Easy Italian Recipes

The Coastal Garden

Boomerang-shaped Liguria is a long strip of Italian Riviera, with Genoa at its center and the coastal towns of the Cinque Terre and Portofino along its coast. Just a few
miles inland, the Alps and the Apennines rise steeply, and the land between the mountains and the sea is like a great kitchen garden, where the salty breeze and temperate climate are ideai for growing asparagus, artichokes, eggplants (aubergines), greens, and especially herbs, including the region's famous basil. The birthplace of Columbus, Genoa has been a center of seafaring and exploration for centuries. But unlike in Venice, where the spice trade seasoned the cuisine, the Genoese preferred to sell the spices they imported to others, relying on local herbs for seasoning, a preference that remains to this day. In the past, Ligurian sailors returning from long sea voyages yearned for fresh vegetables and greens, and local produce is stili centrai to the cuisine, as evidenced by the region's celebrated vegetable-laden minestrone. Because the Ligurian Sea is not as rich a source of seafood as other, warmer Italian seas, fish and shellfish are not the dietary mainstays one might expect in a coastal region. But cooks here make the most of mussels, clams, eels, and sudi small fish as mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and mullet, as well as salt cod, a legacy of the region's seafaring heritage.

Culinary Signature: Pesto

Pesto—young basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and Sardinian pecorino cheese pounded to a paste in a mortar—is Liguria's great contribution to world cuisine. It is classically tossed with trenette (a Ligurian pasta similar to linguine), sometimes with the addition of green beans and potatoes that have been cooked along with the pasta. It is also the crowning condiment for the region's renowned minestrone.

Regional Specialties

Olives local small black olives are cured for eating and also milled to make the region's light, delicate olive oil

Focaccia flat, yeasted bread, often baked with local sage, rosemary, and olives

Minestrone classic vegetable soup, made with pasta and garnished with basil pesto

Ravioli this familiar stuffed pasta was invented in Liguria for long sea voyages

Cima alla genovese veal breast stuffed with a ground meat filling, poached, and sliced

Burrida and ciuppin Liguria's seafood stews, the latter of which was re-created in America by Genoese immigrants as cioppino

Farinata chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour flatbread, often cooked in a wood-fired oven with herbs; eaten as a snack or antipasti

Photo: Traditionally made by hand with a mortar and pestle, vibrant green basil pesto is the epitome of summer.

Golden Cuisine
 

If Rome is Italy's political capital, Milan is its financial center, and the food of Lombardy reflects that prosperity. It is no coincidence that many of the region's best-known dishes are golden—once a symbol of wealth—from saffron-tinged risotto and breaded veal cutlets to pale yellow panettone. The fiat plains of the Po River valley extend across most of the region, affording an abundance of corn and rice. These find their way onto the menu as polenta and risotto, which are generally preferred here over pasta. Ampie grazing land ensures plenty of butter, cream, and cheese, all of which are used lavishly in !oca! kitchens, a culinary legacy of nearby France, as well as plenty of beef and veal. Cooking here tends to be low and slow, with meats more often braised and simmered than grilled or roasted. Small freshwater fish are a specialty of the region's lakes: Como, Garda, and Maggiore.

Culinary Signature: Rice

Short-grain rice, with its small, plump kernels,has a higher starch content than medium-or long-grain rice. When simmered slowly and stirred constantly, it becomes creamy and tender, with a delicate al dente firmness, making it the rice of choice for risotto. Among Italian short-grain rices sold abroad, Arborio is the best known and easiest to find, but other varieties are worth tracking down. Carnaroli, sometimes called the "caviar" of Italian rices, is prized for its creaminess and firm core, which makes it more resistant to overcooking. Vialone Nano also produces a creamy risotto and is a good choice when parcooking risotto for finishing later.

Regional Specialties

Bresaola air-cured, salted beef tenderloin, served in thin slices like prosciutto as an antipasto

Risotto alla milanese golden risotto made with saffron, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Tortelli di zucca ravioli with a pumpkin filling

Pizzocheri buckwheat pasta with potatoes, cabbage, and cheese

Minestrone classic vegetable-and-pasta soup, often served with fresh basil pesto

Osso buco veal shanks braised with wine and sometimes tomatoes, served with gremolata, a garnish of minced parsley, lemon zest, and garlic

Costoletta alla milanese breaded veal cutlet, often served on the bone

Mascarpone a fresh, thick cow's milk cheese similar to cream cheese and used in desserts and as a garnish for risotto

Taleggio a semisoft cow's milk cheese

Panettone a sweet yeast bread studded with candied citron and raisins, originally served at Christmas and Easter, but now available year-round

Photo: Slowly braised, tender Osso buco is traditionally served with risotto alla milanese golden saffron, risotto and gremolata, a raw citrus-herb garnish