Insalata di pasta ai tonno

Delicious, portable, healthy – pasta salads are perfect dishes for versatility, because they are easily portable and can be served in a myriad of ways. The ingredients used vary widely by region, season, and/or preference of the cook. Pasta salads can be very simple, or as elaborate as several short pastas tossed together with a variety of fresh, preserved or cooked ingredients. These can include vegetables, legumes, cheeses, nuts, herbs, spices, meats, poultry, or seafood. Even though pasta salad is often regarded as a spring or summertime meal, it can be easily served year-round. Here, penne pasta is combined with fresh tasty tomatoes, tuna, anchovies, and hard-boiled eggs. By avoiding fattening and calorie rich dressings, you can enjoy the true taste of the ingredients with a touch of raw olive oil.

Ingredients: 

100 grams/ 3.5 oz penne rigate or penne pasta

100 grams/ 3.5  oz green beans

280 grams/ 10 oz tomatoes

fresh basil leaves

2 tins of Rio Mare tuna

2 hard-boiled eggs

8 anchovies fillets

a handful of capers

back olives (optional)

olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool down.

Cut the tomatoes lengthwise.

Cook the trimmed green beans in salted boiling water for ca. 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

On a large platter, arrange the tomatoes side by side. Mix the cooked pasta together with the drained tuna and shredded basil leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Put the pasta mix in the middle of the platter, and add the green beans and anchovies fillets. Set the halved eggs right in the middle of the salad. Drizzle some olive oil and season with black pepper. Garnish with capers and basil leaves. Serve as a lunch or dinner.

Hamburger di salmone

This salmon burger recipe is an original, quick and easy alternative to the classic meaty hamburger. You can serve it with a fresh salad, French fries, or boiled potatoes, but you can also have it in the hamburger style. If you refrain from adding mayonnaise and other calorie-rich dressings, you have a tasty and healthy dinner at your fingertips. Some are already calling salmon a super food, and this fish undoubtedly has deserved its reputation as a healthy food, and not only because of its unusual omega-3 fatty acid content. Intake of salmon has been connected to a decreased risk of numerous cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Salmon contains particularly high levels of vitamin D and selenium, which is also associated with prevention of certain types of cancer. It also contains high levels of DHA (decosahexaenoic acid) which is the main structural fatty acid in the central nervous system and retina. Feeding salmon to preschool children also aids in the prevention of ADHD and can even boost academic performance. If that’s not enough to convince you, this might: The omega-3s found in salmon lock moisture into skin cells, encouraging the production of strong collagen and elastin fibers, which contribute to more youthful looking skin.

Ingredients: 

500 gr/ 1.1 lb salmon fillet

1 onion, chopped

dill, chopped

2-4 dry chilies (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

olive oil for frying

Instructions: 

Chop the salmon fillets into very small cubes. Put the cubes in a bowl, and add the chopped onions, dill and chili. Season with salt and pepper. Add the eggs and the breadcrumbs, and mix thoroughly.

Shape the mixture into salmon burgers. Fry each burger for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Polpette di merluzzo

Cod, which is mainly consumed in Portugal, Italy, Spain and Brazil, has been an important economic commodity in international markets since the Viking period (around 800 AD). Norwegians traveled with dried cod and soon a dried cod market developed in southern Europe, and this market has lasted for more than 1,000 years. Apart from the long history, cod differ from most fish because the fishing grounds are far from population centers. Since the introduction of salt, dried and salted cod, baccalà in Italian, has also been exported. The Portuguese began fishing cod in the 15th century, and in the 17th and 18th centuries in the New World cod became a major commodity, creating trade networks and cross-cultural exchanges. Cod is an excellent source of protein, vitamin B, potassium, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Ingredients: 

500 gr / 17 2/3 oz fresh cod, sliced

50 gr / 1 2/3 oz breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste

fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

60 gr / 2 oz parmigiano reggiano

2 eggs

Instructions: 

Prepare the fish balls by mixing the sliced cod fillets in a blender until smooth. Combine the minced cod with the bread crumbs, parmigiano, minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. At the end, add the eggs and mix thoroughly.

