Peperoncino Grappa

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

Here’s a kicked-up version of Italy’s famous grape brandy! Keeping chiles’ favorable influence upon digestion in mind, this “hot Grappa” is ideal as a digestive drink after a meal. Note that this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 1 quart or liter Grappa

  • 1 red chile pod (like Lingua di Satana, Cayenne or Thai)

Instructions

Place the chile pod in a clear glass bottle along with the Grappa. Place in a very sunny spot, for example on a windowsill, for about 30 days. The pod will most likely look somewhat shrivelled after that.

Strain the Grappa, store in a dark and cool place (basement) for another two months. After that, enjoy!

Devil’s Tart (Crostata del Diavolo)

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

Sweet heat is popular in southern Italy, as evidenced by this tart, which is a specialty of the Sabbia d’ Oro restaurant of the Calabrian province of Cosenza (see also here). Chile jam is readily available from mail order sources.

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces soft butter

  • 5 ounces sugar

  • 1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks

  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

  • 11 ounces flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 5 ounces orange jam

  • 4 ounces red chile jam (Marmellata di Peperoncino)

  • 4 ounces almonds, peeled and chopped

  • 2 ounces confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix well. Add the egg yolks, egg, and lemon peel.

  2. In another bowl, combine the flour and baking powder and slowly add to the butter-sugar-egg-mixture.

  3. Roll out half of the dough and spread over a tart dish (pie dish).

  4. Spread the orange jam evenly on the dough in the pie dish, and then the chile jam evenly on top of the orange jam. .

  5. Combine the almonds with the remaining half of the dough, mix well, and roll out in the size of the pie dish.

  6. Tightly cover the tart in the dish with the rolled-out dough sheet. Bake the tart at 350°F. for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on a rack and dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Pasta with Garlic, Olive Oil and Chiles

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Note the lack of tomatoes in this pasta. The dish depends heavily upon the flavor of the chiles.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Olive oil

• 2 small chile pods, red, hot (Thai , Serrano or Birdseye), seeds and stems removed, finely chopped

• ¼ cup finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 pound Spaghetti pasta

• Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the chiles, parsley, and garlic. Cook until the garlic is soft.

Meanwhile, in lightly salted water, cook the pasta “al dente,” according to instructions on the package.

Strain the pasta well. Add the pasta to the mixture in the pan, mix well and let sit for a few minutes for the flavors to blend. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

Enraged Pasta (Penne all Arrabiata)

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Of all the spicy Calabrian dishes, this one is probably the best known. Feel free to increase the heat scale by adding more peperoncini.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 to 3 medium onions, chopped

  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 2 small chile pods, red, hot (Thai , Serrano or Birdseye), seeds and stems removed, finely chopped

  • 2 14-ounce cans chopped tomatoes, for example Progresso

  • 1 pound Penne Rigate pasta

  • 3 ½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

  • Pinch of sugar, salt

Instructions

In a pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the onions, garlic, and chile and cook until the onions are golden brown. Add the tomatoes and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes over low to medium heat.
 
Meanwhile cook the pasta “al dente” in lightly salted water, according to instructions on the package. Grate the parmesan cheese and stir half of it into the sauce. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Drain the pasta well, mix thoroughly with the sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
 
Serve piping hot.

Chicken with Garlic & Chile (Pollo Aglio e Peperoncini)

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Serve this easy chicken dish with fresh crusty bread and a salad, but not with pasta or rice. The latter are solo players in Italy and are not served as side dishes.

Ingredients

Tomato, Chicken Breast, Garlic, Onion, Small Red Chile Pod, Italian Parsley

Instructions

Serve this easy chicken dish with fresh crusty bread and a salad, but not with pasta or rice. The latter are solo players in Italy and are not served as side dishes.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe tomatoes

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)

  • 14 ounces skinless chicken breast, cut into ½-inch cubes.

  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

  • 1 small chile pod, red, hot (Thai , Serrano or Birdseye), seeds and stem removed, chopped

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1/2 bunch of Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation:

  1. Slit the tomatoes on the top and submerge in boiling water for a minute. Remove from water, peel and remove seeds.

  2. Cube the tomatoes and drain in a strainer for 10 minutes.

  3. In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil and cook onions and garlic until translucent.

  4. Add cubed chicken and brown, stirring constantly.

  5. Season with pepper and salt, add the chopped chile pod and the tomatoes. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes.

  6. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

Heat Scale: Medium