Pasta Ortolana

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Pasta Fresca all'Ortolana
pasta the gardeners way

Guglielmo, my husband, has become a great cook for two reasons: first is that he loves to eat, the proof is his waistline. The second reason is that he loves to grow a vegetable garden, to dig his hands into the soil, place the seeds in the earth, wait for the sprouts to break the soil and grow.
I'm sure most of you have seen the movie “The Godfather” , remember the scene when Mr. Corleone (Marlon Brando) is playing with his small grandson between the tomatoe plants and drops to the ground dead, well he has always said that this is the way he would love to leave this world when his time comes. You now can have an idea how much love he puts into his vegetable garden, the same love he puts in looking after his chickens, rabbits, ducks and other farm animals .All of these are used for his special pasta and meat dishes. PASTA FRESCA all”ORTOLANA is one of these dishes. pasta dish

For 4-6 people
Kg (1Lbs) fresh fettuccine or any fresh eggnoodle pasta
½ cup extravergine olive oil
6-8 basil leaves (these are added fresh before serving)
7-8 leaves of radicchio di Chioggia or Trevisano (red lettuce), you can also use the same amount of rucola coarsely chopped
3 medium size zucchini in small chunks
1 thinly sliced fresh fennel
4-5 garlic cloves thinly chopped
2-3 small ripe tomatoes
2 spoons of butter
1 small size potatoe in thin slices
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup gorgonzola cheese (optional)
1 cup vegetable broth
Salt and peperoncino as needed

Slightly brown all the vegetables until golden, stirring often and adding the broth until all the vegetables are tender. When all the broth has evaporated throw in the cooked pasta (always” al dente” ), the basil and the gorgonzola cheese, stir on live fire until the cheese has melted, add the parmesan at the end and take off the fire.

Buon Appetito and enjoy with friends or family while watching the Godfather on tv.