Pesce in cartoccio (Italian fish parcel)

For ➍
4 whole fish (400 g each), cleaned & scaled*
8 tbs (10 cl) dry white wine
1 ts sea salt
1 ts freshly ground black pepper
parchment paper**
battuto:
1 large white onion, cut into thin strips
2 tbs fresh fennel fronds, chopped
2 fennel bulbs, cored & cut into thin strips
2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 tbs (10 cl) extra-virgin olive oil
2 untreated lemons, sliced

Combine battuto ingredients in a large bowl.

Cut four large pieces of parchment paper** long enough to cover length of fish, and fold each in half lengthwise.

Spoon battuto on bottom halves of parchment. Put slices of lemon on top, or chop them in the battuto. Place one fish against the crease of each parchment piece, drizzle with white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put slices of lemon on top, or chop them in the battuto. Cover with fennel fronds.

Fold the parchment at the bottom corner over itself. Continue folding over the previous fold to create a pleat and allow for the paper to be sealed tight. When you have formed a half circle and reached the opposite end of the crease, tuck the paper under the last fold. Place on a large baking sheet.

Bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 m or until the fish is cooked through*. Carefully tear paper** open, allowing steam to escape.

Serve with fresh pasta like cavatelli.***

*Use 4 large fish fillets (200 g each) instead, like seawolf. Adjust cooking time to 15-20 m at 200°C, (or 25 m according to thickness of the fish).
**Use aluminum foil instead.

***Use microwave baked spring potatoes, sprinkled with sea salt instead.

A battuto is a mix of vegetables and herbs that can be used to make a sauce, a stew or a soup. One of the first cookery writers to mention the dish was the great Elizabeth David in her Italian Food. She gives no full recipe, just the method and an ample suggestion of battuto. In fact, the battuto can be made of almost anything, even oranges. (The typical Ligurian battuto, a pine nut sauce for pasta, is not suitable for fish... Read the basic Roman battuto recipe or the one used for the Lazio minestra col battuto alla romana.)
Read more on fish in a parcel: Japanese seafood & vegetables, Moroccan spiced fish, fish & fennel, Burmese steamed fish, chicken or fish with lime & peppers, chicken or fish with basil & tomatoes.
Read more Elizabeth David recipes: roasted peppers, lettuce & almond salad, chicken & rice salad, poaching an egg.

Battuto for meat stew or soup

For ➍
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 tbs celery leaves, chopped
1 tbs parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs chopped pork*
olive oil

Mix and brown in hot olive oil. 
Use as a base for a meat stew, or add some more vegetables and broth to make a soup.

*Optional.

In Roman cooking, a battuto is an initial preparation, that can be developed into a sauce, a stew or a soup. This basic battuto works also well a pasta sauce.
The ingredients are flexible, as in an Italian fish parcel.
The minestra col battuto soup uses a finely cut battuto, with onion, celery, garlic and a bit of parsley and basil added for more flavour. Read the Lazio variation.

Pasta battuto (pasta with Ligurian pine nut sauce)

For ➍
100 g crushed pine nuts
2 sprigs of marjoram
50 g Parmigiano
pinch of salt
extra virgin olive oil
a little milk

Blend the ingredients, just adding enough olive oil and milk to make the mixture smooth.
Cook the pasta as usual and mix in the fresh sauce when it's ready. Use a roughly textured pasta with battuto.
Serve pasta battuto with a fresh salad. (Or eat it first and follow it with the salad).

Liguria is the Italian Riviera, with San Remo as main attraction. This battuto is close to pesto, and quite different from the traditional battuto, used in Roman cooking, an initial preparation, that can be developed into a sauce, a stew or a soup, like the Lazio minestra col battuto alla romana. Read a related Ligurian recipe, pasta with walnuts sauce.

Coniglio al Vesuvio (Vesuvius rabbit stew)

For ➍
300 g boneless rabbit
37,5 cl red wine
50 g plain flour, seasoned with salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, thickly sliced
4 celery stalks, thickly sliced
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
½ fresh chili pepper, finely chopped
200 g tinned green lentils
400 g Italian tinned plum tomatoes
50 g finely chopped parsley
25 cl water
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Place the rabbit in a bowl, cover with the red wine. Leave to marinate for 12 h.
Remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry. Dredge in seasoned flour and set aside.
Heat a large frying pan, add the olive oil and gently fry the onion, celery and carrots. Stir in the chili. Add the rabbit pieces and fry for 10 m, until golden brown. Add the lentils, tomatoes and parsley and season to taste. Add 2 glasses of water and simmer for 2 h until the sauce has reduced and thickened, adding a little more water if necessary.
Serve with the accompanying pea risotto.

