Italian Connection | 1.800.462.7911 | www.italian-connection.com
Special Offers & News
Spring
is in full swing here in Sicily, and we're busy freshening up our tours with new
finds. The fabulous Roman mosaics were just unveiled at the Villa Tellaro, and
are now a part of our Splendors of Sicily tour, long
before they'll be mentioned in any guidebook! Add this to the list of seven
Unesco sites we visit on this tour, plus get behind the scenes with our Sicilian
friends, and you can see why this tour was selected by National Geographic
Traveler as one of 50 Tours of a Lifetime.
We're working on a new website, so please visit us often to see what's new, or call Marie toll-free 1-800-462-7911 and she'll help you decide which is the best tour for you. We look forward to hosting you in Italy in 2008.
Off Season Luxury for Less!
Save up to 20% on luxury hotel stays in Florence and Tuscany in February, March, and April. Call for details 1-800-462-7911
Wildflowers in the Dolomites - It's Spring in July!
We've been walking in the Dolomites for 25 years and love the dramatic mountain views and great plates of creamy polenta. Our Wildflowers in the Dolomites tour is timed to enjoy alpine meadows at the peak of the wildflower season, and our participants say that the amazing array of colorful flowers was "far more spectacular than we could have ever imagined". And after a day on the trail, ditto for the warm apple strudel!
Last year our Wildflowers in the Dolomites tour sold out, so make your reservation right away. We're offering a special discount, limited to 4 people, of 200 euro per person, if you sign-up by April 20. Double this discount if you link it with our Dolomites High Routes tour! Call today for more info 1-800- 462-7911 and reserve your place!
Truffles in Piedmont & Free Hotel in Turin
Reserve your place on this gourmet walking tour by April 20 and enjoy a free hotel in Turin the night before the tour!
Our Piedmont Vineyards & Lakes tour offers a great variety of beautiful walks, and our October 17-23 tour also features exquisite white truffles. Go to the truffle market in Alba to learn how to pick the best, and breathe deeply as our chef ceremoniously shaves your truffle onto a plate of perfect pasta. Take a sip of Barolo and sink into the heavenly bliss of being in Italy. Call 1-800-462-7911 today to reserve your space-only 4 places left!
Earn Travel Credits
Share Italian Connection with your friends, and you can earn travel credits to use as a discount on your next trip! For each and every new customer you bring to Italian Connection, we'll give you a 100 euro travel credit towards your next Italian Connection tour. There's no limit, so call your friends and spread the word about Italian Connection - you could even earn a free trip!*
*New customers must travel in 2008. Travel credits must be redeemed by end of tour season 2009. May not be combined with any other discounts or offers.
Club Amici Members: If you have already travelled with Italian Connection, you are automatically a member of Italian Connection's Club Amici and are eligible for additional benefits. Please e-mail us to up-date your contact information and to receive exclusive access to our "Amici Web" page, where your special travel offers are listed.
Lunch with Lidia
Pasta col pesto trapanese
Pasta with pesto in the style of Trapani
Ingredients:
1 pound of pasta (This dish is traditionally made
with busiate, a pasta from the town of Trapani, but impossible to find
elsewhere. You can use spaghetti or fusilli.)
6 ripe tomatoes
1 clove of garlic (Trapanesi like this dish reeking of garlic, we like less)
4 TB peeled almonds
6 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2 handfuls of fresh basil
1 TB of fresh mint
Salt & pepper
4 TB breadcrumbs
Makes 4-6 servings. (4 Sicilian portions or 6 normal ones)
Preparation:
Toss the peeled almonds in a non-stick pan over a medium flame until they are
lightly toasted, being careful not to burn them. Peel and seed the tomatoes and
cut into pieces. Grind the almonds in a food processor or nut grinder, and set
aside. Put the prepared tomatoes, garlic, basil, mint, salt, and pepper in a
mortar and work with the pestle until the ingredients are well-blended.
(Technically, you should be producing any kind of pesto by hand with a mortar
and pestle, but a food processor gives excellent results). Add the oil and
ground almonds.
In a non-stick pan, toast the breadcrumbs until they are golden, and set aside
in a small bowl. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water, until it is al
dente. Briefly drain it, and put the pasta in a large bowl and mix with the
pesto sauce. Put into serving dishes and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
Accompany with a Sicilian red wine such as Regaleali Rosso.
Buon appetito!
(Many thanks to Zia Lidia, who invited us to lunch at her beach house numerous
times this summer.)
Call us to discuss the custom vacation of a lifetime.
1-800-462-7911
