Pasta con sugo di Salvia e bisteca di Maiale (Sage sauce with Pork chops)

What a wonderful way to inaugurate the growing season. Fresh sage is in abundance in my garden.  Several handfuls is all you need for this intensely flavored sauce, where sage is the main ingredient.   A few extra sprigs is all you need to serve this wonderful dish.  I like to put some fresh in a vase right on the table. 

Ingredients:  2 handfuls of fresh Sage ( you will be discarding the sage in the sauce before serving, so it's best to leave them whole so you can remove them later)

4 pork chops about 1/4 inch thick with bone in

2 cloves of garlic (optional, discard after flavoring oil)

3 tablespoons olive oil

one teaspoon of sea salt

one teaspoon of black pepper

2 cups tomato sauce (freshly jarred or canned, plain, cut up with their juice or pureed in the the blender)

1/2 cup of white wine

Method:  Heat a large skillet of olive oil in a pan.  Add your garlic until fragrant and discard.  At this point add your sage and cook in the oil until soft and fragrant.  Do not fry.  If you do not have enough fresh sage, you may used dry, add about a teaspoon.  Add your meat directly to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.  Make sure they are golden.  Place your water for your pasta on to boil. Add your tomatoes,  1/2 cup of white wine and let reduce.  Add a few sprigs of fresh sage and keep cooking for about 10 more minutes. In the meantime, cook your pasta.  You will notice a ring of oil will separate from your tomatoes.   Remove your meat from the pan and continue to let your sauce reduce 5 more minutes.  Remove the used, wet sage leaves from the sauce. Set you meat aside in a serving dish.

Grate some Parmigiano cheese to your liking.

I like to use Bucatini Pasta for this dish.  You may use Penne.  Really anything tubular in shape will do, as you want the Pasta to trap the sauce inside, creating great flavor. 

Serve these great Pork Chops with some Crusty Italian bread as a second course.

Always remove your pasta when al dente, drain well and toss with this wonderful, fragrant sauce.  A great way to begin the Spring Season. 

Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano and serve.  Buon Appetito!

Shrimp Fritters (Crocchette di Gamberi)

I found some Frozen, large cocktail shrimp in my freezer, about 10.  Yes, you can use fresh Shrimp if you like.  The texture will be different.  Starting off with cooked shrimp (thawed), yields a better cake or fritter texture   I had just a few roasted red peppers that I needed to use up in a jar.  Just not enough to serve, but enough to add to a recipe.  A good Home-cook is a creative one.  Making the most out of very little.  I was craving something similar to a crab cake, so why not use Shrimp cake?  These cook in a hurry.  It will be hard to resist just one.   I must admit, a little tomato Compote is the perfect little dipping sauce.  I am not sure the infatuation with dipping sauces in this Country, but it works for these fritters, so why not?   Truth be told,  you can eat them,  once cooled,  without anything at all,  just pick one up with your hands.
Ingredients: 
About 10-12 Large, cooked shrimp, peeled, tails off, cut into a small dice (they should be tiny pieces)

1/2 cup plain bread crumb (plus extra for your plate before frying)

1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons diced parsley plus more for garnish

One egg

Method:  In bowl combine all your ingredients.  You should see a thick paste.  Roll each 2 inch spoonful  into your hand, then into a little ball and flatten.  Pass each fritter in additional bread crumbs and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Keep going until they are all done.

Makes 12 small appetizers:

At this point they can either be placed in the refrigerator to harden and set some.  Otherwise just put them in a container into the freezer for a later date.   They didn't last very long in my freezer at all. 

You can pan saute or fry.  I elected to pan saute until golden in a little sunflower oil.  They cooked in a hurry.  Just a few minutes in hot oil,  on each side until golden.  

For the sauce: 

Ingredients:  1/2 cup diced Spanish onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh Roma tomatoes and all the juice

1/2 cup white wine

1 teaspoons of salt

Optional basil for garnish

Pepper to taste

In a medium saute pan, heat your oil and  cook your onion until fragrant and almost golden.  (Just like you would any tomato sauce for pasta).  Add your tomatoes and cook.  Add your white wine and let boil away.  Add your salt and pepper and let cook for about 8 minutes until thick and the oil separates from the pan.   Pour into a small serving cup and serve beside your fritters.  Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!

