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Buon appetito! Enjoy simple Italian cuisine

Giuliano Hazan serves up easy-to-learn dishes from his new cookbook, ‘How to Cook Italian.’ Check out the recipes

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Try these easy Italian recipes
Nov. 3: Giuliano Hazan cooks up some Italian dishes from his new cookbook, “How to Cook Italian.”

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TODAY
updated 11:52 a.m. ET Nov. 3, 2005

In “How to Cook Italian,” Giuliano Hazan covers the basics of Italian cooking, from what you need and what you don't to how to shop and stock the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer for meals throughout the week. Hazan visited “Today” to share some authentic Italian fare.

Aromatic Salmon in a Pouch
"How to Cook Italian" by Giuliano Hazan

Serves 4 as a main course, or 6 as part of a multi-course Italian meal

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound fresh ripe tomato (about 1 cup diced without seeds)
3 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless salmon fillet
Extra wide heavy-duty aluminum foil
2 tablespoons dry white wine

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400° on convection heat setting, or 425° on the regular bake setting.

Peel the tomato, remove the seeds and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
Finely chop the parsley and garlic. Coarsely chop the oregano and mix with the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the olive oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Butterfly the salmon fillet by slicing horizontally along its thicker side so that the fillet opens like a book. Spread the mixture from the previous step on the inside and outside of the salmon fillet.

Tear a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around the fish completely. When you seal the foil later there should be enough room around the fish for the steam to circulate while it cooks. Place the fish in the center and add the white wine. Spread the diced tomato over the fish and sprinkle the remaining parsley on top. Season with salt and pepper and seal the foil making sure not to leave any openings.

Place the pouch on a cookie sheet and put it in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on how thick the fish is. If you are unsure whether the fish is cooked or not, it’s perfectly okay to partially open the pouch and check with a fork to see if it flakes. When it is done, gently open the foil, taking care not to spill the juices. Lift it out of the baking pan and slide the contents into a serving dish. Serve at once.

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Farfalle with Sautéed Vegetables (Farfalle al Sugo di Verdure)
"How to Cook Italian" by Giuliano Hazan

Serves 4 as a main course, or 6 as part of a multi-course Italian meal

INGREDIENTS

4 medium carrots
6 ounces broccoli florets
6 ounces cauliflower florets
1 medium clove garlic
1/2 medium yellow onion
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound farfalle

DIRECTIONS

Peel the carrots and cut them into 1/4-inch dice. Rinse the broccoli and cauliflower and cut the florets into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Peel and finely chop the onion. Put it with the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet. Place over medium-high heat and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns a rich golden color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, and lower the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper and add about 1/2 cup water. Cook until all the water has evaporated, then add another 1/2 cup water. Continue this routine until the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, without adding any more water, until they are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

After the vegetables have cooked for about 30 minutes, fill a pot for the pasta with at least 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling water, put in the farfalle, and stir well. Cook until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking and after the vegetables have browned, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pasta water to the sauce to moisten it. When the pasta is done, drain it well, toss it with the sauce and serve at once.

Note:  You can make the sauce up to 2 hours ahead of time. Do not refrigerate.

TIPS

The key to making this sauce is to sauté the vegetables long enough for them to develop a rich, sweet intense flavor.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time from start to finish: 1 hour

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