Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 2 oz (60 g) pancetta, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 dove garlic, lightly crushed
- 2-inch (5-cm) sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 cups (14 oz/440 g) cooked borlotti or cranberry beans
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- I small head radicchio,
- about 1/4 lb (125 g), trimmed and cut crosswise into
- narrow strips
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

This salad from the Veneto is a study in contrasts: warm, creamy, sweet-tasting beans against crisp, cool, lightly bitter radicchio and salty, crisp pancetta. Cannellini or other white kidney beans can be substituted for the borlotti beans. Serve the salad as an accompaniment to grilled tuna or roasted chicken.

In a saucepan large enough to hold the beans, cook the pancetta over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain.

Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the fat in the pan and warm over medium heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Remove the beans from the heat and remove and discard the rosemary and garlic. In a serving bowl, toss together the beans, radicchio, and reserved pancetta. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the lemon juice and toss again.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 1 lb (500 g) large shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup (2 fI oz/60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh fiat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Fresh shellfish are one of the treasures of the Venetian kitchen, and locai cooks like to prepare them simply, often grilled over a hot fire, as the shrimp are here. If you are worried about the shrimp falling through the grate as you turn them, thread them onto skewers. They can also be cooked on a stove-top grill pan in the same amount of time.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, a few pinches of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Oil the grill rack. Or, preheat a stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with oil.

BY GRILL: Using tongs, piace the shrimp over the hottest part of the fire or directly over the heat elements and grill, turning once, until pink and just opaque at the center, 2-3 minutes on each side.
BY GRILL PAN: Using tongs, piace the shrimp on the grill pan and grill, turning once, unti) pink and just opaque at the center, 2-3 minutes on each side.

Arrange the shrimp on a warmed platter and serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 6 servings

- 6 cups (48 fI oz/1.5 I) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (2 fI oz/60 ml) olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups (14 oz/440 g) Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 2 cups (10 oz/315 g) fresh or partially thawed frozen shelled English peas
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/ 60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Peas have long been cultivated in the Veneto, and Venetians traditionally celebrate their arrivai in local markets with this creamy souplike dish of rice and peas. Some recipes cali for cooking a littie diced pancetta with the onion for extra flavor. Look for the youngest, sweetest peas of the season for the best result.

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock just to a simmer and then keep it just below a simmer over low heat.
In a wide, heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until tender and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring, until the rice is hot, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) of the stock and stir until the stock is absorbed and the spoon leaves a wide track in the pan. Continue to add the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and allowing it to be absorbed before adding more, for about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed so that the liquid is absorbed rapidly.
Stir in the peas and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Resume adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time and stirring until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite, 8-10 minutes more. If you run out of stock before the rice is ready, add hot water. The finished dish should be loose and flowing.
Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 2 minutes. Uncover, stir in the cheese and butter, and serve at once in warmed bowls.

Buon appetito !

 MAKE 6 SERVINGS

- 1 1/2 lb (750 g) fresh sardines
- 6 tablespoons (3 fI oz/90 ml) olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) dry white wine
- 3/4 cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins (sultanas)
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Sardines in a sweet-and-sout marinade with raisins and pine nuts is a classic antipasto in Venice, where it is known as sarde in saor. Other fish can be prepared this way, especially dark-fleshed varieties, such as bluefish or mackerel. The flavors come together as the fish marinates, so plan to begin marinating the sardines at least a day before serving.

Using a sharp knife, make a slit on the underside of each sardine from the head to the tail, and use your finger to push out the viscera. Gently press the body open, grasp the spine near the tail end, and carefully pull the bone free from the fish. Rinse the fish under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside.
In a large, heavy frying pan over medium-low heat, warm 4 tablespoons (2 0 oz/ 60 ml) of the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until very tender but not browned, about 20 minutes. If the onions begin to brown, add a little water to the pan and lower the heat slightly.
Add the wine, vinegar, pine nuts, and raisins to the onions, bring to a simmer, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In another large frying pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, add the sardines in a single layer and cook, turning once, until opaque in the center when tested with a knife, about 2 minutes on each side.
Arrange the sardines on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon the onion mixture evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature.

Buon appetito!