I am beyond excited to debut Food of the Italian Islands, a transportive cookbook inviting readers through Sicily, Sardinia, and Italy's lesser-known island destinations so you can sink your teeth into the secrets of their rustic, romantic dishes. I will take you through the streets of Palermo where my great-grandfather was born, across the caper fields of volcanic Pantelleria, into the kitchens of Sardinia for lessons in ornate pasta making, and to the pristine waters of Ponza to dive for sea urchins. And no island adventure with me would be complete without a jaunt through the Venetian lagoon on my fishing boat Laura!
But Food of the Italian Islands isn't just an island journey with your favorite Jersey girl. There are also over 85 recipes, both original and reimagined, that showcase the allure of the islands, including pane frattau featuring Sardinia’s beloved flatbread; bigoli in salsa, a party pasta popular in Venice; coniglio all’ischitana, braised rabbIt in the style of Ischia; torta caprese, Capri’s flourless chocolate-almond cake; and an array of pesto sauces from Pantelleria, Trapani, Linsoa, and Carloforte that will have you asking, "Pesto genovese? Who's she?" There's a whole fresh pasta section, complete with QR codes to demo videos, that will have you crafting Sicilian and Sardinian shapes in no time.
The cookbook's feature pages delve into the rich cultural and culinary fabric of the destinations, providing historical insight while documenting island pleasures to uncover such as the fried delicacies dominating Palermo’s street food scene and an overview on the boozy choose-your-own-journey to making infused spirits. And obviously there is an ode to my favorite island ride, the FIAT Panda, which handles the unpaved backroads of the islands like a dream.
The Festa del Redentore takes place in Venice every third Saturday in July and it is the most epic party ever. It was originally established as a religious celebration to mark the end of a sixteenth-century plague, but it has morphed into a secular celebration that provides the hard-drinking Venetians an opportunity to party until dawn under the guise of tradition. It kicks off with locals filling their decorated boats with all the food and beverages they’ll need for the night’s festivities. Then they gather in the lagoon off Piazza San Marco to watch fireworks set off from floating platforms for the better part of an hour, toasting the pyrotechnics as their boats rhythmically bob. A fixture of the celebration is Tupperware containers filled with bigoli in salsa, pasta tossed with an onion-rich anchovy sauce, which soaks up the booze, keeps you drinking, and just might taste even better cold than hot out of the pan (see the recipe below). Whether the Festa del Redentore is happening or not, bigoli in salsa is a fixture on my boat, Laura, during seaborne picnics. I add vinegar for a pleasant acidic counterpoint and although not everyone is on board with the idea (boat pun!), I can report that it is appreciated by nearly 25 percent of my Venetian passengers. Omit the vinegar to satisfy the Venetian traditionalist in your life.
Bigoli in Salsa: Pasta with Oniony Anchovy Sauce
5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Katie Parla
Servings
4
servings
Prep time
10
minutes
Cooking time
25
minutes
Ingredients
1/4cup1/4extra-virgin olive oil
1large1white onion, thinly sliced
Sea salt
3ounces3salted anchovy fillets, rinsed
2tablespoons2good-quality white or red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
Katie Parla is a New York Times-bestselling author, Emmy-nominated television host, journalist, culinary guide and educator based in Rome. Her latest book is Food Of The Italian Islands.
This tagliarini alla vongole recipe comes from the book Pasta Masterclass, by London-based chef Mateo Zielonka. Here, he uses the ribbon-shaped tagliarini pasta to pair with flavorful clams and herbs, a delicious take on the classic linguine alla vongole.
Pici pasta with potatoes and beans is a recipe from the new cookbook Pasta et Al. The dish calls for a fresh, thick-rolled pasta in a Tuscan preparation.