TASTES of ITALY TASTES OF ITALY CONTENTS Starters 1 Appetizers & Beverages 1 Soups & Breads 4 Salads 8 Main Courses 11 Seafood 11 Meat 13 Poultry 17 Vegetarian 19 Pasta & Dumplings 21 Sides 25 Vegetables 25 Rice, Polenta, & Pasta 27 Potatoes 29 Desserts 30 Fruits, Custards, & Tarts 30 Cakes, Tortes, & Cookies 32 Frozen Desserts 36 Index 38 Acknowledgments & Credits 42 IntroDuCtIon Italian food is universally appealing: With fresh, rustic flavors coaxed out of each season’s best ingredients, Italy’s fare is accessible yet interesting, casual yet special. Collected in this volume are dozens of our best Italian recipes, each a tried-and- true favorite from the pages of Bon Appétit. Some are fantastic from-the-source recipes collected from Italian chefs; others are modern riffs on Italian classics by accomplished American contributors—including our own test kitchen. From easy three-ingredient dishes like Grilled Shrimp with Rosemary to labors of love like the Ricotta Gnudi with Wild Mushroom and Truffle Sauce, these recipes are bound together by the ingredients, traditions, and techniques that make Italian food such an enduring favorite for so many of us. Buon Appetito! Copyright 2009 by Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Published by Condé Nast. 4 Times Square, New York, NY 10036. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher. Bon Appétit is a registered trademark of Condé Nast. On the cover: Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Orange StarterS work surface. Cover dough with kitchen / towel and let rest 30 minutes. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). appetizers & Working with 1 dough piece at a time, Beverages stretch and roll out on lightly floured surface to 9- to 10-inch round. Grill until grilled pizza with beginning to color, about 1½ minutes pears, fresh pecorino, per side. Transfer crusts to baking sheets. and walnuts DO AHEAD Pizza crusts can be made MAKES ABOUT 4 PIZZAS/ No need to 6 hours ahead. Let crusts stand at room heat up the oven. Not only is grilling faster temperature. than baking, but it also adds a nice smoky TOPPINGS/ Thinly slice cheese; arrange flavor to the pizza. Serve this with a Tuscan atop crusts, leaving ½-inch plain border. white wine. Cover cheese with single layer of pear slices (there may be some pear left over), CRUSTS then scatter walnuts over. 1¼ cups warm water (105°F to 115°F) Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Pinch of sugar Working in batches if necessary, transfer 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast pizzas to grill. Cover and cook until 1½ teaspoons salt cheese softens and crust is golden on 2¾ cups (or more) bread flour, divided bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer pizzas to work surface. Sprinkle with pepper; drizzle TOPPINGS with oil. Cut into wedges and serve. 12 ounces Brinata or aged MORE INFO/ This recipe calls for Brinata, a Manchego cheese specific kind of pecorino fresco. Pecorino 2 pears (about), halved, cored, fresco is a fresh sheep’s milk cheese that very thinly sliced is milder in taste and softer than Pecorino ⅔ cup walnut pieces, coarsely broken Toscano or Pecorino Romano. Look for Freshly cracked black pepper pecorino fresco at Extra-virgin olive oil your local cheese shop or purchase it online from murrayscheese.com or CRUSTS/ Pour 1¼ cups warm water into agferrari.com. Manchego cheese, which large bowl. Add sugar; sprinkle yeast is also made from sheep’s milk, is a evenly over and stir to blend. Let stand good substitute. until yeast dissolves and mixture looks spongy, about 10 minutes. Mix in salt, then tomato, red onion, and 2½ cups flour. Stir until shaggy-looking basil bruschetta dough forms. Sprinkle work surface with 4 SErVInGS/ Use small heirloom tomatoes ¼ cup flour; turn dough out onto work in assorted colors for a pretty presentation. surface. Knead dough until smooth and only slightly sticky, adding more flour if 2 cups assorted cherry, grape, and very sticky, about 8 minutes. Dust dough teardrop tomatoes, halved (or all over with flour. Place in clean large quartered if large) bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and towel. ½ small red onion, finely chopped Let dough rise in warm draft-free area 3 tablespoons olive oil plus additional until doubled in volume, about 1½ hours. for brushing Knead dough down. Dust lightly with 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil flour. