Linguine allo sgombro e pomodori secchi is a flavourful first course that is easy to prepare, ideal for a quick lunch or a family dinneer.

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Ingredients:

•          200 g Linguine
•          140 g Dried tomatoes
•          1 Tin of mackerel in olive oil
•          1 Clove of garlic
•          20-30 Taggiasco olives
•          1 Lemon
•          Parsley as desired
•          Extravirgin olive oil as desired
•          Salt as desired

Procedure:

1.      In a frypan, brown the garlic clove briefly in a little olive oil.
2.     Dice the tomatoes and the mackerel.
3.     Remove the garlic from the pan and replace with the tomatoes and mackerel.
4.    In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine for one-half the time called for.
5.     Finely chop the parsley while the lingune are cooking.
6.     When the linguine have reached the half-way point, add them to the tomatoes and mackerel; continue cooking the linguine as for a risotto (adding cooking water if necessary).
7.     When the linguine are done, add the olives and parsley; mix well.
8.     Serve the linguine, and sprinkle generously with grated lemon zest.
9.    Accompany each serving with a flute of Maximilian I.

Filetti di branzino con pomodorini e olive is an appealing, easy to prepare dish perfect for a light summertime meal.

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Ingredients:

• 4 Sea bass fillets
• 300 g Cherry tomatoes
• 15-20 Black olives
• 1 Clove garlic
• 2-3 tbsps Parsley, chopped
• 10-15 Capers in salt (washed)
• Extravirgin olive oil as desired
• 50 ml White wine

Procedure:

1.      In a  frypan, brown the garlic in a bit of olive oil for a minute or two.
2.     Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and de-pit the olives.
3.     Remove the garlic, replace with the tomatoes, olives, and capers; cook on high flame for a few minutes.
4.    Infuse with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
5.     Add the sea bass fillets (skin up) and cover; cook about 2 minutes on medium heat.
6.     Turn over the fillets and cook another 5 minutes.
7.     When cooked, add the parsley.
8.    Serve and accompany with a flute of Maximilian I.

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Skewers of chicken, pancetta, and bell peppers is a creative and attractive fry-up perfect for something quick and light but tasty!

Ingredients

-          5 slices of chicken breast

-          80g sliced pancetta

-          1 bell pepper

-          ½ glass white wine

-          Salt, as desired

Procedure

1.       Cut breasts into strips about 3 cm thick. Cut the pepper into cubes and place aside.
2.       On a cutting board, place the pancetta strips over the chicken slices and form a roll, then slice into strips. 
3.       Put the chicken-pancetta pieces on skewers, alternating them with cubes of bell pepper.
4.       Lightly sauté the skewers for 5-10 minutes, infuse with the white wine, then continue cooking, under cover, for another 10-15 minutes, turning the skewers periodically.
5.       Salt and serve.

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Tagliatelle with squash and sausage is an easily-prepared, flavourful first course to celebrate autumn. It’s the perfect choice for that Sunday family dinner! 

Ingredients

•         250g fresh egg tagliatelle
•         250g cubed squash
•         2-3sausages
•         1 glass white wine
•         5-10 small sage leaves
•         Extravirgin olive oil, as desired
•         Salt, as desired
•         Nutmeg, as desired

Procedure

1.       Skin the sausages and slice into pieces.
2.       Sauté the sausage in a fry pan for about 10 minutes.
3.       Add the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate for a few moments
4.       Add the cubed squash and cook under cover for about 10 minutes.
5.       Wash the sage and cut into thin strips.
6.       Cook the tagliatelle in salted water according to instructions on the package.
7.       Drain and add to the contents of the fry pan, along with a bit of the cooking water. Add the sage and grate a bit of nutmeg; mix well and serve.

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Prawn and Prosecco Risotto makes a simple yet elegant first course, perfect for an intimate dinner or a special occasion. 

Ingredients:

• 200g Vialone nano rice
• 1 glass of Prosecco
• 250g peeled prawn tails
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
• Fish broth (or vegetable broth), as desired
• Extravirgin olive il, as desired
• 1 knob of butter

Procedure:

1.      Lightly brown a clove of garlic in a bit of extravirgin olive oil.
2.     Add the prawn tails and cook for 2-4 minutes on high heat.
3.     Remove and place in a bowl; immediately cover to keep prawns moist.
4.    Add the rice to the prawn cooking water, toast 1-2 minutes, then add the Prosecco.
5.     As soon as the Prosecco has evaporated, continue cooking, adding some broth from time to time; follow cooking instruction on the rice package.
6.     Make an emulsion with several tbsp of chopped parsley, a small garlic clove, and plenty of extravirgin olive oil.
7.     Two minutes before completion of cooking, add the knob of better and the rest of the prawn meat; mix thoroughly until you obtain a smooth crème.  
8.     Serve, garnishing with any left-over prawn meat; sprinkle the emulsion over the dish.

