Category: Italian cuisine

Easy and delicious Italian recipes

Stromboli roll

Stromboli Roll

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This recipe serves approximately 4 -6 people if sliced and served as an appetizer, or 2 people if it is the main dish. You can leave out the prosciutto if it is too salty for your liking.


Ingredients

12 oz. pizza dough
4 slices of ham
4 slices of mozzarella
4 slices of salami
2 long slices of prosciutto
onion powder
garlic powder
oregano
pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 T olive oil

  1. preheat oven to 375°.
  2. in a large pizza pan spread the olive oil with your fingers.
  3. stretch the dough out in the pan and sprinkle onion and garlic powder according to your taste.
  4. spread the slices of ham, mozzarella, salami and prosciutto across the dough, leaving about an inch around the dough with nothing on it.
  5. fold about an inch of the dough on opposite ends, then roll one of the other ends until you have a log.
  6. sprinkle some oregano and grated cheese on top.
  7. bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

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Veal Saltimbocca (alla Romana)

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Veal saltimbocca is a classic Roman dish. Saltimbocca literally means “to jump in the mouth”. You can use fresh sage leaves when available for each cutlet or rubbed dry sage which comes in those small spice and herb containers, which is what this recipe uses. You can also leave out the tomatoes and use dry white wine instead.

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

3 lbs. thinly sliced veal leg (cutlet)
2 oz. butter
¾ c. olive oil
3 lbs. canned plum tomatoes, chopped fine
3 T fresh parsley
3 tsp oregano
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp sage or 1 fresh sage leaf to place on every cooked cutlet
12 oz. prosciutto ham, very thinly sliced
12 oz. mozzarella or provolone cheese, thinly sliced

  1. Pound veal slices thin if necessary.
  2. Heat oil and butter in a saute pan. Saute veal slices and remove when done to a sheet pan.
  3. After all veal is cooked use the same pan with the remaining butter and oil to cook tomatoes, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and sage. Cook and stir about 10 minutes.
  4. Arrange veal slices in plates.
  5. Cover each portion of veal with a slice of prosciutto and a slice of cheese.
  6. Neatly cover each veal portion with some of the sauteed tomato mixture.
  7. Sprinkle each portion with parmesan cheese, if desired.
  8. Warm in low oven if prepared in advance then broil just before serving to lightly brown top.

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Braised octopus

Braised Octopus

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The octopus is a type of mollusk. Although not many people in the U.S like the idea of eating octopus because of the way it looks, it is considered a delicacy in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Japan. It has a mild flavor, similar to squid. You can eat it as an appetizer or as a main dish.

It is not a complicated food to cook, it just takes time because of its tough consistency. If you do not cook it long enough it can be rubbery. Some people like to boil it before simmering. Some like to remove the skin from it. Whatever you do, make sure you remove the “beak” which is underneath the head in the center of it.

Although 2 octopi for 2-3 people sounds like a lot, it actually does not render much because all the liquid comes out and it shrinks. Once you start cooking it, it will turn pink.

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients

2 small octopi, fresh or frozen
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and sliced
1/2 cup (approx.) of either white wine or beer
2 T olive oil

  1. rinse and cut up the octopus into 1 – 2 inch pieces.
  2. saute garlic in olive oil.
  3. add the octopus along with beer or wine and simmer for about 2 hours until tender.

There is no need to add salt because the octopus is naturally salty. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze the juice over it.

It is also very tasty when cooked with cubed potatoes.

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Pesto sauce

Pesto Sauce

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I love pesto sauce so much I can eat it on Italian bread as a spread! The scent of basil reminds me of when I was little. My family and I lived in an apartment so we didn’t have a garden, but that didn’t stop my parents from planting herbs and vegetables in buckets and keeping them out on the fire escape during the summer. When they finally bought a house, basil was one of the first things they planted, along with tomatoes of course.

Pesto sauce is made with lots of fresh basil, although I’ve seen recipes substituting some of the basil with spinach and parsley to give it that nice green color. The basil in pesto will actually change to a brownish color after a short time because of oxidation (when certain substances react to being exposed to oxygen), but you can drop the leaves in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds to destroy the enzymes that cause it (read Why does my pesto turn brown?)

It also calls for pignoli, or pine nuts, which can be expensive so I usually leave them out and the sauce still has a wonderful, aromatic flavor.  And for the best flavor, I always use extra virgin olive oil. My favorite unfortunately cannot be bought here because it is made in my father’s town, Selvacava.

