Octopus in Umido

Serves 4

2 lbs. octopus
2/3 lb. mature tomatoes
1 garlic clove
parsley
chili pepper
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean the octopus, removing the intestines, eyes, and beak.
2. Wash, dry, and chop into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
3. In a pan, saute the garlic, pepper and parsley in 8 tbs. of olive oil.
4. While the garlic browns, add the octopus and after a few minutes add the wine.
5. When it evaporates, add the tomatoes (after they have been peeled and chopped), salt, and pepper and cook on low heat for about one hour.

Serve warm.

Octopus in Galera

Serves 4

2 lbs. octopus
2 garlic cloves
parsley
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean the octopus and remove the intestines, eyes, and beak.
2. Wash, dry and chop the octopus into bite-sized pieces
3. In a pot, saute 12 tbs. of oil with chopped garlic and parsley.
4. Before the garlic browns, add the octopus, salt, and pepper.
5. Cover with a lid and cook slowly, for about 30 minutes, stirring often.

Serve hot, lukewarm, or cold.

Octopus alla Luciana

Serves 4
 
4 octopus (about 1/2 pound)
2 garlic cloves
parsley
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean the octopus and remove the intestines, eyes, and beak (leave the skin and tentacles intact).
2. Wash, dry and put the octopus in a crock.
4. Sprinkle with 12 tbs of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and add the garlic and a sprig of parsley.
5. Cover with a lid and, using a very low heat let it simmer for about one hour.

It can be served hot, lukewarm, or cold. It works well as an appetizer.

This recipe appears to have come from the famous neighborhood of Santa Lucia in Naples, which would explain the origin of the name.

You can also cook it with tomatoes and/or spinach.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

1 pound dry spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Cook the pasta while preparing the sauce to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; the hot pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce, so this is an important step

Boil salted water, then add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta, keeping 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.

Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

Polenta with Fontina

1 2/3 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup speck
1/2 cup fontina
3 leaves sage
1/4 cup parmesan 
2 tbs. butter
salt, pepper


Preparation:

1. Cook the flour in lightly salted water for 45 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and let cool.
2. With a knife, cut polenta into 1-1/2 inch squares.  
3. Arrange the squares of polenta into a buttered baking dish, alternating with the cheese slices and cut the bacon into small pieces.
4. Melt the butter with the sage leaves and pour over the polenta sprinkle with parmesan and pepper, and then brown in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve.

Squid Ink Risotto

I had this in Venice and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only that, but when I got back I was thrilled to find out that my host mom had a recipe for this dish. It is truly delicious. 

11 oz. rice
2 lb. squid
1 cup vegetable broth
3 chopped shallots
6 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
3 anchovies 
2 chili peppers
2/3 cup white wine
3 peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
4 tbs chopped parsley
salt, pepper

1. Clean the squid by removing the outer skin, cutting the back from head to tail and extract the bones. Open the cut and take out the ink bag and remove the innards.
2. Rinse the squid under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the tentacles above the eyes and remove the beak, then cut the squid into 1/4 inch strips.
3. Cook the chopped anchovies with 3 tablespoons of oil, add the squid and fry with garlic and chillies. Pour in half of the wine and let it evaporate. Add in 1/4 cups of water and reduce the mix.
4. Cook the rice with the shallots and the remaining oil. Pour the wine and add the broth. When it is half cooked, add the tomatoes and squid ink. Add the squid and then add the parsley, salt and pepper. 

Patrizia's Carrots

Okay, this is definitely one of the best ways to cook carrots.While I can't say that the proportions are exact (Patrizia doesn't measure her ingredients when she makes it) you should be able to figure it out with your eyes.

Serves 4

2 lbs. carrots (cleaned, peeled and sliced)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 tbs. butter
1 tsp. cayenne 
1/3 cup milk
2 tbs. water
8 basil leaves

Preparation:

1. Cook the carrot slices in a pan with the olive oil, garlic and butter until the carrots are about half cooked (maybe 10 minutes or so).
2. Add the cayenne, milk, water and basil leaves and simmer until the carrots are cooked but not mushy.