Roll the mixture into balls (diameter 1.5 inch/ca. 4 cm). Set the balls into a lightly oiled baking dish and bake in the oven, preheated to 180C/355F, for 20 minutes or until the surface has browned. Turn them from time to time. Serve the fish balls with a salad of your choice.

Filetti di tonno con pesto di menta

Mint pesto is a vibrant alternative to the traditional basil sauce. This fresh herb puree goes well together with lamb, chicken and pasta, but it is especially delicious with fish. Because pesto is not cooked but raw, it is essentially important to use the best available ingredients. Splurge on a good Italian extra virgin olive oil, and you will never regret the purchase. Even though a single sprig of mint has a very intense flavor, when you grind several leaves with other ingredients, the end result is a light and delicious pesto sauce. The first mention of recipe for modern pesto is from the book La Cuciniera Genovese written in 1863 by Giovanni Battista Ratto. But pesto is way older than that – the ancient Romans ate a paste called moretum, which was made by crushing cheese, garlic and herbs together. Nowadays there are several variations available, next to the traditional basil based variety pesto can be made with parsley, rocket, and even sun-dried tomato and red bell pepper.

Ingredients: 

2 fresh tuna fillets

Marinade:

olive oil

1 clove of garlic

1 tbsp chives, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon

Mint pesto: 

20 mint leaves

2 dl/ 2/3 cup olive oil

20 gr/ 2/3 oz pine nuts

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

Marinade: Mix the olive oil with the garlic, salt and pepper, finely chopped chives and the lemon juice. Let the tuna steaks marinade in the mixture for ca. 30 minutes. Do not exceed the marinating time, because the lemon might overcook the tuna.

Mint pesto: Meanwhile, prepare the mint pesto by first washing and drying the mint leaves, then mixing all the pesto ingredients in a blender. Add the oil gradually so that the consistency remains creamy.

Tuna fillets: Remove the tuna from the marinade and gently remove any excess marinade on the tuna fillets. Fry the tuna steaks for 3 minutes on each side. Ideally, the meat is still pink in the middle after frying. Cut the tuna steaks into 2 cm/ 2/3 inch thick slices. Arrange them on a serving plate and drizzle some mint pesto on each tuna slice. As a side dish, serve a refreshing salad with lettuce or rocket and tomatoes.

Baccalà alla fiorentina

Baccalà (dried and salted cod) is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting. The drying of food is the world’s oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a shelf life of several years. Traditionally, salt cod was dried only by the wind and the sun, but nowadays it is usually dried indoors with the help of an electric heater. During the 17th century cheap salt became available to Northern Europe, and the affordable product was easily transported to the consumer. Salt cod was also an integral part of the trade between Europe and Asia, and it spread around the Atlantic and became a traditional ingredient in the Mediterranean and many other cuisines. Because drying preserves many nutrients, it is said that salting and drying makes the cod tastier. This particular recipe showcases how salted cod is used in the Tuscan city of Florence. The cod is prepared with a refreshing tomato sauce and combined with rosemary, garlic and parsley.

Ingredients:

800 gr/ 1 2/3 lb baccalà (dried and salted cod)

all-purpose flour for dusting

olive oil

3-5 garlic cloves, minced

fresh rosemary sprigs

1 onion, sliced

2 cans of peeled tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

Before preparing the fish, you need to rehydrate it. Soak it in water for 2-3 days, changing the water every 8 hours or so. Test the saltiness by breaking off a small piece. If it is still extremely salty, let it continue soaking as long as possible.

Remove the skin of the baccalà. Cut the fish into ca. 5 x 7 cm or 2 x 2 2/3 inch pieces.

Dust the fish pieces with flour. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the minced garlic and the rosemary. Add the baccalà and continue frying for a few minutes. Set the fish pieces aside to dry on kitchen towels.

Put the pan back on the heat and saute the onion together with the garlic until the onion softens. Then add the peeled tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. Add the fish pieces and continue frying for about 10 minutes. Let the sauce rest for a minutes before serving and garnish each plate with fresh flat leaf parsley.