Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 6 tablespoons (3 fI oz/90 ml) olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, 2 minced and 1 crushed
- 1 Ib (500 g) fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 can (15 oz/470 g) plum (Roma) tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 8 fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, plus more for garnish
- 4 tuna steaks, each about 1/2 Ib (250 g)
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup (5 oz/155 g) pitted brine-cured black olives
- 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed

This Tuscan sauce marries the flavors of the Mediterranean: tomatoes, olives and olive oil, capers, garlic, and basil. It pairs particularly well with fresh tuna, a fish traditionally linked with the Sicilian kitchen, but today enjoyed throughout the country..

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté unti! it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and 2 tablespoons parsley and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and pass through a food mill fitted with the medium disk held over a bowl. Set aside.

Lightly season the tuna steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. In a frying pan large enough to hold the fish in a single layer, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic dove. Add the tuna steaks to the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Pour the reserved sauce directly over the fish, reduce the heat to low, add the olives and capers, and cook unti! the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the tuna steaks and sauce to warmed plates and sprinkle with parsley. Serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKE 6 SERVINGS

- 1 can (7 oz/220 g) olive oil-packed tuna, preferably Italian
- 3 cups (21 oz/660 g) drained, cooked cannellini beans (page 275)
- 5 tablespoons (21/2 fl oz/ 75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 small heads radicchio, preferably Treviso, halved lengthwise
- 1 cup (5 oz/155 g) chopped celery
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped Pinch of dried oregano
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Red radicchio grows in heads with leaves that range from creamy to greenish white near the base to wine red at the tips. The Treviso variety has elongated leaves, while the Chioggia and most other varieties are round or ovai. Here, smooth, creamy cannellini beans, a type of white kidney bean that is a favorite of Tuscans, are a perfect complement to the slight bitterness of the grilled radicchio. Maroonspeckled  nborlotti or cranberry beans can be substituted.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat and oil the grill rack. Alternatively, preheat the broiler (grill). Drain the tuna and break it up into chunks. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the beans, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the garlic and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until heated through and the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Brush the radicchio halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

BY GRILL: Using tongs, arrange the radicchio halves over the hottest part of the fire or directly over the heat elements and grill, turning once, until wilted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes total.

BY BROILER: Arrange the radicchio halves on a broiler pan and slip it in the broiler about 4 inches (10 cm) from the heat source. Broil (grill) turning once, until wilted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes total.
Transfer the radicchio halves to a cutting board, let cool slightly, and then cut crosswise into ribbons.
Add the radicchio, celery, onion, oregano, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the beans and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Divide the bean salad among individuai plates, and top each serving with an equal amount of the tuna. Serve at once.

Buon appetito!