L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano E ating in Italy is o n e o f l i f e ' s g r e a t e s t p l e a - sures. And eat- ing seasonally in Italy is off the charts deli- cious. Bright red, ripe toma- toes. Sweet, ripe strawber- r i e s p i c k e d a t t h e i r p e a k . Melanzane pa0cked with a s m o k y p u n c h . M A M M A MIA, ma quanto è buono! M y c o u n t e r i s f i l l e d w i t h beautiful, rainbow colors. It is a feast for the senses and the eyes: deep and delicious flavors bursting with fra- grance and striking colors, food can truly be inspiring if you look at it through the eyes of an Italian. Eating seasonally in Italy borders somewhat on obses- sion. Don't even try men- tioning to another Italian eating broccoli in the sum- mer (it's not in season!) or zucchini in the winter (again, technically, not in season). But hey, it's an obsession I am happy to get on board with. Today's recipe is per- fect for a hot summer day a f t e r t h e b e a c h : t h e beloved peperoni ripi- eni. I don't know about you, but this is one of my all-time favorites and if you're like me, it's impossible to stop at only one…or two…or three. They're just so good! The ingredients are best fresh from the garden or the l o c a l m a r k e t . D o n ' t e v e n think about using those cel- l o p h a n e - w r a p p e d t h r e e p a c k s o f p e p p e r s . T a k e a drive out to the country farm stand to pick up a few peper- oni and heck, throw in a kilo of tomatoes (they are in sea- son, too). No matter where you are around the world, l o o k f o r l o c a l i n - s e a s o n ingredients, you will taste the difference. Peperoni ripieni are per- f e c t t o s e r v e f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y w h o s t o p o v e r f o r lunch or a light dinner after a day at the beach. They can easily be made in advance and, for me, they usually JENNIFER SONTAG anchovies) or the Pugliese s t y l e m a d e w i t h l e f t o v e r soaked bread. The way you choose to make it your own is up to you, but what mat- ters is that it's made with love. That's the real special ingredient in Italian cook- ing. Recipe for Peperoni ripieni Ingredients: 4 ripe, red peppers 3 l o n g - s t y l e e g g p l a n t s (japanese) 250 grams (three cups) a n e l l e t t i ( s m a l l c i r c u l a r pasta) 300 ml tomato sauce 1 s m a l l o n i o n , f i n e l y chopped 150 grams (3/4 cup) pri- mosale (a fresh cow's milk c h e e s e ) : c h o p i n t o s m a l l pieces 100 g (1 cup) caciocavallo ( s u b s t i t u t e p r o v o l o n e ) chopped into small pieces Extra virgin olive oil Salt Instructions: Wash the peppers, place them vertically on the cut- ting board and remove the stem and upper parts, care- fully removing the seeds. Clean the eggplant and c u t t h e m i n t o 1 c m t h i c k slices. Place on a wooden chopping board and cover them with coarse salt. Let t h e m s i t f o r 1 h o u r t h e n rinse gently and dry with paper towels. Fry in hot oil. O n c e t h e y a r e n i c e a n d crispy, drain and set aside. In the same pan, fry the finely chopped onion in a drizzle of olive oil and half a cup of water. Add the salt. Cook for 10 minutes. I n a s a u c e p a n , b r i n g water to a boil and add plen- ty of salt. Add the anelletti, s t i r a n d c o o k t o a l d e n t e before draining. Return to t h e p a n , a d d t h e s a u c e , onions, eggplant, and gently stir to mix. C h o p t h e c h e e s e s i n t o s m a l l p i e c e s , a d d t o t h e pasta mixture, reserving a little of the caciocavallo to top each pepper. Fill the peppers to the top edge with the anelletti mix- t u r e , s p r i n k l e w i t h t h e reserved caciocavallo. Close with the stalk of the pepper. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C (390 F) for 25 min- u t e s o r g r i l l o n a n o p e n flame for 20-25 minutes, careful not to burn the bot- toms. Let the peppers cool for a few minutes. While they are great fresh out of the oven, I personally prefer to eat them at room temperature. Enjoy with a simple salad of radic- c h i o a n d a r u g u l a w i t h a splash of lemon juice. And hey, a glass of catarratto to wash down those peppers never hurt anyone! Stuffed peppers can be baked or cooked on the stove (Photo: Valeria Aksakova/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Summer-filled peperoni ripieni even taste better the next day. Just a few simple steps in the morning will allow me to have a meal that is deli- cious and beautiful. And the fact I can serve them quickly without a lot of fuss is just another bonus. T h i s r e c i p e i s a p l a y on my Sicilian nonna's peperoni ripieni- note the anelletti and caciocavallo. Like most recipes in Italy, each region has its own ver- sion. Another classic take on peperoni ripieni is the Cam- p a n i a s t y l e ( w i t h t o a s t e d b r e a d c r u m b s a n d

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