Pantelleria salad

600 g small new patatoes

300 g Pachino cherry tomatoes (oil packed dried tomatoes in Winter) 

20 Pantelleria capers in salt

1 red onion

12 black olives

1 glass of red wine vinegar (or balsamic)

Dried oregano

6 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

A few basil leaves

Wash the potatoes and place them in a pot with water and some salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 30/35 minutes (the exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes). Drain and peel the potatoes while still hot, let cool and then cut into slices about 1 cm thick. In the meantime, peel the onion and slice it into thin rings, then put it to marinade with the vinegar for about 30 minutes, drain well. Wash the tomatoes,  cut them in half and crush slightly to remove the seeds, put them to drain  in a colander with the cut side down. Put the capers in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water to desalt them.  Gently crush the olives (with the aid of a meat mallet or the flat blade of a kitchen knife) and remove the stone.

Gather in a large bowl the tomatoes, the well-drained onion, drained capers, pitted olives, sliced ​​potatoes; season with extra virgin olive oil combined with plenty of oregano, basil, salt, pepper and a few drops of vinegar. Mix everything delicately and let rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving.

Potato and bacon tart

1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry

4 medium potatoes

150 diced bacon

3 tablespoons of grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano  cheese

1 clove of garlic

Salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan with the clove of garlic, add the bacon and leave to flavor for a few minutes. Add the washed and diced potatoes, then season with salt and pepper. Let cook for about 15 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Let cool and discard the garlic.

Grease a round baking dish and line it with the puff pastry.   Prick the bottom with a fork, fill with the mixture and bring the excess dough inwards to cover the filling partially. Bake in a preheated oven at 200° C for about 35/40 minutes.

Panzanella bread salad

Crunchy Tuscan “panzanella” (bread salad)

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 ripe tomatoes

10 basil leaves

4 slices of Tuscan bread (slightly stale, few-day-old bread)

1 cucumber

1 red onion

Salt and pepper

White wine vinegar

Olive oil

Peel and thinly slice ​​the ​​onion, then soak it in a bowl with water and vinegar in equal parts for at least  an hour. Peel the cucumber, slice it thinly and keep aside. Wash the tomatoes, cut in half, remove the seeds,  cut into small pieces  and keep aside. Cut the bread into cubes, put a small swirl of olive oil in a non-stick pan and heat for a minute or two, pour in the bread and let it toast for some minutes, stirring. Drain the red onion from its soaking water and put it into a large salad bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumber the hand torned basil leaves. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and a few tablespoons of vinegar. Mix all the ingredients gently with a spoon, taste and, if necessary, add more vinegar. Now add the bread and mix again. Let the panzanella rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Take it out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving. You can add some other ingredients (mozzarella, olives, bresaola, etc.) according to your taste. 

Autumn minestrone soup

250 g cooked cannellini or borlotti beans (canned beans, drained and rinsed will be fine)

75 g fresh or  50 g frozen spinach

200 g of cabbage

200 g pumpkin flesh

2 potatoes

1 zucchini

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1 onion

1 leek

150 g tomato puree

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

Peel the potatoes and carrot and then clean, wash and cut all the vegetables into small pieces.  If you use canned beans, drain them and rinse them under running water.

Put all the vegetables in a very large and high pot, add the tomato puree and plenty of water so that all the vegetables  are covered.

Add a handful of coarse sea salt and bring to a boil. Cook for about 45 minutes over medium heat , covered.

Adjust salt (fine) and pepper  and season with a swirl of good olive oil and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. The minestrone can be eaten, accompanied with bread croutons,  as it is or blended.  If you wish. and according to your taste,  you can add other vegetables. Instead of bread croutons you can also use small pasta for soups.  

