"Cucina Italiano e buonissimo," says chef Michael Bonacini, and who'd argue with that - especially when the menu features pasta stuffed with potato, mint and cheese, braised veal with polenta and mushrooms, a molten chocolate cake and espresso zabaglione with buttered panetone....
"Christmas in Italy is about the food that gets prepared, family and friends that come over and about all the craziness that ensues," says the Italian-Welsh chef and television host in Bonacini's Italian Christmas, one of two special one-hour shows where he shares his favourite festive recipes.
Whether you'd like to dive right in, cook up a storm and create your own festive table laden with his Italian dishes, or you're looking for one final dish to round out your menu, Bonacini has you covered:
Michael Bonacini shares his festive Italian favourites Source: Bonacini's Italian Christmas Special
Antipasto
Transform baccala - salted cod - into a light, airy flavorful mousse served on top of polenta crostini.
Source: Bonacini's Italian Christmas Special
Primo
Put a little bit of sardinia on your table with these stuffed pastas. The lovely soft, supple pasta dough is easy to make, and the filling is a great combination of cheese and potato.
Potato ricotta gnocchi with braised greens (gnocchi di patate e ricotta con verdure brasate)
Source: Bonacini's Italian Christmas Special
These light gnocchi are served with nutty browned butter and parmesan. With the greens, it's big, rich and flavourful. "Once you’ve had gnocchi like this, there’s no other way to have them," Bonacini says.
Source: Michael Bonacini’s Christmas at the Farm
Secondo
This brings together lovely seared fish steaks, beautiful sweet pomodorini, cherry tomatoes, that become super juicy and they burst in your mouth, a little heat from chillies, capers for that briny salty little hit, and these gorgeous earthy olives.
Tomato-braised veal roulade (involtini di vitello brasati al Pomodoro)
Source: Bonacini's Italian Christmas Special
Salt, pepper, toasted fennel, cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus zest, sage and thyme are spread on the veal before rolling, creating a roast that's packed full of flavour.
Source: Michael Bonacini's Christmas at the Farm
Hailing from Emilio Romagna, this pork dish is wondferully tender because of the long slow cooking. Serve with roasted carrots, apples and chestnuts (carote, mele e castagne al forno).
Source: Bonacini's Italian Christmas Special
Contorno
"When Sicilians prepare a Christmas feast, it more often that not will include a fennel and orange salad. That cool crunchy licorice flavor from the fennel and the sweet juice of those blood oranges makes this a perfect side dish for a festive meal," Michael Bonacini says of this refreshing and easy-to-make side.
Polenta gratin with sautéed wild mushrooms (polenta con funghi selvatici)
Source: Bonacini's Italian Christmas Special
Melty cheese and smooth polenta combine beautifully with the earthy mushrooms in this festive side (and you can make part of it ahead, too).
Source: Michael Bonacini's Christmas at the Farm
Dolce
"Zabaglione is traditionally made with sweet or fortified wine, but I’m going for a little espresso, because I think that coffee hit and the panettone work so well together.," Bonacini says of this super easy way to turn a panettone into a delicious dolci. You can use bought panettone or make his apricot and pistachio panettone.
Holiday-spiced molten chocolate cake (torta al cioccolato fuso speziato a festa)
Source: Bonacini's Italian Christmas Special
Everyone loves cutting into one of these chocolate puddings and watching the molten chocolate ooze out. Serve with figs poached in honey, wine, cinnamon and cloves to take it next-level.
See the Michael Bonacini Christmas specials Friday December 13 and Friday December 20, 4.30pm on SBS Food Channel 33.
Source: Michael Bonacini's Christmas at the Farm
