Favorite Italian Recipes

here is an interesting pasta recipe with wild mushrooms, prosciuto and mascarpone. really want to try some pasta dishes with mascarpone cheese.

http://www.italianfoodforever.com/

aaah.
I should not open threads such as this when I am already hungry.
I *adore* Gorgonzola. Those recipes look delish, Tootsie.

One of my really favorite Italian dishes is very basic:
Insalata Caprese
Fresh mozzarella
Arugula or fresh basil
Fresh tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
(I usually do not bother with the balsamic vinegar.)

I really enjoy pesto; I like making my own and eating it fresh from the garden.
The pesto recipe I use is the one from Silver Palate, except I use pinenuts instead of walnuts whenever possible:
Basic Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
4 medium-size cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup walnut meats
1 cup best-quality olive oil
1 cup freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Process the basil, garlic, and walnuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade--or in 2 batches in a blender--until finely chopped.

2. With the machine running, pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream.

3. Add the cheeses, a big pinch of salt, and a liberal grinding of pepper. Process briefly to combine. Remove to a bowl and cover until ready to use.
2 cups, enough to sauce 2 pounds of pasta

Recently I found a recipe for pesto pasta salad from Cook's Illustrated.
I can't find it right now, and you can't get it online, but this is pretty close:

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish.

This salad is best served the day it is made; if it's been refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before serving. Garnish with additional shaved or greated Parmesan.

1 pound farfalle (bow ties) pasta
Table salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup basil pesto, room temperature
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered or grape tomatoes

1. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in large pot.
2. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta tow ater, stir to separate, and cook until tender (just past al dente). Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, drain pasta, toss with 1 tablespoon oil, spread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet, and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
3. Mix Pesto with mayonnaise until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture to large serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemple salad.
4. When pasta is cool, toss with pesto, adding reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until pesto evenly coats pasta. Fold in tomatoes (if using); serve.

Cil - these are wonderful... pesto.... ummmmmm. yes, I'm hungry too.

here is another pasta with mascarpone. I haven't tried it, but I shall!

Pasta with Mascarpone & Prosciutto

1/2 c. Mascarpone cheese
3 T. Olive oil
1 Clove garlic (minced)
3/4 t. Salt
1 t. Pepper
1/2 lb. Pasta (something with lots of folds, such as farfalle or radiatore,etc.)
1/4 c. Grated parmesan or Locatelli cheese
1 c. Baby Peas, cooked al dente and drained
1/3 lb. Slivered Prosciutto
While pasta boils, mash minced garlic and salt with a fork in a bowl-REALLY GRIND IT TOGETHER. Stir in pepper. Whisk in the mascarpone. Set aside. Cook pasta al dente and drain well. Pour pasta into large serving bowl and toss with mascarpone, oil, garlic combination, grated cheese, peas and prosciutto. Serve hot. Serves four.

My mouth is watering. I can taste all of these wonderful dishes with my " Minds Mouth "

Those recipes sound wonderful. I have a question, a bit off subject. How do you grow your herbs such as mint and basil. Do you grow it in a bed or a container. I have never grown any and would like to give it a try. (Don't laugh Miss Kitty) Someone told me that mint will take over if you plant it in your flower beds, but I don't have a clue. Thanks.

I must go away from here.......................😱

Those recipes sound wonderful. I have a question, a bit off subject. How do you grow your herbs such as mint and basil. Do you grow it in a bed or a container. I have never grown any and would like to give it a try. (Don't laugh Miss Kitty) Someone told me that mint will take over if you plant it in your flower beds, but I don't have a clue. Thanks.

Mint in places where you don't care that it takes over your yard, neighborhood, etc. It smells good when you mow or weedeat it!

Basil in pots and beds. I have 4 pots on my deck, and "backup" stuck in the beds.

Those recipes sound wonderful. I have a question, a bit off subject. How do you grow your herbs such as mint and basil. Do you grow it in a bed or a container. I have never grown any and would like to give it a try. (Don't laugh Miss Kitty) Someone told me that mint will take over if you plant it in your flower beds, but I don't have a clue. Thanks.

dbuck, I grow my herbs in containers. This year I actually put my Thai basil in a hanging planter because it gets so leafy and it gets pretty little purple flowers on it, which you're actually not supposed to allow to grow, but I do anyway. I did plant mint this year for the first time (in the ground), knowing in theory it would take over where it was planted, but the reality was even more than I anticipated--you can't stop the stuff! 😱 Oh, and I have a rosemary "tree" which almost looks like a little Christmas tree in a pot!

L'uomo Italiano

1 Part Dark Curly Hair
2 Dreamy Eyes
1 Pair of Jeans that look painted on


Prepare body as if carved by Michelangelo

..and voila, a hot Italian man.

Mint in places where you don't care that it takes over your yard, neighborhood, etc. It smells good when you mow or weedeat it!

Basil in pots and beds. I have 4 pots on my deck, and "backup" stuck in the beds.

dbuck, I grow my herbs in containers. This year I actually put my Thai basil in a hanging planter because it gets so leafy and it gets pretty little purple flowers on it, which you're actually not supposed to allow to grow, but I do anyway. I did plant mint this year for the first time (in the ground), knowing in theory it would take over where it was planted, but the reality was even more than I anticipated--you can't stop the stuff! 😱 Oh, and I have a rosemary "tree" which almost looks like a little Christmas tree in a pot!

