Festa Italiana offers taste of Italy in Kakaako

For all those who share a love for Italian food and culture, the Friends of Italy Society of Hawaii is hosting the inaugural Festa Italiana Hawaii Oct. 7 at Wade Warehouse, 449 Cooke St., in the heart of Kakaako.

Festa Italiana in Strada — The Street Festival — runs from 4 to 10 p.m., a free outdoor event with entertainment by Hawaii Opera Theatre, Hawaii Youth Symphony and more. Street vendors will offer Italian and Italian-inspired foods.

An upscale VIP event, Passaporto Italiana — Passport to Italy — runs 6 to 9 p.m., presenting cuisine by Italian chefs from restaurants in Hawaii and Italy, along with imported Italian wines.

Cost is $100. Visit festaitalianahawaii.com.

This week, try some new Italian dishes at home:

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 6 pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage, plus 24 large sage leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup olive oil to marinate chicken plus 3 tablespoons for frying sage
• 6 slices prosciutto
• 6 slices (4 ounces) Provolone cheese
• Sliced lemon and chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Using a meat mallet, pound chicken to flatten a bit. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place on a platter. Sprinkle with sage, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup olive oil. Massage in seasoning to distribute, cover and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or longer.

Heat a wide skillet over medium; add 3 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot, add sage leaves and let them crisp about 30 seconds. Remove and drain.

Brown chicken breasts in oil about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a baking dish large enough to fit them in one layer. Top each piece with 2 sage leaves, a slice of prosciutto and a slice of Provolone. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is bubbling. Garnish with remaining sage leaves. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including olive oil in marinade or salt to taste): 280 calories, 15 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, no fiber or sugar, 34 g protein.

PENNE PASTA WITH FRESH RICOTTA AND TOMATOES

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 pound penne pasta
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
• 3 large basil leaves

In a medium saute pan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened and start to release juices, 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then strain pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Add cheeses to pasta and season with salt and pepper. Toss, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time until cheeses coat pasta nicely without being too thick (about 1-3 tablespoons).

Add 1/2 of the sauteed tomatoes and toss again, incorporating tomatoes and their juices. Plate and top with remaining tomatoes. Garnish with basil. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 420 calories, 19 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 15 g protein.

TIRAMISU

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 (7-ounce) packages Italian ladyfingers (such as Savoiardi, available in specialty section of supermarkets)
• 1 cup cold espresso or strong coffee
• Cocoa powder, for dusting

Combine egg yolks and sugar in top of double boiler over boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

In bowl of an electric mixer, whip yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Add mascarpone; beat until combined. (Tip: No mascarpone? Whip 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese with 1/4 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter until just blended.)

In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture; set aside.

Dip each ladyfinger into the espresso just long enough wet them; do not soak. Arrange in bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Spoon half the mascarpone filling over ladyfingers. Repeat process with another layer of ladyfingers and filling. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. Serves 18.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 360 calories, 27 g total fat, 15 g saturated fat, 180 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 6 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.