Category Archives: Italian

Bread and Tomato Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro) from saveur.com

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1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and finely chopped
9 cups puréed peeled Italian tomatoes
3  cups veggie stock
9 slices (¾”-thick) stale, unsalted Tuscan bread (about 1 lb.), halved
2 tbsp. chopped basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat ⅓ cup of the oil in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until light golden, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add leeks, and cook, stirring often, until very soft but not browned, 15–20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken and beef stocks and stir to mix well. Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the bread, pushing it into the soup with a wooden spoon until each piece is submerged. Add the basil and stir gently to combine. Cover the pot and set it aside to let the bread soak until completely softened, about 30 minutes.
Uncover the pot and whisk the soup vigorously until the bread breaks down and the soup resembles porridge, 4–5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently reheat soup over medium heat. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and drizzle with remaining olive oil.

 

Easy Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad from foodiecrush.com

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  • 1 pound thin spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 cucumbers, quartered and sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • ½ red onion, thinly sliced
  • 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 4-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or pecorino romano
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Drain, rinse and cool. Add the spaghetti to a large bowl with the cucumbers, red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, black olives and parmesan cheese. In a pint jar with a lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic clove, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shake well and pour over the spaghetti mixture and toss to coat. Add more parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 30 minutes up to overnight.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca from gearpatrol.com

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Half box dried spaghetti (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole clove garlic
3 anchovy fillets, canned in olive oil
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup preferred olives (i.e. Kalamata), pitted
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1. Start cooking spaghetti by following instructions on the box. Drain two minutes before ready, and be sure to reserve half a cup of cooking liquid for later step.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add clove of garlic, and cook until brown, about 1–2 minutes; then discard. Add anchovies to the pan and smear with a spatula until it forms a paste with the olive oil. Sprinkle red chili flakes, cook for about 10 seconds, then add tomatoes. Simmer for about 8–9 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken.

3. Lower the heat, and toss in capers and olives. Fold in the cooked spaghetti, and stir to coat. Cook for an additional minute or two until preferred doneness. If the sauce is too thick, use the reserved pasta water to help coat the spaghetti.

4. Plate, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.

Spaghetti Puttanesca, seriouseats.com

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  • 4 to 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons; 20–30ml chopped anchovy)
  • Large pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1 cup (225g) whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, roughly broken up by hand (about half a 14 ounce can)
  • Small handful minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 ounce (30g) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place spaghetti in a large skillet, sauté pan, or saucepan and cover with water. Add a small pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, combine 4 tablespoons (60ml) oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.) Add capers and olives and stir to combine.
  3. Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a bare simmer. Continue to simmer until pasta is cooked to just under al dente (about 1 minute less than the package recommends).

    4.  Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce. Alternatively, drain pasta through a colander, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add drained pasta to sauce.

    5.  Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to sauce and increase heat to bring pasta and sauce to a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep sauce loose, until pasta is perfectly al dente, 1 to 2 minutes longer. (The pasta will cook more slowly in the sauce than it did in the water.) Stir in remaining olive oil, parsley, and cheese.

    6.  Season with salt and pepper. (Be generous with the pepper and scant with the salt—the dish will be plenty salty from the other ingredients.) If using, stir in canned tuna and break it up with a fork. Serve immediately with more grated cheese at the table.

Zuppa Toscana

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1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, diced
5 (13.75 ounce) cans veggie  broth

  1. Cook the sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2.  Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Pour the broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the spinach into the soup just before serving.

Lightened-Up Eggplant Parmesan

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POMODORO SAUCE:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 small onion (peeled, finely diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled, minced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 bunch fresh oregano (tied with kitchen twine)
  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (crushed with your hands, 28 ounces)
  • 1 bunch basil (torn, to garnish)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • Eggplants:
  • 2 medium eggplants (sliced 1/4-inch thick, peeled)
  • olive oil (spray)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
CASHEW PARMESAN:
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons parsley leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • For the Pomodoro Sauce: Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the onions and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove oregano and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree on low to preserve the red color. Add basil and stir to combine. Set aside.
  • For the Eggplant: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place two racks inside of two baking sheets.
  • On the racks, place the eggplant rounds and lightly spray both sides with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • For the Cashew Parmesan: In the bowl of a food processor, add the cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder, and pulse to combine until it becomes a fine meal.
  • Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium-low heat and add the bread crumbs. Allow to toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the basil, parsley, and oregano and toss to combine. Pour the panko bread crumbs into a large bowl, add the cashew mixture and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
  • To Assemble: Decrease the oven temperature to 325ºF.
  • Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with olive oil, place one eggplant round and top with one heaping tablespoon of the sauce, followed by a heaping tablespoon of the cashew parmesan. Top with another eggplant round and repeat the process 2 more times, finishing with a fourth eggplant round with sauce.
  • Assemble the remaining eggplant parmesan stacks in the baking dish with the rest of the eggplant rounds. Place in the oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the cashew parmesan over each eggplant stack.
  • Tip: The cashew parmesan will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or freezer stored in an airtight container. Use to garnish pastas, soups and salads just like you would Parmesan cheese!

