My Nonna’s Italian Apple Cake recipe was inspired by my Italian grandmother. Though I was only 5 years old when Nonna Luigia left this world, memories of her are vivid and the influence she had on me everlasting. A sweet, loving woman with a warm smile and twinkle in her eyes, Nonna wore a permanent apron swathed around her ample body while she bustled around the kitchen preparing traditional Trentino-Alto Adige meals for her husband and three sons. Appreciation for Nonna’s excellent home cooking extended beyond her family to the numerous boarders hosted in her U.S. home, having immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 30 from a quaint town in the Dolomite mountains. 

Read about my Italian origins and culinary tour: A Slice of the Dolomites—The Return to my Italian Roots.

Join me on my Dolomites Food & Wine Tour in the Italian Alps!

Nonna’s legendary cooking lived on through my mother—her daughter-in-law—and eventually through me. When my parents married, Nonna taught Mom how to make my father’s favorite regional Trentino dishes—but did so without recipes or verbal instruction—she showed her how it was done through her actions. My mother would sit at a large table in Nonna’s kitchen and avidly scribble notes as her mother-in-law cooked. There were no written recipes but rather a little of this, a pinch of that, how she did this, and when she did that. No words were exchanged and no explanations given. The room was silent without the constant chitchat I learned to know in Italian kitchens and only punctuated by chopping, pounding, and sizzle of the pan. This quiet was not due to respectful reverence but simply because the two women did not speak the same language. My Nonna never learned to speak English in the 44 years she lived in the U.S. and my mother didn’t understand the Italian dialect her mother-in-law spoke.

After Nonna passed away, my mother carried on the tradition, gracing our dinner table with all the regional Trentino dishes my father loved. Polenta, risotto, potato cake and the like—this is where my love of food and passion for cooking was born: at our family table. When I decided to leave the comfort and security of home to live in Italy at age 24, it was to pursue the quality lifestyle inspired by Nonna. By choosing to live my adult life in Italy, I regained my family heritage and learned, not only how to be an Italian woman like Nonna, but also how to cook like her…and then some. Today, I owe my successful career as an Italian Chef and cooking instructor to the rich culture of food instilled in me as a child by Nonna and my parents.

My apple cake recipe is a tribute to Nonna Luigia’s legacy. It’s a simple, homemade cake that every woman from her region knew how to make and had a family recipe for. Since I did not have a precise recipe from my Nonna, I perfected this cake in her honor using bits and pieces of information, recollections, and professional know-how. Now, every time I make it or share it with my students and followers, I’m reminded of the precious gift she gave me: the love of Italian culture and cooking <3 . 

 Read about my Italian origins and culinary tour: A Slice of the Dolomites—The Return to my Italian Roots.

Join me on my Dolomites Food & Wine Tour in the Italian Alps!

NONNA’S ITALIAN APPLE CAKE
Torta di Mele della Nonna
{Recipe}
Copyright, 2008, Deborah Dal Fovo, All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited

Makes one 9-inch cake—serves 8 to 12 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 60 to 70 minutes

Nothing says casa-dolce-casa, or home-sweet-home, more than a homemade apple dessert. This simple cake is from my Nonna’s homeland of Trentino-Alto Adige in the Dolomite Mountains, where the finest apples grow. It’s a moist cake filled with succulent bits of apple and infused with fragrant lemon zest, then topped with a golden crown of apple slices that gives it a beautiful, professional look. A welcome treat at any hour as a sweet finale to a home-cooked meal or comforting afternoon snack, this delicious cake is a true slice of casa mia in the Dolomites.

Watch a tutorial video of this recipe on my Instagram feed.

1 untreated lemon, washed and dried
2 pounds/1 kilo Golden Delicious apples (4 to 5 apples)
8 tablespoons/113g unsalted butter, divided, plus more for greasing cake pan
1/3 cup/75ml milk
1 3⁄4 cups/210g all-purpose or Italian 00 flour, plus more for dusting pan
2 teaspoons/10g baking powder or Italian vanilla baking powder  
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup/200g granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling cake top
1 teaspoon/4g vanilla extract (omit if using Italian vanilla baking powder)
Confectioner’s sugar to garnish cake
Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan with removable bottom

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, positioning the rack in the center. Butter and flour the springform pan, then set it aside.

Zest the lemon using a fine grater and set aside. Cut the lemon in half.

Peel the apples and halve them lengthwise through the stem end. Carefully hollow out the cores with a melon ball tool: this ensures the same size hollow in each apple, creating a uniform look when sliced. Place apple halves flat side down on a cutting board and cut into half-moon slices approximately 3/16-inch thick. Transfer apple slices to a large mixing bowl, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over them, and gently toss to coat using your hands. 

