Italian Community Cook

ITALIAN Recipes

How to Community Cook

The Port Townsend Food Coop invites you to Community Cook with recipes created by our Culinary Educator, Sidonie Maroon. We're heading into Summer with Italian recipes! Community cook builds ties among community members through learning new techniques, sharing tips and discovering the joy of cooking.

Community COOK

For more info go to www.foodcoop.coop/community-cook

Join the group at www.facebook.com/cookingwiththecoop

Italian Sayings Cookbooks

Lydia’s Italian Table

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Marcella Hazan

The Splendid Table recipes from Emilia-Romagna and Lynne

Rossetto Casper

Red, White and Greens

The Italian way with vegetables

Faith Willinger

Italian Culinary Terms

Soffritto - A mixture of diced onions, carrots, and celery sautéed in oil or butter as a base for many Italian dishes.

Saltare - The Italian term for sautéing, which involves cooking food quickly in a small amount of oil or fat over high heat.

Arrostire - The Italian term for roasting, which involves cooking food in the oven at a high temperature, often with oil or butter.

Frittura - The Italian term for frying, which involves cooking food in hot oil or fat until crispy and golden brown.

Lessare - The Italian term for boiling, which involves cooking food in boiling water until it is fully cooked. Stufare - The technique of slow-cooking food in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid to produce a tender and flavorful dish.

Marinare - The technique of marinating meat or vegetables in a mixture of oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices to infuse them with flavor before cooking.

La vita è troppo breve per mangiare male."

- Translation: "Life is too short to eat badly."

"Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto."

- Translation: "Eat well, laugh often, love much."

"L'appetito vien mangiando."

- Translation: "Appetite comes while eating."

"Il cibo fa la festa."

- Translation: "Food makes the party."

"Chi mangia sulo crepa solo."

- Translation: "He who eats alone dies alone."

"In cucina siamo tutti uguali."

- Translation: "In the kitchen, we are all equal."

"La cucina è il cuore della casa."

- Translation: "The kitchen is the heart of the home."

"Il pranzo è la preghiera della sera."

- Translation: "Lunch is the evening prayer."

"Il cibo è l'essenza della vita."

- Translation: "Food is the essence of life."

"Mangia quello che ti piace e piacerà quello che mangi."

- Translation: "Eat what you like and you'll like what you eat."

What We Can Learn From the Italians

Simplicity

Italian cuisine is often characterized by its simplicity, with dishes featuring just a few high-quality ingredients that are allowed to shine on their own.

Seasonality

Italians place a strong emphasis on using seasonal ingredients, which ensures that dishes are always fresh and flavorful.

Regionality

Italian cuisine is highly regional, with each area of the country having its own unique culinary traditions and specialties. Americans could learn to appreciate and explore the diversity of Italian food.

Slow Food

The slow food movement originated in Italy, and emphasizes taking the time to prepare and savor meals, rather than rushing through them.

Wine culture

Wine is an important part of Italian food culture, with many dishes being paired with specific wines. Americans could learn to appreciate the nuances of wine and food pairings, and the social aspect of enjoying wine with a meal.

Sidonie Maroon, community chef, recipe developer, culinary educator and artist

Born and raised in Southern Oregon, Sidonie shares her creativity and cooking expertise with everyone she meets. Never aspiring to be a restaurant chef, she instead flourishes in her kitchen laboratory where she cooks, blogs, and develops original recipes.

The heart of her cooking practice is a dedication to starting from scratch and building techniques from traditional world food wisdoms. She was an artisan long before it was popular: gardening, foraging, working on organic farms, living offgrid, preserving, fermenting and grain-free baking from scratch.

