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New Recipe: Clams and Linguine

September 8, 2010 in Recipes, pasta by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This is a classic Italian recipe. Although I am generally not a fan of clams, I do like this recipe a lot. One thing I really like about this recipe is that it is so easy to make.

I grew up with this recipe served quite frequently and so I asked my mother how she makes it. It was pretty much what I guessed – super easy.

There is no red sauce needed for this pasta dish. In fact the sauce is so simple to make, you can have the whole thing ready by the time the linguine is done boiling.

That is less than 30 minutes! Come on, who won’t add this into their own recipe box?

Clams and Linguine

My mother still makes this recipe nearly every week for my father. He loves it and she makes it when she doesn’t feel like cooking. Hmm… who of us can relate?

Some people will use whole clams with this recipe, but we keep it easy using canned clams. You can get my detailed recipe for Clams and linguine here.

In a nutshell, start your water and pasta. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, saute the garlic in olive oil, add in the clams and juice along with some parsley if you have any.

Let it all simmer while the pasta is cooking and by the time the pasta is done so is your sauce. Add the pasta into the saucepan and give a good toss.

TIP: Make sure to keep some of the pasta water on hand – in other words do not drain it all. If the pasta is too dry, simply add in a few spoonfuls of pasta water and stir.

You do not want to use regular water if you can help it, because it might dilute the flavor. Using the pasta water has the flavor of the pasta already so it blends much better.

Serve warm and top with some grated cheese.

Like it spicy?

Add in an dash of red pepper flakes either when serving or when you are sauteing the garlic. It is up to you. I personally do not like red pepper flakes so if I were to make it for a number of people I’d just put the shaker on the table.

So what would you serve with this recipe? How about some fresh bread such as garlic bread, a nice salad, and some Italian green beans? I use that combo quite a bit in my Italian cooking.

Do you have a favorite way of making this recipe? Just let me know I’d love to hear it!

Liz
www.simpleitaliancooking.com
Simple Italian Recipes

New Easy Recipe:Pasta with Ricotta

September 2, 2010 in Recipes, pasta by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Here is an easy recipe I came up with today. I needed something quick (I was very hungry), and fast (I had lots of work to do).

This took less than 15 minutes from start to finish.

1. Start by filling your pot up with water and bring to a boil and start cooking your pasta. Use short tubular pasta if you can, or a fettuccine.

2. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat 2 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil along with 2 or 3 Tablespoons of butter. Note: I did not measure, but these are all approximate.

3. Once melted add in about 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup of grated romano cheese and mix well.

4. Heat over low/medium heat until it is well blended.

5. When the pasta is done, spoon out the pasta and put into the frying pan.

Why spoon the pasta out without draining? Because you want a little extra pasta water to transfer over into the frying pan. This keeps the pasta from drying out. You might want to keep the extra pasta water set aside incase you need to add more in.

6. Now mix it all together and serve. The sauce will not be like an Alfredo, because it has more of a cheese texture.

A few modifications can be made: If I had some zucchini I would have cooked some up and added those in as well. That is similar to a recipe from Mario Batali I once read in a newspaper – but not exactly the same.

Pasta with Ricotta

Anyhow, you can use any vegetable. I was tempted to try some cherry tomatoes, but didn’t have any. So I sprinkled on some dried basil (yes I have no more fresh basil in my garden). I can’t say the basil added all that much – perhaps parsley would have been good too. Options are many obviously.

This recipe is so easy, I hope you try it. It was a perfect way to use up my extra ricotta from my unsuccessful calzones from the other day!

I’ve included a picture of the image of my wonderful lunch for the day – all under 15 minutes! The only thing I didn’t make was a nice salad on the side.

Visit my recipe page for more easy Italian recipes.

Liz

www.simpleitaliancooking.com

How to Can Tomatoes Using a Water Bath Solution

August 10, 2010 in Food, tomatoes by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | 1 comment

Late summertime is the time of the year when I have an abundance of tomatoes. We eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but there is still a lot left over. Since I don’t want to waste any, I can either can them or freeze them. That way, you can enjoy your tomatoes all year long. In the middle of winter, nothing tastes as good as Italian pasta sauce made with your own tomatoes.

Canning

Canning tomatoes is good if you have a lot of tomatoes all at once. This is definitely the case if you have grown Roma tomatoes. They are of the determinate type and produce a heavy crop in a short period of time. Since tomatoes are acid based, they can be preserved in a water bath.

