La Cucina Italiana - De Italiaanse Keuken - The Italian Kitchen

The Brodetto di pesce marchigiano is a rich and tasty marine dish. The Bombarelli is a dish made with a kind of shellfish also called sea snail. The roasted rabbit is a typical Marche dish and it is a tasty stuffed rabbit. The Sciughetti or sughetti marchigiani is a poor peasant dish linked with the harvest. The Dolce della Contesa is originally from Offagna and is a cake made of puff pastry. [...]

Tagliatelle is the shape par excellence for egg pasta. In the Marche it represents a dish to be enjoyed with a rich tomato sauce for a Sunday lunch.[...]

Ingredients

• 250 g Egg Tagliatelle
• 500 g of Tomato sauce with Vegetables
• Extra virgin olive oil
• One garlic clove
• Salt to taste
• Hard Pecorino (or Parmesan cheese)

Directions

Farro Salad with Preserved Artichokes, Fava beans & Gremolata dressing

Ingredients

• 150g Farro, possibly unhulled (but pearled is fine)
• a large leek, or 2 if they are small, thinly sliced
• 4 pieces of baby artichokes preserved in olive oil, drained and sliced
• about 8 pods of fava beans
• 2 tsps olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• For the gremolata dressing:
• A small bunch of parsley
• juice of half a small lemon
• A garlic clove
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Italian tomatoes are integral to the country's cuisine, and different types have different culinary uses. Here is a guide to the most popular ones. [...]

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 280 gr. of Chestnuts 
• 350 gr. of chicken livers
• 500 ml. of milk
• 1 shallot
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 120 ml. dry white wine
• 1/2 tbsp of orange powder
• salt
• black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Fennel in béchamel sauce are a winter rich and flavorful side dish. In the Marche region are mainly consumed raw. 

Ingredients:

• 4 large fennel bulbs,
• 30 g butter,
• 50 g flour,
• 400 ml milk,
• freshly ground nutmeg,
• 30 g grated parmesan cheese,
• salt to taste.

I few days ago I ‘stumbled’ upon a typical Italian cookie: buoni ma brutti (good but ugly). And the recipe is so easy that in a few minutes I got them into the oven and half an hour later they were ready.

Ingredients

• 150 g almond flour
• 100 g hazelnut flour
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp raw honey
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon

Jamie shares a new restaurant and his best recipe for penne arrabita. You don’t need many ingredients, it’s super simple and really packs spice.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 x 400g tins quality chopped tomatoes
• 200ml organic vegetable stock
• 400g penne pasta
• a bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked and torn
• 25g parmesan cheese
• optional: ¼ scotch bonnet chilli, very finely chopped
• extra virgin olive oil
• 50g sourdough or ciabatta breadcrumbs
• ½ a bunch of mixed fresh herbs, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

This is a traditional Italian Christmastime cake, made with a yellow sponge cake (baked in a shallow Swiss-roll pan) rolled up with a chestnut filling and finished with chocolate buttercream icing so that it resembles a Yule log. [...]

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PASTRY SYRUP:

• 4 cups (1 liter) of water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons Strega (an Italian liqueur) or a mandarin-orange liqueur

FOR THE CAKE:

• 6 large eggs, separated (you will use both the yolks and the whites)
• 10 tablespoons (5 1/4 ounces/150 grams) granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoons (6 ounces/170 grams) unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted
• Pinch of salt

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 jar of chestnut puree/cream ("crema di marroni" or "confettura di castagne")

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 7 TB (3 1/2 oz/100 g) butter, slightly softened
• 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Named after their city of origin, Ascoli Piceno (Marche region) where they were first prepared, the variety of olives that is used got the PDO status in 2005.It’s a simple recipe and a very versatile food, as it can be considered as street food, finger food or as a tasty appetizer. They say it may date back to the early 19th century. At that time, some chefs invented this recipe that combines the pulpy green olives grown in Ascoli Piceno and the meat that the noblemen they worked for received in huge quantities by their peasants. Nowadays, you can find them frozen in the supermarket, but people from Marche keep up the tradition to make them from scratch on Sundays.

Ingredients:

• olives from Ascoli piceno;
• mixture of beef and pork meat;
• white wine;
• egg yolks;
• grated parmesan cheese;
• flour;
• breadcrumbs

Directions

Ingredients - serves 4+

• 2-3 handfuls of borlotti beans (preferably fresh) dried
• 1 large jar or 2lbs/1 kilo of tomatoes, crushed, passed (seeded & skinned) or pureed
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 1 onion
• 5-6 pieces of bone (whatever type you like) I normally use pork ribs that the butcher cuts in half
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• sage
• sprig of rosemary if you like
• pasta of your choice
• extra virgin olive oil for finishing the dish

The linguine is cooked until just al dente — in salty water, of course — then tossed with the clams, broth, and a handful of fresh herbs until it absorbs the sauce. Add a pad of butter or splash of olive oil and flurry of chopped parsley at the very end to make your pasta verdant and shiny, and serve with a cold glass of white wine

Ingredients - Serves 4

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly chopped
• 1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 lb small Manila or littleneck clams, soaked and scrubbed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 12 oz linguine
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

4. Trattoria Monti 

Run by the amiable and charming Camerucci brothers, Enrico and Daniele, with their mom Sandra in the kitchen, Trattoria Monti consistently stays in my top 5 places to eat in Rome. One thing I love about it is the relaxing ambiance, and friendly service that allows you to choose the pace of your meal.

