Cooking Italian food in a van may seem like a daunting task! That’s why we invited professional chef Alessandro Coppola to cook a meal in our van at Capistrano Beach here in Orange County, California.
He found our van very spacious with ample counter space for prepping & plenty of cabinet space. The built in refrigerator & freezer helped keep his produce fresh and the cocktails cold! Watch the video to see the fresh & zesty Italian appetizer & pasta he made for us!
See the recipe below to cook this incredible meal in your van too! Serving size 4.
Zucchini Carpaccio Appetizer:
– 2 raw Zucchinis sliced thinly.
– 1/2 cup Pine Nuts toasted.
– 1 Leek chopped thinly.
– 1/4 cup Parmigiana grated.
– 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
– 1/2 tablespoon Lemon juice.
Start by thinly slicing the raw Zucchinis and spreading them out evenly on each plate. Then begin toasting the Pine Nuts on low heat. While the Pine Nuts are toasting begin chopping the Leeks. Once the Leeks are chopped thinly spread them out evenly on top of the Zucchinis on each plate. At this point, give your Pine Nuts a flip & make sure they’re not burning! You can now shred your parmesan cheese and spread it out evenly across each plate. Once your Pine Nuts are golden brown take them off the stove & sprinkle them evenly atop each plate. You will now drizzle the Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Lemon juice evenly over each plate. Your Zucchini Carpaccio Appetizer is now ready to serve!
Chicken and Artichoke Pasta:
– 4 large artichokes quartered.
– 4 chicken thighs boneless skinless.
– 1 shallot chopped.
– 6 cloves garlic.
– 3 cups chicken stock
– One box of shaped pasta
– Steam artichokes over pasta water
– lemon zest, parmigiana, crispy brown butter sage leaf garnish.
For this pasta Fonzo conserved water and space by using a 3 piece steamer & boiler. This allowed him to boil water for the pasta & steam the artichokes at the same time! That said, start by bringing a large pot of water to boil for the pasta & the artichokes. Then in a large sauce bowl begin sautéing the chicken until brown. Then add the chopped shallots and garlic and cook until the shallots are translucent. Add 3/4 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio) to the large sauce pan. Reduce white wine, and add one cup of pasta water to the sauce pan and mix it in with 3 cups of chicken stock. The pasta water will be green from artichokes but that’s ok (more artichoke flavor). Reduce to simmer. Remove artichokes from steamer & dice. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Once pasta is cooked to Al Dente, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta & diced artichokes to sauce when it has reduced about 2/3. Continue cooking pasta in sauce until consistency is met. Add a cup of grated Parmesan and 2 tablespoons butter and a cup of pasta water and mix off the flame. Plate and add garnish! Voila! Your chicken and artichoke pasta is ready to enjoy!
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