Recipes By Anna Francese Gass
22 recipes found
Sheet-Pan Shrimp Oreganata
This breezy weeknight meal loads fresh shrimp with fistfuls of garlicky, seasoned bread crumbs, which crisp and brown on top and plump up and soften underneath as they roast, soaking up the buttery wine sauce at the bottom of the sheet pan. It’s inspired by the Italian American classic clams oreganata, clams stuffed with bread crumbs and dried oregano, but instead swaps out the bivalves for shrimp. Slip the sheet pan in the oven to melt the butter, then stir in white wine before adding the shrimp and bread crumbs, creating a quick, tasty pan sauce that reduces as it cooks. A final spritz of lemon as soon as the pan comes out of the oven adds a nice zippy finish. Serve as an appetizer (plate required!), or alongside a plate of pasta or vegetables.
Cauliflower Milanese
This cauliflower Milanese dish is a meat-free riff on veal Milanese, which originated in Milan, where it is still quite popular. The original Milanese-style breaded cutlets were initially prepared with veal, battered with bread crumbs and fried until golden brown. Over time — due to cost, availability and sustainability — chicken became the protein of choice. Today, chicken Milanese is prepared worldwide, with slight topping variations. Traditionally, it is served with a light, lemon-dressed salad. This version substitutes cauliflower for the protein and swaps pan-frying for a simpler sheet-pan bake. Cauliflower, now the star of the dish, softens as it bakes, and the bread crumb coating crisps, providing a crunchy exterior. Top it with a light, lemony arugula salad for a fantastic weeknight meal.
Pasta al Sugo Finto (Vegetable Ragu)
A hearty vegetarian pasta sauce fortified with vegetables rather than meat, “sugo finto” translates from Italian to “fake sauce” — but this dish is full of real flavor. Popular throughout Tuscany and southern Italy, it is a highlight of cucina povera (an Italian term — and art — referring to frugal cuisine), allowing vegetables to stand in as a nutritious substitute for pricier meat. The base of the dish begins with a traditional soffritto (sautéed onion, carrot and celery). In this version, the addition of mushrooms simulates a meaty texture. Red wine deglazes the pan and adds richness. Chopping the vegetables that form the foundation of the sauce is a meditative task, but you can toss them in a food processor to shred, if preferred, to save time. To elevate this dish for a weekend, add the optional pangrattato topping for a crunchy, nuttier bite. A sprinkle of cheese can also be added before serving.
Riso al Forno alla Pizzaiola (Pizza Rice)
In Italian, pizzaiolo refers to a person who makes pizza. When a dish is alla pizzaiola, it incorporates the flavors of a typical tomato sauce found on pizza. For this simple preparation, arborio rice is simmered in a tomato sauce and cooked until just al dente. The mixture is then topped with cheese and baked until the cheese is soft and gooey. The result — a riff on pizza in rice form — is hearty comfort food that’s an easy enough lift for a weeknight.
Sheet-Pan Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
Reminiscent of an Italian lemon cheesecake, lemon-ricotta pancakes are a brunch menu favorite. This recipe spares you the task of standing at the stove flipping pancakes, instead employing a sheet pan and the oven, which makes this recipe ideal for effortless entertaining. Whipping the egg whites helps keep the pancakes light and fluffy, so the ricotta can add flavor without extra weight. A splash of almond extract and lemon zest are the perfect pair for brightness and a fantastic oomph of flavor. The large-format pancake feeds a crowd and tastes just as good hot, at room temperature or served as leftovers the next day. While it bakes, make the (optional) lemon whipped cream, a simple confection that turns this easy dish into a show-stopper.
Pastina al Pomodoro
Pastina al pomodoro is a classic Italian dish of small pasta that is cooked in the style of risotto until creamy and comforting. Orzo is the traditional pasta of choice for this dish, as its shape resembles a grain of rice, but pastina (small pasta) can be made with several different shapes of pasta. The pasta is cooked using the risottata method: It gets toasted with aromatics in olive oil, stirred to coat in tomato sauce and then simmered until tender, gradually moistened with hot water as you would with a risotto. This process releases the starch from the pasta, giving the sauce an incredibly creamy texture and mellowing the acidity in the tomato sauce. Sauce and pasta cook simultaneously in this one-pot pastina, creating a perfect weeknight meal with little effort.
Lemon Pesto Pasta
While not as well known as pesto alla Genovese, lemon pesto is a delicious variation that adds a jolt of brightness. Used in Italy as both a pasta sauce or spread for crostini, its preparation is similar to classic pesto by combining basil with cheese, nuts and extra-virgin olive oil, but the addition of the lemon zest and juice gives it a unique flavor and color. This simple weeknight pasta sauce comes together quickly in the food processor and can be made ahead, as it keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also drizzle the pesto over a Caprese salad or grilled zucchini, or smear it over crusty, toasted bread as a topping, as they do in Italy.
