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Codfish Balls With Marinara Sauce

November 21, 2012 by 1 Comment
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Cod Fish Balls

 

Buon giorno!

The season of light is upon us! Christmas in Italy is a religious feast day with much preparation underway in the weeks leading up to the holiday. Like most other feast days of note in Italy, Natale (Christmas) is as much about the cuisine as anything else. The food is everything!

The endless courses prepared for this feast in Italian households frequently vary as to their preferences and the region of Italy of their parentage. One dish, prepared in many homes, is CODFISH BALLS. There are all kinds of recipes for these, but one of them is a mixture of cooked potatoes and flaked cod – a very easy mixture to achieve. The mixture is formed into balls and served with sauce. This is the preparation used here.

Growing up in an Italian home, the days and weeks before Christmas were almost as exciting as the day itself. The sights, smells, and tastings coming from the kitchen were tantalizing reminders of what was to come. For a child, the excitement was almost overwhelming. As I grew, I became familiar with the repetition of the same dishes, pastries, candies, and more that appeared from year to year. I never tired of the ritual or of the endless parade of special foods that were associated with this holiday. I welcomed and anticipated their arrival.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, served on Christmas Eve in most of Southern Italy, has become well known even among non-Italians. When I was a young girl, this special meatless meal was dictated as much by religion as custom. In those days, Christmas Eve was a day of abstinence for Catholics, meaning—no meat. Often, the bishop would give a last minute dispensation for meat to be served. However, this dispensation was not observed or accepted in the “Calabrisi” house! It was fish and seafood all the way and, like most Italians, we loved it.

In almost all Italian homes, it is safe to say that some form of codfish is always served at this feast of fishes. Sometimes the cod is served several different ways. CODFISH BALLS  (or Codfish Cakes) is an easy choice for one of the fish menu selections. Some like to use the salt cod (baccala) which is more traditional. Others use fresh cod. Either is fine.

Let’s go fishing!

CODFISH BALLS

Makes: 15-20 balls

Prep: 60 minutes (plus soaking time if using salt cod)

Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb salt cod

OR

1 lb fresh cod

3 Medium Potatoes – skinned, boiled and mashed

2 Tbsp. Butter softened

1/2 Onion chopped finely

1/4 c. Chopped Fresh Parsley

1/4 c. Capers, rinsed and drained

Kosher Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg beaten

Dry breadcrumbs (can be seasoned or not)

Marinara Sauce – Recipe Below

Instructions

If using salt cod – rinse and soak fish in cold water for a day or two – changing the water several times. When finished, boil the cod about 15 minutes. Cool and flake the fish with a fork.

If using fresh cod – cook first. Baking it is probably a good method – 400 degrees until it is cooked through and flakes easily. Cool it and flake with a fork.

Cod 1

Add butter to the mashed potatoes and mix.

Mix together: cod, mashed potatoes, onion, parsley, capers, salt and pepper.

cod 2

Add the beaten egg.

Mix together and form balls. Some people like to form cakes instead of balls. It’s up to you.

Roll the balls in the dry breadcrumbs.

cod 3

Fry in oil at about 380 degrees, turning so that they become evenly golden.

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Drain the balls on paper towels.

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Serve with Marinara Sauce – in the sauce or with sauce on the side..

Marinara Sauce

(Sauce Pomodoro)

Makes enough sauce for about a pound of pasta. Double the sauce recipe if you like more sauce.

1 Large (28 oz) Can San Marzano Tomatoes – crushed with fingers or  with a couple of turns in blender or processor

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3 Cloves Fresh Garlic, chopped finely

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

4 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Basil

 

Saute garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Do not let the heat get too high and burn the garlic!

Add the tomatoes to the pan.

Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Add the chopped fresh basil.

Bring to a bubble and simmer steadily at medium heat about 20 minutes or until much of the water is cooked off leaving a thick concentrated tomato sauce.

Taste again for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Enjoy your CODFISH BALLS in the sauce or on the side – with or without pasta! Let the feasting begin!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

October 14, 2012 by 1 Comment
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Sometimes Sausage is just optional -

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce09

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.

Roasting Peppers

Roast peppers 2

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Cook Sausage (if using).

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

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

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Add the roasted peppers to the pan.

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

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

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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!

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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!

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

LINDA’S ITALIAN TABLE

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March: If It’s Sunday, It’s Braciole!

