ITALIAN GREEN BEANS - Fagioli Verdi

I have been making these green beans for 30 years.  It is one of my daughter's favorite. It's also great to take to a potluck dinner. 

2 lbs green beans, trimmed and broken in half

2 T olive oil

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

½ cup Italian black olives or Kalamata olives, chopped

½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

¼ cup dry white wine

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

½ lemon, zested

2 T chopped Italian parsley

2 T chopped basil

In a large deep skillet, add water to about ½ full.

Bring to a boil, add the beans, partially cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour into a colander to drain, and set aside.

In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sauté the shallots for 5 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.

Add the olives, tomatoes, green bean, wine, and lemon zest.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer 3 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with lemon zest, parsley, and basil.

Serves 8 to 10

                                      

ITALIAN ANTIPASTI

Castelvetrano olives, red grapes, Pecorino Romano cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Prosciutto di Parma, Genoa salami, Calabrese salami, and Brown Turkey figs. . .a feast for the eyes and little bites for the stomach.

Antipasti is plural for Antipasto.

 

SPAGHETTI WITH WHTE CLAM SAUCE - Spaghetti alle Vongole Bianche

This recipe has a lot of fresh clams (from the Chesapeake Bay) and clam juice infused with white wine, olive oil, and finished off with butter.  Serve this with crusty bread for sopping up the juices.  Grated cheese is optional, but most Italians say that's a "no-no", but we like it with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

East Coast clams seem to be sandier than West Coast clams.  If they are and don't open their shells in cool water, they will keep the sand in them.  Steam them in ½ cup water and use a half bottle of clam nectar and the wine in the skillet.

2 dozen clams (Little Neck or Middle Neck)

½ cup dry white wine

½ lb spaghetti 
2 T olive oil 
1 small shallot or ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ t red pepper flakes (optional)
1 t fresh oregano leaves
2 T unsalted butter
Juice and zest of ½ lemon
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley, divided
Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving (optional)

Fill a large bowl with cool water and let the clams sit in the cool water for 30 minutes, but no more.  Gently spoon them into a colander and rinse them a couple more minutes with cool tap water.

In a large pot that you will boil the pasta in, bring wine to a boil.  Add the clams, cover, and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until clams open. 
Discard any clams that failed to open.

Pour clams and juice from pot into a large mesh strainer, set over a large bowl or pitcher to catch the juices.  Remove clams from their shells and roughly chop, you can leave 6 to 8 in their shells for garnishing, if you wish.  

Place chopped and clams in their shells in a bowl, cover, to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in the same large pot, cook the spaghetti 7 to 8 minutes in unsalted water (the clams contain enough salt) until al dente.

In a large skillet large enough to hold the pasta and sauce, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the shallot or onion for about 3 minutes.  

Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and butter and sauté another minute.
Add the chopped clams and clam broth.  Cook one more minute.
Season lightly with salt and pepper and add the lemon zest and juice.
Add the drained pasta to the pan along with half of the parsley.  

Heat for just a minute or two while tossing with a pair of tongs, until well combined.

Divide into 2 warm pasta bowls and garnish each bowl with the clams in the shells, if desired. Pour the rest of the hot clam broth from from the skillet over each bowl.

Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and serve with grated cheese, if desired.

Serves 2