Spring is already popping up! So we’ve decided to recommend a menu that matches perfectly with the season. Let’s start with a simple and tasty starter.
Pinzimonio – Fresh Vegetables
Remember this is a simple antipasto or something to nibble during your cocktails. Keep in mind the one thing that counts is the quality of your vegs and olive oil!
Ingredients
- Celery Stalks
- Carrot Sticks
- Cucumber Sticks
- Artichoke Hearts
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Preparation
- Use any in-season vegetable that can be prepared to dip into the pinzimonio – sticks or any other other chopped up vegetable that can be grasped and then dipped.
- Once you have cleaned and sliced or chopped your vegetables up all you need to do is get creative on how you will place or set them up next to the small holders that will contain the mix-dip of salt, pepper and olive oil.
Pasta Primavera – Pasta With Zucchini
Next a fresh and green spring pasta: pasta primavera recipe. Healthy, in season, fresh and vegetarian!
Ingredients
- 4 Serves
- 380 g pasta fusilli
- 400 g zucchini
- 200 g peas
- 1 small white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- Parsley
- Olive oil
- Salt
Preparation
- Place a pan with extra virgin olive oil over a low flame. Add 2 cloves of garlic (whole) and a thinly sliced onion. Remove the cloves when they become golden and make sure the onion never burns or turns dark, they must be cooked slowly.
- Add the peas and the sliced zucchini rounds. In the meantime when your water begins to boil add the pasta, I used fusilli, but anything short will do. Before cooking time is up (3 minutes ahead ) use a colander and throw the pasta into the pan directly, don’t worry if some boiling cooking water falls into the sauce (that’s what will make your pasta creamy – starch released in boiling water).
- Turn flame off, and add grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese.
Pollo alla Diavola – Deviled Chicken
After our pasta primavera, we need a tuscan special bbq special that will take us outside and let us enjoy the sunshine: tuscan chicken recipe, known as “Pollo alla Diavola” (italian: deviled chicken). It’s name derives from the fact that lots of pepper was used and whoever ate this chicken would send the cook to hell! This story is of course a legend – whereas, the fact that this chicken cooks over coals and flames is probably the real reason as to why it’s called deviled chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken of about 1kg
- 10 sage leaves
- 1 lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt&Pepper
- Olive oil
Preparation
- Cut the chicken along the backbone. Open out the chicken to flatten it completely. Make slashes with a sharp knife across the thigh meat (usually harder to cook since it’s very thick).
- It should result all of the same thickness. Tighten it between two grates.
- Use a brush to place the citronette (olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper) on both sides, now, season with the mixture.
- Chop up the sage leaves and the garlic. Place this mixture in a bowl.
- Cook for 30 minutes over coals – turning it for 4 or 5 times. Every time you turn it over make sure to brush with a little citronette – this will prevent it from becoming too dry.
