Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook (17 page)

Makes about 1 cup (6 to 8 servings)

Every table should have a glorious bowl of seasoned olive oil to dip bread, crostini, or really anything into. Throw away your tub of partially hydrogenated margarine scariness, and enjoy the pure delight of nature’s own olive juice. (And of course, you must mouth the words “olive juice” to the person next to you every time you dunk—even if you’re standing next to one of your in-laws. It’s my family rule.).

¼ cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon dried oregano, crushed

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Crusty bread, for serving

1.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic, pepper, and salt; stir to blend. Transfer half of the cheese mixture to a wide, shallow serving bowl.

2.
Pour the oil over the cheese mixture in the serving bowl, then drizzle with the vinegar. Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture on top. Serve with the bread for dipping.

Love Me Tender Eggplant Caponata

Makes 6 servings

A
caponata
is a cooked eggplant dish you can pile on top of toasted bread slices, or serve as a spread. There are thousands of variations. (For those of you playing at home, my Caponata Bruschetta in
Skinny Italian
had olives and different herbs.) You can serve caponata immediately, or let it cool to room temperature first. My best secret: make it the night before and store it in the fridge. The flavors will get to know one another, mingle a bit, let their guard down, and you will have an even better dish the next day.

1 large eggplant (1½ pounds), trimmed

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 large ripe tomato, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons drained capers

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1.
Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out the visible clusters of seeds. Cut the eggplant, with the skin on, into 1-inch cubes.

2.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cubed eggplant and thyme. Cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is softened but not mushy, about 4 minutes. If the mixture in the skillet dries out, add a few tablespoons of water, but not more oil.

3.
Stir in the tomato, balsamic vinegar, and capers. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is completely tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley and garlic. Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature. (The caponata can be made, covered and refrigerated, up to 5 days ahead.)

Cauli-Flowers

Makes 6 to 8 servings

These are Italian party favorites—like little clouds of fried heaven. And they’re even better with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled over the top.

Olive oil, for deep-frying

1 large egg

½ cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish

½ teaspoon salt

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-sized florets

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

1.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Pour enough oil into a large, deep saucepan to come halfway up the sides and heat to 350°F.

2.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg with the water. Add the flour, parsley, and salt and whisk just until combined. The batter should be a little lumpy.

3.
In batches, dip the florets into the batter, letting the excess batter drip back into the bowl, and deep-fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Do not crowd the cauliflower in the oil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while frying the remainder. Let the oil reheat to 350°F between batches.

4.
Heap the cauliflower onto a platter, sprinkle with the Parmigiano and the additional parsley, and serve hot.

Cotto Calamari Rings

Makes 6 servings

In Italian,
cotto
means “cooked”—which is just a nicer way of saying “fried.” No Italian gathering, big or small, is complete without fried calamari. To add a spicy kick to The Quickie Tomato Sauce used for dipping, mix in 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Olive oil, for deep-frying

1 ½ pounds calamari, cleaned, without tentacles

1 cup all-purpose flour

⅓ cup dry breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups The Quickie Tomato Sauce (
page 22
), heated

1.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Pour enough oil into a large, deep saucepan to come halfway up the sides and heat to 350°F.

2.
Cut the calamari crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rings. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, and salt; stir to blend.

3.
In batches, add the calamari to the flour mixture and toss just to coat. Add the coated calamari to the oil and deep-fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Do not crowd the calamari in the oil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the calamari to the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while frying the remainder. Let the oil reheat to 350°F between batches.

4.
Heap the calamari onto a platter and serve hot, with the sauce on the side for dipping.