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Place on 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar bonappetit.com/ tastes of Italy 1 1 large loaf focaccia, halved parmesan and smoky horizontally (reserve half for paprika frico another use) MAKES 16 TO 18/ These fried cheese 1 garlic clove, peeled, halved crisps are fun to make. Serve them with a crisp Pinot Grigio. Combine halved tomatoes, finely chopped onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, chopped 5 cups (about 14 ounces) finely grated fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar in medium Parmesan cheese bowl; season tomato topping with salt and 4 teaspoons smoked paprika* pepper. DO AHEAD Topping can be made Nonstick vegetable oil spray 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Toss cheese and paprika in large bowl. Preheat broiler. Place focaccia half, cut Spray small nonstick skillet with side up, on baking sheet; brush bread with nonstick spray. Place over medium-low olive oil. Toast bread in broiler until top is heat. Drop ¼ cup cheese mixture in golden brown, watching closely to avoid mound in center of skillet. Spread to burning, about 2 minutes. Immediately 3- to 4-inch round. Cook until completely rub cut side of bread all over with halved melted, bubbling all over, and browning garlic, then cut focaccia crosswise into 4 at edges, about 1½ minutes. Remove pan equal pieces. from heat; let stand until bubbling stops. Top toasted focaccia with tomato Loosen edges and turn frico over. Return mixture and serve. pan to medium-low heat and cook frico until golden on bottom, about 1 minute. grilled shrimp Transfer to paper towels to drain. with rosemary Repeat with remaining cheese mixture. 12 SErVInGS/ With only three ingredients, DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. this recipe couldn’t be easier. Serving the Let stand at room temperature. shrimp on a bed of rosemary sprigs makes */ Sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or this dish pretty enough for a party. Pimentón de La Vera Dulce; available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods 36 large shrimp, peeled, deveined stores, and from tienda.com. 2 tablespoons olive oil 5 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary chicken liver and plus whole sprigs for garnish sage crostini 6 SErVInGS/ A great way to use the liver Combine shrimp, oil, and chopped from your Thanksgiving turkey. (The turkey rosemary in large bowl; toss to coat. liver alone won’t be enough—you’ll have DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. to mix in a few chicken livers.) Cover and chill. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). 3 tablespoons olive oil Line platter with fresh rosemary sprigs as 12 medium fresh sage leaves, thinly bed for shrimp. Thread 3 shrimp on each sliced, plus 1 teaspoon chopped sage of 12 metal skewers. Sprinkle with salt and ½ cup finely chopped red onion pepper. Grill until shrimp are just opaque 1 garlic clove, minced in center, about 2 minutes per side. 8 ounces (about 1 cup) chicken or Arrange skewers atop rosemary. turkey livers, finely chopped ¼ cup Madeira 2 tastes of Italy/ bonappetit.com ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt cornmeal in slow steady stream; return ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer pepper until polenta is very thick, whisking often, 12 baguette slices, toasted about 10 minutes. Turn polenta out into additional whole sage leaves prepared pan; spread to ½-inch-thick layer (optional) (polenta will not fill pan). Cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Line plate with paper towels. Heat oil in Cover and chill. medium skillet over medium-high heat. PESTO/ Blanch basil in small saucepan Add sliced sage; sauté until crisp, about of boiling salted water 5 seconds. Drain, 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer rinse, and squeeze dry. Place basil in mini sautéed sage to paper towels. Add onion processor. Add ¼ cup pine nuts and to same skillet; sauté until golden, about cheese. Blend to coarse puree. With 3 minutes. Add garlic, chopped liver, and machine running, add ½ cup oil. Blend 1 teaspoon chopped sage. Stir until liver is until pesto is almost smooth. Season with no longer red, about 3 minutes. Increase salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made heat to high, add Madeira, and cook until 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Using 1½-inch round or scalloped Add salt and pepper. Divide liver mixture cutter, cut out 24 polenta rounds. Pour among baguette slices. Top with sautéed enough oil into heavy large nonstick skillet sage. Serve crostini on bed of fresh sage to coat bottom; heat over medium-high leaves, if desired. heat. Sauté polenta rounds until beginning to brown, about 1 minute per side; crisp polenta rounds with transfer to small baking sheet. pesto and pine nuts DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. MAKES 24 Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 375°F oven 5 minutes before serving. POLENTA Arrange polenta rounds on platter. 2⅔ cups whole milk Top with pesto; sprinkle with pine nuts. 1 fresh rosemary sprig 1 fresh thyme sprig the bicicletta 1 garlic clove, peeled MAKES 1/ The Bicicletta is said to get its 1 cup yellow cornmeal name from the old Italian men who favor it, and who, after indulging in a few, wobble PESTO home on their bikes.