Category — Recipes

When I was in Tuscany researching recipes for my book Italian Holiday Cooking a few years ago, I met a young woman who was a winemaker.  Like everyone else I met on that trip,  I asked her what foods her family prepared for the Christmas holidays, expecting her to name something old and traditional.  Instead, she looked a little embarrassed and said, “We are all so busy, we don’t have the time to do anything special.”  Disappointed, I replied, “But you have to eat something.”  ”Well,” she said, “we’ll make something easy like roast chicken and Seven P Pasta.”

My ears perked up.  ”What does that mean?” I asked, horrified at the thought of  seven green peas in a bowl of pasta.  But it turned out the seven “P’s” stand for the ingredients:  penne, pancetta, porri (leeks), pomodori (tomatoes), peperoncino (hot pepper), panna (cream) and Parmigiano Reggiano.

She told me how she made it and at home I gave it a try.   It was a big hit–just right for the holidays since it is really quick and easy, but it seemed special because of the cream and the leeks.  Since then, I always make sure I have the ingredients in the house during the holidays, ready to make this delicious pasta.  It may not be an old recipe, but it is a new tradition in our house.

Selvapiana Pasta with Seven P’s

Serves 4 to 6

1 medium tender leek

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 ounces sliced pancetta, chopped

1 small dried peperoncino, crumbled, or a pinch of crushed red pepper

2 cups drained canned Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped

Salt

1 pound penne rigati or other short ridged pasta

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Trim the leek and cut it in half lengthwise.  Rise well under cool running water, separating the layers to remove any grit.  Cut crosswise into thin slices.

2. In a nonreactive skillet large enough to hold all of the ingredients including the cooke pasta, combine the oil, pancetta, leek and peperoncino.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and a pinch of salt.  Simmer for 10 minutes more or until thickened.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boiling over high heat.  Add the pasta and salt to taste and cook stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender yet firm to the bite.

5.  Just before the pasta is done stir the cream into the tomato mixture and bring it to a simmer over medium low heat.  Drain the pasta, reserving a small amount of the water.  Pour the pasta into the skillet and toss well, adding a little of the reserved water if it seems too dry.  Add the cheese and toss well.  Serve hot.

Copyright 2001 Italian Holiday Cooking by Michele Scicolone

Seems like everywhere I went in Italy in September I came across a new and different version of Spaghetti Carbonara.  This surprised me since I believe in leaving well enough alone, and a classic Spaghetti Carbonara is just perfect.  Why mess around with it?

The first new version I came across substituted cubes of swordfish instead of guanciale.  It sounded so weird, I had to try it.  What was I thinking?  Of course, the poor swordfish was completely overwhelmed by the pecorino and did not belong on the same plate.   The other versions I came across also found substitutes for the guanciale.  Is there a shortage somewhere of cured pork cheeks?  I don’t get it.

In an Italian cooking magazine, I spotted a version made with zucchini, which probably tastes okay, though maybe a little bland.  In a Roman restaurant, the waiter said the day’s special was a mix of Carbonara with la vignarola, the Roman vegetable stew that contains artichokes, peas, fava beans and onions.  That sounded like it had potential, though I did not order it. Nor did I try another variation that was being served at Michelin-starred Roman restaurant that involved a quail ragu ala Carbonara.   I was still scratching my head about that one back at home when a friend described to me a famous chef’s “diet version” of Spaghetti Carbonara, made with yogurt and bacon bits.

Basta!  That’s enough!   Spaghetti Carbonara is made with just a handful of ingredients:  guanciale (cured pork cheek) or pancetta (or bacon if you can’t find either), olive oil, eggs, pecorino romano, and black pepper.  Notice I did not say cream, which is an Americanizzazione. Some chefs here add it to keep the eggs from curdling, but it really detracts from the flavor.

I don’t think something as rich as Spaghetti Carbonara is something you should eat often, but if you are going to eat it, treat yourself to the real thing.  The rest of the time, you can have a perfectly satisfying but less calorific dish of pasta and vegetables.  And forget the bacon bits.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Romans credit the hard-working charcoal deliveryman as the inspiration for this quickly made pasta. They say the generous grinding of black pepper resembles specks of coal dust!

4 ounces guanciale or pancetta, cut into thick slices

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large eggs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound spaghetti or linguine

3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Cut the pancetta into 1/4-inch pieces. Pour the oil into a skillet large enough to hold all of the cooked pasta. Add the pancetta. Cook over medium heat, until the pancetta is golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

3. Bring at least 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, then the pasta, gently pushing it down until the pasta is completely covered with water. Stir well. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water.

4. Place the cooked pasta in the pan with the pancetta and toss well over medium heat. Add the eggs and a little of the cooking water. Toss gently until the pasta looks creamy. Sprinkle with cheese and more pepper. Toss well and serve immediately.

