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Italian Dishes For Christmas Eve

Chef Carl Congelo stopped by Pittsburgh Today Live today to show off some great Christmas Eve recipes!

Italian Christmas Eve Antipasto
Serves 4

  • 1# can crab
  • 1 tin anchovy (drain)
  • 1 pint cured pitted black Italian olives
  • Lupine beans (drain)
  • Italian marinated vegetables "Giardiniera" 1 medium jar (drain)
  • 1 # chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cut in small pieces
  • bowl of homemade calamari salad (see recipe)

Calamari Salad

  • 1 # calamari rings
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 5 chopped Roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 t red pepper flakes
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • Lemon dressing (see recipe)

Lemon Dressing

Whisk in bowl:

  • 2 T lemon juice
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 T red wine vinegar
  • 2 T capers
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 2 T chopped flat leaf parsley

Prep for Calamari salad:

Saute calamari in olive oil about 3 or 4 min. medium to high heat. Let cool. In bowl mix all ingredients with calamari. Toss with dressing and serve.

To assemble antipasto. In festive platter arrange each item on platter. Set calamari salad close by. Serve with nice basket of crostini toasts (toasted baguette sliced thin brushed with olive oil and toasted to golden)

Grilled Spicy Italian Shrimp

Serves 4

  • 16 medium raw devained shrimp
  • 2 T minced garlic
  • 5 T olive oil
  • 1 T red pepper flakes
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1t paprika
  • 16 skewers

In bowl toss raw shrimp with all ingredients to coat well.
Grill shrimp in grill pan or on BBQ 2 or 3 Min. on each side (high heat)

Skewer after grill and platter.

Serve with a fennel aioli:

  • 1/2 c quality mayo.
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 3 T chopped fresh fennel
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Puree in food processor

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