italian recipes

traditional hot Italian pork sausage. This recipe is fantastic to prepare in the fall and take to “tail-gating” parties. Because it freezes so well, my wife, Marti, usually doubles or quadruples the recipe to have some on hand when our family or friends gather.

1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage-- remove from casing and cut into bite size pieces

1 large green pepper – remove the core and seeds and cut into strips

½ lb. fresh mushrooms - wash and slice

½ can of tomato puree

Extra virgin olive oil

3 large cloves of garlic - diced or sliced

3 to 4 bay leaves

Parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Generously cover the bottom of skillet with extra virgin olive oil. Add bite sized pieces of sausage and brown. When finished, place the cooked sausage in a large cooking pot that has a lid. Set aside.

Generously cover the bottom of skillet with more extra virgin olive oil and fry green peppers. Don’t overcook these as they will be cooking more later to help flavor the sauce.

Place the cooked green peppers on top of the cooked sausage in the large pot.

Generously cover the bottom of skillet again with extra virgin olive oil. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until they have reabsorbed their juices. When finished place on top of sausage and peppers in large pot.

Now, place large pot on medium heat on stove top. Add the tomato puree, garlic, bay leaves, parsley and enough water to cover the mixture when it is stirred. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a boil. Change heat to low and slow cook for 1 ½ hours so all the flavors can get to know each other.

Serve with hard crusty roll.

Buon Appetito!

My mother didn’t use standard measuring cups, as there were none. She measured her water in empty egg shells. Rosa’s family has never changed the recipe, so even today; we measure the water in the empty egg shells.

6 eggs

1 tablespoon Italian bread crumbs per egg (therefore, 6 tablespoons for 6 eggs)

1 tablespoon freshly grated Romano cheese per egg (again, 6 tablespoons for 6 eggs)

Fresh minced parsley

Salt

Pepper

2 empty plus ½ egg shell filled with water per 6 eggs-no more, or the egg croutons will be too puffy and will become “big” in the broth.

Mix together. Pour into a buttered 9-inch pie pan.

Bake at 325º for 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. When cool, carefully turn out onto a cutting-board and slice the entire “pie” vertically into thin 1/8 inch strips. Then turn horizontally and slice crosswise into ½ inch croutons. You want these egg croutons to be small and elegant so they will not “swell” in the broth. Place in bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, you stew a fresh chicken in water with celery, onion, carrots, small tomato, bay leaf, salt and pepper. When chicken is done, de-bone and cut into small bite-size pieces. Strain broth so only the tasty, clear broth remains.

Bring broth to a simmer; add both egg croutons and bite-sized chicken pieces. Let it sit for a minute or two so the flavors get to know each other.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of grated Romano cheese. Fit for a king or your family!

This dish was always the first course at all important family gatherings such as weddings, Easter, Christmas, First Communions and every time Father Jerome or Father Dunstan came for Sunday dinner!

Although there are perhaps as many versions of Italian Wedding Soup as there are Italian provinces (20 to be exact), I can guarantee you will find this Abruzzese version to be spectacular. It doesn’t contain the meatballs and spinach you will find in many recipes and, therefore, is a much lighter, more elegant soup. Much of the flavor is derived from the full-bodied ‘egg crouton’ that floats with tender chicken in the broth. My mother brought this recipe over from ‘the old country’ years ago and nothing has changed in its’ presentation. Why tamper with success!

She serves them both as an appetizer or as a vegetable side dish. They are delicious either way, as our dinner guests will tell you!

Risotto:

5-6 cups chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon saffron threads

3 Tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups Arborio rice (also called risotto)

1 3-4 oz. piece of Parmigiano-Regggiano rind

1 egg yolk room temperature, beaten

¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

To make risotto:

-Heat chicken stock in sauce pan over medium heat until it is hot. Turn off burner and add saffron. Let it sit until you are ready for it.

-Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add rice and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until rice turns translucent ~about 2-3 minutes.

-Add rind and 1 cup hot chicken broth. Stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed. ----Continue this process of stirring and adding broth until rice is cooked. This will take 20-25 minutes and the rice will become creamy and a beautiful orange color.

-Remove from burner, discard rind and slowly stir in egg yolk in small portions. Don’t add beaten egg all at once, as it may tend to “cook”.

-Add grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well mixed.

-Pour risotto onto a cookie sheet to cool.

Arancine:

3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese-cut into small ½ inch pieces

2 egg whites, whisked until frothy

2 cups dried Italian bread crumbs

Olive oil or vegetable oil

To make arancine:

-Dampen clean hands and scoop ~1/3 cup of cooled risotto into your hand and form into ball.

-Push 1 piece of mozzarella into center of ball and reshape the rice ball.

