Italian Food Recipes

This patty-cake of zucchini is prepared according to the Tuscan cooking: the main ingredients used are eggs, zucchini, Parmesan and the Tuscan Pecorino that is a delicious cheese of medium seasoning with a spicy taste, for these characteristics the Tuscan Pecorino is ideal together with the sweet taste of zucchini. For a good preparation of this Italian recipes it is important the cooking of zucchini: the zucchini should be result a bit dry in order to obtain a more homogenous mixture when you add the eggs, the Italian cheese and the breadcrumbs. This Italian recipe can be served as a vegetarian second course or also in small pieces as a spicy appetizer.

INGREDIENTS (for 6 – 8 people):
1 Kg of Zucchini
3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Some basil
Some parsley
1 Clove of garlic
4 Eggs
40 g of Tuscan Pecorino
40 g of Parmesan
4 Tablespoons of breadcrumbs
20 g of Butter
Salt
Black pepper

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 30 – 40 minutes

WINE: Colli di Conegliano Bianco Doc (White Wine)

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Preheat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan, clean the zucchini, cut them in slices and add them to the pan together with the chopped parsley, the clove of garlic and the chopped basil;

cook for about 5 minutes then sprinkle with salt and black pepper and continue to cook on a low flame covered for other 5 – 10 minutes.

When the zucchini are ready place them in a bowl and let them cold in the mean time place a sheet of baking paper on the bottom of a baking pan of 20 – 24 cm of diameter. When the zucchini are cold add the Parmesan, the Tuscan Pecorino,


the eggs and the breadcrumbs,

mix all together and pour the mixture in the pan.


Sprinkle with some other breadcrumbs and small pieces of butter.


Bake until the surface becomes golden.
This is the result:

BUON APPETITO!

Zucchini and lobsters are summer ingredients that combine together are tasty and spicy. This is a simple and good Italian recipe that can become a fresh dish in the hot Italian summer.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people):
300 g of Farfalle (Type of Pasta)
5 Medium Zucchini
150 g of Lobsters without shell
1 Clove of garlic chopped
1 Shallot chopped
3 Tablespoons of Rum
Salt
Pepper
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

WINE: Langhe Favorita Doc (White Wine)

PREPARATION
Let salted water boil for pasta. Boil the lobsters for 10 minutes.

In the mean time prepare the zucchini, clean and cut them as matches. Place in a pan the extra virgin olive oil with the chopped garlic and the chopped shallot, let them sauté

and then add the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper, add the rum and let it evaporated.

Continue to cook the zucchini for about 10-15 minutes cover with a lid. When the lobsters are ready drain them and add them to the zucchini.

Mix all together and cook again for about 5 minutes. When water boils add the pasta, cook it for the time indicated on the packaging. Then drain the pasta and add it to the mixture of zucchini and lobsters, mix all together and serve hot.

This is the result:

BUON APPETITO!

The zucchini are vegetable a lot used in the Italian cooking. They are typical of April and May, but you can find it during all the year. There are different types of zucchini in Italy like the "Striata d'Italia" (Striped of Italy), long and striped; the "Verde di Milano" (Green of Milan), long, with hard pulp and uniform colour; the "Faentina", with club shape and light colour; exist then also regional type such as the "Rigata pugliese" (Ruled Apulian), the "Veneziana" (Venetian) and the “Bianca Sarda" (White Sardinian). In this recipe I used the round zucchini that is Typical of Tuscany, they are fried in batter, prepared in this way the zucchini remain crunchy and spicy. Try it!!!



INGREDIENTS (for 6 people):
3 Round zucchini
150 g of Flour
1 Glass of Milk
2 Egg whites
Extra Virgin olive oil for frying
Salt

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

WINE: Colli di Luni Vermentino Doc (White Wine)

PREPARATION
Clean the zucchini

and cut it in slices of 2 – 3 mm thick.

Now prepare the batter for frying. In a bowl put the flour, the salt and the milk and mix in order to obtain a creamy mixture.


Beat the egg whites until stiff and work it in the mixture.



When the batter is ready dip the slices of zucchini in the batter paying attention that the slices are completely covered.

Preheat the oil in a pan and fry in it the zucchini until they become golden surface.

When they are cooked place them over a sheet of kitchen paper in order to remove the excess of oil. This is the result:

BUON APPETITO!

This recipe can be a main course but also a side dish. This dish joins the spicy taste of tuna fish with the sweet of courgettes.

INGREDIENTS (for 2 people)

2 Large courgettes
1 Clove of garlic
1/4 of Onion
2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 Egg
1 Tin of tuna fish
Some breadcrumbs
Some parsely
Salt
Pepper

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

DIFFICULTY: medium

WINE: Colli di Luni Vermentino (White Wine)

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Wash, dry and cut the stem end of the courgettes, then cut each one horizontally in half. Now with a teaspoon scoop out the center of each half leaving at least 1/2 inch shell all around.



Heat extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan, add chopped onion and let it brown. Then mince the pulp of the courgettes finely and add it to the browned onion together with chopped garlic, parsley and the tuna fish. Let the mixture cook for almost 10 minutes.
Remove the mixture and wait until it gets cold. Then add the egg and mix all together. If the stuffing has a runny consistency, add some breadcrumbs. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.



Baste a pan, place in it the courgettes, put on the bottom of them some butter and stuff them with the mixture.



Sprinkle with some breadcrumbs and bake for 15-20 minutes until the top of the courgettes get lightly browned.
Serve hot.
This is the result:


BUON APPETITO!