Pasta | Linda's Italian Table

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Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

October 14, 2012 by Linda 1 Comment

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Sometimes Sausage is just optional -

Buon giorno!

Move over tomato sauce. There’s a new saucy broad in town – and she’s a fiery redhead! So who’s the dish? It’s PASTA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE – and this gal has attitude!

Some days she’s a vegetarian and sometimes she adds a meaty companion – in this case, sausage. The sausage adds a mighty flavor boost and is a good compliment I think. However, there is no reason why this dish should not be meatless. It is an outstanding sauce with so much flavor on its own that it will satisfy the veggie appetite.

Like Vellll-vet: Just look at this bright vivid coral colored sauce! GAW-geous! This sauce is one that everyone will love. Surprisingly, even if you don’t like red peppers, you will enjoy it, as it takes on a velvety texture and mild flavor when cooked with the other ingredients – i.e. onion, Mascarpone etc. It is not unpleasantly spicy or strong – quite the opposite. It is smooth, almost sweet, and sooo delicious.

The Pasta: You’ll notice that I used Pappardelle Pasta – the long wide flat macaroni for this demonstration. I just happen to like it and was “in the mood”. The fact is, you can use many other types of pasta with the sauce very successfully. Some suggestions: Penne, Ziti, Rigatoni, Orrechiette, Pasta Fresca, Gnocchi and Polenta etc. Use what you like! You see how versatile this sauce can be. One guarantee is that this easy to make sauce will rock the house!

Tips: I like to roast my peppers ahead and refrigerate them – which really makes the creation of the sauce quick and easy. For a simple tutorial in roasting peppers check out this link for the step by step: Sovana and the Mystery Dish It is really easy and just takes a few minutes. The result is amazing. These roasted peppers, useful for so many things, are absolutely superior when you make them yourself. I remember my mother, Loretta, used to roast them over an open flame on the gas stove. You can do that – but the method in the link is a little easier, and you can do several at the same time. Quick and easy- the name of the game!!

Let’s make some sauce!

PASTA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

Serves: 4

Prep: 60 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. Pasta (Suggestions: Pappardelle, Penne, Ziti, Rigatoni, Orrechiette , Pasta Fresca, Gnocchi or Polenta etc.)

1 1/2 lb. Italian Sausage (optional) – Recommend mixture of Hot and Sweet – cooked and sliced

4 Roasted Red Peppers (See step by step instruction here: Sovana and the Mystery Dish )

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Onion – chopped

3 Cloves Fresh Garlic – chopped

1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. Mascarpone Cheese

Chopped Fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley for garnish

Plenty of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino cheese to serve with the finished pasta

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Roast peppers as recommended above. You can roast them the day before and refrigerate, if you like.

Cook Sausage (if using).

Saute onion in olive oil at medium high heat for just a few minutes until tender.

Add chopped garlic and cook another minute – do not burn garlic.

Add the roasted peppers to the pan.

Then add the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook about 5 minutes.

Put the mixture in a food processor or blender and process until it becomes a VERY smooth light puree.

Now transfer the puree back to your pan. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.

Heat through. Add mascarpone and mix into the sauce. This is the point at which the sauce transforms to that beautiful coral color!

Add your cooked sliced sausage (if using) and toss.

Mix with pasta – garnish with parsley – Serve with plenty of cheese.

The choices for wine to pair with PASTA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE are as many and varied as the choices for pasta. I must have vino rosso with this dish. However, from there your experience can choose a couple of different paths.Your red might be better on the lighter side but with the smoky roasted peppers and the addition of sausage will demand a little more from your choice. I like a Chianti Classico (make it a Riserva if you add the sausage) or Valpolicella Ripasso (makes everything better) —Even a Rose would be nice. Whatever your wine pleasure, you will surely love this sauce!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: Pasta, Sauce · Tagged With: how to roast peppers, Mascarpone, Pasta, pasta sauce, red pepper sauce, roasted peppers, roasted red pepper sauce, roasted red peppers, sauce, vegetarian dish

Spaghetti Carbonara

October 7, 2012 by Linda 4 Comments

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An Afternoon With the Godfather -

Buon giorno!

Some of our memories are so perfect and vivid that they never fade. This is one of them, and I will share it with you. It is a tale that includes one of the most heavenly of Italian pasta dishes, SPAGHETTI CARBONARA. This dish supposedly hails from the region of Lazio, native to my mother, Loretta’s family. It is, like many from Italy, simple, and made from just a few well chosen and very good ingredients. Its origins are said to have been with a carbonai or charcoal maker who may have been the first to make it – thus the name Carbonara. The simple ingredients include olive oil, onion, bacon (or pancetta or guanciale), Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, black pepper, salt,and egg yolks. Sound easy enough? Don’t be fooled by the simplicity. The key is the use of the best of each ingredient you can find. Note that I did not mention cream! This is an item added by some restaurants and recipes who attempt to over complicate the dish, and it is not an authentic addition. The egg yolks give the dish its creamy nature and golden color, and the miracle of the dish is in the TIMING! Putting this dish together quickly and while ingredients are hot is key to a successful result.

Now for the story! Godfathers are very special to Italians. They play an active role and are usually revered by the family. I am not referring to the godfathers of movie fame – all “mobbed up” and with a darker persona. Instead, I refer to the highly valued godfathers who play a special role in the lives of Italian children as they grow and are truly a part of the family – the kind who watch over and gently guide. They stand ready to noticeably approve when you have done well – who encourage – who nudge with kindness – and help when it is needed. That is the kind of godfather I had. He was almost a larger than life figure to me when I was very young – attractive, robust, generous of spirit, and always fun to be around. He was my father’s closest friend. Every Sunday, after mass at the Italian church, our families came together for breakfast. His name was Nick Corbisello – sometimes called N.R. – I affectionately called him “Compare Nick”. Compare (Sometimes pronounced Gumbah in Neapolitan dialect) is not directly translatable and can mean friend or family friend. Any true Southern Italian will know this term.

Shortly after I became engaged to be married, I visited Compare Nick, to introduce my future husband, hoping to gain his approval – a tall order, as my fiance was NOT Italian! We had high hopes that he would pass inspection, but had nothing to fear as my godfather’s way was almost always approving and kind. On the day of this visit, Compare Nick’s cousin, young , handsome Aniello, who was on an extended visit from Italy, happened to be there. What good fortune for us, as the charming Aniello was a gifted cook, and it was lunchtime.While we sat at the kitchen table and shared a good bit of laughter and endless stories, Aniello effortlessly put together a lunch for us that my husband and I have never forgotten. It was the first time we had ever tasted SPAGHETTI CARBONARA. I watched him as he made the dish with a few simple ingredients. He used bacon instead of pancetta, as that was what was available in the refrigerator. I generally still use it for the dish, as that is the way it was first served to me. He served it in individual portions with an egg yolk at the side of each serving , so that each person could toss the spaghetti with a “personal yolk.”It was an amazing dish, golden in color, aromatic, and flavorful beyond almost anything I had ever tasted. That was 40 years ago, and it is still my husband’s favorite pasta dish. Fortunately, I watched Aniello carefully as he prepared it, so that through the years, I was able to prepare it in a similar way.

Recently, Compare Nick’s grandson, Nick Cerretani, was kind enough to put me in touch with Aniello’s daughter, the beautiful Susy, who kindly asked her father, living in Casamarciano, Italy, to confirm the original recipe, just to be sure. It was great to re-connect with Aniello after all these years through Susy. He remarkably remembered the now “famous” afternoon at Compare Nick’s where this splendid dish was first introduced to me and graciously shared his preparation for this blog post. Happily, Aniello still is a remarkable cook, and according to Nick ,grows most of his own vegetables, using and enjoying them in Napoletana style dishes. Some wonderful things just do not change!

