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Well, the title says it all, I guess. How about some favourite pasta recipes? How do YOU use polenta? Proscuitto? I love Italian food and would really like to expand my knowledge and skills.

faye, my husband is Italian. When he and I got married 45 years ago, back when brides really wanted to be wives...lol...I sat down with his mother and with pen in hand, wrote down every recipe she knew. I was bound and determined to be "a good wife." I've taken Italian cooking classes, and have to admit, I do pretty well. I am more than happy to share any of my reicpes. Just left me know what you're interested in.
As far as polenta, I rarely ever prepare it. I'm not crazy about polenta. Proscuitto is something we only have in a sandwich, or wrapped around a small slice of cantalope melon for an appetizer.

Talking about Italian cookery. Years ago, when my eldest was about 12 - 13, and the other three were younger in 18 month steps , I had gone overseas with my Hubby and while in Rome midwinter, had loved eating steaming hot bowls of ravioli among other things. I love all Italian food. Anyway, back then there was probably only one Italian restaurant in Auckland so I decided I was going to have to learn to make my own and that I was so sure the kids would all love it madly too.
Well, I managed to finally track down a recipe for making it from scratch. There was no computer or Google then so that in itself was no easy task. I also had to mince the veal filling from scratch as well as making the sauce. The pasta was the most difficult part. There were long and complicated instructions on how to do that I determined to follow them to the letter, spent literally hours and hours making the fresh pasta first, hanging it between two damp tea towels over the back of a chair to stretch and going through all the steps of making it , very, very accurately . Got the parmesan cheese - had a job to even find that in the supermarket back then.So there was days of planning and a trip to a special deli in Newmarket for that. Oh.. but it was going to be so WORTH it . With great excitement and anticipation I set the bowls of Ravioli before those darling kids of mine. First one ond then the other bent heads over it to sniff it and then with a deafening roar came the 4 voices ......... " Ewwwwwwweee!! What's this ? It smells like vomit !! Eweeeeeeeeee Yuk ! MuuuuuuuM! I am not eating this. it smells like someone has chundered !. " Don't be silly I protested, it is beautiful . It is Italian. "ITALIAN CHUNDER! " Well, Plates were shoved away from them one after the other. What one did, they all did, and they all glared back at me in defiance and not one of them even tasted it.!! After all my effort. Their father said, " Ok.. your loss , our gain. We will eat the lot ourselves your mother and I . GET DOWN AND GET YOUR P"JAMAS ON and GET To bed ! NO! No! Protests.. nothing else, just GO !
They all looked at the direction his finger was pointing and ran ! Father had spoken , and mother made a vow never to make Ravioli again.
The silly part of it is, that now as adults they all eat italian food, and sprinkle it with Parmesan. Quite often I will put a shaker of it on the table and say,
"Vomit anyone ?" if we are having Minestrone Soup . It is a bit of a family joke now. Sure wasn't back then, I was pretty upset at the time. Never ever have attempted to make it again after that.