No matter who’s coming to dinner, Italian cuisine is a can’t-miss choice. Chez Ron, I like to give it a little Spanish/Filipino twist. In the Philippines, pasta sarciado is made with heaps of sauteed fresh tomatoes and yellow onions topping grilled fish. Just for fun, you can try this recipe with grilled calamari instead. My tuna with citrus and fennel is Italian with Asian accents, inspired by recent travels abroad. With so many flavors to mix and match, world travel is as close as your kitchen — and an Italian dinner is even more appealing. Buon appetito!
Pasta sarciado with grilled calamari
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 27 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
For squid:
2 pounds small squid with heads and tentacles, cleaned, cartilage removed
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For pasta:
1 box (16 ounces) farfalle pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 pints grape tomatoes, each tomato halved
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups each, chopped leaves: cilantro, basil
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
Grated cheese such as Parmesan, Gruyere, fontina, optional
1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cut squid bodies into 1/2 inch-thick slices.
2. Combine squid, salt, pepper and oil in a medium mixing bowl, tossing together until squid is well coated.
3. Place squid on grill pan, in batches if needed. Cook, turning, until lightly charred on each side.
4. Cook the farfalle according to package instructions. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft and shallots are beginning to brown. Add the lemon juice, cilantro and basil; cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
6. Drain pasta; add to the tomato mixture, tossing to coat the pasta. Pour the cream in slowly, making sure it is combined thoroughly; add salt and pepper. Stir in cheese, if desired. Top with grilled calamari.
Nutrition information per serving:
619 calories, 30% of calories from fat, 20 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 379 mg cholesterol, 71 g carbohydrates, 37 g protein, 474 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
Grilled tuna steaks with fennel and orange sauce
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
4 tuna steaks, about 6 to 8 ounces each
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 large navel oranges
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, very thinly sliced
1/2 jar (13 ounces) roasted sweet red bell peppers, drained, cut into thin slices
1 cup cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1. Heat a grill or grill pan to high. Brush both sides of tuna with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Set aside. Combine ground fennel, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl; and evenly sprinkle mixture over both sides of tuna steaks.
2. Cut off orange zest in strips, for garnish. . Peel and section oranges and remove seeds from segments. Reserve segments and zest; set aside.
3. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add the remaining oil.Add garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic softens, about 1 minute. Add sliced fennel; cook, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, until fennel begins to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add bell peppers, tomatoes and reserved orange segments. Cook until flavors combine, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat; stir in basil.
4. Grill tuna to desired doneness, 3 minutes on each side for rare, up to 6 minutes on each side for well done. Remove from heat; set aside to rest 1 minute. Divide among serving plates; evenly top tuna with vegetable mixture. Garnish with orange zest.
Nutrition information per serving:
535 calories, 42% of calories from fat, 25 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 83 mg cholesterol, 23 g carbohydrates, 54 g protein, 744 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
Nutritionals by Jodie Shield
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Ron Bilaro is a personal chef in Chicago. Send e-mails to home& garden@tribune.com.