I am grateful to Nick, Susy, and especially dear Aniello for still remembering that very special afternoon with my godfather and for sharing his cooking secrets with me.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. Spaghetti (cooked according to package directions)

1/3 lb. Bacon, Pancetta, or Guanciale (use more if you like) –For the very best bacon, I always recommend ordering from: Circle B Ranch !

4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Onion coarsely chopped or sliced thinly (Aniello likes to use 1/2 an onion)

4 Egg yolks

1/2 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese – grated

Lots of Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Salt to taste

A little fresh parsley for garnish

More grated cheese to serve with the spaghetti at the table

Instructions

Fry the bacon in one pan. Chop the bacon after cooking – leaving it all in the drippings

In another pan, fry the onions in the olive oil until tender.

Separate four egg yolks and reserve.

As soon as spaghetti is ready, mix the cooked bacon, drippings, cooked onion and oil, and the egg yolks in with it quickly while hot. Toss well.

Add the grated cheese, plenty of fresh pepper, and salt.

Add some fresh chopped parsley for garnish.

Serve with extra grated cheese.

There you have it: SPAGHETTI CARBONARA – simple and beautiful, as suggested by Aniello Restaino from Casamarciano, Italy (in Campania near Napoli). Grazie, Aniello!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: Pasta, Tom's Favorites · Tagged With: bacon, carbonara, eggs, godfather, guianciale, Pancetta, Pasta, spaghetti, spaghetti and bacon, spaghetti carbonara

Pasta and Beans

September 24, 2012 by Linda Leave a Comment

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Buon giorno!

PASTA AND BEANS was, in some form, a staple around our house when I was growing up. It was the “catch phrase” for pasta, beans, and a lot of other things. The beans could be any type that you liked, cannellini, garbanzo, borlotti etc. The pasta could be your choice. We liked farfalle (bowties) or shells. Many times the dish included greens of some sort – all kinds of cabbage, escarole, broccoli rabe etc. It was all called PASTA AND BEANS, regardless of whatever else you added, and was a common example of “peasant food” on the Italian table.

As with many of my mother, Loretta’s, dishes, we didn’t think much of the peasant aspect, as we knew it was good, hearty, and delicious. This was so typical of dishes she would serve us on meatless Fridays or “holy days” of abstinence. We never missed the meat!

Thinking about the PASTA AND BEANS of old, I changed the ingredients a little to include brussel sprouts – roasted, of course, knowing the great flavor they would bring to this old Italian favorite. They are chopped up in the food processor for this recipe, so they present a little more like cabbage. Those who say they don’t like brussel sprouts must never have tasted them roasted. They are amazing in this recipe and contribute to the overall buttery flavor of the dish. It’s tasty, easy, and healthy. Your family will love this!

Let’s take a look!

PASTA AND BEANS

Serves: 4

Prep: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. pasta (I like farfalle or shells for this dish)

1 lb. Fresh Brussel Sprouts

2 Cloves Fresh Garlic, chopped finely

Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste for the brussel sprouts

Fresh Rosemary

Dash Red Pepper Flakes

Olive Oil for mixing the brussel sprouts

1-15 oz Can Cannellini Beans ( or you can use dry if you want to take the time to cook them)

Lots of Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste for the pasta

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Golden Breadcrumb Topping:

2 C. Fresh White Italian Breadcrumbs mixed with 2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil and toasted under the broiler until golden.

Instructions

Prepare your pasta according to package directions.

Make your breadcrumbs and set aside.

Clean your brussel sprouts, cut the ends off, and slice them in half.

Toss them with garlic, salt and pepper, lots of fresh Rosemary, the red pepper flakes and drizzle with olive oil.

Spread them in a pan and roast them in a 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes until fork tender.

Place the brussel sprouts in a food processor and pulse a few times to chop coarsely. Do not grind them up. You want them chunky in small pieces.

Drain and rinse the beans.

Mix with the pasta, the brussel sprouts, beans, salt and pepper, and plenty of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Generously drizzle the pasta mixture with lots of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Top with the Golden Breadcrumb Topping described above.

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: Pasta · Tagged With: beans, Borlotti Beans, breadcrumbs, brussel sprouts, cannellini beans, cannellini beans and pasta, garbanzo beans, healthy, Pasta, pasta and beans, pasta with greens, vegetables, vegetarian

August: Spaghetti with Crab and Mascarpone Sauce

July 30, 2012 by Linda Leave a Comment

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Things that crawl make great pasta!

Buon giorno!

I suppose you could make pasta with anything. I find that some of my favorite sauces are made with things that crawl and are usually found in the sea – like shrimp, clams, lobster, and crabs! SPAGHETTI WITH CRAB AND MASCARPONE SAUCE is definitely a dish that I especially love. It’s good anytime of year. For some reason, it just seems to taste better in the summer when my thoughts turn to things “beachy”, and of course, the patio would be my top choice of serving destinations. For me, this beautiful dish screams: OUTDOORS! Throw in a little “Come Back to Sorrento”, and I’m there!

About Mascarpone: For those unfamiliar, Mascarpone Cheese is the Italian version of cream cheese – a little sweeter – a little softer – a little better in my book. Let’s get off to a good start and try to pronounce this beautiful mellifluous Italian word correctly. It astounds me how many times I hear it mispronounced by accomplished chefs and on the Food Channels where they should know better. It’s like running nails down a chalkboard in “Linda’s Italian Table-Land” every time I hear it mangled. What it is not: MARS –ka – pone. What it is: MOSS-car-po-ne!! There I’ve said it, and I feel better. As if the crab and tomatoes which go together like Martin and Lewis needed any embellishment – the addition of the beautiful velvety Mascarpone Cheese just puts it right over the top!

Ingredients: This is a truly beautiful dish and one that has all the ease of most Italian recipes. As always, the ingredients are key. Your dish will reflect them. Don’t cut corners. Just use the right stuff, and success will be yours! One point of note – your crab is critical. I do not recommend the canned stuff near the canned tuna at your grocer. You won’t taste it. Use fresh if you can get it or packaged fresh in containers from your fishmonger. Not everyone lives in Maryland like my friend, Peggy, who is surrounded by the little creatures and has daily access. Those containers of fresh packed crab in the seafood department work very well. I like Jumbo Lump or Lump Crab, as they both come in larger pieces and stay together nicely when you toss the sauce, usually with fewer shells. Backfin is okay but will be less distinguishable in the sauce, as it is shredded. There is nothing like biting into those large sweet chunks of Lump Crab and really tasting its sweetness. Most grocers carry it – also Whole Foods—and Costco (for a good deal!) etc.

Pasta: This lovely sweet sauce begs for a long graceful strand of pasta: spaghetti, linguine or capellini. Of course, Pasta Fresca is ideal!

Oh! And no grated cheese with this – please!

I absolutely cannot wait another second. I MUST make this subito!

SPAGHETTI WITH CRAB AND MASCARPONE SAUCE

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. Spaghetti, linguine, or capellini cooked according to package directions

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3 Large Cloves Fresh Garlic

1/2 c. Dry White Wine

1 28 oz. Can San Marzano Tomatoes – crushed with your fingers

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 lb. Fresh or Packaged Fresh Jumbo Lump or Lump Crab

2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Basil

8 oz. Mascarpone Cheese

1/4 c. Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves for garnish

Instructions

Cook the garlic in the olive oil for a minute or two – do not burn!

Add the wine and cook another minute or two.

Add the tomatoes. I like crushing them with my fingers to get a more controlled consistency. Cutting them makes big chunks and blending makes them too fine.

Add also the salt, pepper, and red pepper.

Simmer at medium high, stirring occasionally, for about 20-25 minutes reducing the sauce and cooking out most of the liquid. You are left with a very condensed flavorful sauce.

