Category — Recipes

“The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity than the discovery of a new star,” wrote the philosopher and cook, Brillat-Savarin. I hate to disagree, but for me it is the discovery of a new pasta.

While dried pastas don’t vary much in flavor, their contours and proportions determine how the sauce and pasta will go together and how the finished dish will taste.  A heavy, meaty ragu can turn thin, delicate pasta strands to mush while chunky rigatoni can overwhelm the flavor of a light, delicate sauce.  In addition to the shape, the ingredients, how the pasta is manufactured, and the drying method used are important, too.  And no matter how good the pasta is, it has to be cooked and served the right way.

Last week, a cellophane bag of Don Bruno fusilloni, or giant fusilli, arrived in a package from Roland Foods.  According to the label, Don Bruno pasta is made from 100% durum semolina from Puglia that is shaped with bronze dies for the best texture, then dried slowly under controlled heat and humidity for perfect “al dente” results.

While I have eaten corkscrew-shaped fusilli all my life, the giant Don Bruno fusilloni were new to me and looked like just the thing to go with the Macaroni with Tomatoes and Spicy Sausage I was planning to make.  The recipe is from The Bistro Laurent Tourondel Cookbook that I co-authored a couple of years ago with the famous chef.  It has mouth-watering recipes and gorgeous photos from Laurent’s BLT restaurants around the country.

A quick check of my refrigerator revealed 2 cups of my favorite canned Bella di San Marzano brand tomatoes and some sweet Italian sausages left from a recipe testing project, a package of Satur Farms wild arugula and an open bottle of white wine.  Laurent’s recipe calls for fresh tomatoes and hot sausages, but the canned tomatoes were a reasonable substitute and I could add some crushed red pepper to compensate for the mildness of the sausages, though I preferred not to.  The ridges and twists of the fusilloni seemed like they would be even better than the rigatoni Laurent called for.   I always have pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano on hand, so the rest was easy.

One of the questions I am asked most frequently is how to prevent pasta from sticking.  Here is my mantra–use a big pot with plenty of boiling water and salt; stir often; don’t overcook; drain, sauce and serve immediately.  Here is how I do it:

I started the sauce and put up a 6-quart pot filled with 5 quarts of water on high heat.  When it came to a rolling boil, in went the fusilloni and a generous amount of coarse salt.  Stirring the pasta frequently, I finished making the sauce just as the pasta became tender yet firm to the bite — in short, al dente. Don’t rely on package cooking times and taste it to be sure.  Allow a little for the residual cooking that occurs between the time you remove the pasta from the heat and start eating.  Remember — when the pasta is ready, it is is not the time to make a phone call, set the table, or have a drink.  The sauce has to be finished before the pasta, and you can’t hesitate with the cooked pasta or it will overcook and get sticky.  I drained the fusilloni, reserving a cupful of the cooking water just in case, and quickly mixed them with the hot sauce.  I added the cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and tossed again.  (The hot water wasn’t necessary this time.  If the pasta had been dry, I would have added a little to loosen it up.)  Meanwhile,  Charles opened a bottle of Pallagrello, an unusual, red wine from Italy and we sat down to eat.

The  fusilloni had good wheaty flavor and held their texture and shape beautifully.  The ridges in the pasta captured the bits of sausage and basil and tangled around the long arugula leaves.  The pasta was a perfect match for the rich sauce, freshened with grassy flavor of the arugula.   As I savored the pasta and the rustic, pleasantly bitter wine, I thought of all the ways I might use fusilloni again.  It would go well with all kinds of meaty ragus or sauces containing bits of cauliflower or broccoli, or strands of zucchini or carrots.  If by chance you cant find Don Bruno fusilloni, use regular fusilli, gemelli or rotelle.

