Author: Michele Carbone Page 6 of 9

Last August, when I was visiting family friends in Cellara, a small village in the Sila mountains where my family is from, my host brought out a basket of freshly-picked Porcini mushrooms.

Fresh Porcini Mushrooms

We cooked them together and they were wonderful.

Michele Carbone and Armando cook fresh Porcini mushrooms

While the dried Italian porcini mush
rooms are not as good as those freshly picked and eaten in the mountains of Calabria, they are still wonderful. You may find them in the gourmet sections of your market. Be careful: there are lots of “fake Italian porcini” for sale. If the box says “packed in Italy”, and does not specify from where the porcini are from, it means they were imported in Italy from Yugoslavia or other country and packed in Italy to sell them at higher price by fooling you into thinking those are the Italian porcini.

If you cannot find the “Italian funghi porcini”, you can try this recipe with the Yugoslavia porcini or other mixed dried mushrooms—but the flavor will not be quite the same

Risotto is a classic Northern Italian preparation for their famous Arborio and Carnaroli rice products. I prefer the Carnaroli risotto rice if you can find it, because it is a little starchier than Arborio; it’s less likely to get mushy if you overcook it. Usually you need to look for the risotto rices in the gourmet sections of the market, although Amazon.com also has a variety of Italian rices available

So here is how you make risotto

Now for many years I thought I made the best risotto with porcini, until I ate it at “Papa` Giovanni” a restaurant in Roma near the Senate (strongly recommend you eat there!). I called the host, Daniela, and told her: your risotto is better than mine. How do you make it? She told me she uses olive oil instead of butter, garlic rather than onion—I was surprised, to say the least. I tried and it worked great, so I modified the recipe. Here it is:

Ingredients for 5-7 people – depending on how much you eat!

About 50 grams dried funghi porcini (Porcini mushrooms)
1⁄3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup white wine
1 handful of minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
1-2 spicy Calabria pepper, or a Thai, or Hawaiian pepper or other
Salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
1 TB butter
3 ½ cups of risotto, Carnaroli preferred (1 box of 450 grams)
About 1.5 liters homemade chicken broth (or vegetable if you do not have chicken broth), brought to a low boil in a medium sized saucepan (this is incorporated in the risotto)

Preparation

In a small bowl –enough to submerge the mushrooms, soak the dried funghi porcini in chicken broth water for about 30 minutes.
Heat the chicken broth to a low boil (I do not recommend vegetable broth) in a pot. Keep the broth on a low boil or simmer throughout the recipe; the broth is incorporated into the rice one cup at a time, and it must be very hot when it is added.
In a large heavy pan, add 1⁄3 cup olive oil, and 2 cloves of smashed garlic and sauté it gently until the garlic takes on a golden color.
1. While the garlic is being sautéed, squeeze the water/broth from the mushrooms that have been soaking and chop them. Reserve the water/broth so that you can incorporate it into the risotto later.
Discard the garlic and add the finely-chopped parsley and spicy pepper (chopped very fine). Allow the flavors to combine for 30 seconds on low heat. Reserve a little bit of the chopped parsley for a garnish when you serve the risotto.
Add the risotto, bringing the heat to medium. Toast the risotto in the pan for 2 minutes, stirring so that each grain of rice is coated in the oil. The grains of rice should begin to cook—you’ll see kind of a white dot in the center of each grain, indicating that it’s read for the next step. If you do not see it, well, do not worry about the dot, after 2 minutes it is ready!
Add the chopped dried mushrooms and stir with the risotto for 1 minute or so.
Add 1 cup of white wine, and continue to stir until the wine has been incorporated (30 seconds)
Now start adding the heated broth, using a scoop or ladle to add it to the pan with the rice, 1 cup at a time. Keep stirring the risotto as it incorporates the broth. You stir to make sure that each grain of rice is exposed to the broth and heat as it cooks. I also re-heat the reserved water/broth from the soaked porcini and add that liquid to the pan as well, since it provides more of the mushroom flavor to the risotto.
Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, until the risotto is ready. This usually takes about 20 – 25 minutes. The risotto should be slightly firm – you don’t want it to get mushy. remember that it will continue to cook for a little bit after you turn the fire off, so turn off the heat 2 minutes before you think the risotto is ready.
When the heat is off, the risotto is ready. Stir in the optional butter and about ½ cup of the grated Parmigiano. If you have truffle butter, use that instead of regular butter– it adds a delicious, savory aroma that infuses the risotto.
Sprinkle with the reserved chopped parsley. Put the rest of the grated Parmigiano in a small bowl so that you can serve at the table, allowing your guests to add more to their risotto if they like. (Americans tend to use more Parmigiano on their pastas and risottos than Italians)

Wines: Barbaresco or Barolo, (10+ years old or older opened at least 12 hours earlier), or if you find it, try this one that I had the other day and that is outstanding Langhe Nebbiolo Cascina Luisin 2014, same grape as the other (Nebbiolo) but much less expensive, and opening it 1 hour in advance will do it.