Add crab and all juices that accompany it and the 2 Tbsp. Basil. Cook another minute or 2.

Turn off the heat and spoon in the Mascarpone. Stir in well until entirely incorporated. The sauce should turn a beautiful coral color.

Add the sauce to the pasta and garnish with plenty of Fresh Basil.

SPAGHETTI WITH CRAB AND MASCARPONE SAUCE should not, as with most seafood sauces in Italy, be served with grated cheese. Enjoy with a lovely Soave or Chardonnay perhaps? Even a beautiful summer dry Rosé – Fantastico!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: On the Patio, Pasta, Recipes of the Mo · Tagged With: mascarpone sauce, Pasta, pasta and crabmeat, pasta with fish sauce, pasta with seafood, Recipe of the Month, seafood sauce, spaghetti with crab sauce

Pasta With Cauliflower

January 23, 2012 by Linda Leave a Comment

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Pasta Con Cavolfiore

Buon giorno!

This is the time of year when health is on our minds regarding food preparation – and “deliciousness” is an added benefit. PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER or PASTA CON CAVOLFIORE is one dish that more than fills the bill. This is a very tasty dish which pretends to be very rich while really sneaking all kinds of “good for you things” onto the plate.

PASTA CON CAVOLFIORE is a Southern Italian peasant recipe. (Here come those peasants again – taking credit for so many of the great Italian dishes we love!) It is found in both Napoletana cooking as well as Sicilian fare. Cavolfiore actually means “cabbage flower”. Did you know that cauliflower was a form of cabbage? Some things just “is”!!

A little history: In the early days of Sicily, it seemed as if, at one time or another, every dominant culture conquered the land and left its mark. In particular, the Moorish influence, affecting all aspects of Sicilian life, can still be found in the cuisine of the area. The Arabs brought pasta and the use of nuts and fruits in cooking. They also motivated the raising of sheep and goats – leading to a common use of sheep and goat cheeses. Vegetables were cultivated and prepared simply with oil and garlic. You will see bits and pieces of the Moorish effect in PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER with the ingredients: currants, pignoli nuts, and saffron which gives this dish a golden color.

About the saffron: Saffron is lovely stuff found in most spice departments at your grocer. It comes from the saffron crocus and can be very expensive in large amounts. However, it is most often packaged in tiny amounts for our use. Only a small amount is called for in most dishes. It is usually sold in threads that are bright brick red in color.

When you crush them between your fingers and drop them into hot liquid, they emit a beautiful gold color to the liquid. They don’t dissolve completely. You can then add the liquid along with the remaining bits of saffron to your dish which immediately takes on the golden hue. Thank you, Moors, for bringing this beautiful spice to Italy where Italian cooks have used it in so many of their dishes including risottos over the centuries!

Then there are those little fish…

About the hairy little fish: Anchovies are called for in this dish. Now work with me here. When many people hear anchovies, they start to break out in hives. Some things sound unappetizing, but without them, your dish can be lackluster. This is one of those things. For those who might not know, anchovies come in little cans near the canned tuna at your grocer, and are usually packed in olive oil. They are used right from the can – no fuss – no muss. You can leave them out, if you like, but you’ll be losing a subtle flavor that makes this pasta dish SING! The neat part of this for all of the squeamish among you is that the anchovies in this dish dissolve miraculously while cooking. You really never see them again, and you’re left wondering where that beautiful flavor is coming from. Learn to love anchovies! You heard it here. Adding them to your dishes, rocks them into another flavor dimension.

Repeat and chant with me: AN-CHO-VEES AN-CHO-VEES. Your new mantra. You’ll thank me.

This time while shopping for my cauliflower, I noticed some really beautiful green and also purple ones in the markets. I decided to use the green just for fun. Don’t hesitate to do this. These gorgeous colorful cauliflowers are delicious and add more interest to your dish.

PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER

(Pasta Con Cavolfiore)

Serves: 4

Prep: 15 min.

Cook:

Ingredients:

1 lb. Perciatelli or Bucatini Pasta (Spaghetti is fine also) cooked according to directions – reserve a couple of large spoons pasta water (about 1/4 cup)

1 Large Head of Cauliflower (can be white or the colorful varieties)

Oil for roasting

Salt and pepper for roasting

1/4 c. Olive Oil

1 onion – chopped

3 cloves fresh garlic – chopped finely

5 Anchovies – packed in oil and rinsed

1/4 tsp. hot pepper flakes

1/4 c. currants or raisins (This is the authentic ingredient, but sometimes I like to substitute black olives for a change – delicious!)

1/4 c. toasted pine nuts (pignolis)

1 tsp. Saffron threads (from the spice area at your grocer) – this gives the dish its golden color

1 1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs mixed with 3 Tbsp olive oil – toasted and browned under the broiler

Grated Pecorino Cheese and a little Goat Cheese (As always, the finest in the Atlanta area is found at CalyRoad Creamery!)

Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

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Instructions:

Prepare pasta and reserve a couple of large spoons of pasta water for dissolving the saffron.

Cut cauliflower in pieces. Toss with a little olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes til golden and tender.

In the 1/4 c. olive oil, cook the chopped onion until just tender – about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and the anchovies. Mash the anchovies with a fork. Cook a couple of minutes. The anchovies will dissolve.

Add the roasted cauliflower and the hot pepper flakes. Cook a couple of minutes more, stirring well.

Add the currants or raisins and pine nuts – stir.

Stir the saffron into the hot reserved pasta water and stir. Let them sit a few minutes. The saffron threads don’t completely disappear. They just emit a golden color to the liquid and to your dish. Add this liquid along with the remaining threads to the pan.

Cook about 5 more minutes – stir. If dry, add a little olive oil.

Pour over cooked pasta and toss well. Top with toasted breadcrumbs and parsley. Crumble some goat cheese on the top.

Drizzle with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Serve with plenty of Pecorino Cheese.

For pairing with PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER I like a Soave or even a Chardonnay. Enjoy this beautiful golden dish!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: Pasta · Tagged With: Italian, Napoletana pasta, pasta and saffron, pasta with anchovies, pasta with cauliflower, pasta with goat cheese, pignolis, raisins, Sicilian Pasta

Pasta with Sweet Pea Sauce & Pancetta

September 19, 2011 by Linda Leave a Comment

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Eat your peas!

Buon giorno!

How many times in our youth did we hear our mothers say “Eat your peas”? How many times did we say this to our children? Well this week’s post, PASTA WITH SWEET PEA SAUCE & PANCETTA, makes all the fear and loathing disappear. Serve this one to your household pea-phobes, and I guarantee they won’t need coaxing. This is one dish that is difficult to stop eating and is so lovely to present, with its vivid green sauce which reminds us all of the garden.

What makes this dish so different? The sauce in this dish brings to the table all the nutritional value we expect from green peas: antioxidants Vitamin C and Vitamin E along with the mineral Zinc. So what? The difference here is that you never know you are eating your peas. Instead, your pasta is dressed with the most beautiful and flavorful sweet green pea puree seasoned with onions, garlic, pancetta,and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The piece de resistance in this dish is the pancetta which flavors the sauce, and then is removed and reserved to be sprinkled on top of the finished pasta at the very end. This gives it the final level of flavor without which it would not make your taste buds go “whoa” when it hits. The sweetness of the peas coupled with the savory nature of the pancetta is sure to hit your crazy button. This dish will provoke the sounds of “what the—” when they take the first bite.

A little history: There is an old Tuscan side dish made with sweet peas called “Piselli All’Olio” – which includes the use of pancetta, onion and even a little sugar. Usually fresh peas are used. Sounds good –but then we’d still have to look at the peas and well – you know – peas are just peas. So why not take this old Tuscan side and make it a sauce that is so beautiful in color and so sweet so as to be almost irresistible? Well – that’s what I was thinking. So here it is!

