Cooking Vegetables the Italian Way!

 

The way to eat more vegetables as the Italians do is to make them taste delicious and the Italian way of doing this is simple, use more olive oil than you think and cook until soft.

Pour that olive oil on and then add some more! Then some sea salt, whole garlic cloves (not minced) and lemon at the end, or vinegar, and enjoy!!

You can roast or saute but either way please cook until soft, Italians don’t like crunchy raw vegetables unless they are eating a salad. 

Using more olive oil will satiate you actually causing you to eat less of the entire meal so don’t fear getting fat from olive oil. 

Roasted Asparagus in Olive Oil

Trim bottoms by snapping off first then lining up and cutting the rest at the same spot.

Peel 3-4 garlic cloves

Place in a pan with the garlic and sea salt liberally then pour in the olive oil and coat.

Roast at 400 for 15-20 minutes then flip and continue until soft, another 15-20 minutes. 

Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon all over. 

Pasta alla’ Arrabbiata 🥵

 Arrabbiata is Italian for “Angry” and this sauce is as wicked hot as you like! It comes from Rome but I use Calabrian peppers as an homage to my maternal great Grandmother Cornaccio. Her family came from Calabria and are they are some of the few Italians who like spicy foods. My Mom (part Calabrian) loved spice and so do I but my Dad (pure Neapolitan) did not. Calabrian’s are also known as being stubborn and when referring to someone from Calabria you knock on your head as a sign of their “hard headedness” I guess I may have gotten that from my Mom as well! 

Grandma Cornacchio

Ingredients

1 can 28 ounces Italian tomatoes (crush with hands or immersion blender) 

2 whole Garlic cloves 

Olive oil

Fresh parsley chopped 

Parmigiana or Pecorino to serve (optional)

Red pepper flakes or paste (I use Calabrian pepper pate’) use as much as you like!

Directions

Start pasta water (traditionally use penne or if you order spaghetti) 

Heat oil on medium low heat adding garlic and tossing to not burn, add peppers and cook another minute or two, add tomatoes and bring to a simmer, cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Add parsley and Salt to taste.

Meanwhile: Cook paste al dente. Drain pasta.

Remove garlic and add pasta tossing and cooking for a minute longer. 

Italian Beet Salad

 

This is Italian Beet salad as best as I can remember my Mom's, Carol Ann Sasso, recipe, she used to make it for holiday meals and she used my Great grandmother’s , Filomena DeMaria Cornaccio’s, recipe. As you can tell I like to eat it on top of greens (arugula is my fav) using the juices to dress my salad and maybe some goat cheese crumbled on, yummy!! It’s also good on hearty thick wholewheat bread with goat cheese and Arugala for a delicious sandwich. 

Try to make this recipe a little ahead so that it will slightly pickle. 

My Beautiful Mommy :)

Ingredients

2 large beets roasted and peeled  (I use precooked beets from Costco but even canned will work!)

1 large onion

1 garlic clove  minced

1//4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil (EVO) 

1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional: if you like it on the sweeter side)

salt to taste and lots of fresh ground black pepper!

Directions 

Make dressing in large glass container that you'll be storing it in (glass is better with pickling)

Slice the beets and onion very thin (I use a mandoline) 

Mix and taste for salt and pepper.

This will keep in the fridge for a good week or two and only get better!

Taralli (Southern Italian Crackers)

 These crunchy and addictive crackers are found all over southern Italy and often eaten at breakfast with un cafe or after dinner dipped in wine! I was first introduced to these addictive little crackers as a small child at My Mother's Father's table, Grandpa Pasquale  DeMaria, whose parents were from Calabria & Napoli. He would dip them in his espresso (plain or anise versions) in the morning and wine in the evening. My father, Andrea Casolaro, who was from Napoli used to dip them in his wine in the evening and then give me a taste. 

My Grandpa Demaria with My Mom in the front & her siblings.

I can still remember those rich grown up flavors swirling around in my mouth and feeling guilty that it very much reminded me of Communion at church, which I secretly enjoyed the taste of. When I make these with the seeds, the oils release a smell in my kitchen that reminds me of being a child sitting on my dad's lap and enjoying our snack together : )

I always was a Daddy's girl : )

They can be made plain, with cracked black pepper, with fennel seeds or my favorite, with anise seeds!

Ingredients

7 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1  1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup hot water mixed with 1 cup cold white wine making it lukewarm to the wrist (That's where I always check the temp)

3/4 cup olive oil added to the water wine mixture

1 1/2 - 2 heaping tablespoons anise seed or fennel seed or 1-2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper

In the mixer mix dry together then add wet and seeds or pepper.

