World Recipes

Tuscan-Style Ribollita

6 slices (1/2-inch thick) day-old crusty French bread
3 cloves garlic
Black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chicken broth
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups torn escarole or dark cabbage
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can plum tomatoes, drained, juices reserved
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Oregano leaves (garnish)

Grease a baking sheet. Put the bread on the sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cut 1 garlic clove in half and rub on each side of the toast slices. Sprinkle with black pepper and set aside.

Heat the oil and broth mixture in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Mince the remaining garlic. Add the garlic, carrots and celery to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini, squash, sweet peppers and oregano; cook for 5 minutes. Add the escarole, beans and tomatoes; cook until the escarole wilts, about 2 minutes. Add black pepper. Pour the vegetable mixture into a 3-quart casserole and top with the toast.

In a large measuring cup, combine the reserved tomato juice and the broth; pour over the toast. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 375 degrees F until the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and garnish with oregano.

Serves 6.

Tuscan Chicken Rolls with Pork Stuffing (Rollatini di Pollo)

3 large whole chicken breasts
    (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
1/2 pound ground pork
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground savory
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon
Minced parsley

Remove bones and skin from chicken breasts; cut chicken into halves. Place between 2 pieces plastic wrap; pound until 1/4 inch thick, being careful not to tear the meat. Cook and stir pork, onion and garlic over medium heat until pork is brown. drain fat. Stir in egg, bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, savory and pepper. Place about 1/3 cup pork mixture on each chicken breast half. Roll up; secure with wooden picks. Place rolls in greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Brush rolls with butter; pour any remaining butter over rolls. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add wine. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F until chicken is done, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove chicken to warm platter; remove wooden picks. Keep warm. Pour liquid from baking dish into 1-quart saucepan. Stir water into cornstarch; pour into liquid. Stir in bouillon. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour gravy on chicken. Top with parsley.

Yields 6 servings.

Tomatoes, Peppers and Onions (Peperonata)

Toss marinated olives into this dish if you like.

2 medium onions, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
3 medium green bell peppers, cut into strips
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Cook and stir onions in oil in skillet until tender; add remaining ingredients except tomatoes. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and simmer until green pepper is tender, about 5 minutes. Garnish with ripe olives if desired.

Tomato and Bread Salad (Panzanella)

This is best if you use very ripe tomatoes.

4 cups 1-inch pieces stale Italian or French bread
2 medium tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup snipped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Mix bread, tomatoes, garlic, green pepper, basil and parsley.

Shake remaining ingredients in tightly covered container. Pour over bread mixture; toss. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Garnish with Kalamata or Greek olives if desired.

Sunday Night Lasagna

Sauce
2 medium-size onions, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound ground pork or spiced turkey sausage
1 (2 1/2 pound) can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
12 ounces tomato paste
1 tablespoon finely-grated orange zest
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cook onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes or until wilted and golden, stirring. Add meat in small clumps and brown well over medium heat, breaking it up with a fork. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours.

Bechamel Sauce
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, scalded
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan; whisk in flour. Cook over low heat, whisking, until fully blended, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

3 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 lasagna noodles, cooked
2 cups (1/2 pound) grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parsley, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper; stir well. Place 2 cups of the Sauce in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Over the noodles, spread half of the ricotta mixture, 2 cups Sauce and 1 cup Bechamel Sauce, then sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining noodles and ricotta, 2 cups Sauce, remaining Bechamel sauce and mozzarella. There will be some Sauce left over.

Cover dish loosely with aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove dish from oven and allow to rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Strufoli

A favorite at Italian weddings.

12 servings

3 cups SIFTED all-purpose flour
5 medium eggs, slightly beaten
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup solid shortening, softened
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 quart oil for deep-fat frying
1 1/2 cups honey
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons colored sprinkles

Place 1 1/2 cups flour in a large mixing bowl. Make a hollow in the center and pour eggs into it. Add egg yolk yolk, shortening, sugar, salt, and lemon rind. Work it with a wooden spoon until dough forms (add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour as necessary). Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and no longer sticky. Cut s mall pieces of dough and roll into thin ropes. Cut ropes into 1/4-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a tiny ball.

Heat oil (at least 2 inches in a deep-fry pan) to about 370 degrees F.

Fry a handful of strufoli at a time, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towel.

Melt honey over medium heat and stir in orange rind. Add strufoli, stirring them in very gently with a wooden spoon. Coat them well with the honey, then remove from pan and "mound" them pyramid-style on a decorative platter. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles and let them cool.

Cover with wax paper and store at room temperature. They will stay crisp for several days.

Special Linguine

1/2 cup )1 stick butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 (6 1/2 ounce) cans chopped clams, liquid reserved
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Salt and pepper
1 pound cooked linguine
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add clams and cook for 2 minutes more. Add parsley. Gradually add reserved clam juice until sauce is desired thickness. Add walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Toss with hot cooked linguine. Top with grated cheese and serve immediately.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

This pasta sauce is from Naples, Italy. Its title means "spaghetti in the manner of a prostitute." Regardless of its name, it is delicious.

1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped
1 small chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon capers
2/3 cup pitted black olives, sliced
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water with a dash of olive oil. Heat olive oil in a pan and add garlic, anchovies and chile; cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, capers and olives and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in parsley and cook for another minute. Drain spaghetti and put into a warm bowl; pour over the sauce, toss spaghetti in the sauce and serve immediately.