Sicilian Meat Sauce
My grandmother was Sicilian. I have a real fondness for this meat sauce.
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Pounds Fresh Pork Butt
2 Sliced Large Onions
28 Ounces Tomatoes
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Cup Seedless Raisins
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
16 Ounces Pasta Of Your Choice
I a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the pork cubes and cook until browned. After the pork browns remove and transfer to a bowl. Set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the skillet drippings and add the onions. Cook until lightly browned. Return the pork to the skillet and stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the salt. Bring to a boil over a high heat all the while breaking up the tomatoes with your spoon. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 ½ hours until pork is very tender. When the pork is tender pull the pork into shreds. Add to the skillet the parsley and raisins. Stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for another five minutes. Serve with the pasta of your choice. Serves 6
Roman Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Bread Crumbs
½ Cup Milk
5 Ounces Finely Chopped Prosciutto
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
1 Pound Ground Pork
2 Lightly Beaten Eggs
½ Cup Grated Parmigianino Reggiano Cheese
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Oregano
7 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
6 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Diced Large Yellow Onion
28 Ounces Crushed Tomatoes With Juices
In a medium mixing bowl combine bread crumbs and milk and let stand for 10 minutes. In a large bowl combine beef, pork, prosciutto, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano 3 tablespoons basil, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Add the soaked bread crumbs and mix gently until combined. Divide into ¼ cup portions and roll into balls. Set on a parchment lined baking sheet. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Working in two batches, brown the meatballs for 8 minutes and then transfer to a plate. In the same pan over medium heat warm the rest of the olive oil. Cook the onion and stir occasionally until softened. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and juices. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the remaining basil and add the meatballs. Cook for 30 minutes turning occasionally and basting with the sauce. Be sure that the meatballs are cooked through. Transfer to a platter and ser with gnocchi, spaghetti or ravioli. Serves 6
Summer Pasta Salad With Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Corn & Basil
A simple pasta dish that offers a winning summertime combination of tomatoes, corn, basil and fresh mozzarella. It is great for any backyard food affair because it goes with just about everything. Dress this salad just before serving as the pasta absorbs the dressing and you may need additional lemon juice or oil.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Penne Pasta
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 ½ Cups Fresh Corn
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 ½ Cups Fresh Mozzarella (Cut Into Tiny Cubes)
4 Tomatoes (Cored & Diced)
Zest From 1 Lemon
1 Cube Basil Leaves (Rinsed & Dried)
Dressing
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Aged Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Finely Minced Garlic Clove
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil For Pasta
½ Teaspoon Salt
Bring the water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta. About two minutes before the pasta is done add the corn. Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente. Drain both the pasta and corn. DO NOT rinse. Add 1 tablespoons olive oil to the cooling pasta to keep from sticking. Shake to distribute the oil and set aside to cool.
To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, olive oil and salt. Before serving, combine the pasta and corn with the fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and lemon zest. Mix in the dressing and gently slice the basil into thin strips and add to the salad. Serve immediately. Serves 10
Creamy Polenta
Dubbed by some as “Italian Grits,” polenta has been popular and been abundant in the North of Italy since ancient times. First made from wild grains and later from a primitive wheat, faro, millet, spelt or chickpeas these grains were mixed with water to form a paste and then cooked on a hot stone. Sometime in the 15th or 16th century a new crop known as maize arrived from the New World. It was a perfect crop from the farms of Northern Italy and landowners were able to grow vast fields of corn for profit. Polenta was eaten either in porridge or in a hard cake like form. The best polenta that I have ever had was a few years ago at the now closed, L’Impero, in New York. It was the creamiest and served with a delicious mushroom sauce.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Cold Water
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Cups Yellow Cornmeal
4 ½ Cups Boiling Water
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
4 Tablespoons Butter Cut Into Pieces
Combine cold water and salt in a large Dutch oven. With a wire whisk, gradually beat in the cornmeal until smooth. Whisk in the boiling water and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook stirring frequently with a wooden spoon for 25 minutes. The mixture should be very thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter into the polenta until the butter has melted. Serve immediately. Serves 8
Lobster Ravioli
Lobster Ravioli with tomato sauce is an elegant way to begin a meal or as a main course.
