On Flours
Featuring some amazing recipes!
Welcome to the Friday Recipe post, which today is free for all subscribers thanks to Pure Flour from Europe USA! There are three amazing recipes in this post, and I hope you go out, buy some Italian flours, and get cooking. Enjoy! As always, you can browse past editions here and check out my photography here. Thanks for reading!
I think by now, everyone here understands my deep passion for Italian food and the tremendously high artisanal standards with which they craft the ingredients that make up their famous cuisine. So, when Pure Flour from Europe USA reached out about recipe development using their organic durum wheat semolina and their organic 00 flour, I knew this was a special chance to share some incredible recipes with you.
First, I asked my Instagram subscribers for recipe ideas using these flours. I got a bunch of amazing, mouth-watering ideas, and did some testing and initial research to narrow it down to three finalists:
Pasta-inspired focaccia
Semolina pear cake
Orecchiette with pesto
I mean, how was I supposed to choose? There was only one thing to do: make them all, do a taste test, and pick a winner. I had a blast in the kitchen last weekend cooking up a storm, testing recipes, and tweaking variations. When I looked around at the end of the day, I realized that I had made a three course dinner, all with these amazing, artisanal ingredients that represented some of my favorite bites I’ve had during my trips to Italy in the past. It’s something that has stuck with me since the first meal I had in Italy: the better the ingredients, no matter how simple, the better the final result. There’s no better representation of that principle than this semolina pear cake, which won my recipe contest.
Semolina Pear Cake
Ingredients
1 cup organic Italian 00 flour
1/2 cup organic semolina flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 medium eggs
1/3 cup high-quality Italian olive oil
zest, one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 pears, cored and thinly sliced
whipped cream or powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Grease a 9 inch springform pan, and preheat oven to 375F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 00 flour, semolina flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, sour cream, eggs, olive oil, lemon zest, and vanilla paste. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan, then arrange the pear slices on top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cake has browned and is fragrant.
Serve with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar, if desired. Goes well with espresso and amaro.
This cake…uh, took the cake! But the other recipes were too good to ignore, so here are the recipes for you to recreate at home. Let’s start with the focaccia!
Focaccia Puttanesca
This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite pasta dishes: puttanesca. A tempting blend of the sweetness of tomatoes against the briny olives and salty anchovies, puttanesca has it all. I wanted to bring that special dish to life in a focaccia version! Splurge on artisanal estratto di pomodoro, olives, and anchovies to make this dish sing.
Ingredients
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 cups organic semolina flour
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for pan
1 tin of anchovies, drained of oil, for garnish
cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish
Castelvetrano olives, for garnish
estratto di pomodoro, for garnish
Instructions
First, bloom the yeast: add the yeast and honey to a large bowl and add 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Set aside for five minutes, until foamy and fragrant.
Next, make the dough: combine the remaining water, salt, and semolina flour, kneading with your hands in the bowl. Add the olive oil, then knead to combine. The dough will be sticky. Cover with a dish towel.
Set in a warm place (or your oven on the proof setting), and let rise for two hours. After the dough has risen the first time, you can either bake it that day or refrigerate it overnight, then let it come to room temperature before proceeding.
Oil a 9 inch cake tin or an 8x8 baking tin generously. Gently tip the dough into the pan, then use your fingers to spread the dough into the tin. Cover, then let rise for another hour.
Preheat the oven to 450F. Meanwhile, use your fingers to create indentations in the top of the focaccia. Arrange the anchovies, cherry tomatoes, and olives (if using all) on top of the focaccia.
Bake for 30 minutes, until bread is turning golden brown and the toppings are starting to brown. If toppings get too brown, simply cover with a sheet of tin foil.
Turn the oven off, then pipe the estratto di pomodoro over the focaccia. Place the tin back in the oven (still off!) for 10 minutes.
Cut into triangles and serve.
Last but certainly not least, pasta!
Orecchiette al Piselli
Orecchiette is a classic pasta shape made with semolina flour. Shaping it is tricky, but fun, and the best part is that this green sauce, made with peas and mint, will cover any misshapen orecchiette. Typically, orecchiette is served with broccolini and sausage, but I wanted a lighter sauce, so I turned to this delicious, simple sauce instead. Serve with full-fat ricotta for an indulgent treat!
Ingredients
3 cups organic semolina flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
3 tablespoons high-quality Italian olive oil
8 oz fresh peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
3 oz ricotta cheese
pistachios, chopped, for garnish
mint, for garnish
Instructions
First, make the orecchiette: combine the semolina flour, salt, and water in a bowl. Knead until a cohesive dough forms, then set aside to rest.
Divide the dough into 8 parts. Roll each portion into a long rope, then use a bench scraper or knife to cut 1/2 inch portions of the dough.
Place one portion in front of you on the table. Using a butter knife, slowly drag the dough towards you, stretching it into a flatter shape. Pick it up, and use your thumb to turn it inside out. Toss with flour, then set aside on a sheet tray. Repeat with other portions until all orecchiette are made. Set aside.
Meanwhile, start the pea sauce: put a medium skillet over low-medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the peas and garlic, then turn the heat up slightly. Cook until peas are bright green and garlic is fragrant, about 5-8 minutes. Turn heat off, and set aside.
Now, cook the orecchiette: bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta, then cook for 2-3 minutes. Since this is fresh pasta, it doesn’t take as much time as dried pasta. Drain, reserving a cup of cooking water.
Turn the heat below the pea skillet on high. Add the cooking water, then stir to deglaze the pan. Turn the heat off, and transfer pea mixture to a deep Tupperware container. Add the pasta water, then use an immersion blender to blitz the peas until a sauce is formed. It’s okay to leave some texture—the orecchiette will carry it well! Taste and season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste.
Transfer the sauce back to the skillet and add the pasta. Turn the heat on low, and toss to combine. Turn heat off, then add the ricotta to the skillet, then stir.
Serve with an additional dollop of ricotta, pistachios, and mint.
Thanks to Pure Flour from Europe USA! Be sure to check out their website for more information about these amazing products. See you next week!