I like to use the food processor to mix the ingredients, but traditionally it’s made using a mortar and pestle.

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic
3 T of grated pecorino romano or parmiggiano reggiano
1 T pine nuts
50 leave of basil, rinsed and dried
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt

  1. in a food processor, add garlic, cheese and pine nuts and mix until it is a paste.
  2. add basil and salt and mix.
  3. slowly add the olive oil.

If you do not use it right away, the oil will separate from the rest of the ingredients so you have to stir it before adding it to anything.

I like to make a lot of pesto and freeze it because I don’t always have the time to prepare it just before I use it.

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Pasta alla Caprese

Pasta alla Caprese (with pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella)

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Here is a simple but tasty pasta recipe for when you have to cook dinner in a hurry or are just not in the mood for anything fancy.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients
1 box (1 lb.) of penne pasta, or any other short pasta
4 small tomatoes, cubed
2 c of fresh mozzarella, cubed
4 T pesto sauce
salt to taste

1. cook pasta, drain and reserve some water (in case the pasta is too dry).
2. add tomatoes and mozzarella to the hot pot that you used to cook the pasta in to warm them up a bit.
3. throw pasta and pesto sauce into the pot and mix well.
4. add salt to taste.

If the pasta is too dry, add some of the reserved water a little bit at a time.

Polenta

Polenta

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I love polenta. I love it as a side dish with Chicken Alla Ciociara, with the gravy and pan drippings drizzled over it, or with thick tomato sauce spooned over it, known as Polenta alla Ciociara.

Chicken alla Ciociara with Polenta

Chicken alla Ciociara with Polenta

You can prepare it with either water or milk. Use water if you’d like a lighter version of it so that you can eat it with chicken or meat, or even shrimp. It comes out a little stiffer and can actually be sliced and fried for an Italian version of corn chips. Use milk if you’d like a creamy taste and to eat it as a main dish.

Polenta

Polenta made with water.

Polenta

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
3 cups of cold water, or 2 cups of water and 1 cup of milk (for creamier polenta), or 3 cups of milk (for an even creamier and denser polenta)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
onion powder, to taste
salt, to taste

  1. in a large measuring cup, dissolve bouillon cubes in the cold water (or milk).
  2. sauté garlic in oil in a pot .
  3. add cold water to the pot.
  4. slowly add the cornmeal into the water while stirring.
  5. add salt and onion powder to the pot.
  6. cook on low heat, constantly stirring so as not to burn or stick to the pot, for about 1/2 hour. If you undercook it, it will feel gritty in your mouth. Add more water or milk if you see that it is becoming too dry.

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Chicken alla Ciociara with Polenta

Chicken alla Ciociara

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serves 4 to 5 people

Ingredients

8 – 10 chicken pieces on the bone (whole legs or thighs and drumsticks, breasts) with skin removed
6 T olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan
1 shallot, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary; can also chop the leaves or use dried rosemary (1/2 tsp)
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
red wine, approx. 1 cup
red wine vinegar
salt, to taste

  1. sprinkle chicken pieces with vinegar and salt.
  2. sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil; add rosemary.
  3. place chicken pieces in pan and sprinkle half of the parsley on them, and brown them, about 15 minutes.
  4. turn chicken pieces over and sprinkle remaining parsley and brown them for another 15 minutes.
  5. cook on medium low heat for another 45 to 60 minutes, until cooked through. If it gets dry, add red wine, a little bit at a time (or you can add water or chicken broth).
  6. serve with polenta or mushrooms on the side and a salad.

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gourmet food

Rosemary

Rosemary – my favorite herb!

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(Updated)

Rosemary, or “rosmarinus officinalis”, is one of the most versatile herbs. Not only is it used in cooking, but also in beauty products such as soaps and shampoos, for its health benefits, and even for pest control in gardens.

It has a wonderful aromatic flavor that takes me back to when I was a little girl, in my Nonna’s kitchen in Selvacava, waiting patiently for Sunday dinner to be ready (which was always in the afternoon), that smell of chicken legs cooking in garlic, wine and, of course, rosemary, wafting through the air along with homemade bread baking in the brick oven which was in a hole in the wall.

