Lemon Pasta With Artichoke Hearts, Tuna, Sundried Tomatoes And A Cream Pesto Sauce

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I know that by now you must be thinking that this has turned into a gardening blog instead of the food blog you originally subscribed to.  The truth is that since I had back surgery last August, my interest in food has all but evaporated.  I have lost almost 20 lbs and I am delighted to meet up with my old size 10 clothes.  These days, I eat to sustain.  It's all about calories folks, and eating less is a sure bet to weight loss.  Don't over think it.  Listen to your stomach and eat when it tells you.  Just a little will keep it content.  I am not hungry until mid afternoon when I have a small snack.  I eat a normal dinner, including a sweet, if I feel like it,  and that's it until the next day.  The only exercise I do is in the garden or going up and down the stairs that separate us from Madame Mere's apartment.

Yesterday I got inspired... at Homegoods, of all places.  It was a jar of sun dried tomatoes that made me want pasta.  They often have wonderful artisanal pasta made in Italy and I always stock up when a new shipment comes in.  The one that got my attention was the lemon linguine.  I thought it would go well with the sun dried tomatoes and....tuna! I also remembered the jar of artichoke hearts in the pantry that I had noticed was getting near expiration.  Voila, a new dish was born!  From there it was just a matter of tweaking with herbs.  Very soon I was going to be enjoying a dish and memories of the South of France.

By the time I got home I was starving and ready for an evening of creativity.  My daughter had just made a Costco run and there on the counter was a jar of what would make this dish sing, basil pesto.  And crunch, Parmesan Crisps! No matter she had forgotten the napkins which was the reason she had gone there in the first place!

I encourage you to make the recipe as is.  Don't substitute for the Sherry with white wine.  It needs the sweetness and body only Sherry can add.  If you can't get lemon pasta easily, don't sweat it.  Add a TB finely shredded lemon peel or chopped lemon balm.

I only used half the package of pasta and it was enough for four people.  I tend to like more "goodies" and less pasta and these are the right proportions.  If you make the whole package, double up on the rest of the ingredients.

This would be a great ladies lunch in Summer or Spring or a quick dinner any time of the week.  Put your feet up, enjoy the garden and imagine you are in the South of France!

Lemon Pasta With Artichoke Hearts, Tuna and Sun Dried Tomatoes In a Cream Pesto Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 TB butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot chopped
1/2 cup Dry Sherry
2 TB basil pesto
8 oz. heavy cream

1/2 lb Lemon pasta, linguine or fettuccine, cooked al dente*
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can tuna, packed in oil and drained
4 or 5 sliced sun dried tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste ( I added a few flakes of Aleppo pepper)

Parmesan cheese, shredded
Parmesan Whisps

Chopped basil or parsley for decoration (optional)


Directions:

Pre warm the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta as per package directions. Leave a little al dente. Drain and save some of the cooking water.

Saute the garlic and shallot in the oil and butter until translucent.

Add the Sherry and reduce to half.

Add the basil pesto.  You can use homemade or ready made.  Stir

Add the cream and let it simmer for a bit until it thickens.

Add the artichoke hearts, roughly chopped, the tuna and the sliced sun dried tomatoes.

Add the cooked pasta and stir until the noodles are fully coated.  If you find it is too thick (you won't) add a little of the pasta water.

Place in a casserole dish, sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese and top with crunched Parmesan Whisps.   Cook covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and cook for another 5 or until it browns.  Don't let the pasta dry up!

Add chopped parsley or basil on top before serving (optional).  I was too hungry!

* you can use plain pasta but add about 1 TB finely shredded lemon peel.

All photos Lindaraxa

Spring is Here!...Fettuccine With Smoked Salmon And Dill Sauce

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Yes it's really here, finally...Spring!  The daffodils are blooming, the weeds are coming out and tonight we set our clocks forward to Daylight Savings Time.  Whoever thought of that is a genius!

 

 

 

 

 

We have spent the day laying mulch in the flower beds, cleaning around the azalea bushes, which were full of dead leaves, and spraying Roundup around the paths (and other places)  without my daughter knowing I am doing such a criminal enterprise.  Yes, she gets mad at me but I'm certainly not going to spend all my time digging up weeds where I don't need to.  I am a tired puppy and I hurt all over, but it feels good.  Nothing a couple of Tylenol and a vodka on the rocks, or two, can't cure.

 

 

I feel safer working in the garden now that I have Coco guarding the yard!

 

When the daffodils come out and the clock gets moved up one hour, it is time to think Spring and shelve all those comfort food cold weather recipes.  Good bye stews, goodbye braising, hello grills and welcome asparagus, strawberries and...you know the rest.

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of nights ago, in anticipation of a warm spell, we had this iconic Spring pasta.  Well, at least, iconic to me.  For some reason, when I think of Spring I think of salmon, smoked or otherwise.  It is a wonderful recipe for a midweek dinner or for a ladies lunch.  Your pick.

 

I used Spinach fettuccine but regular will do.  The cream sauce is light but nicely coats the pasta and salmon.  A teaspoon of grated lemon rind is the icing on the cake, a suggestion from my daughter.  I know you will enjoy it as much as we did.

 

 

 

 

 

FETTUCCINE WITH SMOKED SALMON AND DILL SAUCE

 Ingredients:

4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon or mild lox
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons minced shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
6 ounces fettuccine
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
Small sprigs of dill, for garnish
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Procedure:

Cut the smoked salmon in lengthwise strips about two inches by three- eighths inch, cutting with the grain, so strips hold together better.