Melt 7 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, pour in the milk, and set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer. Using a large whisk (or whisk attachment for the mixer), beat the eggs while gradually adding the sugar. Beat until the mixture is pale yellow, creamy, and sugar grains are not felt when rubbed between two fingers, (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and whisk to incorporate.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients gradually, whisking gently between additions, until just incorporated, without overworking. Pour in the butter and milk, whisking until a smooth cake batter forms.

Gently fold half of the apple slices into the batter until evenly distributed, reserving the remaining half to decorate the top of the cake. Don’t worry if the apples break up while folding; they will evenly distribute moisture and flavor throughout the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface.

Adorn the cake surface by arranging the remaining apple slices in circular rows over the batter, fanning them out with edges slightly overlapping. Evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over the apples, then dot the surface here and there with bits of the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. 

Place the cake pan on a baking sheet and position it in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean with a few moist crumbs attached. 

Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before running a knife around the sides and removing the sides of the springform pan. Let the cake cool before dusting it with confectioner’s sugar and slicing into portions. Serve Nonna’s Italian Apple Cake on its own or accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream.

Join me on my Dolomites Food & Wine Tour in the Italian Alps!

One of the greatest joys of my career has been organizing my Dolomites Food & Wine Tours in the place of my Italian family roots in Trentino-Alto Adige. Words can’t convey the excitement of sharing this hidden gem in the majestic Italian Alps where my ancestors settled in the 1400s—it’s surreal! When I take my guests to the top of the mountain and admire the breathtaking views, I feel an enormous sense pride for the place of my origins. And, treating my guests to the regional food and wine I enjoyed at my family table and that form the foundation of my Italian cooking career is delicious beyond words.

When I first visited my tiny ancestral village in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy 45 years ago, emotions surged as high as the towering spires of the Dolomite mountain peaks surrounding me. The sheer beauty of the place my Nonni (grandparents) left 60 years earlier, when they immigrated to the United States, left me breathless. Discovering that my ancestor was a founding father of our village nestled in these majestic Dolomites five centuries earlier sent a shiver down my spine. The heartwarming reunion with my father’s native family felt like a generational homecoming that changed my life path forever. That first visit to return to my Italian roots rewove the threads of my heritage tapestry and inspired my immigration to Italy less than two years later when I reclaimed my Italian citizenship and lived in la bella Italia for the next 20 years.

Join me in Italy on my Dolomites Food & Wine Tour!

During the time I lived in Italy (and beyond), my love affair with Trentino-Alto Adige grew passionately. I was awestruck by the spectacular natural wonders of the Dolomites surrounding my family homestead and fascinated by the region’s unique Italian-Austrian history, alpine culture, and distinctive food and wine. From polenta, canederli, and gnocchi to sausage, sauerkraut, and strudel, I explored the traditional dishes—many of which had graced my childhood table far from its enchanting land of origin.

To express my newfound love for this magical place and spread the word about my family homeland and cuisine, I presented my Nonna’s Italian Apple Cake recipe (Trentino is famous for its apple production and desserts) on a national television show in 2009. I watched with excitement as viewers became curious about the region and raved about the recipe (see video here). Then, in 2017, after years of exploring mountaintops and cultivating connections with local chefs, food producers, and winemakers, I proudly began hosting annual week-long Dolomite Food & Wine Tours in Trentino-Alto Adige to share my insider’s view of this hidden gem in the Dolomites that is my family homeland.

Perhaps the best part of the culinary tours in my ancestral homeland is introducing the charming local people who proudly produce and prepare the quality alpine food and wine we taste along our travels. Chefs, winemakers, beekeepers, dairy farmers, cheesemakers, bakers, salumi makers, mountain herb-product makers, and the shining staff at our cooking classes, hotel, and restaurant dining room that warmly welcome us at every visit, tasting, and meal. I also get to expand my knowledge of the region right along with my guests during cultural excursions to local castles, museums, and cathedrals.

Join me in Italy on my Dolomites Food & Wine Tour!

I hope you’ll join me for my Dolomites Food & Wine Tour—a taste adventure in the Italian Alps! You can get all the details by visiting my website here. These are small group tours and space is limited, so reserve your spot soon : ).

In the meantime, enjoy making and eating my Nonna’s Italian Apple Cake recipe and savor an authentic slice of the Dolomites!