You can find her recipes, classes, column and blog posts on The Food Coop’s website https://www.foodcoop.coop/blog

Italian Recipes

Recipes original to Sidonie Maroon

Sauces Salts and Butters

Spicy Tomato Onion Sauce

Sidonie Style Pizza Sauce

Tuscan Kale Pesto

Gremolata with Olive Oil

Bagna Cauda Butter

Sale Alle Erbe

Salads and Antipasto

Sicilian Style Chickpea Salad

Broccoli and Black Olive Salad

Caponata Relish

Mains

Vegetable Egg Strudel Noodle Lasagna

Overnight Refrigerator Pizza Dough

New York Style Pizza Dough

Chicken Fricassee

Sweets and Treats

Pasta Frolla- Sweet Tart Crust

Nouveau Baking Pasta

Crostata Marmellata

Rhubarb Compote

Sidonie Style Pizza Sauce

Makes 2 cups

Excellent all purpose and well-balanced pizza sauce

1 can, 15 ounces, tomato sauce

1 can, 6 ounces, tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons, anchovy based fish sauce (red boat brand)

1 tablespoon runny honey

Add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge and use within 2 weeks. You can also freeze.

Spicy Tomato Onion Sauce

Makes 1 1/2 cups

A delicious bright pasta sauce with a sweet heat. Use it for pasta, on eggs or a multitude of yummy options

2 medium large onions, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced

¼ cup olive oil

14-ounce can of chopped tomatoes or the equivalent fresh peeled and seeded

¼ teaspoon chili flakes, or 2 medium hot chilies chopped and added to the onions

¼ teaspoon salt plus a pinch more to finish

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup water

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss onions, chilies if using, and garlic with the olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir and roast for another 10 minutes. Stir several times during the last ten minutes so that nothing chars. A little char around the edges is ok.

Add the tomatoes with juice to the sheet, with the salt, chili flakes and vinegar. Roast for 15 minutes.

Using a food processor, add the veggies. I lift the parchment and slide the veg off the paper into the processor. Add the water and pulse together several times. Puree until chunky smooth. Serve on pasta or use as a side sauce.

Pairs well with Montesecondo

Sangiovese Toscana IGT 2020

Tuscan Kale Pesto

Makes 1 ½ cups Condiment

This cavolo nero, black Italian kale pesto is handy to have in the refrigerator to dress pasta, white beans, or to spread on toast. It’s a delightful dark green and sumptuous. Remember to save your blanching water to boil pasta, or as a base for broth making. This technique will also work with cabbage, and other sturdy greens with variations in the blanching times. It’s a must have recipe for kale raab and its cousins.

4 cups black Italian kale, chopped with tender stems included

2 cups parsley including stems, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped

1 tablespoon sea salt, for blanching water

1 teaspoon anchovy fish sauce

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Before preparing the ingredients, fill a pasta pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the salt once it’s boiling.

Once the water is boiling, add the kale, parsley and sage and bring it back to a boil before timing 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, or when the kale is tender, use a skimmer/strainer to remove the greens from the water. Save the water for pasta or broth.

Shake the excess water off of the greens and add to a blender or food processor with the other ingredients. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt if needed. I use a Vitamix to make it ultra smooth, but it’s not needed.

Serve or refrigerate and use within a few days.

Pairs well with Calx Primitivo Puglia

Gremolata with Olive Oil

Variation on the classic Condiment

Skip the fine mincing and pounding, because this gremolata variation is quickly pulsed in a food processor. Use it on blanched veggie salads.

1 cup packed Italian parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Zest of a lemon

½ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pulse together in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Stores refrigerated for several days.

Bagna Cauda Butter

1 stick unsalted butter

5 oil-packed anchovies minced

1 large clove garlic minced

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor pulse until combined. Chill and shape as desired. Great for dipping veggies.

Sale Alle Erbe delle Port Townsend

Makes 300g about 1 cup

Made from sea salt and fresh herbs, rosemary and sage, grown in Port Townsend and blended with local garlic. Black pepper is added to perfect the flavor. It adds a true Coastal Mediterranean character to any dish.

1 cup/200g coarse sea salt (I used a bulk Celtic salt, it’s moist with a gray green color and perfect for seasoning salts.)

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon/19g fine sea salt (I used bulk Redmond Real Salt)

½ cup (lightly packed)/10g fresh rosemary leaves, not stems

3 tablespoons/45g (about 6 to 8 large cloves) homemade garlic paste

2 tablespoons/3g chopped fresh garden sage leaves

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon/9g whole black peppercorns

Gather ingredients

Using a spice grinder, grind the peppercorns with the fine sea salt.

Peel and chop the garlic and using a small food processor grind into a paste.

