Ever wish you could bring the delicious flavors and aromas of Italian food into your kitchen? Luke Palladino offers these two classic recipes from his own family to help you enjoy the tastes of Italy.
Recipe: Peppers alla nonna (on this page) Recipe: Scialatielli (on this page)Place the capers in a small strainer and place into the sink. Run tepid water over the capers or soak in water for at least an hour. After an hour, taste a caper and see if it has lost most of its salinity. Wash and dry the peppers. With a vegetable peeler go around the pepper and peel off some of the skin. You will not be able to entirely peel the peppers, you just want to remove about 60 percent of the skin. This method is very effective and will save you the task of pre-roasting and peeling the peppers. Cut each pepper in half through the axis of the pepper. Remove the seeds and cut each half into four or five pieces.
In a large 12 to 14 inch pan heat ¼ cup of the olive oil and add the garlic and anchovies. Cook until the garlic turns golden brown and gives off a nutty aroma. Immediately add the cut peppers and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sprig of marjoram and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low. Cook slowly for 45 minutes without adding any liquid, the peppers will give off plenty of their own.
While the peppers are cooking, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a 10 inch sauté pan and heat over medium heat until fairly hot. Add the breadcrumbs and toss them constantly so that they obtain a light golden brown color and are somewhat crisp. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. At this point the peppers should be almost melted in consistency. Remove the lid and add the capers to the pan and cook them another 5 minutes.
Add half of the breadcrumbs to the peppers and stir to combine. Spoon the peppers onto a serving platter and top with the remaining breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. Serve at room temperature.
Season and toss tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, then remove to cool. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Heat oil in a 12 inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chilies and the parsley and cook until the garlic turns golden brown. Add the shrimp, toss and season with salt and pepper.
Deglaze shrimp with white wine and reduce until almost dry. Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook until tender. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauté pan. Add roasted tomatoes, basil, mint and arugula. Cook over high heat until coated about one minute, adjust the sauce to a creamy consistency with hot pasta water as needed.
Add the fruity extra virgin olive oil to finish as you toss the pasta. Pour into a heated serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs to taste. Serve on warm plates or bowls.
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