Classic Minestrone Soup

Monday night Minestrone Soup was always popular growing up. My Mom's Minestrone would cure anything. Given the pain my husband was in after having his wisdom teeth extracted, he needed something soft and nutritious.  Just how much pudding can one man eat anyway?  

After a weekend of eating, this is just what the doctor ordered.   Who does not have a few fresh vegetables left in the refrigerator drawer we just can't think what to do with?

  What a great excuse for this soup.  A few of each is all you need.  I always have homemade chicken stock in the freezer ready to go. The more flavorful stock, the better your end result.  You may use vegetable or beef stock too.  So easy to make.

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 LARGE BOWLS OF MINESTRONE SOUP

4 medium carrots cleaned/trimmed and diced.

4 medium zucchini / diced

4 red potatoes/ diced

(everything diced the same size into small cubes)

2 tablespoons celery diced

1 clove of garlic/ cleaned and diced/ or 2 tablespoons of red onion diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

One large enough tall pot to hold all your ingredients

8 cups of chicken stock or any stock or you may use plain water.  Using stock will intensify the flavor.

(Optional tomato paste/ one teaspoon to add while garlic/onion is cooking in pan.  This will add color to your soup and great flavor).

1 pinch  salt/ one for the garlic/ one teaspoon for the vegetables once added to the pot.

Parsley for Garnish

Some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

In the bottom of your pan add your olive oil and heat on medium. Add your garlic or onion.  Saute until fragrant. (You can add your tomato paste option here and mix for a few seconds).  

 Add a pinch of salt.  Add your cut up/diced potatoes, diced carrots/ 2 tablespoons celery, diced zucchini and mix.  Let your mixture heat up and add one teaspoon salt and mix again.  After about 5 minutes of heating, add your heated stock until all your vegetables are completely covered.  Add some parsley and set your lid ajar.  Let boil, then simmer for one hour.  Your vegetables will soften and cook. 

 Remove your lid and check your vegetables.  They should be very soft but still in tact.  At this point remove your soup from the heat and let cool.  Wait 30 minutes, and puree in your blender, a little at a time.  Garnish with parsley and serve with some grated Parmigiano cheese if you like.  Even drizzle a little olive oil if you like.   We added a little cooked elbow macaroni to the hot soup as my Mom often does even today.    Just another way to serve this delicious Minestrone Soup that is so good for you too. If you are lucky, you might even have some leftover for the next days lunch. Enjoy!  Buon Appetito.

SPECIAL NOTE:

1/2 Pound of elbow macaroni cooked until right before al dente and set aside (the pasta will continue to cook in the hot puree at the end)

You can also Puree it some, saving some of the cooked vegetable pieces.  Add some red pepper or unsmoked paprika before serving with focaccia croutons or just pieces of bread.

Pasta with Mussels in White wine

 

I had a craving for Mussels last night.  Searching through my local grocer was no laughing matter.  Sad to see all the frozen, over processed, ready made items, lined up like little soldiers.  I was determined to make this happen.  I found lovely boxes of Mussels.  Looking all over the box for the country of Origin, I thought I should have brought along a magnifying glass.  There it was,  in the tiniest of writing, "Product of New Zealand."  Well, why not?  I gave them a quick rinse upon arrival.  These vacuumed sealed bags, are easy to handle.  Cut them open, give them a quick rinse in the colander.

If you are using fresh, give them a gentle rinse, one by one and take a scrub brush to them.  

The cooking method is the same for both.  The fresh, require a longer cooking time, by about 10 minutes or so.   These frozen are hard to beat.  When you live in Northeast Mississippi, sometimes you don't have much choice.  What a wonderful surprise. 

