EASTER D'ITALIA.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Easter for the Samson family in Calabasas is seasoned with the flavors and traditions of Italy.

It's not surprising as Anna, a native of Porretta Terme, brought family recipes with her when moving to this country in the '60s after marrying husband Robert, an American medical student she met in Bologna.

``Foodwise, Easter was always a big event in our house, because in Italy it is almost as big a holiday as Christmas,'' says son Steve Samson. ``But my two brothers and I painted Easter eggs and had an Easter egg hunt (too).''

These days, Steve, now an executive chef at Valentino restaurant in Santa Monica, and his mother collaborate on the menu.

It starts with traditional made-from-scratch tortellini filled with a meat mixture, served in broth, one of the most famous dishes from the Emilia-Romagna region.

``My children used to prefer the tortellini topped with cream sauce, but they've gradually come to enjoy them in soup.''

Although a second course of roast lamb or baby goat was traditional at Easter celebrations in Italy, Anna switched to serving veal roast for many years to accommodate her husband's palate.

For the last 10 years, a stuffed turkey breast has taken center stage as the Easter entree.

``Eat slices hot or cold or at room temperature,'' says Steve. Mix the reduced pan drippings with cream, if desired, and serve hot.

Use ground raw turkey or chicken (or even veal) seasoned with herbs, prosciutto and grated cheese for the stuffing. Then add hard-cooked eggs and parboiled carrot and asparagus pieces for interest and appeal. It's really not difficult to execute, says Steve, once you get the knack.

You'll need a large whole turkey breast to start. Half of it is opened and pounded while the other half is ground up for the stuffing, which is rolled up inside, jelly-roll fashion. The skin is used to wrap the roll, then several layers of cheesecloth keep the cylinder shape.

Brown on top of the stove until golden, then cook in a white wine and stock mixture with herbs.

For a vegetable accompaniment, opt for a colorful ratatouille that goes together effortlessly and looks and tastes terrific. It's better the next day, adds Steve, as the flavors have a chance to mingle and develop. Serve at room temperature or reheat until hot.

Eggs, another Italian tradition, were hard-cooked and colored and eaten for breakfast on Easter morning. Nowadays, Anna stuffs cooked egg whites with a deviled egg style mixture of tuna and cooked yolks. ``My mom used to make them for a light lunch, any time of year.''

Another stuffing option is Steve's delicious mortadella mousse, which goes together in a jiffy in a food processor. ``We've served it at the restaurant on crostini.''

A tuna loaf or log is another typical dish from the Bologna area, but Steve has tweaked the idea for a play on a traditional tuna, bean and onion salad. He bakes the loaf and serves cold slices atop white beans and caramelized red onions.

A rice torte or cake, a recipe from Anna's mother, is another favorite Italian Easter selection.

``I've been making it for years as the kids like it.'' With arborio rice as the base, it's not overly sweet, can be baked a day in advance and stored at room temperature. At serving time, top with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Although Steve grew up cooking with his mom and grandmother when he visited Italy, he really didn't get interested in it until he was in college. After graduating from the University of California, San Diego, with a bachelor's degree in history and literature, he entertained the thought of going to medical school, but ended up attending a six-month program at Peter Kump's cooking school in New York instead - and honed his chef skills.

From there, he did stints at restaurants in Maine, New York, Italy and Sherman Oaks before landing at Valentino nine months ago.

With the recipes here (the tortellini has not been included), most of the work can be done in advance, so you don't go crazy Easter day.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

RICE DESSERT TORTE

1 quart milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Pinch salt

3/4 cup uncooked Italian arborio rice

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup toasted chopped blanched almonds

1/2 cup chopped candied orange OR lemon peel OR grated peel from 1 orange and 1 lemon

4 OR 5 amaretti cookies, crumbled

1/2 cup liqueur (maraschino, frangelico, amaretto OR rum)

Whipped cream and fresh strawberries for garnish

Bring milk to a boil with 1/2 cup sugar, lemon rind and pinch salt. When milk boils, add rice and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until rice is cooked and milk is absorbed completely, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Then add 4 beaten egg yolks, remaining 1 cup sugar, almonds, candied orange peel, cookies and 1/4 cup liqueur. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into rice mixture until thoroughly mixed.

Turn mixture into buttered 9-inch round cake pan. Place cake pan in a larger pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 40 to 50 minutes or until done. Remove cake pan from the pan with water. While cake is still warm, drizzle top with remaining 1/4 cup liqueur. Cool cake in pan. Just before serving, remove from pan, place on serving plate and decorate with pouffs of whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Makes 1 cake.

STUFFED EGGS

6 eggs, hard-cooked

3 anchovy fillets

3 ounces tuna fish in olive oil

1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

2 to 3 teaspoons mayonnaise

2 to 3 teaspoons drained capers (optional)

Sliced salami and mortadella

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove cooked yolks and puree with anchovy fillets and tuna in a food processor. Stir in mustard, mayonnaise and capers. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip, pipe tuna mixture into egg white halves. Top with 1 or 2 additional capers. Place on serving platter with assorted sliced salamis, mortadella, etc. Makes 6 to 12 servings.

