Quick Italian desserts are just the thing to enjoy while chatting over a cup of strong fresh Italian coffee, a glass or vino, or after a delicious Italian meal.

All of these authentic Italian desserts are quick and simple to prepare, yet they will delight your senses and the palates of your family, friends and guests. So they’re tasty. But that’s what you’d expect from any Italian dishes, particularly an Italian desert. Sorry, I mean dessert.

Now, my mama didn’t have a sweet tooth but she had plenty of family members who did - especially when it came to these easy to make, but traditional Italian desserts.

And, as for cooking main meals - mama’s hearty minestrone soup, pasta dishes, rich meat delights - were her forté. Mama liked her desserts to be as simple-to-make as possible.  That left more time for socialising, eating and drinking with the whole familia!

My aunty Razia would prepare the most mouth-watering Italian dessert recipes.

Luckily, mama had a good teacher for these sweet delights - her Aunt Razia, her father’s sister, whose forté was making authentic Italian desserts.

In fact, unlike most Italians, my Aunt Razia was not the greatest cook of the main fare but her desserts and Italian cakes were to die for. They were so mouth-wateringly scrumptious.

It’s just as well we had Aunt Razia, and also my mum’s sister, Aunty Mary, to guide mama in the art of whipping up traditional Italian desserts. But once mum got the hang of a dish, she made it hers.

6 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 pound (125g) mozzarella cheese, diced
Salt and pepper

Method

Lightly beat the eggs with the water.
Heat oil in frypan and, stirring constantly, brown the cheese.
Add eggs, season with salt and pepper and cook, covered over a low heat until the bottom is browned and eggs mostly set.
Put frypan under very hot grill to cook top of omelette.

Memories

This was a good, simple dish for those lazy days or nights because mama would sometimes cook it for a Sunday dinner when she was tired from a day in her vegetable garden. As it could also be eaten cold, or at room temperature at least, it also was a hit at picnics.

It was also a simple dish for my sister and me could be trusted with when we were young and just finding our way around the kitchen.

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
1½ cups of bacon, diced
3 cups of finely-sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup Besciamelle sauce (or 1 tbsp plain flour)
4 cups of fresh cream
¼ cup chopped parsley
¾ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Method

Your pasta should be nearly cooked before you begin to cook the cream sauce, because cooking the sauce will only take you around 10 minutes.

Place your butter and bacon in a medium-sized saucepan, and cook them for about two minutes over a medium heat. Add the mushies and stir, sprinkle the salt and pepper and stir again. Now cook for three minutes, but be careful not to overcook the mushrooms. You want mushies (Aussie slang for mushrooms), but not mush. Add the Besciamelle sauce (or the flour) and stir in the cream to thicken things. Cook for two minutes more.

Finally, add the cooked pasta (any type will do) and cook for 1-2 minutes. You can add a little extra cream if the food looks like it is a bit dry. Toss it and serve. Garnish your Pasta alla Panna with chopped parsley and generous sprinkles of parmesan cheese.

Bon appetito!

Growing up in an Australianised Italian family meant that some of the Italian traditions had been watered down. My mother and her siblings were not fluent in Italian, insisting their parents spoke mostly English. My grandparents, having arrived in Australia at young ages, mostly preferred to speak English anyway to fit in with their new homeland.

Mama checks a flagon of Italian vino

It was the way it was done way back then, pre World War II before we even heard of multiculturalism. Migrants, mostly from Europe, who arrived in Australia before the big post-war influx were well and truly in the minority. They had to assimilate more than their counterparts who came later. Australia might take away their language - at least when they were with other Aussies - but nothing could take away certain parts of their Italian traditions… especially those involving Italian food and wine!

The Barbuto Family in Sydney during the 1980s.

The Barbuto Family in Sydney during the 1980s

My mama, Gracie Barbuto Isaacs (holding wine glass, center) surrounded by members of the Barbuto family as they celebrate her birthday. She was at her happiest when surrounded by family. Any occasion was an excuse for a family get-together with plenty of laughter and of course those wonderful Italian recipes which had been handed down from her mother.

As Australianised as the family had become (note the short pants and informal Aussie attire), Italian recipes were passed around family and friends who wanted to recreate that mediterranean flavour in their own kitchens. And mama, as generous as ever, was always happy to pass on her tips - not only on Italian recipes but on the best way to kill a fowl (a chicken is called a chook in Australian lingo) or to stuff a duck.

Tiramisu, the Italian cake-like dessert.

Tiramisu is one of those extra-special Italian desserts that mama used to make when she was having one of her special dinner parties for the whole extended family.

Tiramisu is a favorite Italian dessert. I can still remember my first taste of this classic Italian dessert.

Ingredients

4 fresh eggs, separated
1¼ pounds fresh mascarpone cheese
4 tbsp sugar
1 demitasse of espresso coffee
¾ pound savoiardi biscuits
powdered bitter chocolate
brandy (add a couple of dashes of brandy or cognac to taste. But leave it out if you will be serving the dish to children)

Method

Beat the egg yolks in with the sugar. Use a beater to whip in the mascarpone and the optional brandy. Whip up half the egg whites to firm peaks (two eggs) and fold them in. Save the rest of the egg whites for something else or feed it to your pets.

Dilute the expresso coffee with water and add a small amount of sugar to sweeten it, just a little bit. it into a bowl and add that optional splash of brandy to taste. (About a tablespoon will be ample.) Dip the biscuits in the coffee and line a suitable cake mould. Fill with the mascarpone mixture. Chill the mold for two hours, then dust the tiramisu with the powdered bitter chocolate powder… and serve to your guests.