MACARONI/TOMATOES/SPICY SAUSAGE

Adapted from The Bistro Laurent Tourondel Cookbook by Laurent Tourondel and Michele Scicolone (John Wiley & Sons 2008)

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing

12 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 medium-ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into large dice

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 ounces fusilloni

1 bunch arugula, tough stems removed and coarsely chopped (1 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook the Sausage In a skillet large enough to hold all of the ingredients, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the sausage meat and cook until lightly browned, stirring the meat to break up the lumps.   With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan.  Sauté until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the wine and bring to a simmer.  Cook 1 minute more, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 20 minutes, or until thickened.  Stir in the sausage meat and cook until heated through, about 1 minute more.

Cook the Fusilloni Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the fusilloni and plenty of salt.   Cook, stirring frequently, until the fusilloni is al dente, tender yet still firm.   Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the sauce.

Finish the Pasta Add the arugula and basil and toss well.  Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle with the cheese and toss again.  Serve immediately.

Every time I visit a market in France, I look for the tapenade vendor.  Tapenade is a savory paste made from ground black or green olives and capers blended with garlic, dried tomatoes, anchovies, tuna, or herbs.  Each vendor has several varieties on display, and sampling is encouraged.  I taste several varieties and always find a new version or two to take home.

Tapenade is great  on toasted French bread, slathered on sandwiches, with goat cheese, or stirred into mayonnaise to make a dip for shrimp or vegetables.   Try it on a boned out leg of lamb before rolling and roasting, or put some inside a chicken before it goes into the oven.

Of all the varieties of tapenade I have sampled, my favorite has to be this one made with dried figs.  It has a salty tang from olives, balanced with the mellow sweetness of the figs. Dijon, garlic, and fresh herbs round out the flavor.  Sometimes I sprinkle the top with chopped toasted walnuts just before serving.  I make a big batch and put it in a tightly sealed  container with a slick of olive oil on top.  It keeps well this way in the refrigerator for a month, so I can have it on hand for easy snacks or meals.

Provencal Fig and Olive Tapenade

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

3/4 cup dried figs, stem ends removed

1 cup pitted black or green olives

1 small garlic clove

1 tablespoon rinsed capers

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the figs in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup water.  Cover and bring to a simmer.  Cook until softened, about ten minutes.  Let cool.  Drain the figs, reserving the liquid.

In a food processor, combine the figs, olives, garlic, capers, vinegar, thyme, mustard and black pepper to taste.  Blend until the mixture forms a thick paste.  Thin with some of the reserved fig liquid if necessary.  Refrigerate the tapenade several hours or overnight.

Serve with thin slices of toasted baguette.  Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Some friends came over for a casual dinner on Sunday.  Because the weather was so steamy, I made cold zucchini soup with basil, followed by grilled local swordfish with a fresh corn and tomato salsa, and potato and arugula salad on the side.   I wanted something blueberry for dessert, and decided on a galette.   These rustic, free form tarts have the perfect balance of crust and filling.  And I like the fact that they are quick to make.  It’s okay if their shape isn’t perfect —  that is part of their charm!

It has taken me a while to find just the right crust for a galette.  I had tried a number of variations.  One contained cornmeal for crunch, but I thought it was too heavy.  Another had a lot of butter, plus shortening.  It tasted great, but became difficult to handle in a hot kitchen.  I finally came up with this basic one which is easy to make and stays crisp even under the juicy fruit.

Try the galette with other summer fruits.   I don’t think I have to tell you that this tastes great with creme fraiche or sour cream.

BLUEBERRY GALETTE

Serves 6 to 8

Pastry:

1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar plus 1 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1 large egg, separated

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

3 cups blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

1. Make the pastry:  In a food processor or large bowl, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the salt.  Add the butter and pulse or blend with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of water.  Pulse the machine or stir with a fork until the mixture just begins to come together and form a ball.  If it seems dry, add a little more water.  Do not over mix.

2. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disk.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least one hour or up to 3 days.

3. Make the filling:  In a large bowl, toss together the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon and salt.

4. Preheat the oven to 425° F.  Butter a large baking sheet.

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 15-inch circle.  Center the dough on the baking sheet.  Pile the blueberry mixture in the center of the dough leaving a 1-1/2-inch border all around. Dot the filling with the butter.  Pleating it as you go, fold the border of the dough over the filling.

