Everyday Italian (29 page)
Authors: Giada De Laurentiis
In a small bowl, stir the Parmesan and bread crumbs to blend and sprinkle over the vegetables. Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and the topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs and serve.
Even though this dish uses only zucchini, my grandmother called it
Verdure al Forno,
which means “vegetables in the oven.” (So it should really be called
Zucchine al Forno,
but there was absolutely no way anybody would tell that to my grandmother.) You could substitute eggplant, summer squash, potatoes, or even cauliflower for the zucchini, and make this your very own Verdure al Forno.
4 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 2 | teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil |
| 5 | medium zucchini (about 1½ pounds total), cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices |
| ½ | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| 1 | cup heavy cream |
| 1 | cup grated mozzarella cheese |
| 1 | cup grated fontina cheese |
| 6 | tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese |
| 1 | cup plain dried bread crumbs |
Preheat the Oven
to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Coat the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish with the oil. Arrange enough of the zucchini slices over the bottom of the dish in a single layer to cover. Sprinkle with one third of the salt and pepper. Pour ⅓ cup of the heavy cream over the zucchini and sprinkle with ⅓ cup each of mozzarella cheese and fontina cheese.
Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of Pecorino Romano cheese, then with ⅓ cup of bread crumbs. Repeat layering the ingredients two more times. (The vegetables can be assembled 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.) Place the baking dish on the baking sheet and bake uncovered until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
with Herbs and Garlic
I like to mix different types of potatoes for this, my all-time favorite roasted-potato recipe. The only extra time it takes is at the market, for the cashier to price a different item. Use whichever varieties you find or prefer, and serve this as a side to nearly any meat or fish dish. And it’s just as easy for a crowd as it is for two people.
4 TO 6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| ¼ | cup olive oil |
| 1 | tablespoon herbes de Provence or dried Italian seasoning |
| 3 | garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 | pound fingerling potatoes or small white or red-skinned potatoes |
| ½ | pound small red-skinned potatoes (about 1¾-inch diameter) |
| ½ | pound small white-skinned potatoes (about 1¾-inch diameter) |
| 1 | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
| 1 | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
Preheat the Oven
to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, herbes de Provence, and garlic to blend. Add all of the potatoes and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a large, heavy baking sheet, spacing evenly. Set the bowl aside (do not clean the bowl).
Roast the potatoes until they are tender and golden, turning them occasionally, about 1 hour. Transfer the roasted potatoes to the reserved bowl and toss to coat with any herb oil remaining in the bowl. Season the potatoes with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.
ROOT VEGETABLES
Root vegetables are particularly forgiving when it comes to roasting times: Slightly undercooked and they have a little extra firmness, while on the other hand it takes quite a while to overcook them to the mushiness point. So this recipe is one of my main choices when I’m preparing an entrée that’s going to require stovetop attention at the end of cooking. While I’m reducing a sauce or sautéing some veal, I don’t want to worry that I’ll need to remove the veggies from the oven at precisely 7:15. And with this recipe, I don’t.
6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 4 | medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and cut crosswise into 1½-inch-thick slices |
| 4 | medium parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut crosswise into 1½-inch-thick slices |
| 8 | ounces Brussels sprouts, halved |
| 1 | large sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into 1½-inch-thick slices |
| ⅓ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | tablespoon dried oregano |
| 1 | tablespoon dried basil |
| 1 | teaspoon dried thyme |
| 1 | teaspoon dried rosemary |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste |
| 2 | teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
Position the Rack
in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss the carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, oil, and herbs with 2 teaspoons each of kosher salt and pepper to coat. Arrange the vegetables evenly on a large, heavy baking sheet. Roast the vegetables until tender and golden, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. (The vegetables can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Rewarm in the oven before serving.) Transfer the vegetables to a platter and serve.
Sometimes you want slow-roasted, sweet, caramelized root vegetables. But sometimes you want your veggies bright and crisp, tasting as much as possible like freshness itself. For me this is especially so in the summer; when ripe produce is at its peak, you don’t want to spend a lot of time over the stove, and you’re looking for a vibrant plate. These are the recipes for those times.
Perhaps you’ll consider it “cheating” to add luxurious prosciutto to a vegetable dish, but I consider it a genius way to liven up the plate. And this is the easiest side dish you will ever make. I like to add this to my scrambled eggs for breakfast.
6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 3 | shallots, chopped |
| 1 | garlic clove, minced |
| 1 | (1-pound) bag frozen peas |
| 4 | ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, diced |
| ¼ | cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |
| ¼ | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
| ¼ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
In a Large,
heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium-low flame. Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add the peas and sauté until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the prosciutto, parsley, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Season the mixture with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve.
with Raisins and Pine Nuts
In my family, this is a traditional side during the holidays, but that’s just my family—it’s really perfect any time of year. The trick is to blanch the broccoli rabe in boiling water for a minute or so to get rid of some of the bitterness and partially cook it.
4 TO 6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 2 | tablespoons pine nuts Salt |
| 4 | bunches (12 to 16 ounces each) of broccoli rabe (rapini) |
| ¼ | cup olive oil |
| 3 | garlic cloves, finely chopped |
| ½ | teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes |
| ⅓ | cup raisins |
Preheat the Oven
to 350 degrees F. Place the pine nuts on a heavy baking sheet, and toast in the oven until the nuts are fragrant and light golden brown, stirring once, about 7 minutes. Let cool.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, cook the broccoli rabe in the boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the blanched broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the broccoli rabe again and set aside. (The pine nuts and broccoli rabe can be made 8 hours ahead. Store the pine nuts airtight at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the broccoli rabe.)
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe, raisins, and ¼ teaspoon of salt, and toss to coat. Add the reserved cooking liquid and cook until the broccoli rabe is heated through and the stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with more salt to taste. Just before serving, toss the mixture with the toasted pine nuts. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Brussels sprouts are a member of the cabbage family—and, in fact, they really do look like miniature cabbage. I think Brussels sprouts got a bad rap from the bad-cooking epidemic that seems to have swept America in the mid-twentieth-century: boiling veggies for so long that they became mushy, flavorless, and colorless. This is bad for nearly any vegetables, and particularly awful for the cabbage family, whose crisp texture (when cooked properly) is wonderful, especially when paired with the crisp, salty pancetta. Try this recipe, and see why the Belgians are proud to lend their capital’s name.