With the arrival of the first heat, tastes and recipes in the kitchen tend to change profoundly. Here are 4 recipes which represent summer in Italy on the plate. Why are these the ones? Well, every single one of them I usually have in my favorite Lido Ristorante, after a swim. The smell and sounds of the sea, sun and the light breeze. And lunch at the Lido Ristorante, enjoying either a light salad such as the Insalata Caprese or Prosciutto Crudo with Melon or a pasta dish such as Spaghetti alle Vongole or Pasta with Zucchine e Limone. Have a great holiday and enjoy the experience! Even if you are not able to travel, bring Italy home by preparing these summer dishes.
Caprese
The Caprese salad, one of the simplest and most popular dishes of the Italian summer, a summary of Italian flavors. As the name suggests, this salad was born on the beautiful island of Capri, the pearl of the Gulf of Naples known for the elegant Malaparte villa, the charming Blue Grotto, the majestic Faraglioni and the enchanting square. The dish, probably composed for the first time during the Second World War, has origins that are lost in myth and legend. Dish based on mozzarella and tomato, typical of the Campania tradition: it is seasoned with good extra virgin olive oil, salt and then oregano or basil to taste. It is a standard in the Italian cuisine - a dish in which the 3 national colors dominate - making it a beautiful looking dish. Quickly to prepare and with divine flavor.
Spaghetti alla Vongole
Spaghetti with clams, is a first course of fish with indescribable goodness, typical of the Neapolitan tradition that has now become a symbol of Italian cuisine even abroad! A great classic, simple and fast based on pasta, clams, oil. Few fresh and quality ingredients and few rules of execution ranging from the choice of shellfish, how to purge the clams to how to make a perfect clam sauce where to whisk the pasta al dente! Believe me, follow all the secrets step by step and you will bring to the table in less than 20 minutes, a plate of spaghetti with creamy and tasty clams, just like at the restaurant!
Ingredients:
Large spaghetti 320 g; Clams 1 kg; 1 clove garlic; Parsley 1 bunch; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Black pepper to taste
Salt up to taste; Coarse salt for the clams to taste
Preparation:
To prepare the spaghetti with clams, start with cleaning the clams. Make sure there are no broken or empty shells, they should be discarded. Then shake them against the sink, or possibly on a cutting board. This is to ensure that there is no sand inside: the healthy ones will remain closed, those full of sand will open. Then place the clams in a bowl and rinse them. Add the coarse salt. Leave the clams to soak for 2-3 hours. After that, the clams will have purged any residual sand, drain and rinse them. Heat a little oil in a pan. Then add a clove of garlic and let it brown. Then dip the clams into the hot pan. Close the lid and cook for a few minutes over high heat. The clams will open with the heat, so shake the pan from time to time until they are completely open. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley. As soon as all the clams are open turn off the heat immediately, otherwise the clams will overcook. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of lightly salted water for half the cooking time indicated on the package. Meanwhile, filter the clams , placing a bowl underneath and remembering to remove the garlic. Collect the cooking water of the clams in bowl. Transfer it to the pan where you cooked the clams and as soon as the spaghetti are ready, drain them, keeping the cooking water aside. Transfer them to the pan with the sauce. Add a ladle of cooking water, season with pepper and finish cooking the spaghetti, adding more water as needed. When ready, add the clams. Add the parsley, shake briefly and immediately serve your spaghetti with clams.
Prosciutto Crudo e Melone
Prosciutto, Melone e finocchio (Ham, Melon and Fennel). The fresh taste of melon and it is immediately summer. Prosciutto and melon is a combination of ancient origins dating back to the 2nd century AD, it has its roots in the gastronomic culture of ancient Greece, when at the time of Geleno it was used to combine two opposite elements, for example one salty and one sweet, one cold and one hot, one wet and one dry.
Tagliatelle con Zucchine e Limone - with Zucchini and Lemon
Ingredients:
Clove Garlic; 1 lemon; 80 grams of Parmesan; salt; 8 Zucchinis; 1 bunch basil; 350 grams of Egg Pasta; Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Preparation:
Wash the courgettes, dry them and cut them into thin slices. Squeeze the lemon juice and grate the peel. Finely chop the garlic with half of the basil and half of the grated lemon peel. Grate half of the Parmesan cheese and cut the other half into thin flakes. Heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, combine the courgettes and the chopped garlic and basil, add salt and pepper, then cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, boil the tagliatelle and drain them al dente. Return the pan with the courgettes to high heat, add the pasta, the juice of half a lemon, the grated Parmesan and cook for a short minute.
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