photo credit: thebittenword.com

Simple Italian soups are so welcome this time of year, and none are more comforting that Split Pea and Potato soup!    A nice warm bowl of soup, a crusty chunk of bread and a fireplace and I’m in heaven.  The addition of potatoes to the pea soup just make it that much more hearty.

I used to make this soup with beef broth.  However, I recently had some good homemade chicken broth, so I used it to make this simple Italian soup and I liked it better than ever.  I also used Yukon Gold potatoes and they added a nice dimension to the soup.

If you like, you can add a little crostini when you serve the dish.  All I do is take the crust off a good firm white bread and toast them up in a little salted olive oil in a pan.  They go real fast and make a nice little crunchy topping.   Bacon pieces is another alternative topping that is always appreciated.

To start the simple Italian soup, saute a chopped onion and 3 or 4 diced carrots in 3 tablespoons of butter for about 5 minutes.  Stir in a pound of rinsed split green peas, 8 cups of chicken stock and a bay leaf.  Add salt and pepper to taste and bring it all to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Let it simmer for about half an hour – stirring every once in a while.

Add about two pounds of Yukon gold potatoes that you have cut into 1/2 inch chunks.  Simmer for another half hour until potatoes are tender.  Remove the bay leaf.

Now you must decide if you want smooth or chunky soup.  If you want it smooth, blend it all in the food processor and return it to the pot.

Add 3/8 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and adjust for salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and top with some of your crostini and offer additional Parmesan cheese on the side.

Enjoy this simple Italian rib-sticking soup on a cold blustery day.  It tastes even better the next day!
photo credit: thebittenword.com

photo credit: HiMalta

I found this gourmet Italian frittata recipe years ago in the now sadly defunct Gourmet magazaine.  People go nuts over this recipe and it is really easy to make.

A frittata is kind of like an open face Italian omelet.  It is bulkier and sturdier than the delicate French omelet, and is therefore easier to make.  You can use any combination of meats, cheeses and herbs that you have handy.  People even include leftover pasta in frittatas with great success!  In Italy, people often take a wedge of leftover frittata with them for lunch!  It is really like a quiche – without the crust.  Hello Low Carbs!

Unlike traditional omelets, frittatas are finished in the oven – either baked or placed under the broiler.  This gourmet Italian frittata is no different.  You want to start by preheating your broiler.  You will want the rack to be about 6 inches from the broiler element.

Whisk together 8 eggs, 1/2 cup of half-and-half, 1/4 cup of finely chopped green onions or chives, a thinly sliced red onion, 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, 2 teaspoons of capers, and salt and pepper to taste.

Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and melt 3 tablespoons of butter.  Pour in your egg mixture and scatter 3 ounces of cubed cream cheese all over the mixture.

Cook, lifting up cooked eggs around the edges to let the uncooked eggs run underneath.  Cook until the frittata seems cooked on the bottom but still moist on top.  This will probably take about two or three minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and press 4 ounces of thinly sliced smoked salmon all over the top.

Place the pan under the broiler for a minute or so until it is puffed and starting to get some color here and there.  Let it cool for five minutes.  Loosen the edges and slide your gourmet Italian frittata onto a plate.  Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Watch Dani make her favorite frittata for you right here!

Mangia Bene!

Back in old Italy, this dish was prepared using a mortar and pestle.  Now, that probably was NOT a quick Italian dish.  However, with our wonderful food processors these days, you can literally make this in under a minute.  Pesto was not widely known in North America until the late ’80′s, early ’90s.  Today, it is readily available everywhere.  There is one brand that is very reasonable that can be found in grocery stores near the pasta sauces.  It comes in a short, fat jar and it is incredibly delicious!  Unfortunately, the pine nuts are still outrageously expensive, so many people substitute walnuts or almonds.   If you are a true lover of pesto, you will probably want to grow your own basil.  Even a little kitchen window pot of basil will produce lots if the plant is properly “snipped” to encourage new growth.

There are many variations to this dish.  There is even a vegan version that is made with basil, walnuts, olive oil and miso paste.  I’m going to share with you two versions that I love.  By the way, pesto freezes beautifully – in case you are lucky enough to have an abundance of basil leaves.

Here is a quick Italian Lemon Pesto that is delicious!  In a small food processor, place 1 1/2 cups of basil leaves, 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of pine nuts, and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.  Whirl this all together and slowly add in 2 tablespoons of good olive oil and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.  That’s it.  Quick Italian love on a spoon!

