The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is well underway and, with dozens of dining options throughout World Showcase, it is hard to focus on just one. However I recently had the chance to take a nice tour of the Italy Pavilion and it was AMAZING!
Seeing as Italy is one of the World Showcase Pavilions without an attraction, it is very often passed over on the walk to Germany for its beer or America for the American Adventure/entertainment offerings, but Italy does have two major attractions: its food and drinks!
The Donkey Cart has long been an icon of the Italy Pavilion and during the Food & Wine Festival has become home to two new drinks, the Limoncello and Orangecello Cocktails. These two drinks perfect for a hot afternoon break or evening spirit as you get ready for IllumiNations.
But man can not live on drink alone and that is where the Patina Restaurant Group comes into the picture. With two sit down dining options in the form of Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria and Tutto Italia Ristorante, you can’t go wrong making a dining reservation in this part of the park. Of course, if you just want something quick as you continue your stroll around World Showcase, you can also visit the amazing Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar lounge or, my favorite, the Via Napoli Pizza Window.
The Pizza Window has started to gather a bit of an almost cult following due to the great options of not only pizza but drinks you can grab and go with. This location is so popular they have even added a new item to the window: the Polpette E Mozzarella or meatball sub, which is a perfect one hand eat and go item to keep your other hand free for their sparkling wine or Frozen Strawberry Limoncello.
Now if you, as many do, just want a “taste of Italy” during the Food & Wine Festival, the Italy Marketplace has some of the best options.
Ranging from the more traditional Spezzatino alla Toscana con Polenta (Tuscan-style Stew with Carrots, Mushrooms and Crispy Polenta) to the, as the head chef of Italy Pavilion put it “more American option” of Pennete alla Parmigiana (Baked Ziti and Chicken Parmigiana, Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese) you can’t really go wrong. Plus, toss in a Cannoli al Cioccolato and one of the many drink options and you have a great stop as you “eat and drink around the world.”
Now, if these items have made you as hungry as they made me, and you (unlike me) have a talent for cooking, we were given permission to share one of the amazing recipes from Tutto Italia Ristorante for their Fettuccine Campagnole:
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 50min.
Total time: 1hr 10min
Egg Pasta Dough
Ingredients:
10 ounces (est. 2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus some extra for dusting
2 whole large eggs (est. 4 ounces)
4 yolks from 4 large eggs (est. 2.5 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus some extra to salt the pasta water
Directions:
- To Make the Dough: On a large surface, pour flour in a mound. Make a well in the center. Pour whole eggs, egg yolks, and salt into well and, using a fork, beat thoroughly. When combined, gradually incorporate flour into the eggs until a wet, sticky dough has formed.
- Using a bench knife begin to fold additional flour into the dough with the bench knife, turning the dough roughly 45 degrees each time, until dough feels firm and dry, and can form a craggy-looking ball, 2 to 5 minutes.
- Press the heel of your hand into the ball of dough, pushing forward and down. Rotate the ball 45 degrees and repeat. Continue until dough develops a smooth, elastic texture similar to a firm ball of Play-Doh. If dough feels too wet, add flour in 1 teaspoon increments. If dough feels too dry, add water slowly using a spray bottle.
- Wrap ball of dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest on countertop for 30 minutes.
- To Roll the Pasta: Meanwhile, place a sheet of parchment paper on a tray or cutting board and dust lightly with flour. Unwrap rested dough and cut into quarters. Set one quarter on work surface and re-wrap remaining dough. With a rolling pin, flatten the quarter of dough into an oblong shape about 1/2 inch thick.
- Set pasta maker to widest setting and pass dough 3 times through the machine at this setting.
- Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Fold both ends in so that they meet at the center of the dough, and then fold the dough in half where the end points meet, trying not to incorporate too much air into the folds. Using rolling pin, flatten dough to 1/2-inch thick. Pass through the rollers 3 additional times.
- Narrow the setting by 1 notch and repeat Step 7. Repeat once more (the dough should now have passed through the third widest setting). Continue passing the dough through the rollers, reducing the thickness by 1 setting each time until it reaches the desired thickness. It should now be very delicate and elastic to the touch, and slightly translucent.
- Place rolled dough onto a work surface or baking sheet lightly dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper, folding the dough over as necessary so that it fits; sprinkle with flour or line with parchment between folds to prevent sticking.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent drying, then repeat Steps 5 through 9 with remaining dough quarters. If making noodles, cut dough into 12- to 14-inch segments.
- To Cut Noodles: Adjust pasta machine to noodle setting of your choice. Working one dough segment at a time, feed dough through the pasta-cutter. Alternatively, cut folded dough by hand with a chef’s knife to desired noodle width.
- Divide the cut noodles into individual portions, dust lightly with flour, and curl into a nest. Place on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently cover with kitchen towel until ready to cook. Pasta can be frozen directly on the baking sheet, transferred to a zipper-lock freezer bag, and stored in the freezer for up to three weeks before cooking. Cook frozen pasta directly from the freezer.
- To Cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta, stir gently with a wooden spoon, chopsticks, or a cooking fork, and cook, tasting at regular intervals until noodles are just set with a definite bite, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain, toss with sauce, and serve.
*Note: As your pasta rests for 30 minutes take the time to do the sauce and place in refrigerator till needed*
Spinach-Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
3 cups spinach
3 cups basil
1 1/2 cups of canola oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt, some extra to season water.
½ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
Directions:
- Place garlic and ½ cup of oil in a sauté pan and caramelize till golden brown. Set aside with oil to cool or reach room temperature.
- In a pot bring water up to a boil and place some salt, spinach and basil. Cook the greens for about 45-60 seconds. Drain the greens and place them in an ice bath.
- Once greens have cooled place them in a blender with the garlic and its current oil.
- Turn the blender on medium and blend together slowly emulsifying the remainder of the oil.
- Season with salt and pepper and place in an airtight container to prevent browning on top. Store in refrigerator. Use as needed.
Making the Dish
Ingredients:
Parmesan as needed
Directions:
- In a large saute pan heat up a little oil.
- Place some of the sauce (depends on how much you want) in the pan and heat it up
- Add the pasta and toss together with the parmesan. (if too thick add some of the pasta water to thin it out)
- Take off the heat and place the pasta in the serving dishes, garnish with any sort of cheese you like and ENJOY!
So next time you are in Italy make sure you have an empty stomach because you sure won’t leave with one!