• My Account
  • Cart
Items: 0

Especially Puglia

From Puglia to your table

  • About
  • Adopt
    • adopt_an_olivetree
      Adopt an Olive Tree from Puglia
    • menu-adopt_a_beehive
      Adopt a Beehive from Puglia
    • adopt_a_cow
      Adopt a Cow from Puglia
    • Adopt an Olive Tree
    • Adopt a Beehive
    • Adopt a Cow
  • Farmers
  • Blog
  • Visit Puglia
  • Shop

A traditional Pugliese pasta recipe

Mar 14 2017

Pasta 1

Troccoli Pugliesi with cherry tomato sauce & ricotta dura recipe

Troccoli is a typical Pugliese pasta and is made with a wooden instrument called the“chitarra” (guitar). The chitarra is a handmade kitchen tool that has iron strings that are spaced equally from one another. The strings are present on both sides but with different thickness. One side is used to make troccoli, the other is used to make fettuccine. To prepare this type of pasta, you can also use a pasta maker. Troccoli are excellent with fresh basil tomato sauce and ricotta dura.

PASTA DOUGH RECIPE

Serves 4 people

  • 400 g. of semolina flour
  • 4 eggs
  • A pinch of salt
  • Water as needed

METHOD

To prepare for making the pasta, sprinkle some flour over a large wooden cutting board. Then place the semolina flour together on the flat surface, create a cavity in the center, and add the eggs to the center of the cavity. Start to work the pasta by having the flour absorb the eggs; continue to massage the pasta until you have a dough. You need to work the pasta for about 5 minutes until you are able to make smooth dough. Place the pasta ball under a piece of cloth so it does not dry.

Divide the dough into 4-5 small pieces; keep one piece and set the other aside underneath the kitchen cloth. Flatten the pasta with a rolling pin by hand until it reaches a small rectangle with the thickness of ½ cm. Place each rectangle of dough on the guitar and press on with a rolling pin so that the strings cut the dough and fall to make the so called “troccoli”, then place them on a tray, add a little flour to keep them dry and separated, covering them always. Continue this process with the remaining dough.

0150819_GBF6453

PREPARATION OF TOMATO SAUCE WITH BASIL

The most important ingredient in tomato sauce with basil is fresh ripe cherry tomatoes. If tomatoes are not in season or if you don’t have time to make fresh tomato sauce, you can always buy a bottle of tomato sauce from our shop page. If you have fresh ripe cherry tomatoes, you will need a traditional stainless steel food mill or strainer to make the tomatoes into a puree.

Serves 4 people Ingredients:

  • 750 ml of tomato sauce OR 1 kg of fresh cherry tomatoes
  • 4/5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • a pinch of salt
  • 10 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Ricotta dura

Next in a large pot, place extra virgin olive oil on low heat and then add a clove of garlic. When the garlic will be slightly golden, pour the tomato sauce (either the one you just made or from a tomato jar), a pinch of salt and half of your basil (about 5 leaves). Now that all the ingredients have been poured into the pan, you just need to cover it with a lid, making sure to leave a little space for the water vapor to escape. In short, do not cover the entire pan with a lid! This will allow the sauce to cook and dry. Turn the sauce occasionally with a wooden spoon and let boil for about 20 minutes.After the time for cooking, we suggest you try it, to realize whether it should be adjusted salt. Now turn off the heat and add the rest of the basil to the sauce.Cook the Troccoli in salted water (don`t add olive oil!), drain and toss with a little ‘of tomato sauce. Place on the plate, drizzle with more sauce and serve with grated “ricotta dura”.

Enjoy!

Posted by michele · Categorized: Recipes · Tagged: Culinary Adventure, Especially Puglia, FarmStay, Recipes

5 Reasons to Visit Puglia this Fall (Hint: Olives!)

Sep 14 2016

Olive harvest in Puglia.
Olive harvest in Puglia.
Visit Puglia this Fall and be a part of the olive harvest! The olive harvest season is one of the most beautiful times to visit Puglia, the olive oil capital of Italy. Join us for a week-long culinary adventure: participate in our partner farms’ olive harvests, learn what goes into the making of the highest-quality extra-virgin olive oil, prepare traditional Pugliese meals, and savor local wines with our family farmers.

 

Here are our top 5 reasons to book your FarmStay today:

 

Reconnect with your inner foodie! You’ll learn the rich traditions of Pugliese agriculture and cuisine. Pick olives alongside locals, watch the olives be pressed, and taste the freshly-pressed oil with home-made bread. Cooking with locals, you’ll discover at least 3 new dishes and wines to pair with them – a foodie’s Italian dream!
Learn to make regional specialties with the locals.
Learn to make regional specialties with the locals.

Become an olive oil connoisseur! Through participating in our olive harvest, our partner farmers will help you refine your palate for the “real thing” – and learn the story behind true EVOO!

Leave the planning to us! We’ve curated an adventure through the most authentic food experiences in Puglia. Experience southern Italy like a local would – our FarmStay program includes a stay in a traditional masseria (farmhouse), waking up to olive tree groves and the scent of fresh bread, visiting UNESCO heritage sites, and sampling delicious local produce (think freshly made pasta and sea urchins fresh from the Adriatic)! All you need to do is book your flight to the region, and we’ll take care of the rest.

You can book as a group! Find those foodie friends and family, and do this Fall’s vacation Italian style!

Italians know how to make you feel at home. Expect the most genuine hospitality! You’ll be welcomed into our homes and farms, and you’ll leave with lasting connections to the region and its cuisine. We know you’ll want to come back, so you’ll have the chance to book for the next year at the end of your trip!

To learn more about our FarmStay tour, visit: www.especiallypuglia.com/farmstay.

Posted by michele · Categorized: Visit Puglia · Tagged: Culinary Adventure, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, FarmStay, Italian holiday, Italy, Puglia

Olive Harvest is here!

Nov 13 2015

It is that time of the year again! During the month of November, all of Puglia smells of olive oil. The rich aroma hangs in the air miles away from the mills where the farmers hurry to bring in the harvest of olives. The time of the year when the people of Puglia crowd around the mills to watch the fresh extra-virgin olive oil stream out of the spout is just a few weeks away.

The harvest is a time for celebration. One of our founder Michele Iadarola’s favorite harvest traditions is farmers and their families waiting for their oil to flow from the press. As the freshly-pressed olive oil is distributed into tins, the the farmers pour it over bread with a pinch of salt and shared with everyone waiting.

For Michele and his family, the day of the harvest is a day of family gathering. After returning from the frantoio (mill), the family’s dinner begins with the best way to taste the fresh olive oil: the simplest of bruschetta. And of course, what celebration would be complete without a nice glass of red wine?

When you receive your order, be sure to use just as we do – spread it over bruschetta bread with a pinch of salt and pair it with a glass of robust red wine, such as the Primitivo or Negroamaro from Puglia!

Olive Oil

Posted by michele · Categorized: General

Stay In Touch

   

Programs

  • Adopt an Olive Tree
  • Adopt a Beehive
  • Adopt a Cow
  • Corporate Gifting
  • Visit Puglia
  • Events & Catering

More Information

  • About
  • Blog
  • Account
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Shipping and Returns
  • FAQs
  • Contact

Contact Us

Especially Puglia
c/o Industry City
220 36th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11232
+1 (718) 801-8844
info@especiallypuglia.com

© 2023 Especially Puglia. All Rights Reserved.