Recipe Chic: Italian Recipes

eNEWSLETTER eSTORE MESSAGE BOARDS LINKS LETTERS TO EDITOR FAQ SEARCH

HOME GOSPEL CHIC DEAL DIVA CHIC RECIPE CHIC MOMMY CHIC STYLE CHIC CRAFTY CHIC HEALTHY CHIC SPECIAL TOPICS

Making an Authentic Italian Dinner
By Janice Hayes, Contributor
Tips for printing this article

The Italians call Italy “Bel Paese” or the beautiful country. It is also the country of delicious food. In this week’s Recipe Chic you will find recipes for a complete yet easy Italian meal along with recipes for pesto and a basic Italian sauce. So put on your apron, turn on the Olympics, have Pavarotti playing softly in the background and bring Italy into your kitchen where the eating is unhurried, unpretentious and always enjoyable. Buon appetito!

CROSTINI BREAD

1 loaf fresh Italian bread
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons dried basil
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed or 2 teaspoons bottled garlic

Cut bread into 1 inch slices. Arrange in single layer on a baking sheet. Mix olive oil, rosemary, basil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush on each slice of bread. Bake at 350ºF for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool slightly and serve. If desired, dip in a mixture of olive oil drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

BAKED ASPARAGUS with PARMESAN CHEESE

2 pounds fresh asparagus
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Trim and boil asparagus in lightly salted water until tender but not limp, about 2-3 minutes. Drain asparagus

and place lengthwise in a buttered baking dish, staggering the asparagus so that tips protrude. Dot with the remaining butter, sprinkle with cheese and bake until the top forms a light brown crust.

Serves 4-6

Recipe from ItalianMade.com.

ITALIAN BEAN SALAD

1 can black beans
1 can green beans
1 can kidney beans
1 small red onion, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped

3 gloves garlic minced or crushed or 1 and ½ teaspoons bottled garlic
½ cup Italian salad dressing
Juice of 1 lime
Parmesan cheese

Rinse and drain all beans. Mix together in bowl along with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour. The longer it marinates, the better it is!

Serves 4-6

LINGUINE with WHITE CLAM SAUCE

16 ounces linguine
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2- 8 ounce bottles clam juice
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons thyme
½ teaspoon lemon pepper
2- 6.5 ounce cans minced clams, drained

Prepare pasta according to package directions and drain. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and mix. Add clam juice and stir until smooth and thickened. Add the parsley, thyme and lemon pepper. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add clams and cook about 5 minutes more. Serve over pasta.

Serves 4-6.

ITALIAN LOVE CAKE

1 pkg fudge or chocolate cake mix
2 pounds ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 small (3½ to 4 ounces) box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 - 8 ounce container nondairy whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 x 2 inch cake pan.

Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Pour batter into pan and set aside. Do not bake yet. With mixer, blend ricotta cheese, eggs sugar and vanilla. Spoon evenly over unbaked cake batter. Do not blend in.

Bake cake at 350ºF for roughly one hour. Cool. Prepare frosting by blending instant chocolate pudding with milk. Fold in whipped topping until creamy. Spread over cooled cake.

Recipe from Italylink.com

* * * * * * * *

BASIC PESTO SAUCE

3 cups packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed.
2 large cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup pinenuts, walnuts, almonds or a combination of nuts
3/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
salt to taste

Place all ingredients but olive oil and butter in food processor or blender. While blending ingredients, pour in melted butter and olive oil. Process until pesto is a smooth paste. Salt to taste. Toss on hot, drained pasta or spread on bread. Also try it on grilled chicken or fish. Mix in pizza sauce, rice or vegetable soup. Is delicious added to cream cheese for a unique bagel topping.

From recipes.epicurean.com

BASIC ITALIAN SAUCE

2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic or 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil
4-14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2- 6 ounce cans tomato paste
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
2 teaspoons dried marjoram, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook onion, pepper, celery and garlic in hot oil until tender but not brown. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, dried basil, oregano, marjoram, salt and pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes longer. Use immediately or refrigerate for future use. May be frozen for up to 3 months. Use on pasta or in any Italian dish calling for spaghetti sauce.

Makes about 10 cups.

Recipe from www.bhg.com

Italian food words and their meaning:

al dente: to cook pasta until it is firm yet done.
antipasto: appetizer
arrosto: beef roast
bruscetta: Italian version of salsa. Usually served on bread.
calamari: squid
fragolina: a strawberry
fromaggio: cheese of any kind
gelato: Italian ice cream
pane: bread
piccante: spicy
polenta: corn meal
pollo: chicken
prosciutto: Italian ham
tonno: tuna
zuppa: soup

Basic Italian Cheeses:

Though there are over 450 different cheeses made in Italy, below are a few of the most basic cheeses:

Parmesan: grainy, firm cheese with a full flavor. Often grated atop cooked pasta dishes.
Gorgonzola: originates in the Po valley in Lombardy. A soft, creamy cheese with blue or green veins running through it. Has a strong, pungent flavor so a little goes a long way.
Mozzarella: one of the most common cheeses. The region around Naples, Italy produces the best mozzarella cheese in the world. Usually melted on pizza, lasagna, etc.
Asiago: a cow’s milk cheese with a sharp flavor which comes soft, medium or hard.
Provolone: from southern Italy. Oily, simple-flavored cheese which is best when aged.
Ricotta: actually the by-product of cheesemaking. In Italy, made from the whey of sheep’s milk, in the United States, usually from the whey of cow’s milk. Soft in texture and often used in baking.

Types of pasta:

Shaped pasta: shells, bow ties, spirals, wheels etc. Often served with a heavy sauce.
Tubular: larger tubes of pasta usually stuffed with meat and cheese and baked.
Strand: long rods of pasta like spaghetti, linguine, vermicelli, fusilli, capellini, etc.
Ribbon: flat strands of pasta of differing lengths, widths and thickness. Fettuccini, lasagne, linguini and riccia are all ribbon pastas.
Soup pasta: small to tiny pastas in different shapes for use in soups.
Stuffed pasta: fresh pasta sheets stuffed with a filling such as meat, cheese, herbs, mushrooms or vegetables. Generally cooked and served with a light sauce. Stuffed pastas include ravioli, agnolotti and tortellini.

When stored in a cool, dry place, uncooked pasta can last almost indefinitely. Cooked pasta should be stored in an airtight container up to five days in the refrigerator.

Tips for cooking perfect pasta:

Use about a pound of pasta for four people. Each pound needs about 5 quarts of water for boiling in.
Salt the water pasta will cook in after it begins to boil. Allow up to 1 tablespoon of salt for every pound of pasta.
Add pasta to boiling water quickly and return quickly to a boil. Stir pasta occasionally while cooking to prevent sticking.
Do not add oil to the water
Follow cooking times suggested on pasta package. Usually to al dente: cooked yet firm.
Drain pasta immediately after cooking, add sauce and serve. Do not rinse unless pasta is for a cold pasta salad or if you are not going to sauce and serve immediately.