Ciaudedda

4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 potatoes
• 200 g of cherry tomatoes
• 2 zucchini
• 2 eggplants
• 2 bell peppers
• l clove of garlic, chopped
• Basil
• Oregano
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Peel vegetables and cut into pieces. In a saucepan, sauté the garlic with 2 tablespoons of oil and a little water.  Add eggplants and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini. Season with salt and add oregano and basil leaves. Simmer, stirring occasionally. If needed, add water or vegetable broth.

Pici and Potatoes

4 servings

Ingredients

• 800 g bell peppers
• 800 g potatoes
• 10 small tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Peel the potatoes, cut into slices, and blanch them in salted water until they are half cooked. Cut bell peppers into big pieces and brown them in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Remove bell peppers and dispose of the used oil. With fresh oil, cook tomatoes cut into pieces. When the tomato juices have evaporated, add the bell peppers and potatoes. Cook uncovered. Season with salt and serve warm.

Squid and Cuttlefish Casserole

4 servings

Ingredients

• 500 g squid
• 300 g cuttlefish
• 500 g cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Parsley
• 40 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Clean the squid and cuttlefish, cut into small pieces, and let them drain. Fry the garlic in the oil, add the squid and cuttlefish. Sauté on medium heat. Add tomatoes cut in small pieces, salt and pepper, and cook for a few more minutes.

Anchovies with Endive

4 servings

Ingredients

• 400 g fresh anchovies
• l kg escarole endive
• l clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 sprig of parsley
• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Peel the endive, cut it into strips, and soak in water for a few minutes. Remove the anchovy heads and clean the fish, opening like a book. Wash and dry them. Drain the endive and put a third in a casserole dish. Cover with half of the anchovies and season with oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue with a second layer of endive and the rest of the anchovies. Season and complete the dish with the rest of the salad. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Onions in Walnut Sauce

4 people

Ingredients

• 8 white onions
• 120 g walnuts
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 lemons
• Parsley
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Cook the onions in salted water. Drain and set aside. Crush the walnuts and garlic in a mortar with a pinch of salt until everything becomes a paste. Add the oil and lemon juice gradually. Finish the sauce with chopped parsley. Serve onions in large pieces, topped with the sauce.

Cabbage Patties

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 small cabbage
• 2 tomatoes
• l clove of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• Parsley, chopped
• 200 g sandwich bread
• Thin corn flour
• Tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Briefly blanch the outer leaves of the cabbage in salted boiling water and drain. Soak the bread in water, wring it out, and mix in the chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a little oil. Knead and divide bread mixture into flattened patties. Cover them with cabbage leaves and fix them with a toothpick. Dredge the patties in foil flour and cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes. Prepare a sauce with chopped garlic and onion and add the tomato and the rest of cabbage cut into strips. After a few minutes, add the patties, cook, and serve. Remember to remove the toothpick.

Comaut

4 servings

Ingredients

• 800 g pumpkin, cleaned
• 3 medium potatoes
• 2 white leeks or 2-3 white onions
• A few leaves of sage
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Cut the vegetables into large pieces and cook at low heat with a little water, adding salt as desired. After 30 minutes, pass the mixture through a vegetable mill or an immersion blender. The soup should be thick. Serve hot and seasoned with olive oil, pepper, and sage.

Snapper Tarantina

4 servings

Ingredients

• l snapper (l kg)
• 200 g black olives
• 150 g tomatoes
• 200 ml dry white wine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pepper

Directions

Clean the fish, removing the scales and entrails. Wash, dry well, and place it in an oiled baking dish. Add pepper, olives, and tomatoes previously crushed by hand. Bake at 320 F degrees for 30 minutes, basting with the wine halfway through cooking.

Chickpeas and Spelt

4 servings

Ingredients

• 200 g dried chickpeas
• 150 g spelt
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 rib of celery
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Soak the chickpeas overnight, and soak the spelt for a couple of hours. Boil the chickpeas, drain them and keep the cooking water. In a pan, brown the chopped onion, carrot, and celery in oil. Add the drained chickpeas, drained spelt and 2 liters of chickpea cooking water. Finish cooking at medium heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt to taste, serve with olive oil and fresh ground pepper.

Sweet and Sour Sardines (Sarde in Saor)

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 kg sardines
• 2 kg sweet white onions, thinly sliced
• 40 g pine nuts
• 80 g raisins
• Italian 00 Wheat Flour
• 600 ml white wine vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Remove the sardine heads, scales and entrails. Flour and fry them for a few minutes.  Brown the onions in a cup of water and a tablespoon of oil. Add vinegar, raisins, and pine nuts, and cook for l0 minutes. Arrange the sardines alternating with onions in a bowl, cover with the cooking liquid, and store in a cool place. After two days, the sardines are ready to eat and will keep for up to a week.

