Italian Recipes

GreenFairy

Most Italian desserts tend to be icecream/sorbet or fruit based, and for special occasions things like tiramisu or marzipan fruit. Perhaps a strawberry tart with a blob of cream, given that strawbs are in season?

Lasagne or baked pasta with salads is a pretty good crowd pleaser as well as being filling and nutritious. Less standing over a stove than something like risotto as well.

kiss_me_now9

For starters I'd do a mozzerella/basil dish, basic but tasty and light.

Personally I love Spinach and ricotta cannelloni, and if you get the pre-made rolls it's so simple and easy to make. No garlic needed (though you could do a side of garlic bread/cheesy bread if you really wanted).

For dessert, what about a Panna cotta which can be made in advance (great if you're the pregnant lady, and nice and plain - can do two fruit sauces with it).

maman

Why not go to Aldi/Lidl and buy a range of salami type cold meats and olives for a really easy starter. Aldi also do jars of other antipasti (peppers and the like). Then you could just sprinkle a bit of rocket around. While I haven't had it for ages, Asda used to do a lovely olive bread.

Another thing I've had in Italian restaurants is melon (very plentiful at the moment) with parma ham. It looks good with the melon sliced and fanned out on a small plate. Easy to prepare in advance too. As an alternative, melon is lovely with blue cheese (like dolcelatte) but I'm not sure whether that's OK for pregnant women.

Boodle

You could cut out extra work by doing anitpasti to start; put out dishes of olives, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, and a ciabatta loaf with oil + vinegar and bowls for dipping.

I agree a sorbet or ice cream is a good way to do dessert, again without too much work on your part. Then you can concentrate on the main; and I would imagine a pasta dish would go down well. Undercooked/rare meat, cold meats reheated, unpasteurised cheeses and shellfish are no-go in pregnancy, so perhaps go for a veggie dish to be on the safe side.

maryleerk06

I always go with a Bruschetta for starters and you can add what ever toppings you like, sun dried tomoatoes, basil, chopped olives and a good dash of balsamic glaze. This recipe is quick too!

For the main keep it simple, a pasta based dish always goes down well plus the sauces to these dishes are simple to make and you can add or remove anything you don't like or can't have. As a side to this you can add bread with olive oil and herbs and melt some parmasan cheese on it (Garlic bread without the garlic)

For desert a nice vanilla panna cotta is probably the most popular and if you want to jazz it up a bit have a go at making your own doughnut balls to accompany it with a cherry coolie.

Hope this helps

Stephen_Leak

What's happened to the rest of this thread?

Need2bthrifty

I like some of the starters already mentioned in particular the antipasti, the melon with parma ham and bruschetta – I have it with a black olive tapenade but that can be a bit garlicky, what about a Tuscan Bean Soup – I think Delia has a recipe for that.

For main I really like Manzo Stufato (Beef stew with red wine) or Costoletta alla Pizzaiola (Pork Chops in tomato and pepper sauce).

Dessert – I’m a lover of Lemon Sorbet or something like Torta di Albicocche (Apricot Tart).

GreenFairy

I'd normally go for the whole salami/ham platter as well, but the pregnant lady may be avoiding it. Would be worth checking though as if she's not then it's an easy and tasty solution for first course!

maman

Need2bthrifty wrote: »

I like some of the starters already mentioned in particular the antipasti, the melon with parma ham and bruschetta – I have it with a black olive tapenade but that can be a bit garlicky, what about a Tuscan Bean Soup – I think Delia has a recipe for that.

For main I really like Manzo Stufato (Beef stew with red wine) or Costoletta alla Pizzaiola (Pork Chops in tomato and pepper sauce).

Dessert – I’m a lover of Lemon Sorbet or something like Torta di Albicocche (Apricot Tart).

If you're looking for easy, get some of this:


very nice it is too!

zippychick

I've merged this with our italian cookery thread.

Stephen - some posts were deleted by the forum team because of copyright issues

Zip