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Archive for Italian

Linguine with Prosciutto

January 18, 2008 at 3:09 am · Filed under Italian, Pasta/Potatoes/Grains

Linguine with Prosciutto

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoon of olive oil

  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon of salt

  • 1 12 oz can of evaporated skimmed milk

  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

  • 3 ounces of Proscuitto di Parma, thinly sliced

  • 10 fresh basil leaves

  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley

  • 4 fresh mint leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried

  • 1 lb Linguine

  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmegiano-Reggiano

  • Ground pepper

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large sautee pan over medium. Add onion and salt. Saute for 5 minutes
until onion soften. Add evaporated milk and the grated lemon zest. Cook 1 minute and
remove from heat.

2. Cut Proscuitto into thin strips. Set aside.

3. Combine basil, parsley and mint and set aside.Cook Linguine in rapidly boiling water.
Just before pasta is done, briefly return the sautee pan to medium heat and warm
the sauce.

4. When the pasta is al dente, drain and add to sautee pan along with herbs
and Parmegiano.

5. Toss the pasta until the cheese melts and a light sauce forms.
Add proscuitto, season with pepper and toss. Serve immediately

Serves 4 – 6

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Classic Italian: Crostini

January 18, 2008 at 2:48 am · Filed under Appetizers and Hors D'oeuvres, Italian

Crostini

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf French or Italian bread, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Brush slices of bread generously with olive oil on both sides.

3. Slice garlic cloves in half and rub a piece over each slice of bread.

4. Place bread slices on baking sheet and bake in oven until golden brown, about five minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt to taste.

These toasts make an ideal base for canapes, or a delicious alternative to crackers.

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New England’s Wild Mushroom Bruschetta

January 18, 2008 at 2:44 am · Filed under Breads, Italian

New England’s Wild Mushroom Bruschetta

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

  • 1 cup boiling water

  • ¼ cup (1 stick) butter

  • 3 cups chopped red onions, finely diced

  • 1 pound fresh button mushrooms, sliced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • ¾ cup dry red wine

  • 1 ½ tbsp. Dijon mustard

  • 1 ½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

  • ½ tbsp. brown sugar

  • 1 ½ tbsp. soy sauce

  • ½ cup drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped

  • 1 baguette, cut into 24 slices

  • 2 garlic cloves, halved

  • ½ cup Cabot’s Garlic Herb Cheddar, grated

  • ½ cup Great Hill Blue cheese

Directions:

Place the porcini mushrooms in a cup of boiling water and let re-hydrate for about 15-20 minutes. (save water)

Melt butter in a medium sized pan over a medium-high heat, add onions and garlic, stir for about 5 minutes. Add chopped porcini, button mushrooms and bell pepper, (the pan will look crowded, but they will settle down as they cook). Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the water that the porcini had been re-hydrating in (make sure there is no grit in it).

Now add the sun-dried tomatoes, wine, mustard, Worcestershire sauce , brown sugar and soy sauce and give it a good stir. Reduce the heat and let all the flavors meld. Let simmer for 40 minutes, which by this time most of the liquid will have evaporated leaving a thick mixture.

For Bruschetta

Cut bread into 1-inch slices, then brush with olive oil. Place the bread slices on the grill. Flip bread when crisp. About 3 to 5 minutes. Rub bread with garlic.Now put mushroom mixture on the bruschetta, and top with a generous shower of Cabot Garlic Herb Cheddar and Great Hill Blue cheese.

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Sausage, Tomato and Basil Risotto

January 18, 2008 at 2:33 am · Filed under Italian, Rice, World Cuisines

Sausage, Tomato and Basil Risotto

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, with casings removed and crumbled

  • 4 – 5 cups light chicken broth, preferably homemade (bouillon cubes will serve well also)

  • 2 tablespoons Olio Carli olive oil

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

  • 1 small clove garlic, minced

  • 1 cup uncooked Italian Arborio rice

  • 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped fresh or canned plum tomatoes, drained

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more to taste

  • Salt to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • 2 tablespoons packed torn fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Brown the sausage in a heavy skillet, stirring and breaking up into small pieces with the side of a fork. Spoon out 1 tablespoon of the sausage fat and set aside.Drain and discard the remaining fat and set aside the browned sausage.

Heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan until boiling. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer.

Combine the reserved sausage fat and olive oil in a heavysaucepan and heat over

low heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring, until golden about 8 minutes. Add the
garlic and saute 1 minute more. Stir in the rice and saute over low heat, stirring,
about 2 minutes.

Add enough of the hot broth (about 1/2 cup) to just cover the rice. Adjust the heat to
maintain a steady simmer and cook the rice, stirring constantly, until almost
all the broth has been absorbed, about 3 – 4 minutes.

Add another ladle of broth (about 1/2 cup).Cook, stirring constantly, until all the

broth has been absorbed. Continue adding the broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, and
cooking and stirring. Add the next ladle when the broth is absorbed and the rice
begins to pull away from the sides of the pan as it is stirred.

Add the tomatoes, chopped basil, and half of the reserved cooked sausage during
the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cook until the rice is creamy and firm but not
chalky in the center when it is tasted. The total cooking time is about 25 – 35minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, cheese, and salt. Briefly reheat the
reserved browned sausage. Spoon the risotto onto the plates, divide the
warmed sausage evenly among the bowls. Sprinkle with the ground pepper
nd basil leaves. Serve with additional grated cheese on the side.

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Italian Sandwich: Smoked Gouda and Prosciutto Panini

January 14, 2008 at 5:26 am · Filed under Italian, Sandwiches

Smoked Gouda and Prosciutto Panini

Makes 1 sandwich

  • 2 slices sourdough bread, each about 1 inch thick
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or melted unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked Gouda cheese
  • 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onions
  • 2 slices tomato
  • 1 ounce shredded fontina cheese

Preheat a panini maker, double-sided electric grill, or a grill pan or heavy skillet.

Meanwhile, brush both sides of each slice of bread with olive oil or butter. On one of the slices, evenly assemble the sandwich layers: smoked Gouda, prosciutto, onions, tomato, fontina, and the second bread slice.

Place the sandwich in the panini maker, double-sided grill, or on the grill pan or skillet; close the machine or place another heavy pan on top of the sandwich in the pan or skillet. Cook until the sandwich is crisp and golden on both sides; if it is being cooked on the stovetop, carefully lift off the top pan and use a spatula to flip over the sandwich to crisp the other side. Serve immediately.

Source: Wolfgang Puck

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Italian Sandwich: Prosciutto, Fried Egg, and Parmesan with Country Bread

January 11, 2008 at 3:12 am · Filed under Italian, Sandwiches, World Cuisines

Italian Sandwich: Prosciutto, Fried Egg, and Parmesan with Country Bread

Ingredients:

2 slices Tuscan, ciabatta, or other crusty bread
4 to 6 thin slices Parmesan
2 thin slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs (preferably organic)
4 salted anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced
1 handful fresh baby spinach
1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat broiler, with the tray set at the lowest position. Broil the bread on one side until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and divide the cheese and prosciutto evenly on the untoasted sides. Return to broiler and cook, open-faced, until the prosciutto is crispy and the cheese has begun to melt, about 1 minute. Turn off broiler, leaving the sandwiches inside to stay warm. In a frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, then fry the eggs to the desired doneness. Remove the sandwiches and top each with an egg. Add the remaining butter to the pan and sauté the anchovies and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to soften. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts, then add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Spoon over the sandwiches and serve.

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Classic Italian Cookie

December 31, 2007 at 4:19 am · Filed under Cookies, Italian

Basic Italian Cookie

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups (500 g) flour
1 1/2 cups (150 g) sifted confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 cup shortening (butter or whatever)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla, or you can add any flavoring you would like.

