Easter feast provides authentic taste of Italy

Easter in Italy brings all kinds of spring delicacies to the table, from the season’s young lambs to fresh cheeses and baby vegetables.

Families come together around the holiday table, then continue to celebrate on Easter Monday, when they enjoy going out to the hills for an alfresco picnic, packing dishes they have made in advance, or leftovers.

“Italians start cooking for Easter days ahead,” said Linda Carucci, who taught an Italian Easter class at Ramekins in early March. “They go to Mass, come home, do some more cooking, and get ready for the big day.”

The class, attended by two dozen home cooks eager to get a head start on the spring holiday feast, included a few challenging dishes that could be prepared ahead - a decadent Mortadella Mousse, luscious Asparagus Lasagne and a rich, ricotta-based Neapolitan Easter Pie - as well as an easy entree of Marinated Lamb Rib Chops with a side of Sautéed Spinach with Currants, Pine Nuts and Pecorino cheese.

The home cooks gathered at the class were thrilled that they would be able to work ahead on some of the dishes, then tackle the easiest dishes at the last minute.

“I loved that the lamb was done in three minutes,” said Mary Jayne Sullivan of Fairfield. “I’ve done racks of lamb, but I’ve never cut them up.”

As a make-ahead appetizer, Carucci shared a recipe she developed, Crostini with Mortadella Mousse. She first tried the mousse in Bologna, Italy, where the beloved pork-based cold cut mortadella is made.

“The mousse is cold and creamy and really, really delicious,” Carucci said. “It has protein and fat, which both absorb alcohol.”

As a first course, Carucci suggested baking up an Asparagus Lasagna with Fontina and Bechamel, which tastes even better when made ahead.

“I wanted to make asparagus in some guise,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding.”

For the entree, students simply cut the Frenched lamb rib chops from a rack of lamb, then massaged them with a simple marinade of olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. The marinated chops were blotted with paper towels, then cooked in a large saute pan.

The secret to the lamb dish is sourcing good quality lamb and ingredients for the pan sauce, a savory blend of oil-cured olives, anchovies, rosemary and organic lemon zest.

“After being (dry) cured, they are poached in olive oil,” she said of the olives. “You don’t want to use brine-cured olives.”

The secret to the spinach dish lies in a generous sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese, the hard-grated sheep’s milk cheese that comes from the south of Italy.

“You won’t recognize the cheese in the spinach,” she said. “But it makes it taste creamy.”

As a dessert, Carucci shared a recipe for a classic Neapolitan Easter Pie, which is made three days in advance, then stored in the refrigerator for the crust and the filling to meld. The sturdy crust is made with lemon, egg and sugar, and the ricotta filling is flavored with candied orange peel and orange blossom water.

If you don’t have time to bake the labor-intensive pie, Chef Lisa Lavagetto of Ramekins suggested a simple Vanilla Panna Cotta, with a compote of sweet, spring berries.

Ramekins student Adrian Long of Sonoma said she likes to make an easy Cream Puff Pie from layers of ice cream, chocolate sauce, and frozen cream puffs available at Costco and other stores.

“I put it in a springform pan, then cool it in the freezer and unmold it,” she said. “After dinner, I would serve a little limoncello.”

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The following recipes are from Linda Carucci, author of “Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks.”

“Served on crostini made from a seeded baguette and garnished with chopped pistachios, this becomes an hors d’oeuvre that’s welcome as a passed hors d’oeuvre with a glass of Prosecco,” Carucci writes.

Crostini with Mortadella Mousse

Makes about 36 crostini

1 sweet, seeded baguette, cut into ¼ to ½-inch slices (about 36 slices)

Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

12 ounces imported mortadella (without pistachios), sliced as thin as possible

7.5- or 8-ounce carton mascarpone

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated on a Microplane

Coarse, freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 ounces (scant ½ cup) salted, shelled pistachios, chopped

Make the crostini: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush one side of each baguette slice with olive oil and place in a single layer, oiled side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Depending on the size of the baguette, you may need more than one baking sheet. Bake the crostini just until they are crunchy (but not hard) in the center when you press one with a finger, about 10 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack while you prepare the mousse. (The crostini can be made up to a couple of days ahead, cooled, and stored in an airtight container. Just before serving, refresh crostini briefly in a hot oven.)