Measure and chop the herbs, grind together until fine in a small food processor.

Combine the coarse salt, fine salt and pepper, herbs and garlic paste and pulse until evenly combined. It will be moist.

Sicilian Style Chickpea Salad

Instant Pot Friendly

Makes 5 cups

2 cups dry chickpeas, cooked with 1 teaspoon salt

2 stalks celery, minced

1 cup Italian parsley, minced (I cook the stems tied together with the chickpeas)

¼ cup raisins, minced

¼ cup whole pine nuts, or pepita seeds, minced

Parmesan on the table

Dressing

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon anchovy fish sauce (optional)

Cook chickpeas, soaked if you are using the stovetop or a slow cooker. Unsoaked if using an Instant Pot (45 minutes at HP with a NR). Cook with water to cover and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Blend the dressing ingredients together in a small food processor. Prepare the raisins, parsley and celery. Drain the chickpeas and add to a salad bowl. Add the minced raisins, seeds or nuts, celery and parsley. Pour the dressing over and combine. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve at room temperature with parmesan on the table.

Pairs Well with Grigio Delle Venezie Doc 2022

Broccoli and Black Olive Salad

Serves 2-4

A delightful way to eat your broccoli! Try this recipe and method for anything in the broccoli family — cabbage, kale, collards, mustard greens etc. Boiling salads is a traditional Italian technique, and makes lots of sense to use the same water for pasta.

1 bunch broccoli, about 3 ½ to 4 cups, using florets and peeled stems, chopped ½ cup kalamata olives, sliced

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and peeled stems. After the water comes back to the boil, set a timer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the broccoli is just tender. Scoop it out with a strainer, and run it under cold water. Shake the strainer to release any water. Chop the broccoli into smaller pieces. Puree the dressing ingredients together in a small food processor. Toss the dressing and sliced olives with the broccoli in a serving bowl.

Serve at room temperature.

Caponata Relish I

Makes 1 quart

This caponata variation on the classic Caponata alla Siciliana goes well on bruschetta as a part of an antipasto course. It also makes a great side salad, topping for eggs or sandwich filler.

To Blanch

1 bunch Italian black kale, chopped

2 stalks celery, cut into a small dice

3 medium carrots, cut into a small dice

1 medium onion, chopped

Additions

½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup kalamata olives

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup pine nuts or pepita seeds

Dressing

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons coconut sugar, or brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce, anchovy based (Red Boat)

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once it’s boiling, throw in 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the prepared veggies and bring back to a boil. Time 2 to 3 minutes, scoop the vegetables out with a strainer and run under cold water. Lay the veggies on a clean tea towel, bring it together and gently press out any excess water. Using a food processor, pulse the veggies, parsley, olives, raisins and nuts together until tapenade or relish consistency (about 10 to 12 pulses). Put the relish into a serving bowl. Rinse out the processor bowl, and process the dressing ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Stir the dressing into the relish and allow time to meld the flavors. Try molding it into a fun shape to serve. It’s even better the next day. Keep refrigerated and serve at room temperature.

Caponata Relish II

This is closer to the classic, but I roast the veggies instead of boiling.

For roasting

2 lbs eggplant, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 large red peppers, cut into a small dice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Additions

½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup celery, cut into a small dice

½ cup green olives

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup pine nuts or pepita seeds

Dressing

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons coconut sugar, or brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce, anchovy based (Red Boat)

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roast the veggies on a middle shelf for about 25 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and peppers and onions sweet.

Using a food processor, pulse the veggies, parsley, celery, olives, capers, raisins and nuts together until tapenade or relish consistency (about 10 to 12 pulses). Put the relish into a serving bowl.

Rinse out the processor bowl, and process the dressing ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Stir the dressing into the relish and allow time to meld the flavors. It’s even better the next day. Keep refrigerated and serve at room temperature.

Serve with chopped fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Try molding the relish into a fun shape to serve.