Combine the shallots and wine in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook over low heat about five minutes or until the liquid is reduced to about two tablespoons.

Stir in the cream, and return to a boil. Cook over medium heat about six minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the pasta. Cook, uncovered, over high heat, separating strands occasionally with a fork, for 30 seconds to two minutes for fresh pasta or two to five minutes for dried, or until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well. Transfer to a heated platter.

Bring sauce to a boil. Remove it from heat and stir in the snipped dill. Pour the sauce over noodles and toss. Gently stir in the salmon, using a large fork. Add salt and pepper to taste (salt may not be needed, depending on the saltiness of the smoked salmon or lox). Garnish with dill sprigs, lemon rind and serve. Makes four servings.

Recipe adapted from Faye Levy Sensational Pasta
All photos Lindaraxa

 

 

 



Cannelloni Di Magro Con Funghi

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I have written about Harry's Bar in Venice on a few occasions, here,  here and here, so I won't bore you with more of the same.  Suffice it to say, it is expensive but their food is very, very, good.  Why?  They get the best and freshest ingredients before anyone else in Venice, and everything, including their pasta, is made on the premises every day.  The people who go there, those you are hoping to see, don't care what they pay for a meal.  They are there to eat with other people they know, enjoy a menu they are familiar with and get good service.   That is the secret of places like Harry's Bar in Venice and Swifty's in New York.  Thus,  if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it.

Nowadays I couldn't afford to go to Harry's Bar unless I'm invited, so I can only dream about and cook some of my favorite dishes from their cookbook.  The recipes are excellent and authentic and everything they are famous for is in this book.   Unfortunately our ingredients can't compete with those they are able to get.  Like tomatoes from Sicily, fresh seafood from the Adriatic, incredible white peaches in the Spring and the list goes on.  Not only that, you can't replicate the ambiance.  This is something I  have learned from wines.  Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered a wine that was simply fantastic?  Then you have gone out and bought a bottle, same vineyard, same year but it just  didn't taste the same.  You are not the only one.  The difference is subjective, and it has to do with the ambiance in the restaurant where you had it, the mood you were in, who you were with and what you had to accompany the wine.  All that being said, this recipe is as close to what I remember having in Venice

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 Don't be intimidated.  This looks a bit involved because there are five things to prepare before assembling the dish: Making the filling, cooking the pasta, making the tomato sauce and the béchamel sauce and sauteeing the mushrooms.  Most of these components are on hand every day at the restaurant and all the cooks have to do is integrate them into the dish. If you want to make these with zucchini, for example, just substitute sautéed zucchini for the mushrooms and you have another variable of the same recipe.  All I can do to minimize the process  is suggest you have some ready made tomato sauce always in the freezer, like I do.  The spinach filling can be made early in the day and refrigerated.  Everything else needs to be done on the spot.

One of the things I have saved you from is making homemade pasta.  Kind of.  I have done this several times and it works like magic. I hate the curly edges on most lasagna noodle brands and substitute Barilla's No Boil lasagna sheets, except I boil them for a few minutes to make them pliable and easy to work with.

My pictures are terrible and I wish they did justice to the results.  I did over broil a bit so watch carefully.  I also had one too many and ended up with the tomato sauce and mushrooms on top of the béchamel sauce, instead of the other way around.   This is what happens when you post pictures with your recipes.  No touch ups or replays.  Just like the Tonight Show!

Cannelloni di Magro Con Funghi
Spinach and ricotta filled cannelloni with mushrooms
Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the Filling

1/2 10 oz  package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese or Gruyere
1/4 lb. whole milk mozzarella, diced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
freshly grated pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 egg yolk

For the Béchamel Sauce:

3 Tb butter
3 TB flour
1 1/2 Cup whole milk, hot
Salt and pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Tomato Sauce:

1/2 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, mashed
4 TB olive oil
1 28 oz box Pomi chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. chopped basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

For the mushrooms:

4 cups thinly sliced shiitake or other mushroom
2 tb. butter
1 garlic clove
chopped parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste

1 package Barilla No Boil lasagna noodles

Directions:

 Defrost the chopped spinach and squeeze all water from it. Put it in a food processor with the whole milk ricotta, the grated Gruyere cheese,  the whole milk mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Blend briefly to make a green, well-combined paste but do not overwork it.  Scrape mixture into a bowl and blend in the salt, pepper, cayenne and egg yolks.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

 Next, the béchamel sauce.

 Melt the butter in a pan then add the plain flour; cook over a medium heat until it becomes sandy textured. Add the hot milk, whisking all the time; bring to the boil, stirring – it will thicken. Season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper.

For the tomato sauce:

Add oil to the pan.  Sautee de onion and garlic until translucent.  Add the chopped  tomatoes and cook for about 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste and the chopped basil.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  The sauce can be made at any time, including the day before.

For the mushrooms:

Melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms and sautee until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.  Add garlic and parsley and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the wine and boil down for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

Assembling the cannelloni:

 To make Harry’s Bar Cannelloni de Magro con Funghi for six, spread half the béchamel in an ovenproof dish. Boil a large pan of salted water and drop in eight or nine dried egg-pasta lasagne sheets. Cook for three minutes, drain and lay on a tea towel, side by side.  Cut in half.

