copyright 2011 art of living, Prima Media, Inc./Maria Liberati
“Banish (the onion) from the kitchen and the pleasure flies with it. Its presence lends color and enchantment to the most modest dish; its absence reduces the rarest delicacy to hopeless insipidity, and dinner to despair.”
Elizabeth Robbins Pennell, American columnist
Someone once said that “onions are the poor man’s truffle” here’s a simple way to make something special out of this characteristic tasting ingredient.
Cipolle Ripene (Stuffed Onions)
from the upcoming release The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style
*4 golden onions
*3/4 lb (350 gr) fresh or frozen spinach chopped and washed
*3 tablespoons (45 gr) plain bread crumbs
*2 (30 gr) tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
*1 egg
*Optional: ¼ cup(50 gr) ground veal
pinch of nutmeg
Peel, clean onions. Boil in slated water for 10 minutes. Drain. Cut onions in half .Scoop out inside, leaving shells intact, set aside shells and inside. Chop inside of onion. Steam spinach leaves for 3 minutes. Chop leaves. Place 1 tablespoon (15 gr) olive oil in saute pan with chopped onion and (Optional place in ground veal). Saute onion and optional veal till golden. Place in chopped spinach l, egg, pinch of salt, pinch of nutmeg. Saute. Remove from heat. Drizzle olive oil in bottom of casserole dish. Spread oil on casserole with fingers. Place onion shells in dish and fill with spinach stuffing. Sprinkle plain breadcrumbs on top and bake for 40 minutes in oven preheated to 350F (180 C). remove and serve,
For more great recipes get your copy of the Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions