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Italian Vegetarian Food

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The Adventures of an Italian Vegetarian Updated : Minestrone alla genovese Minestrone comes from the Latin word "minestrare" which means "to serve or dish up." Italy is divided into 20 regions, and each region is divided into provinces, and each province is divided into villages or towns. There are many different variations of minestrone soup throughout Italy; recipes used can vary from region to region, province to province, and then from one village to another. Every region tends to customize the dish based on their on regional and seasonal ingredients. The recipe (minestrone alla genovese) that I used is closest to the traditions of Genoa province of Liguria because of the addition of pesto. Pesto ("to crush") originates from this region and specifically from Genoa. Pesto alla genovese consists of basil, salt, pine nuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and either Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. In Italy, it is said that Genoa's minestrone was made for the city's mariners. When the mariners returned from long voyages, this soup was prepared as a taste of the countryside. This soup is still extremely popular throughout Italy (and even in America) for many reasons. It is very simple to make, it is hearty and delicious, and it is very inexpensive. It is especially great for vegetarians because it provides a complete, healthy meal with both vegetables and protein. In short, you will feel great after eating this meal! Author : Dani Baked Pasta with Fontina and Parmesan Bread Crumbs Fontina cheese is the star of this meal. Fontina is an Italian cow's milk cheese that has been made in Val d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) since the 12th century. Italian Fontina can be identified by a Consorzio ("Consorzio Produttori Fontina") stamp of production. This cheese has a creamy, almost buttery texture. It melts easily and smoothly, which makes it perfect for this recipe. Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 5 ½ tbsp unsalted butter 1 cup heavy cream 8 oz. Italian Fontina cheese (about 2 cups) Salt 1 lb. pasta (shells or elbows would work) 1 pinch of nutmeg (I didn't have any nutmeg, so I left this out) ⅓ cup plain breadcrumbs (I used panko breadcrumbs) ¼ freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Directions: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use ½ tbsp of butter to grease a 13 x 9" baking dish and set aside. Dice 4 tbsp of butter and place in a large bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat. Cover, remove from heat, and keep the cream warm. Shred the fontina (about 2 cups). Set aside. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and the pasta. Cook until they are 1-2 mins shy of al dente (about 6-7 mins) and drain. Stir the shells into the bowl with the butter. Toss well to coat. Stir in the warm cream and fontina. Stir until the cheese starts to melt. Season with salt to taste. Add nutmeg (if using). Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs and parmesan and sprinkle over pasta. Dice the remaining tbsp of butter and dot the crumb topping with small pieces of butter. Bake until the sauce is bubbling, and the top turns golden brown, about 20 mins. Author : Dani Polenta with Garlicky Greens Polenta is the Italian word for cornmeal, but it is also the name for a dish made by cooking cornmeal in a liquid. Polenta is cooked primarily in Northern Italy, especially during the winter. Traditionally, polenta is cooked in a heavy copper pot called a pailo, and can take over an hour to cook. Many older Italians have "old-wives tales" about cooking polenta. Some say that if you do not stir the polenta in one direction you will never marry. Whatever the case may be, polenta is delicious. After cooking, it has the texture of mashed potatoes. Tonight I decided to make a recipe from Jack Bishop's Italian Vegetarian Cookbook: Polenta with Garlicky Greens. This meal is very hearty. I can definitely understand why many northern Italians would serve this in the winter. And although my husband still doesn't like the taste of greens, he loved the polenta. Servings: 4 to 6 Ingredients: 2 cups cornmeal Salt and pepper 1 ½ lb. chard 1 ½ lb. spinach ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 6 garlic cloves, slivered 2 tbsp unsalted butter Optional: When stirring in the butter, I'm sure you can add any cheese you like to give it some more flavor. I added in about a palmful of Pecorino-Romano cheese. Directions: To prepare Polenta: Pour 8 cups of water into a saucepan and bring to boil. Add 2 tsp of salt and lower the heat to medium. Whisk in the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream. This should take almost 1 min. Make sure to whisk the cornmeal continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Continue whisking as the cornmeal comes back to a boil. Simmer, whisking contantly, until the polenta starts to thicken, 1 to 2 mins. Reduce the heat until the polenta is at the bearest simmer. Cover the pot and cook very slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon every 10 mins or so, until the cornmeal loses its raw flavor, 35-40 mins. To prepare the Greens: While the polenta is cooking, remove and discard the stems from the chard and spinach. Tear leaves into small pieces. Wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water to get rid of any dirt. Shake the leaves to remove excess water, but do not dry them. