910-508-4224   23 Sunset Ave. Wilmington, NC 28401

DeMarco’s Italian Essentials

Italian cooking is at the heart of many of my favorite childhood memories. Now I’m creating those memories with my daughter and wife. Today, I’ll share some of my favorite dishes. You can’t go wrong using simple ingredients with straight forward Italian techniques.

Buon Appetitio,
Chef Kevin
FULL DINNER MENU

Insalata Tricolore
fresh pears, toasted hazelnuts,
shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, and oregano vinaigrette

Homemade Pappardelle Pasta
basil tomato ragu and herbed balsamic grilled chicken

Homemade Fettuccini
olive oil, garlic, chick peas, and fresh mint

Limoncello Sorbetto
fresh sliced strawberries drizzled with saba
served with GiGi’s Biscotti

DINNER

Insalata Tricolore

Fresh pears, toasted hazelnuts,
shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, and oregano vinaigrette
  • 2 Bosch or Bartlett pears cut in half and sliced thin (or raspberries or peaches when in season)
  • ½ head of raddichio shaved thin
  • 1 ½ cups baby arugula
  • ½ head of curly endive
  • 3 oz. parmesean or peccarion romano shaved
  • 3 oz. toasted chopped hazelnuts

Method: dress greens with Oregano Vinaigrette* surround with sliced pears, sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts and top with shaved parmesan.


*For the Oregano Vinaigrette
  • 1 ounce finely chopped oregano leaves
  • 3-4 ounces balsamic vinegar
  • 3 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ of a shallot minced
  • 1 TBSP Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1 ¾- 2 cups EVO
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine, until slightly thickened.

Homemade Pasta

Homemade Pasta: Continued
Healthy Pasta Dough 
I inch wide ribbons- yield 1 lbs. 
  • 1 ½ cups AP flour or 00 flour
  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup semolina
  • 1 TBSP EVO
  • 1 TBSP water
  • 1 tsp salt- sea salt or kosher

Brown Rice Pasta Dough
  • 1 ¾ cups of brown rice flour (or gluten free blend of flours)
  • 1 cup & 1 TBSP tapioca starch (or potato starch)
  • 1 ¼ tsp. xanthan gum
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp kosher or sea salt

              ----------------------------

THREE OPTIONS FOR MIXING DOUGH:

1. Hand method: a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Make a well. Add eggs, water, and olive oil. Slowly mix until a dough forms. 

2. Kitchen Aid Method
Put all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until dough forms. 

3. Food Processor (NOT for Brown Rice Pasta Dough)
Place dry ingredients in food processor. In a bowl mix wet ingredients. Using the feed tube slowly add wet ingredients pulsing until it forms a ball. The dough will just start to come together and form a ball. 

              ----------------------------

ONCE DOUGH IS COMPLETE:
  1. Turn dough onto counter and knead a few times until outside shell is smooth.
  2. Flatten into a disc and let rest for about an hour at room temperature.
  3. Divide the dough into four pieces.
  4. Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough with your hands making sure the dough is dusted with flour.
  5. Using an electric or hand crank, roll the dough into 1/8 inch thin sheets - starting at one passing through one to two times all the way up to three; stopping at two for brown rice pasta.
Turning sheets of dough into Pappardelle & Fettucini

​Pappardelle (AKA Pasta rags) 
​Pair with Basil tomato Ragu & herbed balsamic grilled chicken

  1. Cut into 1 inch ribbons.
  2. Hang noodles on a pasta rack (clothes hanger works too) for drying if desired. Or put on backing sheet and toss with semolina and let dry for an hour or so.

Fettucini: 
Pair with olive oil, garlic, chick peas, and fresh mint

  1. If you have a hand crank, use the Fettuccini attachment. If you don’t have the attachment cut into quarter inch wide strips with a knife or pizza cutter.
  2. Hang noodles if desired for drying and repeat with remaining dough. 

Use immediately. Cook al dente in a pot of salted water. Or put in Ziploc bags and freeze.