PREPARATION:

Sift flour and measure. Resift with sugar and baking powder into bowl. Cut in shortening until it looks like coarse cornmeal. I do this by hand because the dough is heavy for a mixer.

Make a center in the flour, and add the eggs, and vanilla, mix and knead the dough well for about 5 minutes until smooth, adding a little more flour if it seems to soft and sticky. Pinch off bits of the dough about the size of a small apricot, and form into desired shape.

Place on greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart, and bake in hot 450 oven for 10 minutes until light golden brown. Watch carefully because they will burn easily. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

The frosting is made with egg whites. At least 4 eggs whites just beaten until foamy, then add confectioners sugar, until you get a runny type of frosting, I would say like pancake batter, then add whatever flavors you want. I usually add anise oil, just a drop or two, You can also color this frosting.

At Easter I color mine blue, green, pink, and white. Once the cookies are cold, toss them in the frosting, and set aside, it will form a hard surface on the cookie once dried.

One word of caution, never make this frosting if it is the lease bit damp outdoors, or in too hot of a kitchen. It just won’t harden on the cookie. While the frosting is still damp you can add the colored sprinkle candy on them. This basic dough also can be used to make sesame cookies: shape into fingers, and before baking dip in milk and then the sesame seeds. Bake as above.

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Southern Italian Beef Steak & Pasta for Two Recipe

December 8, 2007 at 10:25 pm · Filed under Beef, Entrees, Italian, Pasta/Potatoes/Grains

Southern Italian Beef Steak & Pasta for Two

Ingredients:

2 beef tenderloin or eye round steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 8 ounces)
3/4 cup uncooked penne pasta, cooked
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 pound fresh plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

Preparation:

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, salt, nutmeg and pepper; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in basil and 1 tablespoon cheese. Cover; remove from heat.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steaks in skillet; cook tenderloin steaks 10 to 13 minutes (eye round steaks about 8 to 10 minutes), turning occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon tomato sauce over pasta; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Serve with steaks.

Source: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipes/rcp_00250_00.asp

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Frankie’s Meatballs Recipe

December 6, 2007 at 4:36 am · Filed under Entrees, Italian

Frankie’s Meatballs from Rao’s in New York City

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground veal
1/2 lb ground pork
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2-1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
2 cups water
1 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, lightly smashed

Preparation:

With your hands, combine the beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste and blend the ingredients together. Add the bread crumbs and blend into the meat mixture. Slowly add the water, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist.

Shape the meat mixture into 2 1/2 to 3-inch balls.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the whole garlic until lightly brown to flavor the oil, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and discard.

Add the meatballs and fry in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. When the bottom half of the meatball is well browned and slightly crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes, turn it and cook the other side for 5 minutes more.

Remove the meatballs from the heat and drain them on paper towels.

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Rao’s Famous Lemon Chicken Recipe

December 6, 2007 at 4:31 am · Filed under Entrees, Italian, Poultry

Rao’s Famous Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

Two 2 1/2 – 3 lb. chickens halved
1/4 C. chopped Italian parsley
Lemon Sauce

Preparation:

Preheat broiler 15 minutes before starting to cook. Broil chicken halves, turning once, for about 30 minutes or until skin is golden brown and juices run clear when pricked with a fork.Remove chicken from broiler, leaving broiler on.

Use a very sharp knife and cut each half into 6 pieces. (leg, thigh, wing and 3 breast pieces)Place chicken on a baking sheet with sides and pour the lemon sauce over it. Toss to coat well.

Return to broiler and broil for 3 minutes. Turn each piece and broil for another minute.Remove from broiler. Pour sauce into a saucepan. Add parsley to the sauce. Place over high heat and boil for 1 minute. Pour over the chicken and serve with lots of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Special Lemon Sauce:

2 C. fresh lemon juice
1 C. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Shake or whisk well before using.

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