Couscous Trapani-Style with Mixed Fish, Tomatoes, Almonds, and Garlic

8 servings

Ingredients

• 800 g durum-wheat semolina
• 200 g wheat flour
• 1 kg fish for stew (various types of  fish)
• 300 g peeled tomatoes
• 2 onions
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• Parsley
• 200 g almonds, peeled
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper

Directions

Pour the semolina into a deep dish, and wet it with a bit of cold water. Mix well; with your hand, roll the semolina mixture in one direction and then the other until granules form. Add salt, pepper, oil, and one onion (finely minced); let rest for approx. 10 minutes. Fill a pot with water; add the bay leaves, a small piece of onion, parsley, and salt. On top, place the couscous pot containing the seasoned semolina. Make a sheet of dough using water and the wheat flour; place it between the pot and the couscous pot/bowl. Cook on a low flame for an hour and a half. Prepare the fish stew: heat the oil, add the crushed garlic, and the remaining minced onion, almonds, and parsley. Cook, and after a few minutes add the tomatoes and 2 liters of water (lightly salted). When the broth reaches a boil, add the fish.; cook for 30 minutes. Remove the fish from the pot, and place aside (keeping hot). Filter the broth with a fine sieve. Then put the couscous in a large bowl, ladle some of the broth onto it, and let rest (covered) for 30 minutes. Serve at the table in individual shallow bowls, placing pieces of the fish on top. Serve the remaining broth as a condiment.

Hummus

4 Servings

Ingredients

• 200g dried chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons of tahini paste
• 1 lemon
• 2 garlic
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Parsley, minced
• Paprika
• Salt

Directions

Roasted Yellow Peppers Flavored with Anchovies, Capers, Garlic, Basil, and Aromatic Herbs 

4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 large yellow peppers
• 12 anchovy filets preserved in salt
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 bunch of basil
• Aromatic herbs: parsley, sage, marjoram, Italian mint, summer savory, thyme, celery leaves, arugula, and tarragon
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Roast the peppers over a flame, peel, and cut into quarters. Dry, and place on a tray. Rinse the anchovies and capers of their salt. Then on each pepper strip place 2 anchovy filets, 2 slices of garlic, and then the capers. Mince the herbs, and mix with the minced garlic. Remove the garlic from the peppers, and cover with the herbs. Spread the basil leaves over the peppers (the basil should be torn in half with two fingers), and serve.

Salad with Anchovies, Hardboiled Eggs, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Peppers, and Olives

4 servings

Ingredients

• 100 g anchovies (alici) in salt preserve
• White wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 chili pepper (peperoncino)
• 4 taralli (round, dense crackers made with semolina/ buckwheat flour; typical of the South)
• 2 hardboiled eggs
• 4 tomatoes (very firm)
• 1 cucumber
• Green and black olives
• 1 pepper (large, dense)
• 2 celery ribs
• A pinch of oregano
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Nettle Gnocchi with Porcini Sauce

4 servings

Ingredients

• 200 g potatoes
• 40 g whole wheat flour
• A small bunch of ortiche (nettles), a wild plant used in recipes in various regions in Italy
• 1 egg yolk
• 400 g porcini mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Octupus Salad with Potatoes and Green Beans

4 servings

Ingredients

• 500 g green string beans
• 500 g potatoes
• 500 g boiled octopus
• Parsley
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Baked Anchovies with Endive Escarole

4 servings

Ingredients

• 400 g of fresh anchovies
• 1 kg of endive escarole (indivia scarola)
• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 garlic clove, cut into little pieces
• A small bunch of parsley

Directions

Linguine with Fava Bean Pesto

4 servings

Ingredients

• 300g linguine
• 300 g fresh fava beans (shelled)
• 1 garlic clove
• Fresh mint
• 1⁄2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Fava Beans with Garlic, Mint, and Chili Pepper

4 servings

Ingredients

• 400 g fava beans (shelled)
• 1 garlic clove
• Mint leaves (Roman mint)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Chili pepper (peperoncino)

Directions

Typical Tuscan Bread Salad

Ingredients

• Stale bread
• Fresh onion or spring onion sliced thinly
• Salad tomatoes cut into small cubes
• Sliced cucumber; sliced celery
• Basil leaves, torn into pieces
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar

Directions

Gelo di mellone

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 liter of juice of watermelon
• 90g of corn starch
• 40 g of sugar
• 100 g dark chocolate chips
• 100 g of pistachios (granules)
• A few drops of vanilla extract
• A pinch of cinnamon

Directions

Typical Tuscan Bread Salad

Ingredients

• Stale bread
• Fresh onion or spring onion sliced thinly
• Salad tomatoes cut into small cubes
• Sliced cucumber; sliced celery
• Basil leaves, torn into pieces
  
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar

Directions

Traditional Sicilian Pasta Dish with Eggplant and Tomato Sauce Topped with Ricotta Salata 

6 servings

Ingredients

• 500 g rigatoni or maccheroni
• 1.5 kg tomatoes for sauce
• 2 eggplants
• 2 garlic cloves
• Basil
• 100 g ricotta salata
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Slice the eggplant and transfer to a bowl with salted water (this is to expunge the water naturally in the eggplant). Simmer the tomatoes; then peel and chop; and cook on a low flame with the garlic in a terracotta pot. Remove from the heat, and add oil and the basil. Drain the eggplant, dry, and grill the slices. Cook the pasta in boiling water; drain; and then toss in the tomato sauce. Serve on the plates with the eggplant slices; and top with the grated ricotta salata and more basil.