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Deborah

 

I’m a firm believer in enjoying the best of both worlds. Why choose one thing over another when you can have it all? As a multicultural, bilingual, dual citizen of both Italy and the U.S., I’ve lived by this mantra my entire adult life. Blending diverse cultures makes life more interesting…and definitely more delicious. Take my new Rhubarb Berry Balsamic Crisp for example. I gave an Italian accent to a classic American dessert and made it gluten-free to boot. It starts with rhubarb, the elusive spring vegetable that thinks it’s a fruit since mainly made into sweet dishes. Known as rabarbaro in Italy, it’s revered on the other side of the pond to make the popular digestive liqueur amaro, whose name means bitter. Rhubarb’s ruby-red rootstocks are bitingly tart and they are often married with strawberries—their springtime lover—whose delicate sweetness tames their harsh bitterness when cooked. I spotted some gorgeous rhubarb stalks at my market and took advantage of its fleeting season to make this luscious [gluten-free] crisp for a friend’s weekend gathering to feed a crowd and please everyone.

Fruit crisp is a quintessential American baked dessert of jammy filling covered by a thick blanket of crunchy, streusel-like topping made of flour, sugar, oats, and butter crumbled together. Every bite is a sensorial duet of soft sultry fruit and crunchy oat topping. The difference between crisps and crumbles (a similar dessert) is the addition of oats in crisps—a favorite ingredient in wheat-free diets. And, by substituting almond flour for wheat flour, my topping is gluten-free and spiced up with a pinch of ground ginger (cinnamon or cardamom work well too). I jazzed up the fruit filling by adding blueberries for vibrant color and flavor, but any berry will do. In fact, if you make my recipe after rhubarb season has come and gone, you can substitute it with blackberries and raspberries for a mixed berry crisp. And, since baked fruit fillings need sugar and a thickener—like flour—to turn runny juices into a silky glaze that binds every morsel, I use cornstarch instead to keep my crisp gluten-free.

(Get my gluten-free breakfast cookie recipe here)

While making a traditionally gluten-laden dessert gluten-free could be considered having the best of both worlds, I didn’t stop there. I added a secret Italian ingredient—aged balsamic vinegar from Modena—to my fruit filling (well it’s no secret now) to enhance the flavors with a rich dolcezza and elevate this dessert to another level! Aceto balsamico di Modena is the gastronomic jewel in Italy’s culinary crown with its syrupy consistency and complex taste created by aging grape must in barrels made of different woods. A spoonful of 12-year aged balsamic in the filling goes a long way (to Italy) to make a big flavor impact. The crisp comes out of the oven in golden glory with a crunchy crust bubbling around the edges with jammy fruit hiding underneath. Served warm or at room temperature and spooned into bowls with a scoop of vanilla gelato on top, my Rhubarb Berry Balsamic Crisp is a luscious dessert that’s the best of both worlds—a classic American with a sexy Italian accent—and satisfying baked treat that’s gluten (and guilt) free. That’s a win-win-win-win in my ‘have it all’ recipe book!

Watch the video tutorial of how to make my Rhubarb Berry Balsamic Crisp and get the recipe below:

RHUBARB BERRY BALSAMIC CRISP (GF)
{Recipe}
Copyright, 2023, Deborah Dal Fovo, All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

I gave this American baked fruit dessert a sexy Italian accent with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena to infuse the rhubarb, strawberry, and blueberry filling with a rich, complex flavor from wood barrel aging. The crisp topping is made with almond flour (instead of the typical wheat flour) and oats, making it gluten-free and guilt free. With its golden, crunchy crust and jammy fruit, this crisp feeds a crowd and pleases everyone. Use the best authentic balsamic vinegar from Modena you can afford and enjoy it warm or at room temperature spooned into bowls and topped with vanilla gelato. Buonissimo!

View this tutorial video on my Instagram feed

Serves 10 to 12

Fruit Filling:
1 pound/453g fresh rhubarb, washed and cut crosswise into ½ inch pieces
1¼ pounds/566g ripe strawberries, washed, hulled, and cut into quarters 
1 cup/170g blueberries, washed
Juice of ½ lemon
1 cup/200g cane sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon aged Balsamic vinegar from Modena
1 tablespoon butter to grease baking dish

Topping:
1½ cups/150g almond flour
¾ cup/150g packed light brown sugar
1½ cups/127g rolled oats
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger (cardamom or cinnamon can be substituted)
8 tablespoons/113g unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch dice

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and balsamic vinegar. 

Generously butter a 2-quart/2-liter baking dish. Arrange the fruit filling in an even, single layer in the baking dish and set aside while you make the topping.

In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, salt, and ground ginger. Add the diced butter and toss in the dry ingredients, crumbling it between your fingertips. It will seem dry at first but keep rubbing the butter until it softens slightly (but doesn’t melt) and adheres to the dry ingredients to form soft, moist clumps. Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit filling to cover the entire surface. 

Loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of oven for 30 minutes then remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for another 30 minutes until the topping is crisp and golden brown and the fruit filling bubbles around the edges.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, spooned into bowls and topped with a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream for dessert. Store leftover crisp in the refrigerator and enjoy with a spoonful of yogurt for a luxurious breakfast.

Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please, or rather, si’ grazie! And that’s exactly what I eat in Italy, where a light breakfast of Italian croissant (called cornetto or brioche) or a few cookies dipped into frothy cappuccino or caffe’ latte is customary. No eggs and bacon for breakfast here, which are reserved for spaghetti alla carbonara at lunch or dinner. My favorite Italian wholegrain breakfast cookies are called ‘Gran Cereale’ biscotti by Mulino Bianco, a fiber and flavor rich healthy biscuit whose name literally means ‘big grain’. I’ve been dipping these barely sweet, wholesome oat cookies into morning coffee for decades and often crumble them into yogurt with fresh fruit for extra nutrition and variety.

While store bought Gran Cereale cookies are now available online and in Italian shops in the U.S. at a premium, developed my homemade dupe recipe in an even healthier gluten-free version with oat flour and plant-based milk. Using simple, natural ingredients that are readily available, the dough comes together quickly and easily in a food processor. Then, instead of scooping cookies or rolling out and cutting shapes, the dough is shaped into a compact cylindrical log and refrigerated until firm before neatly slicing into thin rounds with no muss, no fuss. And, since there are no eggs in the dough, the log can be refrigerated for days or frozen for months before slicing and baking.

When slicing the dough log into rounds, my technique works beautifully to make slices cookie-cutter precise…without a cookie cutter. Roll the log forward on the cutting board with one hand while using a sawing motion with a sharp knife in the other to partially cut through the slice. Then keep rolling and cutting until you reach the other side of the log and the cookie slice falls to the board. This technique prevents the dough from crumbling and creates neat, round slices to lightly nudge with a fingertip to perfect the shape if needed. Once all the slices are uniformly cut and arranged on a lined cookie sheet, they bake until golden brown and crisp before cooling and storing in round jars or cookie tins to preserve their crunchy, crumbly texture.

Dip a few of these healthy, homemade, honey-kissed Italian wholegrain breakfast cookies into your morning cappuccino and experience the taste of Italian breakfast wherever you live!

ITALIAN WHOLEGRAIN BREAKFAST COOKIES (GF)
Biscotti ‘Gran Cereale’ Classico
{Recipe}

Copyright, 2023, Deborah Dal Fovo, All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

These healthy oat cookies are my homemade dupe of the popular wholegrain Italian breakfast cookie, ‘Gran Cereale’ (meaning big cereal) biscotti by Mulino Bianco. Crunchy and barely sweet, they’re high in fiber and flavor with a satisfying texture and taste. These cookies are my go-to breakfast in Italy and I developed this recipe to replicate at home, making them gluten-free and super digestible with oat flour and plant based milk for an even healthier cookie (although you can use whole wheat flour and cow’s milk for the OG biscotti). Dip these crisp, honey-kissed cookies into a frothy cappuccino and pretend you’re in Italy! 

View a tutorial video of this recipe on my Instagram feed

Makes about two dozen 2¼-inch cookies

1 cup/111g rolled oats
¼ cup/57g cane sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup/115g oat flour
1 teaspoon/4g baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
7 tablespoons/100g cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch dice
1 tablespoon/21g honey
3 tablespoons oat or almond milk
Dash of ground cinnamon (optional but recommended)

Place the rolled oats, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to partially break up the oat grains. Add the oat flour, baking powder, and baking soda then pulse again a couple times to combine.

Add the diced butter and pulse a few times until broken up into pieces the size of small lentils. Pour in the honey and milk then pulse the again until a crumbly dough forms that holds together when pressed between fingers.

Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and gather into a ball with your hands, pressing together to create a compact mass. Shape the dough into a smooth, tight cylinder 6-inches long by 2-inches in diameter by rolling against the work surface with the palms of your hands and patting the ends in. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper and twist the ends candy-roll style then tap each end upright against the work surface to flatten. Place the dough log in the refrigerator until well chilled and very firm, about 4 hours (or overnight), or in freezer for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and position rack in center.   

Remove dough log from wrapping and place on a cutting board. Slice the dough into ¼-inch rounds using a sawing motion with the blade of a sharp knife while contemporarily rolling the log forward on the board to prevent crumbling. Adjust the shape of each cookie round by pressing edges with fingers.

Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet with 1-inch space between. Bake in center of hot oven for 25 to 27 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.  Store cookies in a glass jar or cookie tin to maintain crispness. Enjoy a few cookies dipped into a frothy cappuccino for an Italian style breakfast.

Nothing says summer like sun kissed tomatoes—ripe, juicy, and bursting with flavor. And, nothing says summer pasta like Busiate with Trapanese Pesto (Busiate al Pesto Trapanese) starring those peak-season, sun saturated tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes in pesto. It’s the “other” pesto—a sultry, seductive southern Italian version of the Genovese classic. This ethereal pasta dish comes from Trapani in western Sicily, where its name, shape, and eponymous pesto were created in worship of the intense Sicilian sun and its delicious local bounty. Finely ground almonds and garlic give the pesto a poetic richness and aromatic finish while fruity tomatoes and fragrant basil fleck the pasta with vivid colors and flavors. Late season tomatoes make this dish even sweeter, so now is the best time to make Busiate Pasta with Trapanese Pesto and enjoy the last lingering taste of sunny summer.

Busiate are distinctive long spiral pasta shapes reminiscent of romantic tendrils. Made with handmade pasta dough of fine durum (hard) wheat semolina flour (semola rimacinata) and water, they hold their shape well and have a tasty chewiness once cooked. Busiate are named after a local wild reed, busa, that is traditionally used to form the shape by rolling thin ropes of pasta dough around it into a flat coil. Today, a special brass pasta rod from southern Italy called ferro or ferretto is used to form busiate and other pasta shapes as well. I happily acquired my brass pasta rod from online Italian-made pasta tool shop Q.B. Cucina , but a wooden skewer, knitting needle, or even umbrella spoke has been known to work as well.

Like most hand-formed southern Italian pasta, making busiate can seem like child’s play at first. The first step of rolling dough into long ropes with your hands is familiar to most people who did the same with Play-Doh as children. However, the next step to form the ropes into spiral shapes requires a little practice to perfect. Rolling the rod set at a 45-degree angle down a strand of dough while winding it around is simple enough, but the trick is to use just enough pressure—and not too much—so the finished shape releases from the rod and doesn’t stick to it. Dusting the rod with a little semolina flour can help but making the dough correctly in the first place—firm but not soft and sticky—is key. It takes a little patience and practice but, once you get the feel for it, you’ll be amply rewarded with beautiful pasta to proudly serve your family and friends.

The traditional sauce pairing for busiate is Trapanese Pesto (Pesto Trapanese) and vice versa. This pesto with tomatoes is unique to Sicily—and more specifically to Trapani—where it was created specifically for this pasta shape. Trapanese Pesto is made by grinding almonds, garlic, and basil (in mortar and pestle for best results) into a paste, then blending with fruity extra virgin olive oil and ripe, raw tomatoes into a sumptuous sauce that is the definition of Sicily’s sunny, vibrant personality. Using best quality ingredients is key, making mid to late summer the best time to enjoy this dish with peak-season tomatoes, fragrant basil, and excellent extra virgin olive oil. No cheese is needed since this pesto is already rich and creamy but, if the temptation to embellish with something extra strikes, you can sprinkle the finished pasta with finely chopped almonds. Oh, and, don’t let making homemade pasta stop you from enjoying this exquisite summer pesto with other quality, store-bought durum wheat pasta like bucatini, strozzapreti or casarecce…it’s too delicious to save for next year ; ).

BUSIATE WITH TRAPANESE PESTO – Busiate al Pesto Trapanese
{Recipe}

This sun-kissed pasta from Trapani in Sicily is its namesake summer dish. Handmade durum wheat pasta dough is shaped into delicate tendrils around a local reed or bronze rod and tossed with a Sicilian summer pesto of ground almonds, garlic, basil and ripe tomatoes. Rich and bursting with sunny Southern Italian colors and flavors, this dish will soon be your new favorite summer pasta.

View a video of the pasta and pesto making technique on my Instagram feed.

Serves 4 to 5

PASTA DOUGH: (makes 1 pound/445g dough)
2 cups/300g durum wheat semolina flour (Italian semola rimacinata)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/145ml warm water
NOTE: if semolina flour is unavailable, substitute with 2 cups/240g “00” or all-purpose flour and ½ cup/120ml warm water
Special equipment: 12-inch/30cm pasta rod (ferro or ferretto) or wooden skewer

