1. Headline
  1. Headline
WATCH LIVE: KFOR-TV's local coverage of Okla. tornado tragedy

Video: Make an Italian feast with seasonal veggies, fruit

TODAY recipes
updated 8/14/2012 5:05:24 PM ET 2012-08-14T21:05:24

Recipe: Watermelon and peach salad with watercress and muscat vinaigrette

Ingredients
  • 5 cups seedless red and yellow watermelon
  • 5 ripe peaches, skins and pits removed, cut into wedges
  • 3 bunches watercress
  • 2 ounces Muscat or white sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup pistachio nuts
Preparation

1. Trim the stems of the watercress. Rinse watercress and dry thoroughly. Keep chilled until ready to assemble the salad.

2. Combine sherry vinegar, honey, salt and pepper, whisk in olive oil.

3. Assemble salad: Add watermelon, peaches and watercress to a large bowl, dress with vinaigrette, top with pistachio nuts, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Serving Size

Makes 6 servings

Recipe: Farfalle with arugula pesto, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, baby zucchini and mozzarella

Ingredients
  • 1 pound farfalle pasta
  • 6 cups basil leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup roasted pine nuts
  • 4 ounces grated parmesan cheese, leaving 2 ounces for topping
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 bunch arugula, roughly cut
  • 31/2 pints red and yellow heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1/2 pound baby zucchini, split in half lengthwise, and grilled till lightly browned
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella, small dice
Preparation

1. Pick over basil leaves, wash and dry in a salad spinner.

2. Place basil in a food processor with the garlic, process until well combined.

3. With machine running, drizzle in olive oil. Add pine nuts and parmesan and process briefly to retain some texture to the pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cook farfalle pasta according to package directions, drain and place in a large bowl. Add pesto, arugula, toss gently then add in cherry tomatoes, baby zucchini and mozzarella. Stir, transfer to a platter, top with remaining parmesan cheese and serve.

Serving Size

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Recipe: Summer fish stew

Ingredients
  • 4 to 8 large crayfish
  • 1 pound clams
  • 1 filet red snapper, about 12 ounces
  • 12 ounces potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 dried chili peppers, sliced very thin
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • 1 (141/2 ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
  • ⅔ cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large deep skillet over low to medium heat. Add the potatoes, garlic and chili peppers and sauté until tender and lightly golden in color, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

3. Add all the fish, lemon juice and wine. Season with salt and pepper and simmer uncovered over low to medium heat for 5 minutes; the clams should open and the crayfish should be firm.

4. Add the parsley, drizzle with olive and serve.

Serving Size

Makes 4 servings

Recipe: Fried Nutella ravioli with mascarpone and toasted hazelnuts

Ingredients
  • For filling:
  • 1 jar Nutella (hazelnut spread)
  • For ravioli:
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
  • 2 tablespoons melted bittersweet chocolate
  • 11/2 cups semolina flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 box store bought pasta sheets (optional)
  • For mascarpone cream:
  • 1 container of mascarpone (500 g)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Toasted hazelnuts for garnish
Preparation

To make pasta:

1. Combine cocoa and hot water to make a paste. Combine cocoa paste, bittersweet chocolate, semolina flour, sugar, 2 eggs in a mixing bowl with dough hook. Mix dough until smooth, remove from bowl and knead adding flour as necessary until dough is no longer sticky. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Pass dough through a pasta machine according to manufacturer’s instructions to make 2 sheets measuring 6-inches by 15-inches.

3. Cut pasta sheet into 3-inch squares. Place 1 tablespoon of Nutella spread in the center of each square. Lightly beat 1 egg and brush the edges of the pasta squares, then fold diagonally over the filling, pressing gently to seal.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350°F.

5. Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli.

For mascarpone cream:

1. Mix 1 container of mascarpone (500 g) with ¼ cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

To serve:

1. Place a dollop of the mascarpone cream in the center of a plate, surrounded by 5 ravioli; sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and serve.

Serving Size

Makes 4 servings

Discuss:

Discussion comments

,

Lactaid®Brand

More on TODAY.com

None
  1. ‘Good job, teach’: As with Newtown, educators emerge as heroes

    As stories of survival emerged from sites devastated by the Oklahoma tornado, so did accounts of the heroic actions of teachers who risked their lives to save students.

    5/21/2013 3:59:53 PM +00:00 2013-05-21T15:59:53
  2. Crews comb rubble for survivors; death toll lowers to 24
  3. Okla. tornado injuries: Even the doctors are ‘crying’
  4. Nate Billings / AP
None
  1. Bing (top), AP (bottom)

    Before and after: Images of Oklahoma’s devastation

    5/21/2013 6:15:32 PM +00:00 2013-05-21T18:15:32
New
  1. for NBC News

    Silver lining: Family digs dogs out of rubble

    5/21/2013 6:39:24 PM +00:00 2013-05-21T18:39:24
None
  1. TODAY

    4th-grader: Teacher ‘saved our lives’ from tornado

    5/21/2013 12:46:24 PM +00:00 2013-05-21T12:46:24