Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 4 fennel bulbs
- 1/3 cup (3 fl oz/80 ml) olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (4 f oz/125 ml) chicken stock
- 1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz/45 g)
- shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Fennel, known asfinnochio in Italian, is a native ingredient of the Mediterranean. Widely used throughout Italy, it is often served thinly sliced and raw, baked, or braised, as here. lts delicate anise flavor lends itself to simple preparations. It is excellent with fish, such as Halibut with Salsa Verde

Working with 1 fennel bulb at a time, cut off the stalks and feathery leaves and discard or reserve for another use. Peel away the tough outer layer of the bulb, then cut lengthwise into medium-sized wedges. If the core seems very tough, trim it, but do not cut it away fully or the wedges will fall apart.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the fennel, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken stock, cover, and cook until the fennel is tender, about 10 minutes. Arrange the wedges on a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 8 SERVINGS

- 8 beef short ribs, about 10 oz (315 g) each
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, chopped 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) dry red wine such as Barolo
- 1 can (28 oz/875 g) plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped, with juice
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) beef stock or chicken stock
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs

Short ribs are not a cut you will find in Italy, but this method of slowly braising beef in red wine is typical, especially in the north, where beef is more commonly eater The ribs can be cooked and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving them. This makes a big batch. If you have leftover ribs and sauce, you can bone the ribs, shred the meat, and serve the meat and sauce over pasta or creamy polenta.

Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add as many ribs as will fit in a single layer and cook, turning as needed, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the browned ribs to a bowl, and brown the remaining ribs in the same way. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pot.

Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and sauté unti! tender, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a simmer, and deglaze the pot, stirring to scrape up any up any browned bits from the pot bottom. Add the tomatoes, stock, and rosemary sprigs and bring the liquid to a simmer. Return the ribs to the pot and bring the liquid back to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the ribs, turning them occasionally, until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone, about 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer to a warmed bowl and serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 6 servings

For the gnocchi
- 1 lb (500 g) small baking potatoes, unpeeled, preferably organic
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup (4 oz/125 g) ali-purpose (plain) flour, or as needed
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 oz (60 g) pancetta, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1/4 Ib (125 g) fresh chanterelle mushrooms, brushed clean, trimmed, and sliced
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) chicken stock, or as needed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated pecorino romano cheese

Gnocchi are made primarily from potatoes or semolina, with potatoes favored in the north and semolina in the south, and the dough can be flavored with everything from spinach and pumpkin to ricotta. Here, potato gnocchi are topped with an unusual quick sauce of wild mushrooms, pancetta, and onion, but they may also be se -ved with a simple tornato sauce, a meat ragù, or even br mned butter.

To make the gnocchi, in a saucepan, combine the potatoes with water to cover, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and let cool slightly. Peel the potatoes and then pass them through a ricer or a food mill fitted with the fine disk held over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the potatoes out on the sheet and let cool. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg with the salt. Drizzle over the potatoes, then sprinkle the 3/4 cup flour over the egg. Mix together gently by hand, being careful not to overwork the dough, until the flour is incorporated. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times just unti) smooth, adding a little more flour if needed to arrive at a dough that is not sticky yet is stili moist. Set the dough aside, and scrape the work surface clean, discarding any bits of dough.

Lightly dust 2 rimmed baking sheets and the work surface. Cut the dough into 4 pieces, cover 3 pieces with an overturned bowl, and put the remaining piece on the floured surface. Using your palms, l'oli the dough into a long rope about 1/2 inch (12 mm) in diameter. Cut the rope crosswise into 1/2-inch (12-mm) pieces. Place the gnocchi onto the prepared pans, being careful they don't touch. Repeat with the remaining 3 dough pieces.

To make the sauce, in a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the oil and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, unti] the pancetta begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté unti] softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, unti) the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat while you cook the gnocchi.

Bring a large pot three-fourths fui] of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt, and then drop in the gnocchi a few at a time so they do not lump together. Cook, stirring once or twice, unti) they rise to the surface, about 3 minutes.

When the gnocchi are almost ready, return the frying pan with the sauce to medium heat, add the stock, and bring to a simmer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the sauce. Raise the heat to high and cook for 1 minute, stirring very gently, Divide the gnocchi among warmed bowls and sprinkle with the parsley cheese, and some freshly ground pepper. 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 !

 MAKES 6 servings

- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 cup (3 oz/90 g) coarsely chopped cauliflower florets
- 4 or 5 cavolo nero or dinosaur kale leaves, shredded
- 1 cup (2 oz/60 g) shredded Swiss chard leaves
- 2 zucchini (courgettes), trimmed and diced
- 1 large boiling potato, peeled and diced
- 2 cups (14 oz/440 g) drained cooked cannellini beans
- 1/4 cup ('/3 oz/10 g) minced mixed fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, rosemary, and sage, in about equal parts
- 2 1/2 qt (2.5 l) chicken stok of vegetal broth
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12-15 thin slices day-old coarse country bread
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

When Tuscan cooks make this soup, they often serve it in two or three forms over the next few days. It starts as a hearty vegetable soup, which can be eaten as is. The soup is then layered, at the time it is made or as leftovers the next day, with stale bread to make zuppa di pane, or "bread soup." When the leftover bread soup is baked until hot and drizzled with olive oil, it is declared ribollita, or "reboiled." The version here is prepared and served the same day. The ingredient that makes the soup authentic is cavolo nero, or "black cabbage," a dark green, leafy vegetable. Dinosaur kale can be substituted.

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, warm the 1/2 cup olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté unti! the onion is golden, 3-4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and sauté until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the cavolo nero, chard, zucchini, and potato (in that order) and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the beans and herbs to the pot, stir well, and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
Ladle enough soup into a 9-by-13-by-2-inch (23-by-33-by-5-cm) baking dish to cover the bottom. Top with 4 or 5 bread slices, trimming them to fit if necessary. Add another layer of soup. Sprinkle evenly with one-third of the cheese. Top with a layer each of the bread slices, then the soup, and finally the cheese. Repeat for a third layer.
Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon the soup into warmed soup bowls and serve at once.

Buon appetito!