"I love bold flavors, and I try to bring out the best in seasonal ingredients,” says Chef Alessandro “Alex” Stratta who describes his cooking style as “approachable Italian comfort food”. The award winning chef comes from a long line of restaurateurs and is the fifth generation in his family to continue in their culinary footsteps.
With years of restaurant and hotel cooking experience under his belt, Chef Alex brings an innovative and inspired approach to his cooking. Always staying true to his Italian roots, Chef Alex has created zesty dishes like a Spicy Orecchiette with Sausage, Walnuts, and Broccolini. This fresh pasta is chock-full of flavor, but is easy to prepare and perfect for a weeknight meal.
On special occasions, impress your dinner guests with Chef Alex’s Seared Sea Scallops with Plum Fennel and Walnut Salad. With just a bit of advance prep you can have a beautiful chilled salad prepared before guests arrive. Finish the dish by quickly searing plump, fresh scallops and top it all off with a lovely side of Oven-Dried Tomatoes with Walnut Herb Topping.
Just as stone fruit and tomatoes are hitting their seasonal peak, Chef Alex offers a mouth-watering summer menu to highlight these delicious ingredients. Before you fire up the grill or start chopping your favorite herbs, be sure to bring along these sumptuous recipes from Chef Alex. And, don’t forget the walnuts—they pair perfectly with these summer dishes.
The dough may be mixed in a heavy-duty electric mixer with a paddle attachment, with a hand-held electric mixer, or in a food processor. Fill this tasty walnutty dough with Alex Stratta’s Walnut and Brown Butter Tart Filling.
The amount of batter will yield at least eight crepes, so don’t worry if you have to make a “test” crepe or two to master the technique. Be sure to see chef Alex Stratta demonstrate how he makes this recipe on the Chef Menus at Home page.
This simple, flavorful pasta dish is a great way to feed a crowd!
The plum and fennel salad can be made well in advance of serving, but cook the scallops just at the last minute. If you wish a robust and pleasant counterpoint to the scallops and salad, place a dollop of Toasted Walnut and Fennel Chutney on each plate with the hot scallop and chilled salad.
This recipe is great for entertaining, and is devine garnished with Onion Walnut and Pancetta Topping.
Chef Alex Stratta prepares this goat cheese filling for his Walnut Crepes. Any seasonal fruit will work beautifly, here Chef Alex uses figs.
This coloful salad is delicious on its own, or served alongside Alex Stratta’s Goat Cheese and Fig Walnut Crepes for a sweet and savory dish.
A wonderful accompaniment or garnish to meat, fish or poultry. Long baking at a low temperature is the key to their flavor, and the tomatoes can be served hot, warm or cold.The walnut and garlic topping is easily mixed in a food processor.
This garnish will finish almost any protein with bold, savory flavors. It is a small addition to make a good meal, great. Chef Alex Stratta serves it over Roasted Chicken Breast with Walnuts, Dates, Olives which he serves over a bed of soft polenta.
A tart and delightful chutney to be served with Chef Stratta’s Seared Sea Scallops with Plum and Fennel Salad for an elegant and elevated meal you can make right at home!
Copyright 2012 California Walnut Commission
Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, March 2004.
One ounce of walnuts provides 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, including 2.5g of alpha–linolenic acid — the plant-based omega–3.