February 27, 2012 by 16 Comments
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The Braciole, Braciole, and More Braciole Series – Part 1

Braciole_0031

Buon giorno!

When I was growing up in our little house in Binghamton, NY, Braciole was a big deal. It wasn’t part of those random Tuesday night dinners with sauce. It was reserved for special family gatherings, usually on Sundays. If you’re Italian, you know what I mean – the kind that lasted for 3 hours.  Even as a child, I knew If It’s Sunday, It’s Braciole! My mother, Loretta, would make it a day ahead. She used lard in it, as so many really good cooks did in those days. Ah, everything tasted better then.

Because Braciole is so memorable to Italians and in Italian cooking, I decided that it warranted a series of posts- specifically three -  and not just one. Thus, The Braciole, Braciole, and More Braciole Series seemed inevitable! Is it THAT good? Yes, it is—and it’s also about that memory thing again. It is a part of the fond memories of most Italians who can recite who in their upbringing made the very best. In my case, it would definitely be my mother.

Ok – so you’re not Italian, and don’t have the inside skinny on what we’re talking about here. Braciole is a classic Italian meat dish – pronounced “bra-shol-e” – accent on the second syllable. It is probably found in every region in Italy in some form and using all different types of meat. In some regions, it is called “involtini”. The traditional Neapolitan preparation uses rolled beef – usually top round or flank steak. It is pounded thin, stuffed, rolled, tied with string, browned in olive oil, and then left to simmer in a beautiful sea of tomato sauce until done. That is the style we will use to begin our series. When the Braciole is ready to be served, each roll is removed from the sauce. The strings are clipped and discarded, and the rolls are cut into beautiful slices revealing the stuffing within.

The Braciole is often served with pasta. The pasta is served first, with the sliced meat usually following. One of my favorite ways to eat the Braciole in sauce is with polenta. The sauce is always quite flavorful and makes the polenta a beautiful receptacle for its red goodness – not to mention a lovely choice to have with the meat. That is the way you will see it in the series, but you can just as easily serve it with your favorite pasta.

Later in the series, we will take a turn with the Braciole and prepare it in a completely different way using pork tenderloin. This will be a complete departure from the slowly cooked Braciole in sauce. Stay tuned!

Loretta most often made one or two large rolls. In this series, we’ll make some smaller ones – so each person has his own “personal Braciole”. If you’d like to make the larger ones, you can, using the same instructions. Just use larger pieces of meat. The first recipe for Braciole is one my mother made often: Braciole Napoletana . A recipe for a simple tomato sauce for the “grand simmer” is included.

This is how it’s done:

BRACIOLE NAPOLETANA

(first recipe in the Braciole Series)

Makes: about 6 smaller individual ones or 1 or 2 large ones

Serves: 4 – 6

Prep: 30-35 min.

Cook: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb beef top round or flank steak – if meat is thick butterfly it or ask your butcher to do this. You’ll want thin slices of meat for rolling.

Olive Oil

1/2 c. Chopped Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

1/2 c. Dry Breadcrumbs

1/2 c. Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Grated Aged Provolone Cheese

2 tbsp. Garlic chopped finely

1/2 c. Pignolis – toast them a little

Salt and Pepper to taste

Toothpicks or string (butcher’s twine) to secure the rolls

3-4 Tbsp. Olive oil for browning

Tomato Sauce ( see recipe for this to follow)

Instructions

You’ll need a mallet or something heavy to pound the meat. This type of mallet comes with a side with sharp points for tenderizing.

Braciole_0032

Lay the meat out on a board. Pound with a mallet to thin and beat with tenderizer side to further tenderize the meat.

Braciole_0001

If making  smaller ones cut the meat into 5-6” slices.

Braciole_0002

Rub each slice with olive oil. Follow with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, pignolis and salt and pepper to taste.

Braciole_0003

Roll each slice vertically and secure with toothpicks or string.

You can use 2 or 3 strings to secure the smaller ones. If making large ones, use more string or toothpicks.

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Brown the rolls in olive oil. When finished – remove them and make the sauce in the same pan.

Braciole_0014

TOMATO SAUCE

Prep: 5 min.

