Amy Riolo - Italian Recipes For Dummies

1 dried bay leaf

½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1 In a large stockpot, place the onion, carrot, celery, chicken bones, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Cover with 16 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

2 Skim off the residue that forms on top of the stock, and discard. Add the salt, and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

3 Drain the stock, reserving the liquid. Discard the rest. If you’re not using it right away, allow to cool, and then store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Brodo di carne/Homemade Meat Stock

PREP TIME: 5 MIN | COOK TIME: 2 HOURS | YIELD: 8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 medium yellow onion, halved (not peeled)

1 medium carrot, trimmed and halved

1 medium stalk celery, trimmed and halved

1¼ pounds roasted meat bones

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 dried bay leaf

½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1 In a large stockpot, place the onion, carrot, celery, meat bones, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Cover with 16 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

2 Skim off the residue that forms on top of the stock, and discard. Add the salt, and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.

3 Drain the stock, reserving the liquid. Discard the rest. If you’re not using it right away, allow to cool, and then store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Fagioli secchi/Dried Beans

PREP TIME: 1 HOUR | COOK TIME: 30 MIN | YIELD: 8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried beans (any variety)

¼ teaspoon unrefined sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1 Place the beans in a stockpot, and cover with cold water; leave to soak overnight. (If you’re short on time, place the beans in a stockpot, cover with boiling water, and leave to soak for 1 hour instead.)

2 Drain the soaked beans, and place them in a saucepan. Add the salt, cover the beans with water, and bring to a boil over high heat.

3 Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook until the beans are tender, about 25 to 50 minutes. (It may take longer depending on the size of the beans.)

4 Drain and cool. If not using right away, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Cannellini brasati/Braised Cannellini Beans

PREP TIME: 5 MIN PLUS AT LEAST 8 HOURS FOR SOAKING | COOK TIME: 40 MIN | YIELD: 8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried cannellini beans

4 rosemary sprigs, divided

1 tablespoon Amy Riolo Selections or other good-quality extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon unrefined sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1 In a large bowl, add the cannellini beans and enough cold water to cover them by 4 inches. Let soak in a cool place or in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

2 Drain the beans and transfer them to a 2-quart saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover by 1 inch, and drop in two rosemary sprigs. Bring the water to a boil, and then lower the heat so the water is barely at a simmer. Cook until the beans are tender but not mushy, with just enough liquid to cover them, about 30-40 minutes. (If necessary, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to keep the beans covered as they simmer.)

3 Remove the beans from the heat and gently stir in the olive oil, the sea salt, and the remaining two rosemary sprigs. Let the beans stand to cool and absorb the cooking liquid. The end result should be tender beans with a creamy consistency in just enough liquid to coat them. If you’re not using them right away, store the beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week.

Lenticchie/Lentils

PREP TIME: 5 MIN | COOK TIME: 30 MIN | YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried lentils (any variety)

¼ teaspoon unrefined sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

1 Rinse the lentils in a colander.

2 Place the lentils in a saucepan, and add enough water to cover them twice (you should have twice as much water as lentils). Add the sea salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, about 5-30 minutes depending on the variety. (Red lentils are the quickest-cooking variety, followed by green and brown, and then black.)

3 If you’re not using them right away, store cooked lentils in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week.

True Italian cooks will not buy jarred tomato purée. Traditionally, many people enjoy the late summer ritual of jarring their own sauce when tomatoes are at their peak. If you’d like to start your own ritual, this is how it’s done.

1 Sterilize the jars you need for the amount of purée you have.

2 Place two or three basil leaves in each freshly sterilized jar, and pour in the purée using a funnel. Fill almost to the edge, and close with a screw-on cap.

3 Select a pot large enough to accommodate the jars, fill it with water, and bring it to a boil over high heat.

4 Wrap each jar with a dishcloth, place it in the large pot, and ensure that the jars are covered in water up to the three-quarter mark.

5 Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, and then let the jars cool in the water.

6 Once cold, remove the jars from the pot, dry them, and make sure the lid has been vacuum-sealed by pressing on the cap. If the lid is slightly concave, dipping in toward the center, the seal is good. If you hear a clacking sound, however, it means that the vacuum seal has failed. In this case, you’ll have to start again from the beginning or freeze the purée.

7 When the seal is tight, with no “click-clack,” your purée is ready. Place it in the pantry and look forward to savoring the intense and lingering taste of these tomatoes even in December, taking you back to the warm light of summer days.

Pepperoni rossi arrostiti/Roasted Red Peppers

PREP TIME: 5 MIN | COOK TIME: 40 MIN | YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

4 red bell peppers (keep whole)

1 tablespoon Amy Riolo Selections or other good-quality extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

2 On a baking sheet, place the whole bell peppers. Bake until the skins are wrinkled and the peppers are charred, about 30-40 minutes, being sure to turn them each time a side is charred (approximately twice during cooking).

3 Remove from the oven, and cover tightly with aluminum foil to create steam. Set aside.

4 When peppers are cool enough to handle, after about 30 minutes, cut into quarters, peel off the skin, and remove the seeds. Add to your favorite recipe or, if not eating immediately, place the pepper pieces in a jar, cover with olive oil for additional flavor and nutrition, and seal with a lid; refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Before using, drain the oil from the peppers; reserve the oil in the refrigerator for another use.

Passata di pomodoro/Tomato Purée

PREP TIME: 5 MIN | COOK TIME: 30 MIN | YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds ripe San Marzano or other plum tomatoes

Handful of fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash and dry tomatoes, remove the stems, and cut them in half.

2 Fill a large stockpot three-fourths of the way with water, and place over high heat.

3 Bring to a boil, and carefully lower in tomatoes with a large spoon.

4 Boil, uncovered, until the skins start to break.