Mother Recipes

Vegetable ‘Egg Strudel Noodle’ Lasagna

Makes one 10-inch round or a 9 x 13 inch rectangular casserole

Egg Strudel ‘Noodles’

6 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons potato starch

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cheese Filling

1 cup cultured cottage cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 sticks celery, diced

8 medium crimini mushrooms, chopped

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Cheese

1 ¾ cup grated mozzarella

¼ cup grated parmesan

Sauce

28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

¼ cup tomato paste

1 to 2 tablespoons minced combination of fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary or oregano

2 cloves minced garlic

¼ cup parsley, chopped

½ cup red wine

To finish

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

Make the Egg Strudel into Noodles!

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a rimmed 9 x 13 inch baking sheet with oiled parchment paper so that it makes a shallow rectangular bowl. In a food processor, whip the eggs, sour cream, potato starch, salt and chili flakes together until smooth. Pour the liquid into the parchment paper and push it into the corners. Bake on a middle rack for 13 to 15 minutes. Allow it to cool and cut into long ¾ inch noodles.

Roast the Veggies and Make the Cheese Filling

While the egg strudel bakes, prepare the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms. On a parchment lined baking sheet, toss them with olive oil. Roast in a preheated 425 F oven for 20 minutes.

Use the food processor to grate the mozzarella and parmesan, and set aside.

Blend the cottage cheese in the food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Cool the roasted vegetables for 5 minutes and add to the cottage cheese in the processor with the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Pulse until the veggies and cottage cheese are blended to a small uniform size. Scrape the mixture out onto the strudel parchment paper and save yourself a bowl to wash.

Pairs Well With iFabri Chianti Classico DOCG

Make the Sauce

On the same parchment lined baking sheet that you used for the roasted veggies, stir together the drained tomatoes, paste, herbs, garlic, parsley and wine. Roast in a preheated oven at 425 F for 20 minutes. Puree the sauce in the food processor, and finish it with the balsamic vinegar, honey and salt to taste.

Put it together

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Use a 10-inch round quiche dish, or a rectangular 9 x13 casserole dish. I’ll give instructions for the round version.

Spread ⅔ cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish.

Starting on the outer edge, spiral half of the noodles towards the center by going around the circle. Spread ½ of the cheese and vegetable filling over the noodles. Layer ½ of the cheese over the filling. Add more sauce and repeat the sequence ending with the grated cheese. Cover with foil or an oven proof lid. Note: You won’t use all of the sauce or it’ll be too liquid.

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Take the foil or lid off for the last 10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Allow the casserole to cool and set up for 15 minutes before serving or it’ll be soupy. If there are leftovers they’ll continue to firm up when refrigerated.

Note: If your oven is bigger than mine, roast the sauce and veggies at the same time, but keep them on separate baking sheets.

Overnight Refrigerator Pizza Dough

Adapted from Peter Reinhart’s “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice”

Makes six 6-ounce pizzas

4 ½ cups unbleached bread flour

1 ¾ teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 ¾ cup cold water

¼ cup olive oil

Stir the dry ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the water and oil until the flour is absorbed. Using a dough hook, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes, or until you have a smooth, sticky dough. This can also be done by hand. The dough should be springy, elastic and sticky, and clear the sides of the bowl, but stick to the bottom.

Flour a cutting board, lay the dough on and cut it into 6 equal pieces. A metal dough scraper works great. Lay the dough pieces on a parchment lined and floured sheet pan, cover with a food grade plastic bag and refrigerate overnight, or up to three days.

Remove the desired number of dough balls from the fridge. Press the balls into flat disks on a floured covered board and allow them to rest for two hours.

45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven and a baking stone to 500 F. If you don’t have a baking stone, use a pizza pan, but don’t preheat it. Either toss and stretch your dough into a 12-inch shape, or use a rolling pin. Dust the pizza peel or sheet pan with cornmeal, and lay the formed dough on. Use the less-is-more philosophy, lightly coat with sauce, then three or less other toppings, and cheese. Slide onto the baking stone, or bake on the pan. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes: Try using a combination of cheeses—1 part hard cheese like Romano, Asiago or Parmesan. 2 parts melter like mozzarella. Try adding a few teaspoons of fresh or dried herbs like basil, rosemary or oregano and fresh garlic. After the overnight fermentation, the dough balls can be frozen. Lightly coat with oil and put them into separate bags. Transfer to the fridge the day before you plan to bake.

