Gianna Oliva's Cookbook

A Little Taste of Italy

Dinner

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

From the kitchen of: Antonio Ciminelli

Ingredients

3/4 pound spaghetti

3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

Salt Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cheeses.

2. Return the pasta to the pot. Working quickly, add 6 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, 2 tablespoons at a time, alternating with the cheeses; toss well to thoroughly coat the pasta between additions. Sprinkle on the black pepper and season the pasta with salt; toss again.

3. Transfer the pasta to a warmed serving bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking water, as necessary, tossing until a creamy sauce forms. Serve right away.

Spicy Penne Alla Vodka

From the kitchen of: Ava Dankenbrink

Ingredients

8 ounces of fresh rigatoni pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove of garlic, diced

1/4 yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon vodka

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of water and add rigatoni pasta. Cook according to packcage directions. (Reserve one cup of pasta water before draining)

2.. In a large saucepan, add olive oil and heat the stove at medium heat. When the oil is hot, add garlic and onion to the pan. Cook until soft.

3. Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook for a few minutes until it darkens in color.

4. Pour vodka into pan and cook until the alcohol has a chance to burn off.

5. add in heavy cream, red pepper flakes, and finally season with salt and pepper to complete the sauce.

6. Add pasta, reserved pasta water, and butter into the sauce. Stir until all the pasta is nicely coated.

7. Add parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.

Spaghetti Carbonara

From the kitchen of: Stefanie Oliva

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces pancetta, cubed or sliced into small strips

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated parmiagno-reggiano plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Prepare sauce while pasta is cooking to ensure spaghetti will be hot and ready when sauce is finished; it is very important that pasta is hot when adding egg mixture, so heat of pasta cooks raw eggs in sauce.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook for 8-10 min or until “al dente”. Drain pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of starchy cooking water to use in sauce if you wish.

3. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add pancetta and sauté for about 3 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Toss garlic into fat and sauté for less than 1 minute to soften.

4. Add hot, drained spaghetti to pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat strands in bacon fat. Beat eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove pan from the heat and pour egg/cheese mixture into pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt.

Mancusi Sunday Sauce

from the kitchen of: Gianna Oliva

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 medium sweet yellow onion chopped fine

3 28oz cans of Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes

10oz of water

1 tablespoon of oregano

2 large bay leaves

1 1/4 tablespoon of Salt

1 table spoon of pepper

2lbs of cubed chuck steak (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder)

2lbs of pork ribs (seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder)

Meatballs

2lbs of cooked spaghetti

Directions

1. In a large wide pot, add olive oil and onions season with Salt and Pepper. Sauté until translucent with medium heat.

2. Add pork ribs and chuck steak and brown all meat.

3. Add cans of crushed tomatoes, Salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, and water.Stir in all spices and water until incorporated. Bring to a boil. Place uncooked meatballs in the pot

4. Simmer for 3 hours stirring occasional.

5. Serve over spaghetti

Creamy Tomato Rigatoni

From the kitchen of: Mary-Frances Heck

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes, tomatoes crushed by hand and juices reserved

12 ounces uncooked rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices; bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

3. Stir cream, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper into tomato sauce. Add cooked pasta, and toss to coat. Add reserved pasta cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

4. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan, and garnish with parsley.

Simple Green Salad

From the kitchen of: Love and Lemons

Ingredients

2 small heads of soft lettuce, butter lettuce or similar

Lemon Vinaigrette half recipe

1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced

¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons pepitas

1 avocado, thinly sliced

¼ cup microgreens

Flaky sea salt, optional

½ cup raw almonds

½ tablespoon tamari

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the almonds on the sheet and toss with tamari.

3. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

4. In a large bowl toss the lettuce with a few spoonfuls of the dressing.

5. Add the cucumber, parmesan, pepitas, avocado, and tamari almonds.

6. Drizzle with more dressing and top with microgreens.

7. Season to taste with flaky sea salt, if desired.

Dessert

Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cookies

From the kitchen of: Samantha Barca

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

8 oz. ricotta

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream together butter and sugar in a stand mixer at medium high speed.

3. Add in the eggs, ricotta, and vanilla. Beat together until blended.

4. Add in the flour and baking powder. Beat together until a dough forms.

5. Add in chocolate chips by hand folding them into the dough.

6. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheets.