Fill with equal amounts of spinach mix then roll up and place seam side down in the dish on top of the béchamel.

 Cover with a layer of stir-fried sliced mushrooms, a layer of tomato sauce, then the remaining béchamel.

 Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven  until bubbling and browned, about 10 minutes.  Place 3 inches from the heat source and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, turning the pan around to brown evenly.  Serve immediately and pass the Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

 

All pictures Lindaraxa

Recipe adapted from The Harry's Bar Cookbook

Spaghetti Primavera Sirio Maccioni

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I'm taking the day off from cooking and posting on Mother's Day, but I'm passing along this recipe which I found last night while browsing through a cookbook.  Very timely for this time of the year.  I also thought that some of you might want to see the original recipe for pasta primavera as created by Sirio Maccioni, owner of Le Cirque, a far cry from what is been served these days.  Did you know, for instance, that the original had two sauces?

This poor dish has gotten so bastardized over the years that what you get is but a ghost of the original.    Pasta Primavera has come to define simply any type of pasta with vegetables, olive oil and cheese.

I had the real thing in New York at Le Cirque a lo-o-o-ong time ago and it was marvelous but, unfortunately, it was so popularized that people simply got tired of it.  Every restaurant from New York to Peoria had it on the menu; every hostess at her lunch buffets. The Ladies Who Lunch simply adored it!

Nowadays, it's not even on the menu at Le Cirque, although you can get it if you simply ask for it.  It’s prepared on a cart close to your table and served piping hot so the veggies are still steaming yet crunchy fresh.

Sirio Maccioni's recipe was the signature dish at Le Cirque in the 1970's and 80's.  It was one of those recipes which, like the molten chocolate cake, came by quite by accident. According to food historian and restaurant critic John Mariani, Maccioni was entertaining a group of chefs at a hunting camp in Canada in 1975. It had been a long evening, everyone was ravenous -- but no one wanted to eat anything too heavy because of the late hour.

Maccioni went into the kitchen, grabbed a bunch of fresh vegetables, and made up two sauces, a cream sauce and a fresh tomato sauce. He steamed the vegetables, and served them and the sauces over spaghetti.

The dish was a sensation.

Maccioni dubbed it pasta primavera -- it's a wonderfully light evocation of sunshine and spring growth, and ''primavera'' means spring in Italian. He put it on his restaurant's menu, where it was soon the most popular item and was copied everywhere.

If you decide to make the recipe, make sure you buy the freshest vegetables available and the best spaghetti money can buy.  That's all there is to it.

Tagliatelle With Morels And Pancetta In a Cream Sauce

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The trick to this recipe is to make enough sauce to save for the next day's lunch over toast!

You can make the sauce earlier in the day and cook the pasta at the last minute.The perfect dinner for two with leftovers to die for or an elegant first course for a formal dinner party.

Ingredients

1 ounce dried morels (that's a handful in my book!)
1/2 cup pancetta, diced in small cubes
2 tbs olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 cup Mornay Sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt and white pepper

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1/2 lbs tagliatelle or fettucine

Soften the morels in warm water for 30 minutes. When soft, remove from the water and place in a colander to dry.  Dry thoroughly with a towel and cut some of the big ones in half.

In a skillet, cook the pancetta in the oil until crisp.  Remove and set aside.
Cook the diced shallots and the morels in medium heat for about 3 minutes..  Add the parsley. Add the wine, raise the temperature and reduce to about 2 TBS. Set mushroom mix aside in a plate.

Make the Mornay Sauce. 

To the skillet add 2 TB. butter.  When melted, add 2 TBS. flour.  Mix well and cook for 1 minute.  Add slowly 1 cup of milk, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, salt and white pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and almost comes to a boil.  Add 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese.

Add the mushroom mix to the sauce and keep in very low heat until pasta is cooked.

Cook pasta in water as per package instructions.

Drain pasta.  Serve in individual plates.  Add sauce on top and Parmesan cheese before serving.

Recipe Photos Lindaraxa

Bucatini With Mushroom Ragu

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Now that Fall is almost here and the nights are somewhat cooler, it's time to change gears and concentrate on the Autumn harvest.  I am sad to see our local fresh market shift from peaches and tomatoes to pumpkins and squash for I know that before the month is over, the tents will come down at least until the Spring.  If truth be told, though, I am getting tired of the peaches in spite of the fact that it has been one of the best harvests I can recall.

Pennsylvania  is the top-producing mushroom state in the United States, and celebrates September as "Mushroom Month".  It's incredible what you learn when you write a food blog and have to come up with seasonal recipes for your readers! That I didn't know...

If you can't find fresh mushrooms at your supermarket, dry ones are great and available all year long.  They should be in every serious cook's well stocked pantry for sauces and quick meals such as this.  For this sauce,  try to use at least three different types of mushrooms and experiment with a couple you haven't tried before.

While I prefer the thicker bucatini to spaghetti in this recipe, I realize the former is not usually available at most grocery stores in this country.  You can substitute spaghetti, linguini or pappardelle but stay away from bows and shells.  Remember the shape of the pasta is important depending on the sauce you use! 

