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: JOE M500

I had this Italian Easy 5-layer Dip at a party a few years ago and now I serve it at my own dinner parties.  Everyone loves it.  What’s not to love about cheese and pesto, right?  It doesn’t get much more Italian than that.  Plus it has roasted red bell peppers, so we have all the colors of the Italian flag represented.  You can serve this with crackers, but it is absolute heaven with gourmet Italian rosemary bread, which is extremely easy to make if you have a bread machine.  Just be sure to use a good quality rustic bread.

Put an 8 ounce block of softened cream cheese in a bowl and beat in 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.  Spread this in the bottom of a pretty quiche dish or pie plate.  Over this, spread about 1/3 cup of Classico Pesto sauce.  This comes in a fat little jar and is usually towards the top shelf on the pasta sauce aisle.  Try not to get the oil that is floating at the top of the jar.  Over the pesto, put 4 ounces of diced roasted red bell pepper.  If you prefer, you can substitute the roasted bell pepper with a 4 ounce jar of chopped pimientos or snipped sun-dried tomatoes.  They are all delicious. Top this with 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.  The fifth layer is another 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Optionally, you could sprinkle some Italian seasoning over the top.  My personal favorite is a little bit of oregano, but use what you like.

Now it’s time to bake your Italian easy dip.  Just 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven and it is ready to serve.  I have found that people seem to like the sliced baguettes this best with this dip, so be sure to place some spreading knives next to the plate.  Be prepared to be asked for the recipe.

Now see?  I told you this was easy!  Mangia Bene!

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!

photo credit: zoyachubby

I serve this simple Italian stew with polenta and it always gets thumbs up around our house.  I think it is named Italian stew because it contains fennel seed and rosemary.  I think the best Italian sausages are the ones that use fennel.  Fennel is native to southern Europe, so it is not surprising that Italians use it in sausage, meatballs, meatloaf, marinara sauce, etc.  Fennel is a member of the parsley family.  It was so popular with the Romans that the men took it to maintain good health and the women took it to control their weight.  Fennel seeds are sweeter and less pungent than anise seeds.

If you really like the taste of fennel, you can enhance the fennel flavor by toasting the seeds before including them in your simple Italian stew recipe.  This one is made in the crock pot, but you could bake it in the oven if you’d rather.  Probably two hours at 300 degrees.

First slice up a red bell pepper, a yellow bell pepper and an onion and place them in the crock pot with 4 cloves of garlic, minced.  In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown up 2 1/2 pounds of boneless pork that you have cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  You will probably have to do this in batches.

Place the pork in the crock pot.  Now place a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes – I like the fire-roasted type – in the skillet along with 1/2 cup of dry red wine.  Boil this up while you scrape up the flavors from the bottom of the pan.  Add a teaspoon of fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Pour this over everything in the crock pot.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours.  You want your pork fork-tender.

Mix together 3 tablespoons of flour and 1/4 cup of water.  Stir this into the pot at the end of the cooking time.  Turn the heat to HIGH and cook for an additional 15 minutes to thicken your simple Italian stew.  Serve with polenta and wait for the compliments!  Mangia Bene!

photo credit: The Marmot

When I first ran across the simple Italian dish called Risi e Bisi, I just loved the name.  Sounds so much cuter than rice and peas.  I thought it was pretty much just a risotto with peas added, but I found I was incorrect.  This dish is actually considered a soup – although it is quite a thick soup indeed.  Some cooks even make it thick enough to eat with a fork!

This classic simple Italian dish originated in Venice, where it is surely the favored of all the many, many rice dishes that Venetians prepare.  In the days of the Republic of Venice, a feast was held each April to honor Saint Mark.  Risi e Bisi was always the first dish served and it surely used the wonderful fresh young peas that were available in late April.

Have you ever tasted peas that had just been picked off the vine?  Simply marvelous.  If you must, you can use frozen peas for this dish, but if you are lucky to find some fresh ones, the simple Italian risi e bisi will be outstanding.

Put half a stick of butter in a stockpot and saute a few tablespoons of chopped onion in the butter over medium heat until they are pale gold.  You could also saute in some finely minced pancetta or diced rosciutto if you like.  Now it is time to add the peas.  If you are using fresh, you will want about two pounds unshelled weight or 10 ounces of frozen peas.  Add 1 teaspoon of salt along with the peas and saute for 2 minutes.  Add 3 1/4 cups of the best meat broth you can make or find and bring to a boil.  Add 1 cup of raw Arborio rice and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley.  Stir, cover and cook at a low, slow boil for 15 minutes until the rice is tender but firm.  Stir from time to time to avoid sticking and correct the seasonings as you go along.  Just prior to serving your gourmet Italian risi e bisi, stir in half a cup of grated parmesan cheese and serve!