the appetizer:
Though there are many individual regional cuisines in Italy, northern and southern Italian cuisines are primarily differentiated by the cooking fat and style of pasta commonly used. Northern Italian cuisine (other than on the coast) favors butter, cream, polenta, Mascarpone, Grana Padano, and Parmigiano cheeses, risotto and fresh egg pasta. Southern Italian cuisine tends toward Mozzarella, Caciocavallo and Pecorino cheeses, olive oil and dried pasta. Southern Italian cuisine also makes greater use of the ubiquitous tomato.
Italy
Penne with Ricotta, Lemon and Basil
(Penne con Ricotta, Limone e Basilico)
Serves 4
A very refreshing pasta, wonderful followed by a salad of mixed leaves with plenty of fennel, carrots, spring onions (scallions) and maybe the red onion frittata. This is a light summer dinner to impress all vegetarian friends, and it can be prepared in under half an hour. Remember to buy the freshest ricotta available.
200 g / 7 oz (scant 1 cup) fresh ricotta cheese
Thinly pared zest of lemon, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A generous amount of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
400 g / 14 oz penne or any dried pasta
50 g / 2 oz (1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Extra
Virgin olive oil for drizzling
In a large bowl heat the ricotta with the lemon zest using a balloon whisk, adding salt, black pepper and the basil. Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water. Add a ladle of water from the pasta to the ricotta mixture to moisten it a little and then place the bowl over the pasta pan for a few minutes to soften the mixture. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and mix with the ricotta. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and drizzle with a little olive oil.
From:
Italian Country Cooking
by Susanna Gelmetti
Illustrations by Robert Budwig
Ten Speed Press, 1996
$16.95, paper, 128 pages
ISBN: 0-89815-828-1
Reprinted with permission
Italy
- Backgrounder
- When To Eat
- Where To Eat
- How To Order Italian Coffee
- How To Eat Italian-Style
- About Cheap Eats in Italy and Cheap Sleeps in Italy
Italian Recipes
- Asparagus Omelet (Asparagus Frittata)
- Cornmeal Bread (Polenta)
- Fresh Pasta
- Hazelnut Dipping Cookies (Hazelnut Biscotti)
- Italian Wine Sherbet (Vin Santo Sorbet)
- Lemon Ricotta
- Marinated Mozzarella
- Creamy Mushroom Rice (Risotto al Funghi)
- Pasta and Bean Soup (Pasta di Fagioli)
- Pasta in Rich Sauce (Pasta Carbonara)
- Pasta with Sausage (Pasta alla Campidanese)
- Pizza Crust (Focaccia)
- Potato Pasta (Potato Gnocchi)
- Ricotta Cheesecake (Torta di Ricotta)
- Shrimp in Garlic Butter (Shrimp alla Griglia)
- Spaghetti with Olives and Capers (Spaghetti alla puttanesca)
- Stuffed Zucchini (Zucchini Ripiene al Prosciutto)
- Mocha Ladyfinger Cake (Tiramisu)
- Veal Scallops with Tomatoes and Basil (Veal Scaloppine)
- White Bean Salad
Pasta, Risotto & You (with recipes)
from Kate's Global Kitchen:
Italian Cookbooks
- Italian Country Cooking by Susanna Gelmetti
- Baked Asparagus (Asparagi Al Forno)
- Penne with Ricotta, Lemon and Basil
(Penne con Ricotta, Limone e Basilico)
More Cookbooks
- 99% Fat-Free Italian Cooking by Barry Bluestein & Kevin Morrissey
- Betty Crocker's Italian Cooking by Antonio Cecconi
- Biba's Italy by Biba Caggiano
- Biba's Taste of Italy by Biba Caggiano
- Cooking the Roman Way by David Downie
- Cucina Ebraica by Joyce Goldstein
- David Ruggerio's Italian Kitchen
- Flavors of Italy: Emilia Romagna by Rosalba Gioffré
- Gusto Italiano by Ursula Ferrigno
- How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan
- Insalate by Susan Simon
- Italian Family Cooking by Father Joseph Orsini
- Italian Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis
- Italian Festival Food by Anne Bianchi
- Italy Anywhere by Lori De Mori, Jean-Louis De Mori and Antonio Tommasi
- Little Foods of the Mediterranean by Clifford A. Wright
- Mangia by Ricardo Diaz & Nancy Jessup
- Naples at Table by Arthur Schwartz
- Nick Stellino's Passione
- Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian by the Editors of Saveur Magazine
- Simple Italian Food by Mario Batali
- Sweet Sicily by Victoria Granof
- The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert
- Umbria by Julia della Croce
Back to the main Italy page
Italy on Wikipedia
More country Destinations
This page modified January 2007
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