Italian Brioche (Breakfast Rolls)

 These sweet rolls are perfect for an authentic Italian breakfast. Just spread on some Nutella or fruit preserves and add some fruit and a cappuccino and you’ve got a true Italian breakfast!

Ingredients 

4 - 4 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons yeast 

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons sugar

Zest of 1 orange or lemon or half of each

3 eggs beaten

1/3 cup butter melted and cooled to lukewarm

1/2 cup warm milk

1/3 cup warm water 

Egg wash: 1 egg splash of milk beaten

Directions 

Mix dry ingredients in bowl set aside

In a stand mixer mix water, milk and yeast, then add the rest of the liquids, sugar and zest and mix until combined 

Add in dry ingredients starting with 4 cups of flour and mix for 7-9 minutes. You may need the 1/2 cup but maybe not.  It may be sticky at first but should eventually form a smooth ball, if not add more flour.  

Cover with plastic and set in warm place until doubled in size 1 1/2-2 hours

Deflate dough and make 12 even balls by tucking under pinching and squeezing to form smooth balls.

Cover with a light towel and rise in a warm place until almost double, about 30 minutes. I use my microwave to do this.  

Brush with egg wash and bake 20 minutes.

Set on rack to cool. 

Italian Limoncello Loaf (Better & Healthier than Starbucks Lemon Loaf)

 

My Daddy in Naples with his Momma & his Zia

My sweet Daddy, Andrea Casolaro, was not a big fast food or chain store coffee guy being from Naples Italy. But he had 2 weaknesses which I gladly filled, Chick-Filet Lemonade & Starbucks Lemon Loaf!

This is an Italian version (which I believe Starbucks Lemon Loaf  is based on) typically eaten for breakfast unglazed or dessert with the glaze  that every Italian housewife has a recipe for. It uses olive oil instead of butter and yogurt instead of milk making it high protein & Mediterranean diet friendly. I also use limoncello instead of lemon extract but you can replace the limoncello with lemon extract, see exact amounts below.

Ingredients

3/5 cup olive oil

2 medium lemons  (zest of both for cake and juice of 1 for glaze)

6 ounces yogurt with some fat & plain

1& 1/2 cups of sugar 

3 large eggs 

1 tablespoon limoncello or 2 teaspoons lemon extract

2 cups AP flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Glaze (optional: or eat plain for breakfast or a light dusting of powdered sugar)

1- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon limoncello or 2 teaspoons lemon extract lemon extract 

6 - 8 teaspoons lemon juice (just under 1 medium lemon’s worth 

Directions

Preheat oven 350

Line bottom of 9 inch pan and spray with cooking spray (8 inch pan won’t work for this recipe)

Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl

In mixer bowl beat eggs. Add rest of wet ingredients and mix well, scrape down to incorporate the zest

Add in dry and mix until smooth and incorporated 

Pour into pan and bake 1 hour or more, check to see if toothpick doesn’t come out dry

Mix glaze ingredients with a wish until white and creamy adjusting liquid if needed  and until no lumps

Cool on rack in pan 20 minutes

Remove from pan and cool completely 

Eat plain or addd a dusting of powdered sugar or:

Pour on half of glaze let it set and pour on the rest, this keeps it from falling off!

The nutritional information below shows for 1/12 of the loaf a typical Italian size

Neapolitan Breadcrumbs for fish, veggies , pasta meat etc…

 

These breadcrumbs will keep in the fridge all week ready to top fish, stuff vegetables, top simple pasta dishes or coat meat for frying! They taste and smell like the Mediterranean Sea with the essence of lemon anchovies! 

Ingredients 

1 lemon zested and juice of

2-3 cups plain bread crumbs 

Olive oil to entirely coat bottom of sauté pan

3 anchovies filets 

2 garlic cloves minced 

Handful Italian  parsley chopped fine ( about 1/8-1/4 cup after chopped)

Salt and black pepper 

Directions 

Heat oil over medium heat and add anchovies and melt into oil, add garlic and soften, add the rest of ingredients and stir until toasted and the smell fills your kitchen! It should not be too wet or too dry and Keep stirring constantly. 

Turn off heat and leave to cool and dry out. 

Store in container in fridge for a week or a little longer.

Uses: stuff mushrooms and add parmigiana and bake/ topping for pasta that’s coated in olive oil and garlic (aglia olio)/ use instead of bread crumbs for coating chicken or fish or eggplant or zucchini before sautéing or frying/ 

Sicilian Lemon Ricotta Cake

 

This classic Sicilian cake is so good with a moist center, lemony flavor and buttery texture! The recipe never changes and this is the classic recipe.

Tools: 9 inch springform or 10 inch Bundt pan buttered and floured well

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter, softened 
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese (drained well)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups flour
• powdered sugar for dusting top of cake (optional)
•  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pan using butter and flour; set aside. 
• In a large mixing bowl or stand up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Add in the ricotta cheese and blend until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. 
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix to combine. In the same bowl, stir in the baking soda and salt. Lastly, add in the flour and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of bowl to full incorporate all of the ingredients. 
• Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes , or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. 
• Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing the collar and base of the pan. Cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

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

1.