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Category: Pasta Dishes Page 1 of 3

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Spaghetti with Black Squid Ink, Venetian Version

This is the Venetian version, which I prefer because of its stronger “sea” flavor. Be sure to wear a large napkin to protect yourself from stains from the black ink! As for the wine, how about a Greco di Tufo by Benito Ferrara -if you can find it—or, a good Pinot Grigio or a Verdicchio!

This is a very easy and quick recipe to prepare.

Ingredients

  • 1 box of spaghetti (500 grams)
  • 1 lb. of squid (500 grams), tubes and tentacles
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (80 ml olive oil)
  • ½ sweet onion, or you may also use chopped green onions
  • 3 – 4 black ink squid bladders or 2-3 teaspoons of frozen black ink
  • ½ cup of good-quality white wine (120 ml), such as a Pinot Grigio
  • 1/3 cup of Italian parsley, finely minced
  • Optional: 1 or more red hot peppers (if you like it spicy)

Preparation

  1. In a large pot for pasta, put water on to boil. Do not add salt, because the squid ink is salty, so add little to no salt to the water, if necessary, you can always add salt at the end.
  2. As you put the pot on to boil, and before you add the pasta to the pot, use a large skillet to cook the sauce, which will take about 20 minutes total. Heat the olive oil at medium-high heat and add the chopped onion for about 1 minute.
  3. Add the squid, bringing the heat to high for about 2 minutes, moving the squid around to cook on all sides.
  4. Add ½ of the minced parsley and the optional red pepper. Then add the white wine and lower the heat to medium-low.
  5. By this time, your pot of water for the spaghetti should be boiling, so add the pasta to the pot and give it a quick stir as soon as it comes to a boil.
  6. Continue cooking the squid on medium-low until the pasta is very al dente (firm, but almost completely cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes before the cooking time on the box of pasta). Add the squid ink to the skillet where you are cooking the sauce. How much ink?

    Enough for the spaghetti to turn completely black, not gray.

  7. If the squid sauce begins to get dry, add a little bit of water from the pot of boiling pasta.
  8. Immediately after, when the pasta is still very al dente, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta-water (which contains starch), transfer the pasta in the pan with squids, and adding water as necessary keep mixing well for about 3-5 minutes (this is why it is critical to drain the pasta when is still a little bit hard or you will end up with overcooked pasta). Once all the water is absorbed, and you have a thick sauce, remove from the heat.
  9. Add remaining parsley, mix well, and enjoy!

 

Italiano: Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (alla Veneziana)

Ingredienti

  • 500 g. spaghetti o bigoli
  • 500 g. seppie (tagliate i tubi a rondelle+ tentacoli)
  • Circa 3 vescichette col nero di seppia, oppure 2-3 cucchiai di nero surgelato
  • ½ cipolla dolce oppure scalogno a pezzetti
  • Prezzemolo, vino bianco e se vi piace peperoncino rosso

Preparazione

  1. Mettete l’acqua per la pasta a bollire-poco o niente sale perché il nero di seppia è un po’ salato.
  2. Mettete in una padella capiente -deve accogliere gli spaghetti alla fine- l’olio d’oliva, quando è caldo aggiungete la cipolla a pezzetti 1 minuto a fuoco medio alto.
  3. Aggiungete le seppie, e cuocete altri due minuti girando spesso.
  4. Aggiungete metà del prezzemolo tritato fino, il peperoncino (se vi piace, a me si), mischiate bene e poi mezzo bicchiere di vino bianco, abbassate il fuoco a medio-basso.
  5. Più o meno a questo punto l’acqua bolle: calate la pasta.
  6. Continuate a cuocere le seppie aggiungendo l’acqua della pasta come necessario perché sia sempre un po’ liquida.
  7. Quando la pasta è a circa 3-4 min dalla fine della cottura, cioè molto al dente, aggiungete il nero di seppia e anche un po’ d’acqua della pasta nella pentola dove state cuocendo le seppie, alzate il fuoco e mischiate bene 1 min.