Italiano: Risotto con Funghi Porcini

Il risotto ai porcini richiede brodo di pollo fatto in casa –pure quello vegetale va bene se non avete quello di pollo, porcini veri, tanto amore e poco o niente burro.

Soffriggere aglio in olio (80 ml di olio) rimuovere aglio aggiungere prezzemolo e peperoncino, 30 secondi, aggiungere riso -450 grammi per 4 – 7 persone- cuocere a fuoco medio/alto 2 minuti, aggiungere i porcini freschi, oppure se secchi rinvenuti per 10 minuti almeno o di più in un po’ di brodo e poi strizzati.
Fuoco forte 1 minuto.
Aggiungere 1 bicchiere di vino bianco, fuoco forte, 1 minuto massimo, poi il resto dell’acqua in cui avere rinvenuto i porcini –sarà 1 cup, cioe` circa 236 ml—e poi abbassando un po’ il fuoco a medio/alto un po’ per volta brodo di pollo
Spegnere il fuoco 1 – 2 minuti prima che è pronto–il risotto continuerà a cuocere un po’.

Vino ideale, vedi sopra, se possibile Barbaresco di 15-20 anni.

Risotto al Barolo (for 4 to 5 people)

In Dr. Michele Carbone, Risotto

This is a spectacular risotto dish that’s especially good on cold winter nights. There are several different types of Italian rice, but my favorite variety is called Carnaroli because it has a firmer texture and higher starch content, resulting in a creamy flavor. If you cannot find the Carnaroli risotto, use the varietal of Arborio or Vialone nano rice that may be available in your local market.

Risotto Al Barolo

Barolo is a Piedmont wine made from the nebbiolo grape, and this delicious risotto gives you a taste of authentic Piedment flavors. For more information on other recipes from the Piedmont region of Italy, check this website: https://www.tasteatlas.com/risotto-al-barolo

Ingredients

Risotto Carnaroli (Italian). About ½ cup (80 grams) per person. Thus, for 4-5 people, you would use 2 – 3 cups of uncooked Carnaroli rice –depending how hungry they are.
6-8 cups of beef broth
1 bottle of Barbera, Barolo, or Barbaresco wine. Keep in mind that the quality of the wine makes a big difference in this recipe, so make sure you use one of these excellent Italian varietals.
1 red onion medium size, chopped
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
½ to 1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
½ stick of butter (50g)
1 TB olive oil

Preparation

Put the meat broth in another covered pot, and heat it until it is almost boiling. As it starts heating, start the next step.
In your large skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium flame. Add the chopped onion, rosemary, bay leaf and cover. Turn the heat to low and let it cook about12 minutes, until the onion begins to become translucent, but is not brown. Mix every 3 to 4 minutes, making sure that the onions and herbs do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Remove the cover from the skillet. Turn the flame to high, and add the rice. Stir constantly with a wooden spatula for about 3 minutes, making sure that the rice is thoroughly coated with the butter and oil.
Add ½ of a bottle of the Barolo wine, and continue to stir as it incorporates with the rice. As it incoprporates (1-2 minutes) add the other ½ of a bottle of the wine.
Once the wine dries up, lower the heat to medium-high. Add a cup of the very hot beef broth, stirring constantly. As the broth in the pan begins to dry, add more broth, continuing for about 20 to 25 minutes, depending where you are. In my home in Hawaii, it takes about 20 minutes, but from my home at high altitude in the Sierra Nevada, it takes about 25 minutes.

Look, the best way to know when the risotto is ready is to taste it, so taste the rice every 2 to 3 minutes as you near the 20-minute cooking point. Keep in mind that the rice will continue to cook once you’ve turned off the flame, so turn it off about 2 minutes before you judge it to be ready. Otherwise, it will overcook and become Chinese rice –which is good, but it’s another thing!

Add ½ to 1 cup maximum of FRESHLY grated Parmigiano. Butter? “Mantecatura”: add ½ stick of butter at the end that by melting gives a creamy texture. I do not like it, Betti and most people do. You may try truffle butter, gives a nice aroma especially if you do not have real porcini.

Italiano: Risotto al Barolo

Ingredienti

Circa 1 litro di brodo di carne (vedi ricetta nei brodi)
1 bottiglia di Barbera, Barolo, Barbaresco, pure il Cirò ci sta bene
1 cipolla rossa a pezzettini
2-3 rametti di rosmarino
2 foglie di lauro
Parmigiano grattato ½ cup, massimo 1 cup.
Mezzo bastoncino (50g) di burro e 1 cucchiaio di olio d’oliva buono
Risotto Carnaroli, circa 80-100 grammi a testa dipende da quanto appetito avete.

