Oregano Sauce (sammurigghiu)

Serves 4.

2 cloves of garlic, 2 lemons, fresh oregano, parsley, olive oil.

Pour a glass (half-cup) of oil into a saucepan. And half a glass of hot water and the juice of a lemon, a little at a time, beating it all in with a fork or metal whisk. Season with salt and pepper. Then add a full tablespoon of fresh oregano, a small bunch of chopped parsley and the crushed garlic.

Simmer the sauce in a bain-marie (water bath) for 8- 10 minutes. Transfer to a warmed dish and take to the dinner table. It is ideal to accompany baked fish. If you prefer something richer, amalgamate the pulp of 2-3 grilled tomatoes from which the seeds have been removed and which have been blended in the electric blender.

Preparation time: 20’

Cooking time: 10’

Kcal (per serving): 144

Proteins (per serving): 1

Fats (per serving): 15

Cauliflower Fritters (Cavolfiore in pastella)

Serves 4.

800g / 1 ¾ lb cauliflower, 2 eggs, flour, anchovy paste, oil for frying.

Blanch the cauliflower in plenty of lightly salted water, drain and divide into bite-sized pieces. Beat the eggs in a bowl, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until there are no lumps. Finally, mix in a teaspoon of anchovy paste.

Coat the cauliflower pieces in the batter, leaving them in the bowl for a few minutes. Fry in plenty of boiling hot oil. Season with salt and serve them nice and crisp.

Preparation time: 20’

Cooking time: 35’

Kcal (per serving): 439

Proteins (per serving): 17

Fats (per serving): 31

Fried Salt Cod (baccalà fritto)

Serves 4.

800 g / 1 3/4 lb salt cod soaked, 3-4 ripe tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, flour, oregano, olive oil, oil for frying.

Cut the salt cod into reasonably-sized chunks, coat lightly in flour and fry in pently of boiling oil, taking care that the pieces colour all over. Drain and season cautiously with salt. Clean, seed and roughly chop the tomatoes and put in a saucepan with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, a handful of oregano and the finely-chopped garlic. Leave to simmer. Serve the friend baccalà very hot with the tomato sauce.

Preparation time: 20'

Cooking time: 35'

Kcal (per serving): 605

Proteins (per serving): 54

Fats (per serving): 35

Spaghetti with a Piquant Sauce (pasta alla carrettiera)

Serves 4.

350 g / 3/4 lb
spaghetti (or bucatini - pasta straws), 4-5 ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, 2 cloves of garlic, hot red pepper, seasoned salt ricotta (or pecorino cheese) to be grated, olive oil.

Wash, skin and seed the tomatoes and cut into pieces. Chop up the garlic finely and mix with plenty of basil leaves and the tomatoes in a bowl. Dress with olive oil, salt and chopped hot red pepper. Leave to stand for a good hour.

Cook the pasta and drain while still al dente. Add to the sauce and dust liberally with grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Preparation time: 15'+1 h

Cooking time: 8'

Kcal (per serving): 507

Proteins (per serving): 18

Fats (per serving): 18

Orange salad (insalata di arance)

Serves 4.

6 oranges (preferibly not too ripe), olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper.

Peel the oranges and remove the white pith. Separate the segments one by one and cut to pieces, stripping them of the skin covering them. Arrange on a serving dish and dress the salad with a trickle of olive oil, vinegar, a little salt and a grinding of black pepper. This is a delicacy to accompany roast meat

.

Preparation time: 15'

Kcal (per serving): 210

Proteins (per serving): 2

Fats (per serving): 15

Stuffed squid (calamari ripieni)

Serves 4.

6 squid, dried bread crumbs, 1 clove of garlic, parsley, 100 g / 4 oz sicilian toma cheese (or any semi-fat cow's cheese), oregano, olive oil.

Clean the squid. Chop up the heads and tentacles, discarding the eyes, and sautè in a frying pan where you have cooked 2 good handfuls of dried bread crumbs in a trickle of olive oil.

Draw off the heat. Add the garlic and parsley, chopped up together, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Add pieces of the cheese. Stuff the squid with the well-mixed filling and secure with a wooden toothpick. Arrange the pieces in a greased oven dish and bake in the oven at 180°C / 350° F / Gas Mark 4 for a half-hour, brushing them with a twig of oregano dipped in oil which has been seasonet with salt and papper.

Preparation time: 25'

Cooking time: 45'

Kcal (per serving): 382

Proteins (per serving): 33

Fats (per serving): 21

Sweet ravioli carnival (ravioli dolci di carnevale)

Serves 4.

For the pastry:

500 g / 1 lb 2 oz / 3 1/3 cup plain flour, 100 g / 4 oz / 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 80 g / 3 oz / 6 tbsp lard (or butter), 1 egg yolk, vanilla essence, icing (confectioner's) sugar, oil for frying.

For the filling:

450 g / 1 lb / 2 1/4 cups fresh ricotta cheese, 120 g / 5 oz / 5/8 cup granulated sugar, vanilla essence, half a lemon, ground cinnamon, candied pumpkin, plain (semi sweet) chocolate ( half a bar).

Mix the flour with half a glass of water, working in the sugar, the lard, the beaten egg yolk and a drop of vanilla essence. When the dough is smooth and elastic, form it into a ball and leave for half an hour to rest. To make the filling, use a spatula to combine the sugar, grated lemon rind, a drop of vanilla essence, a pinch of cinnamon, a tablespoon of diced candied pumpkin and the crumbled chocolate with the ricotta. Blend well. Roll out the pastry thinly and cut into 6-inch squares. Pile a little of the filling to one side of each square, fold the other side over and trim the edges with the special instrument for making ravioli. Fry the pastry squares in plenty of boiling oil. When they have turned golden, drain them and dredge with icing (confectioner's) sugar.

Preparation time: 1h+30'

Cooking time: 30'

Kcal (per serving): 1790

Proteins (per serving): 27

Fats (per serving): 104

Potato gnocchi (gnocchi di patate)

Serves 4.

1 kg potatoes, wheat flour, salt, a pinch of nutmeg.

Boil whole potatoes in plenty of water. Drain, peel and mash in the mashed potato masher knocking on floured pastry board.Mix the potato with two tablespoons of flour, a pinch of salt and nutmeg and let mixture with cords by the diameter of about 1.5 cm. Cut into pieces 2 cm long and give them a cylindrical shape on floured pastry board. Bring salted water to a boil and pour the gnocchi. Take them with a wooden spoon as they rise to the surface and place in a serving dish. Season sauce to taste and serve.