La Cucina Italiana - De Italiaanse Keuken - The Italian Kitchen

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. [...]

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

In Italy, many traditional delicacies are made from simple and wholesome foodstuffs, such as our precious legumes. The Cicerchia soup within Pagnotta Bread is a treat handed down from Italian grandmothers and put on the table to impress diners.

Ingredients

• 500 grams of Cicerchia
• Half an onion
• A stick of celery
• A carrot
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 100 gr of Guanciale/Pancetta
• 5 Pagnotta bread

Italian people are joyful and cheerful, but there is one thing they are very serious about: Italian Food. Very strict when it comes to food pairings, we can almost be unbearable when facing foreigners clumsy attempts to give a twist to Italian food. Don’t get mad at us: we do it for a good reason...

The spit roaster (girarrosto) is a quintessential cooking tool in an Italian farmhouse - especially since in the winter there is a fire always going in the kitchen. Its as simple as pulling out some hot coals and laying them just in front of the meat you will spit roast. Here we spit-roast quail, pigeon, all types of wild small birds, chickens, sausage, thick slices of pancetta and even eel. The best part of how we spit roast comes at the end... with a fiery blaze of melting pork fat!!

Spit Roasted Pigeon with Pancetta Recipe - Piccione al girarrosto - serves 4

• 4 small pigeons cleaned (you can use any small bird you like, up to a chicken it will just take longer to cook.)
• 4 thick slices of pancetta
• juniper berries
• sage
• garlic
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• nice piece of lardo or pork fat wrapped in butcher paper

On days like these -- when cold snow creeps over the tops of our boots and we're glad to be packed into a crowded subway car simply for the heat -- very few things make us warm and happy. Pasta, on a day like this, is like a hot shower -- very few things make us feel this warm and content.

Edward Giobbi's Spaghetti alla Foriana Grandma DiLaura's italian Ricotta Gnocchi Pasta e CeciDiane Kochilas' Pasta with Yogurt and Caramelized Onions Al Forno's Penne with Tomato, Cream and Five CheesesBirthday LasagnaRigatoni with Fennel and Veal SausageRao's MeatballsSwiss Chard and Lemon Ricotta Pasta Spaghetti Carbonara Pasta Al Forno with Pumpkin and Pancetta

Leftover pasta is generally pretty bad when reheated. But there is one great way to recycle leftover pasta: as a frittata. All you do is mix your leftovers with eggs and grated cheese, perhaps some minced parsley for color, and a bit of salt and pepper if it needs it. Then proceed as you would for any frittata, although I like to let this kind of frittata brown quite a bit more on each side.

Ingredients

For each 100-150g (4-5 oz) of leftover pasta, add:

2 medium eggs2 heaping Tablespoons of grated parmesan or pecorino, as you preferSalt and pepper, to tasteA few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely minced (optional)Olive oil for frying

Directions

Tomato and Farro Soup

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 ounces pancetta cut into ¼-inch dice2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice1 small onion, chopped into ¼-inch dice1 medium leek, white part only, trimmed of roots and tough outer leaves, chopped into ½-inch dice and swirled vigorously in a bowl of cold water to remove any gritKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper2 garlic cloves, minced1 cup farro, rinsed3 bay leaves1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves1 teaspoon dried oregano5-6 cups chicken broth1 teaspoon sugar3 14-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes, pulsed in food processor until coarsely pureed2 pepperoncini, thinly sliced and seeds removed, for garnish2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips, for garnishFreshly grated Parmesan, as needed

Directions:

Pasta salad is often associated with summer, but why not prepare it during the darker months as well? It is the perfect lunch dish and, because it is cold, it can be prepared ahead of time; just toss the ingredients together when it is time to eat! And it is perfect for your lunch box the day after. [...]