Risotto con i piselli (pea risotto)

For ➍
6 tbs olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
200 g Arborio rice
5 dl vegetable stock
100 g cooked peas
100 g (salted) butter

Heat a little oil in a pan over a gentle heat and fry the onion until soft. Add the rice and toast for 5 m. Slowly add vegetable stock, stirring continuously. Half way through the cooking time, add the peas and season with salt and pepper to taste. Once cooked (20 m), remove from heat and stir in the butter to create a creamy texture. Taste the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Serve with the Coniglio al Vesuvio (1) the rabbit stew.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Polpettone con carciofi e mozzarella (Italian meatloaf with artichokes & mozzarella)

For ➍-➏
6 artichokes
rice flour*
600 g of minced meat (half beef, half pork)
200 g of mozzarella
100 g of cooked ham, sliced
50 g of grated Parmigiano
4 eggs
breadcrumbs
50 g butter
nutmeg
1 clove garlic
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Clean the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves, remove the internal beard and cut into wedges.
In a large pan, put 6 tbs of olive oil and the garlic clove. Pre-heat and add the artichokes, rolled in rice flour*, salt and stir. Add half a cup of water and cook for about 20 m, adding more hot water if necessary. When the artichoke is tender, turn off, remove the garlic and let cool. If you prefer you can coarsely chop the artichokes with the crescent moon.
In a bowl mix the minced meat with 2 eggs, grated Parmigiano, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, add the breadcrumbs if the mixture is too soft.
Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet while maintaining a thickness of about 3 cm, mix well and cover with slices of ham. Now put the artichokes and then the coarsely chopped mozzarella on top.
Use parchment paper to roll up the meatloaf. Baste with the remaining beaten egg and cover with in bread crumbs. Put it in a lightly greased baking dish and pour over a little olive oil and some butter.
Bake at 200°C for about 1 h, basting occasionally with the sauce that will be formed.
Let cool and cut into slices. Eat warm or cold.

*optional.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca 2 (Naples' hookers' spaghetti)

For ➍
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
salt & black pepper
1 50 g can anchovies packed in oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs tomato paste
½ ts crushed red pepper
750 g box or can chopped or crushed tomatoes
2 tbs drained capers
100 g pitted black olives, chopped
1 tbs chopped fresh basil
grated zest of 1 lemon
340 g spaghetti or other pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 m. Add the anchovies and garlic and cook, stirring, until the anchovies disintegrate and the garlic has softened, 2 to 3 m. Add the tomato paste and continue to stir for 1 m, then add the tomatoes, capers, and olives. Cover the pot, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s thick and saucy, 25 to 30 m. Stir in the basil and lemon zest, and taste and adjust the seasoning.
When the water for the pasta comes to a boil, salt it generously and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, usually 7 to 8 m, depending on the package instructions. Reserve about 25 cl of the pasta cooking liquid and then drain the pasta.
Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding the reserved cooking liquid as needed to thin out the sauce. Serve.

Variant & history:Spaghetti alla puttanesca.

Sophia Loren's omelet Napoletana

For ➍-➑*
150 g spaghetti
50 g unsalted butter
8 large eggs
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs whole milk
⅛ ts freshly grated nutmeg
¼ ts salt
¼ ts black pepper
75 g ham, cut into 0.5 cm dice
50 g fresh mozzarella, cut into 0.5 cm dice
10 g finely grated Parmigiano cheese

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well in a colander, then return to pot and immediately toss with 2 tbs butter.

Lightly whisk together eggs, oil, milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper, ham and mozzarella in a bowl.

Preheat broiler.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Cook egg mixture, lifting up cooked edges with a heatproof spatula to let raw egg flow underneath, until set on bottom and almost set but still moist on top, 3 to 5 m. Arrange spaghetti over eggs, pressing lightly with spatula to help pasta settle into eggs, then sprinkle with Parmigiano.

Broil omelet 10 to 15 cm from heat until top is pale golden, 2 to 3 m.

Cut into portions. Serve immediately. Add some tomato sauce if wanted.

*4 as main course, 8 as starter.

This recipe comes close to a frittata, the Italian oven finished omelet. Read more Sophia Loren recipes & history: tiramisu, vermicelli with sauce or spaghetti. Picture shows her as a Naples' Materdei neighbourhood pizza maker in Vittorio di Sica's “L’Oro di Napoli”.