MORTADELLA MOUSSE FILLING FOR EGGS: Instead of filling egg white halves with the tuna mixture above, stuff with this mixture for a change of pace. Puree 1/2 pound mortadella in a food processor until it is a paste. Whip 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to soft peaks. Fold mortadella paste and 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip. Pipe mixture into egg white halves with yolks (save for another use) removed. Sprinkle tops with 1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts. Makes enough to fill 12 egg halves.

TUNA SALAD

1/4 cup fine unseasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

2 pounds high-quality canned tuna (preferably packed in olive oil), well drained

1/2 pound freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

4 eggs

3 tablespoons chopped drained capers

4 anchovy fillets

Salt and pepper to taste

Soak bread crumbs in milk and then blend with all remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Let rest in refrigerator at least 10 minutes. Place mixture evenly in a well-oiled terrine mold, 3 inches deep, 3 1/2 inches wide and 10 inches long (or use other similar size loaf pan). Cover terrine with lid or foil. Place terrine in a larger pan and add boiling water to come halfway up outsides of mold. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean (may take a little longer depending on the mold or pan you use). Remove terrine from pan with water and cool. Keep refrigerated until serving time.

To serve, remove loaf from mold and slice with an electric or other sharp knife. Place slices on top of freshly cooked or canned, rinsed, drained white beans that have been topped with thinly sliced red onions that have been cooked with a little olive oil and a touch of red wine vinegar. Drizzle top with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with a sprinkling of additional drained capers and sprigs of Italian parsley. Makes about 12 servings.

STUFFED TURKEY BREAST

1 boneless turkey breast (5 to 7 pounds)

2 uncooked egg yolks

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 to 3 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary, sage and thyme (a combination)

1/2 cup finely chopped prosciutto (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

3 OR 4 eggs, hard-cooked, cooled and peeled

8 peeled and blanched asparagus spears

8 peeled and blanched carrot sticks

1 EACH onion, carrot and celery stalk, roughly chopped

2 cups dry white wine

8 to 10 cups turkey stock (can substitute unsalted chicken stock OR water)

With a boning knife, carefully remove skin from turkey breast in one piece and set aside. Remove 1/2 of skinless breast and put twice through a meat grinder with the finest attachment or puree in a food processor. (Raw skinless chicken breast or veal can also be used.) Using a food processor, mix ground turkey with 2 uncooked egg yolks, grated cheese, chopped herbs and prosciutto. Season with salt and pepper. Cook a small spoonful of the turkey mixture in a skillet and taste for seasoning; adjust as necessary.

Butterfly remaining turkey breast half and pound thinly between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to a more or less square shape about 1/2-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Put about 1/3 of ground turkey mixture down middle of breast half. Place whole hard-cooked eggs down middle of mixture, pressing in. Press in 4 asparagus spears and 4 carrot sticks on either side of eggs. Cover with remaining ground turkey mixture and shape into a log shape down center. Press remaining 4 asparagus spears and 4 carrot sticks into mixture. Fold breast half over turkey log mixture, rolling up (breast may not completely cover ground turkey mixture). Place the uncovered side of the turkey roll (with ground turkey mixture) on the reserved turkey skin and wrap up. Wrap the filled turkey roll in 4 layers of cheesecloth, cut into a large square. Tightly twist opposite ends of cheesecloth to form a tight cylinder. Tie each end with kitchen string.

Brown wrapped cylinder and chopped vegetables in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven. Add white wine and reduce until most of alcohol has evaporated (about 5 minutes). Add enough stock to cover, bring to a simmer and poach turkey breast roll, covered with a lid, about 1 hour or until a meat thermometer placed in center of roll is 155 degrees F. Remove turkey and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing, if eating hot. Bring to room temperature and then refrigerate, if serving cold (slice when cold).

Meanwhile, strain cooking liquid and reduce over high heat to serve as a sauce. Serve hot or refrigerate sauce and reheat in microwave before serving over hot or cold turkey slices. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

RATATOULLE

4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, largely diced

1 red pepper, largely diced

1 yellow pepper, largely diced

1 green pepper, largely sliced

2 zucchini (OR potatoes OR eggplant), peeled, if desired and diced

3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 cup white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Add olive oil to a large skillet. Add onions, peppers and zucchini; cook about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes and wine. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer. Add chopped parsley and serve hot. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) RICE DESSERT TORTE

(2 -- color) STUFFED TURKEY BREAST

(3 -- color) TUNA SALAD

(4 -- color) STUFFED EGGS

(5 -- color) RATATOUILLE

(6 -- color) Anna Samson and son Steve make green pasta in her Calabasas kitchen.

Photos by David Sprague/Staff photographer