Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Spring Salad & Lemon Balm
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 50g fresh peas (already shelled)
- 100g fava beans (already shelled)
- 1 small, crisp lettuce, rinsed and dried
- 50g baby spinach, rinsed and dried
- 4 fat radishes, very finely sliced
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
- 6 leaves each of lemon balm and mint, torn
- Small bunch chives, chopped
- 2 rashers streaky bacon, grilled, cooled and crumbled
- 1 teaspoon French mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Plunge the fava beans and peas in lightly salted boiling water and cook for 4 or 5 minutes.
- Remove from pan, refresh with cold water and drain. (Remove outer shell from fava beans if they are older and tougher.)
- Chop lettuce into pieces, add the radishes, spring onion and herbs, then the peas and beans.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour over the salad and mix well before dividing between four plates.
- Garnish with crumbled bacon.
Chargrilled Zucchini
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley, minced
- Handful of mint, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Flaked chili pepper
- White wine vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- These zucchini are best prepared on a barbecue, but a ridged grill pan would also work well. And of course, if you add some eggplant or squash, you get a fabulously colored side dish that keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.
- Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips and cook over a very hot grill for about 3 or 4 minutes each side.
- Try not to move them until you want to turn them over or you won’t get the attractive chargrill stripes.
- As they come off the grill, arrange zucchini slices in layers on a small serving dish, sprinkling over a little vinegar, oil, garlic, chili flakes, parsley, mint, salt and pepper over every layer.
- You can either serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator until you need them.
Primi~ First Courses
Gli Gnudi (Ravioli Nudi) ~ ‘Naked’ Ravioli
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 600 g Fresh Spinach
- 600 g Ricotta, day old
- 6 Eggs
- 150 g of Parmesan, grated, plus extra when serving
- 100 g Rice Flour
- 10 Sage leaves
- 80 g Butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Flour, enough to coat before baking
Instructions
- It is best to use day-old Ricotta that has been chilling in the fridge; it will have released some of the excess moisture.
- Wash and cook the spinach in a pan with a little salted water.
- Drain and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile in a bowl mix the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Squeeze the spinach, chop well and add to the mix.
- Thoroughly mix the ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Form balls with the mixture into large ping-pong size and roll them in flour.
- Drop them into the boiling water and cook until they float to the top.
- In a large pan melt the butter with the sage.
- Transfer the gnudi to the pan and coat with the butter, adding salt if necessary.
- Serve hot with a heavy sprinkle of Parmesan.
Ragú Di Carne Chianina ~ Chianina Beef Ragout
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 ½ kg Ground Beef (Chianina, if possible)
- 200 g Celery
- 200 g Carrots
- 200 g Onions
- 500ml Chianti Red Wine
- 200ml Extra-virgin Olive Oil
- 100 g Tomato Concentrate
Instructions
- Dice the celery, carrot and onion.
- In a pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the celery, carrot, and onion for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Then add the ground beef, continuously stirring until well browned.
- Add the wine, cover the pot and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Then remove the top and let the sauce reduce.
- Add the tomato concentrate diluted with a glass of water.
- Continue simmering the ragu for another 20 minutes on low heat.
- Salt and pepper to taste, turn off heat, cover and let ragu rest for 30 minutes prior to serving.
- This ragú goes well with all types of pastas!
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Alici In Tortiera ~ Baked Fresh Anchovies
Choose the largest fresh anchovies you can for this recipe as it makes cleaning them so much easier. This dish makes a good starter, or you could double up the quantities and serve as a main course.
Number of servings : 4
Ingredients
- 500g fresh anchovies, cleaned and boned
- Salt
- 1 clove of garlic
- Handful parsley, finely chopped
- Few sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
- The zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 the lemon (save the other half for another use)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Two generous handfuls of homemade breadcrumbs
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the garlic, parsley, mint, the lemon juice, the lemon zest, the breadcrumbs, a good pinch of salt and as much olive oil as you need to bind the ingredients. (Just enough that the breadcrumbs start to clump together.)
- Meanwhile, choose an ovenproof dish that will allow you to create about three layers of anchovies laid flat.
- Lightly oil the dish and arrange your first layer of anchovies, skin side down.
- Season with a little salt, scatter over a third of the breadcrumb mixture, and repeat this process another two times.
- Drizzle the last layer of breadcrumbs with a little more olive oil and cook in an oven at 375°F for 5 – 10 minutes, or until the topping turns dark golden brown.
- Serve immediately.
Filetto Di Vitellone Alla Chiantigiana ~ Beef Fillets with Chianti Wine Sauce & Rosemary Potatoes
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- For the Beef Fillets:
- 4 beef fillet medallions of 200 g each
- 100 g of Corn Flour
- 100 g of Butter
- 4 Sage leaves
- 1 fresh spring of rosemary
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1⁄2 L Red Chianti Classico Wine
- 1 Garlic clove
- For the Rosemary Potatoes:
- 600 g of Potatoes
- 1 spring of Rosemary
- 1 spring of Sage
- 1 Garlic clove
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- For the beef fillets:
- In a wide plate add the corn flour and season with salt and pepper.
- Drench the fillets in the flour mixture.
- In a pan melt the butter being sure to not let it burn.
- Add the sage, rosemary spring, and the whole garlic clove.
- Then add the fillets allowing them to cook gently until they brown on both sides.
- Drain the fat from the pan and pour in the wine. Cook until the sauce become creamy.
- Salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with the potatoes.
- For the potatoes: Preheat oven to 180° C or 350° F.
- Finely chop the sage, rosemary, and garlic.
- Peel and slice the potatoes into wedges.
- Wash the wedges and drain well.
- Season with the chopped herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and coat with olive oil.
- Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Balsamic Strawberries
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg strawberries, hulled and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fine sugar
- Handful shredded basil or lemon balm
Instructions
- Half an hour before you want to eat them, toss the strawberries in a bowl with the balsamic vinegar and the sugar. (Don’t leave them any longer as they’ll become mushy.)
- Serve in a small bowl, or over a slice of lightly toasted brioche and garnish with the shredded basil or lemon balm.
Tiramisù Alle Fragole ~ Strawberry Tiramisù
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- For the Strawberries:
- 400 g Strawberries
- 50 g Sugar
- 100 ml Sweet Wine (Vin Santo, Marsala, Asti, Recioto)
- For the Cream:
- 4 Eggs
- 100 g Sugar
- 250 g Mascarpone cheese
- 150 g Ladyfingers (preferably Savoiardi brand)
Instructions
- For the Strawberries:
- Wash and slice the strawberries, allow them to dry well.
- Transfer the strawberries to a bowl and add the sugar and sweet wine and leave it to macerate for at least 3 hours.
- For the Cream:
- Separate the eggs.
- First whip the yolks with half the sugar (50g) until thick and frothy.
- Then scoop in the mascarpone and mix until combined.
- Whip the egg whites with the rest of the sugar (50g) until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the yolk-mascarpone mixture.
- Let it rest in the refrigerator.
- Drain the strawberries and reserve the liquid for soaking the ladyfingers.
- Prepare the tiramisu in individual cups.
- Begin with a dollop of the mascarpone cream then place a layer of the ladyfingers dipped in the strawberry syrup.
- Next add a layer of the sliced strawberries following a layer of cream.
- Repeat in this order until the glass is full, creating one, two, or even three layers.
- Top with the remaining mascarpone cream. Decorate the top with any remaining sliced strawberries.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.