Eggplant Meatballs

Polpette di Melanzane

I love meatless meatballs! This is a great vegetarian recipe; the eggplant meatballs are easy to prepare, inexpensive and delicious. The size is usually that of a golf ball, but you can make them any size you want. We usually serve the eggplant meatballs as an appetizer or a side dish.

Preparation time:  15 minutes

Cooking time: about  30 minutes

Serves  3-4

Ingredients:

water, about 4 cups (1 L), plus enough to soak the bread
salt, about 1 ½ tsp.
1 lb (450g) eggplants, diced
about  ½ lb (220g) Italian bread
1 egg
½  cup (120ml) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2-3 tbsp. fresh minced parsley
about ½ cup (120ml) corn flour
pepper to taste
Vegetable oil (just enough to fry)

Method:

1.        Bring a large pot of water (about 4 cups or 1 liter) with 1 tsp. of salt to a boil.  Add eggplants and cook for some minutes until tender. Then drain with a colander.

2.        Tear the bread into little pieces and soak in the water until it is soft; then squeeze by hand to remove the water.

3.        In a large bowl combine bread, eggplants, egg, cheese, parsley, corn flour, ½ tsp. of salt and pepper.  Mix all the ingredients and - with your hands - form the eggplant meatballs.

4.        Heat the oil and fry them.  Season with salt and serve.

Note: You can use Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano) cheese instead of Pecorino Romano cheese.

Pasta of the Countryman

Pasta del Contadino

This is an inexpensive vegetarian dish, ideal for a midweek meal. I like to cook with the season so I prepare it in the hot season when I can take the fresh tomatoes and eggplants from my back yard or buy them directly at the local farms. Serve with cold white wine, if desired.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: about 30-35 minutes

Serves 2–3

Ingredients:

2–3 medium eggplants (½ pound or 220 grams), chopped
Salt, about 1 ½ teaspoon + 1 tablespoon, plus enough to generously salt the raw eggplants
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound (450 grams) fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped or minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
6 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
8 cups (2 liters) water
½ pound (approximately 250 grams) rigatoni pasta
¼ pound (110 grams) smoked cheese, finely chopped

Method:

1. Generously salt the eggplants. Let them sit in a bowl for about an hour and then rinse and squeeze them by hand to remove the bitter water.
2. Preheat your oven’s broiler to 430° F (220° C).
3. Pour 5 tablespoons of the oil in a baking pan. Add the eggplants, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and 3 tablespoons of Pecorino Romano cheese. Season with 1 ½ teaspoon salt and mix all the ingredients.
4. Broil the mixture about 3 inches (7–8 cm) from the heat for 30 minutes or until the eggplants are tender. Stir occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often. Drain the pasta when al dente and transfer to the pan with the tomatoes and eggplants mixture. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, the smoked cheese, and mix well. Serve immediately.

Pasta with mussels

Pasta con le cozze

My mother cooked this dish yesterday for all of us. She used the fresh mussels that my brother in law took from some rock by the sea. The result was a delicious, succulent dish!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: about 1 hour

Serves 2–3

Ingredients:

2 pounds (900 grams) fresh mussels

Extra virgin olive oil, about 8 tablespoons

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 can Italian peeled tomatoes, approximately 14 ounces (400 grams), mashed with a fork

Salt, about ½ teaspoon + 1½ tablespoons

10 cups (2½ liters) water

½ pound (approximately 250 grams) mezze maniche rigate pasta

3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Method:
1.        Wash the mussels in cold running water to remove any grit or sand. Put them into a large pot, cover, and let cook on low heat for several minutes. When they have opened, turn off the heat. Make sure you don’t overcook them.
2.        Set aside a few mussels to use as garnish and shell the others. Don’t discard the cooking liquid; filter it and set aside.
3.        Heat about 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and sauté until light brown. Add the mashed tomatoes, 1 cup (250 ml) of the cooking liquid from the mussels, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes or until the tomato sauce thickens a little.
4.        Add the shelled mussels to the pot and let cook together another 6–7 minutes. At this point, taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.
5.         Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1½ tablespoons salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce with the mussels, 4 tablespoons oil, and parsley. Mix well and cook all together for 1–2 minutes.
6.        Garnish each serving of pasta with the reserved mussels in their shells. Serve immediately.

