Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 1/2 Ib (750 g) Swiss chard, tough stems trimmed
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons raisins

Swiss chard and spinach are often used interchangeably in Italy. Both can be prepared this way, though chard is especially good, as its natural sweetness is complemented by the flavors of the raisins and butter.

In a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan often, until golden, about 3 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool.

Cut the chard crosswise into strips 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the chard, 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) water, and about 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and cook, uncovering to stir once or twice, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander, pressing out any excess moisture with the back of a spoon.

Rinse out the saucepan and return to low heat. Add the butter. When it melts, add the chard and raisins and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard and raisins are evenly coated with the butter and the flavors are blended, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 4-6 SERVINGS

- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb (500 g) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Native to North America, lerusalem artichokes were originally dubbed girasole, Italian for "sunflower," by early Europeans, a name that evolved into Jerusalem in the English-speaking world. The moniker is apt, for the tubers come from a type of sunflower that is a dose relative of the common garden sunflower. Also known as sunchokes, Jerusalem artichokes have a ;weet, nutty flavor reminiscent of artichokes, though the resemblance stops there.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Grease the bottom of an oval gratin dish about 12 inches (30 cm) long with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

Bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of water to a bollo Add 1 tablespoon salt and the Jerusalem artichokes and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Drain well. When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, cut into slices about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
Arrange the slices in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into bits and dot the surface evenly. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.

Bake the gratin until the cheese is golden and begins to melt and the Jerusalem artichokes are piping hot and tender when pierced with a knife, 15-20 minutes. Serve at once directly from the dish.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 6 SERVINGS

- 2 oz (60 g) pancetta, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 green (spring) onions, including tender green tops, thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb (250 g) fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 can (14 oz/440 g) plum (Roma) tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice
- 1 Ib (500 g) romano beans or green beans, ends trimmed
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Romano beans, long, flat, wide green beans sometimes labeled Italian beans, are the most common variety of snap bean in Italy. If you cannot find them in your market, regular green beans can be substituted.

In a saucepan large enough to hold the beans, cook the pancetta over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain.
Add the olive oil to the fat remaining in the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the green onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, until they reduce slightly, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the beans and sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the beans are tender, about 15 minutes. Check often and add a few tablespoons of hot water if the sauce looks dry. (The dish can be prepared up to this point, cooled, covered, and refrigerated, and then reheated gently the next day. It will taste even better the second day.)
Stir in the pancetta, transfer to a warmed serving dish, and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 12 veal scallops, about 1 Ib (500 g) total weight, each about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
- 12 very thin prosciutto slices, about 1/4 Ib (125 g) total weight
- 12 fresh sage leaves
- All-purpose (plain) flour for dusting
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio

Saltimbocca means "jump in the mouth", a tip-off that this dish is particularly tasty. Elsewhere in Italy, saltimbocca can mean other recipes, but qualified by alla romana, it refers to thin-sliced veal, prosciutto, and fresh sage, a staple herb of the Roman garden. Some recipes cali for folding the layered ingredients in half, while others shape them into small, neat involtini (rolls). But the standard procedure, given here, is to secure the sage to the stacked veal and prosciutto with a toothpick. Pour a big-flavored white wine at the table.

One at a time, piace the veal scallops between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently with a meat pounder to flatten them somewhat; they do not need to be paper-thin. Trim the prosciutto slices so they are slightly shorter than the veal slices. Lay a slice of prosciutto on top of each slice of veal, and then top with a sage leaf. Secure the layers together with a toothpick.

Spread the flour in a shallow dish. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Lightly dust the veal bundles with the flour, shaking off the excess. Working in batches, piace the veal, prosciutto side down, in the melted butter and brown gently, about 1 minute. Turn the veal and brown the other side, about 1 minute. Season with pepper and, if the prosciutto you are using is not very salty, season with salt as well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the veal is a light golden brown and cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Transfer the veal to a warmed platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining veal bundles.

When all of the veal bundles have been cooked and removed from the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom.

