Tomato, with love

Fresh seasonal ingredients are the foundation of Italian Cuisine and here are a few traditional recipes you can make in your kitchen.

Italian is a cuisine of distinct flavours and each have an entity that is all encompassing and brings out the crop of the season. The tomatoes in Italy are known for their plump and juicy texture and it is also one of the main ingredients in the simplistic dishes across Italy. From the simple bruchetta which is an anti-pasto or starter consisting of toasty bread rubbed with fresh garlic and topped with olive oil and salt to the pasta that highlights fresh basil and herb. There are many diverse preperations with tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese like the Bruschetta pomodoro. In the Abruzzo region of Italy, a variation of bruschetta is made with a salame called ventricina. In Tuscany, it is called fettunta and it is usually served without toppings, especially in November, to taste the very first oil of the season. So Italian cuisine is a seasonal fresh offering that celebrates distinct flavours. Here, we explore the inherent ingredients that are always found in Italian households and create their own taste trail that brings out the best taste from different parts of Italy. Recipes by Suvaranjan Banerjee, executive chef, The Lalit Ashok Bangalore

Fresh Tomato Bruschetta Ingredients French bread slice inch 6 nos Black olive 10 gm Butter 15 gm (unsalted) Fresh basil leaves roughly torn 2 nos Tomato 5 nos (red and firm) Salt 4 gm Crushed black pepper 2 gm Extra virgin olive oil 5 ml Cheese mozzarella 10 gm

Method Blanche tomatoes in boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Immediately soak in ice water and remove skin, then remove seed by cutting them in half. Chop tomatoes and mix with salt, crushed pepper, basil leaves and olive oil, keep it aside. Toast the bread from both sides. Finely chop black olives and mix with butter. Apply black olive butter on toast then top up with tomato mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on tomatoes and spread on each toast. Melt it under a salamander. Serve hot and toasty.

Spaghetti with classic AOP sauce Ingredients Spaghetti blanched al dente 150 gm Extra virgin olive oil 10 ml Elephant garlic (peeled and thinly sliced) 10 gm A pinch of crushed dry red chili without seeds Parsley chopped 2 gm White wine dry 10 ml A pinch of sea salt A pinch of crushed peppercorn Rocket leaves optional 10 Cheese parmesan grated 10 gm

Method Heat olive oil in a pan on very low heat; Add sliced elephant garlic and sauté till transparent or soft. Add chili and parsley and sauté for another few seconds. Add salt, pepper then de glaze with white wine. Refresh spaghetti in salted boiling water and drain. Add to olive oil sauce and toss for a few second until mixed thoroughly. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve hot. Rocket leaves will enhance the taste to another level if added. Adding white truffle oil on top of this dish for more enhanced local Italian flavours.

Tomato and mozzarella with basil pesto & pine nut Ingredients Tomato red and firm 2 Bocconcini cheese large size 1 no Extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp Pine nut toasted 10 pieces A pinch of salt A pinch of Oregano Basil pesto 10 gm Basil leaves 4 leaves Basil pesto (100 gm) Fresh basil leave no stem 50 Salt to taste Walnut/pinenut 10 Garlic cloves 5 Extra virgin olive oil 30 Cheese parmesan 5

Method To make basil pesto grind coarsely all the ingredients together in blender. Cover it with little olive oil to avoid darkness in pesto. Blanch tomato in salted boiling water then cool it down ice cold water and peel it. Slice tomato, basil leaves and bocconcini evenly arrange in row on plate. Sprinkle salt, oregano on top and basil pesto on side. Serve cold. To enhance the taste of this classic dish, arugula leaves can be serve along with which added pungent in taste.