Recipes - Taste of Italy

The taste of these three dishes still lingers fondly in my memories. I had not encountered any of these dishes in the U.S., but they are well worth introducing to the American repertoire. One surprise to me was the lack of garlic in Italian cuisine. I am used to getting hit over the head with the taste of garlic in Italian-American restaurants, especially Southern Italian ones. But in Italy itself, garlic is a far more subtle accent.

We ate a broccoli raab bread salad at a street party in Matera. Matera is a fascinating city, where, until about forty years ago most of the desperately poor population lived in caves. Today, Matera has done a fabulous job pulling itself out of poverty and the caves are being renovated into beautiful homes. Matera’s population is justly proud of their city and their artisan food products. I couldn’t find a recipe for this specific dish, so I substituted broccoli raab for tomatoes in a recipe for panzanella (bread salad).

• 1 healthy sized bunch of broccoli raab (it shrinks down quite a bit), chopped into bite-size pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup plus one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 cups 1/2 inch cubes of crusty Italian bread, toasted (you can do this on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, at a low heat in the oven)
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped finely
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Spread tablespoon of olive oil thinly over a large saucepan and heat under a medium-high flame. Add the broccoli raab and cook until wilted, approximately 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Add the bread, broccoli raab, olives, and basil and toss to combine.

Let salad stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

Risotto is extremely popular throughout Southern Italy. Usually the risottos we ate involved some kind of seafood, but here I am offering a vegetarian version. I had always assumed the term "pecorino" referred to a specific cheese, but instead it applies to any sheep cheese ("pecore" is Italian for sheep).

• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup pecorino cheese, grated
• 4 artichokes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Remove outer leaves from artichokes and trim off the stem end and sharp points. Cook in salted water to cover until tender, approximately 45 minutes. Let cool and chop into bite size pieces, removing choke. Cover with lemon juice and reserve.

Cook garlic and onion over a low-medium heat in a large heavy saucepan until fragrant. Add the rice and one cup broth, stirring until the broth is completely absorbed.

Continue adding the broth and stirring in this manner until the rice is tender. After the second cup of broth, add the artichokes.

Remove from heat. Stir in the pecorino cheese and salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

We first ate this chickpea soup in Matera, on a terrace overlooking the caves. However, we found various versions of it in Northern Italy as well. As pleasant on a warm day as a cold one, it is an excellent vegetarian entree.

• 1 pound dry chickpeas
• 2 cloves garlic (whole)
• Large twig rosemary
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 ounces pasta (if you can find the kind cut in big squares, that’s the best-otherwise try fusilli)
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the chickpeas in water overnight. The next day, drain the water, then cook chickpeas in new water until tender (around 2 hours). Drain.

Saute the garlic and rosemary in olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy saucepan. Add the tomato paste and chickpeas. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, adjusting amount if soup is too thick (or thin).

Bring soup to boiling and add the pasta. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.