Pour the hot pan sauce over the veal and serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 4-6 servings

- 4 tablespoons (2 oz/60 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz/875 g) plum (Roma) tornato purée
- Pinch of red pepper flakes Sea salt
- 1 lb (500 g) penne
- 1/2 cup (4 fI oz/125 ml) heavy (double) cream
- 1/4 cup (2 fI oz/60 ml) vodka
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

A Roman chef reportedly invented this pasta dish in the 1980s for a vodka company that wanted to popularize its product in Italy. Although it faded from menus in Italy, it remains a perennial favorite in Italian restaurants in the United States.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tornato purée, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
When the water is boiling, add about 2 tablespoons salt. Add the penne, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to package directions.

Meanwhile, add the cream and vodka to the sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes longer.
When the penne is ready, scoop out and reserve about 2 ladlefuls of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the sauce in the pan and stir and toss over low heat until well coated with the sauce, adjusting the consistency with some of the cooking water if needed. Remove from the heat, add the cheese, and toss again. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 4-6 servings

- 1/4 Ib (125 g) guanciale or pancetta, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 1/2 cups (15 oz/470 g) peeled, seeded, and chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
- Sea salt
- 1 lb (500 g) bucatini, spaghetti, or rigatoni
- 1/3 cup (11/2 oz/45 g) grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving

Guanciale, pork cheek that resembles unsmoked bacon and is cured with salt,
pepper, and sometimes garlic, is traditionally used in this dish from Amatrice, a small town near Rome known for its excellent pork products. Pancetta, rolled pork belly cured in a similar manner and more widely available outside Italy, can be substituted. Tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chile complete the sauce, which is usually served over bucatini, a thick strand pasta with a hole in the center.

In a frying pan over medium heat, cook the guanciale in the olive oil, stirring often, unti! golden, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute longer.
Pass the chopped tomatoes through a food mill fitted with the medium disk or a medium-mesh sieve directly into the pan. Add a pinch of salt, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt. Add the bucatini, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to the package directions. Scoop out and reserve about 2 ladlefuls of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Return it to the pot.
Add the sauce to the drained pasta and stir and toss over low heat until well coated with the sauce, adjusting the consistency with some of the cooking water if needed. Sprinkle with the 1/3 cup cheese and toss again. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve at once. Pass additional cheese at the table.

Buon appetito!

 MAKES 4-6 servings

- 2 teaspoons peppercorns Sea salt
- 1 lb (500 g) spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz/185 g) grated pecorino romano cheese

Pasta, grated cheese, and black pepper—it sounds simple. And it is, but that simplicity demands excellent ingredients: freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, a superb extra-virgin olive oil, and, if you have time, freshly made pasta. In Lazio, the sauce is tossed with tonnarelli, a fresh square-cut strand pasta, but spaghetti can be substituted.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil. While the water is heating, begin making the sauce. Put the peppercorns in a small frying pan over low heat and heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a cloth napkin or on a piece of waxed paper, and crush with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy frying pan.
When the water is boiling, add about 2 tablespoons salt. Add the spaghetti, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente, according to  the package directions.

While the spaghetti cooks, scoop out a ladleful of the cooking water and add it and the olive oil to a large frying pan. Add a small handful of the cheese and mix vigorously with a fork or whisk. When the pasta is ready, scoop out and reserve 11/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Add the drained pasta to the frying pan and piace over low heat. Gradually add the remaining cheese, the crushed pepper, and spoonfuls of the cooking water as needed to make a creamy sauce, stirring and tossing for about 3 minutes to finish cooking the pasta and to coat the strands evenly with the sauce. Divide among warmed bowls and serve at once.

Buon appetito!

 MAKES 4 servings

- 2 Ib (1 kg) Manila or other small clams or cockles, scrubbed
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) dry white wine
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Ib (500 g) linguine or spaghetti
- 1/2 cup (4 fI oz/125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Generous pinch of red pepper flakes
- Large handful of fresh fiat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

The best clams for this pasta are Manila or littlenecks. Choose the smallest ones you can find, as they are the most tender. Tiny New Zealand cockles, now widely available in many fish markets, are another excellent choice, though they result in a more delicately flavored sauce.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, put the clams in a separate large saucepan or pot, discarding any that do not dose to the touch. Pour in the wine, piace over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring the clams occasionally, until they start to open, 2-3 minutes. Pull each clam from the pot as it opens and piace in a large bowl (some take longer than others; if you leave them ali in the pot, the early openers will be overcooked). Discard any clams that fail to open. Strain the clam broth through a paper coffee filter or a fine mash sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth (mislin) into a bowl and the aside.