First wash your tomatoes and discard any that are very bruised or have open cracks. I always make a small slash in the bottom of the tomato. It helps the skins to slip right off.
Place them in boiling water until the skins start to split and then plunge them into cold water. The skins will come right off.
I cut out the core and blend them quickly in my blender. I like to heat my tomatoes in order to do a hot pack.
I sterilize my canning jars in the dishwasher and boil my lids and rims for 5 minutes in a saucepan.
Fill your water bath canner and bring the water to a boil. Fill the jars to within a half inch of the top with the hot tomatoes and add 1 tsp of salt per quart jar. Wipe the rim of the jars to make sure there are no food particles on the rim. Screw on the lids with the rims and put them in the canner. Bring the water to a rolling boil and process them for 10 minutes.
Remove them and place on a towel away from drafts and listen for the jars to seal. You will hear a “pop” that will let you know they are sealed.

Freezing

Freezing tomatoes is very simple. Process the tomatoes to remove the skin as described above. Then either quarter them or place them whole in freezer bags. Lay them flat in the freezer until they are hard. Then you can stack them neatly on your freezer shelves.

Frozen tomatoes are best used in soups or stews.

Before you do any canning or freezing, it’s a good idea to have a how-to book on preserving foods. Amazon has a good selection of canning and freezing books.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

How to Use Zucchini and Tomatoes in a Simple Italian Recipe

August 7, 2010 in zucchini by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Two wonderful vegetables which go well together are zucchini and tomatoes. You can use them in pasta recipes, in lasagnas, or even fry them in a pan of oil.

Today I tried a new recipe courtesy of my sister in law and after testing it, I decided it will make its way into my virtual recipe box which is available for anyone to see.

Instructions:

Ok, so to get started, peel the zucchini and cut off the ends.
Slice lengthwise.
Place a layer of tomatoes on top of the zucchini as shown. You do not want the tomatoes to be too thick. I’d say about 1/8th or 1/4 inch should be fine. I’d recommend using Roma tomatoes and if your zucchini are pretty small and narrow, try grape or cherry tomatoes.
Sprinkle plain bread crumbs on top of the tomatoes.
zucchini-tomato bake
Next, sprinkle a nice layer of Romano cheese.
Drizzle olive oil over top with a dash of kosher salt.
Next, place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 minutes.
The zucchini will still be firm, but not raw. Serve warm.

When I made this today, I enjoyed them as they were, however my husband preferred his with some extra cheese added on. So I suggest to make it available.

In regards to serving sizes, I’d suggest 1 small zucchini per person. For medium zucchini sizes perhaps 1 per 2 people. It really depends on who you are serving and if they like this type of recipe, and of course if it is just a side dish.

I used this recipe as a side dish to my chickpea soup recipe.

Enjoy!

Liz
Easy Italian Recipes

Weekly Recipe: Fried Eggplant & Mozzarella Stack

July 27, 2010 in Recipes, eggplant by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This week I was going to do regular Eggplant Parmesan. But then I started thinking of some other ideas. Thanks to a fellow blogger’s (Amelia over at http://www.ztastylife.com) comment at my original Eggplant Slices post, I decided to make a smaller version of Eggplant Parmesan.

I fried the eggplant like I normally do (flour, egg and breadcrumbs), then let them drain on paper towels. This is very important to let as much grease/oil soak into the towels otherwise it will be too oily.

I then sliced some fresh mozzarella to 1/2 the width of the eggplant slices.

Eggplant Mozzarella Stack

Layered them on top of each other and topped with some warm fresh marinara sauce I had previously made.

Then I garnished with basil, which really could have been a more integral ingredient, but maybe next time.

I had sliced the whole eggplant, and had enough for 4 people. My mother joined me, but my husband being sensitive to fried foods, just had a bite instead. Good remarks from all.

Except…

I didn’t drain them on the towels like I normally do. I tried to let them sit on some racks as an experiment. Now I know to take advantage of the paper towels!
I had to take photos so my piece was pretty cold when I got to it. It still tasted great but next time they will be warm thanks to not having to photograph.

One thing about this way of serving the recipe is presentation. My mother was impressed and quite frankly so was I. It looked like what I had envisioned in my mind, but didn’t think it would happen.