Puttanesca sauce

1 clove garlic

1 shallot

3 tablespoons olive oil

80 g of oil-packed tuna

6 small anchovy fillets

8 tbsp tomato puree

1 tablespoon pickled capers

6 black olives

a pinch of hot chili powder

salt

Finely chop the garlic and the shallot and fry gently in a pan with the olive oil.  Shred  the drained tuna and add to the mixture along with the anchovies, the chopped capers and olives. Mix well and after a few minutes  add the tomato puree, a pinch of chili  powder and  salt to taste.    Cook on medium/high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens. 

Garden vegetables preserve

Sweet and sour garden vegetables preserve

A perfect appetizing mix to accompany salami, cold cuts, cured meat, cheese,  boiled meat.

Ingredients:

1 kg of mixed vegetables (green beans, celery, carrots, cauliflower and zucchini)

1 liter of white vinegar

4 bay leaves

10 g peppercorns

500 g sugar

Olive oil

coarse salt

Clean, wash and cut into pieces all vegetables, collect them in a large bowl, sprinkle with 100 g of coarse salt, stir and let  stand  for 3 hours. Then rinse the vegetables under running water to remove the salt, drain them well, put them back into the bowl, cover with vinegar and marinate for an hour stirring occasionally to  flavor.

Bring to a boil 2 liters of water with a tablespoon of coarse salt, sugar, the washed bay leaves and the peppercorns, let  simmer for 10 minutes, add the vegetables drained from the vinegar and, when the boiling resumes,  cook for 10 minutes. Drain the vegetables very well, lay them on a towel, gently dab with a paper towel and let them dry for a few hours.

Transfer the vegetables in airtight jars perfectly clean and dry, pour sufficient olive oil on the top to cover the vegetables well and twist on the lid tightly. Wrap the jars  in a cloth and place them in a pot; cover them with warm water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and sterilize for about 20 minutes.

Let the jars  cool in the water, then  store in a cool, dark place (light makes the oil rancid). Once the jar is opened the preserve should be consumed within 15 days and stored in the refrigerator.  

Leek and red wine risotto

Leek and red wine risotto (Cabernet, Bonarda, Barbera or any  dry red wine that's good enough to drink)

Ingredients for 4:

400 g (about 2 ½ cups) of “vialone nano” rice  (round shaped medium length grain rice)

1 leek

2 glasses of red wine

1,5 liters vegetable broth http://irissrecipesvicenza.blogspot.it/2015/12/vegetable-broth.html

3 tablespoons olive oil

30 g butter

50 g Parmesan cheese

Put a pot of vegetable broth on the heat.  Cut away the green end of the leek because very tough and trim the other end. Rinse under running water and slice finely. Put the oil in a pan, add the leek and let simmer for a few minutes until soft. Raise the heat and soon afterwards pour in the rice and toast it for two minutes, always stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and stir. After a minute lower the heat and stir till the wine evaporates. Add two ladles of warm broth and continue to cook the risotto on medium heat. Add more broth only when the other has evaporated and so on until the risotto is done. There is no need to stir constantly, but it is essential to do this every time you add broth. Risotto will take about 18 minutes or more to cook, according to one’s taste. When almost done (after about 16/17 minutes), turn off the heat, blend in the butter and the grated cheese and adjust salt, stirring until all the butter has melted. If the risotto is too dry add some broth. Cover the pan and let the risotto stand for about a minute or two before serving. 

Vegetable broth

1 large potato

1 white onion

1 stalk celery

2 carrots

1 zucchini

1 tbsp tomato puree

A few sprigs of parsley

2 liters of water

Coarse salt

  

Peel the vegetables and cut them into pieces. Place them in a pot with the water, add the tomato puree and some salt and bring to a boil. Add the parsley (including stems) and cook for about an hour over medium heat, covered with a lid. If necessary, season with salt or vegetable granules  and strain the broth through a sieve.

