Everyday Italian (30 page)
Authors: Giada De Laurentiis
4 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 1 | pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 3 | ounces paper-thin slices of pancetta, coarsely chopped |
| 2 | garlic cloves, minced |
| ¾ | cup reduced-sodium chicken broth |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| ¼ | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
Bring a Large Pot
of salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Place the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain again. (The Brussels sprouts can be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead. Dry thoroughly and refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag.)
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the pancetta and sauté until it begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and sauté until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, ½ teaspoon of pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of salt, and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the Brussels sprout mixture to the pancetta mixture, and toss to combine. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Caponata is one of the great Sicilian vegetable dishes, often eaten as a relish alongside pork roast or fish. The eggplant-based recipe features a wonderful sweet-and-sour taste, one of the hallmarks of Sicilian cooking—a combination of sugar and vinegar that provides a tingling push-and-pull sensation in the mouth. In my family, we often ate caponata as an antipasto, spooned over toasted bread, and used any leftovers for wonderful sandwiches. It can be eaten hot, cold, or at room temperature, making it the ultimate vegetable dish for a casual party.
6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| ¼ | cup olive oil |
| 1 | celery stalk, chopped |
| 1 | medium eggplant, cut into ½-inch cubes |
| 1 | medium onion, chopped |
| 1 | red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces |
| 1 | (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices |
| 3 | tablespoons raisins |
| ½ | teaspoon dried oregano leaves |
| ¼ | cup red wine vinegar |
| 4 | teaspoons sugar |
| 1 | tablespoon drained capers |
| ½ | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste Fresh basil leaves, for garnish |
In a Large,
heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the celery and sauté until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and sauté until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, raisins, and oregano. Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, capers, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the caponata to a bowl, garnish with the basil leaves, and serve.
In this recipe, I blanch the broccoli before sautéing it. I love vegetables sautéed in olive oil that’s fragrant with garlic, but too often, these sautés can turn fresh, crisp produce into something greasy and soggy. So for some thicker-cut vegetables like broccoli florets, the blanching step really helps: By boiling, you cook the veggies most of the way through, and then you finish with the sauté more for flavor and texture than to get the broccoli fully cooked. Less time in the oil, less chance of sogginess.
4 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
Salt
| 8 | cups of broccoli florets (about 2 pounds including the stems) |
| ½ | pound green beans, trimmed |
| ½ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| 2 | garlic cloves, thinly sliced |
| 1½ | teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste |
| ½ | teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
Bring a Large Pot
of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook just until the color brightens, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a large bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain the broccoli and set aside.
Cook the green beans in the same pot of boiling salted water just until the color brightens, about 4 minutes. Drain, then add the green beans to another large bowl of ice water to cool completely. (The vegetables can be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead. Dry thoroughly and refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag.)
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. When almost smoking, add the garlic and 1½ teaspoons of red pepper flakes, and sauté just until fragrant and the garlic is pale golden, about 45 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the oil and discard (do not overcook the garlic as it will impart a very bitter taste to the dish). Add the broccoli, green beans, and ½ teaspoon each of sea salt and black
pepper to the oil, and sauté until the vegetables are heated through and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with more red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve immediately.
I love mashed potatoes as much as the next person, but most recipes take a long time—and a lot of elbow grease—to make. So I smash the unpeeled, cooked potatoes with a fork to save time, and I add olive oil and Parmesan cheese to make them rich and velvety. And that’s it!
6 TO 8 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 3 | pounds red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, quartered |
| ⅔ | cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese |
| ½ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste |
Put the Potatoes
in a large pot with water to cover by at least 2 inches. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Continue boiling until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving ¾ cup of the cooking liquid. Return the potatoes to the pot. Coarsely mash the potatoes with a fork, adding enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Not only do these veggies look and taste great, but they cook quickly, there’s no mess, you can serve them at any temperature, and you can make them ahead of time. Plus, the leftovers can be used on sandwiches or in salads, as condiments or side dishes.
6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 3 | red bell peppers, seeded and quartered |
| 3 | yellow squash (1 pound), cut into ½-inch-thick rounds |
| 3 | zucchini (12 ounces), cut into ½-inch-thick rounds |
| 3 | Japanese eggplants (12 ounces), cut into ½-inch-thick rounds |
| 12 | cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms |
| 1 | bunch of asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed |
| 12 | green onions, trimmed |
| ¼ | cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil |
| 1½ | teaspoons salt, plus more to taste |
| 1½ | teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| 3 | tablespoons balsamic vinegar |
| 1 | garlic clove, minced |
| 1 | teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |
| 1 | teaspoon chopped fresh basil |
| ½ | teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary |
Prepare a Charcoal
or gas grill for medium-high heat, or preheat a ridged grill pan over a medium-high flame. Brush the vegetables with ¼ cup of the oil to coat lightly. Sprinkle the vegetables with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over, about 12 minutes for the bell peppers; 7 minutes for the yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms; and 4 minutes for the asparagus and green onions. Arrange the vegetables on a platter.
In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, garlic, parsley, basil, rosemary, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper to blend. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Feel free
to use
whatever vegetables are available
.