This is an easy dish to make and is so delicious –you’ll have trouble backing away from the table. So why wait?

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PASTA WITH SWEET PEA SAUCE & PANCETTA

Serves: 4

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb Penne Pasta or Fusilli Pugliese – make according to package directions – reserving a couple of spoons of pasta water

2 c. frozen peas – cooked & drained ( if you have fresh peas – all the better – boil them in milk until tender)

1/4 lb pancetta – chopped (Pancetta is Italian bacon – uncured – and can be found at most grocery story deli counters)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Large sweet onion – chopped

2 Fresh Garlic Cloves – chopped

1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme Leaves

1/4 c. Whole milk – warmed

Kosher Salt & Fresh Pepper to taste

1 c. Ricotta

1/2 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Grana Padano cheese

1/2 c. Whole milk – warmed (2nd)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions and reserve a couple of large tablespoons of pasta water in case you need to add moisture towards the end.

Cook your pancetta in the olive oil in a large pot or large saute pan until crisp.

Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and reserve to add at the end.

Add the chopped onion and garlic to the same pan and saute until tender – about 5 minutes.

Now add the thyme.

Add the cooked peas to the pan and cook about 2 minutes, stirring to coat the peas completely.

Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Add the 1/2 c. warm milk to the puree and blend.

Taste for seasoning and add some Kosher Salt and fresh pepper to taste.

Transfer the puree back to the saute pan and add the ricotta and the grated cheese.

Mix together, add the remaining warm milk, and warm over medium heat for just a couple of minutes until heated through.

Add the pasta water if needed. You can also add a little more warm milk to get it to the saucy consistency that you like.

Add the butter and mix in.

Taste again for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to your taste.

Pour over pasta and toss.

Sprinkle the reserved crisp pancetta over the top of the pasta and serve.

Serve Pasta With Sweet Pea Sauce & Pancetta with extra grated Parmigiano-Reggiano if anyone cares to add it. Either a crisp Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc would help you to enjoy this beautiful dish even more. You just won’t believe how delicious this dish is!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: Pasta · Tagged With: Italian, pasta and peas, pasta with peas and pancetta, pasta with ricotta, Piselli all'Olio, pureed peas, sweet green pea sauce, Tuscan peas

September: Spaghetti with Salmon, Baby Artichokes, & Tomatoes

August 29, 2011 by Linda 6 Comments

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There is nothing more satisfying in the hot months than a pasta dish with the freshness of the garden as well as the sea. Spaghetti with Salmon, Baby Artichokes and Tomatoes is one of those dishes. You know – Your mind says pasta, but at the same time you wonder if it might be a heavy choice for the weather. No problem here. This dish is light, fresh, healthy, and gives you that “pasta fix” at the same time.

The garden gnomes and gnomesses were looking after us this year. Fresh tomatoes have been abundant and sweet. And OH THE HERBS!!! They all set the stage for a perfect storm of pasta ingredients just waiting for the proper attention. It was right around the time that my fresh garden tomatoes were over populating my kitchen windows that I thought, “It’s pasta time”. I need a fresh light pasta dish, and I need it now. It was also the evening before my husband, “the mad cyclist”, departed for one of his more difficult rides and was craving carbs.

Fishing for the right stuff: I happened to be doing one of my “wandering aimlessly through Whole Foods” routines, when I came upon a one-day sale on fresh wild caught Alaskan salmon, all bright red and glistening. Oh baby, come to Mama! I had just picked up a box of fresh baby artichokes that the produce manager, you have all come to know as “Bucko”, ordered just to keep me from making another scene among the veggies. He humors me. Joy of joys!! I had my pasta dish, and I was thinkin’ PATIO!

As it came together, the interesting thing about my Spaghetti with Salmon, Baby Artichokes and Tomatoes was the preparation of the salmon. Instead of just grilling it, I decided instead to use a cedar grilling plank which I thought would offer a smoky essence and another level to the mounting flavors in this fresh dish. This turned out to be the right choice!

Walking the plank: For those who haven’t tried it, grilling your fish on a cedar plank takes it to another dimension. The smoky flavor is reminiscent of any great smoked salmon you have ever tried, and you can produce it quickly and easily on your own grill. When combining it with your pasta, it changes the character of the dish completely by giving just a light hint of sweet smoke.

The How to: You can find wood planks and specifically cedar, which I love with salmon, at your grocer these days. They are not expensive. Generally speaking, this is how to use them. A couple of hours before grilling the salmon, soak the plank in water to cover. It needs to be soaked well to help prevent burning. When you are ready to grill place the plank on the grill and close the cover. When it starts to smoke, place your seasoned salmon on the plank and close the cover again. The time depends on the thickness of your salmon, but I would say that it should take about 6 to 8 minutes to cook. You should check it after 6 minutes. I do not like my salmon dry and over cooked. I like it a little red and moist in the middle so it melts in your mouth.

Fresh is best: For tomatoes and artichokes – the best way to go for this dish is fresh- definitely for the tomatoes and preferably for the baby artichokes. If you absolutely can’t find fresh baby artichokes – used canned or frozen artichoke hearts – never as wonderful as fresh - but… If using canned, rinse them very well, drain them and cut them in half. For the herbs used in this dish, they should always be fresh.

Think fresh – think healthy! Now you are ready to go!

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SPAGHETTI WITH SALMON, BABY ARTICHOKES, & TOMATOES

Serves: 4

Prep: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb. Spaghetti

About 3/4 lb piece of fresh salmon (wild caught Alaskan is great!) – drizzle with a little Olive Oil and sprinkle with Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3 Cloves Fresh Garlic Chopped

6-8 Ripe Red Fresh Tomatoes – Chopped

12 Fresh Baby Artichokes – cleaned as in my post: Baby Artichokes Stuffed with Ricotta (link)

or canned or frozen artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and in halves

2 Tbsp. Fresh Oregano leaves

1/4 c. Chopped Fresh Basil

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

Instructions:

Clean and prepare the baby artichokes as in the post linked above. Instead of boiling them for 10 minutes as suggested in the post– boil them 15 minutes for this dish. Drain and set aside. If using canned artichoke hearts, rinse and drain them well and slice them in half.

Season salmon as directed above.

Grill the salmon using a cedar plank. See my instructions for this in the text above the recipe in THE HOW TO section. Do not overcook the salmon – reddish in middle is good. You don’t want it dry.

Heat the 3 Tbsp Olive Oil in a pan and add chopped garlic. Cook a couple of minutes – do not brown.

Add chopped fresh tomatoes and fresh baby artichokes ( or canned artichoke hearts).

Season with Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste. Cook about 5 minutes.

Add fresh herbs and stir.

Make spaghetti according to package directions.

Add the pan ingredients to the spaghetti and toss gently.

Add Kosher Salt and pepper and mix in.

Add grilled salmon broken into pieces to the spaghetti.

You can add more fresh basil if you like.

Drizzle generously with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and serve.

The Finish: As far as a wine pairing with Spaghetti With Salmon, Baby Artichokes and Tomatoes ,I would suggest a Pinot Grigio or even a Trebbiano for white or a Pinot Noir if you prefer red.

PARLA COME MANGI!

Comments are welcome in the “Speak Your Mind Area” beneath this post online.

Food Photos By Tommy Hanks Photography

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Filed Under: Fish/Seafood, On the Patio, Pasta, Recipes of the Mo · Tagged With: baby artichokes, cooking salmon on grilling plank, fresh tomatoes and spaghetti, healthy pasta dish, pasta and salmon, Recipe of the Month, salmon and cedar plank, spaghetti, spaghetti with baby artickokes., spaghetti with grilled salmon, spaghetti with salmon

BOWTIE PASTA WITH LAMB & PEAS

June 12, 2011 by Linda 3 Comments

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Farfalle with Lamb and Peas

BAA, BAA, BAA!