Cook: 2 1/2 hours for Braciole

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 Cloves Garlic chopped

1 c. Red Wine

1 28 oz. Can San Marzano Tomatoes – give them a quick turn or 2 in the blender first

1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste (dilute the paste in 1/2 c. water – stir well until dissolved into the water)

2 Tbsp. Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley – chopped

1 Tbsp. Fresh Oregano leaves – chopped

2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil – chopped

1 Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Rind

Instructions:

Add Olive oil to the pan. Add garlic and cook a minute or two. Do not burn the garlic.

If using the sauce for Braciole, add the browned rolls back to the pan now.

With your heat turned up to medium high, add the red wine and scraped up the bits from the bottom of the pan.

Braciole_0019

Turn the rolls to coat in the wine as it cooks down for a couple of minutes.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, followed by the paste in water, herbs, and rind.

Braciole_0020

Cover the pan or pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours . Stir gently occasionally to turn the rolls.

Uncover the pot for the last hour of cooking to thicken.

Remove rolls before serving and remove and discard toothpicks and strings. Slice the rolls thickly.

Serve with plenty of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The Braciole Napoletana is lovely served with pasta or polenta and your favorite vino rosso. For polenta see the post: Polenta – It’s So Corny

Be sure to look for the next post in this series!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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PAPPARDELLE W/SHORT RIBS

February 14, 2011 by 8 Comments
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Noodling Around The Slow Cooker !

Pappardell_491

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

Pappardell_02

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.

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Remove them and set aside.

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

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

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SLOW COOKER METHOD:

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

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Add the tomatoes.

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Add the red wine.

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Add the broth. Stir.

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Add herbs and a little salt and pepper.

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

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Cover.

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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.

NEXT:

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.

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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.

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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!

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Parla Come Mangi!

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

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Food Photos By Tommy Hanks Photography

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Makes Me Want To Cluck!

November 9, 2010 by 8 Comments
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THE ROASTED CHICKEN THING -

Buon giorno!

Don’t know about you, but every year when the weather changes and heads down the Autumn Road to Winter, I get this craving – hankering – whatever – for Roasted Chicken. Just “got to have it”! This is one of those times when I indulge my desire to salute the new season with a naked bird stuffed with something ambrosial from nature’s garden. I feel that first cold wind and see the leaves turning those beautiful earthy colors, and I long for a fire in the fireplace, a glass of good wine, and those appetite teasing aromatics from the oven when a well seasoned chicken is roasting there. So it is that we begin our adventure to satisfy my annual fall yearning with Roasted Chicken with Orange, Fennel, and Orange Pesto!

 Today my musings take us to the Grosseto area of Tuscany, an area rich in great recipes for roasted meats and poultry. Cooks from this area are known for their use of fennel seed with their Roasted Chickens particularly rubbed under the skin. I am such a fan of fresh fennel that I thought I might use it instead of the fennel seed. There is something about the power of that sweet anise aroma that seduces my senses when it permeates the house as it cooks. Yes, THAT and an orange just might do it!

To serve this lovely bird, I recommend making my easy and very fresh Orange Pesto that makes eating Roasted Chicken a new and more flavorful experience that will ZAP the tastebuds! Pestos, which are mainly Genovese (from Genoa) in origin, are vibrant in color and inherently full of fresh flavors. This pesto, with its sweet essence of orange, gets an added dash of excitement with a touch of Orangecello. The Orangecello is optional in both the chicken and the pesto and can be omitted if you like and substituted with orange juice. I like to use these sweet syrupy Italian liqueurs, like Orangecello as much as possible, as they add a subtle kick to the flavor of whatever you are cooking. In addition to the element of surprise with the addition of orange, this pesto can be used with so many other dishes. I plan to introduce other recipes later on, which will refer back to this particular pesto and offer new ideas to use it. Some of these dishes are meatless which will be of interest to my Vegetarian readers!

Now for the bird!!

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH ORANGE AND FENNEL

4-5 lb chicken (rinsed well inside and out and patted dry)

3 cloves garlic

1 Fennel Bulb

6 sprigs Fresh Tarragon

1 Orange

1/4 c. Olive Oil

1/4 c. Orangecello (or substitute orange juice)

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper – freshly ground

Place the chicken in baking pan. I always line with foil for easy clean up. Rub the chicken all over with 1 clove garlic – split in half. When finished, throw this garlic in the chicken cavity along with the other 2 cloves . Sprinkle a little Kosher Salt inside the cavity also.

Fennel: See photos for the ”step by step” on this. Slice off the stems and the hard bottom.

