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Colavita Olive Oil Cake

Celebrating Your Heritage with Colavita on Columbus Day

In keeping with the spirit of discovery, Colavita honors the accomplishments of Christopher Columbus by presenting traditional recipes of the region and city 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 cooked with potatoes and green beans. As a port city, Genoa also has outstanding seafood dishes such as the 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 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 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 the batter for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top. Cut into serving pieces and serve hot.

Genovese Style Artichokes

A delicious starter – the mushrooms, prosciutto and Parmigiano balance beautifully with artichokes. Use Colavita products to bring the authentic taste of Italy to this recipe. Rachel Ray Salt and Pepper come with their own grinders and should be a fixture in your kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp. Colavita Olive Oil, plus ¼ cup
  • 1 lb. Roman mushrooms, trimmed and chopped, about 4 cups
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 slices prosciutto, about 2 ounces, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
  • 1 tsp. Rachael Ray Salt from the Sea, ground
  • ½ tsp. Rachael Ray Malabar Black Peppercorns, ground
  • 4 fresh artichokes, trimmed and cleaned
  • 2 cups Colavita Aged White Wine

Preparation

In a large, heavy skillet heat 3 tbsp. of Colavita Olive Oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until mushrooms are tender and onions are golden. Transfer mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and let it cool slightly. Add prosciutto, parsley, Parmigiano, salt and pepper; stir to combine.

Gently pull apart the leaves of the trimmed artichokes to slightly widen the spaces between the leaves. Stuff mushroom mixture in the spaces between the leaves. Place artichokes in a heavy, high-sided pan so they fit snugly enough to stay upright. Pour wine and 1 cup of water into the pan. Pour ¼ cup of olive oil over the top of the artichokes. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Cover pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, until artichokes are tender. Remove from the pot and serve immediately.

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, 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.

Orecchiette with Sausage, Beans and Mascarpone

This hearty and delicious meal has many variations. You can use sweet or hot sausage to add a bit of spiciness. The mascarpone adds a richness to this traditional recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Colavita Orecchiette Pasta
  • 2 tbsp. Colavita Olive Oil
  • ½ lb. sausage, casing removed
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 13-oz. jar of Cirio Cannellini Beans, drained
  • 2 tbsps. fresh oregano leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tsp Rachael Ray Salt from the Sea, ground
  • ½ tsp Rachael Ray Malabar Black Peppercorns, ground

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water. In a large, heavy skillet warm olive oil over medium-high flame. Add sausage and onions. Using a wooden spoon break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces as it browns.

Continue cooking until the sausage is golden and the onions are tender. Add the beans and oregano, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the cup of reserved pasta water and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until it has dissolved into a light sauce. Grind in the Rachael Ray salt and pepper and add the hot pasta. Stir until evenly coated and serve.

Buridda

With Genoa’s location on the water, it is no surprise that fish dishes are creative and bursting with flavor. Buridda, a traditional stew, is a variety of fresh fish gently stewed 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.

Colavita Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
  • 1 ¾ cups Colavita Farina Flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Finely grated zest of 2 lemons or tangerines

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Allow the eggs and milk to reach room temperature. Prepare a 10-inch round cake pan by first greasing it with butter and then flouring it. Into a medium bowl, sift together the 1 ¾ cups of flour, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk the melted butter with the olive oil and milk.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar and citrus zest until the mixture becomes pale and thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the side pulls away from the pan. Transfer the cake to a rack and allow it to cool before serving.