    Quanto nero?

    Abbastanza perché la pasta diventi completamente nera, non grigia!

  8. Immediatamente dopo, scolate la pasta tenendo da parte almeno una tazza di acqua.
  9. Versate la pasta nella pentola con le seppie e continuate a mischiare aggiungendo acqua come necessario finche non è pronta e la salsa asciutta. Spegnete il fuoco aggiungete il resto del prezzemolo, mischiate bene e buon appetito.

 

Vino: Greco di Tufo di Benito Ferrara, se lo trovate.

 

Linguine or Spaghetti with Broccolini (“cime di rapa” in Italian) for 5 people

This is a variant to the classic recipe “spaghetti con le cime di rapa” that I developed recently and love. Hopefully, you will like it too. Is very simple to make.  Here’s a very detailed recipe so you get it right the first time.

Ingredients for 5 people

  • 1 box of linguine (use brands Seggiano, Rummo, or any top quality Italian pasta for best results).
  • About 30 – 40 filets of anchovies (so, 15-20 whole anchovies depending on how big they are), cut in about ½-inch pieces.
  • 3-4 spicy Calabrian peppers minced (or 1-2 Thai or Hawaiian hot peppers (the difference is that the Calabrian peppers are hot and also have an aroma).
  • Two cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and smashed.
  • ½ lb. of sea-fish filet (swordfish, grouper, corvina), whatever looks fresh, it should be about ½ – 2/3 inches thick (1.5 -2.0 cm). Chop into 1 x 2 inches.
  • 1 bunch (1/2 pound) of broccolini cut into small pieces: divide them so that the distal part of the stem of the broccolini -i.e., the base of the stem, the hardest and largest part, is separate from the upper part of the stems and florets. Put the chopped florets and the soft stems in one bowl and the distal chopped hard stems, in another.
  • Fresh Italian parsley, about 1/3 cup, minced.
  • 5 oz. freshly grated Italian Pecorino cheese (either pecorino romano, or pecorino calabrese or sardo stagionato -i.e., hard pecorino not fresh soft pecorino).
  • Extra-virgin Italian olive oil.

Preparation

  1. Put a large pot with water for the pasta on the stove on high heat, and immediately add the chopped distal hard stems of the broccolini.
  2. Next, pour olive oil to cover the bottom of a 10–12-inch diameter pan, preferably a cast iron skillet, or similarly heavy skillet. Add the filets of anchovies, the two cloves of garlic, and the hot peppers. Do not turn on the heat until the water in the pasta is boiling.
  3. When the water in the pot for the pasta comes to a boil,
    1. Turn the heat for the skillet containing the anchovies, peppers, garlic and oil, to high. Using a wooden spoon, move around the filets of anchovies till they start to melt (about 3 minutes).
    2. Remove the garlic from the skillet with a fork.
  4. Now you can put the linguine into the pot of boiling water. Add salt to taste and allow it to boil vigorously.
  5. Now that the pasta is starting to cook, you add the chopped pieces of fish to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the fish with the anchovies, olive oil, and pepper.  Cook for about 3 minutes as the fish takes on color from the heat (but is not yet fully cooked).
  6. Add the chopped broccolini florets and soft stems them, stirring around with the rest of the ingredients as the pasta continues to boil. After about 3 minutes, add a ladle of the water from the pan of boiling pasta to the skillet with the fish and broccolini. You can continue to add “pasta water” to the skillet as needed, in order to create a liquid consistency in the skillet. It’s not a broth, but more of a smooth sauce.
  7. About two minutes before the linguine are fully cooked, take one cup of boiling water from the pot and set it aside. Quickly drain the linguine and broccolini stems in a colander, and then add the drained linguine/broccolini stems to the skillet containing the fish, anchovies, and broccolini florets.  The heat should still be on high.
  8. Moving fast, mix the linguine together with the other ingredients in the skillet. Mix the linguine and sauce constantly until the sauce reduces a little bit and is smooth – about 2 minutes. If the sauce looks a little too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to the skillet.
  9. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the minced parsley and grated Pecorino to the skillet. Mix well for another minute or so, and then enjoy this delicious pasta!

