Mediterranean Diet and Culturein Tuscany and Umbria, Italy

Pomodori Ripieni con Riso

5/30/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

8 cups water
1 potato, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled, roughly chopped
2 zucchini, roughly chopped and divided in two
5 tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 eggplant
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup white rice, Arborio preferred
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
8 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, diced into ¼ inch cubes

Directions
To prepare the vegetable broth

Add 8 cups of water to a large pot. Add potato, carrot, celery stalk, onion, 1 zucchini, 1 tomato and ½ teaspoon salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes or more if needed.

To prepare the risotto

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the olive oil to a large pot and turn the heat to high. Add the eggplant and zucchini. Cook until soft, 5-10 minutes. Add the rice and stir well. When the rice is a pale golden color reduce the heat to medium low. Add the remaining salt and stir. Continuously add small amounts of broth to the mixture, stirring after each new addition until absorbed. No broth is needed the final 2 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

To prepare the stuffed tomatoes

Wash and dry the 4 remaining tomatoes. Cut off the tops and scoop out the insides. Arrange on a baking pan with the cut side up. When the risotto is cool, fill each tomato with the rice mixture, about two-thirds full. Add a small handful of diced Mozzarella, and then top with more rice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in the 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.

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Lasagna

5/29/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

3 ½ cups flour, divided
3 eggs
1 package no-boil pasta (if not making homemade pasta)
8 tablespoons butter
1 quart milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 ounces ground beef
4 cups tomato puree
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese
8 ounces Ricotta cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F

To make the béchamel sauce

Heat milk in a small pan until almost to a boil. Turn down heat to keep warm. Melt the butter in a large pan on the stove. Slowly add ½ cup flour, a little at a time, to the butter, mixing well. After the flour has a slightly toasted appearance, add the hot milk, stirring in small amounts at a time. Mix in the nutmeg and salt to taste. Remove from heat.

To make the ragu sauce

Add olive oil to a large pan on stove. Turn on high heat and sear the ground beef until crispy on the outside but still slightly pink inside. Add the tomato puree and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Combine the béchamel sauce with the ragu by completely mixing together.

To prepare the lasagna

Add a small amount of sauce to coat the bottom of the rectangular baking pan. Add a layer of no-boil pasta, and then layer with mozzarella, ricotta, and sauce. Repeat with noodles, cheeses, and sauce until ingredients are gone. The top layer should be sauce. Cook for about 30 minutes at 350°F.
Remove from oven and allow lasagna to sit for 5-10 minutes, then slice and serve.

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Spaghetti alle Vongole

5/28/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 small peperoncini (hot peppers), diced
7 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 pound clams in shells (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
12 ounces pasta

Directions

Place a large pan on the stove on high heat.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, half of the minced garlic, half of the diced pepper, and the tomatoes. Salt to taste and stir. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
To make the pasta, fill a large pot with water, add 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente. Drain pasta and return to the pot.
In a pan over high heat add 4 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining garlic and pepper. Cook until it sizzles. Add the clams, cover, and reduce to medium heat. Turn off the heat after all the clams have opened.
Add the clams to the tomato sauce. Add parsley and carefully mix together. Pour the sauce into the pot with the warmed pasta. Gently mix and serve.

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Bucatini All’ Amatriciana

5/27/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons pepperoncino
7 ounces pancetta or guanciale
4 cups tomato puree
1 teaspoon salt, divided
8 ounces pasta, bucatini preferred, or spaghetti
1 ounce finely grated cheese,
Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana Reggiano

Directions
To prepare the sauce

Saute the guanciale or pancetta in olive oil until slightly crisp. Add the tomato puree and pepperoncino. Cook together for 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.

To prepare the pasta

Fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and stir for one minute, turn the heat down, and cook pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta when done. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well to thoroughly coat.
Top with cheese and serve.

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Straccetti di Pollo alla Pizzaiola

5/25/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups tomato puree
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons oregano

Directions

Slice the chicken breasts into very thin cutlets (or have a butcher do this).
Put the olive oil in a large skillet and add the garlic.
Sauté on high heat until the garlic starts to simmer, then reduce to medium heat.
Add the pureed tomatoes and the chicken. Stir and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Add the salt and oregano. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes until the chicken is done.

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Pasta e Ceci

5/25/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups dried chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup parsley, chopped
8 ounces pasta

Directions

To prepare the chickpeas

Rinse chickpeas and place in a large bowl. Fill with water to cover chickpeas two times over. Soak at least eight hours, then rinse. Boil in fresh water until chickpeas have doubled in size — about two hours. Drain.
Measure out half of the chickpeas and puree. In a pot, combine the pureed and whole chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, and parsley. Add enough water to cover the pea mixture plus one inch. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.

To prepare the pasta

Make pasta according to package directions.
Combine pasta with chickpeas.

