Homemade Pasta made at home with hands and stuff ;)

[Ema]

@Sushi

Isn’t mascarpone (or other fat chees) used instead of cream in original Italian recipes?
I have a simple recipe (for linguine al prosciutto e mascarpone) with no cream, but a LOT of butter and Mascarpone.

Actually, it isn’t so.

Mascarpone is a creamy and sweet cheese which is extensively used to make sweet desserts (Tiramisù, for example). Its use in main courses recipes is quite recent and not so common. I think (but I can be wrong) that the recipe you cited comes from the nineties.
I’m sure I have eaten it at some friend’s place once, but I’ve never seen any mascarpone-based pasta or main course in any restaurant. I invite other italians to correct me, if I’m wrong.

I can add that often, in addition to eggs in carbonara, another creamy ingredient which can be frequently mistaken for cream is besciamella, which is used in lasagne, cannelloni, crespelle.

Most of the “creamy” italian recipes doesn’t contain any cream: if made “all’onda” (wave style), risotto can be very creamy too. Cooking rice releases its starch, and after cooking you make a procedure called “creaming” which involves only butter: it mixes with starch and gives risotto its creamy look, which is achieved with a very little amount of butter. So risotto can be very creamy, in spite of its very low content in fat.

PS: where are you from? I don’t know why, but I used to believe you were italian, too…

EDIT: I asked my wife if she remembered any mascarpone recipe in restaurants… she (who didn’t read the thread) told me: “I’ve never read it on menus, but I’d bet that some low-level restaurants trick their risotto with cream or even mascarpone!”

[milanfahrnholz]

@Ema

where are you from? I don’t know why, but I used to believe you were italian, too…

Funniest thing is when people because of my slavic first name (which is totally unrelated to my heritage) happens to be the name for an italian town assume I was italian.

[Ema]

Does it happen in Germay, or on the net?

regarding @Sushi, I simply had the (fake) memory he stated he was italian.

[milanfahrnholz]

@Ema

Does it happen in Germay, or on the net?

Mostly with americans. In germany this can´t happen because Milano is called Mailand in germany.

[Sushi]

@Ema

I think (but I can be wrong) that the recipe you cited comes from the nineties.

It’s from 1987

@Ema

I don’t know why, but I used to believe you were italian, too…

Weird. Perhaps because I like Italian food (or what is known outside of Italy as “Italian” food. I admit to only have eaten a proper italian dinner whilst on vacation in Italy, where the pasta is just one of the 5 or 6 courses. Other than that, I consider pasta as a main course, so meat (or shrimps) and vegetables are a good thing to add for a more balanced meal.

@Ema

trick their risotto with cream or even mascarpone

No no. My risotto with green asparagus only has parmiggiano and butter in it (added after slowly/patiently absorbing all the broth in small doses - that’s the trick) and boy, it is creamy/sticky as it should be.

[Sushi]

@Ema

where are you from?

I’m from Belgium, by the way

[milanfahrnholz]

@Sushi

I’m from Belgium, by the way

You´re from belgium but making a dutch fan translation?

[Sushi]

@milanfahrnholz

@Sushi

I’m from Belgium, by the way

You´re from belgium but making a dutch fan translation?

Duh…

[milanfahrnholz]

@Sushi

Duh…

I´m getting confused with the many languages and dialects you guys speak and share with france and the neatherlands…

[Sushi]

@milanfahrnholz

@Sushi

Duh…

I´m getting confused with the many languages and dialects you guys speak and share with france and the neatherlands…

Zero if you ask any party involved
But there are three official languages here, and only two made it into an official MI release, so…

[Ema]

@Sushi

@Ema

I think (but I can be wrong) that the recipe you cited comes from the nineties.

It’s from 1987

Pretty close

I admit to only have eaten a proper italian dinner whilst on vacation in Italy, where the pasta is just one of the 5 or 6 courses.

Ha! you are reffering to the classical “wedding lunch” as we refer to it…
You have one or two starters, two first courses (soup or pasta or risotto), one light sorbet, two second courses (meat or fish), dessert (cheese or cake or icecream).

We don’t eat like that in our daily routine!
A lot of people (especially elderly) still thinks it is healthier to have at least two courses,
and if you limit your doses it could make sense (variety).
But usually if you work and are in a hurry you have only one main course which can be a first (pasta) or a second (meat, fish, veg).
I love first courses, and if I have to choose, I prefer to put my meat (or fish, or vegetables) in my pasta…
I take always two courses only when I go out for dinner. I often choose a starter and a first course, instead of a first and second. And I take a dessert only sometimes.

BTW: our italian habit to distinguish from “first” and “second” main courses could be a bit confusing…
Why a course should come for first or for second might not be always so intuitive…
That’s because first courses are officially considered soups. Pasta can be made also in a soup (pasta in brodo), just like noodles. But “pastasciutta” (dry pasta) is the most popular variety nowadays.
Anyway, classical cooking manuals have a chapter for soups, which includes also pasta and risotto.

Other than that, I consider pasta as a main course, so meat (or shrimps) and vegetables are a good thing to add for a more balanced meal.

Exactly.

No no. My risotto with green asparagus only has parmiggiano and butter in it (added after slowly/patiently absorbing all the broth in small doses - that’s the trick) and boy, it is creamy/sticky as it should be.

Lovely. I find that recipe to be wonderfully “springtime”. Your described technique is right, and basically the same used for ragù, but in risotto it is much more difficult. One of the difficult things is timing: you have to coordinate the time and the amount of broth so that, when the rice is at its right cooking point it will be right also in salt and in wetness. If it is too wet, you’ll have to cook it more to dry it up, but it will overcook and become too sticky.
If it is too dry, you’ll add broth and you wil make it too salty, and so on…
Well, I consider risotto a very difficult recipe. Easy to make, difficult to make it good

If you make that risotto as a first course, I suggest to prepare a “coniglio alla ligure” as a second course (which is basically rabbit with olive taggiasche and pine nuts), with a siding of artichokes.
This is a perfect springtime menu to eat with a good rosée wine… italians seldom drink rosée, but this menu looks perfect for it.

If you manage to make that risotto as a main course (no second), you can make it richer adding taleggio cheese or speck (cut in small dices)

[Mario]

Wow! You’re all so well knowledged!

I wonder if @RonGilbert or @David or others from the team enjoy Italian food or would rather go to Italy to have some, or if they produce the food themselves?

[ZakPhoenixMcKracken]

As far as I know:

• none of them has been in Italy. Yet.
• In an interview(*), Ron stated that he likes the ossobuco and will publish the recipe on how to cook it

(*) Interview by TrueGamers - scroll down for the English original text

[Mario]

Thank you! <3

[David]

I love Italian food… or at least the version of Italian food served in the US (having never been to Italy, I can’t say how authentic it is). I’m also usually up for trying most foods.

Hope to make it to Italy someday soon so I can see how it compares. (eating pasta with a tomato sauce tonight)

[ZakPhoenixMcKracken]

@David

Hope to make it to Italy someday soon

That day, you’ll have a welcome committee, promised!

[milanfahrnholz]

@ZakPhoenixMcKracken

That day, you’ll have a welcome committee, promised!

[ZakPhoenixMcKracken]

Eheh, well, a standing ovation, for sure!
Without Roberto Benigni!

[David]

You’ll teach me how to walk on chairs?

[milanfahrnholz]

I´m not italian, I wouldn´t know how!