Now that we may host family and a few close friends, who we have not seen for a while, why not celebrate with a stylish light Italian Lunch - reminiscing or dreaming about the next holiday at the ocean. With that theme, try this beautiful Lobster Linguine followed by a gorgeous orange dessert. And all elegantly set with matching coral tableware and music.
Mare, Mare as sung by Luca Carboni is simple but has beautiful lyrics and reminds one of holidays. The sea has always inspired poets and musicians, so we thought it would match this lunch theme well. Try also to include in your playlist Gino Paoli – Sapore di Mare, or
Lucio Dalla - Come è profondo il mare, or Pino Daniele – Chi tene ‘o mare or Giuni Russo – Un’estate al mare , or Gente di Mare from Umberto Tozzi and Raf; Un giornata al mare from Paolo Conte; Antonello Venditti - Alta marea;
Linguine all'astice
Linguine with lobster is an elegant Italian recipe, a refined and tasty first course reminding us of the sea, perfect for for a special lunch. This recipe is combined with fresh tomatoes and a broth made out of the lobster shells.
The result is a true masterpiece that will captivate your guests from the first taste!
Lobster is a delicious and expensive crustacean that has a soft and delicate pulp, therefore in the kitchen it must be treated with due respect, from cleaning to cooking.
Preparation:
- The recipe for linguine with lobster starts with the preparation of the basic ingredient of the dish - the lobster. Take the lobster (600-700 g), wash it, cut it in half with a chopping knife and extract the pulp, remove the inside sac/stomach and detach the claws, legs and head by breaking them with the help of a nutcracker or meat grinder. This procedure should be used to make sure that the pulp releases all the tasty liquids contained in it.
- Peel and chop the shallots. Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and sauté half the chopped shallot. Add the lobster shells and fry them for a few moments, adding the white wine.
- Pour 1 ladle of lukewarm water and add the chilli pepper, thyme, basil. Adjust salt and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to cook everything in 15-20 minutes by adding more water, if necessary, in order to get to a condensed sauce
- At this point, prepare a sauté with crushed garlic, the remaining shallot and 3 tablespoons of oil and then add the lobster pulp. Salt as required, sprinkle with brandy and flambe it.
- After browning the pulp, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and add the tomato puree, which must be fairly thick. Cook over moderate heat to reduce the sauce.
- In the meantime, cook the linguine in plenty of salted boiling water, drain it when al dente and pour it into the pan. Stir, remove from the heat and let everything sit for a few moments to absorbe all the flavours.
- Arrange the linguine with lobster on serving dishes, sprinkle with a little chopped fresh parsley and serve. Grazie for the recipe to Sale&Pepe.
Ricotta Cheesecake Arancia
The orange and chocolate cheesecake recipe is quick and easy to prepare. The combination of orange and chocolate is a great classic of the pastry cuisine. The peculiarity of this cheesecake lies in the fact that it is a dessert without cooking - so perfect to serve as a dessert after our lunch.
Ingredients:
250 g of chocolate chip cookies; 150 g of butter; 250 g cream cheese (Philadelphia type); 100 g of icing sugar; 125 g of white yoghurt; 2 gelatine sheets; 3 spoons of milk; 100 ml of whipping cream; 2 sliced oranges; Orange juice; orange jelly
100 g of dark chocolate.
Preparation:
Begin to prepare the base of the orange and chocolate cheesecake, crumbling the chocolate biscuits in a mixer. Add the melted butter and mix the mixture.
Distribute the biscuit and butter base in a 24 cm diameter hinged mold and leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. In a bowl, prepare the filling with Philadelphia-style soft white cheese, icing sugar and yoghurt.
When the mixture is creamy and well blended, add the orange juice. In the meantime, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water. When they are well soaked, squeeze the jelly and melt it in a saucepan with the hot milk. Add them to the mixture when the milk is warm.
With the help of a spatula, add the whipped cream to your filling. Pour the filling on the chocolate biscuit base and leave to rest in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, to prepare the decorations, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler. Cut out a rectangle of parchment paper and create a small cone, which you will fill with melted chocolate and use to "draw" your chocolate decorations on another sheet of parchment paper. Indulge yourself with your imagination: you can create leaves, spirals, flowers or simple geometric figures. Let them cool before touching them.
Arrange the orange slices on the cheesecake and then cover with the orange jelly. Complete with the addition of decorations and serve immediately your orange and chocolate cheesecake. Grazie al Cucchiaio d'Argento.
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