New York Style Pizza Dough

⅓ cup pre-washed dry quinoa

½ cup raw chickpeas

⅓ cup raw buckwheat groats

¼ cup tapioca starch

¼ cup flaxseed

1 tablespoon psyllium seed husk powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes

1 ¼ teaspoon instant baker’s yeast

1 ½ cups water, at 120F

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Make the dough

Using a high-speed blender (Vitamix) on the highest speed for 1 minute, grind flour ingredients and sift. Grind the fines again and add to the flour. Stir in the yeast. Add the wet ingredients and boldly stir until thickened. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Use or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Form and bake the pizza

Preheat a baking stone at 450F for 30 minutes.

Roll out 1 cup of dough pressed into a disk, for a 12-inch pizza, between two oiled round sheets of parchment paper. The dough should be thin.

Peel off the top paper.

Use ¼ cup sauce, a handful of mozzarella cheese, a handful of parmesan. If you use other toppings, go lightly. Less is more.

Slide the pizza, still on the paper, onto the baking stone. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are crisp, and the underside golden. Do not over bake. Allow the pie to cool for a couple of minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Tomato Chicken Fricassee with White Wine and Porcini

Instant Pot

Serves 4

2 lbs chicken thighs

½ cup white wine

2 tablespoons minced garlic

12 dried porcini mushrooms (about 1.5 ounces) or medley of dried mushrooms

14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, or equivalent of fresh

2 teaspoons anchovy fish sauce (Red Boat)

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

Double line an Instant Pot tall mesh steamer basket with parchment paper. I crinkle up two lengths of parchment into balls and unwrap them. This makes them easier to fit into the round steamer. The parchments should come up the sides to contain the sauce and chicken juices. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Add the chicken thighs to the steamer basket and coat with the wine, tomatoes, garlic, dried mushrooms, fish sauce, salt and red pepper flakes. Set the instant Pot to 30 minutes at high pressure with a natural release.

When done, use the parchment paper to lift out of the steamer into a serving dish. Take the mushrooms out, and slice them. Break apart the thighs with a fork, stir in the sliced mushrooms and balsamic vinegar, taste for salt and top Italian parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: Other dried mushrooms work well with this recipe. I’ve used dried shiitakes to great effect.

Pasta Frolla ,Sweet Tart Crust

Whole wheat or gluten-free

one 10-inch tart shell

2 ⅓ cup whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free pastry flour

¼ cup coconut, or cane sugar

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice plus zest of one lemon

11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for fruit tarts)

¼ cup sour cream or yogurt

In a food processor, pulse together the dry ingredients and lemon zest. Add the cubed cold butter and pulse until it has a sandy texture and there are no butter pieces visable. Whisk together the wet ingredients and add to the food processor. Pulse three or four times or until the dough comes together. Remove the dough from the processor and work to even out any dry or wet spots. Flatten into a disk, wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour, before rolling out. You can also freeze the dough well wrapped, for up to 2 months.

Nouveau Baking Pasta Frolla

Makes enough dough for 10-inch tart

Dry Flour Ingredients

½ cup prewashed quinoa

½ cup dry chickpeas

½ cup tapioca flour

¼ cup coconut or palm sugar

¼ cup flax seeds

1 tablespoon psyllium seed husk powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Fat and Wet Ingredients

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons), cut into small pieces

¼ cup cold sour cream

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

Using a high-powered blender, Vitamix, grind the dry ingredients into a flour. (about 1 minute on high speed). Sift the flour through a sieve into a mixing bowl, and regrind and add to the flour whatever fines won’t go through the sieve.

Add the flour to a food processor. Pulse in the butter pieces for 8 pulses. Add the sour cream and vinegar stirred together. Run the processor until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl.

Divide into two pieces and flatten each into a disk and wrap in freezer paper or plastic. Chill for ½ hour before rolling. Alternatively, you can press the dough into tart pans, chill and blind bake.

I like to roll the dough out between two floured pieces of parchment paper. A pressed crust is easy, but it’s hard to get a consistent thickness.

Blind Baking

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Lightly dust your work surface with gluten-free flour.

Roll out the chilled disk to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (3 mm).