About salt: Add at the end after you taste the pasta. There is always a risk of over-salting when using anchovies, pecorino and water from the pasta that already contains salt.

Italiano: Linguine con cime di rapa

Ingredienti

  • 450 – 500 g. linguine
  • 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
  • 30 – 40 filets alici, cioè 30-40 alici intere, tagliati a pezzetti di 1-2 cm.
  • 3-4 peperoncini calabresi -o meno se non vi piace il piccante.
  • 230 g. circa di filetto di pesce da taglio – corvina, pesce spada, cernia, ecc. -quello che preferite basta che è fresco.
  • 1 mazzo (circa 225 g.) di cime di rape tagliate a pezzetti, mettete la parte del gambo più dura direttamente nell’acqua di cottura il resto gambo morbido e cime mischiati insieme andranno in padella.
  • Un pugno di prezzemolo
  • 130 g. grattato (Pecorino Romano, o Pecorino Calabrese o Sardo stagionato -quello che preferite, a me piace di più quello calabrese

Preparazione

  1. Mettete l’acqua sul fuoco -insieme ai gambi tagliati a pezzetti.
  2. In una padella preferibilmente di ferro coprite il forno con olio d’oliva e poi mettete a freddo, le alici, l’aglio, il peperoncino. Quando l’acqua inizia a bollire, allora accendete il fuoco sotto la padella al massimo.
  3. Con un cucchiaio di legno mischiate un po’ le alici col resto finche` non si cominciano a sciogliere – circa 3 minuti. Togliete l’aglio.
  4. Calate la pasta.
  5. Aggiungete il pesce in padella e rigirate per circa 3 minuti -quando prende colore.
  6. Aggiungete le cime di rapa e i gambi “morbidi” a pezzetti. Continuate a rigirare e dopo 3 minuti aggiungete un mestolo di acqua della pasta, fuoco sempre alto.  Come si va asciugando aggiungete altra acqua.
  7. Quando la pasta è molto al dente, cioè circa 2 minuti prima di toglierla, prendete una tazza di acqua dalla pentola, e mettetela da parte, subito dopo scolate la pasta e mettetela in insieme ai gambi che avete cucinato con la pasta, nella padella in cui state cucinando pesce e cime di rape. Rigirate per circa 3 minuti aggiungendo acqua se necessario.  Deve essere una salsa, ne troppo liquida ne asciutta.
  8. Togliete la pentola dal fuoco, spostatela su un fornello freddo, aggiungete pecorino grattugiato e prezzemolo e rigirate bene, senza fermarvi per 2 minuti.
  9. Aggiustate di sale.
  10. Buon appetito.

 

Gnocchi – My Favorite Sauces

Two Sauces (Sugo) for Gnocchi

Gnocchi are often served with a meat-based sauce (sugo) in Rome, with lamb and pork being the most popular.  However, you can also serve the gnocchi with a simple tomato sauce (see my recipe here) or even just with butter, sage and shaved Parmigiano (a more Northern Italian combination).  My favorite is the recipe with lamb, but some people prefer the one with sausage.  Both recipes are below.

Italian Sausage Sauce for Gnocchi

This is a quick recipe that only takes about 30 minutes to prepare, so it’s great if you don’t have much time.

