Cooking is all about making decisions. Sometimes you have to decide if you are going to have great looks or great flavor. Of course, I try to have both, but if it is ever a question of giving up one or the other, I always go for the best flavor. In this dish, for example, lightly cooked peppers would look brighter, but I prefer the flavor of peppers that have simmered until they begin to break down. So I cook them longer, for better flavor. Choosing two different-color peppers helps make up for what little we lose in appearance by cooking the peppers fully. Fresh herb sprigs serve as more than decoration. The heat from the dish releases the aroma and adds to the enjoyment.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　8 cloves garlic, peeled

　　1 medium red and 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 3 cups total)

　　2 cups trimmed and thinly sliced assorted mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, and/or button

　　Salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　4 servings Veal, Chicken, Turkey, or Pork Scallopine (see page 248)

　　All-purpose flour

　　One 24-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), seeded and crushed (about 3 cups)

　　1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

　　6 fresh basil leaves, torn into quarters, plus basil sprigs for decorating the plates if you like

　　

Step 1

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy, wide skillet over medium heat. Whack 3 of the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and toss them into the pan. Cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peppers and mushrooms, season them lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the peppers are softened, about 8 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and the butter in a large, heavy skillet. Whack 3 of the remaining garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and add them to the pan. Cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 2 minutes. While the garlic is browning, dredge the scallopine in flour to coat both sides lightly, tap off the excess, and add as many scallopine to the pan as fit in a single layer. Cook until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes. Flip, and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining scallopine. Remove scallopine from pan.

　　

Step 3

Pour off the fat from the scallopine pan and pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whack the remaining 2 garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and toss them into the pan. Cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is simmering. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mushrooms and peppers into the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until the peppers are tender but not mushy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the torn basil, then tuck the scallopine into the sauce. Simmer until the scallopine are heated through and the sauce is lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste, and season with salt and additional crushed red pepper if you like. Divide the scallopine among warm plates, topping each serving with some of the sauce. Decorate the plates with basil sprigs, if you like.

　　From Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright © 2001 by A La Carte Communications and Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Published by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.