Shrimps Fra Diavolo

For ➍
500 g large shrimps, peeled & deveined
salt & pepper
½ ts red pepper flakes
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves, minced (about 4 tbs)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
½ ts sugar
500 g spaghetti
2 tbs minced fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, salt the water and add the spaghetti. Cook al dente. Drain spaghetti and return it to the pot, making sure to reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water.

Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with ¾ ts salt and ⅛ ts of the red pepper flakes. Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms of the shrimp turn color, about 30 s. Stir the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are colored on both sides. Remove the shrimp to a bowl and let the skillet cool for a few minutes.

Add 3 tbs of the oil back to the cooled pan. Add 3 tbs of the garlic and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the garlic foams and is sticky and straw-colored, about 10 m. Stir in the remaining ⅛ ts red pepper flakes, the tomatoes, sugar and ¾ ts salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 8 m.

Stir the remaining 1 tbs garlic, the parsley and the reserved shrimp and any accumulated juices into the tomato sauce. Continue to simmer until the shrimp are heated through, about 1 m.

Stir the tomato/shrimp mixture, plus the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into the drained spaghetti. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen up the sauce before serving. Sprinkle with additional parsley.

In several cultures, the name of the devil turns up when a sauce get spicy... (Read Italian fennel in a devil's way).
Fra Diavolo, 'Brother Devil', is the popular name given to Michele Pezza (April 7, 1771 – November 11, 1806), a Neapolitan guerrilla leader who resisted the French occupation of Naples. Pezza figures prominently in folk lore and fiction, he appears in several works of Alexandre Dumas.
The nickname 'Fra Diavolo' came from an old custom in Itri, a small town between Naples and Rome where he was born. Until early in the 20th century boys and girls where who had recently recovered from serious illnesses were dressed as monks on the second Sunday after Easter, for a procession in honor of St. Francis of Paola, the patron of sick children. On one of these solemn occasions little Michele proved so naughty that someone called him 'Fra Diavolo' which stuck. It continued a long Italian tradition of portraying the devil disguised as a monk.
Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: a quick spaghetti, spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti with vegetables, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.

Pesce all'acqua pazza (Naples fish stew)

For ➍
4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 l water****
2 tbs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
12 grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
¼ ts red pepper flakes*
1 ts sea salt
2 tbs fresh oregano
1 kg sea bass or red snapper fillets**

You need an ovenproof pan, deep and large enough to hold the fish in one layer and contain the boiling water.
Add the water, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, red pepper, oregano and salt to the pan. Put on heat.
Turn the heat to medium and allow the water to simmer for 20 m.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200° C.
Put the fish in the pan skin side down. Make sure it is covered by the water.
Put pan in the oven and cook for about 15-20 m.***
A few m before serving, add the parsley.
Put the fish on warm plates, with a little bit of the liquid and some tomatoes.
Serve with good tasty bread, that will absorb some of the liquid. A dry white wine, preferably South Italian or Sicilian, will make a nice companion.

*Use dried red peppers instead, or chop some peperoncini.
**Use any firm white fish, like codfish (merluzzetti).
***Another method keeps the pan on the stove, covers it and let the fish slowly cook for 15 m or so.
****Reduce the amount of water to get a thicker sauce.

The 'acqua pazza', meaning crazy water, is a method rather than a strict recipe. It is known all over the South of Italy as a kind of fish stew. (In Tuscany, a soup is called aqua pazza, but that is a different thing.) The name seems to be derived from a dish conceived by Neapolitan fishermen of the Isle of Ponza, before the coast of Naples. To avoid paying taxes on salt, an expensive state monopoly in the late 19th century, they went crazy and used salty seawater to cook fish. (No one uses seawater anymore, just add salt to the water...).
Depending on the kind of fish, the added ingredients might vary. Add fennel for instance or grilled artichokes. Replace some of the water with some white wine.
Try the posh gamberoni all'acqua pazza with shrimps, and fennel.