Ingredients

  • Italian sausage (pork), preferably made without fennel, 1 sausage per person, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 to 1 red onion, chopped (1/2 for 4 sausages, 1 for 8 sausages)
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves
  • 1 spicy pepper, preferably Calabrese, but Thai or Hawaiian pepper will work
  • 250 – 500 grams of Pomì chopped tomatoes
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano

Preparation

  1. Cut the sausages into bite-sized pieces, add the chopped Pomì, and sauté in a just enough olive oil to coat the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Add the Pomì chopped tomatoes and a handful of basil and cook on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. In the meantime, put a pot of water on the stove, using the same amount of water that you would use to boil pasta (5 to 6 quarts). Don’t add salt to the water because it will break down the gnocchi. Bring the water to a boil.
  4. When the sauce is ready, boil the gnocchi. It only takes a minute or two for the gnocchi to cook, so be attentive!  As soon as they start to float, they are ready.
  5. Use a large slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi from the pot and put them into your serving bowls. Top with the sauce and add freshly grated Parmigiano.  Serve immediately.
  6. Buon appetito!

Lamb Sauce (Sugo) for Gnocchi

This is an alternative sugo for gnocchi –my preferred sugo.  This recipe takes 2 to 3 hours to prepare, so you may want to prepare it the night before so that you just have to heat it and serve it with your fresh gnocchi.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of lamb shoulder cutlets, you want inexpensive lamb that still has some fat
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion, minced
  • 2 whole cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 handful of Italian parsley, minced
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil, minced and divided
  • 1/2 cup of white wine
  • 500 grams of Pomì chopped tomatoes
  • Freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Preparation

  1. In a large skillet, fry the garlic cloves in olive oil on low heat until they are golden. Remove the garlic from the pan and discard.
  2. Add the lamb shoulders cutlets and the minced red onion, and stir to combine. Add a handful of minced parsley, and cook on medium heat.
  3. As soon as the lamb takes color, add a handful of basil leaves, mix, add ½ glass white wine and 1 min later, add the 500 grams of crushed Pomì tomatoes and the rest of the basil. Add salt, lower the heat to the minimum temperature, and cover the pan with just a tiny gap to allow some steam to escape.  (I use a wooden spoon under the cover to create the vent).
  4. Cook on the lowest heat for 2 hours or more, until the meat falls from the bone. Stir again, and your sugo is ready.
  5. When you are ready to eat, put a pot of water on the stove, using the same amount of water that you would use to boil pasta (5 to 6 quarts). Don’t add salt to the water because it will break down the gnocchi. Bring the water to a boil.
  6. When the sauce is ready, boil the gnocchi. It only takes a minute or two for the gnocchi to cook, so be attentive!  As soon as they start to float, they are ready.
  7. Use a large slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi from the pot and put them into your serving bowls. Top with the sauce and add freshly grated Pecorino.  Serve immediately.
  8. Buon appetito!

 

 

Michele Carbone spaghetti

Spaghetti with Bottarga

This is a simple dish to make and delicious, but some people don’t like it because “it tastes too much of fish!”

Bottarga is the dried, salted, pressed roe of various fish, mostly being the gray mullet and yellow fin tuna (also sold under the name of Amberjack and Hamachi, which to be precise [since fish names are often not precise] is the tuna type that is known as “Ricciola” in Italian).  I have used the bottarga of gray mullet and various tuna. In my opinion, the bottarga of Ricciola is the best, but it is very difficult, and almost impossible to find in America. If you can find a source and send it to me, I’ll be very grateful!

The recipe uses the same “original base” that I use to cook the spaghetti cacio e pepe and those with ricotta cheese: I mean, for those simple recipes (such as Pecorino or ricotta, or in this case bottarga), you want to leave the ingredients the chance to shine in their natural flavors.

Ingredients

  • 1 box of spaghetti or fettuccine or linguine
  • ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • A handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus 2 TB set aside to be used at the end of the recipe
  • 1 spicy Calabrian or Hawaiian, or Thai pepper (optional—use it if you like a little bit of a “kick” to your pasta)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • About 100 grams of bottarga. Keep the bottarga in the freezer until the last minute.