The other is of course the food: You will find some Roman dishes, such as lamb, artichokes (when in season) and occasionally, skate and broccoli soup, but they also specialize in dishes from Le Marche where they are from. I particularly love their mixed antipasto dish, featuring fried cream and a spreadable sausage. Everything is fantastic here, especially my favorite pasta: the giant tortellone with egg yolk. But save room for dessert: they are all homemade and worth coming here for, all by themselves.

Via di S. Vito, 13/A | Tel:+39 06 4466573 | Tue-Sat open for lunch and dinner. Sunday lunch only. Closed Monday. Closed the entire month of August 

While the so-called Mediterranean diet tends to be relatively healthy, some of it can be as super-calorific as it is super-tasty. [...]

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 3 zucchini 
• 100 g of tuna 
• 1 slice of sandwich bread 
• 1 tbsp of capers 
• 1 tbsp of black olives 
• 1 egg 
• parsley 
• garlic 
• salt 
• bread crumbs

Two iconic spring vegetables, artichokes and peas, are braised together with a simple onion flavor base to make this simple but tasty side dish...

Ingredients Serves 4-6 as a side dish

• 250g (1/2 lb) sweet peas, shelled
• 500g (1 lb) whole artichokes, or 250g (1/2 lb) frozen artichoke wedges
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
• 50g (2 oz) pancetta, chopped (optional)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Water or broth

Directions

Vincisgrassi, a type of baked pasta, comes from the region of Le Marche in Italy. It's attributed to both General Windischgrätz (who fought Napoleon at Ancona), and to princisgrassi (meaning fat for the prince). In either case it’s very rich – some versions being even richer with the addition of sweetbreads and a pasta dough made with vin santo or marsala.

Ingredients

• dried porcini 30g
• double cream 500ml
• chicken stock 500ml
• bay leaf 1
• olive oil
• flat mushrooms 400g, finely chopped
• flat-leaf parsley chopped to make 2 tbsp
• parma ham 300g, shredded
• egg 1
• fresh pasta 6 large sheets or 12 small sheets
• parmesan 150g, grated
• butter 25g, softened

A traditional Italian starter, the olive ascolane or olive all’ascolana are a relatively simple dish that requires a somewhat careful preparation and, most of all, the right kind of olives. You will need the ascolane tenere variety...

Ingredients

• 100g beef
• 100g pork
• 100g chicken
• 30g soft white bread
• Half white onion
• Nutmeg
• 80g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Half lemon rind, grated
• One third of teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small celery stalk
• 1 glass white wine
• 3 egg
• Salt
• White flour
• Breadcrumbs
• 500ml extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Its Carnival time and that means its the season to indulge in delicious sweets. Forget pancakes this year and why not try one of these five (or every single one) yummy variations from the Italian Carnival gastronomic tradition? Apple, pineapple, raisin there's bound to be one that takes your fancy. [...]

The first dinner of the series - organized by Notturno Vancouver, BC - will take place on Monday, February 16 and will highlight the Italian region of Le Marche, an homage to Chef Robitaille’s heritage. Le Marche not only boasts the typical rustic taste know throughout central Italy, but also the fresh, sweet flavour of the sea.[...]

Abruzzo has it all: rolling hills, azure waters and dramatic mountain tops. Here the cuisine is varied yet one ingredient is king: lamb. Lamb or actually mutton is the main ingredient for many dishes in the region. Though the coastal side of Abruzzo is beautiful, it seems that when it comes to food, the mountainous inland’s traditions hold court. Thus with no further ado, here’s what to eat in Abruzzo. [...]

The town of Castellucio is a short drive and is famous for lentils and the view of the Piano Grande (a giant alpine valley with beautiful wildflowers in the late spring). In and around Norcia you can find this famous dish, Pasta alla Norcia. I tried it with several types of sausage and decided to make my own. This was the best outcome of all the attempts. [...]

Ingredients

For the sausage:

• 2 lbs pork butt – sliced into cubes
• 1/4 lb prosciutto – one large piece
• 1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp fennel seed
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp anise seed
• 1 Tbsp sugar

For the dish (serves 2 main courses, 4 as a first course):

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion – small dice
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 the prepared sausage mixture, use the remaining for another purpose (or double the other amounts to serve 4 main courses)
• 1 cup Italian dry white wine such as a Trebbiano or Verdicchio
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or to taste (use a microplane grater)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb good quality rigatoni mezze or orecchiette
• 1 tsp Summer Black Truffle paste (if available)
• Grated Pecorino cheese

Directions

No Italian household can be such without the fundamental ritual of frittata making. Frittata perfectly incapsulates the genuine spirit of Italian Cucina Povera (peasant cuisine), a cost effective way of cooking that relies mainly on fresh, inexpensive, seasonal ingredients, cooked simply and with love.[...]

Ingredients, serves 4-6

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced to 1/2 cm thick (1/4 inch)
• 2 French shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 organic, free-range eggs (because we can’t support battery eggs any longer)
• 2 tablespoons of mil
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• mixed herbs
• bread for serving

There’s some debate over Italian tiramisu history, but happily, none over our yummy original Italian tiramisu dessert recipe (with mascarpone, no alcohol). You only need a few ingredients and 15 minutes to prepare this authentic and easy-to-make Italian tiramisu dessert.

Plus, you don’t have to fry or bake anything. Just prepare coffee, mix a few ingredients, and leave the dessert in the fridge for two hours. 

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 12 finger biscuits
• 125g (4.5oz) mascarpone
• 2 eggs
• 50g (2oz) white sugar
• 1 bowl of coffee
• cocoa powder (for sprinkling on the finished dessert)

Directions