Notes:

·         If there is a risk of finding sand inside the shellfish, soak them in salted cold water for about 3–4 hours. Drain and rinse well to remove any grit or sand.

Fettuccine with Olives, Capers and Cherry Tomatoes

Fettuccine con Olive, Capperi e Pomodorini

This is a quick summer recipe. I made this dish the last day: after to spend all the morning at beach, I had to prepare something quick and easy with the ingredients that I had already in the house. I believe that the bread crumbs keeps all the taste of the tomatoes, olives and capers around the fettuccine. Use the freshest cherry tomatoes you can find.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: about 30 minutes

Serves 2–3

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, about 8 tablespoons
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
9–10 black olives
2 tablespoons capers, well rinsed
1 pound (450 grams) fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt, about ½ teaspoon + 1 tablespoon
8 cups (2 liters) water
½ pound (approximately 250 grams) fettuccine pasta
4 tablespoons bread crumbs

Method:

1.        Heat 5 tablespoons of the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic, olives, capers and sauté. Add the cherry tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Let cook about 15 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

2.        Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to the pan with the olives, capers and tomatoes. Add another 3 tablespoons of the oil and gently mix all the ingredients. Add bread crumbs and mix well again. Serve immediately.

 

Salmon fillets cooked over aromatic salt

Filetti di salmone al sale aromatico

I think that this is one of the best way to cook the salmon fillets. Do you agree?

Preparation time:  5 minutes
Cooking time:  about 20-30 minutes

Serves  2

Ingredients:

1 lb (450g) coarse sea salt
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
fresh lemon juice, about 5 tbsp.
water, about 2 tbsp.
2 Salmon fillets (about ½ lb or 220g each) with the skin on one side
black pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil, about 5 tbsp.

Method:

1.        In a bowl combine the salt with rosemary, 2 tbsp. of lemon juice and water.
2.        Then put a layer of this mixture on the bottom of a pan, place the fish fillets with the skin side over it, season with black pepper and spoon 1-2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil on top.
3.        Cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the fish fillets are just cooked through (the exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the fish fillets).
4.        Transfer to a plate, drizzle the fillets with the remaining extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Serve immediately.

 

Linguine with Arugula pesto

Linguine al pesto di Rucola

I have a lot of wild spicy arugula in my back yard. So today I made an Arugula pesto. This dish is for the arugula lovers and it will taste great if you use the freshest wild arugula  you can find.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: just the time to boil pasta

Serves 2–3

Ingredients:

¼ pound (110 grams) fresh arugula leaves

¼ cup (60 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
½ cup (120 milliliters) pine nuts
½ cup (120 milliliters) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt, about 1 tablespoon
8 cups (2 liters) water
½ pound (approximately 250 grams) linguine pasta

Method:

1.        Blend together the arugula, oil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese, reducing to a thick puree. At this point, taste the sauce and add  salt if needed. If the sauce is a little bitter (perhaps due to the quality of arugula), you can add more cheese or pine nuts to correct the taste.

2.        Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the arugula puree and mix well. Serve immediately.

Notes:

·         Many people like to use Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Grana Padano) cheese in place of the Pecorino Romano for this dish.

Oven-baked Fusilli

Fusilli al Forno

Today I have made Fusilli al Forno because my husband will come back from work late in the evening and I needed something easy to prepare ahead of time. Oven baked pasta is as pasta salad,….. easy to prepare, and as diverse as you want it to be. This one is tasty and perfect for a party or a picnic.

