Hearty, Healthy Italian Recipes
This week’s box is packed with the vibrant flavors of Italy, found in the forms of locally-made bucatini pasta, Italian sausage from Skagit River Ranch, and soft, pillowy focaccia—plus health-boosting, vitamin-rich produce like dried Porcini mushrooms and bright radicchio, plus carrots, Cipollini onions, garlic, fennel and a bevy of citrus fruit. Farm-fresh eggs, our signature chicken stock and freshly-baked lemon knot cookies help finish off this fresh and flavorful Italian lineup; mangia!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Bucatini Pasta with Italian Sausage & Porcini Mushrooms
Everyone will be asking for seconds of this extremely satisfying dish.
Fresh Radicchio, Fennel & Apple Salad
Tart, crunchy and crisp, this cool salad celebrates the classic combination of fennel and radicchio.
Baked Fennel
This classic Italian finocchi gratinati is simply sublime.
Carrots Marinated with Garlic & Oregano
This room-temperature dish packs in the flavor and makes for a lovely side dish or light lunch!
Fennel & Lemon Relish
This crisp slaw from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food II is excellent tossed with roasted vegetables, or even served as part of a charcuterie board.
Baked Fennel
This classic Italian finocchi gratinati is simply sublime.
Ingredients:
4 fennel bulbs, cored and sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a frying pan over high heat, sauté the fennel slices with the butter for about 15 minutes until tender, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Transfer to a baking pan, sprinkle the fennel with the grated cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 10 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and melted.
Fresh Radicchio, Fennel & Apple Salad
Tart, crunchy and crisp, this cool salad celebrates the classic combination of fennel and radicchio.
Ingredients:
1 head radicchio
2 fennel bulbs
1 large apple
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup toasted pecans or hazelnuts, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. First prep the radicchio by coring and slicing into thin pieces; also core, peel and thinly-slice the fennel. Cut the apple into slices. Combine the radicchio, fennel and apple in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper.
3. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, then pour half of the dressing over the radicchio-fennel mixture and stir to combine.
4. Taste, and gradually add more dressing to your liking. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and nuts.
Radicchio, Farro & Apple Salad
Tart, crunchy and crisp, this salad celebrates the classic combination of apple and radicchio.
Ingredients:
1 head Chioggia radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 large sweet-tart apple, cored and sliced
½ cup cooked farro
Garden Herb Vinaigrette (see recipe)
¼ toasted nuts, such as pecans or hazelnuts
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Combine apple slices, fennel, radicchio and farro in a large bowl.
2. Pour about ¼ cup of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
3. Taste, and gradually add more dressing to your liking. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and toasted nuts.