When the water is boiling, add about 2 tablespoons salt. Add the linguine, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly golden, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved clam broth and the lemon juice and simmer over low heat unti] slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a pinch of salt, if necessary.
Drain the linguine well and add it to the sauce in the pan. Add the clams in their shells and any juices that have accumulated. Stir and toss well over low heat for about 1 minute to coat the pasta. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl, add the parsley, and toss gently. Serve at once.

Buon appetito!

 MAKE 6-8 SERVINGS

- 2 cloves garlic
- About 1/2 cup (1/2 oz/15 g) fresh fiat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil plus
- 2 tablespoons for brushing
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 eggplant (aubergine), 1-11/4 lb (500-625 g), trimmed and cut crosswise into slices 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick
- 2 zucchini (courgettes), trimmed and thickly sliced lengthwise -
- 2 red or yellow beli peppers (capsicums)
- 6 green (spring) onions, including tender green tops, trimmed
- Sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

The vegetables in this classic antipasto signal the arrivai of midsummer. The dish is unequaled in its delicious simplicity: meaty vegetables cooked over a hot fire, peeled, and drizzled with olive oil and seasonings. Enjoy this dish in the garden with soft burrata (a buttery fresh cheese made from mozzarella curds and cream) or fresh mozzarella, crusty country bread, and a dark pink rosé.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Oil the grill rack. Using a chef's knife, mince together the garlic and parsley. Transfer to a small bowl, add the 1/2 cup olive oil and the vinegar, and mix well. Set aside.
Brush the vegetables with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using tongs, lay the eggplant and zucchini slices, the peppers, and the green onions over the hottest part of the fire or directly over the heat elements. Cook the eggplant and zucchini slices, turning once, until both sides have grill marks and the slices are tender, about 6 minutes total for the eggplant and about 3 minutes total for the zucchini. Grill the green onions, turning as needed, until slightly charred and tender, about 4 minutes total. Grill the peppers, turning as needed, until the skin is blackened and evenly blistered on ali sides, about 10 minutes total.
As the vegetables finish cooking, transfer the eggplant, zucchini, and onions to a platter. Place the peppers in a paper bag and fold over the top so they will steam. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove from the bag, remove and discard the stems, and slit the peppers open lengthwise and remove and discard the seeds and ribs. Peel away the blackened skin, and cut the peppers lengthwise into strips about 1/2 inch (12 mm) wide. Add the pepper strips to the platter.
Drizzle the olive oil-parsley mixture evenly over the vegetables, and then sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes (if using). Serve at once.

Buon appetito!

 MAKE 4-6 SERVINGS

- 3 lb (1.5 kg) fava (broad) beans in their pods
- 6 oz (185 g) pecorino cheese, cut into 1/2-inch (12-cm) cubes
- 1/4 cup (2 fI oz/60 ml) extravirgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

In Italy, fava beans are one of the firstvegetables of the spring garden. Early in the season, the young beans are so crisp and tender that they are eaten raw, straight out of their bright green pods. Look for a medium-aged pecorino, which will hold its shape better when cut.

To shell the beans, press along the seam of each pod with your thumb to split it open. Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Pinch the edge of each bean where it was attached to the pod to slip it from its skin. Discard the skins and transfer the beans to a salad bowl.
Add the cheese to the beans, then drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix well and serve.
NOTE: Fava beans are often seen on antipasti platters, served atop garlicky crostini. Follow the instructions on page 40 to prepare the crostini. Blanch and peel the fava beans as directed above. In a bowl, lightly smash the beans with the back of a fork. Spread the beans on the crostini and serve with a drizzle of olive oil. Or, for a more elaborate presentation, top with a small, thin slice of prosciutto.

Buon appetito!