Cut the bulb vertically (lengthwise) into wedges, (You would slice the fennel crosswise for salads etc.) and remove center core.

Take a couple of the stems and lay them next to the chicken on either side in the pan. I am always tempted to take a bite out of the fennel while I am preparing it because it smells sooo good.

Stuff 3 sprigs of Tarragon inside the chicken and lay the remaining 3 on top of the bird.

Tuck the fennel wedges inside the cavity.

Cut the orange into wedges with skins on and stuff inside the chicken.

Drizzle olive oil on top of chicken and follow with a drizzle of the Orangecello or Orange Juice. Sprinkle a little Kosher Salt and fresh black pepper on the chicken.

Get ready for your home to fill with the intense aroma of fennel, orange, and tarragon! MMMMM!

Roast chicken at 400 degrees for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours til done. If chicken starts to brown too fast towards the end, you can tent it with foil. When done take the chicken out of the oven and immediately Tent it for 20 minutes. This is important as the chicken will continue to cook during this time and should bring it up to proper eating temperature. I take mine out when the temp. reads about 145.

Now for the pesto! This is EASY!

ORANGE PESTO

1 fresh garlic clove, quartered

Zest of 1 Orange

1/2 c. Toasted Walnuts

2 c. Fresh Basil

3/4 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tbsp Orangecello (can substitute orange juice for this)

2 Tbsp Orange Juice (use the orange you used for zesting – the juice is better fresh)

1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Put all of the above ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and bright green.

It will smell fresh and wonderful! If dry, you can add another Tbsp Olive Oil. Check for seasoning at the end. You will love this part as the fresh flavors burst on your tongue!

Slice the chicken and spoon the Orange Pesto over it and serve warm or cold! It is so delicious and the brilliant color is so attractive on the plate. Troppo Bella!

This Orange Pesto is also delicious on Grilled Sea Bass or Branzino, over a vegetable, or pasta!

I like a crisp Pinot Grigio with this or even Prosecco: Rustico would be my choice!

PARLA COME MANGI!

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

Food Photos by Tommy Hanks Photography

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Gnocchi With Pork Ragu

November 2, 2010 by 6 Comments
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This Pig Needs No Lipstick!

 

Buon giorno!

 

When I think of Gnocchi, I automatically envision the Classic Tuscan dish, Gnocchi con Sugo Cinghiale or Gnocchi with Wild Boar Sauce. Since today’s grocery meat department is generally devoid of wild boar, my taste reverts to making MY favorite preparation of Gnocchi which is served with Pork Ragu . This sauce is, in my mind and heart, the standard among tomato sauces and can be used with so many types of pasta. It is easy and not expensive to prepare. This sauce illustrates the saying “Appetito vien mangiando” or Appetite comes with eating, as this is the sauce that brings an appetite to life! I like to use different sauces with my Gnocchi, but I suggest this Pork Ragu is the signature and reminds me most of that mouth watering Boar Sauce that is steeped in Tuscan tradition!

As I was growing up in our little house in Binghamton, New York, this was the type of sauce (with a couple of minor additions from me) that my mother, Loretta, most often made. It was Sunday Sauce. I can hear her say “the most flavorful sauce is made with pork – especially the bones!” The aroma of this pork sauce would permeate the house for hours, and I would wait for the moment when she would call me to “taste” the sauce. This taste test consisted of a piece of crusty Italian bread and a spoonful of the hot sauce on top. It brought a burst of flavor on the tongue and would wet my appetite for the meal to follow. I often sneaked a second taste when her attention was diverted.

Speaking of sneaking, my father, Attilio, would inevitably “slip” something into the sauce that Loretta did not know about. If asked, he called it “Sale da Gaeta”. (Translation: Salt from Gaeta – Gaeta being a city on the water between Rome and Naples from where the famous and wonderful wrinkly olives hail) Whenever a dish was especially delicious, he announced “Ah! It’s Sale da Gaeta!” None of us ever saw this “special salt” and very often, we assumed that his little addition to the recipe was usually red pepper flakes or “hot pepper” as he called it! He always had a container of this at the dinner table where he liked to add just a little more heat! (Hear more about Loretta and Attilio at“About Linda” at Linda’s Italian Table)

Each region of Italy seems to treat this sauce a little differently. Each area uses a different meat or combination of meats. Some use boar, some venison, some pork, beef, veal or all three. My mother, using the pork, left the meat on the bone alla Napoletana instead of shredding it Tuscan style. Everyone, then, received a large piece of meat still on the bone which was served separately after the pasta course and before the salad which is the traditional Italian style of presenting the meal.

