Italian Week

As you may have heard on Facebook, I can’t get the car out of the garage. It’s super tight, barely enough room for the two cars and you have to get in and out of ours on the passenger side! The actual door to the garage barely fits the car so you must be precise as you back up around the randomly-place pole (can’t we take it out??! It’s only ONE of the main support beams), the three garbage cans (in San Francisco you have to recycle, use your food compost bin, and then you get a teeny tiny garbage can), a sink hole with a drain in the bottom of it right in the middle of the garage where you don’t want to accelerate because then you hit the wall and of course the neighbor’s car.

Well, my first backing-the-car-out of the garage was orchestrated by my lovely boyfriend telling me which way to turn the wheel, and watched by a full audience as the neighbors gasped in horror half-wishing I would hurry up so they could get their car out and go to work and half-wishing I would just get out of the car. The pressure was on! I didn’t hit the other car, but I also didn’t get the car out. I couldn’t get it straightened out enough to fit through the little garage door! UGH. (fingers are crossed that our car is magically replaced with a Mini!)

Bottom line: I’m carless, as in without car, no wheels.

It turns out being carless is just fine in this city by the bay. About a week ago, as I was walking home from pilates, and I discovered a local Italian deli. I mean, the real deal. Homemade meatballs, triangles of aged parmesan, fresh Italian breads and pastas, and in-house cured meats! YUM! So, if I could get the car out of the garage I may not have found this delicious little gem of amazing Italian treats! Needless to say, I may have made Italian for dinner one night too many for the boyfriend. But, overly engorged on Italian delights aside, I think the boyfriend is liking having  a fantastic dinner (almost) every night (if I do say so myself).

The first recipe is mostly provided by Lucca Ravioli, my new favorite Italian deli, but maybe you can find a local deli of your own?

Taglioni and Meatballs
1 pound fresh pasta (our fave is angel hair, so I got fresh taglioni – thin, long, egg pasta)
2 packages of homemade meatballs from Lucca (8 meatballs)
1 large can Trader Joe’s Marinara
Basil (I used the frozen cubes from TJ’s, so convenient)
2 cloves garlic
½ of a large yellow onion

I sautéed the onion in olive oil then added the garlic and basil and poured the can of marinara from Tj’s and the meatballs into the pot and let it all simmer together for about an hour. Then, when we got back from Ikea famished (and never wanting to see another piece of moderately priced furniture for small spaces) I boiled some water, cooked the pasta to al dente and served with a green salad and crispy basil, garlic and parmesan toast on fresh Italian loaf. So good!

The second recipe was sooo delicious and fun to make:

Prosciutto, basil and caramelized onion pizza

So I cheated a little and bought most of these ingredients from Trader Joe’s, but the essence of Italian-ness was inspired by Lucca’s (it’s kinda pricey in there). I had to have Dan back out the car for me, the TJ's is not within walking distance!

1 package dough from TJ’s
Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
½ yellow onion, caramelized
1 package thinly sliced prosciutto
1 package fresh basil leaves
1 package shredded mozzarella
1 bag of arugula

Follow the directions closely on the package of the dough and make sure you let it rest for 20 minutes as you prep the rest of the ingredients. I made the pizza on a floured cutting board and then haphazardly transferred it to a flaming hot pizza stone heated in the oven. I don’t recommend this process, but you have to heat the stone before using it and I don’t have one of those giant wood spatula things they have for brick pizza ovens! (let me know if you have a better idea).
To caramelize the onions, just warm olive oil in a pan and sauté the sliced onion pieces on low for about 15 minutes…the key is low and slow!

After the dough is rolled out/stretched and on a floured surface, paint it with a mixture of olive oil and smashed garlic. Then top the pizza as you see fit. We started with basil, then onions, then mozzarella and prosciutto on top. When the pizza comes out of the oven, sprinkle on the fresh arugula and serve with a side salad. It’s a little salty because of the prosciutto, but sooo tasty!

(I realize this second pic is not very clear or bright, but I just wanted you to note the angle of the knife block in the background...He hasn't changed it back in a couple of days! I'm winning!)

P.S. The boyfriend just waited in line at the crazy, but entertaining, transportation office to get us a parking pass so we can keep the car on the street and avoid the garage all together. He's the sweetest!!