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Grilled mackerel crostini with caramelised onions is a simple yet appealing finger food for a summertime aperitif or to start off that delicious seafood dinner.
Ingredients:
● ½ baguette
● 1 tin of grilled mackerel in olive oil
● 1 red onion
● 1 glass of semi-dry red wine
● 3-4 tbsp vinegar
● 1-2 tbsp sugar
● Salt as desired
● Extravirgin olive oil as desired
Procedure:
1. Cut the baguette into 2cm-thick slices, then grill for about 2 minutes per side.
2. Cut the onion into slices, brown in a bit of extravirgin olive oil on very low heat.
3. Add the glass of red wine, continue cooking the onions, covered and on low heat, for another 10 minutes.
4. Add a little vinegar, 1-2 tbsp sugar, and salt, if desired.
5. Thinly slice the mackerel.
6. Arrange the caramelised onions on the bread slices and the mackerel slices over the onions.
7. Serve the crostini, accompanied by a flue of sparkling wine.

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Couscous Greek-style can be served cold either as a first course or in a glass as an antipasto.

Ingredients:

•          140g pre-cooked couscous
•          160g salted boiling water
•          25-20 cherry tomatoes
•          20-30 black olives
•          200g Greek feta cheese
•          1 bell pepper
•          Extravirgin olive oil, as desired

Procedure:

1.      Put the couscous in a bowl, add the boiling-hot salted water, cover with food wrap and let set for 5 minutes. Remove wrap and remove any couscous husks with a fork.  
2.     Slice the bell pepper and heat in a frypan with a bit of extravirgin olive oil.
3.     Slice the cherry tomatoes, black olives, and feta, then put them, together with the bell pepper slices, in with the couscous and blend together.
4.    Plate or put into glasses and serve with a flute of chilled Prosecco.

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Crumb cake with ricotta and chocolate chips is a short-bread crust cake that is delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients:

•          300 g 00 flour
•          100 g butter
•          150 g sugar
•          1 egg
•          1 envelope of yeast
•          Powdered sugar

For filling:

•          300 g ricotta
•          50 g sugar
•          100 g chocolate chips

Procedure:

1.      To make the shell, mix the egg with the sugar, add the rest of the ingredients, and continue blending together. Divide the dough into two balls, with one a bit larger (for the bottom) than the other (for the top). 
2.     To make the filling, mix together the ricotta, sugar, chocolate chips.
3.     Roll out the larger dough ball, place in a pie tin, with baking paper on the bottom.
4.    Add the filling.
5.     Cover the cake by crumbling the remaining dough over the filling. Pre-heat oven to 180°C, then cook cake for 30 minutes.
6.     Once cool, sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake.

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Gli spiedini di seppie e gamberoni gratinati is a delicious, quickly-prepared antipasto, simple but dramatic. 

Ingredients (for 4 skewers):

•          8 medium-small cuttlefish
•          8 prawns
•          8 cherry tomatoes
•          1zucchini
•          2-3 tbsp breadcrumbs
•          2-3 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
•          1 tbsp chopped parsley
•          1 clove garlic
•          Extravirgin olive oil, as desired.

Procedure:

1.      Remove shell from prawns, leaving just the tails.
2.     Clean the cuttlefish, remove beaks.
3.     Slice the zucchini into rounds.
4.    To make the au gratin coating, mix the Parmigiano, breadcrumbs, parsley, and the crushed garlic clove.
5.     On the skewers, alternate cuttlefish, prawns, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini rounds.
6.     Coat the skewers with the extravirgin olive oil and spread on the coating.
7.     Bake for about 10-15 minutes at 200°C, with the last few minutes at the grilling setting.
8.     Remove and serve.

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Spaghetti alla carbonara is a first course classic to the Lazio region. The origin of the dish is uncertain, and over time variations have arisen.

Ingredients:

•          200g spaghetti
•          100g guanciale (pig jowl) (or pancetta)
•          3 egg yolks
•          3 tbsp grated pecorino or a mix of Parmigiano Reggiano andpecorino)
•          Salt as desired
•          Blackpepper as desired
•          Extravirgin olive oil—in the case that pancetta is used, to brown it.

