Italian Easter recipes

Fava beans can be seen across Italy as soon as spring arrives. I like to serve these as a light starter or antipasto on a small bed of greens with some good crusty bread. Because this preparation is so simple, you need to use the best ingredients you can find. If you've never prepared them before, their appearance may put you off, but they are very easy to clean and prepare, so I hope you give them a try.

Ingredients
3-4 Pounds Unshelled, Fresh Fava Beans
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley
1 oz. Pecorino Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Baby Greens

How to do it
Shell the fava beans from their pods. Blanch in a pot of boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Drain and place in a ice water bath. Remove the tough outer shell on the beans. Prepare your plates by arranging a small nest of baby greens. Arrange the fava on top of the greens, then drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle on the chopped parsley. Shave the Pecorino on top of the prepared beans and serve.

You can vary the filling by adding some sausage, browned and removed from it's casing, or a little chopped browned pancetta.

Ingredients
4 Large Artichokes
4 Slices Stale, Crusty Italian Bread
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley
2 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Teaspoon Minced Lemon Zest
Salt & Pepper
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup White Wine
2 Lemons
Fresh Parsley

How to do it
Clean the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves and stem, ensuring a flat bottom to enable them to sit upright in a pot. Cut off about 1/3 from the top, and remove the prickly choke from inside. Place the cleaned artichoke immediately in a bowl of water with a little lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
In a food processor, add the bread slices torn into pieces, parsley, lemon zest, garlic and salt and pepper. Pulse to combine until the bread is reduced the pea sized pieces or smaller. Add about 2 tablespoon of olive oil and a few teaspoons of the wine to moisten. Remove the artichokes from the water, and fill the center of each with the bread mixture. Pulling the outer leaves aside by loosening them just a little, stuff some filling between as many of them as you can.
Place the artichokes in a medium sized pot large enough to hold the four artichokes upright, and pour the rest of the wine and olive into the pot. Add enough water so the liquid in the pot comes up about halfway up the sides of the artichokes. Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, with the lid partly ajar. To serve, drizzle on a little more oil, a little lemon, and garnish with some fresh parsley. To eat, pull off the outer leaves, and scrape off the tender part of the leaf with your teeth. Continue eating it this way, until you get to the tender center.

This pasta has a delicate lemon flavor that makes a perfect starter before a seafood entree. Best of all, it can be put together in just minutes!

Ingredients
1 Pound Long Pasta-Either Dried Spaghetti or Fresh Fettuccine
1 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
2 Medium Cloves Of Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Zest & Juice Of Two Lemons
3/4 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts
Salt & Pepper
To Serve:
Lemon Wedges

How to do it
Mix together the oil, garlic, parsley, and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add the toasted pine nuts, stir well, and allow to sit for a couple of hours for the flavors to meld. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is al dente. Just before draining, remove a small cup of pasta water.
Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot with the lemon sauce over high heat. Add a little pasta water to prevent it from drying out. As soon as it is piping hot, remove from the heat and serve. Scoop the pine nuts off the bottom of the pot to top the pasta, and serve with a wedge of lemon.

This is a very elegant yet easy recipe for roasted lamb that would be wonderful for a spring Sunday dinner.

Ingredients
1 Leg of Lamb About 5-6 Pounds (Whole or Boned)
3 Large cloves of Garlic
5 Tablespoons Mixed Fresh Herbs (Rosemary, Parsley, Thyme, Oregano are good choices)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

How to do it
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the garlic cloves into three or four long strips, and with a sharp knife, make 1-inch deep slits into the lamb spaced fairly evenly apart. Place a piece of garlic in each slit. Chop the herbs and mix with the olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Rub the herb mixture over the outer surface of the lamb. Place in a roaster pan, and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees, and cook an additional 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or between 20 to 30 minutes a pound depending on desired doneness. Remove the lamb from the oven, and cover with aluminum foil and let sit about 20 minutes before carving.

This is probably one of my most favorite recipes for potatoes. If you cannot find baby potatoes, simply cut large potatoes into 2 inch pieces. These potatoes are great with any meat or seafood entree.

Ingredients
2 Pounds Baby Potatoes
3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled, And Cut Into 3 Pieces
4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

How to do it
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In an ovenproof casserole dish, mix together all of the listed ingredients. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork, and are beginning to brown nicely. Serve hot.

Marsala wine adds a tasty sweetness to baby carrots. This would make a great vegetable side dish for roasted or grilled meats.

Ingredients
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Pound Washed Baby Carrots
1/4 Cup Marsala Wine
Salt & Pepper To Taste

How to do it
Precook the carrots in boiling, salted water until they are just about completely cooked, but still a bit firm. Melt the butter together with the Marsala wine and cook until bubbly. Add the carrots and cook over high heat until the mixture thickens and the carrots are well coated, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

This is an unusal cheesecake that traditionally is made each year around Naples for the Easter season. It is a cheesecake but one that has cooked wheat berries added to it which changes the texture considerably. The pie is lightly flavored with citrus, and cinnamon, and it is absolutely delicious.

Ingredients
1/4 Pound Skinless Cooked Wheat
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Powdered Or Confectioners Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Orange Juice
8 Tablespoons Unsalted, Cold Butter Cut Into Small Pieces
1/4 Cup Milk
6 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Grated Orange Zest
1 Teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia, or Lemon Extract
2 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2 Pounds Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoons Candied Citron, Cut Into Tiny Dice
2 Tablespoons Toasted, Slivered Almonds
1 Egg White Beaten With 1 Tablespoon Water For Topping

How to do it
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Mix together the flour, and powdered sugar. Make a well in the center, and add the two egg yolks, and orange juice. With your fingers, mix in the butter until the dough is in pea sized pieces. Add just enough milk so the dough comes together. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 of an inch. Place the dough in the bottom of a deep 10 inch pie pan. Trim excess dough around edges and reserve for topping. If the dough is too soft to roll, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, orange zest, lemon extract, and sugar. Add the ricotta and mix well. Stir in the cooked wheat, candied fruit and chopped almonds. Mix well. Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared pie pan. Using the remaining dough, cut strips about 1 inch in width, and place them in a crisscross pattern over the cheese. Brush the strips lightly with the egg and water mixture, and then bake the pie for about 1 1/2 hours until lightly browned on top. Cool before serving.