Autumn
La Costoletta del Curato
Veal Chop of the Priest
In Italy, as we know, the clergy treat themselves proverbially well. You will find this recipe on the restaurant menus in Orvieto during May, when wild herbs are available in the fields. It was a challenge for me because the exact 'mixture' is apparently a secret. The only known fact is that there should be at least 18 herbs. Gather together as many as you can find, but go easy on the more pungent varieties.
Minestrone
Vegetable Soup
The name of this famous soup derives from 'minestra' meaning 'soup'. (In many parts of Italy minestra means 'green'). It is found all over the country, and all the regions have their own variations, suffixed alla milanese, alla Genovese, alla piemontese etc.
Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta and Bean Soup
This is the best-known peasant dish in Italy. Every region has a version, but the Veneti, Trentini and Tirolesi have elevated it to a dish smart enough for posh restaurant menus. For me, it is the benchmark of a good chef-because it is so simple, it must be perfect.
Patate Fritte con Aglio e Rosmarino
Fried Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
This simple but effective dish is a typically Italian way of cooking potatoes, making the perfect accompaniment to all kinds of roast meat. The combination of rosemary and garlic give an unmistakably Italian flavour.
Pici o Pinci al Ragu di Maiale
Tuscan Pasta with Pork Sauce
Pici is possibly the only original Tuscan handmade pasta. It is made by pulling on a piece of dough made of durum wheat flour (usually no egg) until you have a lengthy string the size of a bucatino without the holes. It's similar to the Venetian bigolo, so quite substantial. In Tuscany, it is regularly eaten with a ragu of wild boar, hare, rabbit or pork.
Pollo al Forno con Patate
Roast Chicken with Potatoes
This homely dish is known all over Italy. Chicken used to be a Sunday dish, but is now eaten on any day of the week. As this is an easy recipe, which does not require much preparation time, it is highly suitable for a weekday meal.
Prataioli al Burro, Aglio e Prezzemolo
Mushrooms with Butter, Garlic and Parsley
Field mushrooms can be found everywhere, and when cooked in the following way, provide an alternative to the classic wild mushroom flavour. Try to find button mushrooms that are still closed. You can also cook other types of wild mushrooms this way, for example ceps, chanterelles, horn of plenty etc.
Risotto con Porcini
Mushroom Risotto
This dish is popular throughout northern Italy, especially in Piedmont, and together with truffle risotto and risotto nero, is one of my favourite dishes.
Risotto di Zucca
Pumpkin Risotto
Pumpkin risotto is one of those comforting dishes which can please anybody, including vegetarians (if the chicken stock is replaced by vegetable stock). This specific recipe comes from the kitchen of the Hotel Cipriani in Venice. The chef, Renato Piccolotto, showed me his little secrets which I will now pass on to you. It is a wonderful dish.
Sausage, Lentils and Fungi
One of the most popular Italian dishes in autumn and winter is cotechino with lentils. Cotechino is a cooking sausage made of pure pork, including the gelatinous parts such as ear and cheek. The long cooking time makes it succulent and delicious. The combination of lentils (Castelluccio are the best) and fungi makes this dish very appetising.