5 Delicious Italian Recipes To Make This Week That Don’t Involve Meat
In times of uncertainty, one of the greatest comforts we can turn to is food. If you’re working from home (as many of us are), the process of preparing a meal can be a way of soothing anxieties, as well as a source of nourishment. And of all the world cuisines, Italian is arguably one of the most comforting.
With that in mind, we’ve pulled some of our favourite recipes from The Vegetarian Silver Spoon, published by Phaidon, which contains over 200 vegetarian and vegan recipes that celebrate home cooking.
As people (hopefully) stop stockpiling and we adjust to our new normal for the foreseeable, find joy in planning a day to make a sourdough starter, put on a soothing spiced carrot soup or make your own gnocchi. At times like these, we all deserve good food.
Sourdough Farro Bread
Pane di farro con lievito madre
Serves 4
Prep 20 minutes plus resting time
Cook 30 minutes
To make sourdough starter, in a medium bowl, stir together a scant 3/4 cup (100g) all-purpose (plain) flour, 1/4 cup (60g) plain yogurt (be sure it has active cultures), and a scant 1/2 cup (100ml) water. Set it aside to ferment at room temperature for 1 week, then move to the refrigerator. After 1 week, the starter is ready to use. To maintain your starter, every 48 hours, weigh the starter and feed it by stirring in an equal weight of flour and half its weight in water. For a vegan version, ferment 1 1/2 cups (200g) bread flour (strong white flour) with a scant 1/2 cup (100ml) warm water.
Ingredients
150g sourdough starter (see note above)
250g farro flour
250g wholegrain farro flour
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
Instructions
Place the sourdough starter in a bowl and dilute it with 3/4 cup (180ml) warm water. Add the two types of flour, the olive oil, and the salt and stir to combine. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, cover it, and let rise in a warm place for about 4 hours.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and knead it thoroughly, then shape it into a long loaf and place it on the prepared pan. Let rise for another 3 to 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom of the loaf. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool before slicing and serving.
Spring Ratatouille
Ratatouille di primavera
Serves 4
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
To make this a main dish, serve it over a bed of bulgur wheat. Rinse 1 1/2 cups (200g) bulgur wheat with cold water and put it in a medium saucepan. Add 3 cups (750ml) water, salt the water, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest for another 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
Juice of 1 lemon
4 artichokes
200g baby courgettes
200g cherry tomatoes
60ml extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, such as Tropea or torpedo, cut into thin wedges
300g new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
Salt
40g coarsely chopped salted peanuts
Handful of basil leaves
Instructions
Peel the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler and slice them on an angle.
Fill a large bowl with cool water and add the lemon juice. Trim the artichokes, cut them into wedges, and cut the fuzzy choke from the centre, dropping the wedges into the bowl of lemon water as you go (this prevents them from browning).
Wash the courgettes and slice them thickly on an angle. Prick the tomatoes with the tip of a small knife.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and potatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to let the flavour develop, then add a scant 1 cup (200ml) boiling water. Season with salt and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the artichokes and add them to the pot. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
Add the courgettes and asparagus and season with salt. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Sprinkle with the peanuts and basil, then serve.
Carrot and Paprika Soup
Carote alla paprika in brodo
Serves 4
Prep 25 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Ingredients
1l vegetable stock
600g carrots, grated
200g potatoes, diced
Pinch of sweet paprika
Salt
30g butter
Juice of 1 lemon, strained
4 slices rye bread, for serving
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Basil, for serving
Instructions
In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Add the carrots and potatoes, stir in the paprika, and season with salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat. Carefully transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour the soup into a bowl and stir in the butter and lemon juice.
Put one slice of the bread into each of four individual soup bowls and sprinkle with some Parmesan. Ladle the carrot soup over the bread and top with more Parmesan and the basil. Serve immediately.
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Almond-Sage Pesto
Gnocchi di zucca con pesto di mandorle e salvia
Serves 4
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
There are many varieties of sage, but the most common is Salvia officinalis. It has digestive and anti-inflammatory qualities, and it can be used to flavour ingredients during cooking, or dipped in batter and fried.
Ingredients
800g Mantuan pumpkin or butternut squash, halved, seeded, and cut into wedges
100g all-purpose (plain) flour
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
12 sage leaves
50g raw almonds
1 clove garlic
1 tsp nutritional yeast (yeast flakes)
60 to 75ml extra virgin olive oil
50g oil-packed semi-dried or sun-dried tomatoes, drained, patted dry, and finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Spread the pumpkin over the prepared pan. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for about 20 minutes more, until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from the oven and let cool, then scoop the flesh of the pumpkin into a bowl and mash it with a potato ricer.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the flour, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to the bowl with the pumpkin and stir briefly to combine. On a lightly floured surface, roll the mixture into long cylinders around 3/4 inch (2cm) in diameter, then cut the cylinders into 1 1/4-inch-long (3cm) gnocchi.
In a food processor, combine the sage, almonds, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and some pepper and process until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook until they start to float, then cook for 1 minute more. Drain the gnocchi and return them to the pot.
Toss the gnocchi with the sage pesto, add the tomatoes, and serve.
Aubergine-Tomato Strudel
Strudel di melanzane e pomodori
Serves 6 to 8
Prep 30 minutes plus resting time
Cook 50 minutes
This recipe can be made using prepared puff pastry, which is normally made with vegetable oil or shortening.
Ingredients
200g all-purpose (plain) flour
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large aubergine, sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 clove garlic, sliced
80g fresh rye breadcrumbs
80g raw almonds, coarsely chopped
Leaves from 3 sprigs thyme
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a roasting pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine the flour and a pinch of salt. With the motor running, drizzle in 3 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a scant 1/2 cup (100ml) warm water and process until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Arrange the aubergine and tomato slices in the prepared pan and lightly salt them. Sprinkle with the garlic and drizzle with the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons oil. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the aubergine is tender. Remove from the oven and let cool; keep the oven on.
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, almonds, thyme, and red pepper flakes.
On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a very thin rectangle. Arrange the roasted vegetables over the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5cm) border uncovered, then sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumb mixture. Fold the long edges toward the centre. Starting from one short end, roll up the dough to enclose the filling, using the parchment to help. Transfer the filled dough, still on the parchment, to a sheet pan.
Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Phaidon The Vegetarian Silver Spoon, £35.00 £26.25, available at Amazon.
Originally published at https://www.refinery29.com.