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 small celery stalk, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 1/2 ounces prosciutto (sliced 1/8-inch-thick), cubed

1 1/4 pound mixed mushrooms, such as shimeji, shitake, chanterelle, trumpet or blue foot, trimmed and halved

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup water

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound bucatini or spaghetti

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and prosciutto; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms, broth, water, and pinch salt and pepper; stir gently to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until mushrooms are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. While pasta is cooking, place cream in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer; remove from heat. Drain pasta, transfer to a large serving bowl, add hot cream and mushroom mixture, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.


Recipe and photo from La Cucina Italiana

Butternut Squash Gnocchi With Sage Brown Butter

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My favorite pasta of all times is butternut squash ravioli ,but making them at home has never been something I wanted to do.  You know me and flour, not my favorite thing to do on a rainy day.  My daughter is the pasta maker and I have been begging her to help me make the ravioli but since she doesn't like squash, it has been a non starter. When I saw this recipe I knew I had found the answer.  It is a bit labor intensive, no doubt, but if you do it in stages it will be much easier.

Serve squash puree  one night and save 1 cup for the gnocchi the next day.  Also, make it for two people and freeze the rest for another night.  That's what I would do. I wouldn't share my gnocchi with George Clooney himself.  Too much work, the gnocchi, not George.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1-pound butternut squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 12- to 14-ounce russet potato, peeled, quartered

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 large egg, beaten to blend

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 3/4 cups  all purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Additional grated Parmesan cheese



Special Equipment:

Potato ricer


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squash lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Place squash halves, cut side up, on baking sheet and brush with oil. Roast until squash is very tender when pierced with skewer and browned in spots, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool slightly. Scoop flesh from squash into processor; puree until smooth. Transfer to medium saucepan; stir constantly over medium heat until juices evaporate and puree thickens, about 5 minutes. Cool. Measure 1 cup (packed) squash puree (reserve remaining squash for another use).

Note: This can be made several days in advance.

2. Meanwhile, cook potato in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, less than 20 minutes. Drain. While potato is warm, press through potato ricer into medium bowl; cool completely. Measure 2 cups (loosely packed) riced potato (reserve remaining potato for another use).

3. Mix squash, potato, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl. Gradually add 1 3/4 cups flour, kneading gently into mixture in bowl until dough holds together and is almost smooth. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead gently but briefly just until smooth. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.

4. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Sprinkle parchment lightly with flour. Working with 1 dough piece at a time, roll dough out on floured surface to about 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll gnocchi along back of fork tines dipped in flour, making ridges on 1 side. Transfer gnocchi to baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Note: Gnocchi can be frozen at this point – freeze them first on a sheetpan, then transfer them to a Ziplock to prevent them from sticking together.

5. Working in 2 batches, cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, 15 to 17 minutes (gnocchi will float to surface but may come to surface before being fully cooked). Using slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to same parchment-lined baking sheets. Cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover loosely and chill.

6. Cook butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat just until golden, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sage; stir 1 minute. Add gnocchi; cook until heated through and coated with butter, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Note: Unless you have an enormous pan, it’s easier to cook the gnocchi and butter in smaller batches. Half of this recipe in one pan is doable.

Source: Lidia Bastianich via Bon Appetit

Pappardelle With Pancetta, Chestnuts And Sage

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This is by far the best pasta I have had in a long, long time.  Perhaps it is the combination of the sweetness of the chestnuts with the pancetta and sage.  I really don't know, but it works.  It is an easy and elegant main course for a weeknight dinner or a beautiful lunch.   All it needs to go with it is a leafy salad.  Have extra Parmesan cheese to pass around after you serve.

You can substitute the pancetta, if you must, with bacon;  but make sure you cut it first in 1/2 inch pieces and boil it in about 2 inches of water for about 5 minutes to get rid of the fat.  Then proceed with the recipe.

Bottled chestnuts might now be on sale at your local Williams Sonoma.  I am lucky enough to live about 10 minutes from their outlet and got them this weekend half price.  I have been hoarding bottles for 2 weeks, saving three for my chestnut soup on Christmas Eve.  You will also find them at specialty stores but try to get this brand, they are superb, although a bit pricey.  If you go the long route, try to steam instead of  boiling or roasting.

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 for a first course

Ingredients

3 ounces Pancetta chopped
1 TB Olive Oil
1 small Onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 TB finely chopped sage
1/2 lbs ( 1 1/2 cups) bottled, peeled and cooked chestnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 lbs Pappardelle, tagliatelle or fettuccine
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 TB butter
3 TB Heavy cream (optional)*
Salt & Pepper
1 Tb finely chopped parsley

Directions

Cook pancetta in oil in a 12 inch skillet until it begins to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add onions and cook another 3 to 4 minutes.  Add garlic and 1 Tb sage.  Cook for another minute.  Add chestnuts and remove from heat.

Cook pasta until al dente and drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Add pasta to the pancetta mixture, plus 1 cup of reserved water, the cheese and butter and stir constantly over high heat until thoroughly coated, about 1 minute.  Season with salt and pepper, add the remaining sage and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve immediately and pass some extra cheese.

* I added the heavy cream after adding about 1/2 cup of the water.  Reduced water by 1/4 cup.  This is optional but yummy.  You can skip and just add the water.

