Read Online Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook by Teresa Giudice - Free Book Online
Authors: Teresa Giudice
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improvise with a heavy, heatproof plate to weight the sandwich while heating. If you need extra weight to compact the sandwich, stack more plates or canned goods on top of the plate.
Hot Roman Pasta Fagioli
Makes 8 servings
Who doesn’t love a hot Roman? This is one of my family’s most favorite dishes. Fagiolo means “bean” in Italian, but the exact bean we use in this recipe has many names. In my house, we call them Romano beans, but you might see them labeled as Roman beans, cranberry beans, borlotti beans, or shell beans. You can make this dish as soupy as you want by adding or subtracting water.
2 large celery ribs, thinly sliced, leaves reserved
2 (15 ½-ounce) cans Roman beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14½-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup The Quickie Tomato Sauce ( page 22 )
3 large carrots, chopped
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups small shell pasta
Salt
1. Combine 1 quart water with the celery leaves in a large, heavy pot and bring to a boil over high heat. (The leaves will flavor the water and turn it green.) Remove and discard the celery leaves.
2. Add the beans, broth, tomato sauce, celery, carrots, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. If the soup gets too thick, thin it with hot water. Season with salt. Serve hot.
When in Rome . . . When in Jersey . . .
Fagioli = fah-JOE-lee | Fagioli = fah-ZOOL
Gemelli Twists with Tomato Soffrito
Makes 4 to 6 servings
A soffrito is a combination of onion, carrots, and celery mixed with herbs, sautéed in olive oil, and used as a base for many Italian dishes. I add tomatoes and mix it with pasta to make a quick, meatless weeknight dinner that is easy on the budget.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib with leaves, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
½ cup tap water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound gemelli pasta
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, rosemary sprigs, chopped basil, sage, and water. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked into a thick, chunky sauce, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the rosemary sprigs.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well.
4. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the sauce and parsley and mix well. Serve hot, with the grated Parmigiano passed on the side.
CHAPTER 6
Antipasto: Come On-A My House
E very culture and religion has its own holidays, feasts, and festivals, and we Italians are no exception. We love a good party! And I really don’t think we go over the top. (Alright, so maybe you didn’t have Marie Antoinette serving sushi off her dress at your baby’s christening, but that’s probably just because you didn’t think of it.) If it’s a special occasion—especially a once-in-a-lifetime event like a bar (or bat) mitzvah, quincea ñ era, or (hopefully) a wedding, you should go all-out.
But you definitely don’t have to break the bank to put out a good spread. Italians are known for our delicious antipasti platters, and I’m going to teach you how to arrange a perfect one, and how to make some of our traditional appetizers, all of them great for big events or small family gatherings. Where there’s people, there should be food!
P ARTY
P LATTERS
Hot Roman Pasta Fagioli
Makes 8 servings
Who doesn’t love a hot Roman? This is one of my family’s most favorite dishes. Fagiolo means “bean” in Italian, but the exact bean we use in this recipe has many names. In my house, we call them Romano beans, but you might see them labeled as Roman beans, cranberry beans, borlotti beans, or shell beans. You can make this dish as soupy as you want by adding or subtracting water.
2 large celery ribs, thinly sliced, leaves reserved
2 (15 ½-ounce) cans Roman beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14½-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup The Quickie Tomato Sauce ( page 22 )
3 large carrots, chopped
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups small shell pasta
Salt
1. Combine 1 quart water with the celery leaves in a large, heavy pot and bring to a boil over high heat. (The leaves will flavor the water and turn it green.) Remove and discard the celery leaves.
2. Add the beans, broth, tomato sauce, celery, carrots, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. If the soup gets too thick, thin it with hot water. Season with salt. Serve hot.
When in Rome . . . When in Jersey . . .
Fagioli = fah-JOE-lee | Fagioli = fah-ZOOL
Gemelli Twists with Tomato Soffrito
Makes 4 to 6 servings
A soffrito is a combination of onion, carrots, and celery mixed with herbs, sautéed in olive oil, and used as a base for many Italian dishes. I add tomatoes and mix it with pasta to make a quick, meatless weeknight dinner that is easy on the budget.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib with leaves, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
½ cup tap water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound gemelli pasta
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, rosemary sprigs, chopped basil, sage, and water. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked into a thick, chunky sauce, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the rosemary sprigs.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well.
4. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the sauce and parsley and mix well. Serve hot, with the grated Parmigiano passed on the side.
CHAPTER 6
Antipasto: Come On-A My House
E very culture and religion has its own holidays, feasts, and festivals, and we Italians are no exception. We love a good party! And I really don’t think we go over the top. (Alright, so maybe you didn’t have Marie Antoinette serving sushi off her dress at your baby’s christening, but that’s probably just because you didn’t think of it.) If it’s a special occasion—especially a once-in-a-lifetime event like a bar (or bat) mitzvah, quincea ñ era, or (hopefully) a wedding, you should go all-out.
But you definitely don’t have to break the bank to put out a good spread. Italians are known for our delicious antipasti platters, and I’m going to teach you how to arrange a perfect one, and how to make some of our traditional appetizers, all of them great for big events or small family gatherings. Where there’s people, there should be food!
P ARTY
P LATTERS
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