-Dip the arancine into the frothy egg whites, roll to coat in the bread crumbs and return to cookie sheet.

-Continue until all risotto and cheese has been used. Cover the cookie sheet with foil and refrigerate the arancine for 30 minutes.

-Heat 2 inches of oil in a large deep-sided skillet. When oil is hot (~325º), place arancine in oil and fry until golden brown. Only turn when one side is browned as you don’t want the arancine to lose its shape. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

For a little variety you can also add a bit of prosciutto ham with the mozzarella cheese. Just remember to scoop a little more rice to make the ball slightly larger.

I have successfully frozen these when preparing ahead for a dinner party. Just remember to separate the uncooked arancine on a cookie sheet before freezing. Let the frozen arancine come to room temperature on the cookie sheet before you fry them in the hot oil.

Delicioso! These are guaranteed to bring rave reviews from your dinner guests or family.

Arancine literally translates into “little orange”. This is reference to the shape, size and color of the rice ball. The orange color of the inside is a result of the saffron which is added to the chicken broth used to cook the risotto. My wife, Marti, makes these the size of large walnuts.

This recipe was prepared by my mother and served on either hard Italian bread or rice. My sister, Lydia, taught me to make it. It is especially good served on hard crusty rolls. In the interest of health, I modified the recipe to use a hot Italian turkey sausage rather then the

Italians celebrate many “festa” days in Italy. Whether it’s the birth of Christ, a Patron Saint of a community, or the season of the beloved porcini mushrooms; one can always find a “festa” in full swing in Italy, especially in the summer!

One of the most celebrated “festas” is that of Ferragosto. The word Ferragosto actually breaks down into the 2 words; feria meaning Holiday and Agosto meaning the month of August. In fact, most Italians take a vacation the entire month of August and go to the shore or to the mountains to escape the heat in the cities, and to relax with family and friends. In the middle of the month, on August 15th, Italians turn out en masse at Mass to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Mother Mary into Heaven.

This particular recipe is called Pasta Ferragosto because it is always prepared on the 15th to pay homage to the ascension of Mary into Heaven.

This dish is so typical of Italian food. It is prepared from simple food, in a simple manner, with a perfect blending of flavors to create an unforgettable dining experience.

Cover bottom of glass baking dish generously with extra virgin olive oil.

Place 8 Roma tomatoes, sliced lengthwise, cut side up in the baking dish.

Sprinkle each sliced tomato half with: (in this order)

Italian bread crumbs

Oregano

Grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces

Fresh diced garlic (4-5 cloves)

A little red pepper flake (if you like spicy)

Salt and pepper to taste

Now, generously sprinkle all tomatoes with more extra virgin olive oil.

Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes. You’ll know when it is done because it will look toasted and golden brown and the aroma in your kitchen will make you salivate.

While the tomato mixture is baking, cook 1 pound of spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Remove tomato mixture from oven. With 2 forks, shred the baked tomato mixture and mix with the warm olive oil in the dish. Pour this mixture over the hot spaghetti and toss until well mixed.

Serve in a pasta dish with a garnish of grated cheese.

HEAVENLY!

The Tuscans are known as the “bean-eaters”. They grow many varieties of beans and have become connoisseurs of their preparation. We traveled to Montalcino to taste the dark red brunello wine that this city is famous for. We stopped at a local trattoria to combine wine

tasting with lunch. For our meal, the waiter supplied us with a bowl of zuppa di ceci to enjoy with our brunello wine.

It was so delicious that I asked the waiter to tell the chef that it was the finest soup I had tasted. The chef was so pleased with the news that she presented me with the recipe.

3 ¼ cups dried chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)

1 ½ cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped peeled carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped tomatoes (seeded)

4 slices thick peppered bacon (or pancetta)

6 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

12 ¼ inch thick baguette slices

1-2 garlic cloves

-Place beans in large pot, cover with enough water to allow for the expansion of the beans, and soak over night (at least 12 hours is good).

-Drain the beans into a colander. Set aside.

-In the large pot, over a medium high heat, sauté the bacon. Add the chopped onions, celery, carrots, and tomatoes. Cook and stir for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth, reduce heat to medium and let simmer until the bens are tender. Check and stir occasionally. Add water as necessary to keep the beans covered and cook for about 2 hours and 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender.

-Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, thinning with water or chicken stock, if desired.

-Return soup mixture to the same large pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the soup warm on a low heat while you are preparing the fried croutons.

-Place the ½ cup of olive oil in a large skillet of a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the baguette slices and cook until golden brown on both sides (~1 minute per side).

-Transfer croutons to paper towel lined plate to drain. When sufficiently cooled, rub both sides with the fresh garlic.

To serve: Place 2 croutons in the bottom of each bowl, ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle a scant teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the soup and serve hot! Mangia!