“It is really difficult to understand the world without leaving home,” according to Voltaire. In my opinion, it is difficult to understand any country without eating its food. What’s more, it’s a shame to live in a country like Italy and not to taste its various dishes. Every region has its special flavors and recipes.
Caprarola is a picturesque village about 30 kilometers north of Rome with a fantastic panorama overlooking miles and miles of hazelnut trees. Looking out it seems like a dream unfolding and an enormous five-sided building dating back to the Renaissance catches one’s attention. There is even more mystery to be discovered.
When entering this building, the walls are filled with brightly colored frescoes that make the visitor feel as if he were reliving yesterday.
This marvelous building was designed by Vignola, a famous 16th century Italian architect. It is particularly unique because of its acoustics. Sound travels around the walls, not between them. This magical place hides many secrets so it is really inviting for the visitor.
The green countryside is filled with hazelnut groves. This tasty nut adds a special flavor to many traditional dishes. Pappardelle (wide noodles) with a salty and sweet hazelnut sauce is a marvelous first course. There are also other products made from these hazelnuts sold in Caprarola’s picturesque stores. I prefer buying whole hazelnuts because they have more flavor and can be used in a blender or in pieces. One of my favorite recipes is Hazelnut Cream and Rosemary Wide Noodles.
Ingredients for four persons:
Wide noodles:
340 gm. wheat semolina
170 ml. water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Cover the pasta and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes; roll out the dough making a thin layer; then roll the dough and cut into noodles.
cream sauce: (put in blender)
1/2 garlic clove
100 gm. hazelnuts
some finely chopped rosemary needles
a pinch of salt
Cook the noddles and mix a part of the pasta water with the blended mixture making a cream sauce. Put the noodles in a pan and cook them briefly with the cream sauce. When cooked, put a rosemary branch on the pasta to be served.
Have a lovely meal!