At this point you may need to add more luke warm water, once it forms a nice smooth dough is then knead 8 minutes.

Cover and rest 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375

Separate in to 4 pieces and and cover 3 of them.

Cut this piece in to 16 pieces. 

Roll each piece into a pencil thin rope around  8"

Join the ends together to form a ring and seal by twisting and pressing ends.

Bring a very large pot of water to boil, add in 1/4 cup olive oil (this makes them shiny)

Now boil 8 at a time for 15 seconds, using a slotted spoon remove & place on kitchen towel or paper towels to dry for a few seconds, remove quickly or they will stick, ask me how I know lol!

Bake on parchment lined sheet pan for 10 minutes, then lower to 350 for 25-30 more minutes (rotating pans half way if doing 2 pans at once, or until golden brown. They must be golden brown and crispy!

These must be left out for a few hours to completely cool and dry out slightly. 

You can store these at room temp in a tin for 1 month but I remember my Grandmother keeping these uncovered or loosely covered with a cloth in a basket on her table. Just don't use anything that is airtight or else they will get soft and the refrigerator will make them too dry.

Bacci a tutti xxx

Escarole Pie (Neapolitan)

 

My Mom used to make this on New Year’s Eve and it’s very unique with all of those wonderfully exotic Neapolitan flavors like capers, anchovies, raisins and pine nuts!

2 pizza dough recipes enough for 2 pizzas  (my dough recipe here)

1 bunch Escarole chopped up

2-3 tablespoons Capers drained

10-12 olives drained  ( I use a combo of Italian green and dry cured black olives or kalamata) 

2-3 anchovies 

2-3 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Small Handful golden or regular raisins soaked in warm water or sometimes I use warm white wine to soften then drained  

Red pepper flakes to taste

Egg wash

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400

Clean, chop and Boil escarole 5-10 minutes and drain well!

In the dried out pot and add olive oil to saute  garlic until soft but not brown, add anchovies and cook until melted.

Add escarole and raisins and sauté several minutes, Italians like their veggies soft, add the rest of ingredients and cook until soft and melded together.

Taste for salt and spice and Set aside to cool.

Cut dough in half and roll out into 12-14 inch circles, place ingredients in center and add the top piece crimping edges to seal.

Add egg wash and make holes in top.

Bake 20-25 minutes. 

Cool slightly before slicing like a pizza!

Spinach Pasta (pasta verde)

Ingredients 

4 ounces fresh spinach

3 and 1/4 cup a.p. Flour

1 egg and 3 egg yolks

Water

Directions 

Add spinach to boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes, remove and squeeze out all water

Add to food processor and purée

Add flour, egg, egg yolks and enough water to form a ball, once it’s not sticking to sides and forms ball it’s ready, only takes a few seconds.

Set in baggie on counter to rest 30 minutes.

Cut into 8 pieces and use a pasta machine to roll out as follows: 

#1 roll through 3 times forming a rectangle by folding in between each time

Continue 1 time each setting until you get to setting #6

Cut into desired lengths 

Place on lightly floured counter to dry out 30 minutes

Set up a pot of salty boiling water,  an ice bath in large bowl and lots of paper towels next to each other 

Parboil 2 sheets at a time 20 seconds then ice bath then on paper towels 

Once dried off with towels place between sheets of parchment and seal place  in fridge over night or freeze

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Lasagna alla Bolognese

 This is the big Daddy of all lasagnas usually served around the holidays and is usually made with fresh spinach pasta ( pasta verde) I like to make my bolognese sauce days ahead and freeze it. Then I make the pasta the day ahead and parboil and keep in the fridge. The day of all I have to do is make the bechamel, grate the parmigiana and assemble to bake! Of course you can use regular pasta or even regular fresh pasta but I can’t promise you won’t be haunted by all the Nonni rolling over in their graves😂

Ingredients

1 large pot bolognese 

1 pot bechamel 

1 recipe spinach pasta

2 cups parmigiana grated

Directions

Make bolognese a few days or even weeks ahead (freeze it if doing way ahead)

Make pasta sheets a day ahead no more than 24 hours

Grate cheese

Make bechamel right before cooking

In a 9 by 13 pan spread sauce to cover

Cover with lasagna sheets over lapping 

Add more sauce, then bechamel and sprinkle cheese

Repeat until almost no more sauce is left (you’ll need some for the topping)

Finish top layer with pasta, sauce and Parmesan

Cover with foil and bake 350 for 35-40 minutes until bubbly, remove foil and cook u see broiler to brown but keep the oven door open to watch very carefully!