Preparation

  1. Start by boiling the water for the pasta and when it bois add spaghetti or fettucine or linguine.
  2. Finely chop a bunch of Italian parsley.
  3. Get out a pasta bowl and warm it up (I run hot water into it, then pour out the water before adding the pasta, or use the microoven).
    1. All the ingredients are mixed into the bowl at the end of this recipe and you will need to move quickly.
  4. In a large skillet, gently sauté a couple of cloves of crushed garlic in about ½ a cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Remove the garlic cloves as soon as they take on color.
  5. Turn off the heat, add half of the handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley (about two TB) and 1 or 2 minced peppers to the pan. (Remember to reserve about 2 more TB of parsley just prior to serving).
  6. A soon as the spaghetti tastes ready (al dente), reserve about 1 cup of the hot water from the pasta pan before pouring the pasta into a colander.
  7. Moving quickly, pour the pasta from the colander directly into the skillet (which should still be hot, but the fire is off). Gently mix the pasta with the oil and other ingredients in the pan. Add a little bit of the water that you reserved from the pasta pot (about ½ cup) and continue to mix. It should be a smooth mixture, not too “wet” but not too “dry,” either.
  8. Transfer to the warm pasta bowl.
  9. Add the remaining 2 TB of chopped parsley and gently mix.
  10. ” Grate –or shave- the bottarga directly into the spaghetti (the bottagrga, of course, you keep in the freezer until the last moment. Use a microplane or vegetable peeler to great/shave the bottarga).
    1. How much bottarga? Everyone has different tastes. I like a lot of it, but some people find it too fishy! So grate enough to suit your own taste. I’d suggest 200 grams for 1 box of pasta.
  11. Serve immediately.
  12. Buon appetito!

PS: I suggest you bring the bottarga to the table and allow guests to shave additional bottarga on their plates at will.

Buon appetito!

Suggested Wine Pairing

A fresh Rosé is a wonderful pairing; or use a cold, dry white wine like a Gavi.

Italiano: Spaghetti con la Bottarga
Piatto semplicissimo da fare, buonissimo, ma a alcuni non piace perché “sa troppo di pesce”!

Ci sono due tipi di Bottarga, almeno che io sappia, una di cefalo (muggine) e l’altra di Ricciola o altro tipo di tonno. Quella di Ricciola secondo me è la migliore, ma trovarla, almeno in America, è molto difficile, quasi impossibile visto che non l’ho mai trovata-se la trovate e me la spedite ve ne sarò molto grato!!!

La ricetta, semplicissima usa la stessa “base iniziale” che uso per cucinare gli spaghetti cacio e pepe e quelli con la ricotta, cioè per quelle ricette semplici dove vuoi lasciare al Pecorino (per il cacio e pepe), ricotta, e in questo caso alla bottarga la possibilità di farsi apprezzare nella loro naturalezza. Finita la filosofia procedere come di seguito:

  1. 500 g di spaghetti o fettucine linguine. Bollite l’acqua e calate la pasta.
  2. Soffriggere 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati in circa 120 ml olio d’oliva (½ cup). Toglierli APPENA prendono colore, SPEGNERE il fuoco e aggiungere un mezzo pugno di prezzemolo tritato (circa 2 cucchiaie) e un pepperoncino calabrese piccante tritato (o di più se vi piace mangiare piccante).
  3. Riempite di acqua calda una zuppiera, cioè dove metterete la pasta per servirla a tavola, e fatela intiepidire. Quando la pasta è al dente, dovete muovervi rapidamente!
  4. Prendere circa una tazza di acqua dalla pasta che sta bollendo appena prima di scolarla.
  5. Scolare la pasta e mischiarla nella padella con l’olio e aggiungere un po’ dell’acqua che avevate preso, circa ½ tazza, cioè quanto basta perché sia vellutata, né secca, né liquida. Aggiungere un altro po di prezzemolo tritato, (2 cucchiai). Mischiare e trasferire in un piatto di portata, che avete precedentemente intiepidito riempendola di acqua calda e poi asciugandola.
  6. SUBITO, grattare (microplane) or shave (vegetable peeler) RAPIDAMENTE sopra gli spaghetti la bottarga che naturalmente terrete nel freezer fino all’ultimo momento. Quanta bottarga? I gusti so gusti. A me piace tanta bottarga, ma alcuni storceranno il naso dicendo che sa troppo di pesce! Perciò fate a gusto vostro. Io uso circa 100 g. (suggerisco di portare la bottarga a tavola e grattarne altra sopra il vostro piatto a piacimento).