Procedure:

1.      Brown the guanciale in a frypan, without any oil. When the edges are just turning brown, remove and set apart.
2.     Put the spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water and cook for half the time required (for the remaining time, the spaghetti will be in the frypan with the guanciale).).
3.     Mix in a bowl 3 egg yolks, 3 tbsp of grated pecorino, a dash of black pepper and a few tbsp of very cold water, to obtain a smooth crème.
4.    Put the spaghetti into the frypan where the guanciale was browned and continue to cook, amalgamating flavours, as in making risotto, or adding the minimum amount of water necessary to complete the cooking.
5.     Turn off the flame and sauté the pasta for just a few seconds, to slightly lower its temperature.
6.     Pour the crème over the pasta and mix briskly.
7.     Plate the spaghetti and sprinkle with the set-aside crunchy guanciale, then grind a generous amount of black-pepper over the dish.

Notes:

•          Although lovers of Roman cuisine insist on use of guanciale, others usually substitute pancetta, which is leaner.
•          Pecorino is best for carbonara, but not all like its pungent taste, so it is possible to substitute a mix of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and pecorino.

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Spaghetti allo sgombro e limone is an utterly delicious yet simple-to-prepare dish.

Ingredients:

•          200g spaghetti
•          1 can grilled mackerel in olive oil
•          1 whole lemon
•          1 clove garlic
•          Extravirgin olive oil, as needed
•          Salt, as needed

Procedure:

•          Put the spaghetti into salted, boiling water and cook for half the indicated time.
•          Grate the lemon peel, then cut the lemon in half.
•          Cut the garlic clove in half, brown in a frypan for a couple of minutes. Add half the mackerel (the other half will be used as a garnish) and the juice from one lemon half.
•          Add the spaghetti to the frypan and continue cooking as if it were risotto (adding boiling water from time to time).
•          When cooked, add some lemon zest and mix.
•          Plate and garnish with the extra mackerel.

Note

Use a potato-peeler to cut some very thin slices of lemon peel, then shape into narrow slices: these will be an eye-pleasing addition to the presentation

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This is the perfect finger food to complement an aperitif drink. It’s ready in just a couple of minutes and is ultra-tempting.

Ingredients:

•         2-3 slices of country-style bread
•         120g spreadable cheese
•         100g smoked salmon
•         1 un-squeezed lemon
•         Arugula as desired
•         Pepper as desired

Procedure:

•          Cut the bread slices in half and toast in oven, 2-3 minutes per side.
•          Grate the lemon peel and set aside.
•          Spread the cheese on the bread slices, then arugula leaves, then a layer of salmon over the cheese.
•          Grate some pepper over it, sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice and the lemon zest gratings.
•          Serve along with a flute of MaximilianI.

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Zucchini-crusted perch filet is an imaginative and economic second course. Its crunchy crust and absence of bones make this an appealing dish even for those who usually do not eat fish.

Ingredients:

•         1 perch filet (ca. 500g)
•         2 small-medium zucchinis
•         40-50g sliced lardo
•         3-4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
•         3-4 tbsp breadcrumbs
•         2 tbsp parsley
•         1 clove garlic
•         Extravirgin olive oil as needed

Procedure:

•          Use a large-hole grater to grate the zucchini.
•          Put in a bowl the grated zucchini, Parmigiano Reggiano, breadcrumbs, parsley and crushed garlic clove. Drizzle some extravirgin olive oil and blend everything into a dense, well-mixed               paste.
•          Into a baking pan with baking paper on the bottom place the perch and over it the slices of lardo.
•          Cover the fish with the zucchini mixture, pressing down to make sure that it adheres well to the fish.
•          Put into an oven pre-heated to 200°C for about 30 minutes. For the final few minutes, use the oven’s broil feature to brown the crust.
•          Remove and serve.

Note

The lardo not only serves to add flavour but to keep the perch soft and juicy (even if it is overcooked by mistake).

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Fagottini di bresaola con noci e caprino is an eye-catching, easy-to-make finger food. 

Ingredients:

•          6 slices of bresaola
•          1 goat cheese
•          6 walnuts
•          chive leaves as needed

Procedure:

•          Spread out the slices of bresaola on a platter.
•          Place on each slice a teaspoonful of goat cheese and walnuts.
•          Shape the bresaola into pouches and close by knotting a chive leaf around the neck.
•          Cut off the excess chive leaf, then serve cold with a flute of Blanc de Blancs.

Note: the bresaola leaves should not be too thin, or they will tear.