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Ratatouille

5/24/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 tomato, roughly chopped
1 eggplant, roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Water, about 2 cups
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions

Place all of the prepared vegetables and the oil into a large pot. Add water until the vegetables are halfway covered. Add salt.
Cover the pot and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Check for doneness and continue to cook up to 30 additional minutes until all of the vegetables are softened.

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Scaloppine ai Funghi

5/24/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound veal, boneless breast meat, thinly sliced
¾ cup flour
8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup white wine
11 ounces fresh mixed mushrooms, washed and sliced
Salt, to taste

Directions

Lightly flour the veal cutlets. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of oil over low heat. Add veal and fry
10-15 minutes turning every five minutes. Remove from heat.
In a separate pan, sauté the onion in remaining oil for several minutes over medium high heat. Add the wine and stir until it evaporates. Add the mushrooms and salt to taste, turn heat to low, and cook 10-15 minutes. Add cutlets to reheat them and coat with sauce.
Serve veal and mushrooms with vegetable ratatouille..

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Parmigiana di Melanzane

5/22/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

4 cups tomato puree
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 basil leaves
4 cups tomato sauce
1 eggplant, washed and sliced into thin rounds
7 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese
7 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
To prepare the sauce

Combine the tomato puree, one tablespoon of the oil and basil in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.

To prepare the eggplant

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet and lightly pan fry the pieces of eggplant. Fry for several minutes on each side.

To assemble

Cover the bottom of a square baking pan with sauce. Place a layer of eggplant on the sauce. Add a layer of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top of the eggplant.
Continue to layer the sauce, eggplant, and cheeses until all ingredients are used up.
Top with a final layer of Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

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Polpette

5/22/2016

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Serves 4 people

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil
¾ cup white wine
2 ¾ cups bread crumbs
Water, for soaking bread crumbs
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
Cooking oil, such as soybean oil or canola

Directions for the sauce

Sauté the garlic clove in olive oil on medium low heat.
When it starts to sizzle add in the wine and let it reduce.
Add salt to taste. Keep the sauce warm while preparing the meatballs. Remove garlic clove before serving.

Directions for preparing the meatballs

Soak bread crumbs in water until soft, then drain and squeeze the excess water out. In a large bowl combine all remaining ingredients except oil and mix together. Roll mixture into balls about 1 inch diameter or slightly larger.
Place enough cooking oil in a pan to cover the meatballs when frying. Turn heat to medium and add meatballs. Reduce heat to low and cook about 5-7 minutes or until done all the way through.
Carefully remove meatballs from oil and combine with the sauce. Simmer over low heat to blend flavors.

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Pollo alla Diavola

5/21/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients for Deviled Chicken

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 chicken thighs, bone and skin removed
4 ounces white wine
4 cups tomato puree
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions

Add oil, onion, and pepper to a medium pan. Sauté on medium high heat until onions are translucent.
Place chicken over onions, add white wine, and cook until wine is evaporated. Add tomatoes and salt.
Cook on low heat for one hour.
When done, serve chicken on a plate with sauce spooned over it.

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Conturno

5/21/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients for Roasted Vegetable Side Dish (Conturno)

1 bell pepper, cut into wedges
2 zucchini, cut into thin slices
2 eggplant, diced
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
salt to taste

Directions

Place prepared vegetables on baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt to taste. Bake at 350°F for at least 30 minutes; turn vegetables as needed to prevent burning.

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Pasta Alla Norma

5/21/2016

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Serves 4 people

Ingredients1 onion, minced

1 eggplant, unpeeled, sliced into thin strips
2 cups oil, for frying
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups tomato puree
10 leaves fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
12 ounces pasta, short and round is best
½ cup ricotta or pecorino cheese

Directions

Fill a deep skillet with frying oil and lightly fry the eggplant until soft and golden; drain and set aside.
In a separate skillet sauté the onions in olive oil on medium heat 5-10 minutes until translucent. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt, and eggplant; simmer 20-30 minutes.
Boil the pasta according to package directions until it is cooked al dente. When done, drain the pasta and mix with the sauce. Top with fresh ricotta or pecorino cheese.

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Tagliatelle

5/20/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

14 ounces cake flour
4 eggs

Directions

Place flour on a clean countertop and form a mound.
Make a well in the center and crack the eggs in the well. Work the eggs into the flour for 5-10 minutes to form dough. Knead the dough with the palms of your hand until it is stiff and no longer sticky.
Roll out the dough, starting at the center and rolling outward in all directions. If needed, carefully turn the dough and continue to roll from the center outward, ultimately obtaining a large, very thin circle of dough. Allow the dough to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Starting at a spot on the outer rim of the dough circle, lift up the dough and carefully fold it back and forth like an accordion, stacking each new fold on top of the previous one. Use a sharp knife to cut strips of dough about 1/3rd inch wide. Pick up about eight strips of pasta at a time and rest them on a platter in a nest.
To cook the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the pasta, add salt to taste, and cook pasta al dente. Drain and serve with sauce.

