Cuisine of the Sun, Calabrian Style

[Regions of Italy] [Back to Calabria]

The food of Calabria is simple: pastas and vegetables, complemented by olive oil and sausages. Think of various shapes of dried pasta like spaghetti or penne topped with colorful sauces with combinations of tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Combine that with spicy dried salame or other sausages such as pork sopressata or smoked capocollo and you pretty much sum up the cuisine of Calabria. All these ingredients frequently make their way into hearty soups. The result is what we in America now think of as a "Mediterranean" diet.

Throughout Italy, and especially in southern regions like Calabria, homemakers create frittatas as a means of using up leftovers. A frittata is usually described as an open-faced omelette where the fillings are cooked inside (as opposed to a French omelette, where fillings are rolled inside thin egg pancakes). I also think of a frittata as a quiche without a crust. However you describe it, it requires eggs and whatever other ingredients you choose, cooked together in a saute pan. In most regions, the "other" ingredients are vegetables, meat or seafood. In Calabria and other southern regions, cooked pasta, often leftovers, is frequently included. I like frittata con pasta so much that I make pasta just for the purpose of including it in a frittata. Below is my recipe for a frittata you might find in Calabria, combining pasta, spicy sausage and red bell peppers. It's a great dish for lunch or brunch (we always have a frittata on holiday mornings) and can also be an appetizer or part of an antipasto buffet.

The wines of Calabria are rarely, if ever, exported. The winemaking revolution that has brought regions like Tuscany and Piedmont to international prominence has skipped Calabria. Wine production remains small and the results undistinguished. Fortunately, across the Straits of Messina lies Sicily, which produces excellent wines that are perfect accompaniments to Calabrian cuisine. For inexpensive wines, choose the red or white Corvo from Duca di Salaparuta. For the more adventuresome, try the excellent wines produced by the Tasca family at their Regaleali estate.

Once you have successfully made a couple of frittatas, you will be ready to experiment. Make a frittata with whatever you like or just happen to have around. Frittatas are an easy way to please a crowd.

FRITTATA DI PASTA CON SALSICCE

Ingredients

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1/2 lb. dried pasta such as spaghetti
• 5 T. sweet butter
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 3/4 lb. spicy Italian sausage
• 1 doz. large eggs

  Optional

• 1 large tomato
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Char the outside skin of the bell peppers over an open flame or under the broiler until completely blackened. Place in a brown paper bag to cool. Once cool (at least 30 minutes later), remove the charred skin, rinse under cool water and pat dry. Remove core and seeds. Cut into small dice (approx. 1/4-in. squares).
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with 4 T. butter and 1 cup grated cheese. Allow to cool. (You can substitute any leftover sauced pasta.)
3. Remove sausage from casing and place in saute pan over medium heat. Break up the sausage using a wooden spoon. Cook until brown. Remove from pan and drain. (Alternatively, use ground pork or turkey and season according to your tastes.)
4. Break eggs into large mixing bowl and beat lightly. Add cooled pasta and mix to combine evenly. (The easiest way is to use your hands.)
5. Melt remaining butter in a 10-in. saute pan over medium heat. Add half the egg/pasta mixture. Spread cooked sausage and red pepper over the pasta. Top with remaining egg/pasta mixture.
6. Leave over medium heat and cook until bottom of frittata separates cleanly from pan. Using a large spatula, slide the frittata onto a large plate. Place the pan over the uncooked side of the frittata and flip. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the other side also separates cleanly from the pan. Slide cooked frittata onto serving platter and garnish.
7. Instead of flipping the frittata, you may finish it under the broiler. Once the bottom is set, garnish the top with tomato slices and the additional cheese. Place under the broiler until top sizzles and begins to turn brown. Slide onto plate and serve.
8. Serves 8 at brunch, 12 as an appetizer.

[Regions of Italy] [Back to Calabria]