Sunday Dinner in New York Part II...Baked Lasagna With Ragu Bolognese

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This is the lasagna I cooked for my friend Reggie Darling in New York last week.  It is definitely not the one you will eat at most restaurants in the United States or in the southern part of Italy.  This is the real deal, the one you will enjoy in Bologna or anywhere in the Tuscan countryside.  There is no mozzarella or thick tomato sauce or lots of Parmesan cheese for that matter.  It is a delicate lasagna with a light bechamel sauce and a slight hint of tomato.  It is divine and as far as lasagnas go, quite elegant.  All you need to go with it is a green salad of your choice.

I encourage you to double the ragu recipe.  It's too much work for the amount it makes.  It freezes beautifully, both as a sauce or if you go all the way and make an extra lasagna.  This recipe will serve 8 with extra for seconds.  Believe me, you want to have enough for seconds!


Ingredients

Bolognese Sauce

Béchamel Sauce

Lasagna pasta (I used DeCecco)

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing a 9- by 12-inch bake-and-serve lasagna pan, no less than 2½ inches high

2/3 cup fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese


Directions

1. Prepare the meat sauce and set aside.

2. Prepare the béchamel, keeping it rather runny, somewhat like sour cream. When done, keep it warm in the upper half of a double boiler, with the heat turned to very low. If a film should form on top, just stir it when you are ready to use it.

3. Set a bowl of cold water near the range, and lay some clean, dry cloth towels flat on a work counter. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil, add 1 tablespoon salt, and as the water returns to a boil, slip in 4 or 5 of the cut pasta strips. Cook very briefly, just seconds after the water returns to a boil after you dropped in the pasta. Retrieve the strips with a colander scoop or slotted spatula, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water. Pick up the strips, one at a time, rinse them under cold running water, and rub them delicately, as though you were doing fine hand laundry. Squeeze each strip very gently in your hands, then spread if flat on the towel to dry. When all the pasta is cooked in the manner, 4 or 5 strips at a time, and spread out to dry, pat it dry on top with another towel.

*Explanatory note: The washing, wringing, and drying of pasta for lasagna is something of a nuisance, but it is necessary. You first dip the partly cooked pasta into cold water to stop the cooking instantly. This is important because if lasagna pasta is not kept very firm at this stage it will become horribly mushy later when it is baked. And you must afterward rinse off the moist starch on its surface, or the dough will become glued to the towel on which it is laid out to dry, and tear when you are ready to use it.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

5. Thickly smear the bottom of a lasagna pan with butter and about 1 tablespoon of béchamel. Line the bottom of the pan with a single layer of pasta strips, cutting them to fit the pan, edge to edge, allowing no more than ¼ inch for overlapping.

6. Combine the meat sauce and the béchamel and spread a thin coating of it on the pasta. Sprinkle on some grated parmesan, then add another layer of pasta, cutting it to fit as you did before. Repeat the procedure of spreading the sauce and béchamel mixture, then sprinkling with Parmesan. Use the trimmings of pasta dough to fill in gaps, if necessary. Build up to at least 6 layers of pasta. Leave yourself enough sauce to spread very thinly over the topmost layer. Sprinkle with parmesan and dot with butter.

*Ahead-of-time note: The lasagna may be completed up to 2 days in advance up to this point. Refrigerate under tightly sealing plastic wrap.

8. Bake on the uppermost rack of the preheated oven until a light, golden crust formed on top. It should take between 10 and 15 minutes. If after the first few minutes you don’t see any sign of a crust beginning to form, turn up the oven another 50 to 75 degrees. Do not bake longer then 15 minutes altogether.

9. Remove from the oven and allow to settle for about 10 minutes, then serve at table directly from the pan.

Bolognese Sauce:

1 tablespoon oil

3 tablespoon butter

½ cup chopped onion

2/3 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup chopped carrot

3/4 pound ground beef chuck (I used half beef, half veal)*

salt

black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

1 cup whole milk

whole nutmeg

1 cup dry white wine

1½ cup canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice**

Directions

1. Put the oil, butter and onion in the pot, and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until is has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the vegetables to coat them well.

2. Add the ground beef, a large pinch of salt, & a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork and cook until meat has lost its raw, red color.

3. Add the milk and let simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating – about 1/8 teaspoon – of nutmeg and stir.  The milk will take a long time to absorb.  Be patient.  Turn it up higher after awhile to make it go faster (I did)

4. Add the wine, let simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is stirring, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, continue the cooking, adding ½ cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.


Béchamel Sauce:

3 cups milk

6 tablespoons butter

4½ tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Put the milk in a saucepan, turn the heat to medium-low, and bring the milk just to the verge of boiling, to the point when it begins to form a ring of small, pearly bubbles.

2. While heating the milk, put the butter in a heavy-bottomed, 4- to 6-cup saucepan, and turn the heat to low. When the butter has melted completely, add the flour and stirring it with a wooden spoon. Cook, while stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Do not allow flour to become colored. Remove from heat.

3. Add the hot milk to the flour-and-butter mixture, no more than 2 tablespoons of it at a time. Stir steadily and thoroughly. As soon as the first 2 tablespoons have been incorporated into the mixture, add 2 more, and continue to stir. Repeat this procedure until you have added ½ cup milk; you can now put in the rest of the milk ½ cup at a time, stirring steadfastly, until all the milk has been smoothly amalgamated with the flour and butter.

4. Place the pot over low heat, add the salt, and cook, stirring without interruption, until the sauce is as dense as thick cream. If you find any lumps forming, dissolve them by beating the sauce rapidly with a whisk
.

