L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano S u m m e r i n I t a l y b r i n g s w i t h i t m o r e t h a n s u n - s h i n e a n d l o n g a f t e r n o o n s ; i t reshapes daily life, including w h a t g o e s o n t h e t a b l e . Across the peninsula, the seasonal shift inspires a dif- ferent way of eating: lighter, fresher food, often prepared in advance or served at room temperature. Some dishes are tied to specific regions, while others have crossed boundaries and evolved into broader symbols o f s u m m e r a c r o s s I t a l i a n households. Back in 2022, journalist Alberto Ferrigo- lo offered a wide-ranging overview of regional summer fare in an article for AGI, list- ing everything from soups and risottos to stuffed toma- toes and fruit-based desserts. His inventory offers a useful starting point for tracing the Italian summer table, a n d y o u ' l l l i k e l y n o t i c e , many of these dishes also speak directly to the roots of Italian-American food cul- ture, especially when we con- sider what comes from cen- tral and southern Italy. B r e a d , t o m a t o e s , a n d chicken In Tuscany and parts of L a z i o , t h e s u m m e r h e a t invites the use of day-old bread and sun-ripened veg- etables. Panzanella, for instance, is a salad made f r o m s o a k e d s t a l e b r e a d , tomatoes, red onions, basil, olive oil, and vinegar, very common in both coastal and inland areas. It requires no cooking, can be prepared ahead, and offers both tex- ture and refreshment. Close- l y r e l a t e d i s p a p p a a l pomodoro, a thicker bread- and-tomato soup traditional- ly served warm but perfectly suited to room temperature. From Rome comes another classic: pollo con i peper- oni, chicken braised with red and yellow bell peppers, gar- lic, and tomatoes. A beloved Ferragosto dish, it is often prepared early in the day and eaten cold or lukewarm in the evening or even at the beach. It has all the umami typical of Roman food, filled with simplicity and bold fla- vors. Chilled pastas and no- cook sauces Summer also changes the approach to pasta, as hot s a u c e s g i v e w a y t o f r e s h condiments or marinated vegetables. Spaghetti alla checca, popular in Rome and other parts of central Italy, involves raw cherry tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and sometimes mozzarella, all left to mingle before being tossed with freshly cooked pasta. Puglia has its own version, p a s t a a l l a c r u d a i o l a , where chopped raw vegeta- bles and grated cheese are mixed to create a hearty and refreshing dish. No need for simmering or spending long hours at the stove here: all you need to do is embrace summer and its fresh ingre- dients. F r o m t h e s e a : c o a s t a l summer staples Seafood defines the sum- m e r m e n u a l o n g I t a l y ' s e x t e n s i v e c o a s t l i n e . Spaghetti alle vongole, with its light brininess and simple base of garlic, oil, parsley, and clams, is a clas- sic across Italy, especially w h e n s e r v e d w i t h c h i l l e d w h i t e w i n e a n d s l i c e s o f freshly baked bread for the tastiest scarpetta. In Tuscany, especially near Livorno, cacciucco is t h e d e f i n i t i v e f i s h s t e w : though traditionally a winter dish, it is often served in smaller portions during the summer, or modified using leaner fish and shorter cook- ing times. Variants from Lig- uria and Sicily may substitute ingredients depending on availability, but the combina- tion of tomatoes, garlic, and mixed seafood is consistent. In the South, we can enjoy insalata di mare (seafood salad), while in Veneto we could go for sarde in saor, a specialty of sardines mari- nated in vinegar and onions. Vegetables take center stage V e g e t a b l e s – g r i l l e d , marinated, or stewed – are c e n t r a l t o m a n y s u m m e r meals. In Campania and L a z i o , r i p e t o m a t o e s a r e stuffed with seasoned rice and baked, then served at room temperature, often as part of a picnic or light lunch. In Puglia, Basilicata, and Sicily, dishes like frittata di pasta (pasta omelet) and c a p o n a t a (a sweet-and- sour eggplant and vegetable stew) offer flexible options that can be served warm or cold, making them ideal for travel or beach days. Another s o u t h e r n f a v o r i t e i s ciambotta, a vegetable mix of eggplant, peppers, zucchi- ni, potatoes, and tomatoes, simmered slowly and eaten hot or cold. Hearty fare that keeps its cool Not all summer dishes are light, though; rather, they are simply meant to be prepared ahead and allowed to cool. This is the case of porchet- ta, a seasoned, slow-roasted pork roll found throughout Lazio and Umbria, which is often sliced and served cold in sandwiches during sum- m e r o u t d o o r e v e n t s . I n Abruzzo and Molise, rabbit o r c h i c k e n c o o k e d a l l a cacciatora – that is, with herbs, white wine, and some- times vinegar – is another e x a m p l e o f a s o l i d m e a l designed to remain flavorful even hours after cooking. There's plenty of practical wisdom behind these dishes, because "you cook once, you e n j o y f o r d a y s ; " t h i s w a s especially important, in times gone by, in rural areas where labor-intensive farming left little time for meal prep. Sweet relief: desserts that chill To end the meal, Italy's summer desserts often rely on fruit and simple prepara- tions. Sicily offers one of the most famous: gelo di mel- lone, a watermelon pudding flavored with cinnamon or jasmine and thickened with starch. Served chilled, it's a staple of Ferragosto tables across the island. Variants include garnishes like pista- c h i o s o r c h o c o l a t e c h i p s , adding texture without over- powering the delicacy of the fruit. A curiosity: "mellone" sounds more like "melone" ( m e l o n ) , b u t i t ' s t h e w a y S i c i l i a n s c a l l " a n g u r i a " (watermelon). O t h e r s u m m e r t r e a t s include baked fruit tarts, ricotta-based sweets, and, of course, granita , a semi- frozen dessert made with cof- fee, lemon, or almond, popu- lar across Sicily and southern Calabria. Unlike ice cream, granita can be made without dairy and pairs easily with brioche or a splash of liquor. Across the ocean: Italian- American summer tables For many Italian-Ameri- cans, these dishes, or their close cousins, define summer traditions. Sunday lunches with stuffed tomatoes, cold pasta salads, or cold cuts with pickled vegetables echo rural habits adapted to city l i f e . P a s t a p r i m a v e r a , often thought of as an Ameri- can invention, draws from the Italian love of seasonal produce, and so do lemon- b a s e d p a s t a s a n d c h i l l e d seafood platters, which often reimagine southern Italian flavors with local American ingredients. As time passed, some dishes changed, while others stayed the same. Yet the key theme – eating with t h e s e a s o n , c o o k i n g w i t h intention, and sharing gener- ously – remained constant. GIULIA FRANCESCHINI You can't beat spaghetti con le vongole during the summer (Photo: Roberto Maggioni/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Summer of freshness on the Italian table, region by region

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