Roman style panzerotti (Panzerotti alla romana, region Lazio)

Ingredients (4 servings)

300 g of 00 flour (white flour)

40 g of butter

3 eggs

120 of diced scamorza (a kind of cheese)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Risotto with sweet grapes (Risotto all’uva fragola)

Here you have a recipe with a typically seasonal ingredient: fresh grapes.

The uva fragola is a type of grapes with blue/black skin, which is very sweet and is to be found in Italy from the end of August to the end of September (depending on the climate/region). It is often consumed after meals as a dessert.

Ingredients (4/6 servings)

450 g of uva fragola

1 stalk of leek

320 g of rice (for risotto)

60 g of butter

100 ml of red wine (half a glass)

1 litre of vegetal broth

40 g of parmesan

pepper

Steamed mussels with pepper (Impepata di cozze, region Campania)

This is a traditional dish from Naples and can be consumed both as a starter or as main dish of fish.

It has long been considered a poor dish, unworthy of being considered part of the traditional Italian cuisine. In recent times it has been reassessed and is highly appreciated.

According to traditional beliefs, mussels are tastier if eaten during months without an “R” (gennaio, maggio, giugno, luglio agosto, that is January, May, June, July, August).

For a starter reduce the following ingredients by half.

Pici pasta (pici, region Tuscany)

The pici are a thick hand-made kind of pasta which originates from Southern Tuscany. It can be made of flour and water only, as the addition of egg yolks is optional and depends on local traditions.

Here’s the recipe to make the pasta, while in the next post you will find a recipe on how to make a fine fish sauce to go with your fresh pici.

Potatoes and peppers (Patate e peperoni, region Calabria)

Ingredients (4/6 servings)

potatoes – 800 g (choose a variety which is suitable to be fried)

red peppers – 300 g

yellow peppers – 300g

extra virgin olive oil

Optional:

rosemary or black olives or red onions (to be placed in the pan together with peppers and potatoes)

Monza style pasta (Pasta alla monzese, region Lombardia)

Ingredients (4 servings)

penne (a kind of pasta) – 350/400 g

mild lean pork sausage - 250 g

fresh cream - 250 g

saffron - 1 package

grated parmesan - 60 g

salt and pepper

Hunter’s style rabbit (Conillu a succhittu, region Sardinia)

Ingredients (6/8 servings)

a medium-sized rabbit

2 cloves of garlic

4 dried tomatoes cut into small pieces

4 laurel leaves

2 tsps of finely chopped rosemery

2 pinches of oregano

4/5 tbsps of pickled capers

half a glass of white wine

a stock cube

extra virgin olive oil

white vinegar

Jota soup (Jota, region Friuli Venezia Giulia)

The jota is a soup typical of the town Trieste (region Friuli Venezia Giulia). There are different versions of it, many of them also include potatoes. Traditionally this dish should be prepared to be served on the following day, after it has "rested". In this case you should boil it again and wait until it has cooled down a bit before serving.

Pasta with cauliflower sauce (Pasta chi vruocculi arriminati, region Sicily)

This recipe takes its name from the verb “arriminare”, which means to stir, to mix in the Sicilian dialect, as you have to mix the cauliflower with the pasta and other ingredients.

Ingredients (4/6 servings)

Maccheroni (type of pasta) – 600 g

Cauliflower – 1 kg

Raisin - 100 g

Pine nuts – 100 g

1 onion

6 marinated anchovy fillets

1/2 packet of saffron

olive oil

salt and pepper 

Beef knees salad (Insalata di nervetti, region Lombardia)

Here’s another summer recipe from Northern Italy, you would usually have as a starter.

Ingredients (4/6 servings)

5-6 beef knees with nerves

1 small carrot

½ onion

½ stalk of celery

rosemary

marjoram

laurel

white wine vinegar

white wine

extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper 

Tuna beef (Vitello tonnato, region Piemonte)

This is a typical summer recipe from Northern Italy that you would usually have cold from the fridge. It is very easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients (4/6 servings)

Low fat beef meat - 1kg

tinned tuna (in olive oil, if possible) – 200 g

4 anchovies

2-3 tbsps of capers

2 boiled eggs

1 carrot

1 onion

1 stalk of celery

1 laurel leaf

1 lemon

1 tbsp of vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

salt

Lemon ice cream (Sorbetto al limone, a popular Italian refreshment)

The sorbetto is a kind of ice-cream which doesn’t contain milk and is usually made of water, sugar and fruit juice. You usually have a sorbetto al limone (lemon sorbetto) after your meal to favour your digestion or on a hot summer afternoon with friends or family.

Ingredients (4 servings)

4 lemons

1 egg white

250 g of sugar

1 small liqueur glass of vodka 

Dried tomatoes (Pomodori essiccati, region Puglia)

In Southern Italy some people buy ripe tomatoes at the greengrocer’s or pick them from their own vegetable garden and dry them in the sun. If you can’t do this, just buy a package in a good supermarket or in a shop selling Italian food.

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil

white wine vinegar

water

garlic

parsley

chopped chilli

capers

anchovies

glass jars 

Sicilian caponata (Caponata, region Sicily)

Ingredients (4 servings)

4 aubergines (eggplants)

4 ripe and firm tomatoes

100 g of black de-stoned olives

50 g of salted capers

1 onion

1/2 stalk of celery

1 clove of garlic

apple cider vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

salt

Grilled aubergine appetiser (antipasto di melanzane grigliate, region Calabria)

Ingredients (4/6 servings)

4 big aubergines

4 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of fresh basil (as an alternative use deep-frozen one)

2 tbsps of apple vinegar

half a glass of extra virgin olive oil

salt

slices of rustic bread (for ex.: pane toscano or pugliese)

Preparation

Slice the aubergine lengthwise, sprinkle them with salt and let them release the bitter liquid for about two hours.

