Limoncello or Limoncino recipe….
Since many guests always ask the recipe of our Limoncello * (or Limoncino), attracted by the small bottle that we leave as welcome gift for everybody who is staying at one of our apartments, I thought to make it easier for everybody by describing the way we make it: a nice, typical and delicious souvenir from the holiday in the Cinque Terre which you can certainly prepare everywhere in the world 🙂
Here we go…
– in a big jar: leave to macerate during one night 850ml pure alcool (95•) and the peel (only the yellow part !!!!) of one kg natural (= not treated) lemons.
– add 1.1l water and 740gr white sugar.
Leave it for a month in a dark place and shake it sometimes letting the sugar amalgamate with the rest of the ingredients.
After one month, pass it into the funnel and it is READY !!
What’s the difference between Limoncello and Limoncino ?
The preparation and the taste is exactly the same but “Limoncello” is a protected name from the Sorrento area (under Napoli, Amalfi coast) which should only be used in that area…..but I don’t like the name Limoncino so I use Limoncello anyway 🙂
How to prepare “PESTO” sauce and gnocchi 😋
If you like basil and you have already been in this area or you will come soon to the Cinque Terre, you will discover and enjoy Pesto sauce with Trofie, trenette, gnocchi or lasagne.
I thought to give you the recipe in case you wish to try at home.
Lorenzo, a very good friend of us and a gourmet made Pesto and Bart (my husband) prepared “gnocchi”…..mmmmm…..
– fresh basil (only the leaves)
– 70% grated Parmesan cheese and 30% Pecorino cheese
– 1 big glove of garlic
– coarse salt
– good quality olive oil
Mix all the ingredients in an electrical mixer, except the oil.
Afterwards, add the oil and turn it gently: it has to become very smooth.
Leave a coat of oil on top in order to avoid the green color might get darker.
Preparation of “Gnocchi”:
– 1kg potatoes, 200g flour, salt, 1 egg
Boil the potatoes and peel them when they are still hot, squash them and mix gently the rest of the ingredients and form a big “sausage”.
Divide the “sausage” into thinner “sticks” and cut small parts of 2cm…Pass them on the attribute to give the them the real “gnocchi” shape and cook them in boiling (en salted) water until they come up on the surface: this operation takes only one minute !
In a big bowl put the pesto on the bottom and gently the sifted gnocchi, mix it……Mmmmmmm !!!!
Buon appetito !!!! Here you can see Lorenzo and his fabulous pesto 🙂
How to prepare “Spaghetti alle vongole”….
Preparation for 4p:
Clean the vongole under running water and make sure they don’t contain any sand.
Let them open in a large pan and filter afterwards the jus. Also in a large pan warm up 2 gloves of garlic and chili peppers in very good vergin olive oil, add the vongole jus, one glass of white wine and stir it. In the meanwhile cook thick spaghetti in salted water (360 gr for 4p), add the vongole, cherry tomatoes in pieces and fresh chopped parsley: when the spaghetti are ready (al dente !!), mix them in the pan with the vongole and let them absorb the taste of the sauce.
Buon appetito !!