*Since I doubled the recipe, I ended up using 3/4 lbs chuck and 3/4 lbs ground veal (I actually cheated and made it almost a pound each!)

*for double the recipe, I used the entire 28oz can f Cento San Marzano tomatoes.

Half of the meat packages above went to a double recipe of the ragu, which in turn made 2 lasagnas, one large one smaller.  The rest was frozen for a meatloaf later on.  Talk about economical!

Sunday Dinner in New York For Reggie Darling, Part I

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A few months back, I came upon a very interesting new blog named ReggieDarling.  Right from the beginning, I knew the person behind it was right up my alley.  He was witty, charming, well educated, a discerning collector, a beautiful writer and above all a gentleman, that rare species one only finds today in those of a certain age .  We became virtual friends when I started to comment on his blog and that friendship became a real one this past weekend when I visited New York and Reggie Darling took Lindaraxa to one of her favorite restaurants, La Grenouille.  Now, it takes a very generous and trusting soul to entertain a virtual stranger at such a temple of haut cuisine.  But that is the kind of guy he is.  We had a marvelous dinner, with an equally delightful Bordeaux and the added pleasure of meeting Boy Fenwick, Reggie Darling's partner in life and on the blog.




La Grenouille

 La Grenouille hasn't changed much... and that is a good thing.  The beautiful flowers are still there, together with the marvelous food and impeccable service.  It is one of the few Old Guard restaurants in New York City where it is still hard to get a table.  The night we were there, a Thursday, it was packed full.  The Magret de Caneton aux Agrumes, Pruneaux et Navets (Braised Duck Breast with Citrus and Turnips) was to die for as well as the little Canadian oysters for a first course.  Needless to say, we all had souffles for dessert.

The beautiful flowers of La Grenouille

Usually a dinner like this just ends there.  We meet, have a great chat, assert that the other is "for real" and get back to our blogs.  But the next morning when I woke up I felt that I wanted to do my part and reciprocate such a nice gesture.  Not only that, but  I really wanted to do something nice for this man.   So why not entertain Reggie D chez nous for Sunday Dinner? 

Sunday night is the perfect time to entertain when you want to keep it simple.  I know that New Yorkers, who eat out on most nights, really appreciate a home cooked meal, one where they don't have to dress up and where they can enjoy good old fashioned comfort food.  So I rang my new friend, who immediately accepted, and the party was on!  A couple of friends from out of town were also in the city and they were invited to round up the group.

After ascertaining the guest list for allergies and "can't eat" or "don't like" , I settled on Marcella Hazan's Lasagna Bolognese,  a green salad and an Apple and Cranbery Crisp for dessert.  I usually wouldn't pair these two on a menu, but the apples at the store looked divine and after all, what could be easier?  You have to remember kitchens in New York are on the small side and my friend doesn't like to cook so the pantry and the gadgets are limited. 

So there you have it.  A home cooked meal for a New York guy who can eat anywhere he wants to...I think that's a match, don't you?

Making the lasagna, still in my nightgown!



 The appetizers were simple. I had brought some Red Pepper Jelly from my local farmer's market as a gift for my hostess to serve over cream cheese with crackers.  This is an old Southern appetizer which everyone seems to love and something you definitely would not find at a New York dinner party.  Pork Rilletes, which I adore, were purchased at Dean & DeLuca although, in my humble opinion, mine are much better.

Saturday was a shopping day and the time to make the ragu which takes at least 4 hours to cook.  Luckily, the Yankees were still in the playoffs so waiting while the sauce simmered away was no pain.  On Sunday the lasagna was assembled, the apple crisp ready to bake, the table set and the New York Times read cover to cover.  We even had time for a nice walk around the reservoir and a stab at the crossword puzzle.

A gift of local apples from the guests of honor

A nice evening was had by all and I was delighted to see everyone go for seconds, especially Reggie D.  By 11:00 o'clock every dish was put away and the hostesses were tucked in their respective beds.  Now, as Ina would say "How easy was that"?

I'm glad I have such nice friends in New York, some old, some new, but all great!  Thank you for a wonderful time.

(Stay tuned for Part II where the lasagna recipe will be posted.  It's much too long for one post.)

Apple Photo: B.Fenwick
top photo Country Living

A Casual Oscar Night...Baked Rigatoni With Tiny Meatballs...

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When I saw this in Smitten Kitchen's blog last week, I knew I had to try it...soon.  Well tonight I did and both of us gave it two thumbs way up.  I also thought it would be a fitting main dish for Oscar night where dinner would  probably be served on your lap in front of the TV, so as not to miss a single dress or award.  If you are having a few close friends over, no problem, this recipe will easily fit 6, and even 8, if you serve plenty of hors d'oeuvres and a big salad.  

Now these are not you usual rigatoni with a sauce...they are quite special and although easy on the pocketbook, somewhat elegant. I’ve upped the sauce, cheese and seasoning for a baked pasta that is more lush, but surprisingly un-heavy.  I have also added some minced fresh basil to the meatballs (I actually used the one that comes in a tube from the produce department of the grocery store).

Accompany with hearts of romaine with a vinaigrette, those nice thin Italian bread sticks, and a nice Sangiovese.  Try Monte Antico, an inexpensive red from Tuscany which sometimes can be found at Costco and regular grocery stores. It's an inexpensive version of an Italian Super Tuscan and is the one I drink when price is an issue.