PASTA SALAD WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO AND WINTER VEGETABLES

Ingredients

4 servings400 g/14 oz pasta1 small cauliflower1 small celery root150 g/5,3 oz Parma hambunch of parsley, finely chopped1 clove of garlicherb saltextra-virgin olive oilDirections

Stewed Octopus Recipe (Polipo in Umido) 

Ingredients

1 one pound (500 g) octopusreserved blanching water3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)1 medium onion, diced3 cloves garlic, minced or grated1/3 cup chopped parsley1 large can, 28 oz (800 g), whole tomatoes – hand-torn1 small can, 14 oz (400 g) whole tomatoes – hand-torn1/2 tsp dried marjoram (2 tsp fresh)3 to 4 oz dry white winefresh, crusty bread for serving

Directions

The anchovies add only a hint of fishiness—what they add in spades is flavor, which marries wonderfully with the green beans. Borlotti beans and cauliflower can be prepared the same way, with equally delicious results.

Ingredients - Serves 4-6 as a side course or antipasto

500g (1 lb) green beans, trimmed4-5 anchovy fillets1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped1 small onion, finely choppedA few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely choppedOlive oilA nob of butter (optional)

Directions

Dove mangiare la fiorentina a Firenze, le migliori bistecche. Pur essendo una specialità locale, spesso e volentieri il rischio è di imbattersi in uno di quei posti turistici dove ti spacciano per bistecca qualcosa di molto lontano dal bel taglio con l’osso che ti aspetteresti di trovare. All’Osteria del Nacchero in piazza Gavinana o alla Vecchia Osteria di Giogo, a Ponte a Ema, puoi stare tranquillo che non ti succederà mai. [...]

Marchigiani are said to eat more meat than any other Italians and enormous platters of meats (grigliata mista di carne) are common menu items when frequenting any one of their ristoranti. From spring to Christmas, Le Marche hosts a variety of feste or outdoor celebrations where the common theme is local produce, food and wine that visitors can sample. Here is a list of edible favourites not to be missed while traversing this region:

• Lonza
• Olive all’ascolana
• Truffles
• Brodetto all’anconetana
• Vincisgrassi
• Passatelli
• Piccione ripieno
• Coniglio in porchetta
• Casciotta d’Urbino
• Formaggio di fossa
• Crema fritta
• Calcioni and piconi
• Frustingo
• Wines

Classically, it was filled with sausage meat or wild herbs, but here we have a more modern incarnation featuring cheese and prosciutto. These are often eaten as a meal in themselves, but we prefer to share them as a delicious starter.

Ingredients

• Flour – 500g/18oz
• Instant dry yeast – 1 packet (9g/0.3oz)
• Salt – 1 level tsp
• Warm water – 350ml/12 fl oz
• Extra virgin olive oil – 1 tbsp
• Prosciutto  – several slices
• Stracchino cheese – 50g/2oz
• Arugula/rocket – bunch

Unlike fruits and vegetables, one doesn’t often think of meats as having seasons, but I’ve always associated game with the fall, pork with winter, and lamb with the spring. And as it turns out, there is something to this. Lamb is generally at its most tender in May and June when the animal is still young. Italians generally don’t care for older lamb, preferring the very youngest specimens, preferably still suckling their mothers, which they call abbacchio. 

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 persons

• 8 rib lamb chops (see Notes)
• Flour
• 3-4 eggs, beaten and seasoned with a pinch of salt
• Breadcrumbs
• Salt
• Olive oil for frying
• Lemon wedges for garnish

This chilli tomato mussels dish is all done and dusted start to finish in 15 minutes. Hard to believe… but true. A couple of minutes to chop onion, garlic, chilli and parsley. A couple of minutes to heat up the pot, five minutes to simmer the tomatoes, five minutes to cook the mussels, top with parsley and serve.