When selecting the pork for this dish, it is your choice. Some even prefer to use Italian Sausage. When I choose to use sausage in any sauce, I always like a combination of sweet (mild) and hot. My family would almost always be most likely to use a cut of pork with the bones, and sometimes would combine both sausage and pork in the sauce. For Gnocchi, my personal preference is to use just the pork with bones. After the pork is shredded, it becomes very tender and surprisingly light with the Gnocchi. Any very inexpensive cut of pork from neck bones to ribs – anything really – can be used here. The desired effect is a combination of intense flavor and tender meat. The meat will cook in the sauce so long that it will tenderize and fall from the bone making it easy to serve. Andiamo!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

PORK RAGU!

About 3 lb pork on bones, can be ribs, neck bones or other

 

 

 

 

1/4 lb pancetta diced

4 cloves garlic – chopped finely

4 tbsp olive oil

1 onion chopped – the sweeter the onion the sweeter the sauce!

1 stalk celery chopped

8 baby carrots chopped in very small pieces ( baby carrots are sweeter!)

1 c. red Italian wine (vino rosso) – could be a Chianti or Valpolicella

2 28 oz cans San Marzano Tomatoes- if you can find them because San Marzano tomatoes are by far the tastiest – if you can’t – use other- can use crushed or whole peeled and crush them

1/2 c. chopped Fresh Flat (preferable) Leaf Italian Parsley

1/2 cup chopped Fresh Basil

2 Tbsp chopped Fresh Oregano

1 tsp sugar

1 – 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt (to taste)

6-7 twists of the Black Pepper grinder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Fresh Basil chopped for garnish

Begin by just browning the pancetta pieces.

Add the olive oil and then the garlic and pork with heat at medium being careful not to let the garlic burn.

Just brown each side of the pork as it will cook thoroughly in the sauce. Remove the pork pieces, set aside, and add the onion, celery, and carrots. Stir occasionally and cook these vegetables about 5 min until just tender.

Then add the browned meat back to the pan followed by the wine.Scrape the bottom of the pan a little to release the small bits from the bottom of the pan, turning the meat to let the wine seep into both sides. Cook the wine for about 2-3 min at medium high and let it bubble.

Then add the San Marzano Tomatoes, and all herbs and remaining seasoning including the sugar. ( Loretta and Attilio would be taken aback by this last addition as they used to whisper “so and so puts sugar in their sauce” as if some law had been broken.) In ancient times, sugar was said to be used only by the wealthy as it was considered dear. In our household it was – GASP ! - the Cardinal Sin.

My personal take on this is that the sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a little balance to the sauce.

If you have a rind or a piece of one from your Parmigiano-Reggiano, go ahead and drop it in the sauce as it simmers! It will add another level of flavor.

Simmer this sauce on low heat for about 3 hours – stirring occasionally. I like to cover mine while simmering. You know it’s done when the meat is so tender that is falls easily from the bones.

When sauce is finished, remove the pork pieces to a separate dish. the meat should be falling off the bones and you might have to “fish” for it.

The next step is familiar to those especially in the South who make barbecue. Take 2 forks and gently use them to shred the meat pulling in opposite directions.

Discard the bones and the fat. You might want to stir a couple of tablespoons of the sauce into the meat. I like to keep the meat separate from the sauce until serving time.

To serve, prepare the gnocchi as directed in last week’s post “Making Gnocchi” and place it in a serving dish bathing it in the delicious sauce. I take the shredded pork and mound it in the middle.

Garnish with chopped Fresh Basil and present to your guests with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese.

This makes a large amount of sauce, so what you do not use can be frozen for another great pasta meal – perhaps with Pappardelle!

My favorite accompaniment to this meal is a Zenato Valpolicella Superiore Doc 2007. .

PARLA COME MANGI!

**Also: See the new November RECIPE OF THE MONTH on LINDA’S ITALIAN TABLE – for another great sauce recipe for GNOCCHI!

Food Photos by Tommy Hanks Photography

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Pasta Alla Norma — Or Not?

October 12, 2010 by 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

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