Boiled rice with peppers and prawns

Serves 4:

350 g rice

300 g  cleaned prawns

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
4/6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
pepper

Wash and clean the peppers and cut into dices or strips. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and gently fry the garlic for a few minutes. Remove the garlic, add the peppers, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 10/15 minutes until the peppers soften. In the meantime, wash the prawns under running water, remove their head and carapace. With a toothpick or sharp knife make a small incision on the upper part of the body to remove the intestines, or black thread, which contains sand and makes the crustacean bitter. Once cleaned, dry the prawns with kitchen paper. When the peppers have softened, add the prawns and the chopped parsley, stir to blend well and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. Boil the rice, drain it and toss it in the pan with the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper and serve immediately. 

Fresh tomato and basil sauce

1 shallot, or ½ small white onion

6 tablespoons olive oil

8/10 ripe tomatoes San Marzano , or other plum tomatoes

6/8 fresh basil leaves

¼ teaspoon chili powder or a small piece of fresh chili pepper (optional)

Salt, pepper

Wash the tomatoes,  cut a cross on the bottom, plunge them into boiling  water for 15-20 seconds, drain, peel them, remove the seeds and cut into pieces. Finely chop the shallot and brown gently in a large pan with the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, the basil leaves,  the chili powder and stir to combine. Let cook on low heat until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally (about 40 minutes).

Cook your pasta “al dente”, drain and toss a few minutes in the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Spaghetti with tuna sauce

320 g spaghetti

1 shallot or ½ small white onion

1 tablespoon pickled capers

70 g canned tuna packed in olive oil

4 tablespoons tomato purée

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil, add salt and plunge the spaghetti. Stir and let cook for the necessary time. In the meantime, finely chop shallot and capers and fry them gently with the oil in a large pan. After a few minutes add the shredded and oil drained tuna, add the tomato purée, a pinch of salt and stir to blend well. Pour ½ a cup of hot water and let cook until the sauce thickens. Adjust salt.   Drain the pasta “al dente”, pour it into the pan,  stir to coat well and serve. 

Spaghetti with breadcrumbs

320 g spaghetti

2 cloves garlic

5 tablespoons breadcrumbs

50 g parmesan cheese

100 ml olive oil

salt

Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil, add salt and plunge the spaghetti. Stir and let cook for the necessary time. Meanwhile, finely slice the garlic and fry it in a saucepan with the olive oil. When the oil starts to sizzle, turn off the heat and let the infusion stand. Heat a swirl of oil in a large pan, then pour the breadcrumbs and toast them for some minutes, turning with a wooden spoon to prevent them from burning. Strain the oil, discarding the garlic and pour it into the pan with the breadcrumbs, stir and set aside. Drain the pasta “al dente”, pour it into the pan and toss over high heat for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with the grated cheese and, if you like, with some chopped parsley.

Granita al caffé

6 demitasse of espresso coffee (about 250 ml)

250 ml water

70 g sugar

Put the sugar and the water in a saucepan over moderate flame. Stir and bring to a boil and let cook for about a minute. Remove from the heat and add the coffee. Let cool and then transfer the mixture in a steel or glass container, with the aid of a fine mesh strainer.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in the freezer. After about an hour, remove the granita from the freezer and, with the help of a  whip or fork, finely break the ice crystals that have formed. Put the mixture back in the freezer and repeat this process every 30 minutes, until the granita is ready (about 4 times).  You can serve granita topped  with some whipped cream. 

Stewed borlotti beans

Ingredients:

500 grams of borlotti beans

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 carrot

1 onion

½ celery stick

1 sprig rosemary

1 bay leaf

Olive oil

Salt, pepper

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery and fry gently in a pot with 4 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the fresh beans and cover with water. Add the tomato puree, rosemary sprig, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir to mix well. Cook in a large half-covered pot, over medium heat for about 50 minutes, checking occasionally and adding hot water if needed. When the beans are tender, uncover the pot and let the sauce thicken a little. Remove the rosemary and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.

