La Vita E Bella!

Life is beautiful indeed, when good friends and good cooks convene to share their love for all things Italian.
By Brenda Ware Jones

Menu by Vicksburg and Jackson students of Patsy Ricks’ Italian language class at Millsaps College.

FRITTATA with ASPARAGUS, TOMATO, and FONTINA
6 servings
6 large eggs
2 T whipping cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
12 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tomato, seeded and diced
3 ounces Fontina cheese, cubed

Preheat the broiler. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper to blend. Set aside. In a 9 1/ 2-inch-diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the oil and butter over a medium flame. Add the asparagus and sauté until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato and sauté 2 minutes longer. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle the cheese over. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the frittata is almost set but the top is still runny, about 2 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler and broil until the top is set and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Let the frittata stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from the skillet and slide it onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

ROASTED BELL PEPPER SALAD
6 servings
2 red bell peppers
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T drained capers
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the broiler. Cover a heavy baking sheet with foil. Arrange the peppers on the sheet and broil until the skins brown and blister, turning the peppers over occasionally, about 20 minutes. Enclose the peppers in a resealable plastic bag and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Peel and seed the peppers [skin will slip off easily] and cut them into 1 /2-inch thick strips. In a medium bowl, toss the pepper strips and remaining ingredients. (The salad can be made up to two days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

WHITE BEAN DIP with PITA CHIPS
4 pita breads, split horizontally in half
2 T plus 1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 (15-oz.) can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1/ 4 cup (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 T fresh lemon juice (from about 1/ 2 lemon)
1 garlic clove

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut each pita half into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges evenly over a large baking sheet. Brush the pita wedges with 2 T of the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano and 1 tsp each of salt and pepper. Bake for 8 minutes, then turn over and bake until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and the remaining salt and pepper. Pulse on and off until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually mix in the remaining 1/3 cup of oil until the mixture is creamy. Season to taste. Transfer to small bowl and serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside. Can be made 1 day ahead.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH and CHESTNUT RAVIOLI
1 medium-sized butternut squash, about 2 pounds
8 chestnuts (peeled in jars; use unsweetened variety) coarsely chopped
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup grated Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Amaretti cookies, crushed
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and place cut side down on foil-lined baking dish. Pour boiling water in dish to depth of 1/ 4 inch. Bake squash about 45 minutes at 375 degrees, or until fork-tender. Scoop out squash, add beaten egg yolks, chestnuts, and remaining ingredients. Use as filling for fresh pasta dough.

Pasta:
3 cups semolina or all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 egg whites (saved from filling recipe, above)
2 T olive oil
2 tsp salt
few drops of water

Mix ingredients and knead until smooth and elastic. Run flat sheets of dough through pasta machine (see instructions accompanying machine) several times until desired thinness is achieved.

Using the sheets, make ravioli individually in 3” squares. Place filling in the center of a square, moisten edges with water, and place another square on top. Seal edges with fork. Ravioli may now be left to dry on waxed paper, or dropped immediately into boiling, lightly salted water. Cook until al dente, remove and drain. Serve immediately with Butter-Sage Sauce.

Butter-Sage Sauce:
In a small pan, melt one stick unsalted butter and a few coarsely-chopped sage leaves. Allow to cook gently for a few minutes, browning slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and spoon over ravioli.

SPEZZATINO DI MAIALE AI PEPERONI
Pork Stew with Pepper
Serves 8; can multiply for crowd
3 pounds pork tenderloin
3 red peppers
3 yellow peppers
6 T butter
4-6 T flour
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
Parsley, thyme, salt, pepper
2-3 cans meat stock

Slice peppers into strips, removing seeds and white membrane.

Cut pork into 1” cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter in large deep skillet and brown pork cubes over high heat, mixing constantly. When meat is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes, drain off grease and sprinkle meat with 4 T flour and stir until flour is golden. Add chopped garlic and herbs. Cover with stock and simmer for about an hour. If sauce thickens, add more stock. Add peppers and continue cooking for 20 minutes more.

 FRESH ORANGE TIRAMISÙ
1 cup orange juice
5 T sugar, divided
6 T orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau) divided
8 large seedless oranges (about 3 pounds)
2 cups chilled whipping cream
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 package rectangular shortbread cookies such as Pepperidge Farm Chessmen

Stir juice and 1 T sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cool. Stir in 1 T liqueur. Set aside. Using sharp knife, peel and slice oranges into very thin rounds, about 1/4”. Set aside to drain on paper towels.

Coarsely chop a few of the slices (about 1 cup) and put in a small saucepan. Add 2 T sugar, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick and pulpy, stirring frequently and mashing with the back of a fork, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.

Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream and mascarpone in large bowl until soft peaks form. Stir in remaining sugar, cooked orange mixture, and remaining liqueur. Set aside.

Line a 9”x13” dish with overlapping sheets of plastic wrap, leaving a 4” overhang. Line bottom of dish with the orange slices, having or quartering some slices to cover completely. Dip butter cookies into orange syrup one at a time to barely soften. Place atop orange slices and also vertically around the edges of the dish. Pour cream/cheese mixture over all. Fold plastic-wrap overhang over the tiramisu’, and chill at least 3 hours or overnight.

To serve, peel back plastic and invert onto a rectangular serving dish so that the oranges are on top. Remove dish and plastic, and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.