If you love Italy and Italian food (everyone on board?), you’re going to love Viola Buitoni’s new book, Italy by Ingredient. A native of Rome, Buitoni is now a cooking teacher in San Francisco with a devoted following (which includes me). She comes from food aristocracy—the family behind Buitoni pasta and Perugina chocolates—but her cooking is rustic and original, prizing fine ingredients over fancy technique. Ricotta and mozzarella are among her must-haves in the kitchen, and she has some tantalizing ideas for using them.
Although I knew Viola was a fabulous cook, I did not know she was such an engaging writer. Her prose is as fresh, personal and seductive as her recipes. Here are two cheese-driven late-summer recipes that reeled me in immediately.
Peppers and Mozzarella Flaky Tart
From Italy by Ingredient by Viola Buitoni (Rizzoli).
Photo credit: Molly Decoudreaux
1 pound puff pastry
2 red bell peppers
1 orange or yellow bell pepper
1 ball (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella
1 oregano sprig, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 egg
Salt
2 tablespoons grated parmigiano reggiano
Pinch of pepper
If the puff pastry is frozen, thaw according to the package directions.
Heat the oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the bell peppers on it. Slide into the oven. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the skin has burnt spots and the peppers have collapsed and wrinkled. Grab them with tongs, drop them into a brown paper bag, roll the top of the bag closed, and let sit for 10 minutes. This technique makes the peppers easy to peel. Leave the oven on.
Meanwhile, line a plate with a paper towel. Drain the mozzarella and chop it roughly, then place it on the paper towel to lose moisture. If using fresh oregano, strip the leaves off the sprig and finely chop them. Break the egg into a small bowl and lightly whisk it. Peel the peppers, cut them in half, and remove the core, filaments, and seeds. Pat them dry and slice into ¼-inch-wide strips.
Line the baking sheet with fresh parchment paper. Lay the puff pastry sheet on the parchment and prick it in 8 to 10 spots with a fork, piercing all the way through. Sprinkle the pastry with a pinch of salt and scatter the mozzarella over it, leaving a 1 1/2-inch clear border around the edges. Dust the mozzarella with the parmigiano and oregano, then season it with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
Arrange the roasted pepper strips over the tart in whatever pattern you fancy, staying clear of the empty edges. Loosely roll the uncovered pastry edge onto itself until it borders the peppers.
Slide the tart into the oven and bake 30 minutes. Brush the rim with the beaten egg and bake 15 minutes longer. Let cool brieflly before eating.
Serves 8 to 10
Whipped Honeyed Ricotta Trifle with Amaretti, Peaches and Dessert Wine
Photo credit: Molly Decoudreaux
The trifle improves after sitting for a few hours and can be made year-round with seasonal fruit. From Italy by Ingredient by Viola Buitoni (Rizzoli).
1 ripe but firm large peach
1 cup dessert wine of your choice (I used less)
12 ounces whole-milk ricotta
1 1⁄2 tablespoons honey
12 amaretti cookies
Chill four 1⁄2-cup glasses in the refrigerator.
Halve and pit the peach and cut each half into 8 crescents. Place them in a bowl and douse with the wine. Toss well and leave the peach slices to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Combine the ricotta and honey in a bowl and whisk them with glee until the ricotta appears smooth and glossy. Crumble the amaretti.
Retrieve the glasses from the refrigerator and plop a generous spoonful of ricotta in the bottom of each glass. Spread the cheese, arrange 2 peach slices on the ricotta, and sprinkle with amaretti crumbles. Repeat the layers. Drizzle each glass with a bit of the peach marinade.
Seal the glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before serving.
Serves 4