The Italian Vegetable Cookbook

Book excerpt: Traditional and contemporary Italian recipes for vegetarian and nearly vegetarian dishes from the author of The Italian Slow Cooker. Over the ages, resourceful Italian cooks have devised countless ways to prepare vegetables—all incredibly flavorful and simple. In this book, Italian cooking authority Michele Scicolone shares recipes that she gathered during years of traveling in Italy. Some, like Green Fettuccine with Spring Vegetable Ragu and Easter Swiss Chard and Cheese Pie, came from talented home cooks. Others, such as Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms, were passed down through her family. She encountered still more, including One-Pot “Dragged” Penne, in restaurants and adapted dishes like Romeo’s Stuffed Eggplant from the cookbooks she collects. Many recipes display the Italian talent for making much out of little: Acquacotta, “Cooked Water,” makes a sumptuous soup from bread, tomatoes, and cheese. In keeping with Italian tradition, some dishes contain small amounts of pancetta, anchovies, or chicken broth, but they are optional. Simple desserts—Rustic Fruit Focaccia, Plum Crostata—finish the collection. “[Scicolone’s] methodology for vegetable cooking strives to extract the greatest amount of flavor and texture from every plant…Ambitious cooks will love the challenge of Scicolone’s Swiss chard and ricotta pie. Some recipes call for typical Italian flavor enhancers, such as anchovies or ­pancetta; nevertheless, vegetarians will find lots to savor here, and meat eaters will deem many of the pasta sauces perfectly satisfying. And both camps will delight in the host of rich and sweet dessert offerings.”—Boooklist