Mamma Mia!

We Southern Italians are known for making delicious recipes from simple, inexpensive ingredients. A guy from Napoli created the famous Pizza Margherita by spreading pizza dough with tomato sauce, basil, and a little mozzarella. Easy! Inexpensive! But oh-so-good. The south of Italy is generally known for being poor, in comparison with the more wealthy northerners, but what we lack in resources, we make up for in taste!

Pastiera is a simple, rustic cake made out of angel hair pasta, sugar, milk and eggs. It takes only minutes to make, and the result is delicious and somehow comforting. There are other, fancier versions of pastiera out there, but this is the one that my mamma used to mix up on a Sunday morning for us to snack on all day long. She baked it on a large sheet pan and cut it into small, thick squares to press into our hands as we ran in and out. The ingredients only cost pennies, but it tasted like love. Which, if you ask me, is priceless.

In honor of Mother's Day, here's my humble version of pasta cake. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound angel hair pasta
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 10 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon orange water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Yes, I know... I usually write recipes that serve two, but this is an exception: this will make enough pastiera to feed a crowd! Make some for your neighbors or your extended family - spread the love around...

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.

On the stovetop, bring a deep pan of salted water to a boil, and crumble the pasta into the boiling water. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, just until al dente, and not a second longer! Drain the water and add 2 cups of sugar to the hot pasta, stirring well. Let cool; you want the pasta to be cool enough that it doesn't cook the eggs, which you'll add in the next step.

See the cups with dried fruit and toasted walnuts in the picture to the left? As I was making this, I was thinking about getting fancy and adding them to the mix, but then I decided to keep the recipe the same as I remembered it. But if you would like to add nuts or dried fruit, be my guest!

Crack the eggs over the sugary pasta, and use your hands to combine everything together. As you mix it, the pasta will break into small pieces; that's okay. Add the milk, orange water, and vanilla, mixing until an even, soupy mixture is formed.

I like to divide the mixture among several different baking dishes, for variety. You might choose two 9-inch pie pans, or one larger lasagna-type dish plus two small dishes - whatever you'd like. Divide among baking dishes, spreading with a spatula to a depth of about 2 inches.

Bake the cakes for 50 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. If you have any smaller pans in the oven, watch carefully for signs of darkening around the edges. Turn oven off and let the pans cool in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. When completely cool, about 45 minutes, place a large serving dish over the top of the baking dish and gently turn upside down, letting the cake fall on to the plate; then repeat this by placing another plate atop the cake and turning it again so that the cake will be face up.

Aren't those beautiful? This is such a versatile cake- it tastes delicious warm or cold. I like to slice it and eat it with my fingers. It makes a great accompaniment to espresso, or fresh fruit, or it makes a great snack when you're on the run!

I'll be in Napoli the day after Mother's Day to celebrate with my mamma... and I have a feeling that this is one of the dishes we'll be eating.

Eat well, and tell your mother you love her. Ciao!