Everyday Italian (7 page)
Authors: Giada De Laurentiis
Bread Sticks
I know! I know! Refrigerated dough? But this dish works beautifully as a side, and when you’re making the rest of the meal from scratch this recipe will come in
very
handy. You can use any cheeses and herbs, but this is my favorite combination: The Parmesan and Gruyère make the bread sticks perfectly cheesy, and the rosemary gives them a hint of freshness and color. Don’t tell anyone about the refrigerated dough, and they’ll never know.
MAKES 2 DOZEN
| ⅓ | cup grated Gruyère cheese or other Swiss cheese |
| ¼ | cup grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1 | teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary |
| 1 | (11-ounce) container refrigerated bread-stick dough (such as Pillsbury) |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 1 | teaspoon sea salt |
Preheat the Oven
to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large, heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Chop the Gruyère cheese, Parmesan cheese, and rosemary together to mince and blend. Set the cheese mixture aside.
Separate the dough rectangles. Using a large, sharp knife, cut each dough rectangle in half lengthwise to form 2 thin strips from each rectangle. Lightly brush the oil over the dough strips. Working with one dough strip at a time, coat each strip with the cheese mixture, then roll each dough strip between your palms and the work surface into an 8-inch-long strip. Transfer the dough strips to the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with the salt. (The bread sticks can be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove the plastic before baking.)
Bake until the bread sticks are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the warm bread sticks to a basket and serve.
This breakfast sandwich has been passed down through our family: My grandfather used to make it with my mom, and she would make it with us. Now I’m passing it on to you.
| 3 | teaspoons olive oil |
| 1 | large egg |
| ⅛ | teaspoon salt |
| Pinch of freshly ground black pepper | |
| 1 | slice rustic white bread (½ inch thick) |
| 1 | garlic clove |
| 1 | tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese |
| ¼ | cup warm chunky Marinara Sauce , drained of excess liquid |
In a Small,
heavy skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over a medium flame. Crack the egg into the skillet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the white is firm and the yolk almost set, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the bread until golden brown. Brush the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over the toast. Rub the garlic over the toast, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Spoon the drained marinara sauce over the Parmesan cheese and top with the cooked egg. Serve immediately.
Mom used to make me this sandwich for lunch, and all the kids at school wanted to trade with me. It was my absolute favorite lunch. Nutella is a chocolate-hazelnut spread that’s wildly popular in Italy and is just starting to catch on here in the U.S. Give it a try and see why.
| 2 | slices ciabatta bread (each slice ½ inch thick) |
| ¼ | cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella) |
Preheat a Griddle
or a ridged grill pan over a medium-high flame. Grill the bread until toasted, about 2 minutes per side. Spread the chocolate- hazelnut spread over one piece of toast. Top with the second piece of toast and serve.
Just a decade ago, all you could expect from most deli counters was a smoked Virginia ham that tasted more salty than hammy, and had the consistency of watery meat instead of the silky-smooth texture of the best cured meats. All that has changed with the “Prosciutto Invasion,” as well as the influx of great cured meat varieties from Spain and France, not to mention amazing strides in the domestic production of hams. But imported Italian prosciutto is still my favorite, and a truly fantastic way to start a meal; simply munched on its own, it’s irresistible. (So
try
not to eat all of it while you’re standing at the kitchen counter, reading through recipes.) And in the following pages are some of my favorite ways to dress it up for dinner: maximum flavor with minimal effort.
Bread Sticks
I use only a few store-bought products. But this one, when wrapped in prosciutto or rolled in cheese, makes for a great-tasting and super-easy antipasto. And when you are making a large meal from scratch, a few shortcuts are always welcome. Your guests will thank you when the entrée is on time because you didn’t have a meltdown trying to bake your own bread.
MAKES 2 DOZEN
| 1 | (11-ounce) container refrigerated bread-stick dough (such as Pillsbury) |
| ¼ | cup grated Parmesan cheese |
| 24 | paper-thin slices of prosciutto (about 1 pound) |
Preheat the Oven
to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large, heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Tear the bread-stick dough along the perforations into rectangles. Using a large, sharp knife, cut each dough rectangle lengthwise in half, forming 2 thin strips from each rectangle. Working with one dough strip at a time, coat the dough strips with the Parmesan cheese. Roll each dough strip between your palms and the work surface into a 14-inch-long strip, then transfer the dough strips to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until the bread sticks are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Cool the bread sticks completely on the baking sheet. (The bread sticks can be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each cooled bread stick, arrange the prosciutto-wrapped bread sticks on a platter, and serve.
This is one of those dishes that was born out of my years of catering and the necessity to come up with something new for cocktail parties. Roasting the asparagus is fast and easy and gives a lot more flavor than simply steaming.
6 APPETIZER SERVINGS
| 12 | asparagus stalks (about 1 pound), trimmed |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 1 | teaspoon salt |
| 1 | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 6 | paper-thin slices of prosciutto, halved lengthwise |
Preheat the Oven
to 450 degrees F. Peel the bottom half of each asparagus. On a heavy baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the oil, salt, and pepper. Put in the oven and roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece of prosciutto, exposing the tips. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.
when buying asparagus
,
you want to look for firm stems, not wilted ones, and you want the tops to be tight and closed, not like a flower whose buds have opened. These are characteristics of fresh asparagus. To trim them, all you need to do is break off the dry, fibrous ends.
This is a new way to serve the classic combination of prosciutto with melon, one of Italians’ famously favorite ways to start a meal. You could pierce the prosciutto purses with toothpicks to make them easier to eat. And to make the preparation easier, be sure to place the block of Parmesan in the freezer for a few minutes, so that when you shave it, it won’t crumble.
MAKES 36 PIECES
| 2 | medium cantaloupes (about 3 pounds each), halved crosswise |
| 2 | medium honeydews (about 4 pounds each), halved crosswise |
| 36 | thin slices of prosciutto (about 1½ pounds) |
| 1 | large block of Parmesan cheese (about 1 pound) |
Gently Scrape Out the Seeds
and membranes from the cantaloupes and honeydews. Using a melon baller, scoop out balls from the flesh and place the melon balls in a large bowl. Discard the skin.
Trim the prosciutto slices into 2½-inch squares. Cover the prosciutto loosely with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out while assembling the purses. Place one melon ball in the center of one prosciutto slice, then fold all the sides of the prosciutto over the melon ball as for a package. Place the finished purse, seam side down, on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining prosciutto squares and melon balls. (The prosciutto balls can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Keep tightly covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
Using a vegetable peeler and pressing firmly, shave the Parmesan into long slices (the cheese will crumble if too little pressure is used). Decoratively arrange the Parmesan slices on a large platter. Place a prosciutto purse atop each Parmesan slice and serve.
This is one of my favorite combinations; the salty prosciutto and creamy melted fontina cheese make my mouth water. It’s amazing how grilling the sandwich brings all the ingredients together, turning an everyday sandwich into the embodiment of comfort food.
MAKES 1 SANDWICH
| 2 | slices of fontina cheese (3 ounces total) |
| 2 | slices of rustic white bread (each ½ inch thick) |
| 1 | paper-thin slice of red onion (optional) |
| 1 | paper-thin slice of prosciutto |
| 6 | fresh baby spinach leaves |
| Pinch of freshly ground black pepper | |
| About 2 teaspoons olive oil |