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
5 Peeled, Seeded & Chopped Large Ripe Tomatoes
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Cup Heavy Cream
12 Ounces Cooked Fresh Lobster Meat In Large Pieces
4 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Pasta Dough
1 Tablespoon Freshly Chopped Basil For Garnish
In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat and add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes until slightly thick. Add the cream and cook an additional 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Put the tomato mixture back into the saucepan. In a small bowl combine the lobster, Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup of the puree. Mix well. Lay a sheet of the pasta dough on a lightly floured counter. Place portions of the lobster filling at least 5 inches apart onto the pasta. Lay another sheet of the pasta on top and press down lightly. The lobster mixture should be about 3 ½ tablespoons for each ravioli. Using a pastry crimper, cut the dough into 4 inch squares. Make sure that the filling is in the center of each square. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should have enough extra dough to cover the filling on the third sheet of filling. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the ravioli. Cook for 3 minutes and drain. DO NOT RINSE! Heat the remaining tomato puree and ladle enough onto each plate to form a pool. Place the ravioli in the center and pour a bit more of the sauce on top. Sprinkle chopped basil on top and serve. Serves 6
PASTA DOUGH
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
3 Large Eggs
Place the flour in a food processor and with the motor running add the eggs one at a time. Continue processing for 20 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it has formed a smooth and firm ball. Cover with a dry kitchen towel and let rest for 35 minutes. Divide the ball of dough into five pieces and recover the four pieces with the same towel. Slightly roll one piece with a rolling pin. Lightly flour the dough on both sides. Roll the dough through the widest setting of a pasta machine. Fold the pasta in thirds and roll through the machine again. Repeat this four times folding the dough each time. Continue rolling the pasta through the machine. Gradually make the opening smaller until you arrive at the third thinnest setting. Run the dough through the machine one last time. Now cut for pasta. Repeat with the remaining four pieces of dough. Makes 1 pound of pasta
Gelato Affogato
Gelato Affogato means “drowned” gelato in Italian. A coffee based dessert that consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato topped with a shot of hot espresso. Some people also include a shot of Amaretto or dark rum.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pints Vanilla Gelato (or Ice Cream)
1 Cup Hot Espresso
3 Tablespoons of Amaretto or Dark Rum
Scoop the gelato or ice cream into six small goblets. Stir together the hot coffee and liqueur. Slowly pour the coffee over the gelato and serve immediately. Serves 6
Cannelloni
INGREDIENTS
Bechamel Sauce
Filling:
1 Pound Ground Veal
8 Ounces Italian Pork Sausage (Remove Casings)
1 Large Minced Garlic Clove
Two 10 Ounce Packages Frozen Chopped Spinach, Cooked, Drained & Squeezed Dry
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
To Assemble:
1 ½ Pounds Homemade or Store Bought Fresh Pasta (Such As Fresh Lasagna Sheets) Cut Into 4 Inch Squares
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Prepare the béchamel sauce and set aside. To make the filling, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the veal and pork and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Spoon off the excess fat and stir in the spinach and 1 cup of the béchamel sauce. Add the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly and then stir in the cheese. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt to taste. Have ready a large bowl of cold water, and spread out some lint free kitchen towels on a flat surface. Add the pasta squares to the pot a few at a time and cook less than 1 minute. They should be slightly underdone. Scoop the pasta out of the pot and place it in the cold water until cool enough to handle. Lay the pasta squares out flat on the towels. Continue cooking and cooling the remaining pasta the same way. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter two 11x8x2 inch baking dishes. To assemble the cannelloni, spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of each baking dish. Spread some of the filling over each pasta square, leaving a ½ inch border along one side. Starting, at the opposite side, loosely roll up each pasta square. Place the rolls seam side down in the baking dishes. Sprinkle with the cheese. The cannelloni can be assembled up to 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake for 30 minutes. If the dish has been refrigerated cook a bit longer. The sauce should be bubbling and the top golden brown. Serve hot. Serves 12
Bechamel Sauce
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Milk
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
Pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
Salt & Freshly Ground White Pepper To Taste
Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until small bubbles form around the edges. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and stir well. Cook stirring for 2 minutes. Very slowly begin adding the hot milk in a thin stream. Whisk constantly. The sauce will look lumpy at first, but it will smooth out as you continue to add the milk. When all of the milk has been added, stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Turn up the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Use immediately, or place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill. The sauce can be made up to 24 hours before using. Makes 4 cups
Chicken Scallopini
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breast Halves
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour (Divided)
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Chili Powder
½ Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Drained Capers
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
One at a time, put chicken breast between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to ¼ inch thickness. Combine 3 tablespoons flour, black pepper and chili powder on a shallow plate. Dip the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and lightly coat both sides. Combine the chicken stock, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon flour and capers in a small bowl. In a large skillet heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Put the chicken in the hot pan (in a single layer) and cook 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook another 2 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Repeat with the remaining chicken and brush the pan with ½ teaspoon of the olive oil each time you add the chicken pieces. This will prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Stir the stock mixture and pour into the skillet. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes until thickened. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour the sauce over the chicken breast. Serve immediately. Serves 4