An Italian Feast
Christmas Eve Means Fish, Wine And Family

Stuffed Mushrooms are a delightful appetizer.

Rule No. 1: if it swims, serve it. Whether you prefer your shrimp, calamari, flounder, eel, or baccalà (salted cod fish) fried or baked, it belongs on an Italian table in one form or another. This rule can also be applied to the must-have pasta course; capellini (or any thin pasta) with white clam sauce, rigatoni with shrimp sauce or spaghetti allo scoglio (shellfish) are common choices.
Rule No. 2: When considering side dishes, think about what’s in season. Traditional winter veggies that Italians use include artichokes (stuffed with chopped meat, cheese and parsley), broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic and oil, and big, meaty mushrooms filled with breadcrumbs, cheese, crab and whatever else.
Rule No. 3: Unless you plan on constantly replenishing your table’s supply of fresh bread and wine, forget rules 1 and 2. You can neglect to heat up the tray of chestnuts for dessert. You can misplace the box of Pignoli cookies or homemade ricotta cheesecake, but do not – do not – leave grandpa’s baccalà dish teeming with sauce and no Semolina bread to sop it up.
You’ve been warned. Now, enjoy the following homemade Italian recipes.

Dario Cupido’s Baked Baccalà – from Ortona, Abruzzo
1 lb of salt-cod soaked for 48-72 hours
1 chopped onion
3-4 chopped white potatoes
1 small can of chopped tomatoes
1 green pepper, cut into strips
Olive oil
Black pepper
If you buy baccalà dry, you will have to soak it in water for 2-3 days to desalinize it. Change the water once a day. When you’re ready to prepare the dish, cut the fish into cubes and place them at the bottom of a large baking pan. Add chopped onion, chopped potatoes, chopped tomatoes, green peppers and a generous coating of olive oil. Sprinkle black pepper and mix all of the ingredients together. Avoid using salt, as the cod is already brackish. Bake at 400 degrees for about one hour.
Note: if you have leftover baccalà, you can always use it in a salad. Chop the cod into chunks, add fresh chopped garlic, chopped parsley, pepper, capers and olive oil and serve immediately.

Spaghetti Allo Scoglio
1 lb spaghetti
2-1/2 lbs of shellfish
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1-1/2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons parsley
Salt and black pepper
Cook the spaghetti until al dente. In the meantime, scrub and clean the shellfish. Heat garlic and olive oil in a large sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add the wine, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and increase the heat to medium-high. Add all of the shellfish, cover and cook until the clams and mussels open (this will only take a few minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and toss with drained pasta. Sprinkle fresh parsley and serve.

Stuffed Mushrooms
16 large fresh mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
6 ounces sweet Italian seasoning
1/4 cup water
Wash mushrooms, remove and chop stems. Remove sausage casing and sautee in a skillet along with the chopped stems, garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Break up the meat with a fork and cook it until lightly browned. Add 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, Italian seasoning and cheese. Fill mushroom cavities with the mixture, rounding up the tops. Put in a shallow bowl. Combine water and oil and pour into the bottom of a baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serves 4-6.
For more Italian recipes, visit cooks.com or foodnetwork.com.