Cheese and sausage quiche

Savory pastry crust

250 g  #asiago cheese

100 g of sausage

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

nutmeg

salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut the cheese into cubes and the sausage into small pieces and collect them in a bowl. Add the egg yolks, parmesan, a pinch of salt, some grated nutmeg and the oil and mix well. Divide the dough into two parts in the proportion of two thirds and one third, and roll it into two sheets with a thickness of a few millimeters. Line with the larger sheet of dough a greased pan, leaving  any excess dough hang over the edge of the pan.  Prick the dough with a fork and pour over the cheese mixture. Cover with the other disc, pinch the edges with your fingers to seal well and prick the surface with a fork. Bake in preheated oven at 180 ° C for 45 minutes

Savory pastry crust

250 g flour

150 g butter

salt

½ cup cold water

Pour the flour into a bowl, cut the fridge cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour. Add a pinch of salt and the cold water and knead quickly. Form a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the

refrigerator for half an hour.

Fried zucchini flowers

16 zucchini flowers

125 g flour

2 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

200 g sparkling mineral water (or beer)

Peanut oil for frying

salt

In a bowl mix the flour with the eggs, salt, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the sparkling water or beer. Mix well and form a batter that you will let stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Meanwhile, wash the zucchini flowers, discarding the stem and the pistil and let them dry on kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a pan  over medium heat. Dredge the flowers in the batter until they are completely coated  and, when the oil is hot, fry a few at a time, turning them a couple of times. When they are golden, drain and let them dry on absorbent paper. Sprinkle with a little salt, put them on a serving dish and serve immediately.

Vegetable sauce for short pasta

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

1 small onion

1 small eggplant

1 zucchini

4 ripe plum tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Basil leaves

Peel the carrot and the onion and chop finely along with the celery. Wash and trim the zucchini, then cut into small cubes. Do the same thing with the eggplant.  Blanch the tomatoes for 10 seconds in boiling water. Peel them, cut them into 4, remove the seeds and water and cut roughly. If you prefer, you can use ready made tomato puree. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry for a few minutes the chopped carrot, celery and onion, stirring frequently. Add the eggplant and let it brown,  turning often. Then add the zucchini and stir again. Let the vegetables brown, then add the chopped tomatoes and lower the heat. Add salt, cook over low heat for about 20 minutes and then add  some fresh basil leaves.

Eggplant and mozzarella towers

Ingredients for 4 people:

2 round violet eggplants

200 g mozzarella

200 g  tomato puree

1 clove garlic

Some fresh basil leaves

Olive oil

Dry oregano

Salt, pepper

Cut the garlic in half, remove the core and fry it gently in a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil.   Add the tomato puree, salt, pepper, and let thicken on low/medium heat. Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves, torn by hand. Cut the eggplant horizontally into slices about 1 cm thick. Brush some olive oil on both sides of the eggplant slices, grill them in a pan or skillet and season  with some salt.  Cut the mozzarella into slices and let them dry on paper towels. Now you can start layering the tower,  alternating in a baking sheet covered with parchment paper a slice of eggplant, a spoonful of tomato sauce, a sprinkling of oregano and a slice of mozzarella and repeat the layers. Drizzle with some olive oil, add a few basil leaves and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for about 10 minutes, until the mozzarella begins to melt.

Omelette roll with zucchini and mozzarella

6 eggs

3 medium zucchini

150 grams of firm mozzarella

Olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan

½  tablespoon chopped parsley

1 shallot

salt and pepper

Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a large (28 cm diameter) frying pan with a little oil. Divide the egg mixture into two equal parts and cook two thin omelettes, over low heat. Finely chop the shallot and sauté gently in another large frying pan with two tablespoons of oil. Cut the zucchini into julienne strips, using the julienne peeler or grater, add them to the shallot and cook for 5 minutes until they become soft. Season with salt, add the parsley, stir to flavor and cook for another few minutes. Cut the mozzarella into small cubes and add it to the still warm zucchini. Place one omelette on a tin foil sheet, spread half of the zucchini mixture over it and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, cover with the other omelette and spread  the rest of the zucchini and parmesan cheese. Roll the omelette making sure that the filling does not leak out. Wrap in foil  and wait for it to cool, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Serve the omelette cut into slices of about 2 cm.