that we use for soups. In any case it is something that has a more liquid aspect rather than the usual plates of spaghetti or penne. In the picture on the left there is a plate of pasta a minestra with green cabbage, and we also have the version with pasta asciutta.

By contrast, pasta asciutta is the very famous one, like spaghetti alla carbonara for example, or penne, linguine, anelletti or any other kind of pasta that we cook with a condiment that is not liquid!!! Here on the right a plate of pasta asciutta with broccoli, but we also have the version with pasta a minestra.
Besides, we have soup with pasta all year around, not only in winter but also in summer with the fresh vegetables that the seasons offer.

I know it may sounds strange for those who are not used to eat pasta everyday or have it with soup as well, but that's the way it is here!!!