Chocolate Almond Delights 

Yields 20

Ingredients

• 500g of shelled almonds, unpeeled
• 500g of dark chocolate

Directions

Toast the almonds. Melt the chocolate in a bagno maria; add the almonds; mix. Using a spoon, divide the mixture into 20 ramekin dishes. Let cool until the chocolate is solidified.

Pasta and Beans 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g fresh Lamon beans or 250g of dried beans (washed well and soaked for minimum 6 hours beforehand)
• Kosher salt
• 1 Onion
• 6-8 Cloves
• 100g of tagliolini egg pasta or ditalini pasta

Directions

It is recommended to cook the beans in a pressure pot. Fill the po pot until it reaches the level indicator. Add a small handful of the kosher salt.
Cook on the highest flame; when the pressure pot whistles, lower the flame to the minimum, and cook for 40 minutes. Puree the beans with a vegetable mill or hand blender, and pour into a large pot. Bring to a boil, and add the onion (pierced with the cloves) and approx. 1 liter of water. When the water reaches a boil, add the pasta; remove from the the heat; stir periodically so that the pasta does not stick. The pasta and beans can be served hot or warm. A nice addition is Treviso red radicchio, chopped into pieces. The bitter flavor aids liver and kidney function during digestion. Or it is possible to add a tablespoon of trippe alla parmigiana, which increases the protein content of the dish.

Finally, drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the finished dish— as should be done with all the dishes. Then sprinkle some pepper over the dish, as pepper stimulates digestive secretion. To finish the plate, add a pinch of Franco’s “magic powder” (as used at the Osteria Madonetta): dried sage, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.

Polenta and Mushrooms

Serves 1 person

Ingredients

• 80g of whole wheat flour
• 100g of mushrooms
• A sprig of parsley
• 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Follow the instructions on the packet and cook the polenta until soft. Wash and cut the mushrooms and transfer to a pan with oil and a little bit of water. Cook over moderate heat and stir often until tender. Once cooked, add the chopped parsley and serve the polenta with mushrooms.

Baked Pumpkin

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 kg of pumpkin pulp
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Honey
• Salt

Directions

Chickpeas and Chestnuts with Rosemary and Garlic

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 300 g chickpeas
• 300 g dry chestnuts
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 300 g chickpeas
• 300 g dry chestnuts

Directions

Rice, Leeks, and Herbs

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 150 g Semi-brown rice
• 400 g Herbs
• 4 Small leeks
• 40 g of Grana Padano cheese
• 1 Small tuft of parsley
• 1 Liter of vegetable broth

Directions

Clean the herbs, and cut into small strips. Finely slice the white part of the leek, and simmer on a low flame with oil and a bit of water. Add the herbs, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the broth, and when it comes to a boil, stir in the rice. When the rice is cooked (approx. 40 minutes), add the minced parsley. Serve, first sprinkling grated grana cheese.

Pears Simmered in Spiced Red Wine

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 8 pears (firm, suitable for baking)
• 1 liter red wine
• 50 g Raisins
• 50 g of sugar
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon rind

Directions

Place all ingredients in a pot; bring to a boil; cook for 30-40 minutes until the liquid becomes denser. Let cool, and then remove the cinnamon and cloves. Cut the pears into slices and spoon the sauce over them. Serve.

Corn Meal ‘Porridge’ with Tuscan Black Cabbage

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 600 g Maize flour
• 3 Bunches of cavolo nero (long, black cabbage typical of Tuscany)
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 50 g Parmigiano reggiano, grated
• 1 Cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Trim and wash the cabbage thoroughly, removing the hard “ribs”, and then cutting the cabbage into small strips. Boil in approx. 5 liters of water (salted), and add the yellow corn meal a little at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 40 minutes, more or less, stirring periodically with a wooden spoon (NB: be careful not to scrape the bottom of the pot). Add the garlic (minced); taste the dish, and add salt as needed. Add the oil and cheese; then whisk together all ingredients. The farinata should be less dense than polenta. Serve hot, drizzling with raw oil and parmigiano on the side.

