>> I love going to the source of some of my favorite ingredients, and tomatoes grown in Italy are no exception.

In Parma, the endless blue skies and the hot summer sun create the perfect growing conditions for these vine-ripened beauties.

And then we'll cook alongside my friend Ilaria in her home kitchen and learn her secrets for making a classic from Italy, lasagna.

Then we'll travel to the Campagna region of Italy, where these perfectly vine-ripened beauties are preserved for our home kitchens.

Back home, inspired by anything tomatoes, I'll make a creamy risotto with cherry tomatoes and burrata cheese and a very unique-yet-delicious upside-down heirloom-tomato cake.

I love to travel the globe in search of new food and wine discoveries.

For me, it's about more than returning home with a handful of new recipes.

It's about taking the spirit of Austria... of Italy... of Greece... and of the Danube River... and injecting some of their magic into our everyday lives.

Food has a unique ability to transport us.

Join me as we discover on our culinary journey together.

>> "Joanne Weir's Plates & Places" is brought to you by... >> With AmaWaterways, guests can climb... pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path while cruising on storied rivers across Europe.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

>> Our winemaking is the result of teamwork and patience.

Working together, we dedicate our best efforts with every vine, grape, and bottle -- Washington Vintners.

>> Since 1899, my family shared our passion for everything that goes into our Mutti 100% Italian tomatoes.

Only tomatoes, only Mutti.

>> For baking, cooking, and snacks, California figs from Valley Fig Growers.

>> I'm here today with Ilaria Bercini.

>> Yes.

>> And she's a friend of mine from Parma.

And she's gonna make her lasagna that everybody knows her for.

So, first, we're gonna start by what?

Doing the pasta, right?

>> Yes.

With all-purpose flour, make a well.

>> Yes.

>> And put into the flour, the well, two eggs.

With fork... >> Yes.

>> I think a little... >> Water.

>> ...a bit water.

>> I always say that making pasta -- it doesn't have to be exact, because if it's dry, you add a little more liquid.

Let me feel this.

Oh, yeah, that feels great.

And it's so soft.

It's really great.

How long do you knead it?

>> I think 5 minutes, 6 minutes.

>> Oh, 5 minutes?

Okay.

>> Yes.

>> There's something special about making pasta right here in the heart of Italy.

It's hard to resist getting my hands in there to do some kneading.

Plastic?

>> Plastic.

And -- and put it in the refrigerator... >> Okay.

>> ...for 30 minutes.

>> For 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Okay.

>> Yes.

>> While the dough is resting, we're gonna make the sauce for the lasagna, right?

>> Yes.

>> So, we should start with the eggplant first?

What we're going to do is cut the eggplant in half and then put it in a 200-degree, or about 400-, 425-degree Fahrenheit, oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.

And what she's doing is just to score it.

>> For cooking better.

>> Yes.

>> Uniform?

>> Yes.

>> Okay.

>> And... >> And... >> ...cover with foil?

>> Yes.

>> Aluminum.

>> Alluminio.

>> Alluminio.

>> Perfetto.

>> Alluminio.

>> Perfect.

>> Alright.

I'll take that.

Now we're going to make a sauce, which is very simple.

It's olive oil... shallots... garlic... salt... peeled eggplant... and peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes.

Some oregano and peperoncini, or, as we call them, red-pepper flakes.

And it cooks quickly, for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Then something special.

This is really interesting.

This is really like a pistachio butter.

It's just pistachios, salt, and a little bit of oil.

That's gonna give great flavor to this sauce.

Alright, this is done, right?

Finished?

>> Finished.

>> Finito.

>> And now, pasta.

>> Okay.

Rolling out pasta is so easy, especially if you use an electric pasta machine.

With a little practice, you can master the technique, and it helps that lasagna noodles are one of the simplest form.

It's just one big sheet.

It will be fun to see how Ilaria's lasagna comes together.

What do we start with?

A little oil, I think, in the pan?

>> Okay.

First, oil.

[ Speaking Italian ] Okay.

>> So, you're going to cover the bottom with pasta.

Now, this is really kind of fun, because what we're doing is, we're just using fresh pasta and we're not going to cook it.

What we're gonna do is just layer it in the pan.

>> Sauce.

Aubergine sauce.

Okay.

Stracciatella.

>> Stracciatella.

So, Stracciatella is a -- It's like a mozzarella, a rich mozzarella, that's been stretched.

>> Very rich.

>> Very rich.

Mmm!

