Bruschetta with
Peperonata
TOTAL 30 MIN; SERVES 6Chef Mario Batali tops crisp,
garlic-rubbed bread with
tender, sweet peppers
enlivened with chiles and
anchovy paste.2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive
oil, plus more for
brushing(^1) / 2 Spanish onion, thinly
sliced
2 small red bell peppers,
cut into thin strips
2 small yellow bell
peppers, cut into thin
strips
2 serrano chiles, seeded
and cut into thin strips
2 tsp. anchovy paste
Salt
Freshly ground black
pepper
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 tsp. finely chopped
oregano
6 3 / 4 -in.-thick slices from a
round rustic loaf
1 garlic clove, peeled
- In a large skillet, heat 2
tablespoons olive oil until
shimmering. Add onion, bell
peppers, serranos, anchovy
paste and a generous pinch
each of salt and pepper. Cook
over high heat, stirring occa-
sionally, until vegetables start
to soften and brown on the
edges, about 4 minutes. Add
vinegar and cook over moder-
ate heat, stirring occasionally,
until peppers are tender, 5 to
7 minutes. Stir in oregano and
season peperonata with salt
and pepper; keep warm. - Preheat a grill pan. Brush
bread slices on both sides
with olive oil. Grill over mod-
erately high heat, turning
once, until lightly toasted,
about 2 minutes. Transfer
grilled bread to a plate and
rub with garlic clove. Spoon
peperonata on top and serve
warm. —MARIO BATALI
Crostini with
Scamorza and
Peperonata
TOTAL 1 HR; SERVES 6New York City chef Andrew
Carmellini tops crusty grilled
bread with a mildly spicy mix
of peppers and scamorza, a
cow’s milk cheese that resem-
bles a dry mozzarella. He
swears by dried Calabrian
oregano pulled right off the
stem as the perfect finish to
the tasty crostini.(^1) / 2 lb. mixed baby sweet
peppers, stemmed and
halved if small or
quartered if large
1 small red onion, sliced
(^1) / 4 in. thick
(^1) / 4 cup extra-virgin olive
oil, plus more for
brushing
Kosher salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly
sliced
(^1) / 4 cup chopped pickled
hot peppers, such as
peperoncini and
banana, plus 2 Tbsp.
brine from the jar
(^1) / 4 cup finely chopped
parsley
1 Tbsp. finely chopped
oregano
6 1-in.-thick slices of
Italian or ciabatta bread
6 oz. scamorza cheese,
cut into 6 slices
- Heat a grill pan. In a
medium bowl, toss sweet
peppers and sliced onion with
2 tablespoons of the olive oil
and season with salt and
pepper. In 2 batches, grill over
moderate heat, turning occa-
sionally, until lightly charred
in spots, 8 to 10 minutes per
batch. Return to the bowl.
Keep grill pan on. - In a small skillet, heat
remaining 2 tablespoons of
olive oil. Add garlic and cook
over moderate heat, stirring,
until softened but not
browned, about 2 minutes.
Scrape garlic and oil into
the pepper mixture. Add
pickled peppers and their
brine and toss well. Stir in
parsley and oregano and
season peperonata with
salt and pepper.
3. Brush bread with olive oil
and grill over moderately high
heat, turning once, until
lightly charred, about 2 min-
utes total. Transfer to a plat-
ter and top with scamorza.
Pile peperonata on top and
serve. —ANDREW CARMELLINI
Pasta-and-Pesto
Croquettes
ACTIVE 1 HR; TOTAL 5
HR; MAKES 18 CROQUETTESAt Pizzarium in Rome, chef
Gabriele Bonci reimagines
the classic fried risotto
croquettes known as supplì.
He swaps pasta and pesto
for the usual rice and tomato
sauce and fills the croquettes
with creamy stracchino
cheese instead of the
traditional mozzarella.2 Tbsp. pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1 cup packed basil leaves
1 cup freshly grated
Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese (3 oz.)(^1) / 3 cup freshly grated
Pecorino Romano
cheese (1 oz.)
(^1) / 2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
(^1) / 2 lb. tro epasta (see Note)
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter,
at room temperature
4 oz. stracchino
(crescenza) cheese, cut
into 18 equal pieces
6 large eggs
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
Canola oil, for frying
- Line a baking sheet with
parchment paper. In a food
processor, pulse pine nuts
with garlic until chopped.
Add basil, Parmigiano,
and Pecorino Romano and
pulse to combine. With
machine on, drizzle in olive
oil. Season pesto with salt
and scrape into a large bowl. - In a large saucepan of
salted boiling water, cook
pasta until al dente; drain
well. Add pasta and butter to
pesto, season with salt and
pepper and toss well. Spread
pasta on prepared baking
sheet, cover loosely with
plastic wrap and refrigerate
until cold, about 1 hour. - Using your hands, form
pasta into 18 balls. Make an
indentation in each ball and
fill with a piece of stracchino;
shape pasta around cheese to
enclose it. Cover croquettes
with plastic wrap and refriger-
ate until cold, at least 3 hours
or overnight. - Set a rack over a baking
sheet. In a medium bowl, beat
eggs. Place breadcrumbs in a
second bowl. Season eggs
and breadcrumbs with salt.
Dip each croquette in eggs,
letting excess drip off, then
roll in breadcrumbs; repeat
dipping and rolling to make a
double layer of coating.
Transfer croquettes to rack. - In a large enameled cast-
iron casserole, heat 3 inches
of canola oil to 350° F. In
2 batches, fry croquettes,
turning, until deep golden
and heated through, about 5
minutes per batch. Serve hot.
—GABRIELE BONCI
NOTE Tro epasta is simply tri-
colored Italian pasta. Look for
tro epasta at Italian markets
and specialty food shops.
MAKE AHEAD The croquettes
can be prepared through Step
3 and refrigerated overnight.