Preparazione: Risotto al Barolo/Barbera/ Barbaresco, etc.

Usa una buona casseruola di Ghisa (io uso Staub o Le Creuset), oppure una pentola di rame.

Sciogliere il burro, aggiungere cipolla, lauro e rosmarino, cuocere a fuoco basso 12 minuti coperto. La cipolla deve cominciare a diventare translucida ma non deve diventare marrone. Rimestare ogni 3 minuti circa.
Alzare il fuoco al massimo aggiungere il riso, mischiare costantemente per 3 minuti.
Aggiungere ½ bottiglia di vino, fare incorporare; aggiungere il resto del vino, fare incorporare.
Continuare aggiungendo mestoli di brodo di carne. Sarà pronto in 20-25 minuti, dipende se siete al mare o in montagna. Spegnere 2 minuti prima, perché il riso continua a cuocere anche dopo che avete spento e vi si stracuoce.
Aggiungete circa 60 o 120 grammi di Parmigiano grattugiato al momento, mischiare e buon appetito.

Spaghetti or Linguine made with Calamari and black squid ink

This is a very easy recipe that takes no time to make, and it is lovely. But be prepared – the ink will turn your lips black while you eat it! There are 2 variants, a Calabrian/Sicilian one –with Tomato- and the one from Venezia, no tomato.

Calabrian/Sicilian variant:

Ingredients

1 box of spaghetti (500 grams) serves 5 people, preferably the black ink spaghetti (Eataly and other purveyors of Italian foods have it), but you can use regular spaghetti or linguine as well.
1 pound of squid: use both the rings and tentacles
Olive oil
2 sacs of black squid or 1-2 tablespoons of frozen black squid (ask your fish market to get it for you if you do not know how to open a squid to get it)
1 red onion (best is a sweet onion, such as a Maui or Vidalia or Tropea onion ), diced
1 box of Pomì or other chopped tomatoes (500 grams)
½ bunch of fresh Italian parsley, minced

Preparation

Put water in a large pasta pot. While the water comes to a boil, start preparing the sauce.
Cut the tubes of the squid transversally. There’s no need to cut the tentacles unless they are very big.
In a large skillet, cook the raw cut squid tentacle and tubes on high heat for just 2-3 minutes. This will cause the squid to release a pink-tinged water. Drain the water, reserving the squid in the same bowl, and put the skillet back onto the stove.
Add ½ cup extra virgin olive oil and the chopped onion to the skillet –which contains the squid. Cook on medium-high heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes, cover, and reduce the heat to low/medium. Allow to cook with the cover in place for about 15 minutes.
Add the two spoons of black squid ink to the skillet, along with ¹⁄₃ of a cup of the boiling pasta water. Mix well. The sauce should become black – if it isn’t black, add a little more of the ink to the skillet.
If you like the sauce to be spicy, add a minced Italian or Thai hot pepper to the skillet.
Add salt as needed. Let it cook, uncovered, for 3 more minutes or so on low heat.
Just before the spaghetti is fully cooked –very al dente – remove about a cup of the boiling water and set it aside.
Drain the pasta, and add it directly to the skillet with the black sauce. Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water as needed, as you mix the spaghetti in the sauce.
Add a handful of minced parsley and serve.
Buon Appetito!

Italiano: Spaghetti al nero di seppia

Ricetta facile facile. Comiciamo dalla variante Calabro/Sicula con il pomodoro:

Ingredienti

Vi servono 2 sacchetti di nero di seppia, se non sapete prenderli direttamente dalla seppia senza romperli fateveli prendere dal pescivendolo. Potete anche usare il nero di seppia surgelato, due cucchiai.

1 scatola di spaghetti (500 grammi) per 4-5 persone, preferibilmente gli spaghetti al nero (ce l’hanno Eataly e altri fornitori di cibi italiani), ma puoi anche usare spaghetti o linguine normali.
0,5 kg di seppie: utilizzare sia corpo tagliato ad anelli che i tentacoli
125 ml Olio d’oliva extravergine
2 sacche di nero di sepia o 1-2 TB di nero congelato (chiedi al tuo mercato del pesce di prenderlo per te se non sai come aprire un calamaro per ottenerlo)
1 cipolla rossa (la migliore è una cipolla dolce, come una Vidalia o una Tropea), a dadini
500 grammi di Pomì o altra polpa di pomodoro
½ mazzetto di prezzemolo fresco italiano, tritato
Circa mezzo kilo di seppia per 4-5 persone. Tagliare i tubi trasversalmente per fare delle rondelle. Non c’è bisogno di tagliare i tentacoli ma se troppo lunghi tagliate pure quelli.