Look how creamy that is.

Yum!

>> Delicious.

>> Yes.

Alright.

What's next?

A little basilico.

>> Leaf basil.

Basil, yep.

>> Okay.

Here you go.

Here's some.

>> Okay.

Perfect.

Molto brava.

>> Mmm!

[ Both laugh ] Wow.

It looks beautiful already.

[ Speaks Italian ] >> Pasta.

>> Pasta.

Okay.

>> Want to cut some?

Yes.

What she's doing is just cutting some pieces so they fit perfectly into an even layer.

But just a single layer.

I think it's a great idea.

>> Only one layer more.

>> One layer.

Okay.

For the final layer, more Stracciatella, fresh basil, and pasta, of course.

To finish it off, we dotted the top with Stracciatella, more of the pistachio butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano -- hey, we're in Parma -- and those delicious local canned tomatoes.

Then it's into a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Okay.

Let's try this.

Mmm!

Mmm!

>> Hmm?

>> It's delicious.

Wow.

So, it's very rich and delicious.

I was really thinking I would really taste the pistachio, but, instead, it just melds beautifully with the tomatoes.

And those tomatoes give a great sweetness and acidity.

It's wonderful.

And the pasta is so delicate.

So, see?

You don't even have to cook fresh pasta.

Anyway, thank you so much, Ilaria.

Grazie.

>> Grazie a te.

>> Okay.

>> Grazie mille.

>> Mmm!

Mmm!

♪ Ilaria was really sweet, wasn't she?

And how about her kitchen?

It was so fantastic.

I think there were -- I've never seen so many things on the wall and knickknacks and -- You know, it was really fun.

But, you know, she was sweet and she really loved what she was doing and she made a wonderful lasagna.

It was delicious.

♪ Check out these beauties.

I love... [ Sniffs ] ...tomatoes.

And these are heirloom tomatoes.

Of course you know.

And they come in all colors, all shapes, all sizes.

But they're so delicious.

And they all have different flavors.

And it's so fun to cook with them.

I thought it would be really fun to make this cake.

It's really different.

I know you've never thought of making a cake and putting tomatoes in it, and you're gonna think I'm a little crazy, but, honestly, it's delicious.

And it really, really works.

So, what I do first of all... [ Clicking ] ...take a cake pan.

I've buttered the sides already.

Put a little bit of butter in it and a little bit of brown sugar or white sugar, either one.

So, I'm just melting the butter first.

And then I'm adding a little bit of brown sugar.

This is kind of the classic way you make an upside-down cake -- just by starting with butter and some brown sugar or white sugar, either one.

I'm also adding some grated ginger, so freshly grated ginger.

Just spread that around in your pan.

Oh, that ginger smells so good.

Spread that around evenly.

The sugar is pretty much melted?

Yes.

You don't want to cook it too long.

Alright.

Now I'm going to place the tomatoes in the bottom of the pan.

So, I've got some red heirlooms.

I'm gonna start there.

And then I'm going to go yellow.

You could also -- If you wanted to, you could cut them into circles and then just overlap them slightly.

That would be fine, too.

Okay.

And now I'm going to start on the cake.

Now, the cake is a spice cake, which is kind of fun.

I'm putting the butter into the stand mixer, along with the sugar.

And just cream that together.

Little bit of molasses.

And then I will mix the batter again.

And, next, we add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

And now the second yolk.

Now I'm adding just a little bit of vanilla... and then the dry ingredients.

I have all-purpose flour and also some baking powder.

And I already have some salt in with the flour.

I'm also adding some mace... and some cinnamon... all the things that you'd add to a really good spice cake.

And some ginger.

Just some ground ginger.

So we're gonna have ginger two ways -- fresh and also dry.

And then I also have some clove.

Just mix those together.

And then I'm going to alternate.

I'm going to add dry and then wet, dry and then wet.

And the wet would be the milk.

And the reason is because it will mix more consistently, and you won't have to mix it quite as long.

So...

I'm adding a little bit of flour first.

And now I'll add a little bit of the milk.

A little bit of flour.

And a little bit of milk.

And the last bit of flour.

And the same with the milk.

Now, don't over-mix.

As soon as you see it mixed, then turn the mixer off.

To whip the egg whites, I love to use a copper bowl.

It does take a little bit more strength and a little bit of time, but the end quality of those egg whites is so great.

What I do is, I swirl this just until it feels warm to the touch.

These are really nice and warm.

Don't let them get too hot or you will have egg whites cooking in the bowl.