I love days like these!

Enjoy the recipe – here it is… Fried Eggplant and Mozzarella Stacks.

Liz
SimpleItalianCooking.com
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Zucchini, Basil and Eggs

July 21, 2010 in Food, zucchini by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This week I posted another recipe in my recipebox. It uses zucchini, basil, eggs, garlic, and olive oil, but really – the options are endless. If you have Italian zucchini, use that for a more mild flavor.

My husband loves to cook up sliced zucchini for our brunches. He’ll fry up some onion, add in the zucchini and then some eggs. I prefer mine without the onion and including fresh basil from the garden.

But that is the cool thing about cooking – there are just so many variations. And hence why sometimes it is so hard to write our recipes down because there isn’t really “one” way of preparing the dishes.

With this particular recipe, I cook the zucchini over high or medium high heat so there is some browning going on. It takes about 5 minutes, unlike sauteing the zucchini over lower heat. I like the zucchini a little firm – kinda like al dente, if you can even use that description for a vegetable. Once the zucchini is a soggy mess – it is still good, but the texture is lost.

Cooking up some zucchini

I like to fry my egg on the side, but you can certainly use scrambled eggs as well. My husband likes his scrambled, and we use only egg whites to help cut back on cholesterol.

Another variation, is to include some ground beef in with the mix – omit the basil and use onions. I mean, there are just so many options.

Give my zucchini recipe a try.

Let me know if you have other ideas too. Would love to hear them.

Liz

Easy Italian Recipes

Weekly Recipe: Fried Eggplant Slices

July 5, 2010 in Recipes, eggplant, vegetables by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | 2 comments

You gotta love this recipe because you don’t feel guilty due to the fact it uses vegetables! I know, I know, it’s still not the same, but come on… let’s give a little.

Actually, I love the way this recipe tastes. I do not deep fry the eggplant but fill the sauce pan with about 1/4″ of olive oil. I add more as needed.

Fried Eggplant Slices

The first time I made this, I did not use enough oil. Soon the pieces of breadcrumbs which were stuck in the pan started smoking and turning black. The eggplant started burning as well – not what I was looking for.

So I removed those and added in more oil and tried some new ones. Perfect. A nice golden brown crust – I was so proud. I enjoyed the recipe more than my husband, but I think that was because he’s trying to lose weight. Don’t get me wrong – he liked the recipe. He blames my website as part of the culprit for not dropping the pounds quicker. Well… this may be so, but I sure take it as a compliment. If he didn’t like my cooking, he’d be a toothpick!

When preparing the recipe I don’t know if you really need to go through the whole draining process for the eggplant- where you pour salt over the eggplant pieces and let it pull some of the moisture out. It helps to remove some bitterness, but honestly, I don’t know if I’d do it again for this recipe. I’ll let you know if I find a huge difference.

I’d recommend serving this with some marinara sauce on the side. Nothing special – you can whip one up in a flash following my recipe. Or just use some good quality jar sauce (oops did I say that?). Serve it with a dish of pasta and you’re all set.

You can get the free recipe here where I’ve posted it for everyone on the planet to use. Give it a try!

Ciao - Liz
www.simpleitaliancooking.com
Simple Italian Recipes and More

Recipe for Tuscan Peasant Salad

June 29, 2010 in Recipes, italian salads by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | 4 comments

This week we featured a very easy and simple recipe called, Tuscan Peasant Tomato Salad.

It is very easy to make and anyone can do it. I had never heard of a recipe like this before because it uses stale bread. Not moldy mind you. Just a few days old.

But what you do is cut the bread into wide strips and then soak the bread for about 30 minutes in ice cold water. You prep all the other ingredients which is just tomatoes, basil and red onion.

You wring out the bread and then add it to the salad along with some olive oil and white wine vinegar. Give a good toss and you are good to go.

Of course add in some salt and pepper if you want.

Is this one of my favorite recipes? No, but it is one that I will remember when I’ve got some old stale bread I need to use up. I’d image that is exactly how the Italian peasants felt too. The

Tuscan Peasant Tomato Salad

bread doesn’t add any huge amount of flavor – it’s just a creative way to use it up. In the recipe I mention that you use white wine vinegar, but I think it would be just as well to use balsamic too.

I would recommend serving the salad in a nice Italian serving bowl which is bright and colorful. These can really dress up a meal.

