We’re talking to one of my favorite Italian food gurus, Elizabeth Minchilli, on Off the Menu this week in honor of her new book "The Italian Table". I thought we’d just talk about her most excellent recipes for hosting a summertime Italian grilling party, and then if you like them you can get the book and grill all summer!
Grilled Bombettes, or Italian Pork-and-Cheese Roll-Ups They call them little bombs, and they are little flavor-bombs, just indulgent. Like a cheese-bratwurst, but classier!
Prosciutto Melon SaladWhen you don’t have time to sit there wrapping cantaloupe in prosciutto, just tip it all onto a plate and call it a good day! Such a perfect summer recipe, so nice to set out with whatever you’re grilling. Serve a nice Italian Moscato and call that a great day.
Grilled Bread with Ricotta and TomatoesA first course to make you swoon, swipe a slice of good bread with olive oil, grill it briefly, then salt and cover with tomatoes and cheese. I love this!
Grilled ScallionsI love nothing more than fresh green scallions seared over charcoal, and Elizabeth brings the Italian way of doing it with a bit of frizzled prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to serve.
General Grilling Tips In my experience basic Italian grilling of everything from artichokes to lamb chops follows a pretty simple path: A marinade of olive oil and lemon juice with garlic, pepper, salt, and oregano, and then serving it with more olive oil. You can do this with steak, with pork chops, with everything. If you want some more detail Eataly put together a decent little guide. So light up those fires!