Easy Italian Recipes

 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 !

 MAKES 6 SERVINGS

- 4 lb (2 kg) assorted fish and shellfish such as clams, mussels, snapper, striped bass, cod, haddock, cleaned squid, shrimp (prawns) in the shell, and crabs, in any combination
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, 2 minced and 1 halved Iengthwise
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup (8 fI oz/250 ml) dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 3 cups (24 oz/750 g) canned plum (Roma) tornato purée
- 6 thick slices coarse country bread

Along the Tuscan coast, especially around the lively ports of Livorno and Viareggio, zuppa di pesce, thick fish stewiike soup ladied over bread, is a popular dish. The ingredients vary according to what is available at the market, so buy what looks best and what your pocketbook can handle. Choose deboned fish fillets if possible.

If using clams, scrub well, discarding any that fail to dose to the touch. If using mussels, scrub well, debeard, and discard any that fail to dose to the touch. If using fish fillets, cut into large chunks. Clean any whole fish, remove and discard their heads and tails, remove their skin, and cut crosswise into thick slices on the bone. If using squid, cut the body into rings about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and the tentacles into medium-sized pieces. Place all the seafood in a bowl of salted cold water and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften and is fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and sauté unti! the garlic is fragrant, 1 minute.
Raise the heat to high, add the red pepper flakes, and pour in the wine. Let the alcohol bubble away for a couple of minutes, then reduce the heat to medium, pour in the tornato purée, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 5 minutes.

Begin adding the seafood to the soup, starting with the squid, adding the fish slices after 10 minutes, and ending with the shellfish. After all the seafood is added, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, at a slow simmer for about 15 minutes to cook the seafood and blend the flavors. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Meanwhile, toast the bread and rub the surface with the cut sides of the halved garlic. Place 1 bread slice in each warmed soup bowl.
Transfer the soup to a warmed tureen. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Bring the tureen to the table and ladle a mix of fish and shellfish and some broth onto the toast in each bowl. Serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 6 servings

- 2 Ib (1 kg) spinach, stemmed
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 tablespoons (3 oz/90 g) unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups (15 oz/470 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 3/4 cups (7 oz/220 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups (71/2 oz/235 g) allpurpose (plain) flour
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) plain fine dried bread crumbs

In Florence, this type of gnocchi is called nudi, because it is similar to ravioli filling minus the pasta. These gnocchi are particularly delicate. If you think they might not hold their shape when they are boiled, make a test gnoccho and drop it into a saucepan of boiling water. If it breaks apart, add a little more flour to the remaining mixture. You can boil the gnocchi up to 3 hours in advance, and then cover and refrigerate them until it is time to bake them. if they have been chilled, add 5 minutes or so to the baking time.

In a saucepan, combine the spinach, 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/ 60 ml) water, and a pinch of salt. Cover, piace over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain the spinach and let cool, then squeeze to extract the excess liquid. Finely chop the spinach and set aside.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and sauté unti! tender and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the ricotta, 1 cup (4 oz/125 g) of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the eggs, and the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and spinach and stir well. Stir in the flour until well blended and a soft dough forms.
Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment (baking) paper. Scoop up a tablespoon of the dough and, with dampened hands, lightly shape it into a ball 3/4 inch (2 cm) in diameter. Place the ball on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure the balls don't touch on the baking sheets.

Bring at large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Butter a shallow 3-qt (3-1) gratin or baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Reduce the heat so the water is at a steady simmer. Add half of the gnocchi to the pot and cook, stirring gently once or twice, until they rise to the surface, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the prepared dish. Cook the remaining gnocchi in the same way and add them to the dish.

Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into bits and dot the surface of the gnocchi evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup (3 oz/95 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and the bread crumbs. Bake until the butter is sizzling and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKE 6 SERVINGS

- 1 can (7 oz/220 g) olive oil-packed tuna, preferably Italian
- 3 cups (21 oz/660 g) drained, cooked cannellini beans (page 275)
- 5 tablespoons (21/2 fl oz/ 75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 small heads radicchio, preferably Treviso, halved lengthwise
- 1 cup (5 oz/155 g) chopped celery
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped Pinch of dried oregano
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Red radicchio grows in heads with leaves that range from creamy to greenish white near the base to wine red at the tips. The Treviso variety has elongated leaves, while the Chioggia and most other varieties are round or ovai. Here, smooth, creamy cannellini beans, a type of white kidney bean that is a favorite of Tuscans, are a perfect complement to the slight bitterness of the grilled radicchio. Maroonspeckled  nborlotti or cranberry beans can be substituted.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat and oil the grill rack. Alternatively, preheat the broiler (grill). Drain the tuna and break it up into chunks. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the beans, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the garlic and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until heated through and the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Brush the radicchio halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

BY GRILL: Using tongs, arrange the radicchio halves over the hottest part of the fire or directly over the heat elements and grill, turning once, until wilted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes total.

BY BROILER: Arrange the radicchio halves on a broiler pan and slip it in the broiler about 4 inches (10 cm) from the heat source. Broil (grill) turning once, until wilted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes total.
Transfer the radicchio halves to a cutting board, let cool slightly, and then cut crosswise into ribbons.
Add the radicchio, celery, onion, oregano, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the beans and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Divide the bean salad among individuai plates, and top each serving with an equal amount of the tuna. Serve at once.

Buon appetito!