© 1,000 ITALIAN RECIPES by Michele Scicolone, John Wiley and Sons, 2004

Every year about this time, the market stalls at the  Greenmarket are piled high with sweet, burgundy red beets.  I lug home big bunches, roast them either in the slow cooker or in the oven, then toss them with vinaigrette, slice  them for composed salads, or saute them to make this gorgeous pasta.

Don’t let the way it looks scare you off.  Though it has no tomatoes, no cheese, no meat, or cream, it is full of flavor, really easy, and quite dazzling to behold.  I first came across it in a little beachside town in Emilia Romagna.  We had stopped at a busy trattoria for dinner.  All around me families were gobbling up bowls of pasta and piles of fried seafood.  Just then, a waiter dashed by with big steaming bowls of bright pink-red pasta.  When I finally flagged him down, I asked what it was.  With a laugh he replied, “Spaghetti with Rubies, Signora!”  Of course I ordered it and though it seemed so simple, it was unlike any other pasta I had tried.   I couldn’t get the recipe, but when I went home, I tried to figure out how to make it.   First, I tried boiling the pasta and beets in the same water but that didn’t do it.  Then I considered making fresh pasta from scratch with pureed beets.  But the one thing I was certain of was that the recipe was made with beets and boxed dried pasta.

Finally I came up with this recipe, a simple variation on Spaghetti Aglio Olio.  You can roast the beets a day or two ahead of time, then quickly saute the beets while the pasta is cooking.  The secret is the pasta cooking water.  When the pasta is ready, grab a cup and scoop out some water.  Drain the pasta and toss it in the pan with the beets and some of the hot, salty water.  Toss, toss, toss until the pasta is pink and just al dente.

I made it the other night for friends, followed by grilled swordfish steaks topped with a chopped fresh tomato and basil salsa and arugula sprouts.  It was a perfect end-of-summer meal.

SPAGHETTI WITH RUBIES

(Adapted from A Fresh Taste of Italy, by Michele Scicolone)

Serves 6

2 bunches of fresh beets (8 medium beets, about 2 pounds), tops and tails trimmed

1/3 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Coarse salt to taste

1 pound spaghetti or linguine

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Divide the beets between two sheets of foil.  Wrap the beets in the foil and place them on a baking sheet.  Roast for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a knife.

To prepare them in a slow cooker, place the trimmed beets in the cooker on high heat.  Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the beets are tender.

Let cool, then slip off the skins.  Chop coarsely.

In a skillet large enough to hold all of the pasta, combine the oil, garlic and red pepper.  Cook over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute.  Add the beets and salt to taste.  Turn them in the oil until just heated through.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling.  Add the pasta and salt to taste.  Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is almost tender.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Pour the pasta into the pan with the beets.  Add some of the pasta cooking water and toss well over medium heat, stirring constantly until the pasta is evenly colored, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Some time ago, a food writer friend who is also a restaurant critic came for dinner.  It was winter and I had prepared a hearty meal including cauliflower gratineed with browned butter and Parmigiano- Reggiano.   As soon as he arrived, my friend went straight to the kitchen to check out what I was cooking.  He oohed and ahed over the homemade cavatelli, and practically drooled at the sight of the fennel dusted roast pork and ribs sizzling in the oven.  But the cauliflower stopped him in his tracks.  ”I hate cauliflower”, he announced with a long face.  I must admit, that stopped me in my tracks!   I happen to love cauliflower in all its forms, so it never occured to me that anybody might not.  How could anyone not like cauliflower, I said.  But he had had a traumatic encounter with it when he was a kid and wouldn’t even consider trying my version.

I’ll be honest, I don’t have much patience with picky eaters.  I’m not talking about people who can’t eat something for whatever reason (and I really appreciate it if they let me know BEFORE they come for dinner).  But why single out a great vegetable like cauliflower to avoid?  Think of all the things you can make with it:  toss it with whole wheat orecchiette and bacon (the recipe is in my book Fresh Taste of Italy), braise it with black olives and garlic (1,000 Italian Recipes), or coat it with eggs, cheese and breadcrumbs and fry it until crisp (The Antipasto Table).  I also find that it is one of the best vegetables to cook in a slow cooker.   And do I need to tell you how full of anti-oxidants it is, and how low cal?  That’s why I formed the Cauliflower Defense League, whose sole purpose is to encourage the enjoyment of more cauliflower.

Take for example the creamy cauliflower soup I made this week in my slow cooker.  It was incredibly simple and so good.  I had a little jar of golden-hued wild whitefish caviar in the refrigerator, so I decided to garnish the soup the way the way I had had it in Paris last year, with a spoonful of caviar in the center and a sprinkle of chopped chives.   I loved the way the sweet, creamy soup contrasted with the salty cool caviar.   If you don’t want to go for the caviar, serve the soup with crumbled blue cheese, or grated Parmigiano, or leave it plain and enjoy it as is.