Make the ,ousse: Chop the mortadella into the smallest pieces possible (use a very sharp chef knife) and place in a medium, deep bowl. Add the mascarpone. Using an immersion blender, combine the mortadella and mascarpone into a smooth puree.

Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and a few grinds of black pepper and blend. Taste and add more pepper, if desired. (The mousse can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.)

Spread the oiled side of each crostini with about 1 tablespoon mortadella mousse. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and, if necessary, gently press the nuts into the mousse to help them adhere. Serve immediately.

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Sonoma Lamb Chops Marinated in Olive Oil, Rosemary and Garlic

Serves 4

Marinade:

6 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves (from a 12-inch sprig)

4 large cloves garlic

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

8 to 12 French-cut lamb rib or loin chops, each chop ¾-inch thick, trimmed of nearly all external fat

Pan Sauce:

½ cup dry white wine or vermouth

16 salt-cured olives, pitted, chopped

4 flat anchovy filets, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (from a 4-inch sprig)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Zest of 1 medium organic lemon, removed with a Microplane

Optional: Kosher salt

Marinate the lamb (Can be done 1 to 24 hours ahead): Place the garlic, rosemary, pepper, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and process, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until the garlic and rosemary are minced. Add the olive oil and pulse to blend. Place the chops in a zip-top plastic bag and add the marinade. Seal the bag and massage the chops to coat all sides with the marinade. Place the bag in a bowl and let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours (or refrigerate for up to 4 hours), turning the bag occasionally and massaging the marinade into the lamb. If refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.

Sauté the chops: Remove the chops from the marinade and blot dry with several layers of paper towels. Don’t rub off the herbs and garlic from the chops; just gently blot up as much of the oil as possible.

Place a large sauté pan with sloping sides over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot (touch the edge of a chop to the pan and if it sizzles on contact, the pan is ready), place several chops in the dry pan; leave some space among them so that they don’t steam. (You may have to do this in more than one batch.) Sauté until the chops are well seared on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes, draining off any fat with a spoon as it renders from the chops. Turn the chops and cook, searing on all sides if the chops are thick, until an internal temperature thermometer inserted into the center reaches 125 degrees for rare lamb, 3 to 5 minutes. Arrange the chops on a warm platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep in a warm place. (Sauté any remaining chops similarly. When the last chops have been sautéed, transfer them to the platter with the cooked chops, cover, and keep warm.)

The pan sauce: Pour off and discard all the fat from the pan and place the pan over medium heat. Add the wine all at once and scrape the bottom of the pan with a silicone spatula to deglaze the pan, releasing the browned bits from the bottom. When the wine has reduced by about a third, add the olives, anchovies, garlic, rosemary, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently, and skimming off any fat that rises to the top. Turn off the heat, add the butter, and whisk it into the sauce or swirl the pan, just until the butter has melted completely. The sauce will have a glossy sheen. Stir in the lemon zest, taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning with pepper and salt, if needed. Pour the pan sauce over the chops and serve immediately.

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Garlic Spinach with Currants, Pine Nuts and Pecorino

Serves about 4

2 tablespoons currants

Two 10-ounce packages fresh leaf spinach, preferably pre-washed, baby spinach

About 2 tablespoons bold-tasting extra virgin olive oil

About ½ teaspoon kosher salt

? teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Fine, freshly ground black pepper

Place currants in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside for about 15 minutes to plump up. Drain and set aside.

Rinse spinach in a large bowl of (or sink filled with) cool water, or wash thoroughly, if spinach is not pre-washed. Transfer spinach to a dry, 6-quart pot (It’s okay to pack it in quite tightly.) Place pot over medium high heat, cover, and steam spinach, stirring occasionally and scraping down sides of pot, just until leaves are evenly wilted, about 5 minutes.

