Italian Lite
Italian cooking has a reputation of being, well, hearty: Rich meat sauces such as sugo alla Bolognese or Neapolitan ragù for pasta, equally rich lasagna with ricotta and meatballs (in the south) or béchamel sauce and meat sauce (in the north), pizza with lots of cheese, slowly cooked braised meats, and so on. In short, food that sticks to the ribs and makes the doctor shake her head. And this picture is accurate.
However, it's not complete; Italian cooking is seasonal, and with the exception of the cheesy pizza these are all winter dishes, developed in the days before central heating and designed to help keep the chill that creeps into stone houses when it's cold at bay. In the summer, when a whitish haze settles over the hills, sapping the colors, and it's so hot that only the crickets stir, the dishes are much lighter: Simple salads, chilled first courses including panzanella and rice with tomatoes, and quickly cooked meats, vegetables, and fish.
Further Ideas:
Zucchini Rollups: Involtini di Zucchine
Zucchini sliced, and the slices rolled up around a tasty vegetarian
filling: What could be easier?
Difficulty: Easy
Rice Minestrone with Pesto Sauce: Minestrone di Riso
col Pesto
Rice Minestrone is just what it sounds like:
Minestrone with rice to give it body, and, here, pesto to add grace.
Difficulty: Easy
Chilled Mint Soup: Zuppa Fredda alla
Menta
Perfect when it is really hot, and refreshing at any
time.
Difficulty: Easy
Butterflies with Scampi and Broccoli Florets:
Farfalle con Scampi e Broccoletti
Broccoli and scampi are an
inspired combination, and work beautifully in this sauce.
Open Lasagna with Broccoli and Pistachio Nuts:
Lasagne Aperte Coi Broccoli ed i Pistacchi
An extremely
elegant dish that will delight your guests. Easy to make, too.
Marinated Grilled Filet: Filetto Marinato alla
Griglia
Beef filets marinated with chopped vegetables, and
then grilled: Tasty!
Difficulty: Easy
Chicken Breasts with Mustard Sauce: Petti di Pollo in
Salsa di Senape
Simple grilled chicken breasts with a zesty
sauce: Ideal for perking summer appetites.
Difficulty: Easy
Ground Veal Pizza: Pizza di Tritato
An unusal use for ground veal (or beef if need be) that is tasty, zesty,
and invites improvisation.
Difficulty: Easy
Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables: Insalata di
Pasta con Verdure Grigliate
Grilled vegetables make for an
extraordinarily satisfying pasta salad.
Difficulty: Easy
Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar: Fragole all'Aceto
Balsamico
Balsamic vinegar is good with all sorts of things.
Including strawberries.
Difficulty: Easy
Buon
Appetito!
Kyle Phillips
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