Cauliflower Pasta With Anchovies and Bread Crumbs
This simple pasta, named pasta alla Paolina con cavolfiore, from Palermo, Italy, layers flavor upon flavor: It begins with oil-packed anchovies melted in a hot pan, then combines them with tomato sauce and a blend of cinnamon and cloves, pantry staples in Sicilian cuisine. It’s finished with a crunchy, almond-studded bread crumb mixture that comes together while the pasta cooks. The dish was created centuries ago in a Sicilian monastery, by one of the friars of the order founded by San Francesco di Paola. This popular variation adds cauliflower. While this dish traditionally includes anchovies, capers can be substituted.
Chicken and Artichoke Francese
Inspired by chicken francese, a popular Italian American breaded chicken dish, this lemony breaded chicken-and-artichoke recipe creates a bright, one-skillet meal. This recipe embraces the traditional flavor profile — “Francese” means French in Italian, acknowledging the origins of the butter-and-lemon sauce — but otherwise veers from tradition: The chicken breasts are cut into bite-size pieces (rather than being thinly pounded) to mirror the size of the artichoke hearts. The breaded chicken and artichokes are all prepared in the same pan, then lacquered with the wine and lemon butter sauce. Fried lemon slices add visual flair and tart flavor. A smattering of parsley makes this meal feel like a restaurant-quality dish.
Beef Braciole
Braciole is a hearty southern Italian dish involving thinly pounded top round steaks that are stuffed, rolled and simmered; traditional fillings vary by location. In Sicily, the filling might include raisins and pine nuts, while in Calabria, cheese and crispy pork are commonly used. Once the meat is filled and rolled, a threaded toothpick holds everything in place while the meat gets a quick sear to seal the seams. It’s then simmered until tender in a simple tomato sauce flavored with a glug of wine. In Italy, braciole would traditionally be served after the pasta as a secondo (second course), but the braciole’s cooking sauce will perfectly dress a pound of pasta, if you’d like to serve that alongside.
'Everything' Pigs in a Blanket
While these might not be 100% scratch made, the addition of grainy mustard and an "everything" spice blend makes these homemade piggies absolutely delicious!
Brie En Croute
I love brie and when you wrap it in puff pastry and stuff it with sweet filling, it can't really get any better. I make this appetizer for every get together and there is never, ever any left over.
Spaghetti all'Assassina (Spicy Singed Tomato Pasta)
This spicy one-pot pasta dish is common on menus in Bari, Italy, but can easily be prepared at home. Like many classic dishes, there are a couple versions of its origin story. According to one, a distracted chef accidentally left his pasta cooking until the sauce burned, while another attributes the recipe title to the dish’s killer spiciness. The method involves treating spaghetti as you would risotto: Heat some garlic, red-pepper flakes and tomato paste in oil, then add the pasta and cook it gently, slowly adding tomato broth little by little. Once the pasta soaks up the flavorful liquid, it starts to char. Bari is famous for serving this dish extra “piccante,” but at home, you can make it as mild or spicy as you wish.
Penne al Baffo (Creamy Tomato-Ham Pasta)
“Al Baffo” is said to be the abbreviated version of an Italian expression “da leccarsi i baffi,” which translates to “it is so good you’ll lick your whiskers,” because the sauce is abundant, thick and creamy. Tomato, ham and cream come together in this simple pasta sauce to form a comforting and easy weeknight meal. Cooked ham (as Italians call it, “prosciutto cotto”), is a hearty addition, as it provides texture and necessary salt. This recipe calls for deli ham, but you can substitute prosciutto or even pancetta if the mood strikes. An extra shower of Parmigiano before serving is a must for this filling meal.
Stewed Lentils With Sausage
In Italy, lentils are traditionally eaten at midnight to bring luck in the coming year. Because lentils are round, resembling coins, they are believed to bring prosperity to those who eat them. For this one-pot preparation, sausages are fried in oil to brown and release a bit of fat. Next, the soffritto and tomatoes come together, lentils are added, then the dish simmers until the legumes are tender and the liquid is saucy and thick. Like most stews, this dish can be made a few days ahead and reheated for company.