TRAPANESE PESTO: (makes 1 cup/240ml pesto)
2 large garlic cloves or 4 small, peeled
2 ounces/55g blanched peeled almonds (about 1/3 cup)
6 tablespoons/85ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed 
½ pound/250g very ripe plum tomatoes (2 or 3 tomatoes) 
1/3 ounce/10g fresh basil leaves (1 loose cup cup loosely packed)
Pinch of hot chili pepper flakes or chopped peperoncino, optional
Kosher or fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the pasta dough: place the flour in a wide, heavy bowl. Insert the fingertips of one hand into the flour and use the other hand to pour a thin stream of water over your fingers. Mix the water into the flour by rotating your fingertips in a circular motion until all the water has been added and a crumbly dough forms. Gather the crumbs together and squeeze them to form a shaggy dough. Knead the dough in the bowl by folding and squeezing with one hand (anchoring the bowl with the other hand), for a few minutes until it hydrates enough to clean the flour from the sides of the bowl. The dough will seem very stiff and dry at first, but resist the urge to add more water since it softens as you work it. Turn the dough onto a clean work surface (preferably unvarnished wood) and knead vigorously for 10 to 15 minutes until firm, smooth, and not sticky. Form dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic, and let rest for 30 minutes. 

In the meantime, prepare the pesto: fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Use a paring knife to score a shallow X through the skin at the bottom of each tomato. Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute until skins loosen (but not longer or the tomatoes will cook), then remove them from the water and place on a cutting board for 2 minutes. Peel the tomatoes, starting at the scored end, pulling off the loose skin and discarding it. Cut the tomato flesh into quarters lengthwise and remove cores and seeds then cut the flesh into small dice. Set aside.

Place the garlic and almonds in the bowl of a mortar and pestle or small food processor fitted with blade and pound or pulse until finely ground. Tear the basil into the bowl and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of ground black pepper or hot chili flakes then grind into a paste. If using a food processor, pulse the machine and scrape down bowl frequently. Pour the extra virgin olive oil in a thin, steady stream while stirring or pulsing until a thick pesto forms. Add the chopped tomatoes and grind/pulse to break up the pieces then pour in a little more olive oil, if needed, to create a creamy, medium consistency pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning then transfer the pesto to a large, non-metallic mixing bowl and set aside while you hand form the busiate pasta shapes.

To form the busiate: unwrap the ball of pasta dough and roll beneath the palm of one hand to form a cylinder. Cut a strip of dough about the thickness of your finger from the long side, then wrap the remaining dough in plastic and set aside until needed. Using the palms of both hands in a back and forth motion—beginning with hands together and working them outward to thin the dough—roll the strip of dough into a long, thin rope about 3/16-inch/.5cm thick. Break the rope into 5 to 6-inch long strands then set aside all but one of the strands. Place a strand vertically on the board in front of you and set the ferretto pasta rod or skewer at a 45-degree angle about ¼-inch from the top tip of dough. Curl the tip over the rod then gently roll the rod down the strand using fingertips at opposite ends of the rod (without pressing) so the dough wraps around it like a coil. Once the rod reaches the end of the strand and the dough is entirely coiled, place the palm of your hand over the coiled pasta and, pressing lightly, roll it forward on the board to flatten slightly. Then release the busiata (singular) you just made by cradling it gently in one hand while twisting and pulling the other end of rod out with the other hand. Form the busiate, one by one using all the dough, setting them on a tray that has been lightly dusted with semolina flour to dry slightly and set the shape.   

To cook the busiate: bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once the water boils, add 4 tablespoons/35g salt then wait for it to boil again. Add the pasta and cook at a steady boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente (firm to the bite), 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to the bowl with pesto. Toss the busiate in the pesto to coat evenly with pesto then transfer to a warm serving platter and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Funny how what goes around comes around…even in cake making! This Apricot Almond Cake has its origins decades ago when I was living in the countryside of Tuscany and the fruit trees on our property had an unexpected bumper crop one year and I found myself with bushels of apricots to make use of. Some were preserved in vanilla syrup, like I shared on my previous post. Others were transformed into shiny jams, luscious tarts, a lovely liqueur and more. But lastly, I decided to make this apricot and almond cake which, at the time, was baked in a loaf pan for a breakfast cake that could be easily frozen for the autumn months. Apricots and almonds make one of my favorite flavor combinations, so it was a no brainer that a cake-like almond bread filled with bits of sweet, intensely flavored apricots would be a welcome treat. It was a good call and, after a little experimentation, this recipe was created and was a great success. So, I filed away my hand-scribbled recipe and it came with me when we moved from Italy to California but was never used again…until now. 

Call it déjà vu but, this year, I had the opportunity to pick my own apricots at a fruit farm in California and found myself, again, with too many apricots (a lucky problem) and the same dilemma as decades earlier of what to do with them (must be my apricot karma : ). I dug out my decades-old recipe, reworked it into this glorious cake version and am thrilled with the results. It’s now a regal looking apricot almond cake with golden crown of slivered almonds outside and surprise inside of moist almond cake studded with bright, jewel-like pieces of apricots. The combination of flavors is irresistible in a not-too-sweet cake that can double for a breakfast loaf pan cake like my original version.  