This dish can be prepared in the afternoon, covered, placed in the refrigerator, and cooked when ready to serve.  If you want to buy the dessert, I suggest something lemony, like the lemon tart posted a few days ago.

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1/4 cup milk

1 slice good white bread trimmed of its crust

1 pound ground pork (or beef, or lamb, or a mix of the three)

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 TB fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp basil concentrate (in tube)

1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano (Parmesan)

1 egg

Salt

Black pepper in a grinder

1 cup flour, spread on a plate

Vegetable oil for frying

For the bèchamel:

4 1/2 cups milk

6 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

To finish:

1 pound rigatoni

3/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup milk

Directions

Make the meatballs: Heat the milk, but don’t let it simmer. Tear pieces of the white bread into it and let it soak for 5 minutes, before picking it up with your hand, squeezing it of excess milk and putting it in a large mixing bowl.

Add the pork or beef, garlic, parsley, basil,grated cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Combine all the ingredients with a fork until they are evenly mixed .

Pinch off a small lump of meat, about the size of a raspberry and roll the lump into a ball in the palm of your hands.  When all the meatballs have been shaped, roll them in the flour, 15 to 20 at a time. Place the floured meatballs in a strainer and shake it smartly to dispose of excess flour.

Put enough vegetable oil in a skillet to rise 1/4-inch up the sides of the pan and turn on the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, put as many meatballs in the skillet as will fit without overcrowding. Brown them until they form a nice crust all around. When one batch is done, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a platter covered with paper towels to drain and do the next batch until all are done.

Make the bèchamel: Heat the milk over low heat in a saucepan until it forms a ring of pearly bubbles, but do not let it break into a boil (you can also do this in the microwave). In a larger saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or flat whisk until combined. Add a little of the milk to the flour and butter mixture, stirring steadily and thoroughly, then repeat until all the milk is added.( you can add the milk in 1/2 cup increments, stirring constantly to keep it smooth.) Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir the sauce until it thickens.When you see the first bubble, the sauce is done.

Assemble the dish: Cook the rigatoni in a pot of well salted water. Drain when still al dente, and combine immediately in bowl with two-thirds of the bèchamel, half the grated cheese, and all the meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heavily butter a 9×13 baking dish. Spread the rigatoni and meatball mixture in the pan, leveling it off with a spatula. Pour the milk over the dish, the spread the rest of bèchamel on top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.

Place in the uppermost level of the preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a golden brown crust forms on top.


Adapted, from Marcella Hazan and Smitten Kitchen
Photo: Smittenkitchen

Tagliatelle With Ragu Bolognese, Ricetta Antica

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Everyone traveling to Bologna, in Emilia Romagna, is bound to eat ragù Bolognese, ricetta tradizionale and/or ricetta antica. Served with fresh tagliatelle, particularly spinach tagliatelle, it is the precursor to meat sauce as we know it, and still the main Sunday staple at a Bolognese Sunday meal. The ricetta antica, an old recipe, has milk added, while the sauce simmers, to give it additional richness and velvety texture. Today, it is mostly the tradizionale, without milk, that is cooked in Bologna. I prefer the antica, where the milk solids help break down the meat, allowing it to have a smoother, creamier texture and it is the one you will see in this post.

Garlic is not a typical ingredient, although both Mario Battali and Lidia Bastianich use it in their recipes.  I only use one clove mashed to flavor the oil.  The basil is definitely my idea and you can omit if you prefer.  I had a lovely bunch lying around that I didn't want to see go to waste.  The color of the wine is also a contested ingredient.  I typically use a red Tuscan since it is what I am going to drink with the meal but if you prefer white, go with it.  As to the tomatoes, here it is important to use good quality.  I buy  Cento San Marzano D.O.P. Certified. They are by far the best.

Another thing about ragu bolognese is the use of two different types of meat.  I typically use beef and pork but beef and veal is also a nice combination.  As with a lot of traditional dishes, you will be hard pressed to find two people who agree on one recipe for Ragu Bolognese.  The one constant is the use of onions, celery and carrots so make sure you don't skip that!  Check out Marcella Hazan's recipe in the country blog.

If there are only two of you, this quantity will be enough for two hefty servings of Tagliatelli alla Bolognese, with enough left for lasagna later on in the week. You can also double this recipe and freeze for a later use.

Printable Recipe


Servings 6-8

Ingredients

3 TB extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic mashed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, leaves included,  finely chopped

2 laurel leaves

1 carrot, scraped and finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1/4 pound pancetta, minced

1/2 cup milk

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand, with the juices

1 TB tomato paste

1/2 cup dry red wine (you can sub white)

Salt and pepper

2 TB chopped basil (optional)

2 lbs tagliatelle (for 8 people)

Parmiggiano, Reggiano


Directions

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil  over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, laurel and garlic and sweat over medium heat until vegetables are translucent. Add  pork, beef, and pancetta to the vegetables, brown over high heat, stirring to keep meat from sticking together for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until almost dry, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer 15 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until flavors are developed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.  Add the chopped basil if using at the last minute, stir and serve.The longer you cook it the better it is. Let it rest while you cook the tagliatelle.

Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling, salted, water for about 10 minutes.  When it's done, drain and add to the sauce.  Mix and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano.

