In keeping with the spirit of discovery, Colavita honors the accomplishments of Christopher Columbus by presenting traditional recipes of the city and region that Columbus called home. These authentic recipes are from the region of Liguria and city of Genoa and bring the tastes of Italy to your table. Using Colavita products will always ensure that your recipes are prepared using the finest ingredients.
Columbus’ hometown of Genoa is famous for pesto, usually served over pasta with potatoes and green beans. As a port city, Genoa also has outstanding seafood dishes such as a fish stew called Buridda and a favorite is the wonderful chickpea flat bread known as Farinata. Enjoy these fine dishes as you navigate these recipes brought to you by Colavita.
Farinata Genovese
One of the iconic breads of Ligurian cuisine is the chickpea flatbread known as Farinata Genovese. It has a mild, nutty flavor that marries well with just about anything .It is perfectly delicious on its own, as an antipasto or a snack. It is easy to make, but it does take some time due to the time the batter must rest.
Ingredients
- 8 oz of chickpea flour
- 27 oz water
- ¼ tsp Rachael Ray Salt from the Sea, ground
- 2 oz Colavita Olive Oil
Preparation
Place the flour and salt in a large bowl, then slowly whisk in the water until you have perfectly smooth, rather thin batter. Let the batter rest for at least three hours, but it’s even better if you can let it rest overnight. When you are ready to make your farinata, mix in the oil. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour the batter into a greased baking sheet. It should just cover the bottom by no more than ½ inch at most. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cut into pieces and serve hot.
Linguine with Pesto Genovese
- 5 oz Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 jar Basil Colavita Pesto
- 6 potatoes, boiled and halved
- 1 cup green beans, blanched and refreshed
- 1 lb Colavita Linguine
- 1 tsp Rachael Ray Salt from the Sea, ground
Preparation
Place a medium-sized pan in the refrigerator to chill. Prepare a pot of water for boiling and grind Rachel Ray salt into the water. Peel 6 medium-sized potatoes, cut in half. Before boiling the potatoes, add the green beans for a minute to blanch and then remove. Add the potatoes and boil until cooked through and tender. In a separate pot of water, cook the Colavita Linguine until al dente. Add pasta to a cold pan along with the beans. Toss with pesto, potatoes and let the hot pasta and beans warm the pesto and potatoes. Do not reheat. Add more Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil to taste.
Buridda
With Genoa’s location on the water, it is no surprise that fish recipes are creative and bursting with flavor. Buridda, a traditional stew, is a variety of fresh fish gently cooked in an aromatic tomato sauce flavored with garlic, herbs, carrots, onion and olive oil and is boasted as the region’s tastiest dish.
- 1 tablespoon Colavita Olive Oil
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 sprigs thyme leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 ½ pounds plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
- 3 ½ cups fish stock
- ¼ Rachael Ray Salt from the Sea, ground
- ¼ Rachael Ray Malabar Black Peppercorns, ground
- 6 monkfish steak fillets
- 12 squid rings
- 12 raw jumbo shrimp, deveined and peeled
- 6 small bass fillets
- 12 mussels
Heat the Colavita Olive Oil in large heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish. Add the carrots, onion, thyme and garlic and sauté gently over a low flame for five minutes. Add in tomatoes and fish stock. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover the tomato mixture with a cartouche (a lid made from baking paper) and simmer very gently for two hours, stirring now and then. Add in monkfish, squid, shrimp, bass and mussels and simmer for five to 10 minutes until the fish and seafood is cooked through. Serve over slices of toasted garlic bread.
Minestrone alla Genovese
Ingredients
- 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 leek, trimmed
- 2 celery stems, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for finishing
- 3 zucchini, chopped
- 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 eggplant, chopped
- 1 small savoy cabbage, chopped
- ½ pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- salt and pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) cannellini beans
- 6 oz Colavita Ditalini Pasta
- 4 tbsp Colavita Pesto
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Preparation
Soak the porcini mushrooms in lukewarm water to reconstitute. In a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic, leek, celery and carrots in Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil over a medium flame for 5 minutes, stirring to cook evenly. Season with salt and pepper, then add the rest of the vegetables. Add enough water to cover all vegetables in the pot, plus 1 inch.
Raise the flame to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer on a low flame for 30 minutes. Add the cannellini beans and the soaked porcini with its water. Let the soup cook for another 20 to 30 minutes until it reaches the consistency. Add the Colavita Ditalini Pasta and cook until al dente. Season with salt, pepper and a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Serve in deep bowls with a teaspoon of Colavita Pesto and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Basil Scalloped Potatoes
Columbus brought potatoes to Europe and soon thereafter scalloped potatoes were created. The addition of basil will make them a favorite on your table.
Ingredients
To make the basil oil
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Basil Scalloped Potato
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- ½ cup basil oil plus 2 additional tbsp
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Preparation
To make the basil oil: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Blanch basil leaves for ten seconds and then place in bowl of ice water to prevent basil from cooking further. Remove and pat dry with a paper towel, making sure the basil is completely dry. Blend basil leaves and Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a high-powered blender until smooth and then set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Peel the potatoes and slice to a thickness of 1/8 inch using a mandolin, sharp knife or the slicer blade of a food processor. Mix the basil oil, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Add potatoes to the bowl and coat evenly with oil. Brush two tablespoons of basil oil onto a 9-inch baking dish. Place the potatoes vertically in the prepared dish and wedge garlic slices in between potato slices.
Cover the dish and bake at 400˚F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or so, until the top gets golden brown. Keep in the oven at 200˚F until ready to serve.
Upside Down Chocolate Pear Olive Oil Cake
The hills of Genoa are known for exceptional pears. This wonderful dessert combines the fruit with chocolate from nearby Piedmont.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Colavita Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Colavita Olive Oil
For the topping
- 1/4 cup Colavita Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 5 pears, peeled and sliced
- powdered sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom. Oil the sides of the pan with Colavita Olive Oil. In a saucepan over a low flame, combine Colavita Olive Oil, brown sugar and maple syrup. Heat for about 3-5 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Pour this mixture into springform pan and place the pears on top.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, Colavita Balsamic Vinegar, Colavita Olive Oil and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter over the pears, being sure to cover the pears with batter.
Bake the cake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F. Remove and allow the cake to cool for 12-15 minutes, then open the springform pan, remove the outer ring and invert cake. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