Preparazione

Mettete le seppie tagliate in una padella ampia, fuoco forte circa 3 minuti, rilasceranno un liquido rosa, buttatelo, aggiungete l’ olio d’oliva e 1 cipolla dolce (meglio di Tropea) tagliata pezzetti.
Fate cuocere fuoco medio alto finchè la cipolla è translucida. Aggiungere 500 g di Pomì o altri pelati coprire, fuoco medio basso 15 minuti. Aggiungere il nero di seppia e un po’ — 80 ml di acqua in cui state cucinando la pasta, mischiare bene fate andare scoperto circa 3 minuti.
Scolate la pasta ma conservate un po’ d’acqua di cottura, mettete la pasta nella pentola col nero e rimestate un paio di minuti aggiungendo ½ mazzetto di prezzemolo tritato e un po’ d’acqua se necessario per diluire il nero meglio.
Buon Appetito!

Spaghetti with Veal Shank (Spaghetti allo stinco)

In Dr. Michele Carbone, Pasta Dishes

Spaghetti allo stinco (Spaghetti with a sauce made of Veal Shank)

It is not always easy to find veal shanks. You may need to order them in advance from your butcher. This is one of my preferred new dishes—new because I put it together a few weeks ago. By the way, I tried also with celery and carrots, but this makes it too sweet, so no celery or carrots. And this dish is also good to it as is with some bread and no pasta.

You can prepare the shank one or more days in advance.

Ingredients for 4 people

1 box spaghetti
2 veal shanks with meat attached to them (about 300 grams/shank)
½ cup olive oil
1 cup basic tomato sauce (see recipe, p. 37)—or Pomì or other tomatoes, chopped
1 sweet onion medium size, or red onion, chopped
1 TB. of marjoram, minced
4 anchovy filets
1 handful of dry porcini mushrooms
½ cup red wine
100 g of Pecorino Romano cheese grated at the last minute

Preparation

Shank: use a very good pot for which you have a cover that closes perfectly (I use a “Staub” or “Le Creuset”). The pan has to be small, just big enough for the two shanks to fit.

Put olive oil in the pot, heat up on medium-high, then add the shanks, add salt and black pepper, and braise on each side of the shank so it gets a nice brown color all over around. About 20 min.

Add the onion, marjoram, anchovies, and the mushrooms, lower heat to medium, let the ingredients cook for 5about minutes until the onions become translucent.

Add tomatoes and wine and basil 3 – 4 leaves, lower heat to low/simmer (depending on the power of your stove), cover and let it cook 2 hours or more, until the meat falls of the bone. (After 1 hour or so turn the shanks around). Turn off the heat and let it rest. Now it is ready for the pasta: you can use it right away or wait until next day or two—in which case, after it cools off put in the fridge.
Boil pasta in water, drain al dente, using the same pot in which you cooked the pasta, which is still hot, mix with the veal shanks, use everything that is in the pot, including the bones, add pecorino cheese, mix 2-3 minutes, and Buon appetito!

Italiano: Spaghetti allo stinco

Ingredienti per 4 persone

1 scatola di spaghetti (500 grammi)
2 stinchi di vitello con carne attaccata (circa 300 grammi / stinco)
120 ml di tazza di olio d’oliva
250 ml di passata di pomodoro (vedi ricetta) —o Pomì o altri pomodori a pezzetti
1 cipolla dolce o rossa di media grandezza, tritata
1 cucchiaio di maggiorana tritata
4 filetti di acciuga
1 manciata di funghi porcini secchi
120 ml di vino rosso

Preparazione

2 Stinchi di vitello con attaccati almeno 300 grammi di carne ciascuno. Scegliere una pentola piccola in cui ci stanno tutti e due stretti stretti. Aggiungere 120 ml olio d’oliva, sale e pepe nero fuoco forte e fate cucinare lo stinco per circa 20 minuti –girando ogni 5 minuti, finché non ha un bel colorito marrone scuro su tutti i lati.

Aggiungere la cipolla tritata, 1 cucchiaio di maggiorana in polvere, 4 filetti di alici, un pugno di porcini secchi, a pezzettini. Abbassare il fuoco.

Appena la cipolla appassisce circa 5 minuti o più, dipende dalla forza della fiamma, aggiungere 250 ml di Conserva di pomodoro, o Pomì “chopped”, o pomodori pachini passati al frullatore, e mezzo bicchiere di Chianti o altro vino rosso buono, 4-5 foglie di basilico, coprire con coperchio a perfetta tenuta, abbassare il fuoco al minimo e fate andare per circa un’ora.

Girate gli stinchi, coprite di nuovo e cuocete—sempre coperto e fuoco al minimo- per circa un’altra ora: Quando la carne cade dall’osso con la semplice pressione di un cucchiaio di legno è pronto. Potete lasciare a riposare fino al giorno dopo o più (dopo 24 ore va in frigo).