In Search of...The Real Recipe for Bucatini all' Amatriciana

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It is amazing how possesive people can be about their traditional dishes. A couple of days ago, I watched Giada de Laurentis cook this dish with her aunt on her program.  It was funny, almost embarassing for poor Giada as for every step in the process, there was some criticism from her aunt...and she was not subtle about it!  They argued over the use of garlic, whether the onions should be chopped or minced, the aunt wanted vinegar addded so Giada relented with white wine, and on and on.  Mind you, they were making the Roman version of the Amatriciana original, so I can't imagine what it would have been like had it been the latter.  I think the whole region would have been up in arms.

I became some intrigued that I decided to do some research as to what the real deal and all the confusion was about.  And here is the scoop.   This zesty pancetta and tomato sauce is commonly associated with Lazio and Rome, but it is actually from the town of Amatrice, which was just over the border into the Abruzzo before Mussolini redrew the maps. The inventors were the shepherds from the region now known as Lazio, so it makes sense that the original recipe did not call for wine or garlic.  Now, the roman version is something else!

Because of the simplicity of Amatriciana sauce, be sure to use the finest ingredients. It makes a big difference especially considering that there are only a few critical ones.

And Giada de Laurentis:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/bucatini-allamatriciana-with-spicy-smoked-mozzarella-meatballs-recipe/index.html


Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound bucatini or thick stranded spaghetti (see note)

1/4 pound (100 g) pancetta or guanciale, diced (see note)

1 pound (400 g) ripe tomatoes (4-5 plum tomatos), blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped (you can certainly use San Marzano canned)

Half an onion, minced

A hot pepper, seeded and shredded (or leave it whole if you want to remove it)

1/2 cup olive oil

An abundance (a cup) of freshly grated Pecorino Romano


Preparation:

Set the pasta water to heat, salt it when it boils, and cook the pasta. While this is happening, heat the oil in a skillet, add the diced meat, and cook until it browns, stirring the pieces about. Remove them to a sheet of absorbent paper with a slotted spoon and keep them warm. Add the onion to the grease in the pan, together with the hot pepper, and when it begins to color add the tomato pieces, which should be well drained. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes, then return the diced pancetta to the pot and heat it through. Drain the pasta while it's still a little al dente, turn it into the skillet with the sauce, cook a minute more more, stirring the pasta to coat the strands, and serve, with grated pecorino.  You can sprinkle some parsley on top, but don't let Giada's aunt catch you!

Notes:

First, Italians traditionally make Amatriciana sauce with Guanciale, salt-cured pork jowl. It is similar to flat pancetta, but not as lean, and therefore has a richer, more voluptuous feel to it. If you can find guanciale, by all means use it, though in its absence pancetta will work. Bacon is not a good substitute, because it is smoked and also contains sugar not present in either pancetta or guanciale.

Second, Amatriciana sauce derives from a much older sauce called La Gricia, which the shepherds used to make by sautéing diced guanciale so gently as to keep it from browning, and adding freshly boiled pasta, a healthy dusting of pepper, and grated pecorino Romano. The Amatriciana sauce, with tomatoes, was initially enjoyed by the nobility, because only they could afford tomatoes.

Third, the people of Amatrice prefer to use spaghetti in preparing their signature dish. The use of bucatini is more a Roman thing. The different shapes do produce different textures, and which you prefer is up to you.

Dinner from the Pantry...Gnocchi with Spinach Bacon & Mozzarella

Pin It I'm still cooking from the pantry, trying to prepare for hurricane season. Today I discovered way in the back of the food closet something I must have bought years ago and never used. It was gnocchi shaped pasta from DeCecco that must have been bought by mistake thinking it was the real thing. By now, readers of this blog will know that I hate baking and working with flour, so you are never going to catch me making fresh gnocchi, even though I love it to death. It is one of those things that I save to order when I go out to an Italian restaurant.

Gnocchi is also the name given to the dry whimsical shape pasta family. They originate in the Campania region in the South of Italy. Their shape is fashioned after an empty grooved cone. They are usually 32 mm long whereas their thickness is between 1,15 and 1,30 mm. Gnocchi can be served with light tomato or meat sauces; it is also superb with pesto. Unfortunately, tonight none of these options were a possibility, but a quick look inside the refrigerator put some creative wheels in motion. As I have mentioned before, if you have a well stocked pantry, and this includes the refrigerator and the freezer, you can always put something together. On a few occasions, even you will surprise yourself, like I did tonight.

Not only did i come out with a great new recipe, I have also discovered a new pasta shell to work with! If you can't find gnocchi shaped pasta in your supermarket, try orecchetti, fussilli or any other shells or ridge shapes. Also go to my store on the right and look under gourmet food. The sauce is also delicious with real gnocchi, like the one in the main photo above from Flickr.

Ingredients

8 oz DeCecco Gnocchi or gnocchi shaped pasta

1/2 pckg frozen spinach (4 oz)

4 strips bacon

2 Tb butter

1/2 Onion

2 garlic cloves

1/2 Cup heavy cream

1 TB shredded mozarella

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese



Instructions


Boil gnocchi with spinach 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook 4 strips bacon in microwave 5 minutes. Cut in 1 in. pieces

In another pan melt 2tb butter. Saute 1/2 onion and garlic cloves. Remove garlic and discard.

Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, Boil down until thickened.Add 1 tb mozzarella stirring until it melts. This will add body to the sauce.

Add the cream sauce to the gnocchi and spinach.

Add the bacon pieces

Add 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese

Serve immediately and pass the extra parmesan around.