Below are some of our Members' favorite Italian recipes. Taste a bit of our Italy in your own kitchen!
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If you would like to post a recipe, please send it to the webmaster!
PRIMO - Pesto (Pasta Sauce, Bread Spread, etc.)
Suggested pasta: linguini or spaghetti
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Ingredients:
5 roma tomatoes, deseeded
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 cup fresh packed mint leaves
1/2 cup almonds
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp crushed dried pepper
salt to taste
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Yields approximately 2 cups.
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Directions:
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De-seed the tomatoes by slicing in half along the equator. Take one of the halves in your hand and squeeze the tomato gently so that the seed and gooey insides fall into the bowl. Repeat for all the tomatoes. Quarter the halves and load into a food processor.
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Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor. Pulse until well combined.
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Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours of overnight before serving.
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SECONDO - Meat
Note: May substitute chicken for veal
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Ingredients:
veal loin
almonds, chopped and peeled
prunes and apricots, dried
2T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
bay leaves
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Directions:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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With a knife, make an incision cutting through the veal loin.
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Fill with the following combination:
chopped peeled almonds, a handful of prunes plus a handful of dried apricots--that's all!
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Place in a baking pan, drizzle with 2T olive oil, salt and pepper, and top with a few fresh bay leaves.
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Bake 15 minutes then lower the temperature to 300 degrees and continue to bake for 90 minutes.
SECONDO - Vegetarian
This, with plain basmati rice and a salad, can be a luncheon main dish
served perhaps with prosciutto and melon as a first course.
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Ingredients:
eggplant, peeled
fresh tomato, sliced
slices of cheese (smoked provolone or mozz)
olive oil
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Directions:
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Slice the peeled eggplant, sprinkle with salt, let sit until they release some of their bitter vegetable water (a good method is placing a clean dish towel over the sliced eggplant, then covering with a heavy pot). Let rest. When water has been expelled, pat dry with a paper towel (first rinse if you find them too salty).
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Lay into a baking dish. Atop each slice, place a slice of fresh tomato and a slice of smoked provolone or fresh mozzarella cheese, and a tsp (or quantity desired) of olive oil.
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Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until fork tender.
