Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Pizzette di San Gennaro ~ St. Gennaro Mini Pizzas
Celebrating the feast day of San Gennaro, one of Italy’s most famous Saint’s days, these little Pizzas in honor of the saint are tasty little bites. This is a recipe that Neapolitanos eat on the feast of St. Januarius or San Gennaro on September 19. Buona Festa!
Number of servings: 8
Ingredients
- Dough
- pinch of Sugar
- 1/2 cup Water, lukewarm
- 1 tspn Dry Yeast
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tspn Salt
- 2 cups Flour
- Topping
- 3 large Tomatoes (or 5 small)
- 4 Anchovies (optional)
- 1/4 cup Green Olives
- 1 tspn Oregano, fresh
- freshly Ground Pepper
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the pinch of sugar with the water, sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add the olive oil and salt.
- Pour the yeast mixture in a large bowl with the flour.
- Work the ingredients into a smooth dough.
- Let the dough rise for about 1 hour in a warm spot.
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Roll out the dough thinly and cut out circles about 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter.
- Brush each circle with oil and place on an oiled baking sheet.
- Slice the tomatoes and arrange on the circles with the anchovy fillet and the green olives.
- Sprinkle with the fresh oregano and some freshly ground pepper and brush with oil. (Dried oregano may be used if fresh is not available.)
- Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Primi~ First Courses
Pasta con Fagioli e Moscardini ~ Pasta with Beans and Octopus
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ medium Onion, diced
- handful of Parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 Carrot, diced
- 1/2 Celery stalk, diced
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 1 lb. of Musky (or Moschatus) Octopus, cleaned, washed, cut into rings and small pieces
- ½ cup White Wine
- 2 ½ cups Tomatoes, diced into small pieces
- 14 oz. Cannellini Beans, cooked
- Fresh Maltagliati pasta or other small flat-shaped pasta like lasagna
Instructions
- Heat a large pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil; add onion, parsley, garlic, carrots, and celery and sauté with a bit of salt and pepper.
- After a few minutes, as soon as the ingredients begin caramelizing, add the octopus and white wine cooking for a few minutes until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and mix with the octopus for 2-3 minutes, then add the beans and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Cook the pasta (maltagliati) in a large pot of boiling salted water.
- As soon as the pasta floats to the surface remove and slightly drain, but not too much.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the beans and octopus, and cook together for a few minutes.
- Transfer to a clay bowl (terracotta) and finish it off with 2 leaves of fresh basil.
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Filetti di Baccala’ Fitti ~ Fried Cod Fillets
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 10 oz. Baccalà (salted cod) in pieces, bones and skin removed and previously soaked to remove salt
- 1 cup Flour, plus additional for coating
- 3 ¼ tsp Dry Yeast
- Sparkling Water or Beer, as needed
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, for frying
Instructions
- With a paper towel pat dry the fillets of cod.
- In a bowl add the flour and yeast.
- Pour sparkling water or beer a little at a time until thick, stir with a whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Let it rest covered for at least an hour (preferably longer), it is ready when a layer of bubbles forms on the surface.
- Fill a large pan with enough olive oil to reach half way up the pan.
- Heat it over medium-high.
- Cut the fillet into strips about 3 cm wide and about 10 cm long.
- First coat each strip with flour and dip them in the batter (a few at a time) and then drop them in the hot oil.
- Let them fry until golden, drain with a slotted spoon and place in a tray with absorbent paper.
- Transfer the fillets in a shallow dish and serve hot.
Zucchine Gratinate al Forno ~ Zucchini Au Gratin
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 small Zucchini
- Salt, as needed
- 3 tbsp Breadcrumbs, plus additional as needed
- 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Egg
- handful of fresh Parsley, Oregano, and Basil, chopped finely
- 1 Garlic clove, minced
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
- 10 Cherry Tomatoes, chopped into quarters
Instructions
- Preheat oven 180 ° C or 350° F
- Wash the zucchini, remove ends and cut into thin julienne strips.
- Place them in a platter and sprinkle with salt and leave for 1 hour.
- Rinse to remove the salt and squeeze zucchini gently to extract water.
- In a bowl add breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, herbs, and garlic.
- Drizzle oil until the mixture is creamy, sprinkle with salt.
- Add the zucchini strips and tomatoes, mix thoroughly.
- Prepare a baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Layer the breaded zucchini tomato mixture, patting down in an even level.
- Cook for about 15 minutes in the oven or until top is golden.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Cheescake di Ricotta e Cioccolata ~ Ricotta and Chocolate Italian Cheesecake
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup Chocolate Biscotti, crushed
- 10 ½ tbsp Butter, softened
- 1 cup Ricotta
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- ¼ cup Dark Chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup of Dark Chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 tbsp Ground Hazelnuts
- 1 cup Heavy Cream, whipped to stiff peaks
Instructions
- In a bowl thoroughly mix the biscotti and butter.
- In a serving dish lined with plastic wrap add an even layer of the biscotti butter mixture, pressing gently. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- For the second layer, in a bowl, mix ricotta, sugar, chocolate pieces, ground hazelnuts.
- Layer it over the biscotti crust.
- In a separate bowl fold the melted dark chocolate into the whipped cream.
- Layer over the ricotta mixture.
- Refrigerate for 3-4 hours