Buon giorno!

I am always excited about Italian food, but there is something about Italian dishes made with lamb that thrills me to the “bone”. To me, lamb is the most rustic of meats used in Italian cooking. It has flavor like no other and flavors sauces, stews, and soups in a very distinctive way. Although traditional Italian pasta sauce made with lamb is always a stand out, today’s recipe, Bowtie Pasta with Lamb and Peas, is a spring/summer-like alternative to the standard pasta preparation and is simple, healthy, and satisfying.

So let’s talk more about lamb for just a moment:

Tradition: Traditionally, spring lamb is served at Easter in Italian households to herald the religious occurrence of the Resurrection and Spring itself. Fortunately, we now are able to find good spring lamb at our grocer’s, or we can order it in advance, if needed easily. In the Italian home, the roasted lamb is usually served with a lovely vino rosso, a crusty Italian loaf, and roasted potatoes and vegetables – simply prepared with simple and fresh ingredients.

Bad ju-ju: Let us not confuse sweet, tender spring lamb with mutton. If you are eating an old sheep, you know it. In such an event, let the “Baa-ing” begin. It is not sweet. It is not tasty. It is not tender. As far as I am concerned, it is simply bad ju-ju to equate the two. Mutton is a different meat entirely and our British friends can keep it.

Today’s dish: Today we’ll turn the tables a little, and look at a simple non-holiday use of ground lamb in a pasta dish. Ground lamb is usually very easy to find and far more flavorful than ground beef or turkey. Bowtie Pasta with Lamb and Peas cooks very quickly and will marry well with wine and herbs to make a lovely dish. Unlike others, this pasta preparation using Farfalle or Bowties and peas is simple, rustic, and perfect for that quick “Tuesday night meal”.

Pour a glass of vino: OK are we ready? We begin by pouring ourselves a glass of a nice white wine – perhaps using the wine you will use in the dish. (Bet you just thought I was going to say red, didn’t you?) Gotta be on your toes around here, as very few things are absolute in Italian cooking, and there are always wonderful surprises. Now, gals, kick off those stilettos and put your freshly pedicured toes up—and guys, park yourselves in that “Lazyboy” and lose the remote control for just a moment. Let’s watch a video explaining how to make a quick, easy, and oh so delicious pasta dish.

[Video]

Video by Tommy Hanks Photography

BOWTIE PASTA WITH LAMB AND PEAS

Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb bowtie (Farfalle) pasta – cooked according to package directions

3 Tbsp.Olive Oil

1 lb ground lamb (so much more flavor than ground beef or turkey)

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves fresh garlic – chopped finely

1 onion – chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh Rosemary – chopped

1/2 c. – 3/4 cup white wine

2 c. peas – cooked

2 Tbsp butter

1/3 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

Juice of 1/2 Fresh Lemon

1/4 c. Fresh Mint – chopped

Grated Ricotta Salata Cheese**

Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

Instructions:

In the olive oil, just brown the ground lamb.Do not cook all the way through as it has more cooking to do, and it will be dry otherwise. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon and reserve.

In the same pot with all of the juices and oil from the lamb, cook garlic and onion until tender – just a few minutes.

Add lamb back to pan. Then add Rosemary and white wine. ( Add a little extra wine if you like. – I like!) Stir a little and cook the sauce down by 1/2.

Add Peas, and butter. Stir in and let butter just melt.

Add Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh lemon juice. Stir in.

Add cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well coating all the bowties.

At this point, if you feel your pasta is a little dry, you can add a large serving spoon – or 2 of PASTA WATER (the water you used to cook your pasta)

Mix well and taste to see if you need to adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper. This is Important!

Sprinkle with Fresh Mint and grated Ricotta Salata**

Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and serve.

**A word about Ricotta Salata – Recently a class participant asked me to talk more about this as it was unfamiliar. It is a form of Ricotta that is salted and dried for grating purposes. It is made from sheep’s milk and a wonderful alternative for Feta or Pecorino Romano.

Bowtie Pasta with Lamb and Peas - Add a nice white wine to pair with this dish – perhaps a Pinot Grigio or a Chardonnay. Not so bad for a Tuesday night meal – or any night! OK, fellas, time to get out of the “Lazyboy”!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: On the Patio, Pasta · Tagged With: bowtie pasta, Farfalle, fresh mint, Italian, Lamb, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Ricotta Salata, Rosemary

June: Linguine Alle Vongole

May 30, 2011 by Linda 5 Comments

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Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Sounds like a big deal – linguine, clams, vongole. Hmmm… not so much. The only big deal here is the wonderful dish that awaits. LINGUINE ALLE VONGOLE or Linguine with White Clam Sauce is easy, light, and perfect to start the summer menu for outdoor dining. Yes – outdoors – On the Patio – is right where I would go with this one. This dish was just made for an outdoor spread. You are not going to believe how easy it is to create one of the most famous of Italian seafood dishes. I just saw some beautiful Littleneck Clams the other day and thought, “It’s time!” It is time to share this fabulous dish with you.

Linguine Alle Vongole was pretty ordinary around our house growing up in Binghamton, NY, because it was a favorite of my father, Attilio, a fisherman at heart, who loved to take to the sea in the summer with his family in tow. As a girl, we spent many summers on Cape Cod with various wonderful cousins of my mother, Loretta. We all inhabited cottages next to each other. It was the Italian version of the Kennedy compound—without the trust funds! During the day, when the time was right, the kids would head, with their buckets, to the areas where the clams would be found and commenced to digging up as many as they could carry home to my Dad. He would then prepare two extraordinary sauces with these clams – one red – one white. The aunts prepared homemade pasta while we were all at the beach. Later at dinner time, everyone emerged from the family cottages to grab a dish and line up for Attilio’s “red” or “white” sauce – both delicious and fresh. Such a memory – I can almost taste the pasta, fresh clams, and the the salt air that accompanied.

Today we’ll tackle the simple and fresh preparation of the “white” in Linguine Alle Vongole. Just relax and let the clams do the heavy lifting. They will release flavor from their broth that you will not believe!

LINGUINE ALLE VONGOLE

Serves: 4

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb. Linguine Pasta (thin, flat pasta)

1/4 c. Olive Oil

4 Cloves Fresh Garlic- chopped finely

1 c. White wine

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Littleneck or other small clams (Manilas, cockles etc.) scrubbed a little to clean them. I like 3 1/2 lb for 4 people. Don’t be stingy with the clams. After all, they are the main focus here.

3 Tbsp. Butter

Salt and Pepper to taste.

1/2 c. Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

1 Lemon for garnish

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzle

Instructions:

Put oil in pan with chopped garlic

Cook a couple of minutes over med. high heat just to let garlic permeate the oil. Sit and do not brown or burn the garlic

Add the wine and red pepper flakes – Cook a couple of minutes.

Then add the clams turning the heat to high. Cover the pan immediately and cook until the clams open – about 8 minutes. They will release a delicious broth which will flavor your sauce.

If larger clams are used –leave cover on a couple more minutes.

When ready – remove any unopened clams and discard them as they may be dead. Use only the clams which have opened.

TASTE and add salt and pepper as needed

At this point add 3 tbsp. butter. Let the butter melt and stir in.

Add the sauce to the drained pasta and toss. Taste again for seasoning.

Sprinkle parsley over the top.

Slice the lemon very thin into rounds and then cut the rounds in half – like 1/2 moons and throw around on top of pasta – as many as you like.

Drizzle liberally with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Stick a fork in it – it’s DONE!