Ingredients - Serves 2 (or 4 as an entree)

• 2 tablespoons chilli olive oil (or normal olive oil)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 birds eye chilli, thinly sliced
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1kg mussels, bearded and ready to cook
• 1 cup dry white wine
• handful continental parsley, roughly chopped

Sgombro Arrostito con Patate e Pomodori - Roasted Mackerel with Potatoes and Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs (680 g) mackerel, cleaned and scaled
• 1.5 lbs (680 g) new potatoes, halved or quartered for uniform size
• olive oil
• 1 red onion, cut into eighths
• 1 lb (455 g) cherry tomatoes
• 6 oz (170 g) olive salad (misc olives, carrots, celery, peperoncini), roughly chopped
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil1 onion, peeled and chopped3 celery stalks, chopped1 carrot, peeled and diced2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped450 g plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped1 hot, dried chilli pepper, chopped4 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley1 glass dry white wine500 g cuttlefish, cleaned and cut into strips1 kg mixed fish fillets (such as bream, snapper or mullet)To serve: toasted slices of ciabatta-style breadDirections

Amaretti are those crispy Italian almond cookies that are crumbled and used for cakes, and in fact are not made of almonds but of apricot kernels. The word “amaretti” means “little bitter ones”. The home made variety is in fact made of almonds and it is initially more chewy than brittle. The recipe is easy.
You can make your own almond meal if needed by grinding blanched almonds in the food processor. You could toast them for 10 minutes in the oven at 180ºC/350ºF first to bring out the flavor.

Ingredients - for 25 large amaretti

250 grams (2 1/2 cups) almond meal250 grams (1 1/4 cup) caster sugar100 grams egg whites (about 3 large egg whites)1 tsp almond extractpinch of saltDirections

FRIED STUFFED OLIVES Makes 50 stuffed olives

Ingredients:

3 ounces fatty ground pork1 ounce minced mortadella1 ounce minced salami1 lemon, zest finely grated, and then cut into 8 wedges, seeds removed1 teaspoon finely grated garlic1 teaspoon paprika½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes1½ ounces finely grated parmesan cheeseKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper½ pound pitted green olives, about 50 olives2 quarts pure olive oil2 eggs½ cup flour1 cup breadcrumbsDirections

Unforgettable beaches, cliffs and caverns, some of which inhabited since the prehistory; and also national parks and WWF oasis. The diversity of the Marche is as wonderful as unusual and is reflected in the tables setting in this region of central Italy, overlooking on the east side the Adriatic Sea.
main course, second course and starter, from meats to wines. The kitchen of the Marche can be as nutritious and elaborate as simple and original: olive ascolane, vincisgrassi, ciauscolo, crescia sfogliata of Urbino. These are only some of the specialties of this land, so much appreciated to be adopted in the kitchens of other regions of the Italian boot. [...]

The first time I had cresce sfogliata was in Urbino. It was like eating a very rich yet very thin puff pastry quesadilla. On via Veneto 34 in Urbino, Piccolo Bar offered four varieties that would please both vegetarians and meat n’ cheese chowhounds alike. I had the prosciutto and formaggio (3.40€) – yum! Typically sold in half-rounds and heated to a warm crisp, it was all I could do to contain myself from tearing off the wrapping before finding a spot to sit down. A package of plain crescia rounds (also known as crostolo in Urbania) purchased before we headed back home disappeared soon enough, and I figured that I’d just have make my own. Lard is what makes the rounds so flaky and tasty.

Recipe for crescia sfogliata

2 cups all-purpose flour or grano tenero “00″1 teaspoon fine salt1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper1/2 teaspoon baking soda3 large eggs1 tablespoon waterAbout 8-10 tablespoons lardDirections

Fettuccine with Porcini, Sausage, and Cream

Ingredients - For 2 servings

20 grams (.7 oz) dried porcini mushrooms200 grams (7 oz) pork sausage (preferably sweet Italian)30 grams (2 Tbsp) butter125 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine125 ml (1/2 cup) cream (35% fat)1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsleypinch of powdered saffronsalt and freshly ground black pepper2 eggs200 grams (1 1/4 cup) semolina flour (semola di grano duro rimacinata)freshly grated parmigiano reggiano Directions