Easy Italian Recipes

 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 !

 MAKE 6 SERVINGS

- 2 eggplants (aubergines), about 1 Ib (500 g) each
- Sea salt
- Olive oil for frying
- 2 1/2 cups (20 fI oz/625 ml) classic tornato sauce
- 1 lb (500 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into thin slices
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

There are many versions of this dish throughout southern Italy. Some include a meat sauce, others slip hard-cooked eggs between the layers, and stili others cali for dipping the eggplant slices in beaten egg and bread crumbs before frying. This recipe is from Campania, where it is typically served as an antipasto, a contorno, or even cold as a sandwich filling. Make sure the oil is fuliy heated before you add the eggplant, or the slices will absorb too much oil.

Trim the eggplants, then cut crosswise into slices 94 inch (6 mm) thick. Layer the slices in a colander set over a plate, sprinkling each layer with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to drain. Rinse the eggplant slices quickly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Have ready a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish.
Line a large platter or tray with paper towels and set it next to the stove. Pour the olive oil to a depth of about 1/2 inch (12 mm) into a large, heavy frying pan and piace over high heat until hot. Working in batches, add the eggplant slices in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Using tongs, transfer the slices to the towel-lined platter to drain. Fry the remaining slices in the same way, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
Spread a thin layer of the tornato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the sauce with a layer of the eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly and using about a third of the slices. Top with a third of the mozzarella, a third of the sauce, and a third of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat the layering two more times, ending with the grated cheese.
Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Buon appetito!

 MAKE 4-6 SERVINGS

- 3 or 4 large, ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 Ib (250 g) fresh mozzarella cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup (2 fI oz/60 ml) extravirgin olive oil
- About 10 fresh basil leaves

In Campania, where this salad is known as insalata caprese (salad in the style of the island of Capri), creamy fresh mozzarella and juicy, sun-ripened tomatoes find their way into many dishes, though none as perfect as this simple salad. This is a classic summertime dish, so don't even consider making it with out-of-season tomatoes or plastic-sheathed mozzarella.

Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into slices '/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
On a serving platter, overlap slices of tornato and mozzarella. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil. Tear the basil into small pieces and sprinkle over the salad. Serve at once.
NOTE: Tomatoes come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors. For this recipe, it is essential to use the best quality, ripe, fresh tomatoes that you can find. if you can find them in season, try different heirloom varieties such as Green Zebra or Brandywine. You can also halve and scatter a handful of sweet cherry or grape tomatoes over the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella before drizzling with olive oil.

Buon appetito!

 MAKE 4 SERVINGS

About 20 cherry tomatoes, or 2 large tomatoes

About 16 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Sea salt

8 slices coarse country bread, about 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick

2 cloves garlic, peeled and Ieft whole

1/4 cup (2 fI oz/60 ml) extravirgin olive oil

 Bruschetta, at its simplest, is grilled bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, but it can also be prepared with a variety of toppings. This ciassic version, popular in both Umbria and Tuscany, demands the best-quality ingredients. Use a crusty country-style bread; ripe, red tomatoes harvested at the height of the season; freshly picked basii; and the best extra-virgin olive oil your budget will allow.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat, or preheat a broiler.
If using cherry tomatoes, stem them and cut them in half. If using large tomatoes, core and seed them and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) dice. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, the basil, and a pinch of salt.
BY GRILL: Using tongs, piace the bread slices over the hottest part of the fire or directly over the heat elements and grill, turning once, until crisp and golden on both sides, about 3 minutes total.
BY BROI LER: Place the bread slices on a broiler pan and slip it in the broiler about 4 inches (10 cm) from the heat source. Broil (gru!), turning once, until crisp and golden on both sides, about 3 minutes total.
Remove from the heat and immediately rub one side of each slice vigorously with a garlic dove, using 1 dove for 4 slices.
Arrange the bread slices, garlic side up, on a serving platter or divide among individuai plates. Spoon the tomato mixture on the bread, dividing it evenly. Drizzle with the olive oil. Serve at once.

Buon appetito!