My Nonno and Nonna

My Nonno and Nonna – my grandfather and grandmother

Rosemary is an evergreen herb that is native to the Mediterranean. It is a member of the mint family. It looks like a small pine tree with silvery green needle-like leaves, and usually has small bluish purple flowers when it blooms.

The Latin name, rosmarinus, means “dew of the sea”. It has been used since ancient times for its medicinal properties such as to alleviate muscle pain and as an anti-inflammatory, in perfumes, and as decorations, and is a good source of calcium, vitamin B6, and iron. Studies have also shown that it can boost the immune system, improve digestion, and even inhibit tumor growth and cancerous cells. In fact, researchers at Sapienza University in Rome studied the population of a small seaside village in Italy, Acciaroli, to determine why so many of them (1 in 10) have lived to be 100 or more years of age. They found that one thing they have in common is their high consumption of rosemary and they believe that plays a big part of it. (http://www.news-medical.net/,  http://www.independent.co.uk/, https://www.nytimes.com/)  The study has shown that the people of Acciaroli have a low level of the hormone adrenomedullin which is causing a widening of blood vessels, therefore improving circulation. (Of course they also take long hikes and live a healthy lifestyle by eating food they’ve grown themselves organically.)

I just love the way it tastes. I have been known to eat sprigs of rosemary that were cooked in my dish. My husband and son on the other hand complain that I put too much in my cooking. It does have a strong taste and should be used sparingly. It goes well with chicken dishes, potatoes, and in tomato sauce.

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Pasta with shrimp and pesto

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Pesto

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Here is a delicious recipe for using leftover pesto.

When cooking shrimp, do not leave unattended because shrimp does not take long to cook. You do not want to overcook it because it will end up being dry with a hard, stringy texture.

I also like to boil the shells to make a broth and add it to the shrimp in place of the chicken broth or fish stock. It adds a wonderful taste to it without overpowering the flavor.

Ingredients        serves 4 to 6 people

1 lb angel hair or spaghetti pasta
25-30 fresh or frozen large (31/40) shrimp, peeled and de-veined; leave whole or cut them up into smaller pieces
1 T olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 tsp dry thyme
2 T pesto sauce (or according to your taste)
1 T bread crumbs
1 c of chicken broth or fish stock
capers, according to your taste
salt, to taste

    1. 1. In a large sauté pan, sauté shallot in olive oil until translucent.
      2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. When draining, reserve about 1 cup of the water – I use this water if the shrimp becomes too dry while cooking or if it looks too dry when mixing the shrimp with pasta at the end. Set aside when done.
      3. Add shrimp to the pan and cook until it starts to turn pink.
      4. Add thyme.
      5. When shrimp become completely pink (don’t let it burn!), add pesto sauce, capers, and broth and cook until the broth is reduced.
      6. Add pasta to the shrimp and mix, making sure the broth thoroughly covers the pasta. If it looks too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.
      7. Serve with a little bit of fresh parsley sprinkled over it. You can also drizzle some extra virgin olive oil.

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Angel hair pasta with shrimp and capers

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Capers

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When cooking shrimp, do not leave unattended because shrimp does not take long to cook. You do not want to overcook it because it will end up being dry with a hard, stringy texture.

I also like to boil the shells to make a broth and add it to the shrimp in place of the chicken broth or fish stock. It adds a wonderful taste to it without overpowering the flavor.

serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

1 lb angel hair pasta
25-30 fresh or frozen large (31/40) shrimp, peeled and de-veined; leave whole or cut them up into smaller pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 Tbsp (or more) chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter
Splash of dry white wine
2 tsp capers
1 Tbsp bread crumbs
1 cup of chicken broth or fish stock
extra virgin olive oil
celery salt to taste

      1. In a large sauté pan, sauté shallot and garlic until garlic is golden brown.
      2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. When draining, reserve about 1 cup of the water – I use this water if the shrimp becomes too dry while cooking or if it looks to dry when you mix the shrimp with pasta at the end.
      3. Add shrimp and cook until it starts to turn pink.
      4. Add parsley, thyme, lemon juice and butter.
      5. When shrimp become completely pink (don’t let it burn!), add white wine, capers and broth and cook until the broth and wine are reduced.
      6. Drain pasta; add pasta to the shrimp and mix, making sure the broth thoroughly covers the pasta. If it looks too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.
      7. Serve with a little bit of fresh parsley sprinkled over it. You can also drizzle some extra virgin olive oil.