Thanks, pea and jen-ay, I am going to give it a try.

Thanks, pea and jen-ay, I am going to give it a try.

usually grow herbs in containers placed in the yard with plenty of sun... though I end up neglecting/forgetting about them most of the time and just buying fresh herbs at publix.. :blush:

For years now, containers are the only way I ever grow herbs, except for chives. When we left Denver, I had to leave a huge rosemary tree behind, but he went to a good home. And I've started a new one; I hope I get to keep him.
In our very first home, we learned the hard way about mint when we ended up with catnip everywhere. ;-)

L'uomo Italiano

1 Part Dark Curly Hair
2 Dreamy Eyes
1 Pair of Jeans that look painted on


Prepare body as if carved by Michelangelo

..and voila, a hot Italian man.

Sounds delish...but is he real or memorex? ;-)

Sounds delish...but is he real or memorex? ;-)

He sounds like my former hair colorist, although his long head of hair was blonde. Damn, he looked good in those tight black leather pants. Died of complications of AIDS. I miss him. :(

Back on thread, I have some great Tuscan recipes from a cookbook we bought in Cortona. I don't have time to type right now - watching football. I've posted my daughter's tweaking of their tomato/basil bruschetta several times on this board - it's excellent.

Savoring Italy from Williams-Sonoma has some very good Italian recipes, in particular, their bruschetta, arista (love it), and trenette al pesto.

I'll be posting recipes soon. I have to get back to work now that summer is over (sob):( and I've been cooking away at home to stock fresh vegetable recipes in the freezer . But I'll be caught up again soon and will post my favorite Italian recipes -- I have a lot of them - some old favorites and some new ones that I learned this summer...

I'll be posting recipes soon. I have to get back to work now that summer is over (sob):( and I've been cooking away at home to stock fresh vegetable recipes in the freezer . But I'll be caught up again soon and will post my favorite Italian recipes -- I have a lot of them - some old favorites and some new ones that I learned this summer...

:popcorn:

I can't really look at this thread until I can devote some serious time to it!!!!!!!!!:blush:

OK, things have slowed down a bit here -- we're all settled into our back-to-school routines, so I have some time to think of food again... Here's a great dessert recipe that you can make a day ahead of time. Pretty easy. It can be hard to find the ladyfingers, though. I tend to use the cream cheese (see end of recipe for instructions on substituting cream cheese for mascarpone)rather than mascarpone and actually like it better with the cream cheese. More recipes to come soon.

TIRAMISU

Serves 16

1 16-ounce container mascarpone cheese*
? cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons coffee-flavored liquor
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
? teaspoon salt
3 squares semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated
1 ? cups heavy or whipping cream
2 3-to-4 ? ounce packages lady fingers

Lady Finger Dip:
1/3 cup coffee-flavored liquor or rum
2 teaspoons instant espresso-coffee powder
? teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water

Topping:
1 ? cups heavy or whipping cream
2 teaspoon confectioners sugar

1. In a large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat mascarpone, ? cup confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons coffee flavored liquor, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, two-thirds of the grated chocolate, and ? teaspoon salt. Set aside remaining chocolate for top of dessert.

2. In a small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat 1 cup heavy or whipping cream until soft peaks form. With rubber spatula or wire whisk, fold whipped cream into cheese mixture.

3. In a small bowl, stir 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, 1/3 cup coffee flavored liquor, ? teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons water.

4. Separate ladyfingers into halves. Line a 10-cup glass or crystal bowl with one-fourth of the ladyfingers; brush with two tablespoons of espresso mixture (or I dip them into the mixture before putting them in the bowl). Spoon one-third of the cheese mixture over ladyfingers. Repeat with ladyfingers, espresso mixture, and cheese mixture to make two more layers. Top with remaining ladyfingers, gently pressing ladyfingers into cheese mixture. Brush ladyfingers with remaining grated chocolate over top of dessert, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish.

5. In a small bowl, with mixture at medium speed, beat remaining ? cup heavy or whipping cream and 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar until soft peaks form. Spoon whipped cream mixture into decorating bag with large star tube. Pipe large rosettes on top of dessert. Sprinkle reserved grated chocolate on rosettes. Cover dessert and refrigerate at least two hours to chill and blend flavors.

*If mascarpone cheese is not available, substitute two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened, and in step 1, in large bowl, with mixture at medium speed, beat cream cheese and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth and fluffly. Increase confectioners sugar to 2/3 cup and beat in with coffee-flavored liquor and vanilla extract. Stir in grated chocolate. Delete salt.

Here's another one we make often:

MARSALA CHICKEN
Elegant yet economical


8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 ? cups dry unflavored breadcrumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
? cup butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup dry Marsala wine or port

Pound chicken breasts if you like them thin (that's my preference). Beat eggs with salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Dip chicken breasts in beaten eggs, then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Press mixture onto chicken with the palms of your hands. Let coated chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes. Melt butter with oil in a large heavy skillet. When butter foams, add chicken breasts. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until chicken has a light-golden crust. Add Marsala or port. Cover skillet and reduce heat. Simmer 10 - 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (how long you simmer it depends on how thin the chicken slices are). If sauce looks too dry, add a little more Marsala or port. Turn chicken several times during cooking. Place chicken on a warm platter. Taste and adjust sauce for seasoning, then spoon over chicken. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.