Easy Italian Recipes

Serves 8

FOR THE PASTA FROLLA RUSTICA (WHITE WINE PASTRY)
butter, for greasing
250g '00' flour or plain flour 3 tablespoons olive oil
100ml white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR THE FILLING
200g continental or spring onions (bulbs and half the green parts), finely sliced 400g leeks, finely sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons water
25g sultanas
75g black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
25g Parmesan, finely grated

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 1 head cauliflower, about 11/2 Ib (750 g)
- 1/3 cup (3 fl oz/80 ml) olive oil Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup (75 g) pitted green olives, such as Cerignola, roughly chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

In this recipe, mild cauliflower is the perfect foil for savory olives and tangy lemon zest. You can substitute Romanesco cauliflower, sometimes called Romanesco broccoli, for the white cauliflower. These eyecatching members of the big cabbage family are a beautiful shade of lime green and have cone-shaped florets that look like exotic seashells. They are slightly sweeter and more tender than white cauliflower. You'll find Romanesco cauliflower in the market from late September through November.

Trim the cauliflower and cut it into 2-inch (5-cm) florets.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). In a shallow roasting pan large enough to hold the cauliflower pieces in a single layer, combine the cauliflower, olive oil, lemon zest, and olives. Season with salt and pepper and toss to mix well. Spread the ingredients in a single layer.

Bake the cauliflower, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 1 cup (6 oz/185 g) cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons plain fine dried bread crumbs
- 2 cups (16 oz/500 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

A sformato is a souffle like dish often made with vegetables. Sformati are often baked in ring molds and sometimes in ramekins, but here a simple ceramic baking dish is used. You can also serve this dish in smaller portions as an antipasto, or it can be the centerpiece of a light lunch, accompanied with marinated olives, salami, and a green salad..

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil.
Squeeze the tornato halves gently to extract the seeds and juice. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the tomatoes unti! they are wrinkled, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Leave the oven on.
Generously grease an 8-inch (20-cm) baking dish with the butter. Sprinkle the dish with the bread crumbs and tap out the excess.

In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses, eggs, and 1 teaspoon thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in half of the tomatoes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and smooth the top. Top with the remaining tornato halves, cut side down. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme.
Bake until the sformato is set around the edges but stili slightly soft in the center, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the dish to loosen the sides of the sformato and serve warm.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 4-6 servings

- 1/3 cup (3 fI oz/80 ml) plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) plain fine dried bread crumbs
- Sea salt
- 1 1/2 Ib (750 g) broccoli rabe, trimmed
- 1 Ib (500 g) dried orecchiette
- 1/2 Ib (250 g) Italian sweet fennel sausages, casings discarded and meat coarsely chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup (2 oz /60 g) pecorino romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini and cime di rapa, has a pleasantly bitter flavor that is an appealing contrast to the sweet pork sausages in the scuce. As you toss, both ingredients become trapped in the holiows of the ear-shaped pasta, making every bite wonderfully flavorful. Prepare this dish in cool-weather months, when broccoli rabe is in season.

In a frying pan over medium-low heat, warm the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the bread crumbs and stir to coat them with the oil. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring often, until the crumbs are an even, deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour onto a plate and set aside to cool.
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Add the broccoli rabe and cook, testing often, until the stems are just tender, 2-3 minutes. Using tongs or a wire-mesh skimmer, lift out the broccoli rabe into a sieve and cool it quickly under cold running water. Drain and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture. Chop coarsely and set aside.
Add the orecchiette to the boiling water, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, warm the remaining olive oil in the frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the sausage, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned, about 7 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and stir to combine with the sausage. Cook until the broccoli rabe is hot throughout, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
When the orecchiette is ready, scoop out and reserve about 2 ladlefuls of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sausage mixture and the cheese and stir and toss well over low heat to combine, adjusting the consistency with some of the cooking water if needed.
Divide among warmed plates, top each portion with a sprinkle of the toasted bread crumbs, and serve at once. Pass the remaining bread crumbs at the table.

Buon appetito!