Alright.

I like to take two whisks and put them together.

You can use one, but this goes so much faster.

Copper is great because what it does is -- same thing as cream of tartar.

It stabilizes your egg whites.

Just to show you right now, this is soft peaks.

That's a soft peak.

But what I want to take it to is a stiff peak.

It won't be much longer.

Don't take them so long that they look grainy.

I whip the whites until they no longer fall out of the bowl and, also, they look a little bit like they're blowing in the wind.

So, those are done.

Just take that same rubber spatula.

And I don't add all of it.

What I like to do is add a little bit first and just lighten up that batter.

Make sure you cut down the sides, along the bottom.

And when I still see a few white waves of that egg white, I add the rest.

You can see I'm also turning the bowl at the same time.

It's a lot to remember, but once you get that technique down, it's just a great thing to learn.

All those little things will help you so much with your cooking and your confidence with cooking.

Just spread that evenly in your cake pan.

And I'll bake this at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake pulls away from the edge and when you put a toothpick into the center, it comes out clean.

♪ I'm here with Lucio.

And this is a beautiful, beautiful valley.

You can see the mountains all around.

It's the town of Oliveto Citra.

We are in the middle -- You can see what's going on here.

It's the middle of the tomato harvest.

It's a really exciting time.

60 days, and everybody waits all year for these 60 days.

So, tell me a little bit about what you're doing here.

>> Okay, we are a plant that process South Italy tomatoes.

Our specialities are only from South of Italy and are peel tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or little tomatoes, and baby Roma tomatoes.

>> Oh.

>> And when the truck arrive in our plant, we have -- The very important step is the quality control.

♪ >> There's an automatic station that checks all of the quality parameters of the tomatoes.

It's kind of like checking the grapes during the wine process -- checking the sugar level and the acidity.

They start with washing the tomatoes.

There are five washing stages.

Then there are many sorting steps.

There are people sorting the tomatoes manually, as well as automatic sorting using cameras.

They sort the tomatoes in several stages to ensure quality, and when only the very best tomatoes are left, they go into the can and are sterilized with low-temperature steam to ensure freshness and flavor.

Can you believe they go from the field to the can in just 24 hours?

It's pretty amazing.

♪ While the cake is cooking, I thought it would be really fun to make a risotto.

So let's get this tomato party started.

What I'm gonna do is -- I have some canned cherry tomatoes, and I drained them.

And this is a little bit of the liquid that was left.

I'm adding that to some homemade chicken stock.

I also have some tomatoes, some fresh tomatoes.

I'm just cutting off the top.

And then I take a grater.

And this is gonna seem so weird, but it's a great way to get some nice, fresh tomato flavor into it.

I just cup it in my hand like this and I just grate that tomato right into the stock.

Alright, we've got a lot of the flesh and also the juice from the tomatoes.

Then I just stir that liquid together.

And then, in the meantime, I'm also sautéing some onions.

Those are nice and soft, so I'm ready to toast the rice.

I just add the rice to the pan.

And you can use Arborio, if you like.

You can also use a Vialone Nano or you can also use Carnaroli.

And what I do when I'm toasting is, I'm sealing the starch on the outside of the rice grain.

So I'm sealing it and cooking that until I feel it and it feels really hot to the touch.

Now, whenever you're making risotto, you always want your broth over on the side or a back burner, ladle in it, below the boil.

Now, I can just tell, by looking at this, this is really nice and hot.

And then I'm adding a little bit of dry white wine.

[ Sizzling ] What that starts to do is soften the starch now on the outside of the rice, and so there will be a gradual release of starch.

That's what you're looking for when you're making risotto.

Alright, that's evaporated very, very quickly.

So now I'm gonna start adding the broth to it.

We have that nice tomato broth.

I'm gonna add a couple of ladles.

And then you're going to stir.

This is the fun part.

You know, this is a great dish to make when you invite people for dinner, because you know what I do in my house?

It's always a cooking class.

I bring people into the kitchen and I get them to stir with me.

It's kind of fun.

And they learn how to make risotto.

So, you can see what I'm doing.

As I stir and give it that nice movement, what I'm doing is creating some starch, and that's what makes your risotto nice and creamy.

Now, the big question is, when do you add more broth?

I take my spoon and I cut right down the risotto.

If it stays and it doesn't flow back in, then I know it's time to add a little bit more liquid.

Let's check it.

Okay.

Time to add more liquid.

So let's add a little bit more of that tomato broth.