Quando siete pronti a gustarlo, bollite gli spaghetti e conditeli con lo stinco, incluso sugo carne e ossa, rigirandoli 2 minuti in padella, spegnete il fuoco e aggiungete Pecorino Romano grattugiato fresco.

Buon Appetito!

An Italian classic: Spaghetti aglio e olio (Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil)

In Dr. Michele Carbone, Pasta Dishes

A plate of spaghetti aglio e oglio (garlic and olive oil)

This is the simplest recipe for a great pasta, and we Romans often have this pasta as a midnight snack after coming home from dancing. It’s also known as “pasta del cornuto,” because traditionally it was the wife who would cook the pasta for the husband who was working many hours to prepare delicious dishes. But if the wife had an affair and thus had no time to cook before the husband came home, she could rush home to cook and prepare something in five minutes. So, when you are in a hurry, this is the pasta to prepare.

The most basic version of the recipe involves only a few ingredients: spaghetti, olive oil, garlic, and fresh chopped parsley. A variation on the recipe includes adding anchovies and a few pear tomatoes into the mix.

Ingredients for 4 people

Ingredients for spaghetti aglio e oglio

300 grams of spaghetti
1 cup olive oil of the best quality
2 smashed cloves of garlic
½ cup chopped parsley
4 Calabrian, hot peppers, minced (or other peppers)
For my variation on the recipe:
- 24-32 filets of anchovies, minced (depends how big they are, if you look at the photo on the right, those are big anchovies, so I used 12 anchovies = 24 filets.
- 12 “pear” or cherry tomatoes, yellow and red, cut in half

Preparation

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the spaghetti. You will cook it for about 1 – 2 minutes less than the cook time for the pasta you’ve selected.
In the meantime, in a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic cloves. As soon as the garlic is golden, remove it with a fork or a slotted spoon.
Bring the heat to high and add the minced Calabrian peppers, 2 spoons of minced parsley, and the minced anchovies.
1. Wait for a minute for the anchovies to melt, and then turn the heat to medium and add the pear tomatoes.
2. Cook on medium heat until the pear tomatoes become soft, about 5 minutes.
In the meantime cook the pasta until about 2 minutes before the recommended cooking time. Drain the pasta and then pour the pasta back into the same pot (which should still be hot), and then put back on the stove on a low-to-medium heat. Add the aglio e oglio sauce and mix well with the spaghetti, allowing it to cook together 2 more minutes stirring constantly. Turn fire off.
Just before serving, add 1 more TB of minced fresh parsley, mix well and and plate the pasta.
Please do not add anything else – especially no cheese!!!.
Buon appetito!

Italiano: Spaghetti aglio e olio

Ingredienti per 2 – 4 persone, dipende dall’appetito.

300 grammi di spaghetti
225 ml di olio d’oliva della migliore qualità (1 cup)
2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
Un pugno di prezzemolo tritato
4 peperoncini calabresi (più profumati) o altro tipo, tritato
Per la mia variazione sulla ricetta:
- Circa 12-16 alici de-lisciate e tritate (il numero dipende da quanto sono grandi)
- 12 pomodorini a “pera” gialli e rossi, tagliati di lungo a metà

Preparazione

Soffriggere nell’olio 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati, rimuoverli appena prendono colore aggiungere peperoncini piccanti tritati, 1 pugno di prezzemolo tritato e alici.
Dopo un minute (minuto) aggiungere 12 pomodorini piccolo (piccoli), quelli a pera, oppure 8 San Marzano, tagliati a metà.
Abbassare il fuoco a medio, appena diventano soffici, circa 5 minuti spegnere il fuoco.
Quando la pasta è pronta mischiare bene in padella 2 minuti a fuoco medio, poi per bellezza spolverare con prezzemolo triato (tritato) fresco e servire.
Buon appetito!

Summer Recipe: Spaghetti with ricotta and zucchini

Sauteed zucchini draining on paper towels

Out of the many recipes of pasta with ricotta, this is in my opinion the best. I modified from a book called Pasta Fresca, written in 1988 by Viana Kleiman. Of note, I could not make this recipe for 20 or so years because there was no good ricotta in the USA. Fortunately this has changed, and now Bellwether Farms in California makes a ricotta as good as the one I eat in my house in Calabria. Whole Foods and other specialty markets carry Bellwether’s ricotta, or you can order it directly from them.

