Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 4 lb (2 kg) English peas in their pods
- 6 tablespoons (3 fl oz/90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Handful of fresh basil leaves

In Tuscany, peas are only to be served, and found in the markets, when they are in season, and their season is fleeting. If you catch it perfectly in early spring, you will be rewarded with tiny, tender, sweet vegetables. This recipe celebrates the early spring bounty.

Shell the peas into a bowl and set aside. You should have about 4 cups (1 1/4 lb/ 625 g) shelled peas.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and stir well. Pour in just enough water to cover the peas, cover the pan, and cook just until soft, 5-7 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in the basil. Continue cooking until the peas are tender but stili firm, about 3 minutes longer.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 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 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!