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Sautéed chicken with bell peppers is a simple, quickly prepared dish, perfect for a dinner with flair.  

Ingredients

400g sliced chicken breast

2 red bell peppers

1 clove garlic salt as needed

extravirgin olive oil as needed

Procedure

1.       Clean and julienne the peppers.
2.       Slice a garlic clove in half and simmer in a frying pan. Add the peppers and cook at medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3.       Remove peppers and garlic, place in blender and blend until a fairly liquid crème is obtained.
4.       Slice the chicken into strips about 1/2cm thick.
5.       Cook the slices over high heat for about 15 minutes in the same frying pan.
6.       As soon as the chicken is cooked, add the pepper crème and continue cooking until the crème has reached the desired thickness.
7.       Plate and serve.

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Fusilli with romanesco broccoli and mackerel is a very simple, colourful first course. The creamy, attractive broccoli sauce perfectly complements the pronounced character of the mackerel, creating a superb marriage of flavours.

Ingredients:

200g fusilli

4 small filets of fresh mackerel

1 romanesco broccoli

5/6 cherry tomatoes

salt as needed

extravirgin olive oil as needed

Procedure:

1.      Carefully wash then cut up the romanesco. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut into quarters.
2.     Put the romanesco in boiling water and cook for ca. 9-10 minutes.
3.     Remove the romanesco pieces and set aside. Put the fusilli in the same boiling water and cook for the time indicated on the package.
4.    Slice the mackerel and cook 5 minutes in a hot frying pan, cooking the skin side first; remove and set aside.
5.     Whisk the romanesco, but keep some sprigs for garnishing the plates. If the crème is too dense, add a tablespoon or two of cooking water from the pasta.
6.     Put romanesco crème into the same frying pan, add a bit of cooking water, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix the sauce and keep hot until the pasta is cooked.
7.     Drain the pasta and put it and the romanesco crème into the frying pan. Toss the pasta for a few moments to adhere the sauce to it.
8.     Plate the fusilli and, to add colour to the dish, garnish with the set-aside romanesco leaves and pieces of cherry tomatoes.

Note

This recipe presumes use of two small mackerels, about 15-20cm long. If a larger fish is used, one may suffice. Mackerel is economical and healthy (very rich in omega-3); it degrades quickly, however, and so it should be consumed while still fresh. 

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Spaghetti with clams and roe is a refined, flavourful first course. The perfect dish for a formal meal or a romantic dinner.

Ingredients 

200g spaghetti

500g clams (cleaned)

40-50g mullet roe (bottarga) (preferably not grated)

1 clove garlic

2/3 tbsp chopped parsley

extravirgin olive oil as needed

Procedure

1.       Bring unsalted water to a boil. Put in the spaghetti, cook for about half the time specified on the package.
2.       Sauté the clove of garlic in a large frying pan for 2-3 minutes. Add the clams, cover and cook on high flame, until the clams open. Put the clams in a bowl, cover so they will not dry out.
3.       Grate enough bottarga to obtain 2-3 tbsp. Flake off pieces from the remaining piece of roe to garnish the plates later.
4.       After the spaghetti has been half-cooked, put in the frying pan with the clam liquid and continue cooking for the time remaining, as if it were a risotto (that is, adding water as needed).
5.       As soon as the spaghetti is cooked, add some tbsps of chopped parsley and half of the grated roe. Toss the mixture to amalgamate the ingredients.
6.       Plate up the spaghetti, adding the clams. Garnish each plate with the roe slices and sprinkle over them the remaining grated roe.

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Ingredients

1 round sheet of puff pastry dough

600g squash (cubed)

1 leek

100g Gorgonzola salt as needed

nutmeg as needed

extravirgin olive oil as needed

Procedure

1.       Finely chop the leek and sauté it in a bit of extravirgin olive oil for a few minutes.
2.       Add the squash and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until it yields easily to a fork. Add salt and nutmeg as needed.
3.       Mash with a fork to obtain an easily spreadable mixture.
4.       Cube the Gorgonzola.
5.       Roll out a sheet of puff pastry, make holes in the bottom with a fork, then place in a pie-pan. Spoon in the squash-leek mixture.
6.       Sprinkle the Gorgonzola cubes over it and bake in a pre-hated oven at 200^oC for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 
7.       Remove and serve.

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Crostini with mozzarella, shrimp, and cherry tomatoes (Crostini con mozzarella, gamberetti e pomodorini) is a delicious dish and very easy to prepare. It’s prefect as an apéritif or as an antipasto.