 

Acciughe (Sardines) in umido (option: pasta with sardine)

Acciughe (Sardines) in umido (option: pasta with sardines) 

Sardine

A plate of sardines, garnished with parsley.

Not too long ago, I cooked sardines for me,  my daughter, and a group of her friends.  I found the sardines fresh at Whole Foods and bought them because I wanted something tasty, and at the same time healthy, to keep me in shape.  The recipe came out great!  One of the best dinners I cooked, and everyone loved it.

It takes no time, say 15-20 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sardines (fresh!)
  • 4-5 TB olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic smashed
  • 4 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano (Italian preferred)
  • 3 teaspoons of bread crumbs, plain
  • 1 – 2 hot Calabrian, Hawaiian, or Thai pepper
  • 15-20 small “pear” tomatoes all colors, each cut into quarters
  • ½ glass white wine –Sicilian or Calabrian best, for example Etna Bianco
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 TB. of capers

Critical element: you need a good pot with a good cover that closes well, no leaks.  Ideally a Staub or La Creuset, or a similar heavy pot

Preparation

  1. Fillet the sardines –if you do not know how, let the fish vendor do it for you, and be sure she also removes the few scales they may have on the skin.
  2. Cover the bottom of a 6-8 inch pot with 2-3 mm of olive oil, say about ¼ of a cup.
  3. Add the sardine filets, garlic, 3 teaspoons of parsley (conserve 1 teaspoon for garnish), oregano, hot pepper, tomatoes, bread crumbs, wine, and salt.
  4. Cover the pot, and then turn on the stove to medium high for about 5 minutes. Stironly once, cover again for 3 more minutes.
  5. Uncover, and allow to cook another 2 minutes or so, so that the sauce evaporates, and there is no liquid. You know that it is ready when the tomatoes are soft.  It should take a total of about 10-12 min.
  6. Turn off the heat, add 1 TB. of capers and 1 TB. of minced parsley.
  7. Enjoy!

 

Option: cook pasta al dente, mix with the sauce you prepared and now you will eat pasta (linguine is the best choice of pastas) with sardines.

Yes, of course, you could prepare the same recipe of sardines in the oven, but my oven is broken, so I cooked them on the fire, and the result was superb!

Italian: Tortino di alici – oppure pasta con alici

–Non molto tempo fa ho cucinato le sarde per me, mia figlia e un gruppo di suoi amici. Ho trovato le sarde fresche da Whole Foods e le ho comprate perché volevo qualcosa di gustoso, e allo stesso tempo sano, che mi tenesse in forma. La ricetta è venuta alla grande!

È delle migliori cene che ho cucinato e è piaciuto a tutti.

Non ci vuole tempo, diciamo 15-20 minuti dall’inizio alla fine.

Ingredienti

  • 500 g di sardine –appena pescate
  • 5 cucchiai d’olio d’oliva buono
  • 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
  • 4 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato
  • 1 cucchiaio di origano
  • 3 cucchiai di pan grattato
  • 1 – 2 peperoncini piccanti
  • 15-20 pomodorini pachino tagliati in 4
  • 120 ml di vino bianco, un Cirò o Etna Bianco ci sta benissimo
  • 1 cucchiaio di capperi

Una buona pentola con coperchio emetico (le Staub sono le migliori).