3-Flour Cake with Citrus Rind and Dried Fruit

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 100 g of soft wheat flour
• 80 g of corn meal
• 40 g of chickpea flour
• 100 g of natural cane sugar
• 70 g breadcrumbs
• 300 g vegetable-based milk
• 2 apples
• 50 g raisins
• 50 g of dried figs
• The rind of 1⁄2 lemon
• The rind of 1⁄2 orange
• 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 50 ml of sunflower oil
• Salt
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

Combine in a bowl the three types of flour, the breadcrumbs, sugar, and a pinch of salt; mix; then add the milk and two types of oil. Work the batter until smooth and uniform. Peel the apples; cut into small pieces; and add to the mixture, together with the grated rinds, the raisins, and figs (cut into pieces). Oil a cake pan 24 cm in diameter; dust with flour; then pour in the batter. Bake at 170 °C for 45-50 minutes. Let cool,; and serve (optional: sprinkle with powdered sugar).

Spiced Cake with Nuts, Chocolate, and Raisins

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 50 g Flour, soft wheat (00)
• 50 g Peeled almonds
• 50 g Peeled hazelnuts
• 50 g Walnut pieces
• 50 g Raisins
• 80 g Dark chocolate
• 50 g Natural cane sugar
• Cinnamon (powder)
• Nutmeg
• Black pepper

Directions

Soak the raisins in warm water; drain; press dry. Melt the natural cane sugar with a cup of water over a low flame. Remove from the heat; add the dark chocolate until it melts. Pour into a bowl; add the flour, dried fruit, raisins, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a generous bit of ground pepper. Let rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.; Spread the mixture on a baking sheet covered in wax paper, forming a shape like a loaf of bread. Bake for 15 minutes, and then Shut off the oven, yet leave the cake in the oven to cool. The dessert is ready to eat the next day.

Cauliflower Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 Head of cauliflower
• Approx. a dozen black olives
• 1 Tablespoon of capers
• 1 Pepper preserved in vinegar
• White wine vinegar
• 4 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Clean the cauliflower and separate the florets. Rinse and simmer in a small amount of water with a pinch of salt: the cauliflower should be al dente (firm).
Drain and dress immediately with the vinegar, oil, olives, capers, and the pepper (cut into strips).

Corn Meal “Cookies” with Raisins, Dried Figs, and Nuts

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 250 g Corn meal
• 1 Tablespoon and half of sugar
• 50 Raisins
• 50 Pine nuts
• 50 g of Walnut parts
• 50 g of Shelled almonds
• 50 g of Dried figs
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Soak the raisins in warm water. Mince the walnuts and almonds with the dried figs. Make a well with the corn meal; add a few tablespoons of oil, the raisins (pressed dry), the pine nuts, the minced figs, the sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well, adding hot water to form a moist consistency. Shape into balls; then flatten. Bake at 150 °C. Serve cold.

Radicchio and Polenta Stew

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 Heads of winter radicchio
• 10 g of Dry beans
• 1.5 l of Vegetable broth
• 100 g of Corn meal
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Small onion
• 1 Celery rib
• 1 Bay leaf
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Soak the beans in cold water overnight, rinse, drain, and put in a pot with the carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf and plenty of water. Boil for an hour, adding salt towards the end. In a casserole pot with a little bit of water, simmer the radicchio for 5 minutes; drain off the water and chop finely. Bring the broth to a boil, and then sprinkle the corn meal over it, adding slowly; mix and after 10 minutes, add the beans and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the radicchio, a bit of salt and pepper, and finally pour into a soup tureen, and serve.

Crostini (Toasted Bread) Topped With Artichoke-Stems, and a Shallot, Mint, and Basil Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 Artichoke stems
• 1 Shallot
• Mint
• Basil
• 4 Slices of toasted homemade bread
• 1 Lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Clean and prepare the stems of the artichokes. Soak them in acidified water (with lemon juice), dry, and cut into cubes or julienne. In a large pan with oil, sauté, the shallot (sliced), mint, and basil, salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture onto the toasted bread.

Orange, Oregano, and Chive Salad Dressed with Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4-6 Oranges
• 1 Chive bulb
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Oregano
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Peel the oranges; cut into thin slices, and then small pieces (try to eliminate the seeds). Transfer to a large bowl, and flavor with oil, the chive bulb (sliced very finely), a pinch of oregano, pepper, and salt. Mix, and serve after letting sit for 15 minutes.

Carrots with Pine Nuts and Wine-Seeped Raisins

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 kg Tender, “young” carrots (novelle)
• 25 g Pine nuts
• 50 g Raisins
• 1/2 Cup of wine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

Soak the raisins in the wine. Trim and peel the carrots; clean; chop into rounds; then simmer in oil, a small amount of water, and a pinch of salt. Cover, and cook slowly. When tender, stir in the pine nuts and the raisins (drained and pressed to remove any excess liquid). Mix well, and cook until done. Serve immediately.