6. Beat the egg white and brush some of it over the dough.  Sprinkle it with the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar.

7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.  Cool the pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Slide the galette onto a serving platter.  Serve warm or at room temperature dusted with confectioner’s sugar.

On Sunday, I stopped at the Shake Shack for an ice cream cone.  The flavor of the day was blueberry and  it was so good that I have been thinking of  it ever since.   I had some blueberries in the refrigerator, plus a half quart of buttermilk, so I thought I would make a buttermilk version of the Shake Shack ice cream.  During the summer, I always keep a container of buttermilk in the fridge.  It makes great corn muffins and cakes, cold soups,  and best of all, a light version of ice cream.  I had used the rest of the container in a delicious cold zucchini soup the other day.

I put some blueberries and sugar into the blender and only then realized I was short about 1/2 cup of buttermilk.  So I added some sour cream to the mix and blended them all together.  The result was light, a little tart, and fresh tasting with gorgeous color and just the right amount of richness from the sour cream.  You can always make it with all buttermilk if you prefer something more like sherbet.

Can’t wait to try this combination with other fruits.  I’m thinking apricots, bananas, peaches…

Blueberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

Makes about 4 cups

2-1/2 cups blueberries

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups lowfat buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

In a blender, combine the blueberries and sugar and blend until the berries are pureed.  Blend in the buttermilk and sour cream.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.  Transfer to a tightly sealed container and freeze at least 1 hour before serving.

The Taste of Chicago, held annually in Grant Park,  is the world’s largest outdoor food festival.  An estimated 3 million visitors attend the 10 day event.  Food is the main attraction, but there is also live music and spectacular fireworks displays.  A portion of the proceeds from the event goes to support food programs for the needy in the Chicago area.   This year, Dominick’s Supermarkets invited me to do a cooking demonstration and book signing.   Charles and I decided to fly out for the long holiday weekend, do some sightseeing, and experience a little bit of Chicago.

When I arrived at Dominick’s Cooking Corner which was located near the magnificent Buckingham Fountain, I found that the event organizers had done a great job and everything was prepped and ready to go.  I demonstrated a favorite summer recipe for Pasta with Sicilian Pesto that I first enjoyed in Trapani a few years ago.  The audience was large and enthusiastic and asked lots of good questions.  I enjoyed meeting everyone.  Afterward, I had a chance to stroll around and explore the fair while sampling some Chicago specialties.  My favorite was the Rainbow Cone, a colorful mound of orange sherbert, and pistachio, chocolate, strawberry and Palmer House ice cream in a fresh waffle cone.  Palmer House ice cream was a new one for me, and turned out to be a luscious blend of vanilla with cherries and walnuts.  I cant believe I ate the whole thing!

Chicago is a restaurant city, and I looked forward to trying some that friends had recommended.  Roberto Caporuscio, the pizzaiolo at Keste’, had told me that Spacca Napoli made a great pie, so that was at the top of my list.  I had a bufalina made with bufala mozzarella and DOP tomatoes.  It had a perfectly charred and blistered crust and the topping was first rate.  Though the restaurant is not exactly central, we had no trouble getting there on the subway.

Tru is one of Chicago’s top restaurants and it was easy to see why.  Though the restaurant is formal, the welcome was warm and gracious.  Charles found a great wine on the list that he claimed was a buy — don’t ask!   The highlight of the meal for me was my main course of braised short ribs topped with unagi (Japanese style eel) in a miso broth.  It was tender and the flavors blended beautifully.  Charles’ suckling pig was delicious, too.  The meat was moist and flavorful while the skin was crackling crisp.