Ingredients

1 baguette

ca. 20 frozen shrimp

ca. 5-10 cherry tomatoes

1 mozzarella di bufala cheese

3 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 garlic clove

Sufficient extravirgin olive oil

Procedure

1.       Cut the baguette into slices about 2cm thick, toast or grill for ca. 2-4 minutes, until they begin to turn brown.
2.       Bring ½ litre of water to a boil, put in the still-frozen shrimp, let cook for 3-4 minutes, remove and set apart.
3.       Prepare an emulsion of the chopped parsley, half clove of garlic, crushed, and the olive oil.
4.       Cut the mozzarella and the tomatoes into slices ca. ½ cm thick.
5.       Assemble the crostini, placing the mozzarella, shrimp, and tomatoes on top of each toasted bread slice.
6.       Drizzle over the crostini the garlic, oil, and parsley emulsion.

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Risotto with squash and shrimp (Risotto alla zucca e gamberetti) is a first course of fish that displays classic autumn colours. The sweetness of the squash perfectly complements the flavours of the shrimp, creating a delicious dish. 

Ingredients

200grice

200g frozen shrimp

200g squash, cubed

2 cloves garlic

2-3 tbsp chopped parsley

40g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

750mlbroth

Half-glass of white wine

Sufficient extravirgin olive oil

Procedure

1.       Prepare an emulsion with 2-3 tbsp of the chopped parsley, a small clove of garlic, crushed, and plenty of good-quality extravirgin olive oil. In the meantime, bring to boil 750ml of broth in a small saucepan.
2.       In another saucepan, sauté for a few minutes half a garlic clove with a bit of olive oil.
3.       Remove the garlic and add the still-frozen shrimp; cook on high flame for about 5 minutes. Then remove the shrimp and set apart, covering them so that they will not dry out.
4.       Put the rice in the saucepan that cooked the shrimp and brown a few moments, then simmer with half-glass of white wine.
5.       Add the cubed squash and enough broth to cover the rice. Continue cooking, adding broth as needed, as the rice absorbs it.  
6.       Two minutes before the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, add Parmigiano and stir energetically to cream the mixture.
7.       Add the shrimp to the rice and add some tablespoons of the previously-prepared garlic, parsley, and oil emulsion. Mix thoroughly, plate, and serve.

Note

It is best not to cook the frozen shrimp more than 5 minutes, or else they become mushy.

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Linguine with cuttlefish and bell peppers is a colourful and delicious first course. Those who have little time available will love this simple dish.

Ingredients

• 200g linguine
• 5 defrosted cuttlefish
• 1 red bell pepper
• Sufficient extravirgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbspns chopped parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• Sufficient salt

Procedure

1. Clean the cuttlefish, discard beak, and slice into thin strips
2. Slice the pepper into thin strips.
3. Boil salted water and add the pasta.
4. Cook the cuttlefish, with a bit of olive oil, in a frying pan on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Then remove and set aside.
5. Brown the clove of garlic in the same pan. Add the pepper slices and cook for a few minutes. Mix everything thoroughly in a blender, then continue cooking, on low heat, periodically adding some water from the pasta.
6. A minute before draining the pasta, add the pepper and cuttlefish sauce, the chopped parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil.
7. Drain the pasta, then toss for a minute with the sauce to integrate all the ingredients.
8. Plate and serve.

Note

• Some do not like pieces of pepper skins in the sauce. To remedy this, roast the whole pepper in the oven and then peel it.
• Cuttlefish should be cooked very briefly, otherwise they tend to become hard and/or gummy.

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Sfogliatine alla caprese revisited is an antipasto of puff pastry with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. It is a simple, quick dish inspired by the classic dish of Italy’s Campania region.

Ingredients

• 1 roll of rectangular puff pastry
• 150 g mozzarella
• 150g cherry tomatoes
• 9 leaves basil
• Sufficient extravirgin olive oil
• Sufficient oregano

Procedure:

1. Slice the cherry tomatoes into quarters.
2. Slice the mozzarella into cubes, then put in strainer to drain.
3. Cut the roll of rectangular puff pastry into 9 parts and use a fork to punch holes in each rectangle.
4. Distribute the tomato quarters on the pastry rectangles, sprinkle with oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. Pre-heat oven to about 200oC and bake for ca. 15-20 minutes, or until pastry starts to brown.
5. Remove and add mozzarella cubes.
6. Add a leaf of basil to each sfogliatina.

Note:

E’ preferibile utilizzare pomodorini della varietà datterino perché, rilasciando meno acqua, non vanno ad i numidire l a pasta sfoglia.