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 mins. Stir in the garlic and cook until golden, about 2 mins. Add the greens to the pain. Stir to coat the leaves with oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until the greens are tender, 5-7 mins. Remove the cover and simmer until some of the liquid evaportates, 2-3 mins. The greens should be moist, but not swimming in liquid. When the polenta has finished cooking, stir in the butter and add more salt if needed. Recipe adapted from Jack Bishop's Italian Vegetarian Cookbook. Author : Dani Marinara Sauce Marinara sauce is my absolute favorite sauce for pasta. It is so simple, and so delicious. Use the best tomatoes you can find. I use San Marzano tomatoes, imported from Italy. Marinara sauce only needs to cook for about 20 minutes, yet, in its short cooking time, it develops such a delicious, thick flavor. I highly recommend doubling the recipe and saving it in the fridge or freezer. Servings: Makes about 1 quart, enough to dress 6 servings of pasta Ingredients: ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 8 garlic cloves, peeled 3 pounds ripe fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or one 35 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), seeded and lightly crushed, with their liquid Salt Crushed red pepper 10 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces Directions: Make this sauce with fresh tomatoes only when the juiciest, most flavorful ripe tomatoes are available. (Increase the amount of olive oil a little if you make the sauce with fresh tomatoes.) Otherwise, canned plum tomatoes make a delicious marinara sauce. Heat the oil in a 2 to 3-quart non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Whack the garlic with the flat side of a knife, add it to the oil and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Carefully slide the tomatoes and their liquid into the oil. Bring to a boil and season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a whisk or spoon, until the sauce is chunky and thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil about 5 minutes before the sauce is finished. Taste the sauce and season with salt and red pepper if necessary. Recipe courtesy of Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Author : Dani Lemon Risotto Risotto is a traditional Italian dish made with short-grain rice. Vialone Nano, Carnaroli, Originario and Arborio are the varieties of short-grain rice used most in Italy. The easiest one to find in the US is Arborio. There are hundreds of types of Risotto, varying from the flavoring ingredient used, but in all the recipes you will need four basic components: soffritto (sautéed vegetables), broth, flavoring ingredients, and Italian rice. "Risotto is truly more than the sum of its parts. Something magical happens when rice is sautéed in oil and broth is gradually stirred in. The rice softens but does not become mushy; the sauce thickens and becomes creamy." -Jack Bishop, The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook Lemon Risotto - Serves 4 6 cups vegetable stock (or 1 vegetable bouillon cube dissolved in 6 cups of boiling water) 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 3 tbsp unsalted butter 1 medium onion, minced 1½ cups Arborio rice ½ dry white wine 1 tsp grated zest and 2 tbsp juice from 1 large lemon 6 large fresh sage leaves, minced (I used basil) 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, minced ¼ freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tbsp heavy cream (optional, but so yummy) 1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep it warm over low heat. 2. Heat the oil and 2 tbsp of the butter in a heavy-bottomed medium pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, about 5 mins. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the rice and cook for 1 min. Add the wine and cook just until the alcohol aroma fades, 1-2 mins. 3. Add ½ cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding in ½-cup increments, stirring. After about 15 mins, stir in the lemon zest and sage. 4. Continue adding stock in ½-cup increments, stirring, until the rice is creamy and soft but still a bit al dente, about 10 mins more (Add hot water if you run of out stock). Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and continue cooking until the lemon juice is absorbed, 1-2 mins more. 5. Remove the pot from the heat and vigorously stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the heavy cream. Recipe courtesy of Jack Bishop The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook. Author : Dani Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages Website Traffic Promotion