Tag: Sicilian

Homemade Cannoli Ice Cream

With my upcoming trip to Sicily, Sicilian inspired recipes are very much top of mind! It has also been quite warm in Philly, so I have Ice Cream on the brain. This recipe for Homemade Cannoli Ice Cream is (obviously) inspired by one of Sicily’s most well-known treats: Cannoli.

The traditional dessert is a deep-fried pastry shell filled with a sweet ricotta cream. Cannoli can be decorated with candied orange zest, or chopped pistachios, depending on the region in Sicily. American Italian versions (like many found in South Philly where I live) have chocolate chips stirred into the cannoli cream.

So when I was determining what ingredients to add to my Cannoli Ice Cream, I decided to take inspiration from all three options! The ricotta-based ice cream has a hint of orange zest to bring a light citrus flavor. Mini chocolate chips, chopped pistachios, and bits of broken cannoli shells are stirred in for extra flavor and crunch.

Intrigued? Let’s dig in!

Ingredients (makes 1 quart):

  • 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 (15 oz) container whole milk ricotta
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
  • 1/2 cup broken cannoli shell pieces (Wegmans sells cannoli chips that would work too)
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted pistachios, chopped

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Sicilian Braciole

The weather hasn’t quite turned cooler yet, but I am already starting to shift into more comfort food type cooking. Every Sunday is pasta night in my house, so this past Sunday, I decided to make something a bit more special than my usual Spaghetti and Meatballs. This recipe for Sicilian Braciole is very loosely based on the Braciole my mother-in-law makes.

I’ve made Braciole in the past, but the addition of pine nuts and raisins is what makes this recipe specifically Sicilian Braciole. The pine nuts become nice and soft in the sauce, and the raisins appear to almost melt away, adding just a touch of sweetness to balance the dish.

This recipe takes a good 5 hours to make, so plan accordingly!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup dry red or white wine
  • 4 (12.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Sicilian Braciole:

  • 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup dry red or white wine
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup olive oil; divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 pounds braciole meat (at my butcher, they were referred to as beef roll ups)

Other:

  • 1 (16 oz) box spaghetti, cooked al dente
  • fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Sicilian Braciole

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