Drain spinach in a colander and return hot pot to stove. Don’t press every last teaspoon of water out of the spinach, just shake the colander a few times to remove excess cooking liquid.

Add olive oil, kosher salt, and garlic powder to the hot pot and warm over low heat, swirling to combine. Add drained spinach and toss to combine. Spinach should glisten with olive oil; if necessary, drizzle in a bit more. Remove from heat.

Stir in grated cheese and toss well, allowing cheese to melt. Add drained currants and toasted pine nuts and toss well. Sprinkle lightly with pepper. Taste and add more salt, pepper, and/or garlic powder, if desired. Serve immediately or cover and set aside for up to 20 minutes before serving.

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Here is an easy dessert recipe from chef Lisa Lavagetto of Ramekins.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Mixed-Berry Compote

Makes 8 servings

¼ cup cold water

2½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from 2 packages)

3 cups whipping cream

1 cup sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

4½-pint baskets assorted fresh berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries)

? cup sweet white wine (such as Moscato)

Pour ¼ cup cold water into small custard cup. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes. Bring 1 inch of water in small skillet to boil. Place cup with gelatin in water. Stir until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Combine cream and ? cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat just until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Mix in vanilla and gelatin. Divide pudding mixture among 8 wineglasses. Cover and chill until set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Combine berries and remaining ? cup sugar in medium bowl. Crush berries slightly with back of spoon. Mix in wine. Let compote stand until berry juices and sugar form syrup, stirring often, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Spoon compote over puddings.

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Here are Linda Carucci’s recipes for Neapolitan Easter Pie and Asparagus Lasagna.

Asparagus Lasagne with Fontina and Béchamel

Serves 8

Béchamel sauce:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups cold whole milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

? teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

? teaspoon fine, freshly ground white pepper

Asparagus filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large shallots, sliced thin (about 1 cup)

2 pounds thick asparagus, tough ends broken off and discarded, tips cut off and remaining spears cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon fine, freshly ground white pepper

1 cup packed baby spinach leaves, very tender stems okay

? cup (packed) flat Italian parsley leaves, very tender top stems okay

? cup (packed fresh mint leaves

For assembly:

About 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for baking dish

Kosher salt

3 sheets, about 10x13 inches each, fresh egg pasta* (about 3/4 pound)

12 ounces Italian fontina, shredded over large holes of box grater (4½ cups)

4 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, grated over small holes of box grater (1 cup)

Béchamel Sauce: In a heavy 3-quart saucier or saucepan, melt the 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Immediately whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the milk, ¼ cup at a time, whisking constantly. Have faith and continue whisking as you slowly blend more milk into the lumpy mass. As each addition of milk is absorbed, add more. Once the mixture is relatively smooth, add the remaining milk all at once.

Switch to a slotted wooden spoon and continuously stir in figure-8 patterns all over the bottom of the pan. Cook the sauce to napé (when the sauce thickens and begins to simmer), 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of the milk. Drag your finger over the back of the spoon; the sauce has reached napé when it’s thick enough that the track from your finger remains intact on the back of the spoon. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and white pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce, and set aside.

Prepare the Filling: Place a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter. When the butter has melted and is hot enough to sizzle a piece of shallot on contact, add the shallots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened and become light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and pieces and 1 tablespoon water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the asparagus are very tender and no crispness remains, about 5 minutes. Stir every minute or so and be sure there is enough liquid in the pan to steam the asparagus. If necessary, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. When the asparagus are tender, remove the pan from the heat, remove just the asparagus tips, and place them in a small bowl; set aside the tips. Season the shallots and remaining asparagus with the salt and white pepper and sauté over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or just until any excess liquid evaporates. Add the spinach, parsley, and mint, and sauté, stirring constantly, just until the spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer the shallot mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Process the mixture, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, just until you have a smooth puree with large flecks of green, but no large chunks.

