Fresh Italian Cooking

This comprehensive collection provides a rich selection of easy recipes drawn from Italian cooking heritage dedicated to those lacking specific expertise who wish to prepare traditional fresh dishes using natural ingredients, and to appreciate all the flavors and colors these ingredients can offer. This precious guide to fresh Italian cooking is divided into 5 chapters, each devoted to a particular kind of food. The first one features breads and small plates' recipes: from breadsticks and crackers to the famous Bruschetta and the tasty and light Caprese salad, from the classic Panzanella, a cold summer dish made in Tuscany, to various, delicious salads made with vegetables, citrus fruits and fish.The second chapter focuses on pasta, beginning with the traditional recipe for spaghetti with tomato sauce and exploring all the possible variations in the vast and variegated realm of penne and pennette, cavatielli and cellentani, fettuccine and bucatini, linguine and bavette, strozzapreti and orecchiette, gnocchi and lasagne, all seasoned in the more fanciful and creative ways, using cheese, eggs, vegetables, fish and meat; and one cannot leave out pasta salads and soups, from the renowned Pappa al pomodoro to the Minestrone, the unmissable Italian vegetable soup. The third section deals with salads and vegetables, from the typical Christmas Salad to some traditional, savory dishes from all over the country such as Peperonata, Ratatouille, Giardiniera and Caponata. The fourth chapter covers the main courses, and presents various recipes of chicken, among which the widespread Pollo alla Cacciatora, some regional dishes with meat, such as the Cima alla Genovese and the Sardinian cabbage rolls, and a few fish specialties ranging from the typical Spiedini to the savory and palatable Sarde a beccafico.Last but not least, the fifth chapter on desserts encompasses some fresh suggestions for preparing mousses, ice creams, sorbets, and water ices, the recipe of the authentic Zabaione, and some creative tips for making delicious chocolate and fruit-based sweets. This brightly illustrated volume will result in a real feast for the palate, and an extraordinary collection to browse through.