Preparation time: about 10 minutes

Cooking time: about 1½ hours

Serves 5–6

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, about 9 tablespoons
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
½ pound (220 grams) ground beef or veal
14 ounces (400 grams) champignon mushrooms, sliced
Salt, about 2 teaspoons + 1½ tablespoons
½ medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 cans Italian peeled tomatoes, approximately 14 ounces (400 grams) each
11 cups (2¾ liters) water
Pepper to taste
1 pound (450 grams) short fusilli pasta
½ cup (120 milliliters) frozen or fresh peas
¼ pound (110 grams) smoked cheese, chopped
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, about 1½ cups (370 milliliters)

Method:

1.        Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and sauté. Add the meat and let brown a little, then add the mushrooms, cover and let cook until tender. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt.
2.        Meanwhile, heat 5 tablespoons oil in another large pan. Add the onion and sauté gently. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup (250 milliliter) water, 1½ teaspoons salt, and pepper. Stir well and cook about 40 minutes. Then, with an immersion blender, blend the sauce. At this point, taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.
3.        Bring 10 cups (2½ liters) water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1½ tablespoons salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often. Drain the pasta about 2 minutes before the cooking time suggested on the package and return it to the pot. Add most (about ¾) of the tomato sauce and stir well, and then add the peas, smoked cheese and 1 cup (250 milliliters) Pecorino Romano cheese. Gently mix all the ingredients.
4.        Preheat the oven to 430° F (220° C).
5.        Transfer half of the pasta to a baking pan (about 9 x 13 inches or 22.8 x 33 cm) and smooth the surface with a spatula. Add a layer of the meat and mushrooms mixture, and a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese on top. Cover with the remaining pasta and follow with a final layer of tomato sauce and Pecorino Romano.
6.        Bake for 30–40 minutes. Allow to rest at least 30 minutes before serving.

Italian Tomato salad

Insalata di Pomodori

This is the season of the tomato salad. In Italy we eat a lot of tomato salad, almost every day in the summer. The salad will have the best flavor if you make it with the freshest tomatoes you can find. I like to add a sliced avocado into my tomato salad; but that is just my personal taste because our traditional Tomato salad doesn't include an avocado.
 

Ingredients:
1 lb (450g) fresh tomatoes of different colors: green, yellow, orange and red,
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped,
1 onion, peeled and chopped,
1 tbsp. dried oregano,
a few basil leaves,
9 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil,
salt, about ½ tsp.
hot pepper (optional).
Method:
1. Slice the tomatoes and put them into a large serving bowl. Add garlic, onion, oregano, basil and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and gently mix all together . Add hot pepper if desired. Taste before serving in order to decide if you have to add more salt. Serve with toasted or grilled bread and a glass of good wine.

Scapece Zucchini

Zucchine alla Scapece

 

Today I ate the famous Zucchine alla Scapece! An amazing Neapoletan recipe, very popular in this season, very simple but delicious.

 

 

Ingredients:

4-5 tender zucchini

vegetable oil (enough to fry)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

a bunch of fresh mint leaves

6-7 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tbsp vinegar (optional)

salt to taste

 

Method:

 

Just slice the zucchini and fry them. When still hot, spread over them garlic, mint and extra virgin olive oil.  Some people like to add 1-2 tbsp. of vinegar. Season with salt. Eat with a high quality bread. Buon appetito!

 

Pasta Salad with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Insalata di Pasta con Ceci e Pomodori

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: just the time to boil pasta

Serves 4–5

Ingredients:

½ pound (220 grams) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¾ pound (340 grams) fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 onions (about ¼ pound or 110 grams), peeled and finely chopped
9–10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch basil Leaves
Salt, about 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon
8 cups (2 liters) water
½ pound (approximately 250 grams) tubetti pasta
Pepper to taste

Method:
1.        In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, tomatoes, onions, oil, basil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
2.        Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain with a colander. Rinse the pasta under cold tap water and then drain again.
3.        Add the pasta to the bowl with the chickpeas and tomatoes. Season with salt (about ½ teaspoon) and pepper and gently mix all the ingredients. At this point, taste the pasta salad and add more salt if needed.
4.        Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for 1–2 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.