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Municipio di Pordenone
Risotto con la zucca (4-6)
Rice with butternut squash
2 cups Arborio Rice or any Italian short grain rice
2 cups baked, mashed butternut
1 onion, finely minced
5-6 cups vegetable or chicken broth, hot
4-5 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Freshly grated parmesan
3 tablespoons butter
I tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
To bake the squash: wash and then cut in half horizontally( for a very large butternut, first cut in half between the narrow and the large part of the butternut, then cut each piece horizontally, watch out for your fingers! ) Scoop out the seeds and any filaments and discard. If you have a garden, save the seeds to plant next year.
Place skin down on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 till tender, 30, 40 minutes. Scoop pulp out. You can also prepare a large amount for future meals, it freezes beautifully.
In a large pot, gently heat 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil, add the onion and saute' the onion till is translucent, do not brown. Add the rice and toast it in the pot stirring continuously.
Add the squash and 1 ladle of broth, stir, add a little salt ( you can adjust it later ). Continue adding broth, a little at a time, stirring often in between and waiting for it to be absorbed into the rice before adding more.
Continue so till the rice is al dente. The finished risotto should be creamy, not too dry, not too wet.
If you need more liquid you can add some hot water.
When the rice is ready, turn off the heat, add the remaining butter, 1 small handful of parmesan and stir; this process is called mantecare.
Serve on a serving platter or individual plates adding more parmesan on top and a dusting of parsley.
Risotto is a wonderful Italian dish, versatile, satisfying and loved by all, but is better prepared for small groups as is only really good when prepared immediately before serving.
Al dente means to the tooth. Pasta or rice prepared al dente is firm, with still some resiliency.
Alternative recipes
You can substitute other vegetables for the squash: try asparagus, spinach, mushrooms. Or meat: chicken, ham, Italian sausage
Insalata calda di zucchine (4)
Warm zucchini salad
2 garlic cloves, minced – 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – 11/2 pounds small, firm zucchini, cut into rounds – salt and pepper – 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the zucchini rounds and cook till tender. Stir just enough to keep them from burning, you should try to keep the rounds intact. When almost done, add the garlic, stirring gently. Do not overcook.
Add salt and pepper and the parsley. Serve warm.
Granita di cioccolato e menta (6-8)
Chocolate e mint granita
3 cups water – ½ cup sugar (more or less depending on taste) – 10 large fresh mint leaves – ¾ cup grated, good quality, unsweetened chocolate – whipped cream
Bring to a boil the water in a saucepan with the sugar, mint and chocolate. Remove from heat, stir well to dissolve the sugar and chocolate and let cool to room temperature. Remove the mint leaves and place the mixture in a glass or ceramic pan. Place in the freezer and stir every ½ hour till you obtain frozen crystals, 2- 4 hours.
Scoop the chocolate and mint crystals in individuals wide goblets, place a dollop of whipped cream on top and decorate with mint leaves and some chocolate shavings.
Goat cheese and rucola bruschetta (8)
I loaf baguette – I bunch rucola – 1 garlic clove – extra vergin olive oil – 4 ozs. goat cheese – lemon juice - salt and pepper.
Slice and toast bread. Wash and chop rucola, peel and chop garlic. In a small bowl add rucola, garlic, 2-3 tbsp. olive oil., 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, salt and pepper, mix well.
Cool bread and then spread with rucola-goat cheese mixture.
Riso in bianco con salvia (4)
Rice with butter and fresh sage
2 cups Arborio rice – 4 tablespoons unsalted butter – 10 fresh sage leaves – salt and pepper – ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Bring to a boil a large pot of salted water. Add the rice and cook till al dente, do not overcook.
Drain completely into a colander.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the sage leaves and stir till the butter is golden brown.
Be careful, the butter burns quickly, do not let it became dark or the sage turn crisp.
Remove from heat and add the rice to the saucepan, stir, add ½ the Parmesan, a good grinding of pepper, stir and serve with the rest of the cheese at the table.
Potato and arugola salad (6)
1 LB new potatoes, washed, skin on - ½ small red onion, chopped – ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil – 2 tablespoons wine vinegar – salt and pepper – 1 garlic clove, minced – about 2 cups baby arugola, washed and dried
Place the potatoes in a pot, cover them with cold water, add salt and cook gently till tender.
Drain and let cool slightly, then cut into bite size pieces, place them in a large bowl, and add onion, garlic, oil, vinegar and generous pepper. Bring to room temperature; adjust for seasoning then toss gently with the arugola. Serve.
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Pasta alla Norma
(Pasta with Eggplant and Tomato Sauce)
This pasta was named to honor the opera Norma
written by the Sicilian composer, Vincenzo Bellini.
2 medium eggplants
1 1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 pounds ripe tomatoes or
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 pound penne
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup basil, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups ricotta salata, grated
Remove ends of eggplant and slice, without peeling, in thin slices. Sprinkle with salt and drain in colander for at least one, preferably two hours.
Pat eggplant dry and sauté in 1 cup olive oil until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
Heat remaining oil in separate skillet. Sauté garlic until just softening. DO NOT BURN. Pour in tomatoes and cook for about 15 minutes, uncovered. Season with salt and pepper. If you like a smooth sauce, you can pass through a food mill. Otherwise, leave intact.
Boil pasta in abundant salted water until al dente. Drain and put in serving bowl. Toss with tomato sauce, half the basil and half the ricotta salata. Top with eggplant slices and the remaining basil and ricotta.
Serves: 4
Calamari fritti
Fried calamari
Calamari fritti
Fried calamari
Serves 6
1 lb. calamari, cleaned
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup fine-ground corn meal
½ teasp black pepper, salt, 1 teasp. paprika, pinch of cayenne pepper
2 egg whites, beaten till frothy
1 quart vegetable oil
1-2 large lemons
Combine flour, corn meal, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper in a small paper bag.
Cut calamari into ½ inch wide rings.
Heat oil in a wide and heavy-bottomed saucepan to 380 degrees.
Toss calamari rings in the egg whites, drain them, then in the bag with the flour mixture, shake well to coat
Fry few at a times, only for few seconds, mantaining the oil temperature, till barely golden but crisp. Place them on a paper- lined plate to drain, sprinkle with salt to taste.
Serve with lemon wedges.