Ingredients for 4 – 6 people

1 box spaghetti (450 g) or fettucine or linguine or capellini (Angel hair)
½ cup virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, smashed
4 to 6 medium size zucchini (1 per person), cut in ½ cm round coins
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 box of Bellwether Farms Whole Cow’s Milk ricotta (340 g)
1 bunch of basil, chopped
1⁄3 cup of the boiling water in which you cooked the pasta

Preparation

Boil water in a large pot and add spaghetti.
While the water is coming to a boil, combine the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, and rosemary in a large skillet. Bring the heat to medium-high, remove the garlic as it becomes gold.
Note that the heat is somewhat dependent on your stove: for example, on a “professional” gas stove, you might use “medium high” and small family type stove, you might use “high” heat. The heat needs to be intense enough to brown the zucchini.
When oil is hot—hot, but NOT smoking, do not let it smoke, it means the heat is too high—add the zucchini and cook until golden brown on each side (remember to turn them!).
Remove the sautéed zucchini from the skillet and place on absorbent paper towel to drain the oil. Keep the skillet ready with the olive oil and rosemary sprig.
By this time the pasta should be almost ready. Taste it to be sure it is a little bit hard “al dente.” Scoop out 1 cup of the boiling pasta water and reserve.
Quickly drain the pasta and transfer it in the large skillet —fire off—which contains the remaining olive oil and rosemary. Now you must move very fast: mix well, add the ricotta and a little bit of water to make the ricotta smooth, but not liquid –you can always add more water but you cannot take it out, so add a little bit at the time; you will need about ¹⁄₃ of a cup.
Add the basil and zucchini to the skillet and mix it well.
Buon appetito!

Suggested Wine Pairing

A cold Arneis or Vermentino from Sardinia, or, ideally, if you can find it, a sparkling white from Librandi called “Labella.”

Italiano: Pasta con ricotta e zucchine per 4-6 persone

Tra le tante ricette di pasta con la ricotta questa è secondo me la migliore. Ho modificato leggermente da un libro intitolato Pasta Fresca, scritto nel 1988 da Viana Kleiman. Non ho potuto fare questa ricetta per circa 20 anni perché negli USA non c’era una buona ricotta. Per fortuna le cose sono cambiate, e ora Bellwether Farms in California fa una ricotta buona come quella che mangio a casa mia in Calabria. Whole Foods e altri vendono la ricotta di Bellwether, oppure potete ordinarla direttamente da loro.

Ingredienti

1 pacco di spaghetti e 350 g di ricotta fresca di ottima qualità (preferisco per questa ricetta la ricotta integrale di latte di vacca, ma ci può usare pure ricotta di pecora).
1 zucchina media a persona tagliata a rondelle di mezzo cm
1.2 cup (circa 125 ml) olio d’oliva
1 spicchio d’aglio schiacciato e un rametto di rosmarino
Un mazzo di basilico spezzettato con le mani.

Preparazione

Mettere acqua a bollire, aggiungere sale e pasta.
Soffriggere le zucchine con aglio –che toglierete appena s’indora) e rosmarino in olio di oliva in una padella grande, finchè dorate da entrambe le parti. Spegnere il fuoco e mettere le zucchine su carta assorbente.
Appena la pasta è al dente, prendere una tazza d’acqua, poi scolare la pasta e metterla nella padella con l’olio che è rimasto dalla frittura (fuoco spento). Rapidamente: mischiare bene, aggiungere la ricotta e un po’acqua della pasta, quel tanto che pasta a rendere la ricotta ‘vellutata, cremosa, ma NON liquida.
Aggiungere basilico e zucchine e servire con up po’ di pepe nero.
Buon appetito!

Vino: Librandi Labella freddo (ideale), oppure se non lo trovate, un Arneis o un Vermentino un po’ frizzante.

Spaghetti alle Cozze (for 4 People!)

In Fish, Pasta Dishes

A beautiful presentation of risotto with mussels, with a parsley garnish. Photo by our friend Diana Bahrend.

This recipe features fresh mussels as the basis. You can either serve the mussels in their juices with fresh bread, or you can use the mussels in their juices as a pasta sauce for spaghetti. See my recipe for Peppered Mussels.

Ingredients

About 3 pounds of mussels (or 1.5 kg of cozze) – Make sure the mussels are fresh and healthy by checking to see if their shells are close to slightly opened before purchasing. Keep them in a pot in the fridge. (See the recipe for Peppered Mussels, page 123).
400 grams spaghetti
½ cup of excellent extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of Italian parsley (flat-leaf parsley) – finely minced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed into large chunks
1 glass of good white wine, of course I use Italian wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Suggested Wine Pairing

Serve with a white wine such as an “Arneis” no more than a year old. If you prefer, you can serve it with a more crisp and less fruity wine like a Gavi, also just a year old.

Italiano: Spaghetti alle Cozze

Ingredienti

Circa 1,5 kg di cozze – Assicurati che le cozze siano fresche e sane controllando che i loro gusci siano chiusi o solo leggermente aperti prima dell’acquisto. Tieni le cozze in frigo.
½ cup -120 ml circa, di olio d’oliva extra vergine
1 mazzetto di prezzemolo italiano (prezzemolo a foglia piatta) – tritato finemente
3 spicchi d’aglio, pelati e schiacciati
1 bicchiere ml di vino bianco buono
Sale e pepe a piacere

Nota

Le cozze possono essere conservate in frigorifero in una pentola coperta con un panno umido per circa 1-2 giorni, ma rimuovete eventuali buste di plastica intorno a loro in modo che possano respirare. Pulite le cozze, se necessario, utilizzando un coltello e il pollice per rimuovere il filo.