This cake recipe works well with other fruits too. The important thing is to cut the ripe-yet-firm fruit into small dice so the cake is studded with little bits of lovely fruit that don’t sink to the bottom during baking. A light toss in flour helps suspend the fruit in the batter too. Peaches and plums are lovely summer substitutes, as are figs, and berries. Again, any fruit that pairs well with the aromatic, sensual flavor of almonds (most fruits do). The making of the cake is rather simple and a one-bowl process (or two if you count the one to mix the flour with leavening agents). I usually warm the milk and add the butter to it while I measure out other ingredients so the butter starts to melt and mellow in the milk. This time around I use almond milk that adds to the nutty flavor of the cake, but whole milk works well too. The addition of either almond extract (for more almond flavor) or vanilla is up to you and my instinctive go-to sugar is cane sugar instead of white, but you can use either with success. Cane sugar is less refined and adds a caramel flavor to the cake but needs more time and patience to melt in the liquids.

A word about almond flour, a very important ingredient in this recipe. Use best-quality store bought or make your own like I do. I blanch raw almonds in boiling water for a minute then drain and slip the skins off using my fingers before spreading on a baking sheet and drying in a 350F/180C oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Once the almonds are cool, I toss them in a food processor with a couple tablespoons of the sugar from the recipe and pulse until finely ground to my desired consistency without over processing that would draw out unwanted nut oils. Voila’…almond flour! This is added to the liquid ingredients without fear of over mixing since there are no glutens to overdevelop. Adding the all-purpose flour is another story and should be added by folding gently into the batter until just incorporated but without over working the glutens that results in a tough, rubbery cake. For a gluten-free cake, simply substitute gluten-free flour for the all-purpose or make you own with a combination of oat flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour.

The moral of this post is that some things in life are worth keeping to make even better in time, and I think this cake is one of those! I hope you make it and think of me under apricot trees in both Tuscany and California…after all, it seems to be my destiny.

APRICOT ALMOND CAKE – Torta di Mandorle e Albicocche
{recipe}

This regal looking apricot almond cake boasts a golden crown of slivered almonds outside and surprise inside of moist crumb studded with bright jewel-like bits of ripe apricots. Though simple to make in one bowl, the results are show-stopping and satisfying in a delectable cake recipe that is a keeper for endless summers to come.  

Cake Batter:
2 cups/200g/7 ounces almond flour (or 200g/7ounces blanched almonds ground finely with 2 tablespoons of the sugar)
2 cups/240g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more to flour pan if needed
1 teaspoon/4g baking powder
¼ teaspoon/1.2g baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 cup/240g almond milk (or whole milk), warm
4 tablespoons/57g softened unsalted butter, plus more to grease pan
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup/200g cane sugar (or granulated)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/3 cup/200 diced apricots
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour to toss apricots

Topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons/20g slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and position rack in center. 

Butter an 8-inch/20cm x 3-inch/7.6cm round cake pan then line sides and bottom with parchment paper or dust with flour, tapping out excess. Alternatively, you can use an 11 x 4 x 3 inch loaf pan instead.  

Measure the almond flour (if store bought) or pulse the blanched almonds in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of the sugar until finely ground. In a separate bowl, blend together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Set flours aside.

Place the warm milk, softened butter, and extract in a mixing bowl and whisk until butter is melted. Add the sugar gradually while whisking then beat well until sugar has melted. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating until thick and creamy. Sprinkle the almond flour into the batter and stir well to combine.

Add the all-purpose flour mixture to the batter, folding in gently with a spatula just until smoothly incorporated but without overworking. 

Toss the diced apricots with 2 tablespoons flour to coat uniformly. This will ­prevent the apricots from sinking to the bottom of the cake when baked. Fold the apricots into the batter until evenly distributed.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and level surface. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over top then scatter the slivered almonds around the edge to form a decorative border.   

Place the cake pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in center of hot oven for 55 to 60 minutes until golden and tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cake cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Serve cut into slices as a breakfast cake, teatime cake or dessert.

Everyone knows the world famous Pasta all’Amatriciana. You’ve most likely eaten it at your favorite Italian restaurant or (if you were lucky) during a trip to Rome, the city that adopted it as its own. But you probably didn’t know that this pasta dish—one of Italy’s greatest—originated in the ancient, hillside town of Amatrice located in central Italy 140 kilometers from Rome. This week, Amatrice was hit with a powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake that destroyed the town and devastated its people. It came only days before Amatrice was to host the 50th-annual Spaghetti all’Amatriciana Festival to proudly celebrate its eponymous pasta dish. Now the town is in ruins and victims are being pulled from the rubble. So, in honor of Amatrice and its people, I dedicate this post and recipe to the pasta that carries their name in hopes that you make it at home and send your thoughts, prayers…and love their way.

