There may be nothing better than enjoying a summer meal at home: spending long lunches at long tables with thrown-together salads and lots of cold wine, grilling corn and hot dogs at sunset after a long day at the beach, gathering around a table to crack lobsters under the stars. Right now, many of us are cooking multiple times a day and sitting down with family for almost every meal — a silver lining (usually) — and, as we enjoy the last dog days, are in desperate need of inspiration. To that end, we’ve asked some of the fashion designers who posed for our story on family-run Italian dynasties, which ran in T’s Culture issue this past spring, to share a recipe they like cooking for the ones they love. Not surprisingly, many of these light, seasonal dishes will allow you to take advantage of those crown jewels of summer, such as August tomatoes in all their purple-y red glory. Buon appetito!
Brunello Cucinelli’s Panzanella
“In Italy, the sense of tradition is very strong. It is in that context, which I consider a noble one, that our cooking style originated: using the simplest ingredients, where nothing ever goes to waste, and any leftovers from the day before are reused. And it is precisely this custom that has given rise to the most delicious dishes. Meals are always eaten together, with everyone seated around the table, a symbol of the family, the seed of society.” — Brunello Cucinelli, creative director and chief executive of Brunello Cucinelli
Serves 4
1. Dice the stale bread into cubes.
2. Dice the tomatoes and combine in a serving bowl with the bread cubes.
3. Season with olive oil, salt and red-wine vinegar and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
4. In the meantime, chop the salad, cucumbers and red onion and then add to the bread and tomato mixture.
5. Garnish with basil before serving.
Angela Missoni’s Acqua Pazza Sea Bream Fillets
“I love making this dish in my house in Sardinia, where I spend most of my summer with my entire family.” — Angela Missoni, creative director of Missoni
Serves 4
-
About 2 pounds sea bream in fillets
-
About 14 ounces cherry tomatoes
-
About 3 ounces white wine
-
1 garlic clove
-
1 chile
-
Parsley
-
Olive oil
-
Salt
1. Dice the garlic clove.
2. Slice the chile in half, take out the seeds and dice.
3. Cut tomatoes like a cross from the top into four pieces. Put the sea bream fillets in a frying pan and layer the tomatoes, garlic, chile, wine and 4 spoons of olive oil on top.
4. Add enough to the pan to cover everything and top with salt. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil.
5. Turn the heat to low for 15 minutes. Serve the fillets in a deep dish and add some bouillon (broth).
6. Garnish with parsley.
Stefano Canali’s Pasta Strascicata
“This is our summer holiday pasta, one which pleases everyone from adults to children. Our recipe is simple, and the real secret is to use fresh and local ingredients. This is the reason I usually cook it in Sardinia. Here, I have the ability to use fresh-picked tomatoes. Harvesting vegetables and fruit from the garden is a task reserved for young people, from my daughter to her friends, who during the summer live in direct contact with nature, in complete freedom.” — Stefano Canali, president and chief executive officer of Canali
Serves 4
-
11 ounces fresh orecchiette pasta (Canali suggests using fresh homemade pasta for this dish, but if you don’t have the time or skill set, store-bought fresh or dried orecchiette can be substituted)
-
1/4 red onion
-
18 ounces ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
-
10 salted capers
-
4 anchovies in olive oil
-
Extra-virgin olive oil
-
Salt
-
Black pepper
-
Ricotta salata
1. Bring water to boil in a large pot for the pasta.
2. Finely chop the onion.
3. In a large pan, over low heat, add 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and the finely chopped onion. Cook until onions are golden.
4. Rinse the capers in warm water and place them in the pan along with anchovies and the halved cherry tomatoes and sauté.
5. Once the pasta water begins to boil, salt the water and stir in the orecchiette. Drain the pasta once al dente, saving some pasta water on the side in case the consistency of the sauce needs to be adjusted.
6. Add the orecchiette to the pan and stir for a few minutes over low heat, adding extra-virgin olive oil and pepper to taste.
7. Serve topped with grated ricotta salata to taste.
Alberta Ferretti’s Squid Ink Tagliolini With Salmon and Ricotta Cream
“I love the light, sophisticated flavor of this dish, as well as the slight, tart note of the lime. Fresh salmon eggs are the special touch. I discovered this recipe a few years ago thanks to my chef, who surprised me with it one evening at a wonderful dinner I had with a group of friends who are passionate about the arts, which I still remember with great pleasure.” — Alberta Ferretti, vice president and creative director of Aeffe
Serves 4
-
About 10 ounces fresh tagliolini with squid ink
-
About 1 ounce salmon eggs
-
About 2 ounces smoked salmon
-
About 9 ounces ricotta di bufala
-
About 1.5 ounces butter
-
Chives
-
Juice of 1 lime
1. Cook the ricotta di bufala in a double boiler while slowly adding the lime juice until the cream starts emulsifying.
2. Cook the tagliolini in a pot filled with salted boiling water for about 2 minutes.
3. Transfer the tagliolini to a pan and sauté with melted butter.
4. Spread the cheese cream evenly on the plate and add the tagliolini.
5. Garnish with strips of smoked salmon and salmon eggs, both on the tagliolini and on the plate at will. Serve warm.