Recipes

Supplì al Telefono

Supplì are Rome’s equivalent of arancini: fried balls of risotto and tomato sauce with various fillings. Supplì originated as a street food dish for Romans looking to utilize their leftover risotto. Offal (animal organs) served as the original filling in an effort to use the whole animal too. This approach to utilizing leftover ingredients played a huge role in the origins of the supplì, but the dish has become so popular in the modern day. Now they’re typically served as an antipasto fritti (fried appetizer) at pizzerias! This al telefono (on the phone) version focuses on the stringy mozzarella cheese that resembles a coiled telephone cord as its sole filling. -Evan

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup uncooked Arborio rice
  • 2 cans of San Marzano tomatoes, chopped and drained
  • 4 tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs for the rice mixture
  • 2 ½ tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ medium ball of Mozzarella di Bufala, cut into ½” cubes
  • ¾ cup of vegetable oil for frying
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs for dredging

Directions:

  1. In a medium pot of salted boiling water, cook the rice al dente (time varies so just follow the box directions), rinse off and let cool.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the chopped tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, salt and pepper. Stir the mixture into the cooled rice.
  3. Measure 1 heaping tablespoon of the rice mixture and place it in your hand. Place a cube of mozzarella in the middle, then cover with another heaping tablespoon of rice. Shape into an oblong ball and set aside for frying.
  4. Pour the flour, remaining beaten eggs, and remaining bread crumbs into separate bowls. Dredge (dunk) each supplì in the flour bowl, making sure to cover the ball completely. Repeat with the egg bowl and bread crumb bowls and set aside.
  5. Fry until golden brown at 375°. Be careful that the oil isn’t too hot; the mozzarella won’t become soft and stringy if the supplì cook too quickly.
  6. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and dry on a plate with paper towels.
  7. Enjoy fresh, they’re best when hot!

Pasta Frittata

Image result for italian leftover frittata traditional

The Italian etiquette surrounding food may take a while for an American to get used to, as they vary greatly from those we may be used to. For example, in America it is considered polite to wait until everyone has their food out to begin eating. In Italy, however, the rule is that food is meant to be enjoyed when it is fresh, so if you don’t begin shoveling pasta in your mouth when your plate comes out, your server or host may ask you if there is anything wrong with your food. This rule that defines a timeline of when things must be eaten also speaks to the utilization of leftovers. As food is best eaten fresh, there is no sense in bringing it home to eat the next day. The same goes for dishes made at home. However, instead of wasting what was not eaten, recipes have been developed in order to repurpose their leftover food. I found this mindset to be a stark contrast from the way I look at leftovers. I would never have a single hesitation regarding the difference in the food’s quality. In fact, I purposefully cook with the intent of having them to eat for the rest of the week, because as a college student, I could never have the time to make a quality meal on a daily basis the way that Italians do. One way that they do this and still have a use for the leftovers, is with the pasta frittata. It combines whatever leftover pasta dish one is attempting to finish with eggs. This mixture is then fried on the stove in an attempt to create a new dish out of the remnants from the day(s) previous. Here’s what you need.

Ingredients

  • 3 oz left over pasta at room temperature My favourite are is leftover spaghetti with green pesto.
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

  1. Make sure the leftovers are at room temperature and mix them with the egg and the Parmesan
  2. Fry in a pan with butter
  3. When it becomes brown, turn it around with the help of the pan cover and slide it back in the pan to repeat with the other side
  4. Enjoy warm or at room temperature

Torta Caprese

Torta Caprese is a traditional Italian chocolate cake that originates from Capri. The dish has no clear origin story, although several legends exist that have speculated on this matter. What makes this cake unique is it’s lack of flour for an ingredient; rather, it uses almond flour (finely grounded almonds). This makes for an excellent gluten-free option in the realm of Italian desserts. In addition, using this recipe is a great way to save money on flour! Flour is used in many baked goods, so Torta Caprese is excellent for decreasing your consumption of such a heavily used product. In the culinary world, Torta Caprese is typically served with berries and whipped cream for presentation and flavor. However, feel free to use powdered sugar (see image above) or any topping that you think would pair well! I personally enjoy this cake with raspberries and a little bit of vanilla bean ice cream😋

Serves 12

Ingredients

  • 12 Tbsp of butter, cut up into Tbsp pieces
  • 6 oz of semisweet chocolate
  • 1 tsp of vanilla
  • 4 eggs, separated by whites and yolks
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 cups of almond flour
  • 2 Tbsp of Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • Sweetened whipped cream and berries for serving, optional

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a 9 inch cooking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Microwave butter and chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring throughout until smooth and melted. Stir in vanilla and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl. Whip egg whites on a low setting until foamy, then increase to a medium-high setting while slowly adding ½ cup of sugar. Continue until mixture is white and glossy. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and remaining sugar on a medium-high setting for 3 minutes until mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add the chocolate mixture until incorporated and add the almond flour, cocoa, and salt. Mix until incorporated.
  5. Gradually add the egg white mixture to the chocolate mixture and mix until no white streaks are visible. Fold in the chocolate mixture until no streaks are visible.
  6. Put the batter into the sprayed pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 50 minutes.
  7. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Serve slices with whipped cream and berries.