Meanwhile finely chop the garlic and the basil and mix them to the olive oil, the vinegar and the salt. Mix well together to obtain a sauce.

Wash the aubergine, dry them and cook them on the grill for few minutes. Soak them in the sauce and place them on a plate. Let them rest for al least 10 hours in the fridge and serve with toasted rustic bread.

  

Second option

Tuscan acquacotta soup (acquacotta, region Tuscany)

Ingredients (4 servings)

4 onion of medium size

a half of a green celery stalk

500g of fresh tomatoes or tinned peeled tomatoes

1 or 2 chili

2 litres of vegetal stock

2 eggs

50 g of extra virgin olive oil

100 of grated pecorino cheese

8 slices of dried Tuscan bread or slices of fresh bread toasted in the oven

basil leaves (as an alternative use deep frozen basil)

salt

Ideally use terracotta dishes to serve the soup. Otherwise use ordinary dishes.

Easter Quiche (torta pasqualina, region Liguria)

The torta pasqualina is a typical dish prepared for Easter Monday. Traditionally Easter Monday is a day dedicated to picnics and trips in the countryside and this quiche lends itself well to this aim as it can be cooked in advance and eaten cold.

Its origins date back to the 15^th century, when it was prepared over the Easter period. According to the tradition it should be prepared with 33 layers of thin puff pastry, a number which reminds Jesus Christ's age.

Dried figs with almonds (fichi maritati, region Puglia)

Ingredients

dried figs - 1 kg

2 non chemically treated lemons

peeled almonds

laurel leaves

fennel seeds or cloves

Chocolate salami (salame al cioccolato, a popular Italian dessert)

Ingredients (6/8 servings)

dry biscuits – 300 g

butter – 150 g

sugar – 100 g

bitter cocoa powder – 60 g

2 egg yolks

optional: rhum liquer – 2 tbsps

Strudel, region Friuli Venezia Giulia

Ingredients (6/8 servings)

1 roll of puff paste

fig jam

2 apples (preferably yellow pippin)

a handful of raisin

a handful of pine nuts

2-3 tbsp of sugar

1 egg

a pinch of cinnamon

2 tbsp of grated dried bread

sugar powder

Garlic, oil and chilli spaghetti (spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino)

The garlic, oil and chilli spaghetti  is a typical national dish in Italy. It very simple to make and very tasty.

Ingredients (4 servings)

spaghetti 400 g (100 g per person) 

5/6 tbsp of olive oil

1 small red hot chilli

2 whole cloves of garlic

Pappardelle with hare sauce (Pappardelle al sugo di lepre, region Tuscany)

Ingredients (4 servings)

dried or fresh pappardelle - 400 g

a young hare (shoulders, trunk, heart, liver and lungs), cleaned and cut into pieces

1 carrot

1 onion

1 rib of celery

1 bunch of parsley

1 glass of milk

1 glass of red wine

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

grated parmesan cheese

salt and black pepper

Saffron pasta (Cannarozzetti allo zafferano, region Abruzzo)

Easy to prepare, this recipe combines two typical ingredients of the regional cuisine of Abruzzo: the pasta without eggs and a valuable spice: saffron.

Ingredients (4 servings)

fresh cannarozzetti (if not available, use another type of pasta like ditali/ditalini) – 500 g

sheep’s milk ricotta – 300 g

bacon – 100 g

1/2 teaspoon of saffron

salt and pepper

grated parmesan cheese

Aubergines timbale (Timballo di melanzane, region Molise)

Ingredients (4 servings)

4 big aubergines (eggplants)

butter – 50 g

fresh, sliced uncured ham (prosciutto crudo) – 200 g

scamorza cheese – 200 g

3 eggs

flour – 50 g

grated parmesan – 50 g

sunflower oil (to fry) and salt

Roman style artichokes (Carciofi alla romana, region Lazio)

Ingredients (4 servings)

8 artichokes without thorns (Roman artichokes)

lemon juice

parsley – 50 g

1 clove of garlic

leaves of fresh lemon balm

olive oil and salt

Orecchiette pasta with turnips tops (Orecchiette con cime di rapa, region Puglia)

The orecchiette with turnip tops are one of the most well-known dishes of the Italian region Puglia. Although this recipe is usually associated to the city Bari, it is now widespread in the whole region.

Ingredients (4 servings)

6 anchovies

2 cloves of garlic

turnip tops – 600 g

1 fresh chilli pepper

orecchiette (fresh: 500 g or dried: 400 g)

6 tbsp of olive oil

salt

Bagna caoda (Warm dipping sauce - region Piedmont)

The bagna caoda is a typical dipping sauce of the Northern region Piemonte (Piedmont) and it it is usually eaten in autumn with fresh vegetables.

Being a very nourishing recipe, it is usually eaten as main dish, though it can sometimes be served as an appetiser during a dinner with friends.

Its origin is quite obscure but it is almost certain that it dates back to the late Middle Ages.

It is always eaten very warm  and it is usually served in the typical fujot, a recipient made of terracotta or copper under which a flame can be fitted to keep the dip warm all the time. 

Bruschetta al pomodoro (tomato bruschetta - an Italian appetiser)

The bruschetta is a traditional dish dating back to the 15^th century. It first appeared in rural areas, where nothing had to be thrown away and stale bread was "reused" for other recipes. 

Nowadays it is mainly eaten as an appetiser and it is prepared in different versions. This is the traditional one:

Sicilian anchovies (Acciughe alla siciliana, region Sicily)

Ingredients (4 servings)

dry white wine 1/2 glass

10 cloves of garlic

sage leaves

1 onion

2 tablespoons of vinegar

3 ripe tomatoes

600 g of anchovies

2 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper

roasted bread croutons