Preparazione

  1. Filettate le sarde, se non sapete come fare chiedete aiuto al pescivendolo e naturalmente rimuovete le scaglie, se sono grosse.
  2. Coprite il fondo della pentola con 2 -3 mm di olio d’oliva buono.
  3. Versate sull’olio i filetti di alici, l’aglio, 3 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato, 3 – 4 spicchi di aglio schiacciati, l’origano, peperoncino piccante, i pomodorini, pan grattato, vino e (poco) sale.
  4. Fuoco medio alto, cuocere 5 minuti coperto, mischiare –solo una volta, coprire di nuovo per 5 minuti. E se c’è troppo liquido –perché avete messo troppo vino- cuocere 2 minuti scoperchiato.  È pronto quando i pomodori sono appassiti.  In tutto 10-12 minuti massimo.
  5. Spegnere il fuoco e aggiungere un cucchiaio di prezzemolo tritato e un cucchiaio (o due se vi piacciono tanto) di capperi.
  6. Buon appetito!

Opzione: Cucinare le linguine al dente e condire con il tortino di alici.

Naturalmente potete farlo al forno, ma il mio forno era rotto e perciò l’ho fatta sui fornelli: è venuta così buona che non ho mai avuto il coraggio di provare a farla al forno!

 

 

 

Stracci with fresh mushrooms (“Stracci” con funghi freschi, for 4-5 people)

Presently this is my preferred pasta recipe.  I developed this recipe during the past months, when our local supermarket started selling exotic mixes of fresh mushrooms.

As for the pasta, I suggest the “Stracci” from the company called “Seggiano.”  You may need to order it as it is not easy to find, but you can get it at Eataly, some Whole Foods carry it, and of course you can order it on line.  If you can’t find stracci, use a good quality short pasta, like a rigatoni.

The key to this recipe is that the pasta is cooked in the chicken broth, as if it is a risotto. The broth absorbs into the pasta as it cooks, creating a rich, intense flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 box of Seggiano Stracci,  or about 375 grams of pasta serves 4-5 people.
  • Approximately 3 cups of fresh mushrooms, for example 1 box of Mycopia’s “Chef Sampler” mushroom mix.
  • 6 and ½ cups of chicken broth, preferably home made (see my recipe)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • A handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped finely
  • 2-3 fresh red peppers (optional)
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1/3 cup of a cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Bring the chicken broth (see recipe on my website) to boil, lower heat and keep covered so it stays very hot and does not evaporate.
  1. Chop the mushrooms, mince the parsley and hot peppers, Mix them all together on the cutting board.
  1. Pour the olive oil in a 10 or 12 inches diameter pot (Le Creuset and similar brands are the best). Heat the olive oil, add the garlic cloves, and turn down the heat.
  1. As soon as the garlic is golden, remove it from the pan with a fork or slotted spoon. Add the mushrooms/parsley/hot pepper mix, turn the heat to medium/medium-high, and mix continuously for a minute.   (If you have a professional cooktop, the heat should be medium-high; for an electric or non-professional cooktop, the heat should be set to high).
  1. Add the DRY pasta and mix constantly for 2 minutes.
  1. Add the white wine to the pan and mix well.  It will incorporate/evaporate in about 1 minute.
  1. Start adding broth one “mestolo” (ladle) at the time until it’s ready—it usually takes about 20 minutes from the time you start adding the broth. Don’t mix it too must – stir it about every minute or two, just enough so it doesn’t stick to the pan.
  1. When ready—taste it to know if it is ready—add 1/3 cup of a cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, salt to taste, and enjoy.
  1. Serve immediately—and buon appetito!

 

Italiano: Stracci ai funghi

Ricetta che ho sviluppato nei mesi scorsi.

