Roman Holiday - Recipe

Vegetarian Times, Dec, 1999 by Melissa Clark

Say "benvenuto" to the holiday with our easy and festive Mediterranean menu

The holiday dinner is a time of celebration and abundance, when friends and family gather to revel in their shared traditions. But as pleasant as that is for guests, it can put incredible pressure on the host, Who is required to create a memorable meal for many more people than she normally cooks for.

But this year, there's an easy way to approach the holiday feast: a menu featuring simple Italian fare that's mostly made ahead of time. Centered around ripe fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs, pasta and plenty of fragrant olive oil, it's an enticing meal that is as healthful as it is delicious. The recipes come from our new cookbook, Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean, which is due out January 2000 (William Morrow), and includes more than 200 recipes for robustly flavored food that's meant to be prepared without a lot of fuss or time-consuming techniques.

For our meal, we selected three hors d'oeuvres that can be made either largely or entirely in advance. The zesty Marinated Olives and vibrant Caponata can be finished days ahead and actually get better over time, while the stuffed mushrooms can be assembled in the morning and popped into the oven as your guests are hanging up their coats. The fig salad, brimming with fresh fruit, nuts and cheese, also just needs to be tossed with dressing before serving. The Angel Hair Pasta with Fennel and Saffron is a tad more demanding, but its heavenly flavors and bright, golden color are ample compensation for the last-minute work. And, for a sweet finale that's de rigueur this time of year, we offer a Chocolate-Mascarpone Torte that's simply irresistible.

Armed with these recipes, you'll be able to enjoy a sumptuous holiday meal that will leave the guests and the cook basking in a glow as brilliant as the Mediterranean sun itself.

Menu

Stuffed Garlicky Mushroom Caps
Caponata
Marinated Olives
Winter Fig and Pear Salad
Angel Hair Pasta with Fennel and Saffron
Rosemary Bread Sticks
Chocolate-Mascarpone Torte

Stuffed Garlicky Mushroom Caps

MAKES 24 LACTO

Mushrooms grow in abundance in the woods and fields of Mediterranean countries. In this savory recipe, they're stuffed with a heady garlic, cheese and basil mixture. For best results, choose mushrooms of roughly the same size and serve them piping hot.

24 large cremini or button mushrooms
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

PREHEAT OVEN TO 325 [degrees] F. Remove stems from mushrooms. Reserve stems and caps separately.

In food processor or blender, process garlic until finely minced. Add mushroom stems, basil, bread crumbs, Parmesan, oil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons water. Puree until smooth.

Spoon mushroom puree into reserved caps, dividing evenly. Place stuffed mushrooms on baking sheet and bake until tender, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

PER MUSHROOM: 39 CAL.; 1G PROT.; 3G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 2G CARD.; 1MG CHOL.; 66MG SOD.; 0 FIBER

Caponata

MAKES 5 CUPS DAIRY-FREE

Here's a light version of the traditional thick, hearty Sicilian eggplant spread. The eggplant is typically fried, but broiling or grilling adds a lovely charred taste and saves calories too. Caponata is good served warm or at room temperature and tastes even better when the flavors have been allowed time to meld. Serve it over toasted bread triangles.

2 medium eggplants (2 1/2 lbs.), cut
  lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
15-oz. can Italian whole tomatoes
1/4 cup (about 20) pitted oil-cured
  olives, chopped
1 Tbs. drained capers
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

ARRANGE EGGPLANT slices in single layer on clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Sprinkle both sides liberally with salt. Let stand 1 hour to allow bitter juices to drain.

Preheat broiler or prepare grill. Rinse eggplant slices and pat dry. Brush slices with 1 tablespoon oil. Broil or grill until eggplant slices are soft and slightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Set aside to cool.

In large skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over low heat. Add onion and cook 1 minute. Add celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes (with liquid), olives and capers. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until liquid is slightly reduced, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop eggplant. Add to tomato mixture and cook 1 minute. Stir in vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid evaporates about 10 minutes: Remove from heat and stir in basil.

PER CUP: 165 CAL.; 4G PROT.; 8G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 24G CARD,; 0 CHOL.; 404MG SOD.; 7G FIBER

Marinated Olives

MAKES 1 1/2 CUPS DAIRY-FREE

It would be impossible to travel in the Mediterranean and not notice all the small orchards of gnarled, silvery-leaved olive trees dotting the countryside. Our zesty marinade makes tangy green olives even more flavorful. The longer you leave them in the marinade, the more intense the olives become. Use within one week.