Domenica Marchetti - Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian

DOMENICA MARCHETTI

photography
MAREN CARUSO

When I cook, my favorite everyday dishes to make for family and friends are uncomplicated onesrecipes that honor both ingredients and the seasons, with a nod to my heritage.

This book reflects my twin passions for eating Italian and eating locally. It is a collection of favorite recipes that I cook throughout the year, recipes that are both simple and beautiful in their simplicity. Each dish clearly evokes Italy, yet becomes something altogether new in my home kitchen.

I grew up in an Italian family in which food played a starring role. My mother was born and raised in Abruzzo, in central Italy, a region blessed with both mountains and coastline that takes pride in its rustic home cooking: hand-shaped pastas, simple roasted and grilled meats, pristine seafood prepared with few embellishments, and locally grown fruits and vegetables.

When my mother came to the United States in the 1950s, she brought her cooking traditions with her. But like any great home cook, she took those traditions and played around with them, working with ingredients available to her and experimenting with new riffs on classics. To this day, she remains a curious and innovative cook. I am proud to say I followed in my mothers footsteps.

As a girl, I spent my summers in Italy, and I return as often as I can for culinary inspiration. But I find my everyday inspiration right here at home. Farmers markets offer an ever-growing variety of vegetables and fruits. The one near my house has two vendors who sell local, humanely raised meat. Farmstead cheesesimported and domesticare everywhere. And come summer, the tomatoes now rival the perfect, flavorful varieties I recall from Italy. It is a wonderful time to be someone who loves to cook. I hope you will make these recipes your own and share them with loved ones.

Buon appetito!

pickled melon with prosciutto, basil & mint

Ripe summer melon and buttery prosciutto has to be one of the greatest culinary marriages of all time. Here, Ive lightly pickled the melon in a sweet-and-sour syrup to give this classic combination a fresh twist.

1 cantaloupe, 23 lb (1.251.5 kg)

cup (2 oz/60 g) sugar

cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) white wine vinegar

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 thin slices prosciutto di Parma

1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh basil

1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh mint

serves 4

Set a colander over a bowl. Cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds. Using a melon baller, scoop out the flesh, letting the fruit and any juices fall into the colander.

Measure the liquid that collected in the bowl. You should have about cup (2 fl oz/60 ml); if not, add enough water to equal cup. If you have more, discard the rest or reserve for another use. Pour the melon juice into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the sugar, vinegar, and teaspoon salt. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring once or twice, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup comes to a boil. Boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes.

Put the melon balls in a bowl and pour in the syrup. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours.

To serve, arrange the prosciutto slices in ruffles on a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove the melon balls from the syrup and arrange in clusters over the prosciutto. Scatter the basil and mint on top, season with a few grindings of pepper, and serve.

WINE SUGGESTION: SPARKLING WINE, SUCH AS PROSECCO DI CONEGLIANO OR PROSECCO DI VALDOBBIADENE

burrata with peppers & coppa

Burrata , a delicate ball of fresh mozzarella filled with curds and cream, is a remarkable experience all on its own. But I like to serve the cheese as part of an antipasti platter, with crostini, roasted peppers, and slices of grilled coppa. This dish is equally as tasty with mozzarella di bufala , which has more tang.

1 cup (8 oz/250 g) bottled roasted red or yellow peppers, drained and sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Fine sea salt

12 thin slices hot or sweet coppa

1 large ball (8 oz/250 g) burrata cheese

for serving

serves 4

In a bowl, combine the roasted peppers, olive oil, vinegar, parsley, and teaspoon salt and mix gently. Set aside.

In a large, dry grill pan or frying pan over high heat, cook 6 slices of the coppa until browned on the bottom and the edges begin to curl, 12 minutes. Turn and cook until browned and curling on the second side, 12 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. Repeat to cook the remaining coppa.

Place the burrata in the center of a serving platter. Spoon the roasted pepper mixture around the cheese and arrange the coppa and crostini around the edges of the platter. Drizzle the cheese with additional olive oil, if desired, and serve.

WINE SUGGESTION: A FULL-BODIED WHITE FROM FRIULI, SUCH AS THOSE FROM THE DISTRICTS COLLIO OR COLLI ORIENTALI DEL FRIULI

crostini with spicy broccoli rabe & pecorino

Served as an antipasto in Umbria, Tuscany, and elsewhere in Italy, crostini are traditionally topped with such savory delights as sauted chicken livers, porcini, or black truffles. Heres one of my favorite combinationsbitter Italian greens and flavorful cheese.

3 cloves garlic, minced

cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 small fresh hot chile, minced, or a generous pinch of red pepper flakes

1 lb (500 g) rapini (broccoli rabe), tough stems removed, leaves and tender stems chopped

Fine sea salt

cup (2 oz/60 g) shaved pecorino cheese

serves 6

In a large frying pan over medium-low heat, warm the garlic in the olive oil, stirring often, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle in the chile and stir to coat it with the oil. Add the broccoli rabe by the handful and, using tongs or a wooden spoon, toss and stir to coat with the oil after each addition.

Cover and cook until the greens are wilted, about 1 minute. Uncover, toss once more, re-cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until the greens are tender, 2030 minutes. Stir in teaspoon salt. Raise the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and chop finely.