Hearty Italian Dishes Made Simple, Inexpensive
An authentic old world Italian dinner used to take an entire day of cooking -- but not anymore. The folks over at Food & Wine magazine have updated some classic recipes to making them inexpensive and easy without sacrificing any of the flavor we expect from a hearty Italian meal. And Gail Simmons, special projects director for Food & Wine magazine, appeared on "The Early Show" Friday with some of their latest recipe updates you can easily make in your own kitchen.
RECIPES:
Prosciutto-Mozzarella Frittata
INGREDIENTS
10 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 tomato, diced
4 thin slices prosciutto, cut into strips
4 ounces mozzarella, cubed
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, Parmigiano, basil, salt and pepper. In an 8-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat until softened. Stir in the tomato and prosciutto until warm. Add the eggs. Cook until beginning to set on the bottom, 3 minutes. Poke the mozzarella into the eggs. Bake the frittata until just set, 20 minutes. Shake the skillet over high heat until the frittata releases, 10 seconds. Invert the frittata onto a plate and let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.
Pecorino Ravioli with Walnuts and Marjoram
In adapting this recipe from executive chef Shea Gallante at Cru in New York City, F&W's Marcia Kiesel traded a labor-intensive fresh pasta for premade wonton wrappers and was thrilled with the results. Wonton wrappers are milder-tasting than fresh pasta, which makes them a better showcase for the nutty brown butter, delicate young pecorino cheese and fresh marjoram.
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 pound young pecorino cheese, such as Rossellino, rind removed, cheese grated (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
48 wonton wrappers
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons marjoram leaves
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the walnuts in a pie plate and bake for about 5 minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. In a medium bowl, stir together the cheese and heavy cream and season lightly with salt and pepper. On a work surface, lay out 4 wonton wrappers and moisten the edges with water. Place 2 teaspoons of the cheese filling in the center of each wrapper. Top with 4 more wrappers, press to remove any air pockets and then press well around the edges to seal. Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
3. In a medium skillet, cook the butter over moderate heat until it just starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Add the ravioli to the simmering water and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the ravioli to a large platter and blot dry with paper towels. Reheat the butter, letting it boil over moderately high heat until richly browned. Add the marjoram leaves and let wilt, about 5 seconds. Pour the browned butter over the ravioli, sprinkle with the toasted walnuts and serve right away
Ricotta Ice Cream with Honey and Almonds
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup honey
DIRECTIONS
In a small frying pan, toast the almonds over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Or toast them in a 350° oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Put a large metal bowl in the freezer. Let the ice cream stand at room temperature until just beginning to soften but still frozen. In a food processor, puree the ricotta and honey until smooth.
Remove the bowl from the freezer and put the ice cream in it. Stir until smooth. Stir in the ricotta mixture. Transfer the ice-cream mixture to a shallow stainless-steel pan and then return it to the freezer, covered, until firm enough to scoop, about 60 minutes. Serve the ice cream topped with the toasted almonds.