Here is an even easier recipe than that!  In your blender or food processor, place 2 firmly packed cups of basil leaves, 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup of good olive oil, 3 garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup of pine nuts.  Blend on medium speed for three minutes until smooth, scraping sides occasionally.

I use this quick Italian gorgeous green concoction on everything!  Eggs, chicken, pasta, bread, cheese, crackers.  If you have never had this, you are in for a real Italian treat!

Watch Chef Hoffman make pesto in his food processor here!

Mangia Bene!

photo credit: cayobo

Quick Italian Dishes are wonderful because they take little time, but are always full of flavor.  I love to cook shrimp and  I was surprised to learn that there are over 20,000 species of shrimp, but we only use about 300 of them.  Actually, the “real” scampi are actually lobsters found in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Irish seas and is often called the Dublin Bay Prawn.  The closest thing to a real “scampo” – the singular version – in the United States is the Florida lobsterettes.   Most people in the United States have probably never eated a real scampo!

There are many types of shrimp available.  Some shrimp are very tiny – over 200 to a pound.  Other species can be huge – only TWO to a pound!!!  Some of the most common are Gulf White, Mexican White, Gulf Pink, Gulf Brown, Black Tiger and Chinese White – with the first three being the higher quality and, of course, a little higher price tag.

The term “Shrimp Scampi” may have been coined by a chef in Venice, Italy, but no one seems to be too sure where the term came from.  There are many different versions of this quick Italian delight, but rest assured, they all contain garlic.  The more the better, according to my husband!  There will always be butter and usually some white wine or sherry.

Here’s my Gourmet Italian Shrimp Scampi recipe.  Remember I said my husband loves garlic?  That’s why I use this recipe.  Shrimp cook very quickly so be sure to have all of your ingredients prepared before you begin.  You don’t want your shrimp to be tough.

Heat about 1/3 cup of butter in a pan over medium hear and cook 4 tablespoons of minced garlic for one or two minutes.  Don’t let it brown or it takes on a bitter taste.  Add 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp (about 20 to the pound).  Also add 6 green onions, thinly sliced, 1/4 cup of white wine, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.  Cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about a minute or two on each side.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Some people sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on just before serving.

That’s it!  Sprinkle a little parsley or lemon slice for garnish and serve over your favorite pasta!

I hope you enjoy this quick Italian gem of a recipe!

Watch Chef Slim make a wonderful Shrimp Scampi for you right here!

Mangia Bene!

Another take on the origin of the name is interesting.  In the Piedmont Region of Italy where this dish originated,  “bagna” is also a dialectical word that means “gravy”.  According to some local historians, this actually started out as a peasant dish that was a favorite of farmers when harvest time came along.  The women could make the Bagna Cauda at home in an earthenware casserole.  They would then take it out to the vineyard and place it over the fire to keep it warm.  The men could then come and dip the various vegetables in the lovely “gravy” and have a satisfying snack.

As you travel through the Piedmont region, you will find that each village or town you pass through will claim to have the one and only “true” Bagna Cauda recipe.  One thing is certain, however.  All recipes will have garlic sharing the spotlight along with the marvelous anchovies!  Once this quick Italian appetizer is piping hot, it is served with a variety of cold cut vegetables.  These might include celery, different colors of bell pepper, onions baked in the skin and quartered, cooked potato, Jerusalem artichokes, green onions, etc.  If you want to serve the baked onions, simply bake medium size onions in a 400 degree oven for an hour.  Quite often it will be served with some small chunks of rustic bread to mop up the last bit.

There are longer versions of this recipe that include slicing thinly 20 cloves of garlic and placing it in the oil and butter with the anchovies and baking it for an hour.  This, however, is a version of this quick Italian appetizer that I love.

Place a small saucepan on a low burner and place in it 3/4 cup of good fruity olive oil, 10 garlic cloves chopped very finely, some fresh ground black pepper and about a dozen anchovy fillets.  Now just cook for about 5 minutes, mashing the anchovies with a wooden spoon.  Pull the pan off the burner and stir in 1/4 cup butter and you’re done!

I hope you enjoy this quick Italian appetizer.  Be sure to serve this piping hot surrounded by your favorite colorful veggies!  A small fondue pot is perfect for this presentation.  Be sure to add this marvelous concoction to your Italian menu!

Mangia Bene!