I hope you will do yourself a favor and join my Cauliflower Defense League.  Our slogan is Eat Cauliflower and Enjoy!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Caviar

Serves 6

1 large cauliflower, about 2-1/2 pounds, trimmed

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

Caviar and fresh chives (optional)

Cut the cauliflower into 1-inch pieces and discard the tough stems.  Place the caulflower in a large slow cooker with the onion and chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste. If necessary add a little water to just cover the cauliflower.

Cover and cook on low 5 hours or until the cauliflower is very soft.  Transfer the cauliflower to a blender and puree until smooth.  Taste for seasoning.  Add the heavy cream.  Serve hot, plain or garnished with caviar.

Candied orange zest and citron?  Check.  Orange flower water? Check.  Skinless wheat berries?  Check.  I’ve even got a fresh package of ground cinnamon, a bag of sugar and another of flour.

Easter is just a few days away, so it is time to start getting ready for holiday baking.    As we have done in the past, my niece Amy and I will get together to make La Pastiera, or as my mom called it, Pizza Gran.  For the second time Christine, my nephew’s girlfriend, will join us, too, and we will have a lot of fun baking, eating, laughing, and catching up on the latest family goings on.  Here is a photo of one of last year’s pies.

All I have left to buy are the fresh ingredients including the eggs, ricotta and oranges.  The recipe we use is the one my mother taught me, that she learned from my father’s mother who came from Procida, an island off the coast of Naples.  I had to cut it down somewhat from the original which my grandmother baked in a pan 15 inches wide by 6 inches deep (I still have it), but I know I got it right because it takes just like the pastiera I have eaten in Naples.  The good ones, that is!

I published the recipe on this blog last year, but here it is again.  You can also find it in my book 1,000 Italian Recipes.  If you do make it, send me a photo, I would love to see it.  Buona Pasqua!

LA PASTIERA

Easter Wheat Cheesecake

Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons orange-flower water

Filling

4 ounces hulled wheat (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 pound (2 cups) whole or part-skim ricotta

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons orange-flower water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup very finely chopped candied citron

1/2 cup very finely chopped candied orange peel

Confectioner’s sugar

1. Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, and salt.

2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and yolks and beat until smooth. Beat in the orange-flower water. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended, about 1 minute more.

3. Shape one-quarter of the dough into a disk. Make a second disk with the remaining dough. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour up to overnight.

4. Prepare the filling: Place the wheat in a large bowl, add cold water to cover, and let soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the wheat.

5. Place the soaked wheat in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Add the salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wheat is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl. Stir in the butter and orange zest. Let cool.

6. Place the rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350[dg]F. Grease and flour a 9 [ts] 3[nd]inch springform pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, sugar, orange-flower water, and cinnamon. Beat until blended. Stir in the wheat mixture, citron, and candied orange peel.

7. Roll out the larger piece of dough to a 16-inch circle. Drape the dough over the rolling pin. Using the pin to lift it, fit the dough into the pan, flattening out any wrinkles against the inside of the pan. Scrape the filling onto the dough and smooth the top.

8. Roll out the smaller piece of dough to a 10-inch circle. With a fluted pastry cutter, cut the dough into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Lay the strips across the filling in a lattice pattern. Press the ends of the strips against the dough on the sides of the pan. Trim the dough, leaving 1/2 inch of excess all around the rim, and fold the edge of the crust over the ends of the lattice strips. Press firmly to seal.

9. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack 15 minutes. Remove the rim of the pan and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. Just before serving, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Store covered with an inverted bowl in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

The Italian Slow Cooker Chocolate Truffle Cake

It’s Valentine’s Day and here’s a perfect cake to make.  It goes together quickly and needs just 6 ingredients.  It “bakes” in the steamy warmth of the slow cooker, so it comes out tender, moist and creamy.  You will need a large capacity slow cooker and a 7-inch spring form pan, or a 6 cup baking dish.  I got my pan at the Browadway Panhandler, but many cookware stores carry them.  Whatever you use, be sure it fits in the cooker before you begin.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

A deep, rich chocolate cake is the perfect dessert for any special occasion.  I like to serve this one with lightly whipped cream or softened ice cream.

Serves 6 to 8

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons rum or strong coffee

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish

Butter a 6-cup baking dish or a 7-inch springform pan.  Line the bottom of the pan with foil or parchment and butter the paper.

Break up the chocolate into a heatproof bowl.  Add the butter.  Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water.  The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.  When the chocolate is softened, remove the bowl from the heat, and stir until blended and smooth.  Stir in the rum.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until light and pale yellow.  Stir the egg mixture into the chocolate.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Place the pan in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until set.

Remove the pan from the slow cooker.  Cover and chill several hours or overnight.  To serve, run a small knife around the edge of the cake.  Invert it onto a serving plate.  Place the cocoa powder in a small strainer and sprinkle it over the cake.