[ Sizzling ] See how it kind of leaves a trail?

It's time to add more liquid.

I want to check this and see how it is.

Mmm!

That texture's great.

You know, sometimes, you taste it, and it's really chalky.

When I say that, it really sticks in your teeth, and then you want to continue to cook it.

But this is great.

It's beyond the chalky stage and it's creamy.

And you can see that it's just got this beautiful, beautiful texture.

I'm going to add about a ladle of broth.

I'm also adding some Parmigiano-Reggiano... and a little bit of butter.

And I'm adding some cherry tomatoes.

Remember I used canned cherry tomatoes?

Well, I'm adding the cherry tomatoes now.

♪ The cherry tomatoes are delicious, and, you know, it's really fun to be able to find them in a can like that, in their own juices.

It's just really fabulous.

But, you know, you can add them to so many things, but I love to add them to risotto.

It's just -- It's kind of a no-brainer, you know?

And you throw in a little cheese and you've got dinner.

♪ I'm also going to add a couple teaspoons of a really nice aged balsamic, like 2 teaspoons.

That's gonna give a nice sweetness and really bring out that tomato flavor.

Stir that together, and then I'll just put the cover on.

And this is the best trick.

I learned it from cooking so much in the Veneto, where I think they make great, great risotto.

I just put a cover on, turn off the heat, and let it sit just for a few minutes.

And, in the meantime, I'm gonna chiffonade a little bit of basil.

That's gonna be the garnish on the top.

I just roll up those leaves.

And I'm just making little ribbons of basil.

Are you ready for some risotto?

I know I am.

Alright.

Ooh, that looks great!

And look at the texture.

It's beautiful and it's so creamy.

Mmm!

I just love those tomatoes.

So wonderful.

I made a slight well in the center, because I'm gonna put the burrata inside.

And, of course, you all know about burrata.

It's a beautiful cheese from Southern Italy, a mozzarella pouch that's filled with Stracciatella.

And, on this risotto, it's going to be so good.

And I've got a nice, big spoon.

Place that right onto the top and let that just melt right into the risotto.

I'm gonna get a little more just because it looks so good.

Oh!

And I also have some basil.

I almost forgot.

Mmm!

And then you can swirl it in or you can just take a bite.

Mmm!

Wow.

That is so wonderful and creamy.

It's delicious.

And then, also with the burrata, it's really, really beautiful.

Yum!

I really get that tomato flavor with the basil.

It's perfect.

And then the burrata -- what it does is, it adds a really incredible richness.

And I've got a really nice light red from Calabria in the Southern part of Italy.

Wow.

It's great.

It's slightly chilled.

Red slightly chilled -- it's lighter.

It just really works.

Now, I bet you think I forgot about the cake.

No way.

We're gonna have that next.

[ Gasps ] Beautiful!

Oh, it looks so amazing!

I just love this.

Look at those beautiful tomatoes.

Alright.

Well, the best part now.

You just cut right into it, right?

Why wait?

I can really smell the spices.

[ Gasps ] That looks so good.

And you can't have cake without a little dollop of cream.

I mean, come on.

You've got to have a little bit of whipped cream.

It's whipped with a little bit of confectioner's sugar.

That's it, just a little bit.

♪ Wow.

It's so good.

I love all the spices.

They're so wonderful.

And, you know, it's funny.

You'd never know that's tomato cake.

You do taste that beautiful ginger and all those spices.

Those tomatoes add a sweetness, and look how beautiful it is.

And I know that making a tomato upside-down cake is a really crazy idea, right?

But, you know, being in Italy and tasting those tomatoes and meeting those farmers, they're so passionate about growing those tomatoes.

It made me so excited to come home and create and share these recipes with you.

This is truly the best part about traveling.

>> You can visit my website to find and print selected recipes, get information about each episode, learn more about the show, see behind-the-scenes photos, provide e-mail feedback, and more.

It's all at joanneweir.com/plates-places.

>> "Joanne Weir's Plates & Places" is brought to you by... >> With AmaWaterways, guests can climb... pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path while cruising on storied rivers across Europe.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

>> Our winemaking is the result of teamwork and patience.

Working together, we dedicate our best efforts with every vine, grape, and bottle -- Washington Vintners.

>> Since 1899, my family has shared our passion for everything that goes into our Mutti 100% Italian tomatoes.

Only tomatoes, only Mutti.

>> For baking, cooking, and snacks, California figs from Valley Fig Growers.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