Cookbook: Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian

the appetizer:

Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian: Simple, Authentic Recipes for Everyday Cooking by Domenica Marchetti includes recipes like Carrot and Winter Squash Soup with Pancetta (Zuppa di Carote e Zucca); Beets with Blood Oranges and Fennel (Barbietole con Arancia Rossa); and Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb-Almond Pesto (Costole d'Agnello Alla Brace).

Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian
Simple, Authentic Recipes for Everyday Cooking

by Domenica Marchetti

Click to buy Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian

Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian: Simple, Authentic Recipes for Everyday Cooking features 100 simple recipes highlighting fresh, seasonal ingredients. The recipes are divided into six chapters, which are organized by course. The food is rustic—loose and not perfectly composed—and the recipes use familiar ingredients but are also modern, offering a subtle element of surprise through interesting flavor pairings and the use of a wide range of produce and Italian pantry staples.

The recipes are organized by course, from antipasti such as crostini with tasty toppings and saffron-infused rice croquettes to dolci like pistachio gelato and plum-almond cake. In zuppe e insalate, discover soups and salads to match every occasion, such as hearty wild rice soup with porcini and escarole, a tomato-based Livorno-style fish stew, a simple salad of beets with blood oranges and fennel, and green beans tossed with ricotta salata and lemon.

You'll also find dishes like spaghetti with summer squash and crispy speck, risotto with Prosecco and radicchio, and Roman-style pizza with spinach and olives. In pesce e carne, look for such favorites as Tuscan-style steak with crispy potatoes and roasted branzino with herbed farro. And, as in Italy, the vegetables here shine with little adornment in contorni like wine-braised broccoli rabe, spicy sautéed kale and chickpeas, and oven-roasted endive.

Wine-pairing suggestions and guides to Italian cheeses, salumi, and pantry staples round out this fresh take on home-cooked Italian fare.

"This collection reflects how I cook at home," says Marchetti. "My favorite dishes to make for family and friends are uncomplicated ones—recipes that honor ingredients and the seasons, with a nod to my Italian heritage."

Recipes include:

Antipasti

Pickled Cauliflower with Chile Bread Crumbs

Burrata with Roasted Peppers and Coppa

Crostini with Spicy Broccoli Rabe and Pecorino

Meatballs In Swiss Chard-Tomato Sauce

Cambozola-Stuffed Dates Wrapped In Prosciutto

Zuppe e Insalate

Carrot and Winter Squash Soup with Pancetta

Wild Rice Soup with Porcini and Escarole

Tuscan Bread Salad with Caper Dressing

Citrusy Shrimp and Calamari Salad

Arugula with Figs, Honey, and Sovrano Cheese

Pasta, Risotto, e Pizza

Bucatini with Caramelized Onions

Cavatelli with Zucchini Blossoms

Fettuccine with Pistachio Pesto

Baked Penne with Eggplant and Smoked Scamorza

Prosecco Risotto with Radicchio

Roman-Style Pizza with Spinach and Olives

Individual Grilled Pizzas

Pesce e Carne

Clams with White Wine, Tomatoes, and Sausage

Roasted Branzino with Herbed Farro

Tuna-Stuffed Grilled Sardines

Butterflied Chicken Roasted with Lemons

Pork Rib Ragu with Polenta

Tuscan-Style Steak with Crispy Potatoes

Contorni

Roasted Delicata Squash with Sage

Asparagus and Asiago Gratin

Balsamic-Braised Cippolini Onions

Spicy Sautéed Chickpeas with Kale

Roasted Potato and Mushroom Strata

Dolci

Melon Granita with Basil

Pistachio Gelato with Shaved Chocolate

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Roasted Rhubarb

Shortbread Wedges with Rosemary

Plum-Almond Cake

Grilled Nectarines with Pecorino

About the Author

Domenica Marchetti is a food writer, recipe developer, and cooking instructor who specializes in contemporary Italian home cooking. Her articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, and other publications. She is the author of Big Night In and The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy. She lives with her family in Alexandria, Virginia.

Maren Caruso has photographed over 80 cookbooks, including many for Williams-Sonoma: Cheese, Cooking from the Farmers' Market, and several titles in the Collection series. She photographed Chocolate Obsession, which won an IACP award for best food photography. Her work has also appeared in Saveur, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and Food & Wine magazines.