AMALFI LEMON CAKE

The Amalfi Coast is known, among other things, for its Yellow Gold, aka Lemons. Hard to imagine but absolutely true!
To people there, lemons are more than just fruit: they represent one of the key elements in the local economy, second maybe only to tourism. Throughout the centuries, the abundance of lemons has had a significant impact on culinary traditions and flavors and even on medicinal remedies.

Lemons that grow in the Amalfi microclimate are called Sfusato Amalfitano, due to their elongated shape. They are characterized by a sweeter taste and a thick skin which allow the fruit to be eaten or used in its entirety, peel and all.

Many local dishes feature lemons in their preparation, ranging from a simple lemon salad to delicious pastries like Delizia al limone, lemon profiteroles and Torta Caprese al limone (Lemon Caprese Cake).

Lemons and Limoncello are also the main ingredients of the traditional Amalfi Lemon Cake, featured here.
As you will not find Amalfi lemons in the US, please, always use organic lemons for this recipe.
The best Limoncello can be shipped right to your doorstep by ordering from my friend Salvatore Aceto, right in Amalfi!! And if you happen to go to Amalfi, visit his lemon grove located right in the heart of the village!

INGREDIENTS

200 gr of butter
200 gr of sugar
100 gr of bread flour
100gr of all purpose flour
3 eggs
lemon zest from 3 organic lemons
1.75 oz of Limoncello
a splash of cold milk
16 gr of baking powder

For the syrup:

the juice of three lemons
250 gr of sugar

In a mixer, whip together the butter and sugar. Add one egg at the time, while mixing. Sift the flour and add it one spoonful at the time. Add the limoncello, a splash of cold milk, and the lemon zest. Continue to mix and scrape off the sides, if needed. Add the baking powder. Mix well for a few seconds and transfer to a  previously buttered and floured bundt cake pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 30 minutes.

In the meanwhile, make the syrup by bringing to a boil the filtered juice of three lemons and 250gr of sugar. Stir frequently. Let boil for about one minute on medium/low heat and remove from heat. Let cool down a bit.

When the cake has finished baking, let it cool down for 15/20 minutes. Then,  with a spoon, wet it with half of the syrup, while still in the baking pan. At this point, turn it upside down on a serving
plate, and evenly wet the top with the remaining syrup.

Serve at room temperature. Do not refrigerate (not even left overs).

AGLIO, OLIO E PEPERONCINO

A staple of Italian cooking, this "poor" dish is one of the most popular among friends for an improvised get together, rightly called "spaghettata".

Crucial to its success is the quality of the few ingredients needed: high quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh (not super old) garlic.
Never cheese on this pasta dish!

INGREDIENTS for four people:

1 package of spaghetti
Extra-virgin olive oil - between 1/4 and 1/3 cup
3 garlic cloves - lightly smashed
Dried hot pepper flakes
Salt
Chopped parsley for decoration (optional)

In a small tall pan, warm up the olive oil, garlic cloves, and some hot pepper (the quantity will depend on your taste buds and how much heat they are willing to take. Try a small amount the first few times). Add a pinch of salt.  Cook on low heat just to warm up the oil. The garlic should become lightly blond, and not burn.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. When it is time to drain, just transfer the pasta from the pan directly to a bowl, without using a strainer. The idea is that you want to preserve some of the cooking water to avoid for the pasta to become dry. Pour the oil, garlic and hot pepper and toss well.
Add chopped parsley for decoration.
Serve and eat immediately.
This dish is not suitable as leftovers. The pasta dries up too much.

RISOTTO AL LIMONE

Up until last Summer, I had no idea one could make risotto with lemons. But, after being in Amalfi for a while, one soon realizes that almost anything can be made with the fantastic lemon of the Amalfi coast or Sfusato Amalfitano. Sadly, it is not yet present on the American market. 

Amalfi lemons are very unique and precious, so much so that they are called Oro di Amalfi  (Amalfi's gold). They are rather large in size, with a thick peel and are much less acidic than the average lemons. The name Sfusato  comes from the elongated shape and the pointy tip at the bottom. They are consumed in their "wholeness", peel and pulp, as in the lemon salad so typical of the Amalfi Coast.

So, why not risotto?