Next week, I’ll be talking about fried eggplant and I’m excited because it is another great and easy recipe that tastes great! See you then!

Liz

What is Italian Caponata?

June 21, 2010 in Recipes, italian salads by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Caponata is a lesser known recipe among the world of antipasto dishes. Some would prefer to call this dish a relish.

The main ingredient is eggplant and you use it as a topping on toasted Italian garlic bread. But it is not eggplant alone that this recipe calls for. Caponata uses other ingredients as well. It is a terrific recipe suitable for those on a diet like the Mediterranean diet. For those who are not dieting, it is still a great recipe to try!

Start with one large eggplant and cut it into cubes no greater than 1/2 inch. The smaller the better. If the eggplant is not organic and you are concerned about the skin, peel it.

Drain the eggplant by placing the eggplant in a strainer over a bowl and sprinkling it with salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Draining eggplant helps remove the bitterness of the eggplant, and if you have time I strongly recommend it.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bring a medium to large pan of water to a boil. Take 3-4 stalks of celery and chop coarsely. Add in the celery and boil for 1 minute, then remove the celery and set aside.

Soak some currents, about ½ C, in some red wine vinegar until they have softened.

Take a bag of slivered almonds and toast them and set aside.

Your eggplant should be drained by now so pat them dry with paper towels and fry eggplant in olive oil over medium high heat in a deep skillet. You will need about one and 1/4 cups of olive oil for this. Do not use extra virgin if you don’t have to, you can use pure olive oil for frying.

Once the eggplant is golden brown on both sides set aside to drain. You might have to do this in a few batches.

Using either the same skillet or a new one saute a medium size onion which has been chopped. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add back in the celery and cook for 1 minute, then add in the currants with the vinegar, along with a handful of kalamata olives (or Italian olives if you have any) making sure all pits are removed.

Add in some capers, a tablespoon of sugar and a quarter cup of tomato paste. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes then add in the eggplant until heated through.

When finished, set aside until it is at room temperature and serve with bruscetta, by itself, or on top of bed of lettuce. Be creative!

This Italian recipe will keep for few days in the refrigerator and is best when served at room temperature. It will serve between four and six people. It is also a great recipe for a party where you are serving various crackers and relishes.

The one thing about this recipe is that it will take awhile to make. So I would not recommend it if you are in a hurry and it is your first I’m making it. I would stick with something like anti pasto or bruscetta. But if you can, try this classic Italian dish!

Liz

Easy Italian Recipes

How to Make Fresh Italian Breadcrumbs

June 20, 2010 in Recipes by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

OK, OK I hear you… sometimes is just easier to buy breadcrumbs at the store. I agree. But you might be surprised that many Italians make their own fresh breadcrumbs more often than you might think.

The ironic thing is, Italians typically just make regular breadcrumbs and season them when the time comes to make the recipe.

One of the problems with buying commercial breadcrumbs is that oftentimes they are seasoned and you have no control over the flavor. I like using plain breadcrumbs which I season with parsley or basil and cheese (depending on the dish) for creating my breaded chicken breasts recipe which I love.

If you have some bread which has gone stale, and is not moldy then these will work great. What we’re looking for are dried bread crumbs which must come from bread which is dried out. If you only have fresh bread, you ill need to use an oven preheated to 300° F. It is best to use French or Italian white bread so they say, but honestly, I would use my regular slices of sandwich bread. You are taking your chances with whole grain bread as I have tried this before, and was not able to obtain the texture that I needed for my recipe – plus the flavor is totally different.

You’ll want to you cut the crusts off the bread and discard them first and foremost. Place the bread in the oven on sheets and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes. You will want to check on the bread frequently the last 15 minutes making sure they do not burn.

Once the bread is removed and cooled from the oven, cut into chunks and put in a food processor or a blender (as my mother used to do), until they attain a fine consistency. And there you have it – fresh breadcrumbs, it really is that easy.

You can store these breadcrumbs in sealed plastic bags, or in containers which have tight lids. Keep them in a cool dry area or even in the freezer. But do not keep them in an area where there’s a lot of moisture, you want these to stay dry.

As mentioned I like to use breadcrumbs on hand for my breaded chicken recipe, meatless meatballs, or for a “peasant” dish where you toast the bread crumbs in a pan and mix with some pasta.

Enjoy and let me know how they turn out!

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