Red the color at the heart of the Italian cuisine

The red color of Ragu, tomatoes, peperone/bell peppers and peperoncino are at the core of Italian cuisine. 

The Tomato is the symbol of Italian cuisine (pasta and pizza, but not only)! The Tomato was imported into Europe around the middle of the 16th century and was initially considered poisonous and the fruit used to be a yellow-range in color. This inspired the name "pomo d'oro", introduced by Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501-1577). There were aphrodisiac properties attributed to the fruit, referred in Sicily to“ pumu d'amuri ”.  In the South, already at the end of the 15th century, raw or fried tomatoes were consumed in seed oil and salt or used in soups. In Southern Italy, it became the basic food of the people, but it took the historic Garibaldi expedition of the Thousand to spread the vegetable throughout Italy. At the beginning of the 18th century, the technique to transform the fruit into tomato purée has been  attributed to the region of Campania , and in 1762 the preservation technique of boiled tomatoes in glass jars has been recorded. At the end of the eighteenth century, tomatoes are cultivated across southern France, Spain, southern Italy and above all Sicily, from where the product left for the markets of Northern Europe.

The peperone or bell pepper is another key ingredient to flavor some of the most beautiful Italian dishes, such as Bagna Cauda from the Piemont or the Peperonata from Sicily. The peperone arrived prior to the tomato to Europe and is rich on vitamins, such as Vitamin A, potassium, iron, magnesium and antioxidants.

So simple - but so divine!

A symbol of Italian cuisine, with the typical ingredients of the Bel Paese: spaghetti, tomato and basil. Subject to endless variations to find the perfect balance of flavors, the right creaminess and sweetness starting from the choice of the most suitable type of tomato. This classic dish is a real test for those who love preparing it at home, but also for star chefs who jealously keep the secrets of their perfect sauce!

Ingredients:

Spaghetti 320g, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Basil, Peeled Marzotto tomatoes 800g, garlic - one clove.

To prepare the Spaghetti al pomodoro, start with the preparation of the sauce. In a pan pour the extra virgin olive oil together with the peeled clove of garlic cut in half. After 2 minutes of cooking over high heat, add the peeled tomatoes  and season with salt , cover with a lid and cook for at least 1 hour over very low heat: the sauce should simmer very gently. Stir occasionally. After the indicated time, remove the garlic and pass the tomatoes through a vegetable mill, so as to obtain a smooth and consistent puree.Transfer the sauce  to the pan again, turn onto very low heat again and add the basil leaves. After a few minutes you can turn off the sauce and just keep it warm. At this point, you just need to cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water ; then drain them al dente directly into the sauce and stirring constantly to mix everything. Your spaghetti al pomodoro is ready!  All you have to do is plate and garnish it  with  fresh basil leaves .

Stuffed vegetables are a great summer dish with endless variations.

This Vegetarian Stuffed Bell peppers are a real taste bomb - perfect eaten either hot or cold. Zucchini, potatoes, cherry tomatoes with the addition of scamorza become the perfect filling - creamy and tasty.. A perfect Antipasti dish with a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio.

Ingredients: 4 large bell peppers, 300g Zucchini, 220g Scamorza (Provola), salt, pepper, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 400g potatoes, 300g cherry tomatoes, thyme.

To prepare the Vegetarian stuffed peppers , first boil the potatoes. It will take about 30-40 minutes depending on their size and then let them cool. In the meantime, you can start preparing the  other ingredients. Wash the peppers and dry them: you will need 4 large peppers, about 850 g in total weight - either red, yellow or green bell peppers. Remove  the stem of the peperone and cut about 2 cm of the upper part , so as to obtain a sort of lid. From the inside bottom, use a small knife to remove the part with the seeds and the white membrane. Repeat for all the other peppers and set aside. The courgettes are grated, using a grater to obtain a sort of very fine julienne. Then grate the scamorza, wash and cut the tomatoes into quarters; or if they are too small, only cut them halfway. Crush the warm potatoes, add the tomatoes, the grated courgettes and almost all of the scamorza. Mix everything with a wooden spoon, then salt,  pepper and some leaves of the thyme.Mix everything again,  until you get a uniform mixture. Then place the peppers in a baking dish, remove the top cover and fill them with the potato mixture.Sprinkle with scamorza, close with the lids, season with a little olive oil and cook in a preheated static oven at 200 ° for 40 minutes. Buon appetito!