Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook (31 page)

We have Italian-born farmers to thank for bringing the zucchini to America. As with most authentic Italian vegetable recipes, the stuffing lets the zucchini be the star. This is another dish that can do double duty as a side dish or a vegetarian main course.

4 large zucchini (about 8 ounces each)

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for greasing

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 cup
Tomato Sauce

½ cup
Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 large egg, beaten

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil a large baking dish.

2.
Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. With a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving a ¼-inch-thick shell. Chop the zucchini flesh. Lightly season the zucchini with salt and set aside.

3.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the zucchini flesh and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3 minutes.

4.
Stir in the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in the bread crumbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool, stirring often. Add the grated cheese and egg and mix well. Stuff the zucchini with the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the zucchini, stuffed side up, in the prepared baking dish.

5.
Bake until the zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot from the dish.

Roasted Broccoli Rabe with Olives, Cherry Peppers, Capers, and Anchovies

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

The cherry peppers give this side dish a nice kick. If you can’t find fresh peppers, use the pickled variety or a small red bell pepper, cored and diced. And as much as I love braised broccoli rabe, roasting really is a great way to cook it, too. I think that this method helps smooth out the broccoli rabe’s bitterness. Just be sure that it doesn’t burn—starting with wet broccoli rabe is the key.

2 bunches broccoli rabe, ends trimmed

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, halved

2 fresh or pickled hot red cherry peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

5 pitted kalamata olives, halved

5 pitted green olives, halved

2 tablespoons drained nonpareil capers, rinsed

2 anchovy fillets in oil, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
Preheat the oven to 500°F.

2.
Rinse the broccoli rabe thoroughly under cold water. While still wet, transfer the broccoli rabe to a cutting board and cut coarsely with a few chops of the knife. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with ¼ cup of the olive oil

3.
Bake until the broccoli rabe begins to wilt, about 4 minutes. Toss the broccoli rabe on the baking sheet to turn it, and roast just until the stems are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the oven.

4.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining ¼ cup oil with the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic softens, about 2 minutes. Add the cherry peppers, olives, capers, and anchovies and cook until the peppers soften, about 2 minutes.

5.
Add the broccoli rabe to the skillet and cook, tossing occasionally with tongs, to combine the flavors, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, taking care to go lightly with the salt because of the saltiness of the olives and anchovy. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

No one made Brussels sprouts like my Aunt Anna. She was roasting them long before you saw it done on television cooking shows. These were the first side dish to disappear from the table at a big dinner—it seemed that she should never make enough to satisfy us. We still make them today, in her honor, and we still go through a big bowl in no time flat.

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

Two 10-ounce containers Brussels sprouts, trimmed, rinsed under cold water but not dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F

2.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3.
Heat the remaining ¼ cup oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir. Transfer to the oven and roast, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the sprouts are tender and nicely browned, 18 to 22 minutes. If the sprouts brown too quickly, add a few tablespoons of water to the skillet. During the last few minutes, stir in the onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

“I have been eating at Patsy’s for over thirty years. Now I must eat gluten-free only. Is it possible that Sal could make my food taste as good as it once did? He did! It is once again sensational! —Danny Aiello

Roasted Eggplant Parmigiana

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS