Scuola Alberghiera di Serramazzoni – October Menu
Daniele Bondi
October is the month in which tree leaves change color. The vineyards, now that their fruit have been harvested, light up in brilliant shades of yellow and red colors that brighten the Italian countryside from the southern islands to the northern Alps. It may be because it brings about my birthday, but I always had a melancholic attraction for this month.
Italian singer-songwriter from Bologna, Francesco Guccini expressed in lyrics his affection for this month that wraps up its days in warm colors, but whose nights are getting cooler as they end days that are getting shorter and shorter.
"I don't know if everyone understands your great beauty, October,
As inside your big bellied vats you're ripening must and preparing thrill (inebriation) ..."
Let's see what five-course menu Chef Davide Dalloco, from the Scuola Alberghiera di Serramazzoni, has prepared for this month whose air is filled with the smell of fermenting must.
October Menu
Borlenghi
Kind of flat, thin, seasoned bread
Tortellacci di ricotta e porcini
Tortellacci (stuffed pasta) with Ricotta cheese and porcini mushrooms
(see recipe)
Trippa alla Parmigiana
Tripe Parmesan-Style
(see recipe)
Crostata di frutti di bosco
Wild Berry pie
Caciotta e primosale con marmellata di pomodori verdi
Caciotta and primosale cheeses with green tomato jam
Tortellacci (stuffed pasta) with Ricotta cheese and porcini mushrooms |
Serves 4: |
- 200 g (about 7 oz.) freshly made egg puff pastry
- 550 g (about 19.4 oz.) ricotta cheese and porcini mushroom stuffing
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| Ricotta cheese and porcini mushroom stuffing |
- 200 g (about 7 oz.) ricotta cheese
- 200 g (about 7 oz.) porcini mushrooms
- 30 g (about 1 oz.) chopped parsley
- 100 g (about 3.5 oz.) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 2 cloves garlic
- Little extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grated nutmeg to taste
|
 Directions:
Clean mushrooms with wet cloth and slice them.
Brown with a little oil and garlic (optionally, add a little white wine).
Cook not longer than 5 minutes then chop, let it cool, mix with ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano and chopped parsley.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
Flatten puff pastry with rolling pin and cut into squares about 10 cm (about 4") wide.
Fill with stuffing, fold and seal pasta in the shape of a big tortellino.
Cook tortellacci in abundant salted water for about 8 – 10 minutes, drain and season with melted butter.
Garnish with either mushroom slices and fried garlic, or curly parsley and tomatoes.
Tips:
• Use fresh porcini mushrooms.
• Be careful cooking mushrooms: if overcooked they become slightly bitter.
• Instead of porcini different kind of mushrooms, or truffle may be used.
• The tortellacci pasta can be seasoned with meat sauce instead of butter.
• The puff pastry may be seasoned and/or colored by adding vegetables to the dough.
• The tortellacci may be shaped in three different ways: square, triangle or tortellino. Put either three triangular-, or tortellino-shaped per plate. Put 4 if the shape is square. |
Suggested wines: |
- Lambrusco Graspa Rossa di Castelvetro DOC Dry
- Pignoletto DOC sparkling
- Albana di Romagna sparkling
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|
 1 kg veal tripe
200 g (about 7 oz.) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
100 g (about 3.5 oz.) celery
100 g (about 3.5 oz.) onion
40 g (about 1.4 oz.) Oil
7 dl (about 3 cups) broth
4 dl (about 1.7 cups) white wine
4 dl (about 1.7 cups) milk
Salt and pepper to taste |
| |
Directions:
Clean tripe, boil and slice.
Brown onion and sliced celery julienne-style.
Add tripe and cook for about 10 minutes.
Add wine, milk, broth, salt and pepper and complete cooking.
Add grated Parmigiano Reggiano Reggiano cheese and serve.
Tips:
Cook tripe thoroughly. |
Suggested wines: |
- Light, young red wine, such as a Piedmontese Dolcetto.
- Red Tocai from the Colli Berici DOC zone. Serve at 16° C (60.8°F)
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