To Serve: Have some crusty Italian bread on hand with this dish. You’ll need it. It has great “dunkability”! My father, Attilio, would surely have a small supply of red pepper flakes on the side to add to his dish – delicious – but not for the faint of heart.

Vino: As with most seafood , I recommend a Falanghina with the Linguine Alle Vongole , but a Pinot Grigio would be lovely as well.

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: Fish/Seafood, On the Patio, Pasta, Recipes of the Mo · Tagged With: Binghamton, Cape Cod., clams, cockles, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Falanghina, garlic, Italian, linguine, littleneck clams, manilas, NY, olive oil, parsley, Recipe of the Month, seafood, white wine

May: Capellini w/Tomatoes, Basil, & Goat Cheese

May 1, 2011 by Linda 15 Comments

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May is the perfect month to begin thinking about al fresco dining. Capellini with Tomatoes, Basil, and Goat Cheese is just the dish to kick-off this merry month when all eyes turn to bright new blooms and chirping birds. This is always my “go-to” spring pasta dish when I want something fresh, fresh, fresh! It is easy, quick, and requires very little cooking. The freshness of the ingredients makes me want to quickly RUN outdoors with a chilled white wine to enjoy my first experience of the season dining On the Patio. So grab a nice Sauvignon Blanc and follow me to my Italian Table!

CAPELLINI WITH TOMATOES, BASIL, and GOAT CHEESE

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 min.

Cook: 15 min.

Ingredients:

1 lb Capellini Pasta (very thin long pasta) cooked according to directions

3/4 c. Olive Oil

2 large cloves of FRESH Garlic – chopped finely

2 c. Grape tomatoes cut into halves – grape tomatoes are so sweet and will sweeten the dish (The equally sweet Campari tomatoes cut into quarters are fine as well – cherry tomatoes can also be used but usually are not as sweet)

Juice of 1/2 FRESH Lemon

1/2 c. White Wine (preferably the same as the wine you will serve with it)

1 tsp. Kosher Salt – or to taste

Freshly ground Black Pepper

1 c. FRESH Basil – chopped

3-4 oz Goat Cheese crumbled in bits ( do not use pre-packaged crumbled goat cheese)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling at finish

Instructions:

Use all FRESH ingredients where indicated.

Heat olive oil and add chopped garlic.

Cook a couple of minutes to tenderize the garlic – do not brown it. Just let it infuse the oil.

Add tomatoes and stir.

Add lemon juice and stir

SEE MY VIDEO HERE! –> Linda’s Capellini VIDEO

Add wine – then salt and pepper

Cook on medium high a few minutes until reduces by 1/2.

Sauce will thicken slightly and turn a beautiful golden color.

Add Pasta and toss.

Add Basil and Goat Cheese.

Drizzle with a good Extra Virgin Olive Oil before serving. I like Olio Carli – It is sweet and seems to make every dish perfect.

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Filed Under: On the Patio, Pasta, Recipes of the Mo · Tagged With: Al Fresco, basil, Campari Tomatoes, Capellini, Capellini Pasta, cherry tomatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh basil, fresh lemon juice, fresh tomatoes, freshly ground black pepper, Goat Cheese, grape tomatoes, Italian, Italian table, Olio Carli, olive oil, On the Patio, Recipe of the Month, Sauvignon blanc, spring pasta dish, Tomatoes, white wine

PAPPARDELLE W/SHORT RIBS

February 14, 2011 by Linda 8 Comments

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Noodling Around The Slow Cooker !

Buon giorno!

So every year around January-February, the annual period designated for “comfort food”, I long for one of my favorites, Pappardelle with Short Ribs Sauce. This one says comfort to me every time with those double-wide noodles covered with the most tender of meats and one of the most divine sauces laced with a hearty vino rosso. The tender, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs are indeed the star here as they anchor the sauce with an intense depth of flavor as well as giving it a deep dark mahogany color which enshrouds the pasta in richness. A word about the pasta: With this recipe, I do recommend the use of Pappardelle pasta – a very wide noodle. It “takes” the sauce well and has so much body as to partner with it rather than just lay there. If Pappardelle is not available, Tagliatelle or Fettucine would stand in well here. You’d think after such a description that preparing this dish might be an arduous task – but it’s not. The required slow cooking offers a perfect opportunity to use that Crock Pot or Slow Cooker gathering dust in your cabinet. If you don’t have a Slow Cooker, I will also show you how easy it is to prepare in your oven.

I am the Queen of Nothing if not Multi-Tasking. If I can’t do at least three things at one time and be thinking about the fourth, it must be time wasted. I ponder what the most perfect cooking method might be for people like me who must keep all the balls in the air at one time – one that will allow me to produce a tender piece of meat while balancing the preparation of several other dishes. On the other hand, I propose that this method would indeed approach nirvana if I could also suggest it to the person who might not enjoy cooking at all and would rather be napping all afternoon- unconcerned about the value of managing any number of balls in the air at any given time. WOW – would that be perfection or what?

Well it may not quite be perfection, but it is one of the oldest and easiest cooking methods – BRAISING- and it is a great choice for Short Ribs. When I say old here, I am talking ancient. Braising is said to go all the way back to the soldier days of the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin. For those of you, like me, who might not be up on just when “the Tangs” were tooling around China – it was around 618-907 – just a little before my time and not exactly recent history. So you get the idea – we/they have been Braising for a while now. What is Braising? It is the simple browning of meat in a little oil and then simmering slowly at a very low temperature in a covered container – Not exactly rocket science. We can do this! You can braise using a slow cooker or in the oven. (I will give you instructions to prepare today’s dish either way.) The best part is that you use less expensive cuts of meat which become extremely tender in the process. The long cooking time breaks down the meat tissue and thereby tenderizes it so that it literally falls off the bone. This method does not require a lot of attention, fuss, stirring or labor on the part of the cook. Are you beginning to love the idea of Braising?

So we are about to prepare an amazing dish sure to win the hearts of your family and which will be just as suitable for your next dinner extravaganza with several of your “peeps”. This is also a dish that is presently on the menus at the most “chichi”of Italian restaurants. You will be soooo cool! –All in the same afternoon, you will put your feet up and start that Swedish novel you have been putting off about girls with dragon tattoos, who kick hornets nests, while playing with fire. Aha! You, too, have become a multi tasker like me. Troppo Bella! With this post, we shall commune and form a support group with a Seven Step Program for Braising while preparing our Pappardelle With Short Ribs Sauce:

The Seven Steps

1. Season

2. Brown

3. Saute Vegetables

4. Add liquid etc

5. Cover

6. Cook “endlessly” til tender

7. Nap/Book (Most important step – do not skip)

PAPPARDELLE WITH SHORT RIBS SAUCE

4 lb. (approx.) Beef Short Ribs

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

4 Cloves fresh garlic – chopped finely

1 large onion chopped

1 c. baby carrots chopped small

1 Stalk celery chopped small

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

Zest of one large Orange

1 can (14 0z) can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 c. dry red wine

1 1/2 c. Beef Broth or stock

2 tsp Fresh Chopped Thyme

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano Cheese

Fresh Basil for garnish

Instructions:

Regardless of whether you are using a Slow Cooker or Oven Method you begin the same way. Season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large pot add the olive oil and brown the short ribs on all sides – just a couple of minutes.

Remove them and set aside.

In the same pot, add garlic, onion, carrots, celery. Stir and cook for a minute.

Then add the tomato paste & orange zest and stir to incorporate.

SLOW COOKER METHOD:

Now pour all the ingredients from the pot to the Slow Cooker

Add the tomatoes.

Add the red wine.

Add the broth. Stir.

Add herbs and a little salt and pepper.

Add the short ribs into the Slow Cooker and stir a little to nestle the ribs and mix the ingredients.