Cut the dough into circles or shapes that fit the size of your tart pans or pie dish. Gently press the dough into the tart pans, making sure to press it into the corners and up the sides. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking.

Chill the dough in the freezer for ½ hour

Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or until it is lightly golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely before filling it with your desired filling.

Rhubarb Compote

Makes 2 cups

1.5 lbs rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup white wine

½ cup honey

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a rimmed baking sheet or casserole with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, toss the rhubarb in the tapioca flour. Add the other ingredients and stir together. Bake for 25 minutes.

Cool and use as a tart filling or topping. Try this technique using other summer fruits, like plums, peaches, berries, and keeping the other ingredients the same.

Crostata Marmellata

Jam tarts, big or little, are perfect for unexpected guests and are wonderful afternoon tea treats.

Crostata marmellata is a popular Italian jam tart found in pastry shops and homes. It’s an easy, yet impressive treat, because all you need to do, the day of, is make the pasta frolla dough for the crust. The jam is the star of the show, and I encourage you to make your own small batch jams, fresh, canned or frozen, to have on hand for these tarts. My favorite book for jams is “The Joy of Jams and Jellies and other sweet preserves” by Linda Ziedrich. She lists the recipes by fruits, so you can use whatever is in season. It’s a delight to try out combination jams for this tart. My mouth waters imagining figs in vanilla syrup, elderberry and apple, raspberry and red currant, strawberry and rhubarb, brandied cherries… plums, apricots, and peaches….

Begin with the pasta frolla recipe, and roll out the dough into a 9 or 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Save the scraps to make a lattice top.

Freeze the tart shell for 30 minutes, then blind bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool.

Fill the shell with enough jam to just below the top of the pastry. A 13-ounce jar (1 ¾ cups) should be fine. Roll the remaining scraps out into a 10-inch circle and cut into ¾ inch strips. Twist the strips at both ends and lay them in a lattice pattern over the jam. With a pastry brush, glaze the dough strips with a little beaten egg.

Italian Pantry List

Pasta and Grains

Spaghetti

Linguine

Penne

Fusilli

Farfalle

Lasagna noodles

Arborio rice

Polenta

Fregola

Orzo

Canned Goods

San Marzano tomatoes

Tomato paste

Tomato sauce

Crushed tomatoes

Canned beans (cannellini, chickpeas, kidney)

Anchovies

Tuna

Artichoke hearts

Roasted red peppers

Olives

Oils and Vinegars

Extra-virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Red wine vinegar

White wine vinegar

Apple cider vinegar

Truffle oil

Avocado oil

Herbs & Spices

Basil

Oregano

Rosemary Sage

Parsley

Bay leaves

Fennel seeds

Red pepper flakes

Sauces and Condiments

Pesto

Sun-dried tomato pesto

Marinara sauce

Alfredo sauce

Nuts & Dried

Fruit

Almonds

Walnuts

Pine nuts

Raisins

Dried figs

Dairy

Parmesan cheese

Ricotta cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Mascarpone cheese

Gorgonzola cheese

Pecorino Romano cheese

Provolone cheese

Butter

Heavy cream

Meats

Prosciutto

Pancetta

Salami

Sausages (sweet, hot, fennel)

Ground beef

Ground pork

Chicken

Beef cutlets

Beef tenderloin

Fresh Summer Produce

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Eggplant

Bell peppers

Cucumbers

Radicchio

Fennel

Arugula

Basil

Oregano

Rosemary

Sage

Parsley

Mint

Lemons

Oranges

Figs

Grapes

Cherries

Apricots

Peaches

Plums

Melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)

Strawberries

Raspberries

Blackberries

Blueberries

Pears

Apples

Artichokes

Asparagus

Broccoli rabe

Carrots

Cauliflower

Corn

Green beans

Peas

Potatoes

Spinach

Swiss chard

Radishes

Beets

Cabbage

Celery

Leeks

Onions (red, white, yellow)

Garlic

Shallots

Scallions (spring onions)

Cilantro (coriander)

Dill Chives

Bay leaves

Marjoram

Lemon balm

Porcini mushrooms

Chanterelle mushrooms

Italian Kale