Spiaggia Restaurant has been in the news quite a lot lately since it is a favorite of the Obama’s.  I was excited to hear that the chef, Tony Mantuana, had a new and more casual place at the newly- opened addition to the Art Institute.  Called Terzo Piano, it is located on the third floor of the new building that was designed by the great Italian architect, Renzo Piano.  The design is simple yet dramatic with long windows on two sides overlooking Millennium Park.  Charles and I shared the Recco style foccaccia, two thin layers of crisp and chewy dough sandwiched around a soft melted goat cheese filling.  In Liguria, where this is a specialty at Manuelina, a restaurant in Recco, it is made with prescinseua, a soft, tart cow’s milk cheese that is not available here.  The goat cheese, which was from Indiana, was an ideal substitute.  Then I had a Spring Pea Salad made with fresh peas, pea shoots, and slivers of sheep’s milk cheese with crispy prosciutto.  The chef focusses on local and seasonal ingredients and judging by our lunch, it won’t be long before this restaurant is as popular as his other place.

In between meals, we did lots of walking and sightseeing.  We spent the afternoon in the Art Institute and really enjoyed seeing their dazzling collection of American art.  The architectural cruise on the Chicago River was fascinating, even though it drizzled the whole time.  There’s a lot more to see in Chicago and plenty more to taste.  I look forward to returning.

Here is the recipe I demonstrated at Dominick’s.  It was first published in my book 1,000 Italian Recipes .  Now that tomato season is here, it’s a perfect dish for a hot summer night.

LINGUINE WITH SICILIAN PESTO

A food processor makes quick and easy work of this sauce, but for best texture and flavor, pound the ingredients in a mortar and pestle.

Serves 4

1/2 cup blanched almonds

2 large garlic cloves

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 pound very ripe fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound linguine

1. In a food processor, combine the almonds, garlic, basil and salt and pepper to taste.  Chop the ingredients fine.  Add the tomatoes, cheese and oil and process until smooth.

2. Bring at least 4 quarts of water to boiling.  Add the pasta and salt to taste.  Stir well.  Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender.   Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water.

3. Pour the pasta into a large warm serving bowl.  Add the sauce and toss well.  Add a little of the reserved pasta water if needed.

Copyright 2004 1,000 Italian Recipes by Michele Scicolone

Romanesco Zucchini

Charles and I just returned from 3 weeks on the Amalfi Coast.  Now  I find myself daydreaming about the views of the Mediterranean, the clear bright sunshine, the sunsets over Positano, the wonderful people, and of course, the amazingly simple fresh food, so you can imagine how happy I was to spot a small pile of Romanesco zucchini at the Greenmarket yesterday.  I was so excited, the saleswoman looked at me strangely, but I picked out some nice small ones and brought them home for dinner.  Pale green with deep ridges, these zucchini are not watery like the smooth, dark green zucchini that are typical here and they have a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.  They were in season in Italy, and we ate them in so many ways: fried and marinated with vinegar and mint, tossed with linguine and clams,  in a delicious ciambotta with potatoes and onion, and my favorite way, browned and tossed with pasta, basil and cheese.  You can make this pasta with regular zucchini, but the flavor and texture will be better with the Romanesco.  If you can’t find it, you can use regular zucchini but place the slices on paper towels to dry for an hour or so before using, or sprinkle the slices with salt and let them drain like eggplant.   Better yet, order a package of seeds on line and grow them yourself.  That way you will have lots of zucchini flowers, too, to stuff, or use in risotto, etc.

I like to use pecorino Romano with this pasta, but Parmigiano-Reggiano is good, too.

LINGUINE WITH ZUCCHINI AND BASIL

Serves 2 – 4

1-1/4 pounds small zucchini, preferably Romanesco zucchini

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt

8 ounces linguine

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

Scrub the zucchini with a vegetable brush.  Trim off the ends and cut them into thin crosswise slices.  Pat the slices dry with paper towels.

In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add only enough zucchini slices as will fit comfortably in a single layer.  Fry the

slices until nicely browned on both sides.  Transfer them to a large serving bowl without draining off too much of the oil.  Sprinkle with salt.  Fry the remaining zucchini in the same way sprinkling each batch with salt.  Sprinkle with the basil.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling.  Add the linguine and salt to taste.  Stir well and cook until al dente, firm yet tender to the bite.  Drain the pasta reserving a little of the cooking water.

Add the pasta to the bowl with the zucchini.  Add the cheese and toss well.  Add a spoonful of the pasta cooking water if the pasta seems dry.  Serve hot.