La Cucina Italiana - De Italiaanse Keuken - The Italian Kitchen

Ingredients for 4 person:

• 250 gr of Pappardelle Filotea
• 8 artichokes
• 15 datterini tomatoes
• 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 150 g thin sliced bacon
• salt
• pepper

Direction:

Cut off the sharp points from the artichokes’s leaves, than remove and scoop out the “hairs” that cover the artichokes heart, slice the artichokes. Clean the uncooked artichokes in water with lemon juice. [...]

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

As a child, waking up on Easter Sunday felt almost like the resurrection that is celebrated that very day: It meant a joyful lunch after Mass, all while bathed in the newly found sunlight of May.
My grandfather -- who always worked as hard as his arms would allow him and never thought one should fit comfortably in a pair of farmer's shoes --- wore cologne and combed his hair back with grease. He smoked with an Alain Delon-esque allure as he waited for my grandma to put on her best coat and go to Mass.
The previous day, she would put freshly laid eggs into a basket and bring them to the priest, so that he could impart his blessing upon them. Then she would make Crescia, which she and my grandfather would eat with hard-boiled eggs and cold cuts as a pre-Mass breakfast. They would then drive off on their old, cream-colored Fiat 600. After 40 days of Lent, celebration was in order; the richness of the Crescia summed up their feeling of post-Lent satisfaction in a most outstanding fashion.
I collected this recipe from scraps found in my grandma's old notebook, which had been buried in a closet for several years.

Ingredients

• 3.5 ounces Sourdough starter, or leftover bread or pizza dough
• 4 cups Bread Flour (17.6 oz)
• 5 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Flavorful olive oil
• 1.7 ounces Lard (substitute with a bit more oil if not using)
• 3.5 ounces Mix of grated Pecorino and Parmesan cheeses
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Pepper

Directions

It’s that time of year … borage shows up at markets with its intensely blue, five-petal flowers, which is why this herb is also known as “starflower”. Nature can be such a ham with excess on occasion but it cannot be denied that she knows a trick or two about seduction. Borage looks so … so … “fresh” and “vivid” and come-hither, reminding us that Spring is all about promise and potential, renewal and re-jewel. Borage is very Alice in Wonderland … Eat Me.[...]
Once trimmed, the borage needs proper cleaning, I was able to wash and rinse them in the kitchen sink.
When the water came to the boil, I added some salt and gently slid the borage leaves into the pot. The idea is to wilt the borage, so only a few minutes of simmering will suffice. Drain the borage and allow to cool. Shape the borage into little patties ... [...]

Keep to read

Cauliflower is probably the most versatile of winter vegetables. It lends itself to practically every cooking technique you can think of: steaming, braising, boiling, frying, baking, roasting… And its mild flavor lends itself to pairing with all sorts of other foods and sauces. Here is one of my very favorite ways to make cauliflower—simply steamed and napped with a zesty anchovy sauce.
Ingredients - Serves 4 as a side dish or antipasto, 2 as a vegetarian main dish

• 1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into flowerets

For the anchovy sauce:

• 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
• 1 peperoncino (dried red pepper) (or a pinch of red pepper flakes)
• 1 small can of anchovy fillets (50g/2 oz)
• A handful of capers, rinsed and squeezed dry
• White wine (or water)
• A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

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

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

It's easy to buy the gnocchi at the supermarket but have you ever thought of making your own at home? Feel and taste the difference.

Thus the saying Giovedì gnocchi, Venerdi pesce (Thursday gnocchi, Friday fish). The days in other Italian regions differ though. Nowadays, this tradition is not as followed as before so you can find gnocchi any day of the week and no one will grab your dish away from you if it's not the right day. [http://www.apronandsneakers.com/]

Ingredients:

1 pound starchy potatoes4 ounces flour + extra for sprinkling1 eggSalt2 ounces butter6-8 fresh sage leavesParmesan cheese, grated1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions

True lovers of the dish know that when making these olives for guests, one should always calculate at least ten olives per person. Which means, yes, almost one hundred olives for eight people. But let’s start from the beginning, as the purists would. The olives used for Olive all’Ascolana should be the “Ascolana Tenera” variety, which are kept in pickled water with a touch of fennel seeds before being stuffed with beef, pork or white meat and then fried in extra-virgin olive oil. In 2005, the olives all’Ascolana from Piceno area were included in Europe’s Protected Designation of Origin scheme. Zè Migliori is the owner of a famed delicatessen in the center of Ascoli Piceno. “The exact recipe for our stuffing is a family secret – and each family has its own – but usually it includes three kinds of meat: chicken, veal and pork cooked with seasoning and sautéed in butter, Parmigiano and nutmeg. The meat should be ground in a meat grinder only after cooking.” [...]

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

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

Seafood tends to be expensive, but, for some reason, mussels remain very affordable. Plus, they’re delicious and very quick to make. In this recipe, steamed mussels are partially shelled and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs before being run under the broiler. It makes for an awesome light antipasto.