Cover.

Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours until meat is so tender that it falls from the bone.

OVEN METHOD:

After adding the orange zest and tomato paste, pour in the red wine and cook on Med. High while scraping bits up from bottom of pot.

Add the tomatoes, broth and herbs. Stir.

Add the short ribs back to the pot. Cover and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours until short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.

Regardless of which method you choose: Slow Cooker or Oven –After the ribs are cooked remove them from the pot/cooker and set aside.

Skim fat off the top with a large spoon and discard the fat.

Sauce will appear thin. This is about to change! Using an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender, blend until fairly smooth with just little bits left. Suddenly your sauce will appear thicker and velvety. Check for seasoning and add Kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the meat from the bones – it should fall right off. Then shred with 2 forks pulling in opposite directions as I suggested in my post on Pork Ragu.

You can freeze both the sauce and the meat or part of it at this point and use it later if you like. This recipe makes a lot of sauce. You could easily get 2 dinners for 4 out of it.

Cook your pasta – add your sauce and meat to it and serve with grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese. Garnish with Fresh Basil.

With this dish – I love a nice Italian red – both in the sauce and at the table. I like Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 or a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo like Cantina Zaccagnini 2007. Both are very easy to find and will not break the bank!

As pasta meals go, you are gonna LOVE this one! Go on, have a bite!

Parla Come Mangi!

Also: See the RECIPE OF THE MONTH on LINDA’S ITALIAN TABLE!

Food Photos By Tommy Hanks Photography

Filed Under: Meat, Pasta, Sauce · Tagged With: Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva, Beef, Braising, Fettucine, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Pappardelle, Pasta, sauce, Short Ribs, Slow Cooker, Tagliatelle, wine

February: Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

February 1, 2011 by Linda 3 Comments

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Often seen on Italian restaurant menus, Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe, is an earthy and spicy dish with an interesting combination of ingredients.
(For a delicious vegetarian version, omit the sausage!) The Broccoli Rabe, readily available usually fall through winter and not really a broccoli at all, is a slightly bitter green packed with vitamins, iron, and calcium. I like to use a combination of hot and sweet (mild) Italian sausage in this dish that is partnered with the little pasta called Orecchiette or “little ears”. They even look like ears! Everything combines to work in this recipe: the spicy sausage, the almost bitter greens, the smaller pasta which collects the oil in its little saucer shape, and the buttery flavor. It is an incredibly rich and flavorful dish and is a favorite of my husband, Tom. I know when paired with a Sangiovese grape, Tuscan in origin, perhaps a Brunello di Montalcino or a Montepulciano, I know you will enjoy it as well!

1 lb. Orecchiette Pasta
1 Large bunch Broccoli Rabe -Rinsed and drained –Then cut about an inch off the bottom of stalks and discard; Cut the remaining stalks and leaves into two inch pieces, removing any discolored leaves.
¼ c. oil (Add more oil if needed when cooking the greens)
5 links sausage: 3 hot and 2 mild or sweet in pieces, casings removed
4 cloves garlic chopped very finely
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp butter

A word on preparing the Broccoli Rabe:
It is called a “bitter green” for a good reason: its flavor does have a bitter quality. There are two options to choose from for preparation of the Rabe.

First Method: After cleaning and cutting the greens into pieces, to eliminate the bitterness, you can drop the them into boiling salted water for about 2 minutes. Remove from boiling water, and immediately place the greens into a bowl of ice water for just a minute which will seal the bright green color. Remove from ice water, pat dry and follow instructions below for the sauce.

Second Method: If you like the slightly bitter flavor, there is no need to boil after cleaning the greens. Proceed directly to the sauce instructions.

Sauce Instructions:
Heat oil in pan and add the sausage pieces. When just browned add the garlic. Cook a couple of minutes more. Remove the sausage and set aside.

Add the Broccoli Rabe to the oil in the pan that contained the sausage and toss. Then add the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

If you have boiled the greens first, cook a few more minutes until the Rabe is just fork tender. If you have not boiled the greens first, add the Broccoli Rabe to the pan that contained the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes or until the stalk pieces are just fork tender.

At this point – add the sausage back to the pan with the Rabe and toss.

Now - At the very end, add the surprise – the butter. This rounds out the dish with a smooth, velvety flavor. Serve with Parmigiano- Reggiano or for a little more sharpness a Pecorino Romano. (Serves 4)

*Orecchiette Pasta can be found in most grocer pasta sections or specialty markets. If you can’t find it, just substitute a Penne or Ziti.

TROPPO BELLA!

Filed Under: Pasta, Recipes of the Mo · Tagged With: bitter greens, Broccoli Rabe, Italian, Orecchiette, red pepper flakes, Sausage

Gnocchi: Its Pillow Talk!

October 26, 2010 by Linda Leave a Comment

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PILLOW TALK – THE ART OF MAKING GNOCCHI!

: Finished Gnocchi – ready to cook or store

Buon Giorno!

Let’s make GNOCCHI – Step by Step!

Gnocchi – my favorite thing! Exactly how many “favorite” things will you catch me claiming? Careful… when it comes to Italian food my list is just out of control! Making Gnocchi at home is such a rewarding experience for fun in the kitchen, as well as, sheer bliss on a plate that I look for any opportunity to create those tasty little “pillow-like” nuggets.

What is Gnocchi exactly? Gnocchi can be made of many different things but most often potatoes. They are thought to have originated in the Middle East, but Italy definitely put them on the map! Many countries offer a dumpling-like dish that is similar but usually do not include eggs in their recipes.

When I was growing up, very few people outside of Italians knew about or spoke about Gnocchi. Now they are common on most good Italian menus. In Rome, they are traditionally served on Thursday nights. In areas of South America which have a strong Italian influence, such as Argentina, they serve them on the 29th of the month. It is said that if this practice is followed, one is assured of having enough cash for the rest of the month. I have nothing to add in the way of personal experience in that regard! However, in our home, Gnocchi was not reserved for holidays or special times. It was a regular Tuesday night kind of dish. My mother would make them quickly and with little fuss – many times with a simple sauce of fresh tomatoes and basil.

The word Gnocchi means lump or knot or sometimes referred to as “little pillows”. It is one of the most mispronounced Italian words I think I have ever encountered. In Italian, the letters gn appearing together is pronounced as if they were ny with the y treated as a consonant. Thus, the pronunciation “ny-okey”.

The style and appearance of Gnocchi differs in Italian kitchens depending upon region and preference. Some are ridged like little shells. Others look somewhat like Cavatelli pasta with a slight roll to them causing a pocket which always holds just a tiny bit of extra saucy goodness. Some cooks leave them as the simple pillow shape that is created when they are cut and prefer not to include the last step of rolling or ridging them. In our home, my mother, Loretta, did not ridge them. She simply and quickly rolled them with seemingly lightening speed in flour with her 2 fingers, creating the famous “pocket” which collect the sauce. Pow, pow, pow – they would fly as if on a cushion of air and always “knew” to land in the growing hill of Gnocchi rapidly mounting on the other side of the small table. Personally, I have adopted the ridged look for the Gnocchi I make in my kitchen. I think the ridges add just a little extra interest and texture when eating them.

When prepared well, Gnocchi are light and rich – to the point of being almost addictive. You should be able to bite through them softly not like a piece of cheese that needs extra chewing – and not like hockey pucks from the addition of too much flour. Loretta used to instruct that the Gnocchi should not hit the stomach like “lead bombs” while at the same time, should not be mushy and pasty like mashed potatoes. Little bits of heaven, Gnocchi should approach the tongue as soft, light puffs that seem to marry with any sauce to which you introduce them. In Firenze, they were called “strozzapreti” or priest stranglers – maybe because they could not stop eating them or ate them to quickly. Are they that good? Yes indeed they are! Let’s get to it!