Feeds 6
Note: You can buy savoiardi biscuits (cookies) at any Italian delicatessen, but if there isn’t one handy, you may substitute ladyfingers instead.

Zabaglione dessert, quick to make and it's so yummy. Just egg-yolks, sugar and marsala!

Italian Zabaglione dessert also is light and intoxicating - an ideal conclusion to one of my mama’s feasts and a wonderful prelude to the afternoon siesta.

This is such an easy recipe that it often fell to my sister Linda and me to whip it up as mum was usually busy with stuffing eggplants, crumbing veal, chopping tomatoes and trying not to cry over onions to be bothered with this frivolous part of the menu.

It was probably just as well that mama delegated the dessert-making to us, as with us kids cooking it, we might well have had the zabaglione tasting of onions or basil!

Zabaglione really is a treat, so that’s not good if you are looking for low-fat, low carb or diabetic recipes. But a little indulgence every so often can’t really hurt you, can it?

Aunty Razia, like my dear mama, is long gone. But I can picture them both in heaven, making all the angels fat and happy - Aunty Razia whipping up her sweet treats like zabaglione and mum with her more hearty Italian meals.

Now, my mouth really is watering - as yours will be when you read this.

Aunty Razia’s Zabaglione Italian Dessert Recipe

Zabaglione has got all the ticks - quick and easy to prepare, thoroughly debauched and comforting enough for her family and guests.

Making this Zabaglione dessert is really easy. It is one of the most simple and quick Italian desserts I know of. Master this sweet, and your friends and family will be impressed.

Just don’t tell them it only has three simple ingredients!

Ingredients

8 egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
1½ cups marsala

Method

Beat all the egg yolks and sugar together in the top of a double boiler until they are white. Stir in the marsala (315 mls) and place over hot, almost boiling water. Place over a low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is frothy and thick.

Warning: Be extra careful that your Zabaglione does not get a
chance to boil; because if it does it will curdle and be ruined.

The moment your Zabaglione mixture becomes thick, pour it off into warmed glasses. Serve it to your guests immediately, accompanied by crisp biscuits or Italian sponge fingers. Alternatively, you can pour the Zabaglione over fresh strawberries or a freshly-chopped fruit salad.

Ingredients

Filling:

1 lb Ricotta cheese (500g)
½ cup castor sugar (125g)
½ cup mixed candied orange peel and lemon peel (125g)
Pastry:
2 cups plain flour (500 ml)
4 oz butter (125g)
½ cup castor sugar (125g)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
And a pinch of salt

Method

The filling is easy. Kids stuff for the bambini, as I was then. Just mix the ricotta cheese together with the ½ cup of sugar and the ½ cup of mixed candied peels. Don’t eat them yourself, or there won’t be enough for the Ricotta tarts.

To make the pastry, just sift your flour into a bowl and rub-in the butter. Add the sugar and the salt; then add the lightly-beaten egg yolk. Mix the concoction into a ball, but do not knead it. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge.

After one hour, take the ball out of the fridge and roll out the pastry quite thinly. Then cut it into round shapes which will fit into small greased tartlet baking tins. Chill for ten minutes, then prick the pastries well with a fork and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes or until golden.

Take out the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool.

Two minutes before you are ready to serve them up to your guests, spoon your ricotta cheese filling into the tarts. Then take your fresh ricotta tarts out to the dining room and serve.

Ingredients

4 pork chops
40g butter
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup (250g) fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Dust the pork chops with salt and pepper to season them well. Then sauté them in butter with just a little olive oil added. Once the pork chops are cooked right through and golden brown all over, arrange them nicely on a serving platter and keep them warm in the oven.

Peel then crush your garlic cloves, and add them to the juices in the cooking pan together with the tomato pieces and the oregano. Bring the sauce to the boil and simmer for two minutes. Taste test it, and add a little more seasoning if you deem it necessary.

Pour the Pizzailola sauce on the pork chops, and proudly serve your Costolette di Maiale alla Pizzaiola to your appreciative family and guests.

Serves 4 people

Mama’s Tip:

Fresh tomatoes are always best, when you have them. However, you can substitute half a tin can of peeled tomatoes if you are rushed.

1 tbsp plain flour
¼ tspn white pepper
1 lemon
½ cup butter
½ tspn salt
1 pound thinly sliced veal
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup chopped parsley

Sauce

1 dspn butter
½ cup dry white wine
2 egg yolks

Method

Coat veal in seasoned flour, saute veal in butter, add wine, lemon and chopped parsley, simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and place on dish, keep warm. Discard lemon. Slowly beat butter, beaten egg yolks and add wine, stir constantly. Cook over low heat. Pour over veal and serve immediately. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices.

Memories

This Italian veal dish is great for a small to medium dinner party. It was one my mother would occasionally make for smaller gatherings - not that we had many of those. It was either the whole extended family or nothing for my little mama. But this was a dish I liked to cook as a young married woman, impressing my friends with easy-to-prepare restaurant quality food. It put me in touch with my Italian heritage and I could pretend that it was one of my mother’s favorites. Veal, if cooked the right way and with the right accompaniment, is tasty and versatile. In Italian restaurants, I steer away from pastas and pizzas and chicken dishes, always preferring the veal dishes. I think Italians are the best cooks of veal.

Bon appetit.