Preparazione

Cucina le cozze exactamente come le prepari per la pepata di cozze (pagina 120), fai bollire l’acqua e aggiungi 1 scatola di spaghetti.
Con una schiumarola grande trasferite le cozze in una ciotola capiente (metteteci sopra un canovaccio per tenere in caldo le cozze), lasciando solo la salsa creata dalla cottura delle cozze.
Circa 2 minuti prima che gli spaghetti siano completamente cotti, scolate la pasta in uno scolapasta, quindi aggiungetela nella padella contenente il sugo di cozze. Alzate la fiamma mescolando bene la salsa con gli spaghetti. Mescolate delicatamente per circa 3 minuti o fino a quando la pasta è cotta al dente (ma per favore non cuocetela troppo!).
Spegnere il fuoco e mettere da parte le cozze cotte. Mescolare bene con la pasta, aggiungere un po’ di prezzemolo tritato e pepe nero e servire subito.
Buon appetito!

Abbinamento Vini Consigliato: Servire con un vino bianco tipo “Arneis” di non più di un anno. Se preferite, potete servirlo con un vino più fresco e meno fruttato come un Gavi, anche di appena un anno.

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Carlos Ko enjoys a plate of Michele’s cacio e pepe after a table tennis match at our home.

This is a very simple pasta, but it’s difficult to make. That said, it’s probably one of the best pastas you can eat.

It is sad that in many restaurants, it is often messed up terribly.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

¾ of a box of spaghetti (a box of spaghetti serves 5 people so adjust accordingly)
¹_/2 lb. Pecorino Romano
¹_⁄₂ cup olive oil
Leaves from 1 small bunch of basil (optional)
Large pinch of freshly grated black pepper

Preparation

As the pasta is boiling, grate the Pecorino cheese (best results using a microplane). Do not use pre-grated cheese because it changes the consistency and flavor. This recipe requires Pecorino Romano – no other type of pecorino will work.
Put the grated Pecorino cheese into a medium pasta bowl and set it aside.
About 3 – 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, put the olive oil in a 12-14 inch skillet and warm it up. It should be warm, not hot.
Take a cup of the boiling water from the pot where the pasta is cooking about 5 minutes before the pasta is ready. Put this cup of water in a pot containing cold water, to cool off the pasta water–you need the pasta water because you need the gluten in order to form the cream.
About 3 minutes later, when the pasta water is cooled, add a little bit of the hot pasta water to the cheese, and whisk it with a fork until it becomes smooth, creamy, but not liquid. It should have a thick, smooth consistency, almost like a cream. So add a little bit at a time till you have a thick cream.
Detail of cacio e pepe with spaghetti

See the detail photo to your right to see that there are very small clumps of the Pecorino that coat the spaghetti.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the warm olive oil -heat off. Mix it with a wooden spoon or fork for 30 seconds.
Move the skillet to a cool burner and add the remaining cheese cheese. Mix it well. If it is too thick, add a little more of the water you had reserved. Add black pepper to taste.
If you have fresh basil, add it to the dish, this is my variation, and I really suggest you to try it. Add the pasta to the bowl in which you made the pecorino cream, mix well and add more water as needed to keep it smooth.
Serve immediately.

Italiano: Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Questa è una pasta molto semplice, ed è probabilmente una delle migliori paste che puoi. mangiare. È triste che in molti ristoranti sia spesso terribilmente incasinato.

Ingredienti (per 4 persone)

¾ di una scatola di spaghetti (una scatola di spaghetti serve 5 persone quindi aggiusta di conseguenza)
Circa 225 grammi di pecorino romano
Circa 120 ml di olio d’oliva
Foglie di 1 mazzetto di basilico (facoltativo)
Un pizzico abbondante di pepe nero grattugiato fresco