Rest the lasagna for 10-15 minutes before cutting!

Roasted Garlic in Olive Oil

 

I've tried every which way to roast garlic and this is the best way for soft, buttery and smashable Garlic! I spread this on to toasted bread like its garlic butter!

Ingredients

2 garlic heads (I always do 2 at a time but 1 is fine)

Olive Oil

Aluminum Foil

Directions

Rip off a square of foil

Peel the outer loose leaves off and cut off the tops of the garlic bulbs (This will enable you to squeeze the garlic out afterwards) 

Drizzle oil on foil and place the bulb upside down drizzling more oil on top.

Bake at 350 for 50-75 minutes (May take less time or more depending on size of garlic cloves/bulb and on your oven so check after 50 minutes and add time accordingly, it will be soft to the touch if you gentle press a clove, not hard at all) 

Open foil and allow to cool.

Place your hand in a ziplock baggie and pick up the bulb open side down to squeeze out into a bowl that has a lid.

Pour over olive oil, add salt and any other herbs you like!

This keeps one week at room temp or 2 weeks in the fridge. 

Authentic Fettuccini Alfredo ( Only 3 Ingredients!)

This Roman dish is the original Fettuccini Alfredo its very rich and not your everyday meal but oh so good and comforting like you wouldn't believe.  If you want the authentic Roman Fettuccini  Alfredo served in restaurants in Rome than you use fresh homemade fettuccini but otherwise it's the same 3 ingredient recipe.

Ingredients

Fettuccini 16 ounces

Parmigiana Reggiano: This is where you make it your own use as much as you like! I use about 2 cups or so (Must be the real thing from Italy in Parma for this recipe or else it won't become creamy) 

Butter 1 stick

Directions

Cook pasta al dente in very salted water (reserving a mug of the pasta water)

Grate the cheese on the smallest grate possible

Add the butter to the pasta and stir with tongs to melt and coat, then the cheese and some of the pasta water (tablespoon at a time) tossing and stirring with the tongs to create a creamy sauce!

Paella For Two

This is my Paella recipe  for 2 using a 10-12 inch pan since its just my hubby and me now : ) The original Paella Recipe is HERE And the chart for making this in a larger pan is below.

Ingredients (My recipe has been adapted from the  La Paella pan booklet)
(1012  inch pan which serves 2-4 see modification chart for different sized paella pans below) my hubby loves it)
pinch saffron threads
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup white wine
sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 of a medium Spanish Corizo Sausage (not mexican as its a completely different product)  peeled and cut up
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 onion chopped fine
1 small tomato(Roma size) peeled and grated on large grate
1/2 red bell pepper diced small
3/4 cup Bomba Rice or medium grain rice (OR, My Dad always used Uncle Ben's Converted rice)
1 lemon cut into wedges

Directions 
Note: The paella pan must be turned through out the cooking in a circular motion for even heating.

Boil the water with salt and saffron covered for about 10 minutes, taste for salt, turn off heat and set
aside.
 Heat oil in paella pan on medium high and saute the shrimp and chorizo until the shrimp is just starting to turn pink, remove from pan set aside on plate.
Turn heat down to medium and in the oil saute the sofrito:onion, pepper, garlic, and tomato until dark burgundy adding a little water here and there if starting to burn, about 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste again..

Bring broth back to boil.
Add the rice and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add the wine and most of the saffron broth at this time (reserve a bit for end if needed) stir or shake to evenly distribute rice turn up heat to a vigorous simmer.
At this point no more stirring of rice but turning of pan is needed.

After rice and liquid are at same level (8-10 minutes) lower heat to medium and arrange the clams and peas on top simmer gently for another 10 minutes or until rice has absorbed all the liquid about 10 more minutes.Turning pan as needed.
If it is not finished (check a rice grain and it should be al dente or chewy with tiny white dot in the center) add more broth and continue cooking a few more minutes.
Arrange the shrimp and chorizo on top and turn up heat to high, turning pan in circles to create  a crust on the bottom (socarrat) but be careful not to burn  this only takes 1-2 minutes!
Squeeze lemon all over and arrange more wedges on top of paella.
Serve right away with bread and a good Spanish Red Wine!

Modification Chart by Size of Paella pan
16 inch pan serves 4-6 multiply recipe by 1 1/4
18 inch pan serves 6-8 multiply by 1 1/2
22 inch pan serves 8-10  multiply by 2
26 inch pan serves 10-12 multiply by 3
32 inch pan serves 12-14 multiply by 5

 (A larger pan will require 2-3 burners)