Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook (5 page)

Makes 1 cup, enough for 2 pounds of pasta

Pesto is another go-to sauce that I use for hot dishes, cold dishes, pasta, sandwiches, you name it. So here is my best recipe, named for my sweetest younger daughter.

⅓ cup pine nuts

1 ½ cups packed fresh basil leaves, well rinsed and dried in a salad spinner

3 garlic cloves, crushed under a knife and peeled

⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate and cool completely.

2.
To make the pesto by hand: Using a pestle, crush a handful of the basil leaves in a large mortar (at least 2-cup capacity), pushing down with the pestle and moving your wrist in a circular motion to squeeze and crush, but not pound, the leaves. Keep adding basil leaves until they have all been crushed. Add the garlic and crush it into the mixture. Gradually work in about half of the oil. Now add the pine nuts, and crush them in. Finally, work in the cheese, then the remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3.
To make the pesto in a food processor: Fit the processor with the metal chopping blade. With the machine running, drop the garlic through the feed tube to mince the garlic. Add the pine nuts and pulse until finely chopped. Add the basil and pulse until finely chopped. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. With the machine running, gradually pour in the oil. Season with the salt and pepper.

4.
Transfer the pesto to a small, covered container. Pour a small amount of oil over the surface of the pesto to seal it. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Stir well before using.

Papà’s Roasted Peppers

Makes 6 to 8 servings

7 red bell peppers

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped Salt

1.
Position the broiler rack about 8 inches from the source of heat and preheat the broiler.

2.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the peppers on the baking sheet. Broil, turning occasionally, until the skin is blackened and blistered all over, about 12 minutes. Take care that you just char the first layer of the thick pepper skin, and don’t burn a hole into the pepper.

3.
Transfer the peppers to a large bowl. Cover with aluminum foil. Let stand for 30 minutes. (The trapped steam will loosen the skin and make it easier to remove.)

4.
One at a time, peel away the blackened skin from each pepper. Tear or cut the peppers into thick strips and discard the seeds. Transfer the pepper strips to a colander to let any excess juices drain, about 15 minutes.

5.
Transfer the drained pepper strips to a bowl or a covered container. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the garlic, and season with salt. Toss gently. Serve immediately. (The peppers can be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. The oil will congeal when chilled, so let the peppers stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften the oil before serving.)

E
very morning when I wake up, I realize I’m not just me; I’m something much, much better: I’m a mom. (I usually realize this because there’s a tiny elbow in my eye socket or a little knee poking me in the ear.) All I’ve ever wanted, the most important thing in the world to me, is to have my own family. With Joe and my four girls, I’ve been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. As every parent—and really good kid—knows, family is everything.

Having four kids under the age of nine keeps me young, fit, and constantly laughing. When I’m not running after them, I’m driving them to gymnastics, karate, birthday parties, or to see their grandparents. When I’m not singing “Ring Around the Rosie” in Italian to make Audriana dance, I’m belting out the Black Eyed Peas with Gia and Gabriella. Everyone helps everyone. The other day when we were stuck in traffic driving back from the shore, Audriana was tired and started crying. I asked Gia to play some music for her baby sister on her iPod. Three minutes later, Audriana was sleeping thanks to the Lady Gaga lullaby “Bad Romance.” I live for little moments like that.

My kids want to be with me all day, every day—the day you have your first baby is the last day you ever have privacy, right? And since I cook every meal for our family, they end up spending a lot of the day in the kitchen with me. It’s not just where we bond, it’s also their first classroom. It’s not only where they learn about how to take care of their family, but also about budgets, money, measurements, healthy eating, even reading and math.