INGREDIENTS for five people

500 gr of carnaroli or arborio rice
1 onion, finely chopped
About 2 tbs Extra-virgin olive oil
about 3 tbs of salted European butter
1 glass of dry white wine
The juice of two lemons, filtered
150 gr of Crème Fraiche
1 egg yolk
Warm vegetable broth (store bought is fine, about two cartons )
Chopped parsley
Salt

In a tall cast iron pan, melt and warm up the butter and oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium low heat until it becomes translucent, making sure it does not burn.
Add rice and toast it well, mixing often for a few minutes. Add the white wine and continue mixing to ensure all rice soaks up the wine. 
When the wine evaporates, start adding about three  or four ladles of broth at the time, so that the rice is completely immersed in the broth. Cover with lid and cook on medium low heat. When broth is absorbed, add more ladles of broth. This means you have to check often, every 5 minutes or less, to make sure rice does not burn. 
Add salt to flavor in between ladles of broth.
Meanwhile, combine the crème fraiche with the egg yolk.
When the rice has reached the desired "al dente" consistency, wait for all the broth to be absorbed one last time and add the crème fraiche and egg yolk mixture. Delicately fold into rice. Turn heat off and add the lemon juice, a little at the time, still delicately folding it into the rice. Taste halfway through this process to make sure rice is not too acidic. This step requires some concentration as you want to achieve just the right balance of flavors between the acidity of the lemon and the soft texture of the cream. This means that, depending on the size and acidity of the lemons being used, you may or may not utilize all the juice prescribed in this recipe. 
Finally, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve and eat immediately. (If you wait, it will become acidic and it will quickly dry up).

(In the absence of a cast iron pan, a regular non stick tall skillet or high pan, will do. It may just take a little longer to cook the rice).

PIZZA DI MACCHERONI

Pizza di maccheroni, best translated into English as pasta frittata, is definitely one of those dishes that evokes many memories. It is a dish that must date back to times when resources were scarce and in order not to waste food, moms would utilize leftover pasta in a somewhat unusual fashion: cooking it again with eggs, cheese and / or any leftover cold cuts. I even remember my grandmother turning it into a humble dessert as she would garnish the final product with sugar.

Pizza di maccheroni is also the ultimate picnic food for people in the Campania region, especially on the day of Pasquetta (Easter Monday) which is traditionally devoted to picnics and day trips.

If you visit the Amalfi Coast beaches during the Summer months, you may often see the locals eating Pizza di Maccheroni  as their lunch at the beach.

One of the tricks to success in making this dish, in my opinion,  is to utilize egg pasta, preferably tagliolini (similar to angel hair but a little thicker). In the absence of egg pasta, regular spaghetti will be fine too.







INGREDIENTS:

1lb of Tagliolini egg pasta

4 eggs

2 cups of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese or even Pecorino cheese

Any left over Salame or Prosciutto Cotto (cooked ham)

Any left over mozzarella or smoked mozzarella

Chopped parsley (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste


Start by cooking the pasta according to package directions.

In the meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients (cold cuts, cheese and parsley) and mix well.

Drain the pasta and add it to the eggs, delicately mixing well to completely soak the pasta.

Cover the bottom of  a large skillet with a thin layer of olive oil and heat up on medium heat.

Add the pasta and egg mixture and spread it evenly.

Cover with a lid and cook for about ten minutes on medium heat.

Remove the lid and check bottom of the frittata to make sure it looks cooked and crispy.

With the help of the lid or a large dish, turn the frittata upside down and cook the other side for about ten more minutes. No lid necessary at this point.

Again, check the bottom to make sure it is evenly cooked and crispy.

Serve warm or bring it on your outing!

PASTA CON TONNO

Not necessarily what comes to mind when thinking of an Italian pasta dish, Pasta con tonno (pasta with tuna fish) is actually one of the typical  "quick meals" when pressed for time.
Several variations exist, with tomatoes, garlic or onion, olives, capers or anchovies.

Mine is a "white" version (no tomatoes) with olives.

Make sure to serve and eat as soon as it is ready, as the pasta quickly dries up.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb of pasta (penne, farfalle, rigatoni, etc.)

2 tins of tuna in olive oil

2 large cloves of minced garlic

About 20 fresh olives (I used green and Kalamata)

2 fresh lemons

chopped parsley

Extra -virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Fresh chopped parsley


Start by bringing your pasta water to a boil.