Pesce all’Acqua Pazza (Fish With White Wine and Cherry Tomatoes)
Easy enough for a weeknight, this simple, simmered fish dish originated along the Amalfi coast, where seafood is eaten regularly. Acqua pazza, which means “crazy water” in Italian, is derived from the way Neapolitan fisherman used to cook the day’s catch; in seawater, imbuing it with salty notes. This recipe calls for simmering fish over a simple broth seasoned with burst tomatoes, wine, salted water and the caramelized bits created by first quickly searing the fish in olive oil. Like many Italian dishes, the preparation is simple and requires only a few ingredients. Canned tomatoes can be substituted for the cherry, but if using out-of-season cherry tomatoes, a pinch of sugar can revive and build complex flavor. To round out the meal, serve with some crusty bread to sop up the sauce.
Artichoke Carbonara
Like most traditional Italian dishes, pasta alla carbonara, quintessentially Roman, employs a minimum of simple ingredients to create a hearty and delicious meal. Guanciale provides salt and fat, while Pecorino Romano and egg yolks mixed with pasta water — a prized Italian secret — help create the velvety sauce. To truly gild the lily, consider a raw egg yolk on top of the pasta. Artichokes, a Roman favorite, come to this dish to soak up the flavors of the guanciale while melting into the pasta. The traditional pasta used in trattorias is tonnarelli, but spaghetti or bucatini are perfect substitutes.
Pasta Alla Brontese (Creamy Fettuccine With Pancetta and Pistachios)
This easy weeknight pasta honors the town of Bronte, Sicily, renowned for its green pistachios harvested from the volcanic soil of Mount Etna. They’re famous for their flavor and bright green color. The simple pan sauce has only a few ingredients: ground pistachios, grated cheese, heavy cream, a splash of wine and pancetta. Perfect for a weeknight but interesting enough for a dinner party, this dish is as rich and comforting as fettuccine alfredo, with additional texture and depth of flavor from the crispy pancetta bits and nutty pistachio crumble.
Rigatoni Alla Zozzona
Rigatoni alla zozzona combines the ingredients of the four pasta dishes for which Romans are famous: amatriciana, cacio e pepe, carbonara and gricia. While many Italian meals are typically the result of simple flavors — “neat” preparations where only a few ingredients shine — rigatoni alla zozzona (which loosely translates to a big mess) is more of a kitchen sink approach, marrying the ingredients of the four pastas (tomato sauce, black pepper, egg yolks, cheese and guanciale) with sausage. Rigatoni’s sturdy tube shape provides the perfect vehicle to carry — and stand up to — the many components of the sauce.
Calabrian Meatballs
Featured in my cookbook, “Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women” (Harper Design, 2019), this polpette recipe comes from my grandmother’s Calabrian kitchen. The sugo di pomodoro, or tomato sauce, delivers complex flavor, serving as the poaching liquid for the delicate meatballs and as an essential ingredient in the meatballs themselves, adding both flavor and juiciness. Lightened further with milk and Italian bread crumbs, the meatballs are incredibly tender, bursting at the touch of your fork. The recipe yields a crowd-serving portion, perfect for Sunday dinner, but also freezes beautifully. Though the sauce may be tossed with your favorite pasta, this dish is the ideal version of a traditional platter of meatballs, covered in sauce and garnished with cheese and basil.
Ricotta Polpette in Tomato Sauce
This recipe is quintessential cucina povera, which roughly translates as ‘frugal cuisine of the poor’ in Italian, and it originated in Calabria. Its simple deliciousness comes from a handful of ingredients. In mountainous Calabria, where cows cannot roam free, goat’s-milk ricotta would typically be used, but recipes evolve over time and space, and cow’s-milk ricotta is commonly used in North America. Most translate the Italian word ‘polpetta’ as meatball, but in Italy, it is any mixture of ingredients rolled into a ball and cooked. This meatless variation’s base of ricotta is mixed with egg and bread crumbs, then rolled, poached in tomato sauce until fork-tender, and finally sprinkled with cheese. They make a perfect side to a first course of pasta or can be served on their own, with crusty bread, for sopping up the sauce.
Crispy Lemon Chicken Cutlets With Salmoriglio Sauce
Derived from the Italian word for brine, “salamoia,” salmoriglio is a lemon sauce from Sicily and Calabria that is used to marinate and dress grilled meats and fish. This pleasantly sharp, all-purpose dressing is equally suited to chicken breasts: It soaks into the crust and lends a citrus punch to the meat. Fresh parsley, oregano or a combination of fresh herbs can be used, based on preference. The breading is inspired by the store-bought bread crumbs that are often labeled as Italian seasoned and often used for what Italian Americans simply call chicken cutlets: coated chicken breasts that are shallow-fried in olive oil. The addition of this simple lemon sauce gives this easy weeknight meal a restaurant-quality finish.