February 18, 2026 - De Mauro mansion - Catania, Sicily (Italy)
Semolina pasta dough
Serves 4
• 300 g (10 1⁄2 oz) semolina wheat flour • a good pinch of salt • 150 g (5 oz) water at room temperature
Place the flour in a pile in the center of a large cutting board and make a well in the center. Pour the olive oil and most of the water, take a fork and begin to mix until the mixture is blended enough to dig in with your hands. Keep adding a little extra flour if necessary or a little bit of water if the mix is too dry. Once the ball of your basic pasta dough is firm and manageable you can begin to knead. When the dough is quite elastic and its surface nicely smooth, shape it as a ball, wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Before shaping the pasta, allow the dough to get to room temperature, then shape as you desire: cavatelli, caserecci, busiati, maccheroni...
Mt. Etna Ragu
Serves 4
• 240 g (9 oz) pork sausage with fennel seeds • 150 g (5 oz) mixed mushrooms • 1 carrot • 1 small onion • 1 stalk of celery • 1 tbsp of tomato paste • 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick • black pepper • red wine • olive oil • salt to taste
Chop the carrot, celery and onion in tiny pieces and place them on a saucepan with abundant olive oil. Gently fry for about 15 minutes (if necessary add a tablespoon of hot water); then add the sausage (without the casing) and break it into small pieces by using a big wooden fork or spoon. If you don’t have the sausage, just buy minced pork meat and season it with salt, black pepper and fennel seeds. Let it cook on high flame for about 10 minutes, then add red wine and let it evaporates. Then add the mushrooms and a tablespoon of tomato paste and two/three tablespoons of hot water. Finally, put cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon in a tea infuser (it’s the so called bouquet garni) and place it into the sauce, cover and keep on cooking on a low flame for about 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and adding hot water if necessary. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain it (remember to save a glass of the cooking water in case your sauce is too dry). Place the pasta into the saucepan (add a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan cheese if you like) and mix on a high flame for 2 minutes. Serve!
Sicilian beef rolls (braciolette) ‘alla ragusana’
For 12-14 tiny meatrolls
• 4-5 slices of beef meat cut very thin • 30 g (1,1 oz) aged Caciocavallo (or Pecorino) cheese • 100 g (3,5 oz) fresh grated bread • 1 tbs sun-dried tomatoes, minced • 10 tbs breadcrumbs • salt • 10 leaves basil • extra virgin olive oil • water
Cut the meat in two inches wide slices. Prepare the filling: in a bowl place cheese, basil, sundried tomatoes and bread with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, season with a little bit of salt (if necessary) and mix all the ingredients. If the filling is too dry you can add a couple of tablespoons of water, until you have the consistency of a paste. To compose your rolls, place a tablespoon of the filling on the surface of the meat slice, spread and press it with your thumb, then roll up the slice around the filling. Coat the meatrolls with breadcrumb and skewer them with a toothpick (or you can place three/four of them in a skew). Place the meat rolls into the oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 5 minutes, or until the surface is nicely golden.
Orange salad
Serves 4
• 3 oranges + 1⁄2 to squeeze • 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil • salt and black pepper to taste Additional ingredients: black olives, medium aged pecorino cheese, anchovies or… avocado!
Cut both the edges and lay the orange on one plane side. Then remove the skin with a knife (the white peel also) from top to bottom, leaving behind as much fruit as you can. Cut before and after the thin white lines in order to obtain segments that are only pulp. Cut sping onion in thin slices. Place both ingredients into a bowl, add salt, olive oil and origano. Set aside. Just before serving sprinkle with black pepper. Finally, make an emulsion or vinaigrette with orange juice and olive oil, shake thoroughly and drizzle it over the salad. Serve cold!