The city of spaghetti

If you’ve eaten Pasta all’Amatriciana in Rome, it was most likely made with bucatini, a type of fat spaghetti with a hole through the center. But the original recipe was born in Amatrice—not Rome—and strictly dictates that spaghetti—not bucatini—be used for this dish. In fact, municipal signs at the city’s entrance proudly read “Amatrice: City of Spaghetti all’Amatriciana” to distinguish the original dish from the version that was later modified by Roman cuisine.

Pork cheek, pecorino, peperoncino and pomodoro

Authentic Amatriciana from Amatrice is made with four fundamental ingredients: guanciale (cured pork cheek), peperoncino (red chili pepper), San Marzano tomatoes, and pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese. Originally, the dish didn’t have tomatoes and was known as Pasta alla Gricia, a simple pasta invented by shepherds using the few staples they could take on mountainside herding trips. Tomatoes were later added to this ancestor dish once they became available after the discovery of America and Spaghetti all’Amatriciana was born. Romans later discovered this savory, satisfying dish and made it part of their culinary culture, adding garlic or onion and other ingredients that were not originally included.

The protagonist of Amatriciana is guanciale, a cured pork cheek with sweet, flavorful characteristics that is a specialty of Amatrice. Its lard laced pork ribbons practically melt in the pan and give the sauce its distinctive taste. Often hard to find (even in other parts of Italy outside Lazio), guanciale can be substituted in a pinch with unsmoked bacon or pancetta…but the effect is not the same. Luckily, in the San Francisco Bay Area where I now live, guanciale can be found at a few places. I get good artisan guanciale from Belcampo Meat Company or Golden Gate Meat Company. The other key ingredient that gives Amatriciana its unique umami taste is pecorino sheep’s milk cheese.

The earthquake

A massive earthquake struck in the middle of the night while the people of central Italy slept. The hands of the clock tower in the town of Amatrice—one of the only buildings still standing—are frozen at the hour of 3:36 AM Italian time when the tremor occurred. Most of the town has been flattened by the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks causing more havoc. While Amatrice has been the hardest hit, other towns in the area that have been partially or completely destroyed are Pescara del Tronto, Arquata del Tronto and Accumoli. Rescue efforts have been ongoing for days but more help is needed for the people who have lost everything to this brutal force of nature.

What’s love got to do with it?

Why am I talking about earthquakes on a food blog? Because I wanted to put a “familiar face” on the name of a town you’ve been hearing a lot about on the news. Amatrice has proudly given the world so much pleasure at the dinner table that a little requited love is the least we can offer in return. A thought, prayer, or goodwill in the form of making or ordering their namesake dish can go a long way.

Italians bring people together with food. This time, people are coming together and using food to help Italy in a moment of crisis. Restaurants around the world are donating proceeds of every plate of pasta Amatriciana served to aid the earthquake victims. And it doesn’t stop there. Since the spaghetti sagra in Amatrice could not take place this weekend, an online Spaghetti all’Amatriciana festival called #virtualsagra has gone viral around the web with people posting photos of their Amatriciana pasta and donating money to the cause. I hope you will make the recipe shared below and enjoy it in the name of Amatrice.

P.S.: “Ama”, the first syllable of Amatrice, means ‘to love’ in Italian.

*If you don’t want to make this pasta for yourself, here are some of the restaurants that are donating part or all of the proceeds of Pasta all’Amatriciana sales to aid earthquake victims of Amatrice and central Italy:
San Francisco Bay Area: A16, Barbacco, Barzotto, La Ciccia, Delfina, Locanda, 54 Mint, ZeroZero, Montesacro Pinseria-Enoteca, Terun, iTalico, Tosca Cafe, ZeroZero, Riva Cucina Berkeley, Beach Chalet, Lake Chalet Oakland.
Napa: Bistro Don Giovanni
Los Angeles: Caffe Pinguini, La Bruschetta, Osteria La Buca, Osteria Mamma, Osteria Mozza, Pasta Sisters, Sotto Los Angeles, Anaheim White House
New York: Il Buco, Marta, Maialino, Eataly, Tarallucci e Vino, Ristorante Rafaele, Cafe Spiaggia, Lupa

**Those wishing to make a donation directly to the Croce Rosso Italiano (Italian Red Cross) can access their website here.