Credit: Nassima Rothacker
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Cucina di Amalfi: Transport yourself to warmer climes with these 3 recipes from the Amalfi Coast
By Alice Porter
2 years ago
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2 min read
If the cold weather is getting you down, these recipes will help you pretend you’re dining al fresco on the Italian coast (calming beach wave sounds optional).
The Amalfi Coast is one of the most scenic areas in the world, and its stunning cliffside coastline is more than enough to justify a trip to the south of Italy. Wandering around Positano’s colourful villas and looking out to turquoise waters from the island of Capri are experiences you’re unlikely to forget quickly. But what will almost definitely stay with you is the experience of eating on this side of the world, which is a total sensory delight.
From creamy mozzarella that melts in your mouth to delicious seafood that is as fresh as it comes – and not forgetting a perfectly sweet glass of limoncello – the flavours of the Amalfi Coast really are something special. It’s certainly worth adding this holiday destination to your travel bucket list, but if you aren’t going to make it there anytime soon and your mouth is watering at the thought of an Italian summer of eating, you’ll be glad to know you can recreate much of the Amalfi Coast’s cuisine at home, even during a very British winter, without the sun and the sea.
A new cookbook from food writer and chef Ursula Ferrigno, whose family come from southern Italy, explores the region’s food with 75 dishes, including simple antipasti, minestra (soups), pane (bread), pizza, risotto, pollame and carne (poultry and meat), as well as the all-important contorni (vegetable side dishes). Cucina Di Amalfi also features essays on the food culture in the area, where the act of eating is soaked in tradition and meaning.
Credit: Nassima Rothacker
Here are three recipes from the book that will transport you to southern Italy’s coastline, even if you’re cooking them on a cold, dreary Tuesday evening…
Bucatini with courgettes
Ferrigno says: “If possible, try to find Romanesco courgettes/zucchini for this recipe. They have deep ridges along their length and they are skinnier and drier than ordinary courgettes. They are crunchy rather than juicy, and intensely flavoured. You can grow them from seed (Franchi Seeds of Italy) very successfully in this country. I hope you might have a go.”
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 150ml olive oil
- 1kg courgettes, cut into thin slices
- 500g bucatini pasta
- 55g unsalted butter, cut into little pieces
- 115g freshly grated Parmesan
- 115g freshly grated sweet Provolone cheese
- Handful of fresh mint and basil, freshly torn
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan and fry a few courgette slices at a time for about 3 minutes until golden. Remove and place in a large bowl.
Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente. This will very much depend on personal preference, so taste as you are cooking and stop when the pasta is cooked to your liking. Drain, reserving a cup of pasta water, return the pasta to the pan and add the fried courgettes as well as the butter, cheeses, herbs, salt and pepper. Mix well to form an emulsion, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed. Serve immediately.
Tomato and olive tarts
Ferrigno says: “Polenta crust pizzas – delicious, crunchy and easy, especially if you are short on time, and very impressive visually.”
Makes 6 individual tarts
Ingredients
- 180g Italian ‘00’ flour, plus extra for dusting
- 80g polenta/cornmeal
- 105g cold unsalted butter
- 105g ricotta
- 1 large egg yolk
For the topping:
- 400g can plum tomatoes
- 12–16 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 200g goat’s cheese
- Handful of olives, stoned
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Basil leaves, to garnish
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
For the pastry, put everything into a food processor and pulse briefly until the mixture comes together. Put the pastry on a floured surface and bring it together in a large lump. Divide into 6 individual pieces. Flatten a little, wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain the canned tomatoes in a sieve over a basin, keeping the juice for a drink, then chop the drained tomatoes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas 6.
When the dough is chilled, roll out circles on a floured surface to 3 mm/ 1/8 in. thick (the dough is rustic around the edges). Top each circle with some drained tomatoes, chopped cherry tomatoes and season well. Add the thyme and oregano and crumble over some goat’s cheese. Dot with olives and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, garnish with basil and devour.
Veal scaloppine with parsley caper sauce
Ferrigno says: “I totally understand why this is so enjoyed and is so incredibly popular throughout the Amalfi Coast; it is light on the digestion and quick to cook. I can remember my father coming home saying ‘andiamo a mangiare’ (let’s go and eat) – and it was this we ate. Veal is now ethically produced, so in short, this recipe is perfect.”
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 12 wafer-thin veal scaloppine (ask your butcher to prepare for you)
- ‘00’ flour, for dredging
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- Generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
- 3 tablespoons meat broth
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Dredge the scaloppine in the flour.
Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy frying pan until foamy. Fry the scaloppine for 6 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the scallopine with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you continue cooking.
Increase the heat to high and add the capers, parsley and some salt and pepper to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring gently. Pour in the broth and the vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Return the scallopine to the pan, turning, so that both sides are coated in the juices. Serve immediately with extra parsley to garnish.
Cucina di Amalfi by Ursula Ferrigno, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£20), is out now.
Images: Nassima Rothacker © Ryland Peters & Small
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