Easy Italian Meals For Spring

Scott Conant has been welcoming diners with modern Italian cooking at his award-winning "L'Impero" restaurant, and his popular "Alto" eatery, both in New York City.

Conant kicks off The Early Show's weeklong "Culinary Inspirations" series on the first day of spring Monday by showing how to create simple, but refined and modern meals that are perfect for the season and full of flavor.

Every day this week, a top chef will share secrets in "Culinary Inspirations."

Conant is rapidly becoming one of America's most beloved and respected chefs. Gracefully balancing the honesty and simplicity of Italy's cucina rustica with the ambitious refined notes of alta cucina, he has simultaneously tapped into America's love affair with Italian food and redefined it in pursuit of higher levels of Italian cuisine.

In May 2004, Conant was named one of America's Best New Chefs by Food and Wine magazine.

His first cookbook, "Scott Conant's New Italian Cooking," published in October, features more than 120 recipes reflecting his passion for true Italian cooking, but without the fuss. He knows people don't have time to spend hours cooking every night. Conant co-authored the book with which he co-authored with Joanne McAllister Smart.

Incidentally, Conant's version of Italian fare doesn't include lasagna or pizza.

On The Early Show Monday, Conant prepares recipes from his restaurants and cookbook.

RECIPES

SCALLOP CARPACCIO WITH SCALLIONS AND LEMON
(Serves 6)

4 large sea scallops, preferably diver scallops
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 scallions, sliced very, very thin on the bias
1 cup micro or baby greens
Sea salt
Bottarga, shaved very thin (optional)

Slice the scallops crosswise into very thin rounds, each 1/8 inch thick. Lay the slices in a single layer on a large plate and drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of the scallions over the scallops, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until very cold, at least an hour and up to 4 hours ahead of serving.

When ready to serve, divide the baby greens among six plates and top with the slices of scallops. Sprinkle just a tiny bit of sea salt over each. Finish with the tiniest bit of shaved bottarga. Drizzle the plate with any remaining olive oil and lemon juice from the scallops and serve immediately.FLUKE WITH CITRUS SALAD AND PEPERONCINO OIL
(Makes 6 servings)

4 ounces sashimi-quality fluke
1 lemon
1 lime
1 small orange
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Peperoncino Oil
A couple pinches of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

With a very sharp knife, slice the fluke into twelve very thin slices. Segment the lemon, lime, and orange in the following way: Cut both ends off the fruit. Using a sharp, flexible knife and a sawing motion, cut the skin and white membrane away from top to bottom following the contours. Free two segments from each fruit by cutting along the seams that separate one segment from the other. Squeeze some of the remaining lemon to get some fresh juice. Cut the segments into small pieces and toss them with the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

Put one slice each of the fluke on 6 small plates. Top with half of the citrus segments. Dot each piece with a little Peperoncino Oil and season very lightly with the sea salt and pepper. Top with another layer of fish, citrus, Peperoncino Oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Serve immediately.

YELLOWTAIL WITH OLIO DI ZENZERO AND MARINATED ONIONS
(Makes 6 servings)

4 ounces sashimi-quality yellowtail
1 teaspoon Peperoncino Oil
1 teaspoon Olio di Zenzero
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped Marinated Red Onions

With a very sharp knife, slice the fish into six pieces and place each on a small plate. Top each with a "dot" of the Peperoncino Oil and about three "dots" of the Olio di Zenzero. Sprinkle with just a touch of sea salt and black pepper. Sprinkle some of the chopped red onions over the fish and serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI PUTTANESCA (SCOTTY'S STYLE)
(Makes 4 servings)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed (if oil-packed) or soaked in a couple changes of water (if salt-packed) and coarsely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pinches of crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed (if oil-packed) or soaked in a couple changes of water (if salt-packed)
2 tablespoons pitted and quartered black olives, preferable Gaeta
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, and cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish if you like
Pinch of chopped fresh oregano (optional)
1 pound of dry spaghetti

In a small skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the anchovies and cook, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, until they have disintegrated into the olive oil. Add the shallot, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until they just begin to brown. Add the capers and olives and remove the pan from the heat.

In a bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, parsley, and oregano, if using. Use a flexible spatula to scrape out all of the caper and olive mixture and add it to the bowl with the tomatoes. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes or up to an hour at room temperature for the combined flavors to develop. (Refrigerate it for any longer stretches and use within 24 hours.)

When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water. When the pasta is just about done, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of the olive oil, and when hot, add the tomato mixture to the pan. (You want the tomatoes to have enough surface space so that when they hit the pan, the liquid that is released from them evaporates almost immediately.)

Drain the spaghetti, add it to the skillet, and use tongs to toss it with all of the ingredients. Add some of the pasta cooking liquid to the pan as necessary to keep the pasta moist. Transfer the spaghetti to warm bowls and drizzle with a little more of the remaining olive oil and some fresh parsley, if you like.POTATO GNOCCHETTI WITH SHRIMP, PEAS, AND SCALLION
(Makes 4 servings)

1 pound large shrimp (16), shelled and deveined
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh peas
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion
3 to 3 1/2 cups frozen Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchetti

Toss the shrimp with the rosemary, parsley, crushed red pepper, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Refrigerate the shrimp and allow it to soak up the flavors of the marinade for at least 3 hours and up to a day.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil

Pour the 1/3 cup of olive oil into a large sauté pan and add the shrimp, peas, and scallion. Season with salt and fresh pepper but keep the pan off the heat for now.