In the meanwhile, sautée the minced garlic in a skillet, just a few minutes on medium heat,  making sure it does not burn.

Add the tuna fish, including its own oil from the tin. Break up the chunks with a fork. Add the olives, chopped or whole, as you prefer, and the juice of two fresh lemons.

Flavor to taste with salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with the tuna sauce. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Serve and eat immediately.

BRUSCHETTA CON POMODORINI

Bruschetta (pronounced bru-sketta) is THE Italian antipasto found in all Italian restaurants, both in Italy and abroad. It is made of sliced bread rubbed with garlic and typically topped with tomatoes, olive oil, chopped garlic and salt as the essential ingredients and then toasted for a few minutes in the oven.
In this recipe,  I sprinkled some oregano. During the Summer, when fresh basil is in season, I add that too.
(Please, make sure your oregano is from countries like Italy, Greece, or Turkey. This means a trip to a specialty / ethnic shop).

There are many other variations: with mozzarella, olives, prosciutto, etc.

Try making your own version, but don't over do it using too many ingredients at once. Keeping it simple is always best in Italian cuisine.

Bread quality is of crucial importance for what may seem an inconsequential dish, just as a good quality of oil.
Use rustic artisan breads for absolute perfection of Bruschetta. 

Impress your guests and... your palate! It is easy!


INGREDIENTS:

Sliced artisan bread

Diced cherry tomatoes

Fresh garlic

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Oregano

Fresh Basil

Toast the bread (in the oven ) then rub it with a garlic clove. Drizzle with some olive oil. In a separate dish, combine the diced tomatoes, salt to taste, oregano, fresh chopped basil and extra- virgin olive oil. Mix well and top the bread slices.

BROCCOLI DI RAPE SOFFRITTI

Broccoli di rape are known for their somewhat bitter taste. It is a taste that one either loves or detests but it is definitely an acquired taste. When sauteed, they accompany very well meat, especially pork (sausages, pork chops, pork roasts).

One way to remove some of the bitter taste is to boil them first for a few minutes.

Here is how I make them:

1 Bunch of Broccoli di Rape

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Hot pepper flakes

Salt


Start by cleaning the broccoli (remove thick stems) and washing them well in water.

Using a pasta pot, bring some water to a boil, add some salt.

Cook the broccoli in boiling water for about 5 / 7 minutes. Remove from water with a straining spoon and place in a plate.

In a skillet, sauté garlic and hot pepper flakes until garlic becomes blonde - but not burned.

Carefully toss in the broccoli  and cover with a lid until oil splashing ends. Then, remove the lid and cook on medium - low heat, add salt to taste and stir the broccoli from time to time, until stems are tender. If you see that juices dry up, but more cooking is needed, add a bit of water.

How do you like the bitter flavor? 
If you do, you are more Italian than you think!

CALAMARATA SEPPIE E PISELLI

Calamarata is a special cut of pasta meant to evoke calamari rings and which is therefore, mainly accompanied by seafood sauces. For this dish, the pasta condiment is made with fresh cuttlefish and peas (which are traditionally a Roman dish, served alone as a second course ). It is not always easy to find fresh cuttlefish but when I do, I never miss the chance!

INGREDIENTS for five people:

2 large fresh cuttlefish
1 fresh medium size onion
1 16oz bag of frozen peas
About 1 cup of white cooking wine
Salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Hot pepper flakes to taste
Fresh chopped parsley.
1 package of Calamarata pasta or other short cut pasta of your choice, preferably bronze cut.



Start by defrosting peas: remove them from bag and place them in hot water. Change water a couple of times.
Clean, wash and cut the cuttlefish in strips, including tentacles.
Dice the onion and let it sauté in a large skillet in extra-vergin olive oil  - enough to barely cover bottom of pan - with some hot pepper flakes. Add the cuttlefish, sauté for a few minutes, add the white wine and cover. Let simmer on medium - low heat until cuttlefish becomes tender. Depending on the thickness of the strips, this will take 30 to 40 minutes.  About ten minutes from reaching the desired fish consistency, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the peas to the fish, with salt to taste, continuing to simmer on low heat.
When the water boils, add salt and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and add  it to peas and cuttlefish, still on low simmer.  Sprinkle with abundant fresh chopped parsley and serve promptly.