Preparazione

Mentre la pasta bolle, grattugiare il pecorino (io uso un microplane che viene meglio, ma puoi anche usare una grattugerà or il Cuisinart). Non usare formaggio già grattugiato perché cambia la consistenza e il sapore. Inoltre, questa ricetta richiede il pecorino Romano – nessun altro pecorino.
Mettere il pecorino grattugiato in una ciotola metterlo da parte.
Circa 3 – 5 minuti prima che la pasta sia pronta, mettere l’olio d’oliva in una padella da 12-14 pollici e scaldarlo. Dovrebbe essere caldo, non bollente.
Usa un mestolo o una tazza per prendere un po’ dell’acqua dalla pentola dove cuoce la pasta.
Aggiungere un po’ dell’acqua calda della pasta al formaggio e mescolarlo con una forchetta fino a renderlo cremoso, ma non liquido.
Scolare la pasta e aggiungerla nella padella con l’olio d’oliva caldo. Mescola con un cucchiaio di legno o una forchetta per circa 30 secondi. Spegnere il fuoco.
Spostare la padella su un fornello freddo e aggiungere il pecorino. Mescola bene. Se è troppo denso, aggiungi un po’ più dell’acqua che avevi riservato. Aggiungi pepe nero a piacere.
Se avete del basilico fresco, aggiungetelo al piatto –questa è la mia variante alla ricotta tradizionale.
Servire immediatamente.

Bucatini alla Amatriciana (rossa)

Bucatini alla Amatriciana, Rossa (red)

Classic Roman recipe with too many variations. It’s very easy to make, yet it’s difficult to find an excellent preparation in most restaurants. Try my recipe – most of my friends love it. It’s my youngest daughter’s favorite pasta recipe. As always, the quality of the ingredients is key. You may need to go to a specialty grocer (such as Whole Foods) in order to find the guanciale or pancetta this recipe calls for. You also need to get imported Italian Pecorino cheese, preferably in a small block that you can grate yourself.

This recipe relies on you cooking the Bucatini in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time specified on the box. The reason for this is that you drain the almost-cooked Bucatini, then add it with the other ingredients and cook it on high heat for a couple more minutes. This allows the flavors from the sauce to absorb into the pasta noodle, creating a more flavorful pasta.

Note: If you cannot find either guanciale or pancetta, you can use thick-cut bacon, but the flavor will not be as good.

Bucatini alla Amatriciana, Rossa (red)

Dr. Michele Carbone bucatini

Ingredients

1 box of Bucatini, Spaghetti, or Rigatoni style pasta (500 grams)
100 grams (4 oz) Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
125 grams (5 oz) of “guanciale” or if you cannot find it, “pancetta,” cut in thick slices of about (about ¼ of an inch thick by ¼ inch wide and ¼ long)
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
Red pepper flakes, or 2 fresh little hot peppers chopped very finely (put as little or as much red pepper as you like)
¼ glass white wine
400 grams of canned Italian tomatoes (home made, or can tomatoes, Pomi or similar) –for this recipe canned tomatoes are better than fresh tomatoes.

Preparation

Put a large pot of water to boil on the stove – it should be boiling by the time you get to step 4
In an 8-inch skillet, add the guanciale (or pancetta), red pepper, and 1 spoon of olive oil.
Start the heat at medium high and as soon as “sfricchiola” (means you hear it is frying), to low the heat for about 5-6 minutes to let the fat get out, then add white wine and turn the fire up for 30 seconds so it evaporates.
Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook on medium or medium/high (depends how powerful your stove is, should be just bubbling slowly, not boiling). Cook this sauce for about 10 minutes
In the meantime poor the pasta into the boiling water. As soon as the water starts to boil again after the pasta has been added, use a long-handled wooden spoon to stir the pasta so that nothing sticks to the bottom.
Drain the pasta very al dente, poor in a past bowl, add the tomato/guanciale sauce, mix well and add the pecorino mixing well all the time and serve immediately.
Buon appetito!

Italiano: Bucatini/Rigatoni Amatriciana

Ingredienti

1 pacco di bucatini o rigatoni
100 g di pecorino romano grattugiato fresco
125 g di “guanciale” o “pancetta”, tagliato a fette spesse di circa (circa ¼ di pollice di spessore per ¼ di pollice di larghezza e ¼ di lunghezza)
1 cucchiaio di olio extravergine di oliva
Peperoncino rosso picante a piacere –io metto 2-3 peperoncini rossi calabresi
1 sorso (1/4 di bicchiere) vino bianco
400 grammi -1/2 scatola di pomodori pelati schiacciati, Pomì o simili

Preparazione

Pancetta o guanciale a pezzettini, 1 cucchiaio d’olio, fuoco medio alto appena sfricchiola abbassa il fuoco e fai andare circa 5-6 minuti perche` rilasci il grasso –la pancetta non deve essere fritta! L’importante è fare cuocere il guanciale a fuoco vivo senza bruciarlo!!!
Appena il guanciale comincia a essere un po’ croccante, aggiungete un sorso di vino binco, fate evaporare 1 minuto.
Aggiungere 400 g pelati a pezzetti, alzare il fuoco a medio/medio alto, deve sobbollire, girare spesso.
Allo stesso tempo calare la pasta, scolarla molto al dente, versatela in una zuppiera aggiungere il sugo, mischiare bene 2 minuti mentre aggiungete Pecorino e servire.
La fine del mondo!

Pasta e fagioli – Pasta with beans and ham bone