As autumn finally settles across Italian kitchens, moms, and grandmas—usually more than happy to delight the family with their Sunday recipes—find their homes filled with new aromas. Pumpkins, mushrooms, truffles, broccoli rabe, chestnuts… These are just some seasonal stars now entering Italian recipe books. Here’s an example of an October menu to bring a touch of Italian flavor to your dishes. Buon appetito!
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe
Let’s start our menu with a classic from the Puglian cuisine (Bari). With this dish, you’re guaranteed to impress—trust me!
Ingredients:
- 400g orecchiette pasta
- 800g broccoli rabe
- 1-2 fresh chili peppers (at least!)
- Anchovies in oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- Olive oil and salt, to taste
You can buy ready-made orecchiette, but if you decide to make them at home (and this would be your ticket to true Italian status!), mix durum wheat semolina flour with water and salt until you get a smooth dough. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then shape small ropes and cut them into 2 cm pieces. With a quick motion, drag each piece on the work surface with your thumb to form a small shell shape.
To prepare the broccoli rabe, remove the tender leaves and flowers from the tough stems and rinse them under cold water. It’s important to only use the delicate parts for the best results.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the broccoli rabe. After 5 minutes, add the orecchiette and cook for another 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté the garlic and chili pepper in extra virgin olive oil until golden. Add the anchovies and stir until they melt into a flavorful sauce.
When the pasta and broccoli rabe are ready, drain them and transfer them to the skillet with the garlic-anchovy mixture. Add a ladle of cooking water to help blend everything together, then stir over high heat.
For serving, transfer to a plate and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve hot and enjoy a dish that captures the essence of Puglian cuisine.
Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
Preserving food is a long-standing Italian tradition, especially sun-dried tomatoes and tomato sauces! This is especially common in southern regions like Calabria and Puglia, where people make enough preserves to last all year.
First, how do you choose the tomatoes? It depends on your taste. If you prefer firmer tomatoes, opt for San Marzano. If you like a sweeter, softer flavor, go for cherry tomatoes.
The most important and interesting part of the process is the drying phase. You can sun-dry them (this takes about 10-12 days) or use an oven at low temperatures (about 10-12 hours).
Once dried, we typically layer the tomatoes in jars and cover them with oil—either peanut oil for a lighter taste, or extra virgin olive oil for a bolder flavor.
Here’s how to prepare oven-dried tomatoes preserved in oil!
First, wash the tomatoes thoroughly and dry them well. Cut them in half lengthwise and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut side up. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 120°C (250°F) for about 10 hours. The long cooking time allows the tomatoes to lose their water and concentrate their flavor.
You’ll know the tomatoes are ready when they’ve lost all their water and their skins are slightly wrinkled. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, sterilize glass jars by boiling them in water for 30 minutes along with the lids. Let them cool in the water before drying them upside down on a clean cloth.
Next, finely chop garlic and parsley. Layer the dried tomatoes in the jars, alternating with the aromatic mixture and olive oil. Make sure the tomatoes are completely submerged in the oil, leaving about 2 cm from the top. Seal the jars tightly and tap them gently to remove any air bubbles.
For preservation, place the jars in a large pot, separating them with a cloth so they don’t touch. Boil for 30 minutes to create a vacuum seal (you’ll know it worked if the lid doesn’t pop when pressed).
Store your sun-dried tomatoes in a cool, dark place for a week before enjoying to let the flavors fully develop.
Apple strudel with puff pastry
Apple strudel is a classic of Italian cuisine, straight from the Trentino-Alto Adige region. This version is simpler and quicker, but just as delicious!
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- 300g apples
- 70g sugar
- 60g breadcrumbs
- 50g raisins
- 25g pine nuts
- 20g butter
- Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 egg yolk
- Powdered sugar
- 20 ml milk
How to Make Apple Strudel
Start by soaking the raisins in warm water for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, core, and slice the apples thinly. Toss the apple slices in a bowl with fresh lemon juice to prevent browning.
Once the raisins are ready, drain them and gently pat dry with paper towels. Add them to the apples along with pine nuts, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix to create a fragrant filling.
Next, melt the butter in a pan over low heat and add the breadcrumbs. Stir until golden and toasted.
Roll out the puff pastry and brush it with the melted butter. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs evenly across the dough, leaving a 2 cm border around the edges. Spread the apple filling evenly, then fold in the edges and roll the strudel, sealing the ends.
Place the strudel seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the top with the egg yolk mixed with milk, make three diagonal slashes on the surface, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Let it cool on a wire rack before dusting with powdered sugar. Slice and enjoy your strudel, perhaps with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
Drunken chestnuts
So simple, it barely seems like a recipe! During chestnut season (September to November), why not enjoy a delicious snack?
Begin by soaking the chestnuts in 1 liter of water with some white wine for at least two hours. Be sure to deeply score the rounded side of each chestnut with a sharp knife so they’ll open easily after roasting!
Before cooking, moisten a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle a layer of salt over it. Arrange the chestnuts with the scored side up, then bake at 200°C (400°F) for about 30 minutes. After removing them from the oven, cover them with a damp cloth for a few minutes—voilà! Your drunken chestnuts are ready, and they’ll be a breeze to peel!
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