BOWTIES WITH SEAFOOD (farfalle ai frutti di mare)

Pasta entree - lactose free

1/2 lb bowties Italian pasta
12 mussels
12 clams
20 bay scallops
20 medium shrimp
6 oz imitation crab meat, sliced
1 cup Italian crushed San marzano tomatoes
1/2 white wine
1 garlic clove
Italian extra virgin olive oil
Hot pepper flakes, salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

In the meantime, put a large skillet with a few tbsp of water on medium high heat and cook mussels and clams until they open. Set aside.

Put a large saucepan on medium heat and warm up 3 tbsp of olive oil, add garlic and sautee until golden, then discard it. Add bay scallops and shrimp and sautee, the add mussels and clams, white wine and let alcohol evaporate.

When it's evaporated (2-3 minutes), add hot pepper flakes and crushed tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes; stir in imitation crab meat and cook for a couple more minutes, season with salt and remove from heat.

When water boils, add salt and pasta and cook until al dente (about 8-9 minutes), reserve some cooking water.

Transfer pasta into saucepan and toss, sauteeing on medium heat, for a couple of minutes (add a few tbsp of reserved water, if sauce thickens too much).

This recipe serves 2-3


- You can use frozen seafood, if you can't find fresh.
- You can use actual crab meat, making your dish a little upper scale, but also more expensive.
- We carry an Italian hot pepper/garlic mix that would be perfect.
- The picture is about last time I prepared this dish, with spaghetti instead of bowties.
- If you want to keep this really Italian, DO  NOT sprinkle with parmigiano or other cheese!!!

FISH-LOAF

Fish entree

1 lb cod fillets (or other white fish)
1/2 cup Italian dried black olives
1 can Italian tuna packed in olive oil, drained
4 tbsp Italian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
4 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves
3 eggs
3 potatoes
4 tbsp grated parmigiano
4 tbsp plain breadcrumbs
Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp each chopped parsley and basil


Boil potatoes and set aside; chop fish, tuna and anchovies and transfer in a big bowl; chop capers, olives, garlic and herbs together and combine with the fish mix.

Force potatoes through a ricer with small holes directly into the bowl with the fish mixture, then add parmigiano, eggs, salt and 1/2 breadcrumbs.

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix well to combine all ingredients until you obtain a smooth mixture. Shape as a loaf, dredge in breadcrumbs and lay on a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes.

Let it cool down to room temperature and cut into 1" slices.

This recipe can serve 4-8


- To reheat: cover with aluminum foil and warm it up in oven at 375 for about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with mixed greens, or steamed/sauteed vegetables.
- You can use any white fish you prefer.
- You can use anchovy paste (2 tsp) if you prefer.
- We have a mix of Italian dried basil/parsley that's perfect.
- It's great served with the peperonata we emailed you a couple of weeks ago.

"SAUCY" EGGS

Entree - Vegetarian - Lactose and gluten free

8 eggs
2 cups crushed Italian San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jar Italian small peas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
salt

Boil eggs for 8-10 minutes. Quickly cool them down under running cold water, peel and halve, lengthwise. Set aside.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce.

In a saucepan with lid, large enough to contain all eggs, warm the olive oil on medium-high heat an sautee onion until they start becoming golden. Add crushed tomatoes, season with salt, lower the heat to medium and cook (covered) for about 10 minutes.

Lower heat to medium-low. Add peas and stir, then add eggs cut side down. After 5 minutes, turn them upside down and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve immediately.

This recipe serves 4

- It's vegetarian, lactose and gluten free!!
- You can serve it with toasted ciabatta and a green salad and you'll have a complete meal!!

PEPERONATA

Side dish - vegetarian - lactose and gluten free

3 big bell peppers (same colors or assorted ones - no green peppers)
1 big onion, chopped
1 14-oz can Italian San Marzano tomatoes
9 Italian dried black olives
1 tbsp capers, packed in salt and rinsed
2 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
Salt and chopped parsley.

Wash bell pepper, halve them and remove seed and inner white ribbings, the slice them.

In a large saucepan with lid, over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. When ready add onions and sautee a couple of minutes, then add bell peppers slices and stir. Season with salt and cook, on medium heat, for about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, chop the peeled tomatoes (set juice aside) and add them to the peppers along with olives and capers. Cover with lid and lower heat to low.

Cook about 25-30 minutes, or until pepper are soft.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

This recipe serves 4.


- If the peperonata dries too much, add a few tbsp of the peeled tomato juice.
- You can add a tsp of anchovy paste, if you like it.
- It's a perfect side dish for fish, white meat and eggs.

SHRIMP AND BEANS SALAD

Salad - appetizer - gluten and lactose free

2 cups cooked shrimp
2 14-oz cans Italian cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves only, chopped
1 garlic clove
4 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice and grated zest
Salt


Peel and halve garlic; in a small bowl arrange oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and parsley, mix well to combine and set aside for about 30 minutes. Remove and discard garlic.

In a serving bowl combine shrimp, beans and celery; sprinkle with salt, drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and then serve.

This recipe serves 4.


- It can be used as an appetizer.
- If you'd like to keep garlic, finely chop it.
- Only use a very high quality Italian extra virgin olive oil in order to obtain the best from this recipe.

FOCACCIA WITH COTECHINO AND GREEN CABBAGE

Appetizer - Entree - Pizza

For the dough:
3 cups 00 Italian flour
1 cup warm milk
1 envelope dry active yeast
3 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
Salt

For the stuffing:
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 precooked Italian cotechino sausage, casing removed and thinly sliced

1 egg
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil


Combine flour and salt, then add yeast and mix. Make a well in the flour mount and pour oil and warm milk in it. Mix to combine all ingredients then transfer onto a floured working surface and knead for about 5-8 minutes, until you obtain a well combined, smooth, elastic dough.

Divide the dough into 2 balls (one slightly bigger than the other), slightly grease 2 bowls and transfer the dough balls in them; let rise for about 1 hr.

Preheat oven to 400.

Beat the egg. Roll out the dough balls onto a floured surface.

Grease a 16" round baking pan and line it with the bigger disk, top with green cabbage and sliced cotechino, leaving 1/3" border, cover with the smaller disk, seal the edges tightly.

Brush the top disk with the beaten egg, sprinkle with a little salt and make a couple of cuts to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Serve immediately.


- You can use this doug for every focaccia and also as a pizza base
- We carry the Italian cotechino, but in VERY limited quantities.
- I always suggest to use the 00 Italian flour because it's the best!!!! And we do carry it too!

RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP, ZUCCHINE AND ARTICHOKES

Rice entree - gluten free - lactose free (read note below)

1 cup shrimp
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1 cup marinated artichokes, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/4 cup carnaroli rice
5 cups vegetable stock at least
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp cream cheese


Put stock in a covered pot on high heat until it boils, then lower heat to simmer.

Meanwhile, in a big non-stick skillet warm the olive oil and sautee all the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in rice, add wine and let evaporate. Add stock, a ladle at a time, stirring often to prevent sticking, but not continuously. After 15 minutes, add shrimp.

When the risotto is al dente, add the cream cheese stir and serve immediately.

This recipe serves 4-6


- Carnaroli is the best variety for risotto: a little less starchy and not as easy to overcook as the others.

- You can also add some Italian San Marzano tomatoes, if you like them.

- It's gluten free.

- To make it lactose free, don't use cream cheese