Drop the frozen gnocchetti into the boiling water and cook, adjusting the heat so that the water is a gentle boil (not a rollicking one), just until the gnocchetti no longer taste of raw flour. This usually takes a couple of minutes from the time the gnocchetti have begun to float.

When the gnocchetti are done, put the waiting sauté pan on high heat. Using a slotted spoon Or Chinese skimmer, gently transfer the gnocchetti to the sauté pan. Add ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid to the pan and cook the shrimp until they are just barely cooked through. I take them off the heat when they are just starting to turn pink but are still gray in places, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how quickly your stove heats the pan. By this time, the sauce should have reduced slightly so that you end up with a concentrated flavor of shrimp, peas, and scallion. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste but skip the cheese!

SEARED BRANZINO AND SLICED LEMON
(Makes 4 servings)

6 branzino fillets, each one 6 to 8 ounces, scaled and boned but with its skin still on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon flour, preferably Wondra
1 lemon, sliced very, very thin (seeds removed)
4 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil

Season the branzino with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the skin side of each fillet with a little flour. Lay two or three lemon slices on each fillet. Sprinkle with additional flour (it's acting like glue here) and lay the thyme on top.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, use a spatula (preferably a thin, metal, flexible one) to help you flip the branzino over and into the pan so that it begins cooking with the lemon side down. Cook for 3 minutes. Once again using the spatula, flip the fish over and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Be careful not to overcook it, as it will continue to cook off the heat. I usually take it off when I can feel a slight separation of flesh. If you want to take a peek, look for the flesh to be just about opaque but not quite flaking yet. Serve immediately, drizzled with any of the juices that have accumulated in the pan.

YUKON GOLD POTATO, GNOCCHETTI

The tiny size of these "little gnocchi" makes a dish featuring them more refined than the same dish served with their bigger sibling. Use this recipe for Potato Gnocchetti with Shrimp, Peas, and Scallion. For other preparations-they're delicious simply tossed with some brown butter and fresh sage- you can add up ¼ cup finely grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or grana Padano. You can cook the gnocchetti right away, if you can't stand the wait. But, as with my fresh pasta, I think gnocchetti only benefits from a deep freeze; they absorb less water during cooking and turn out melting tender yet sturdy enough to toss in your sauce without the risk of becoming a heap of mush. For the best texture, you'll need a ricer to mash the potatoes.

MAKES 7 CUPS GNOCCHETTI;
8 SERVINGS TOTAL

2 Pounds Yukon gold potatoes
(4 large)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ to 2 cups "00" or all-purpose
flour, plus more for rolling and shaping.

Boil the potatoes, whole and in their jackets, in well-salted water until just tender when pierced with a pairing knife, 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overcook the potatoes; they should still hold their shape. Drain the potatoes, send them through a ricer into a bowl, and let them cool to room temperature. Add the egg, egg yolk, and salt to the potatoes and mix to combine well.

Generously flour your work surface. Dump the potatoes out and lightly knead in 1 cup of the flour. Add additional flour until the mixture just begins to hold together and feels like your earlobe. Try not to over-mix the dough and don't be tempted to add too much flour at once; you can always add more flour if the dough needs it.

Before shaping all the dough, make a few gnocchetti and cook them to be sure the texture is right: Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Roll a small piece of the potato dough into a rope ¼ inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cute the rope on a diagonal at intervals of ½ inch. Cook the sample gnocchetti for a couple of minutes after they float on top of the water. Drain and taste. The gnocchetti should hold together during cooking and their texture should feel light and tender. Don't worry if they taste bland; the flavor comes mostly from the sauce. If the gnocchetti fall a part, add a bit more flour to the remaining dough before you roll and shape the rest of it.

To finish shaping the gnocchetti, line a sided baking sheet (one that will fit into your freezer) with parchment paper and lightly four it. Once the gnocchetti dough is made to your liking, continue rolling the rest of the dough on a well-floured surface into 1/4 -inch-thick ropes. As you roll, be aware that too much pressure will flatten the tender dough, so use light hands. Using a sharp knife, cut the rope into 1/2 -inch lengths on a slight diagonal. As you slice the rope, keep the knife blade on your work surface after the cut and gently push the cut gnocchetti out of the way of the rope so it doesn't stick to the next slice.

After you cut each rope, transfer the gnocchetti to the prepared baking sheet in one layer. An easy way to do this is to hold the baking sheet just below the edge of your work surface and use the knife to flick and drop the gnocchetti onto the sheet. Freeze the gnocchetti until they feel rock solid and then transfer them to freezer bags or some other airtight container for longer freezer storage.

When preparing the gnocchetti, send them straight from the freezer to a pot of boiling, well-salted water. Cook until they are tender with no raw flour taste; this usually takes a minute or two after the gnocchetti begin to float.