Set aside ½ cup of the reserved Béchamel sauce and add the remaining sauce to the food processor. Process just until the mixture is combined into a smooth, green-flecked puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper, if needed. Transfer the puree to a medium bowl; there should be about 4 cups. Set aside.

Assemble the lasagne: In a 6-quart pot, bring about 4 quarts of cold water to a rolling boil for the pasta. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside. Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees (or 375 degrees if using a Pyrex baking dish). Unfold the uncooked pasta sheets onto a large, dry cutting board and cut each sheet lengthwise into thirds. Have ready a few large, clean, dry kitchen towels (not terrycloth) on which to dry the cooked pasta sheets.

When the pasta water reaches a boil, add enough salt (about 1 tablespoon) to make the water taste like the ocean. Next to the stove, set a large bowl of cold water for cooling and rinsing off the excess starch from the cooked pasta.

Cook the pasta, just 3 pieces at a time, in the boiling, salted water, stirring frequently with a large wooden spoon, until it is barely tender, about 3 minutes. Use a Chinese strainer or long-handled sieve to transfer the cooked pasta to the bowl of cold water. (It’s okay if the pieces tear a bit.) Separate the pasta pieces with your fingers and when they are cool to the touch, lay each piece flat on a kitchen towel. Repeat cooking, cooling, and drying the remaining pasta. It’s okay to stack the pasta-covered towels on top of each other.

Spread the reserved ½ cup plain Béchamel sauce over the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Arrange a single layer of cooked pasta in the bottom of the dish, cutting the pieces of pasta, as necessary, to fit; don’t overlap the pasta by more than ¼ inch. Carefully spread 1 cup of the asparagus puree in a thin layer evenly over the pasta. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded fontina and 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano. Repeat 3 times, making a total of 4 layers of pasta, asparagus sauce, fontina, and Parmigiano. Cover the top with another layer of pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 1½ cups fontina. Scatter the reserved asparagus tips over the top and sprinkle the entire surface with the remaining ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bake the lasagne in the preheated oven until it is piping hot in the center and golden brown and bubbling around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes to allow the lasagne to set up. Cut into 8 squares and serve while hot.

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“There are many varieties of this Neapolitan dessert known as Pastiera Napoletana,” Carucci writes. “Some make it with wheat berries (or even barley) instead of rice, but this is the version I remember fondly from childhood. Traditionally, after the pie has cooled completely, it is wrapped tightly and then refrigerated to “cure” for three days (Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday).”

The crust recipe is adapted from “Southern Italian Deserts” by Rosetta Costantino and Jenni Schacht.

Neapolitan Easter Pie with Rice, Ricotta and Candied Orange Peel

Makes one 9½-inch pie; Serves 12

Crust:

14 ounces (or 3 cups if spooned into measuring cup and leveled) all-purpose flour

5 ounces (scant ¾ cup) sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

6 ounces (¾ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

Zest of 1 (preferably organic) medium lemon, shaved off with a Microplane

2 large eggs, lightly beaten, about 1 tablespoon reserved for egg wash for lattice crust

Filling (Makes about 5 cups):

20 ounces whole milk ricotta, any liquid drained off

½ cup (3 ounces) chopped candied orange peel (or ½ cup golden raisins rehydrated in hot water and then drained well PLUS the finely chopped zest of 1 large organic orange)

Zest of 1 (preferably organic) medium lemon, shaved off with a microplane

1 tablespoon orange flower water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 large eggs

1¼ cups sugar

1 cup cooked white rice, cooled

For assembly:

Vegetable oil cooking spray or unsalted butter, for baking dish

1 scant tablespoon lightly beaten egg, reserved from eggs used in crust recipe above

2 teaspoons turbinado sugar (also called raw or sanding sugar)

Optional: Confectioners’ sugar, for finishing

Make the crust (The dough can be prepared up to 48 hours ahead): Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times just to fluff the flour. Add the butter and pulse just until the mixture develops a mealy consistency. Combine the lemon zest with the beaten eggs, add to the flour mixture, and process until the ingredients combine into a shaggy dough. The dough should be moist enough to hold together when you grab a clump of it. (If it is too dry, add a few drops of cold water, or if the dough is wet enough to stick to your fingers, sprinkle with a little flour and then process just to combine.)