Ingredienti

  • Consiglio gli stracci di “Seggiano” ma anche altri tipi di pasta vanno bene.   Poi per carità serve del buon brodo di pollo, come da ricetta sul mio website.
  • E naturalmente funghi buoni, freschi e possibilmente non di “batteria.” Per esempio un misto di porcini, rositi e ovoli sarebbe perfetto.  Viene meglio se si mischiano i tipi di funghi.
  • Portate il brodo (circa 1 litro e mezzo) a bollore poi abbassate al minimo—coperto sennò  evaora.

Preparazione

  1. Tagliate a fettine i funghi, quantità fate voi, suggerirei due mani piene e forse più.  Sullo stesso tagliere triturate mezzo mazzetto di prezzemolo e qualche pepperoncino picante a gusto.  Poi mischiate i funghi con prezzemolo e peperoncino tritato.  Ora siete pronti per cominciare.
  2. Soffriggere in 2/3 di cup di olio d’oliva, 3 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati, toglierli quando sono dorati,e aggiungere i funghi/prezzemolo/peperoncino che avete sul tagliere.
  3. 1 minuto fuoco forte girando spesso.
  4. Aggiungere uno scatolo (375 grammi) di stracci, mischiare continuamente, circa 2 minuti.
  5. 1 bicchiere di vino bianco, mischiare circa 1 minuto sempre girando costantemente.
  6. Poi aggiungere 1 mestolo di brodo di pollo, e come viene incorporato (il primo mestolo viene incorporato in meno di un minute) continuare 1 mestolo per volta fino a cottura, circa 20 minuti da quando metttete il brodo.   Durante questo periodo mischiate circa ogni 2 minuti ma non continuamente.  Cioè il necessario perchè non si attacchi.
  7. Quando è pronto aggiungete 1/3 di parmigiano reggiano grattato fresco e aggiustate di sale (la quantità di sale dipende da quanto era salato il brodo, ovviamente).
  8. 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

  1. Put water in a large pasta pot. While the water comes to a boil, start preparing the sauce.
  2. Cut the tubes of the squid transversally. There’s no need to cut the tentacles unless they are very big.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Add the two spoons of black squid ink to the skillet, along with 13 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.
  6. If you like the sauce to be spicy, add a minced Italian or Thai hot pepper to the skillet.
  7. Add salt as needed. Let it cook, uncovered, for 3 more minutes or so on low heat.
  8. Just before the spaghetti is fully cooked –very al dente – remove about a cup of the boiling water and set it aside.
  9. Michele No 1 In Cucina
  10. 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.
  11. Add a handful of minced parsley and serve.
  12. 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Buon Appetito!

 

 

Spaghetti with Veal Shank (Spaghetti allo stinco)

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

  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. Add the onion, marjoram, anchovies, and the mushrooms, lower heat to medium, let the ingredients cook for 5about minutes until the onions become translucent.
  1. 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.
  2. 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

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

 

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

Aglio E Oglio 3 1

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

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Just before serving, add 1 more TB of minced fresh parsley, mix well and and plate the pasta.
  6. Please do not add anything else – especially no cheese!!!.
  7. 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

  1. Soffriggere nell’olio 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati, rimuoverli appena prendono colore aggiungere peperoncini piccanti tritati, 1 pugno di prezzemolo tritato e alici.
  2. Dopo un minute (minuto) aggiungere 12 pomodorini piccolo (piccoli), quelli a pera, oppure 8 San Marzano, tagliati a metà.
  3. Abbassare il fuoco a medio, appena diventano soffici, circa 5 minuti spegnere il fuoco.
  4. 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.
  5. Buon appetito!

 

Summer Recipe: Spaghetti with ricotta and zucchini

Sauteed zucchini draining on paper towels

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

  1. Boil water in a large pot and add spaghetti.
  2. 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.
  3.  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.
  4. 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!).
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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 13  of a cup.
  8. Add the basil and zucchini to the skillet and mix it well.
  9. 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

  1. Mettere acqua a bollire, aggiungere sale e pasta.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Aggiungere basilico e zucchine e servire con up po’ di pepe nero.
  5. Buon appetito!

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

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