Basil Tomato Ragu

Serves 4-6
​
  • 4-5 plum tomatoes chopped in small dice (or one pint of cherry tomatoes)
  • 4-5 garlic cloves minced
  • 6-8 basil leaves Chiffonade
  • ½ - 1 tsp. honey 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
  • 2 oz. chicken stock (vegetable stock)
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flake
  • Salt to taste
  • 2-3 ounces olive oil
  • Optional 2 tsp. chopped marjoram leaves 
  • ½ -3/4 lb. cooked pappardelle
 
Method: 
  1. In sauté pan over medium heat add olive oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic, sauté until garlic becomes fragrant.
  2. Turn heat up to high then add tomatoes, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until reduced and thickened.
  3. Deglaze with chicken stock and balsamic vinegar, add honey and fresh herbs.
  4. Cook until a ragu consistency forms, mix in cooked pasta and season with salt.
  5. Plate and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. 

Chickpea, Olive Oil, & Garlic

​Serves 4-6
  • ¾ cup to 1 cup olive oil
  • 6-8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ cups chick peas
  • Juice and zest of half a lemon – optional
  • 1 ounce chopped mint
  • ½ ounce chopped marjoram
  • 10 cherry tomatoes cup in half or 2 plum tomatoes diced or 1 roasted pepper cut into strips
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½- ¾ lb. cooked, al dente, Fettuccini

Method: ​
  1. In a sauté pan over medium heat add olive oil, garlic, and sauté until fragrant.
  2. Add lemon zest and chickpeas and cherry tomatoes.
  3. Cook for a minute or two
  4. deglaze with lemon juice.
  5. Add fresh chopped mint.
  6. Salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Add pasta and a little reserved pasta water. Plate. 

Grilled Chicken

  • 4  chicken breasts, 6 oz. each
  • ½ cup oregano vinaigrette
​
Method: ​
  1. Marinate in refrigerator 2-3 hours or overnight in a covered bowl.
  2. Cook on grill or bake or sauté in pan.
  3. Cut into strips.
  4. Put on top of pasta. 

DESSERT - ​Limoncello Sorbetto w/Saba, Fresh Strawberries, & Gigi's Biscotti

Each of the recipes below is used to make this delicious Italian treat (though they are quite scrumptious on their own as well)! 

For the full dessert: put sliced strawberries in bowl, scoop out homemade Sorbetto, drizzle with Saba, and serve with a GiGi’s biscotti. 

Saba

Limoncello Sorbetto

GiGi’s Biscotti
yields 1 ½ cups
​
  • 2 lbs. red seedless grapes
  • 4 ounces red wine
  • 1 oz. balsamic vinegar           
  • Pinch salt and pepper

Method: ​
  1. Wash grapes.
  2. Put into food processor and process grapes in a couple of batched until finely chopped.
  3. Strain grapes through a sieve.
  4. Set over a heavy stock pot.
  5. Press liquid and some of the pulp by scraping the underside of the strainer.
  6. Bring grape juice and red wine to a boil over medium heat for about 10-15 min until thickened and reduced by half, stirring occasionally so the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn.
  7. Syrup will foam slightly and form bubbles when it’s almost done.
  8. Stir in balsamic and salt and pepper. Boil for about another minute or so.
  9. Pour into a container and allow to cool.

Can keep in Freezer up to about 6 months or in refrigerator for about a month.
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 cup honey powder (or 1/2 cup sugar in the raw and ½ cup honey)
  • 1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (or traditional lemons)
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 ounce Limoncello
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 egg white (whip until soft peak)
​
Method: ​
  1. In a sauce pan add water, honey, powder, and zest over medium heat stirring until sugar dissolves. 
  2. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl
  3. Stir in lemon juice, Limoncello, and salt.
  4. Refrigerate to chill.
  5. Once chilled fold in egg white, pour into ice cream maker, and freeze until firm, about two - four hours.
yields 3 dozen
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ cup almond meal or finely ground almonds (or hazelnuts)
  • 1 ¾ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. almond, lemon, or vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup olive oil (or melted butter)
  • Optional: 1 TBSP Limoncello 
​
Method: ​
  1. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
  2. Combine the egg, honey, and olive oil in a separate bowl, beat to mix, and pour into the flour mixture.
  3. Stir well to form a firm dough. 
  4. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface and knead well, about 2 or 3 minutes.
  5. Flour the dough lightly, wrap in plastic, and allow to rest at room temperature about 1 hour. 
  6. Unwrap the dough and cut into 12 pieces, rolling each piece into a rope about ¼ inch in diameter X 12 inches long.
  7. Divide each rope into 3 pieces.
  8. Form each piece into a braid or figure eight, making sure that the seam lies at the midpoint of the figure eight and underneath it.
  9. Transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until puffed and light golden.
  10. Cool on a rack and store in a tin between sheets of wax paper.