Italian Recipes
11 recipes
Tiramisu
Espresso-soaked savoiardi layered with a whipped mascarpone cream and dusted with bitter cocoa. Made with pasteurized yolks so nothing needs cooking, and it sets overnight in the refrigerator.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Spaghetti tossed off the heat with rendered guanciale, egg yolks, and Pecorino Romano until the sauce turns glossy. No cream: the emulsion comes from pasta water and constant tossing.
Roasted Broccolini with Chile and Lemon
Broccolini roasted on a preheated sheet pan until the stems are tender and the leafy tips char, then finished off the heat with chile flake and lemon zest and juice.
Ribollita Tuscan Bread Soup
Cannellini beans, cavolo nero and stale bread simmered together until the bread dissolves and the soup turns thick enough to eat with a fork. Mashing some of the beans does the thickening.
Panzanella
Day-old country bread torn into ripe tomatoes and their salted juices, with red onion softened in vinegar and torn basil. The bread should end up soft in places and chewy in others.
Mushroom Risotto
Arborio rice cooked ladle by ladle with a porcini-steeped broth and browned cremini, then beaten with butter and Parmesan off the heat. The finish should spread slowly on the plate, not mound.
Lasagna Bolognese
A ragu of beef and pork simmered with milk and wine for hours, layered thin with pasta sheets and besciamella and baked until the top browns and the edges go crisp.
Focaccia
A high-hydration dough given an overnight cold rise, then dimpled under olive oil and baked in a pan so the base fries crisp while the crumb stays open and custardy.
Eggplant Parmigiana
Salted and fried eggplant layered with a simple basil tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan, then baked until the top browns and the edges bubble. Salting first keeps the slices from turning greasy.
Caprese Panini
Fresh mozzarella, ripe tomato and basil pressed between oiled slices of ciabatta until the crust is ridged and the cheese just slumps. Salting the tomato first keeps the bread from going soggy.
Basil Pesto
Basil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan worked into a coarse green paste with olive oil. Ground rather than blended, so it stays textured and does not turn bitter.