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Pesce

5/20/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients4 fish fillets

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Drizzle olive oil over fish. Salt to taste and add garlic and parsley.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until done.
Serve after first course of your choice of pasta.

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Frittata di Zucchine

5/19/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

1 zucchini
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
Olive oil, as needed to oil baking pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Wash the zucchini, and then cut it in half lengthwise. Working with one zucchini half at a time, cut them crosswise into thin slices.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and cheese to the eggs. Mix well.
Add the sliced zucchini to the egg mixture and mix well.
Oil a 12-inch round baking pan. Pour the egg mixture into the pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is cooked throughout.

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Radicchio con Risotto

5/19/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium potato, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 medium zucchini, roughly chopped
1 tomato, roughly chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 quarts water
1 medium onion, diced
1 ¼ cups white rice, Arborio preferred
½ cup white wine
1 bunch radicchio, washed and cut into strips
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Prepare the risotto broth by placing the chopped potato, carrot, celery, zucchini, and tomato in a large pot with ¼ cup olive oil and 2 quarts of water. Boil the broth for 1 hour.
While the broth is boiling, sauté the diced onion in the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil in a large skillet over low heat.
When the onion is translucent, add the rice, stir together, and continue to sauté for several minutes.
Add the white wine to the rice mixture and continue to cook until most of the wine evaporates. Add the sliced radicchio and stir it in with the rice.
Slowly add the hot broth to the rice mixture one cup at a time; continue to stir after each addition of broth.
Continue to cook the rice mixture until most of the broth is absorbed and it is al dente, about 15-18 minutes.
Serve risotto with Parmesan cheese if desired.

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Gnocchi al Ragù

5/18/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients
For the ragu

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
7 ounces ground beef
4 ounces white wine
4 cups tomato sauce
2 teaspoons salt

For the gnocchi

1 teaspoon salt
5 medium red potatoes, peeled
10 ounces cake flour
1 egg

Directions for ragu

Pour the olive oil into a large pot. Add the celery, onion, and carrots, and cook on medium high until the onions are translucent. Add the ground beef while continuously stirring. Add the wine, tomato sauce, and 2 teaspoons salt. Turn the heat to low, cover loosely, and simmer one hour, stirring occasionally.

Directions for gnocchi

Wash potatoes. Boil 1 hour with salt (leave skin on). Peel, smash. Mix potato with flour and knead. Mix until consistent, create crater, add egg. Continue kneading, add flour as needed.

Directions to shape the dough into gnocchi

Roll dough into long pieces and cut into inch-long sections. To make each individual gnocchi, roll pieces outward off fork prongs using thumb in a pushing/rolling motion. Gently place the gnocchi in water and cook 2-4 minutes until they float. As they rise to the top remove them with a slotted spoon.
Place the gnocchi in a shallow bowl and lightly cover with sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese and basil.

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Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino al Rosa

5/17/2016

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Serves 4

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
11 ounces pasta
¼ cup virgin, cold-pressed olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 small peperoncini, sliced very thin
¼ cup parsley, chopped

Directions

To make the pasta, fill a pot with water, add salt and bring to a full boil. Add the pasta and boil until it’s cooked al dente. While the pasta is boiling make the sauce:
Add the olive oil to a pan and heat on medium. Add the garlic and peperoncini. Cook until the garlic starts to sizzle, then remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta when done. Add the pasta to the olive oil pan and mix well to thoroughly coat.
Add the parsley and serve.

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Buon Appetito!

We hope you will enjoy these recipes and perhaps incorporate them into your own wonderful cuisine. We extend our deepest thanks to chefs Rosa Di Donna and Rossella Vasta for sharing their family recipes and teaching us the secrets to making wonderful Umbrian and Italian food. Also, many thanks to Paola, Anna, Ivan and Bebe for their valued support in helping to make all of this happen. None of this would have been possible without the language translations of Catia Melani, who made everything a joy to learn with her love of Italian, English, culture, and of course, Mediterranean food. Buon Appetito!

Kudos to the UNF students for taking notes and documenting the recipes, and converting them to U.S. measures.

Pomodori Ripieni con Riso

Lasagna

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Bucatini All’ Amatriciana

Straccetti di Pollo alla Pizzaiola

Pasta e Ceci

Ratatouille

Scaloppine ai Funghi

Parmigiana di Melanzane

Polpette

Pollo alla Diavola

Conturno

Pasta Alla Norma

Tagliatelle

Pesce

Frittata di Zucchine

Radicchio con Risotto

Gnocchi al Ragù

Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino al Rosa

Buon Appetito!

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