Place a roughly 18-inch length of plastic wrap onto a clean surface and dump the shaggy dough out onto the plastic. Knead by hand just until a smooth dough develops and then shape the dough into a log. For the top lattice crust, cut off ? of the log, flatten it into a disc that is roughly ½-inch-thick, and then wrap with plastic. Shape the larger piece of dough (which will be used to line the baking dish) into another roughly 1/2-inch-thick disc and then wrap with plastic. Chill both pieces of dough for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Prepare the filling: Place a medium-mesh strainer over a large, deep bowl and use a rubber spatula to push the ricotta through the mesh. (Alternatively, use a food mill fitted with the smallest holes.) Be sure to scrape all the ricotta from the underside of the strainer into the bowl. Add the candied orange peel, lemon zest, orange flower water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine and then set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add the cooled rice to the egg mixture, whisking to break up any clumps. Add the egg mixture to the ricotta mixture and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Assemble the pie: Remove the larger disc of pastry dough from the refrigerator to soften a bit. Generously spray the bottom and sides of a 9½-inch round Pyrex deep-dish pie dish. Wipe off any spray from the handles of the pie dish.

With your fingers, press the larger disc of chilled dough evenly over the bottom and all the way up the sides of the pie dish, extending about ½ inch above the edges of the pan. (Alternatively, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough between two 13-inch sheets of waxed paper into a 13-inch round. Peel off the top layer of paper, invert the dough so the remaining paper is on top, and center the dough over the pie dish. Carefully peel off the paper as you ease the dough into the pie dish.)

Pour the filling into the dough-lined dish, spread evenly, and set aside.

Place the remaining smaller disc of dough between two 10-inch lengths of waxed paper, flatten a bit with a rolling pin, and roll between the papers into a 10-inch circle. As needed, adjust the sheets of paper on the top and bottom to prevent them from becoming imbedded into the dough as you roll. Remove and set aside the top sheet of paper. With a fluted pastry cutter, cut the circle into at least 10 lattice strips, ¾-inch-wide each. Leave the strips attached to the bottom paper, cover with the reserved top paper, and then slide the paper with the strips onto a rimless baking sheet. Refrigerate until the strips are firm enough to handle, 15 to 20 minutes. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees or 375 degrees if your baking dish is made of earthenware or a material other than Pyrex).

Remove the lattice strips from the refrigerator. Carefully peel off the top layer of paper and then, one by one, place 5 of the lattice strips across the top of the filling, all going in the same direction and roughly equidistant apart from each other. To create a diamond lattice, place each of the remaining 5 strips at a 45 degree angle to - and on top of - the bottom strips. (Traditionally, southern Italian bakers do not weave a lattice crust.) If any of the strips beak or aren’t long enough, leave them where they land and use any remaining dough scraps to patch any gaps. The dough is very forgiving and will melt into place wherever the patches are placed, so any patches won’t be noticeable.

Trim off any dough from the sides of the pie to leave ½-inch of dough. Fold this dough towards the center and on top of the ends of the lattice strips. With the tines of a fork, press to seal the crust together all around the perimeter. Brush the reserved egg wash onto the lattice strips. It’s okay if a little egg escapes onto the filling, but do not egg-wash the outer edges of the top crust or it may stick to the baking dish. Carefully sprinkle the entire surface of the pie with the turbinado sugar.

Place the pie on the center rack in the oven. Bake until the top is golden brown, the filling is no longer sticky to the touch, the center no longer jiggles when you move the pie, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist, but free of crumbs, 50 to 60 minutes. If the edges darken too much before the pie is done, cover them with strips of aluminum foil.

Cool the pie to room temperature on a wire rack. When the pie has cooled completely and no longer feels warm to the touch, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it to “cure” for 3 (or up to 5) days. Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Cut into wedges to serve.

Staff writer Diane Peterson can be reached at 521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com