Cook up this Italian feast for Christmas

Looking for some fresh ideas to kick up your Christmas dinner? Well, look no further. “Today” invited the Scotto family — Marion, John, Anthony and Elaina of the New York restaurant Fresco — to share their favorite dishes for a special Christmas feast. Here are the recipes:

Fritto Misto
Serves 6

1 gallon canola oil
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semolina
1 tablespoon powdered onion
2 tablespoons powdered garlic
2 tablespoons paprika
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound calamari, sliced
1/2 pound bay scallops
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup julienned zucchini (skin on)
1 cup julienned yellow squash (skin on)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 lemons, each cut in half

In a deep fryer, heat the oil to 400°F. Keep the oil at this temperature until you are ready to deep-fry the seafood and vegetables.

Mix together the flour, semolina, powdered onion, powdered garlic, and paprika. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the seafood and julienned vegetables in the flour mixture until they are completely coated. Deep-fry until golden brown. You can fry them in any order, just don’t overcrowd the fryer.

Place the fritto misto on a serving platter, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and season with salt to taste. Garnish the platter with the lemon halves. Serve warm.

Meatball Lasagna
Serves 6

For the meatballs
2 slices bread
1/2 cup milk
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups tomato sauce, warmed

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For the tomato sauce
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/4 to 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
8 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded  

For the lasagna
2 pounds fresh mozzarella, diced
2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
5 pounds fresh ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
4 fresh pasta sheets (store-bought), or 2 pounds lasagna noodles

To make the meatballs
Soak the bread in the milk. In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef, bread, onions, parsley, eggs, cheese, and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is dry, add 1/2 cup of cold water and mix well. Form into about 12 meatballs.

Place the meatballs in a sauté pan with the olive oil and fry over medium to high heat until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the meatballs on paper towels.

In a stockpot, heat the tomato sauce over low heat. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer over low heat, covered, for 30 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the garlic just begins to turn golden brown. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened and a sauce is formed. Stir in the basil.

To make the lasagna
Mix 3/4 of the mozzarella, 1 cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, and the ricotta in a large bowl. Add the eggs and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Remove the meatballs from the sauce. Crumble the meatballs and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the pasta until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain and shock in cold water.

To assemble
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour 1 cup of the hot tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12-inch baking pan. Place a pasta sheet over the layer of sauce, cutting the sheet to fit if necessary.

Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the pasta. Spread 1/2 of the crumbled meatballs over the cheese. Add some of the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 of the mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano. Repeat the layers of sauce, pasta, cheese mixture, and meatballs two more times.

Spread the remaining cup of tomato sauce over the top layer of the pasta and sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the sauce.

Bake the lasagna for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the sides are bubbling.

Spiced Yellow Fin Tuna With Chickpea and Escarole Ragu
Serves 6

For the tuna
2 pounds center cut #1 sushi grade yellowfin tuna

For the spice rub (mix together thoroughly):
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder (see note)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon paprika or chili powder

Note: Chinese 5-spice powder is used extensively in Chinese cooking and is available in Asian markets and many supermarkets.

Sprinkle spice rub on all sides of tuna. For heavier spice flavor apply twice before searing in hot pan. Preheat on high temperature, heavy cast iron skillet for 6 to 7 minutes.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in skillet and add spiced tuna right away. Sear and lightly char on all sides evenly for rare center. If you desire more cooking, remove tuna from skillet after searing and cook in oven for additional desired temperature.

Slice tuna into 1/4-inch pieces before serving.

Chickpea and Escarole Ragu

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 heads escarole, ribbon cut, washed and dry thoroughly
2 heads fennel, sliced thin
2 red onions, sliced thin
1 bag chickpeas cooked according to directions (or 2 cans chickpeas rinsed under cold water and set aside)
1 can beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large sauté pan. Slowly cook onion and fennel until nicely browned or caramelized. Add escarole and cook for additional 20 minutes or until escarole is thoroughly cooked. Add beef broth and chickpeas, and turn off stove. Serve escarole on large platter. Slice tuna and arrange on top of escarole.

Zuppa Di Pesce
Serves 6

1 carrot, finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 leeks, cleaned and finely diced
1 fennel bulb, finely diced
1 16-ounce can tomatoes, with juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon spicy red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups dry white wine
1 16-ounce can clam juice
Salt
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1-pound fillet sea bass, cut into 4 pieces (4 ounces each)
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
20 Manila clams (or cockles)
12 mussels, cleaned
1 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into slices
4 red and yellow tomatoes, diced
1 cup cooked cannellini beans (canned or fresh)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the carrot, onion, celery, leeks, fennel and tomatoes in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the red pepper and oregano.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce to half over medium heat. Add the clam juice and cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 25 minutes. Add salt to taste.

In a large sauté pan over low heat, sauté the garlic in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Pan-sear the fish and seafood at the same time, and sauté for 2 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Add the sauce and cook the soup for about 15 minutes over low heat. Add extra clam juice if the soup seems too thick.

Garnish with the diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, and chopped basil.

Toasted Pannetone (Italian holiday bread) With Spiced Mascarpone and Orange Supremes
Serves 6

1 Pannetone
6 oranges
1 container (500 grams) mascarpone
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Slice Pannetone horizontally and toast.

Peel and segment oranges, cutting away white pith and membranes to leave just the fruit.

Mix mascarpone with honey, rum and spices.

To serve, cut Pannetone and place two pieces in a bowl. Top with a scoop of mascarpone and spoon oranges over the top.

Struffoli
Serves 6

12 eggs
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup rye whiskey
6 cups all purpose flour
Canola oil
4 cups honey
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, salt, and rye with a wooden spoon until blended.

Pour the flour onto a pastry board and make a well in the center. Pour in the egg mixture and knead the dough until all the egg mixture is absorbed.

Cover the dough and let stand for 20 minutes.

In a large pot, heat three inches of canola oil to 350°F. Break off a palm-size piece of the dough and, using your hands, roll into a cylinder about the thickness of a pencil. Cut off 1/2-inch pieces and deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining dough. Set aside on paper towels to drain the oil.

When all the pieces are fried, combine the honey, lemon juice, and chopped walnuts in a large pot. Set over medium heat and heat until the mixture boils.

Pour the melted honey mixture over the Struffoli and stir to coat. Pile high on a platter and serve.

Recipes courtesy of the Scotto family, of the New York restaurant Fresco. Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. For more information about the Scottos and Fresco, you can visit: www.frescobyscotto.com/

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