Schiacciata con l'uva (Etruscan grape-filled bread)

For ➏
1 kg blue grapes (or blueberries)
500 g flour
1 package dry yeast
100 g sugar
4 tbs olive oil
1 branch rosemary
25 cl warm water
honey
grape juice

Heat the rosemary branch in olive oil. Let it cool.
Dissolve the yeast in 25 cl of warm water.
Place the flour in a large bowl. Pour yeast mixture into the center and stir.
Remove the rosemary from the oil. Add the cooled oil to the dough.
Add 4 tbs of sugar and knead until smooth, for 10 m.
Put in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and divide in half.
Roll out half of the dough to fit in a round or rectangular pan.
Cover with half the grapes, removed from their stems.
Sprinkle with half the remaining sugar and drizzle with olive oil.
Roll out the other half of the dough to fit. Cover the grapes, sealing the edges with the bottom layer of dough. Push down to crush the grapes. Cover top layer of dough with remaining grapes and repeat the process. Sprinkle with sugar, drizzle with olive oil, and crush the grapes.
Sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with olive oil. For an Etruscan touch, drizzle with honey.
Bake at 180°C until golden. Baste with some grape juice while it's baking. Bake for 45 m.

Nowadays, this is traditionally served as a dessert bread, or a nice comfort bread, and some special treat during the Tuscany wine harvest season. As is often the case in Tuscany, it is said to have already been popular with the Etruscans, well known for their lust of life. Schiacciata comes from the Italian verb 'schiacciare' meaning 'flattened' or 'crushed'. The recipe is related to the American pizza bianco and to the schiacciata alla Fiorentina.
Image shows dancing Etruscans with a wine flask on a tomb wall in Tarquinia.
Read more on 'Etruscan' food: Etruscan tuna fish.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca (Naples' hookers' spaghetti)

For ➋
200 g regular whole-wheat thin spaghetti, vermicelli or capellini
50 g grated Parmigiano cheese*
puttanesca sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions.

Meanwhile make the puttanesca sauce.

When the pasta is done, drain it well* and add it to the sauce skillet, tossing it with the sauce to combine.

Serve on warmed plates. Top with grated cheese. Pour a generous glass of red wine.

*Alternatively, when the pasta has been drained, sprinkle with grated Parmigiano to make it rougher, so it will make the sauce stick better to the pasta.

The dish originated in Naples, its name derived from 'puttanesca', the hookers' way, as it was quick for the girls to prepare between customers. Or it was used to entice possible clients with a cheap, heated and aromatic meal into a brothel, nobody is really sure. Except that it is a very quick dish to make with ingredients straight from the (Italian) cupboard, even for regular housewives.
Picture shows WWII American GI searching entertainment in Naples.
Spicier variant: Spaghetti alla puttanesca.
Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: a quick spaghetti, spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti with vegetables, shrimps fra diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.

Sugo alla puttanesca (Naples' hookers' sauce)

For ➋
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 pitted chopped black olives
2 tbs capers
1 ts anchovy paste (or 2 anchovy fillets)
1 tbs fresh oregano leaves or 1 ts dried
⅛ ts crushed red pepper flakes (or chili powder)*
1 can diced tomatoes (420 g)**
3 tbs chopped fresh rucola***

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium fire. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 m. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and sauté for 2 m more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 m. Stir in the rucola*** and simmer for 1 m more, until the greens wilt slightly.

Serve with spaghetti, rigatoni or a (non-stuffed) pasta of choice.

*Or chop a small chili pepper.
**Use ripe Italian flesh tomatoes instead.
***Replace with Belgian endives for a special taste. Make a quicker version by deleting rucola.

The sauce originated in Naples, its name derived from puttanesca, the hookers' way. Read the story. Picture shows Italian women offering entertainment in Naples after WWII.
Spicier variant: Spaghetti alla puttanesca.

Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes, capers & mint

For ➍
8 tbs salt
4 l water
400 g spaghetti
500 g small ripe vine or cherry tomatoes, skins removed, roughly chopped
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed
pinch crushed dried chilies
1 tbs salted capers, rinsed & drained
2 ts fresh mint, chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Bring 4 l of water to the boil. Add the salt, the spaghetti and cook al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the crushed garlic cloves and fry over a low heat until they start to turn golden-brown. Remove the garlic.

Add the crushed dried chilies and chopped tomatoes and fry for 1 m, until the tomatoes release their juice.

Add the capers and mint, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Drain the cooked spaghetti and add to the pan. Stir well to coat in the sauce.

Spoon portions into bowls and serve.

A basic Palermo dish.
Picture shows the Risorgimento fights in the streets from the Visconti epic Il Gattopardo, based on the Lampedusa novel on social changes in Sicilian 19th century Sicily.
Read more Sicilian recipes: Sicilian swordfish, Sicilian olive sauce, tartar of shrimps & artichokes, a Sicilian salad, Sicilian broccoli.
Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: a quick spaghetti, spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti with vegetables, shrimps fra diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.