Italian Recipes and Resources 

Mediterranean Cuisine and Italian Cooking will change from region to region and chef to chef. With this in mind there are many different stlyes and nuances that we wish to consider. We will be adding more online Italian Recipes and Italian Cooking resources to this posting thread.

If you have an excellent Italian resource feel free to post them here.

Italian Recipes  

Salad Dressing:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese grated (about 3 oz)
- 4 to 6 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Potato Salad:
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds white or yukon potatoes (5 large or 8 to 9 medium)
- 1 small bulb fennel, cored, thinly sliced and diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (2 ounces)
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- Pine nuts or chopped walnuts for garnish (optional)

For the dressing: Using a food processor, combine the first 6 ingredients (basil through black pepper); pulse to finely chop. With the processor on, drizzle in the olive oil to make a creamy sauce. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Set dressing aside.

Cook potatoes first: Over high heat, bring a large pot of water (salted with 1 tablespoon coarse salt, if desired) to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes (do not peel potatoes). Drop potatoes into the boiling water and cook, loosely covered, for 6 minutes, until a knife can pierce the potato easily but cubes are still firm. Drain potatoes and place them back in the pot.
Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the basil dressing. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives and chopped fennel.

Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with pine nuts or chopped walnuts, if desired. For a nice presentation, serve the salad in ‘cups’ made from radicchio leaves.

Makes sixteen 1/2-cup servings (about 8 cups of salad).
Recipe Source: from Idaho Potato Commission.

Italian food, gourmet food, Italian recipes

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Serves 6 – 8
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Source: The Ultimate Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pound pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 2 cups antipasto: Pitted black and green olives, quartered lengthwise
- Marinated mushrooms and artichoke hearts
- Anything you can find that is marinated, such as asparagus or zucchini
- Diced roasted pepper
- Prosciutto or pepperoni (optional)
- Diced fresh mozzarella
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup red onion, cut in slivers
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil, or a combination of both
- 1/2 – 1 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

PREPARATIONCook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
Cook the artichoke hearts according to package directions and toss with the fresh lemon juice. Set aside.
In a large serving bowl, combine the olives, parsley, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, and oregano. Toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta and artichoke hearts. Toss gently to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate salad for at least 1 hour and no more than 3 hours, covered, before serving.

Italian food, gourmet gift, Italian recipes 
    

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