7. Bake for 18 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes.

9. Carefully place cookies on a wired rack to cool completely.

Pistachio Biscotti

From the kitchen of: Catherine Mancusi

Ingredients

1 ½ cups of pistachios

1 stick unsalted butter

3 eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 ½ cups of all-purpose flower

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Lay the pistachios on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until lightly roasted.

2. In an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer running gradually add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; mixed until creamed.

3. Add the flower, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dough until smooth. Use a wooden spoon, to mix in the pistachios until evenly mixed.

4. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a log, each 12” long and 1” high.

5. Place logs on an ungreased cookie sheet and back for 35 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly brown.

6. Let the logs cool for 5 minutes and then place on a cutting board. Slice each log on a diagonal into 12” 1” thick pieces. Put the cookies back on the sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

7. Turn the cookies over and back the other side for another 5 minutes. Let cookies cool for 15 minutes.

8. Melt the chocolate chips and pour it in a large bowl. When finish cooling, dip the bottom of the biscotti in the chocolate.

9. When chocolate sets, store cookies in an airtight container.

Angeletti Cookies

From the kitchen of: Shelly Yapchanyk

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted or cooled

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

6 large eggs

6 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

9 tbsp water

1 cup sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Whisk butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl. Then mix flour, baking powder, in salt another bowl.

3. Combine both bowls into an even dough and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

4. Roll dough into small circles, place 2 inches apart onto cooking sheet.

5. Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes and let them cool on a wire racked.

6. In a small bowl, whisk confectioner’s sugar and water until blended.

7. Dip top of each cookie into sugar glaze and let them dry on wired racks.

8. Decorate the cookies with sprinkles.

Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

From the kitchen of: Marisa Petro

Ingredients

1 box Duncan Hines Devil’s Food cake mix.

1/2 cup vegetable oil.

2 large eggs.

1 cup confectioners’ sugar for rolling.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large bowl, stir cake mix, oil, and eggs until well combined.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

4. Roll each ball in the confectioner’s sugar until well coated.

5. Place dusted dough balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the center is just set.

Lemon Bars

From the kitchen of: John Kanell

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

12 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp lemon zest

3 cups sugar

8 eggs

1 cup lemon juice (fresh)

Dash of vanilla (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups of flour with the powdered sugar and salt, then pour in the melted butter and mix until combined. You can either do this by hand or with a stand mixer. A dash of vanilla can be added in with the butter at this step.

3. Sprinkle the dough into your lined pan and press down into a flat layer. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until a light golden color.

4. While the crust is baking add sugar to a food processor and add the zest of three lemons. Pulse until the zest is fully incorporated and sugar is a light yellow color. If you don’t have a food processor just mince the zest and mix with the sugar in a bag or bowl

5. Add the sugar and remaining half cup of flour to a large bowl and mix well. You can sift the mixture together however the zesty sugar bits will need to get dumped out of the sifter as they might clog things up.

6. Pour in the lemon juice and add the eggs, then mix very well until completely combined.

7. Pour the filling onto the warm crust, then transfer to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, turning halfway through the bake. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for an hour before chilling in the refrigerator for two hours

8. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into bars using a clean, sharp, damp knife. Clean and re-wet the knife after each cut.

Tiramisu

From the Kitchen of: Emma Aliaj

Ingredients

For the Cream

4 large egg yolks

½ cup granulated sugar, divided

¾ cup heavy cream

1cup mascarpone

For the Assembly

1¾ cups good espresso or very strong coffee

2 tablespoons rum or cognac

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

About 24 ladyfingers

1 to 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, for shaving (optional)

Directions

1. Using electric mixer in medium bowl, whip together egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar until very pale yellow and about tripled in volume. A slight ribbon should fall from the beaters when lifted from the bowl. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

2. In medium bowl, whip cream and remaining ¼ cup sugar until it creates soft-medium peaks. Add mascarpone and continue to whip until it creates a soft, spreadable mixture with medium peaks. Fold mascarpone mixture into sweetened egg yolks until combined.

3. Combine espresso and rum in a shallow bowl and set aside.

4. Using a sifter, dust the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.

5. Working one at a time, quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso mixture and place them rounded side up at the bottom of the baking dish. Repeat, using half the ladyfingers, until you’ve got an even layer layer. Repeat with remaining espresso-dipped ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture.

6. Dust top layer with remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder. Top with shaved or finely grated chocolate, if desired.

7. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (if you can wait 24 hours, all the better) before slicing or scooping to serve.