Italian Summer Recipes
Summer is the season of tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, peppers and fragrant basil, when Tuscan cooking is at its simplest and most colorful. Many of these dishes are served at room temperature, perfect for long lunches outdoors.
Here you’ll find the summer recipes we cook with guests at our organic cooking school in Tuscany: panzanella, pappa al pomodoro, rice-stuffed tomatoes, eggplant parmigiana, peperonata, fried zucchini blossoms, fresh basil pesto, tomato and basil bruschetta and light fruit desserts.
Fresh fruit tart with frangipane (crostata di frutta)
This is a tart to rival a patisserie bought one. In our cooking courses in Italy we show you just how the pastry should be rolled out: quickly, gently but firmly. It takes some practice, but is well worth mastering. Delicious with soft fruit such as raspberries.
Caramelized pear and fig upside-down tart
You can make this tart with pretty much any fruit, but the combination of figs and pears is divine! During our cooking classes in Tuscany, we use ripe figs from the trees at the top of the hill.
Dairy-free lemon custard (crema de llimona)
Made without milk, this lemon custard popularized by the Catalan chef Carme Ruscalleda is light, tangy and refreshing. Naturally gluten-free and very quick to prepare, it is lighter than classic lemon curd and an ideal summer dessert.
Tuscan slow-cooked green beans with tomato and basil
This is a signature dish of the late great Mario, the multitalented father of Tina who used to be one of our amazing instructors at our cooking classes in Italy. You may say that you like your green beans to be firm and crunchy, but after tasting this dish you may also appreciate their sweet, melt-in-the-mouth quality when slow cooked.
Peperonata: Italian sweet and sour stewed peppers
This dish is even nicer the day after it has been made and is delicious warm, cold and at room temperature!
Eggplant caponata: Sicilian sweet and sour eggplant, without deep-frying
Easy Sicilian eggplant (aubergine) caponata: a sweet and sour dish with celery, olives, capers and tomato. Lighter, make-ahead and best served cold.
Crostini with roasted peppers and goat cheese
Crostini are little appetizers that you can invent yourself depending on what’s in season and what ingredients you happen to have around. We often serve these crostini (which are red, white and yellow) alongside our green salsa verde crostini. A pretty combination!
Eggplant croquettes (polpette di melanzane) with ricotta and Parmesan
One of the most delicious things invented! Best fried just before you serve them, but they are fine at room temperature too if it’s a hot day. These go quickly when we make them at our cooking school in Tuscany!
Hazelnut sponge cake with raspberries and fresh cream
A deliciously light fluffy sponge with a subtle nutty flavour!
Biancomangiare: Sicilian almond milk pudding
This dessert has clear Arab origins and is traditional in Sicily, Sardinia and the Val d'Aosta. It is generally made with cow's milk but in the Sicilian county of Modica it is made with almond milk.
Whole wheat focaccia with cherry tomatoes and oregano
An easy but unusual focaccia recipe which makes a rustic-textured, half wholewheat bread. Ideal to eat with cheeses and salad.
Pappa al pomodoro: Tuscan tomato, bread and basil soup
This classic summer dish is very versatile: it can be eaten hot, at room temperature or chilled. It does however rely on ripe, tasty tomatoes.
Pasta with zucchini and ricotta: a quick, creamy summer sauce
Pasta with zucchini and ricotta: browned courgettes, garlic, fresh basil and creamy ricotta. A quick vegetarian summer pasta, ready in 20 minutes.
Fruit bavarois (bavarese): a light, make-ahead summer dessert
This is a great summer dessert which is light, fruity, fresh and refreshing!
Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and basil
This is a dish to be made and savoured immediately. You can even make it as a pre-dinner nibble while you finish cooking something time-consuming with friends.
Fresh basil pesto: how to make it and serve it with pasta
In the summer, nothing beats the pungent, aromatic flavours and satisfying texture of a home-made pesto sauce.
Stuffed round zucchini with seitan, garlic and parsley
This recipe looks particularly good made with the cute round zucchini, but is equally tasty made with the long variety. Remember to be careful to reduce cooking times if your zucchini are small.
Pomodori al riso: baked tomatoes stuffed with rice
You can only use parboiled rice in this recipe since the grains stay separate. Non parboiled rice will turn into a sticky blob!
Pomarola: Tuscan tomato sauce with onion, carrot and celery
This is a good alternative to a classic tomato and basil sauce. It has more texture and a more subtle, less tart flavour.Great with potato gnocchi, pasta, or any recipe that calls for a tomato-based sauce.
Eggplant parmigiana with grilled eggplant
This Italian restaurant classic is a little time-consuming (the grilled eggplant takes a while) but your guests will tell you that it is well worth all the effort.
Roasted red pepper soup with garlic yogurt
Manuela adapted a green pepper soup that she tasted in the famous Cibrèo in Florence, and came up with this smooth, full-flavoured delight.
Quick fresh tomato and basil pasta sauce
During our cooking vacations in Italy, we teach you various tomato sauces, some that are packed with tasty vegetables and some that have a purer tomato taste. This simple sauce relies on good, tasty, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a good olive oil.
Eggplant crostini (crostini di melanzane)
Crostini are little appetizers that you can invent yourself depending on what’s in season and what ingredients you happen to have around. It is easy to cook eggplant in too much oil, since it is something of an oil sponge… this recipe seals the eggplant before oil is added so that you use less oil.
Tomato and basil bruschetta: the classic Italian appetizer
In Italian, this simple but delicious tomato appetizer is pronounced "Brusketta". Obviously, use the tastiest tomatoes that you can get hold of. Often, cherry tomatoes have a lot more flavour than larger varieties.