Pasta e fagoli (pasta and bean soup) from Mario

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  • 2 tablespoons butter?
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley (plus more for garnish)
  • 1000x400-q80_6ec2fc22392b70edf51cfc41c4cbd0b91 medium Spanish onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 cups veggie stock
  • 3 cups cooked barlotti beans or kidney beans (rinsed and drained if canned)
  • 2 cups dried pasta scraps from making fresh pasta (or broken dried fettucini)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Parmigiano (for garnish)

In a Dutch oven, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the parsley and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is browned and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the veggie stock and beans and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the pasta and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the soup among six serving bowls. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and garnish with more parsley and grated Parmigiano.

 

Spaghetti Puttanesca from seriouseats.com

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  • 20160221-puttanesca-pasta-week-221/2 pound (225g) dried spaghetti
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced or finely chopped by hand (see note above)
  • 4 to 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons; 20–30ml chopped anchovy)
  • Large pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1 cup (225g) whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, roughly broken up by hand (about half a 14 ounce can)
  • Small handful minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 ounce (30g) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (5-ounce; 140g) can oil-packed tuna (optional)

 

  • Place spaghetti in a large skillet, sauté pan, or saucepan and cover with water. Add a small pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking.

  • 2.Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, combine 4 tablespoons (60ml) oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.) Add capers and olives and stir to combine.
  • 3.Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a bare simmer. Continue to simmer until pasta is cooked to just under al dente (about 1 minute less than the package recommends).
  • 4.Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce. Alternatively, drain pasta through a colander, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add drained pasta to sauce.
  • 5.Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to sauce and increase heat to bring pasta and sauce to a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep sauce loose, until pasta is perfectly al dente, 1 to 2 minutes longer. (The pasta will cook more slowly in the sauce than it did in the water.) Stir in remaining olive oil, parsley, and cheese.
  • 6.Season with salt and pepper. (Be generous with the pepper and scant with the salt—the dish will be plenty salty from the other ingredients.) If using, stir in canned tuna and break it up with a fork. Serve immediately with more grated cheese at the table.

 

Sicilian-Style Swordfish from food52.com

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  • IMG_98552 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
  • 1/4 cup pitted oil-cured black olives coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons salted capers, well rinsed and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine, preferably Sicilian
  • Crushed red pepper to taste
  • 4 x 6 ounces swordfish steaks
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Basil, roughly torn for garnish
  1. In a large skillet (one wide enough to hold swordfish in a single layer), heat oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Add sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, wine and generous pinch red pepper flakes; stir together. Transfer to bowl.
  4. Lightly season swordfish with salt and pepper; in a single layer, place fish in skillet.
  5. Return skillet to medium-high heat, cover and cook for 3 minutes per side.
  6. When swordfish is cooked through and browned, cover with sauce and warm.
  7. Sprinkle roughly torn basil and serve. This dish can also be served room temperature.Serves 4

 

White Bean Soup from Marcella Hazan

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  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 6 cups cooked cannellini or other white beans—either canned or cooked from 2 cups dried (recommended)
  • Salt
  • Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
  • 1 cup homemade broth or water (or 1 1 cup veggie stock 
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • Thick grilled or toasted slices of crusty bread (optional)
  1. Put the oil and chopped garlic in a soup pot and turn on the heat to medium. Cook the garlic, stirring it, until is becomes colored a very pale gold.
  2. Add the drained cooked or canned beans, a pinch of salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 5 to 6 minutes.
  3. Take about 1/2 cup of beans from the pot and puree them through a food mill back into the pot, together with all the broth. Alternately, use a blender, loosening with a bit of the broth. Simmer for another 5 to 6 minutes, taste, and correct for salt and pepper. Swirl in the chopped parsley, and turn off the heat.
  4. Ladle over the grilled bread slices into individual soup bowls. Serves 4 to 6