GNOCCHI

5 Medium-Large Potatoes – skins on

Boil in salted water about 30 minutes til tender (longer if potatoes are larger)

Remove potatoes from water and peel the skins off while hot. Using a fork helps. Also, I sometimes like to use surgical gloves to keep from burning my hands. (OUCH! This is why I often refer to Gnocchi Making as the “Agony and the Ecstasy” – just a little pain to achieve a magnificent result.)

Put hot peeled potatoes through a ricer and set aside.

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 egg yolks

Mix flour and salt together.

Mix 1/2 of flour/salt mixture with riced potatoes.

Mix slightly and add rest of flour and mix together.

Then add egg yolks.

Knead just until you have a smooth dough. Add flour if needed in scant tablespoons. Do not over work your dough, as this will toughen it and make your Gnocchi heavier. Do all of this while potatoes are hot so that dough will still be warm when finished.

Divide your dough into quarters.

Roll each quarter into a rope and cut in 1 inch pieces.

Some like to call it “a day “ at this point and accept the Gnocchi as pillow shaped. I much prefer the extra step of taking each little pillow and rolling it on the back of a floured fork. This makes the famous little ridges and the little “pocket”.

When finished, you can throw them immediately into boiling water, waiting for them to surface, and then cooking for 2 more minutes. Drain – Add your sauce and serve.

TO FREEZE: lay the Gnocchi in a single layer on a pan and freeze. When frozen, drop them into freezer bags for later use. Do not defrost to cook – just drop directly into boiling water from the freezer.

**NEXT WEEK ON MY ITALIAN DISH - my favorite sauce for Gnocchi based on an old Tuscan tradition.

**Also: Coming in November to RECIPE OF THE MONTH on LINDA’S ITALIAN TABLE – another great sauce recipe for GNOCCHI!

PARLA COME MANGI!

Food Photos by Tommy Hanks Photography

Filed Under: Gnocchi, Pasta, Vegetarian · Tagged With: Cavatelli, dough, dumpling, egg yolks, freeze, gnocchi, Italian, nuggets, pillow, potatoes, ridges, strozzapreti

Pasta Alla Norma — Or Not?

October 12, 2010 by Linda Leave a Comment

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Buon Giorno!

Pasta alla Norma is one of the most tried and traditional of Italian pasta recipes. It is considered to be a Sicilian dish and one of much fame and discussion. Given my rather capricious nature, I have tweaked this Sicilian recipe to favor my taste and whim. Thus, today, we explore Pasta Not So Norma!

So the story goes, Vincenzo Bellini, the brilliant and prolific composer of operas, created his famous work, “Norma” based on a French story of a tragic heroine in two acts. Several Druids and high priestesses later, our heroine, Norma mounts a funeral pyre and is joined by her love, Pollione. The role of Norma is said to be very challenging even for the most accomplished of divas. It was the signature role of Maria Callas who performed it over 40 times during her career and showcased the lilting Casta Diva,( <click here to experience her memorable rendition)one of the most famous Italian operatic pieces. Sicilians in the 19th century so loved this opera and the pasta dish we discuss today, that the two became entwined forever.

Traditionally, Pasta alla Norma is made with a combination of fried eggplant, tomatoes, basil and some hot pepper, topped with shavings of the sharp and lovely Ricotta Salata.

I have seen this dish all sorts of ways including an interesting deconstructed version that was presented in a series of layers of the ingredient almost like a lasagna. I much prefer the ingredients combined as they seem to intensify the flavor of the sauce as they touch and mingle reaching a fantastic crescendo of intensity – a rather sexy dish!

My Pasta Not So Norma has a similar mix of ingredients with something more! There is nothing subtle or mild about this pasta. It has plenty of flavor which seems to increase when made a day ahead. Do we love that? Troppo Bella!

A note about eggplant: I know there are different notions about whether or not to press or salt eggplant to remove any bitterness. My recommendation is to always press your eggplant unless you are using a very mild or baby variety, and there are several – such as the beautiful Rosa Bianca pictured here. This eggplant, an heirloom variety very common in Italy, is sweet, tender, creamy tasting and would not need pressing.

Also see the more familiar “Black Beauty”, your average garden variety eggplant, shown here which can be found at any grocer. The “Black Beauty” is my choice for this recipe, as I prefer a stronger eggplant for this longer cooking sauce consisting of multiple ingredients.

A word about pressing eggplant to remove any bitter flavor: My mother, Loretta, used to slice her eggplant and layer it with paper towels in a baking dish or casserole topped with a plate. She would then put an iron or heavy cans of tomatoes on top to weight it down or press it. She left it to press overnight – Then the next day all of the bitter juices transferred to the paper towels leaving sweet eggplant slices.

I still use the pressing method as described here, but I have found that pressing for about 2-3 hours is enough. Some cooks choose not to press the eggplant. However, it seems a bit risky in that we never know how much bitterness the eggplant may contain. My results are always reliable when I press, and it’s so easy.

At this point, I suggest turning on that CD of Norma with Maria Callas pining away as you prepare your ingredients. Nothing like a good aria and a tragic figure going up in flames to help ignite your appetite, turn up the heat, and get those creative juices flowing.

PASTA NOT SO NORMA

Serves: 4

Prep: 20 minutes + time to press eggplant if needed

Cook: about 50 minutes

3 cloves chopped garlic

3 tbsp. olive oil

4 oz. pancetta chopped

1 green pepper chopped

1 Medium onion chopped

1 Medium Eggplant chopped into cubes – whether or not to skin the eggplant is your choice. (Press eggplant sliced thickly for a few hours or overnight – then chop)

1 28 oz can San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes preferred

1 tsp Kosher salt – more to your taste

Freshly ground black pepper

At least ½ c. chopped fresh basil (can also use parsley instead for a little different flavor)

2 Tbsp. Fresh Oregano ( if dried use less)

¾ c. pitted Kalamata, Cerignola Green or Gaeta Olives sliced in ½ (if using Gaetas – you might want to use a little less salt in the sauce)

1/2 to 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes – adding the heat reminiscent of Norma’s demise (according to your taste as to how much fire you prefer!)

Ricotta Salata or Pecorino Romano cheese shaved or grated

1 lb Fusilli Pugliese or Rigatoni

Make your sauce a day ahead!

Saute garlic in oil in a deep fry pan or pot for a couple of minutes – then add pancetta.

Cook for a couple of minutes until it crisps up; add onion, green pepper and eggplant. Cook til tender – about 8 minutes. When you first add the vegetables to the pan, it will look like a lot, but will reduce and cook down.

Crush your tomatoes with clean hands or a knife and fork and add tomatoes with juices to the vegetables.

Crushing the tomatoes this way keeps them a little chunkier than if canned crushed tomatoes are used.

Add red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper and stir. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, adding the olives in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Give it a stir occasionally.

To serve: I like this sauce over Fusilli Pugliese (small rolled strands of pasta from the Puglia Region of Italy) or Rigatoni. I serve this dish in shallow bowls topped with coarsely grated or shaved Ricotta Salata or Pecorino Romano – sharp cheeses suited for spicy sauces.

Usually, this serves 4 with a pound of pasta. There will be plenty of sauce – so if serving 6, the sauce should accomodate – just increase your pasta amount to 1 1/2 lbs.

My daughter, Jessica, likes to put diced Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella on this when it is very hot along with the other cheeses.

Wine: Barbera d’Alba – I particularly like the Mauro Sebaste Barbera d’Alba Santa Rosalia. The perfect accompaniment to this dish.

PARLA COME MANGI!

Reminder: Be sure to visit my website,Linda’s Italian Table, for the new Recipe Of The Month!

Food Photos by Tommy Hanks Photography