The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline considered to be Italy’s most scenic on the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula in the Province of Salerno in Southern Italy. The Amalfi Coast is a popular tourist destination for the region and Italy as a whole, attracting thousands of tourists annually. The Amalfi Coast has a Mediterranean climate, featuring warm summers and mild winters.

The roads along the Amalfi Coast are famously winding, narrow and challenging to drive. All the towns of the Amalfi coast are connected by the scenic SS163 road built in the first half of the 19th century. Following the natural course of the coastline, the route is full of curves, nestled between the rock and the sea cliffs, giving spectacular views at the exit of every tunnel or hairpin bend. Before the construction of the coastal road, locals reached the region’s 13 towns via mules on footpaths that still exist.

Caprese salad made with the area’s mozzarella di bufala.

The cuisine, abundant in fish, seafood, fruit and vegetables ripened to perfection in the Mediterranean sun; will also appeal to meat eaters and cheese lovers, thanks to the protein-packed delicacies produced in the Lattari mountains. Not only is the world’s undisputed best pizza made in Naples but the region is also home to gelato, paccheri pasta, eggplant and sfogliatelle pastries and each village in the region has its traditional cuisine and specialized recipes.

The Amalfi Coast is known for its production of Limoncello liqueur, as the area is a major producer of lemons, known as sfusato amalfitano in Italian, which are grown in terraced gardens along the entire coast between February and October. Amalfi is also known for making a hand-made thick paper which is called bambagina. Other local products are a particular kind of anchovies (alici) from Cetara and colorful handmade ceramics from Vietri sul Mare

An Amalfi Inspired Dinner For Four

Appetizer: Stuffed Calamari

4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 small squid with tentacles
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 eggplant, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 balls fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 15 green olives

Directions

Rinse the squid inside and out and set aside.

Heat half of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the eggplant, bell pepper and zucchini. Season with salt and black pepper and remove the pan from the heat. Cool slightly. Stir in the mozzarella cheese, making sure it doesn’t melt.

Gently stuff the vegetable cheese mixture into each calamari. Don’t overstuff the calamari because when they cook, they will shrink, and the stuffing will pop out. Seal the opening by threading the tentacles through the body with a toothpick a few times.

Heat the remaining olive oil with the garlic in the frying pan. Add the stuffed calamari, cook about 1 minute and then add in the capers, tomatoes and olives.

Remove the garlic and add a pinch of salt. Cook about 3 minutes longer and serve immediately.

First Course: Spaghetti Mare e Monte

Spaghetti from the Sea and the Mountains

4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Kosher salt to taste
• 16 small fresh shrimp, cut in half
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

Cook the pasta al dente. Drain.

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet placed over medium-high heat and add the chili pepper flakes. Heat and add the garlic and zucchini. Saute 1 minute and do not let the zucchini get brown.

Add the cherry tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook until the zucchini and tomatoes soften. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute.

Add the cooked spaghetti and toss with the ingredients in the pan. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Second Course: Lamb in Tomato and Red Wine Sauce

4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (56 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• One whole bulb of garlic, cut in half
• 3 lbs (1.35 kg) lamb rib chops
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 lb (450 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups (450 ml) red wine
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Season the lamb chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat until very hot and put the garlic halves face down, so that the cut sides are in the oil.

Add the lamb and rosemary sprigs and sear the lamb on all sides.

Add in the wine and let that cook until the wine has evaporated. Add the cherry tomatoes, lower the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer for half an hour.

Transfer the chops to dinner plates and serve with the sauce.

Green Bean Salad

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (900 g) green beans, cleaned and trimmed
• 5 tablespoons (75 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 8 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons (28 ml) red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions

Boil the green beans for three to five minutes until tender crisp — slightly soft but still with a bit of crunch.

Drain them well, pat dry with a clean towel and put them in a mixing bowl with a cover.

Add the olive oil, mint, red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar.

Gently toss the beans in the dressing. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Bring the salad to room temperature, sprinkle on the lemon zest and serve.

Dessert: Lemon Granita

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup superfine sugar
• 2 cups water
• Juice of 6 large lemons, plus the zest of 2 of the lemon, minced
• Mint garnish, optional

Directions

Heat 2 cups water in a saucepan and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Let cool, and then add in the lemon juice and zest.

Freeze the lemon mixture in a metal bowl, stirring every 20 minutes, until the liquid has become granular but is still slightly slushy, 3 to 4 hours.

Serve the granita in dessert bowls with a sprig of mint.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Fish, granita, green beans, Lamb, lemon, Pasta, Salad, Vegetables Tags: Amalfi Coast, Italian cuisine