This classic Italian dessert Panna cotta is made of sweetened cream which is thickened with gelatin and usually moulded. The cream may be flavoured with vanilla, coffee, rum, etc. Although the name does not sound appetizing at all (it means ‘cooked cream’ in Italian), panna cotta is silky smooth with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and is as close to perfection as it gets!
Panzanella is a Tuscan salad consisting of chunks of soaked stale bread and tomatoes, sometimes also onions and basil, dressed with olive oil and vinegar. Making Panzanella salad is a terrific way to use up stale or leftover bread.
500 g stale bread (fresh bread will work too!)
100 ml garlic infused olive oil
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
16 black olives, pitted
a handful fresh basil, leaves removed from the stalks
30 ml balsamic vinegar
25 g Parmesan cheese, grated
freshly ground black pepper
salt
4 servings.
This tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish has ingredients that are typical of Southern Italian cuisine: tomatoes, olive oil, anchovies, olives, olive oil, capers and garlic. Traditionally, the sauce is served with spaghetti, although it also goes well with penne, tagliatelli, linguine and even rice,
salt and pepper to season the chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 100 g each)
olive oil to fry
125 ml white wine or chicken stock
2 medium onions, peeled and finely diced
200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
30 ml tomato paste
10 ml crushed garlic
15 black olives, pitted
15 ml capers
30 ml basil, finely chopped fresh
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. The word frittata is Italian and roughly translates to “fried”, i.e. egg fried in a pan. It was apparently Delia Smith who described a frittata as “Italy’s version of an open-face omelette” for the first time. All you need is a few eggs and a small quantity of almost any raw or cooked, fresh or leftover ingredients from the refrigerator.
Frittata
6 large eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
30 g butter
± 500 ml variable ingredients
Variable ingredients:
± 100 ml finely diced red pepper or mixed peppers
± 200 ml finely shredded young green cabbage
± 100 ml chopped mixed herbs
± 100 ml chopped spring onion or chives
± 125 ml cooked or smoked ham, cut into strips
± 125 ml smoked salmon or trout, cut into strips + capers, rinsed
± 125 ml Danish or Greek Feta or grated Cheddar cheese
100 to 200g Haloumi cheese, cut into strips or diced (optional)
To serve
Green salad (optional)
3 generous or 6 moderate servings.
Gnudi (pronounced nude-y), is basically meatless meatballs, and the best way to eat spinach! I adapted this recipe from a recipe by Canadian-Italian celebrity chef David Rocco. It is a firm family favourite and I get requests to make it often!
600 g baby spinach leaves
1 large egg, (yolk only)
60 ml spring onion, finely chopped
200 g ricotta cheese, crumbled
50 g parmesan cheese, grated
5 ml salt
10 ml crushed garlic
150 ml cake flour or additional grated parmesan cheese
Makes between 16 and 20 balls.
Affogato (Italian for “drowned”) is a coffee-based dessert. It is basically a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso. Quick and easy!
1 liter vanilla ice-cream
10 shots (30 to 45 ml per person) hot fresh espresso coffee
To serve
Italian biscuits, e.g. biscotti or amaretti
Tiramisu means “pick me up” and is a popular coffee-flavored Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers or Boudoir Biscuits dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. Countless variations of Tiramisu exist. (see variations below). Marsala wine can be added to the recipe, but other liquors are frequently substituted for it including dark rum, Madeira, port, brandy, Malibu, or Irish Cream and especially coffee flavored liqueurs such as Tia Maria and Kahlua.
250 ml espresso or strong black coffee
15 ml castor sugar
30 ml Kahlua liqueur, brandy or Marsala
200 g pack Boudoir biscuits or Lady fingers
4 large egg yolks
100 g/125 ml castor sugar
2 x 250 g Mascarpone cheese or creamed cottage cheese
2 ml vanilla extract
To serve
cocoa powder for dusting
10 to 12 servings.
Variations
Tiramisu in bowls – to serve elegantly, cut the biscuits into smaller sections, soak in the coffee mixture and divide between 12 small glass bowls or stemmed glasses. Our the cheese mixture over the biscuits, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours. Dust lightly with cocoa and garnish as preferred just before serving.
Moulded Tiramisu cake – To make a moulded cake or dessert which may be sliced neatly into wedges, dip the biscuits in the coffee mixture and cut and arrange the biscuits into a large, round, springform cake tin (about 28 mm in diameter), lined with baking paper. A 28 mm pie dish can also be used. Cover 15 ml gelatine powder with 60 ml water and microwave on Medium for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until melted. Stir 30 ml of the cheese into the gelatine, mix well and add to the egg mixture with the rest of the cheese. Complete as explained above and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours before slicing and serving with garnishes as preferred.
Recipe by Carolié de Koster from the Art Of Cooking Recipe Book p. 518.
Vitello tonnato is a Piedmontese dish of cold, sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that has been flavored with tuna. It is served chilled or at room temperature as the main course of an Italian meal or as antipasto. This dish has unlikely ingredients, but the end result is quite delicious! Be sure to read the post The Veal Deal for more info and recipes on veal.
1.25 kg thick piece boneless veal topside
1 small onion
a few cloves
2 bay leaves
2 celery sticks, halved
1 small carrot, peeled
6 black peppercorns
150 ml dry white wine
Sauce
2 large eggs
1 clove garlic, peeled
5 ml salt
275 ml canola or sunflower oil
30 ml white wine vinegar
1 x 170 g best-quality tuna in brine, drained
2 tinned anchovy fillets, drained
15 ml salted capers, rinsed and drained
15 ml lemon juice (or more, to taste)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish
a few extra capers
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
6 servings.
Note
– The sauce can be made well ahead and kept in the fridge till needed.- The dish should be made and refrigerated for 1 to 5 days to fully develop the flavor.
Recipe adapted from a recipe by Delia Smith.
This is my version of focaccia bread that I ate in Tuscany, Italy a few years ago. Focaccia (pronounced “fo-KA-chee-a”) is an Italian flatbread, often topped with herbs and spices or other ingredients such as cheese, vegetables or meat. It is similar in style and texture to pizza dough, but without the tomato sauce base that most pizza’s have.
4 medium potatoes (about 500 g), peeled and thinly sliced
50 g butter
5 ml crushed garlic
10 ml fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped and 2.5 ml salt or
10 ml Ina Paarman’s Lemon & Rosemary seasoning
500 g shop-bought bread dough
200 ml Parmesan cheese, finely grated
6 servings.