Ingredients - Serves 4-6 as an antipasto

• 1 bag of mussels 
• White wine

For the topping:

• 150-200g (1-1/2 to 2 cups) breadcrumbs
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• A few sprigs of parsley, chopped
• Olive oil
• The liquor from steaming the mussels
• Salt and pepper

Asparagus & Ricotta Crespelle (Serves 4, or makes 8 Crespelle)

For the Crespelle

• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup Goat’s milk*
• 1/4 cup water
• A pinch of salt
• Oil or butter for the pan

For the Asparagus Ragù

• 1 lb Asparagus spears (weight trimmed)
• 1 Small-ish onion
• A small carrot
• A piece of celery stick (about 4 in.)
• 3 Tbsp Olive oil
• A half cup of white wine
• A half cup of vegetable stock, plus more
• Salt&Pepper

For the Ricotta filling

• 10 Oz Creamy ricotta*
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino or hard seasoned goat cheese
• A good grating of nutmeg
• Salt&Pepper

To finish

• More grated cheese
• Finely chopped green onion or scallions
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

From Easter tart to rabbit with herbs here are the delicacies that you can prepare to celebrate Easter, a religious celebration in all Christian Catholic Countries. Here are the recipes by La Cucina Italiana to properly replicate Italian Carnival at home.

Ingredients filled artichokes:

• Artichokes
• 1 lemon
• bread crumbs
• garlic leaves
• a few mint leaves
• parsley
• olive oil and salt

Directions

The quantity of ingredients needed depends on the size and amount of artichokes necessary.

To begin cutting the artichokes first rub your fingers with lemon. Eliminate the outside leaves of the artichokes and then cut the sharp points off. Then put them in a bowl of lemon juice and let stand for 15 minutes.[...]

In the real CARBONARA the eggs are cooked only by the heat of the spaghetti that is poured and mixed with them fresh from the pasta pot. But the operation can be tricky—if the pasta is not hot enough, or if too much pasta water clings to the pasta, the result can be a runny, unappetizing mess. And, of course, concerns about egg contamination these days make this way of making carbonara a bit risky, too. So, after years of experimenting with different methods, I’ve come up with my own technique.

Ingredients - Serves 4-6

• 400-500g (14-16 oz) spaghetti
• 4-5 medium eggs
• 250g (8 oz) grated pecorino romano cheese (or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino)
• 250g (8 oz) guanciale or pancetta, cut into cubed
• Olive oil (or lard)
• Salt, to taste
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper

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

Why do roasted potatoes taste so much better in Italy?! Well, it could be a few reasons. First the potatoes are golden and buttery to begin with (and homegrown at our farm) and secondly because they are made with with a two-step roasting process. This two part cooking process uses two different temperatures to achieve the desired flavor and look of the potatoes. The first half of the cooking time done at the lower temp is primarily to cook the potatoes until soft. The second half of the cooking time is done at a higher temp to get that gorgeous golden color. (The movement of air with a convection fan will act in lieu of raising the oven’s temperature.)

Ingredients - Serves 4

• 4 medium sized yellow potatoes (you can use any type you like, but we prefer gold/yellow potatoes) - peeled or skins left on is your choice.
• whole clove of garlic, skin removed
• salt & pepper
• olive oil
• small sprig of rosemary (do not cut into pieces)

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

This authentic Christmas pizza recipe is a favourite with our friends in Le Marche. Cook it in advance and keep it with your other Italian cookies to offer unexpected guests!

Italian Christmas pizza : ingredients

500 grammes (1 lb, 4 cups) type 00 (or strong white bread) flour1 tablespoon sugarChristmas pizza ingredients1 sachet dried yeast1 whole nutmeg, grated (or 2 teaspoons dried nutmeg)2 teaspoons dried cinammonPinch salt1 cup milk0.5 cup of warm water mixed with extra virgin olive oil (equal quantities)The grated peel and juice of one orange and one lemonOne bowl full of raisins, sultanas, diced dates, diced figs, walnuts, hazelnuts and any other dried fruits and nuts your family likeOne cake or lasagne tin measuring 28 cm (roughly 11”) and at least 8 cm (3”) deep Directions

Ingredients

300 g salt cod3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 medium, peeled and finely chopped onion1 piece dried chilli4-5 tinned plum tomatoes8 pitted, semi-dried prunesparsleyDirections

Lentils are legumes, not beans, and don’t require the pre-soaking that dried beans do. I can keep lentils in the cupboard, pull them out, and have a great soup in about an hour.
In Italy, there are a couple of basic lentil recipes that you’ll find in many regions of Italy. Lentils and sausage are favorite combination in Umbria and Tuscany. Lentils are stewed in tomato sauce and broth in Emilia Romagna, where they are often served along with sausage on New Year’s Day, as eating lentils to welcome the new year is believed to bring luck – their coin-like shaped predicting future wealth.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 small onion, chopped into 1/4 inch dice4 ounces pancetta, chopped (optional)1 carrot, cut into 1/4 inch dice1 stalk celery, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch diceKosher salt and freshly ground pepper1 cup canned plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch dice1/2 pound (about 1 1/4 cups) dried lentils, rinsed3 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth

Directions

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