Ingredients: One pound of mussels, cleaned and ready to use

4 tablespoons of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic / diced or chopped.  I like to leave the pieces large enough for removal later.   They are not normally removed from the pan. 

one cup of dry white wine

1+1/2 tablespoons of Salt for your pasta water

2 teaspoons of salt (Mussels)

One pinch of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon black pepper

Some parsley to taste

1/2 pound  pasta (approx 2 portions, I used spaghetti).

You must remember to remove your pasta before al'dente.  The secret to this dish is to let the pasta finishing cooking in the liquid with the mussels.  Then, pour everything into a serving dish. Here is the Method to one great dish.

Place an ample size pot of water on to boil.  Add your salt to your pasta water.   When its a rolling boil, add your spaghetti.  In the meantime, start cooking your mussels.  Remember, frozen mussels are already cooked and pasteurized.  So this method is very quick as you just want them brought back to life, not tasting like rubber. 

Method:   Heat your oil and garlic in a large enough saute pan or skillet that will accommodate your mussels and pasta.  Add your mussels, until they are heated through. Give them a gentle toss and add your white wine.  Turn your heat up some and let your wine begin to evaporate. 

 When your wine is about half and your pasta is just before al dente (doesn't bend very easily), drain it.  Reserve some of our pasta water (about a 1/2 cup), and add it all to the mussels. 

Cook for about 6 more minutes or so, until the pasta is cooked.  Add some salt and pepper here.  Your remaining liquid will evaporate but you will still have some delicious liquid, left in the pan.

Buon Appetito!

Special Note:

  1. Takes a little practice.  If you can't time it right, it will not hurt to turn your mussels off some. When your pasta gets to the stage you like,  add it to the pan and turn your heat back on.  The starch from the pasta water is VERY IMPORTANT  as it gives the this dish a creamier texture.   Just takes practice.  Enjoy!

2.  If using fresh Mussels.   The cooking method is a little different.  Be sure and add your mussels to the hot pan,  place the lid on the pan some and shake the pan.  Remove the lid after 2-4 minutes, until your mussels open completely.  Discard the ones that did not open.  (They were probably dead before they got there and not the fault of the cook).  Then continue with your white wine step along with your draining of your pasta.   Add your salt, pepper, parsley, right before serving.  Enjoy!

Special Note: You can even add a little pasta water before draining (about a 1/2 cup) to the mussels and clams.   The starch from the pasta water will help your condimento (mussels and clam mixture), become creamy and delicious when mixed. Just takes a little practice to determine how much liquid you prefer.  You want to pasta to be coated, not swimming.  hehehe. Enjoy!!! 

Pasta with Mussels (Red Sauce)

It's been a day of enlightenment for sure here at Sunday at the Giacometti's.   What better way to celebrate then simplicity at it's best.   I came across some fresh Mussels in the local market in Memphis, Tennessee and all I could think about is dish of pasta.   Who could blame me?
Ingredients for 4 people
12 oz of good quality, imported Italian dry spaghetti (I prefer Delverde)
8 quart pasta pot filled with water at a boil with 2 tablespoons of salt. 
One flat skillet, large enough to hold your ingredients.
3 cloves of garlic diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pinches of fresh hot pepper
one cup of white wine
1 pound of fresh, Black Mussels
12oz crushed/chopped tomatoes and their juice 
Handful of parsley
salt and pepper to taste 

Method: 
In a pan, saute your garlic and olive oil until fragrant on about Medium.   Add your Mussels and toss them about the pan.   Put a lid on the pan for a few minutes until the Mussels begin to open.   Add your white wine and continue to cook until every one of your mussels in wide open (a few minutes).  Those that do not open, just discard.  They need to be freshly opened.     Gently remove them from the pan and set aside in a bowl.   Leave a little liquid in the pan, along with the garlic.   If you pan looks dry,   Add some olive oil.   If not, add your 12 oz of dice tomatoes, your wine and let cook for about 8 minutes or so on a slow simmer.    Add salt and pepper and taste to correct for salt.   Add some chopped parsley and add your Mussels back to the pan.
Continue to coat and cook for a few minutes.   Meantime, add your pasta to the boiling water.  Turn your heat off your Mussels and set aside.   Cook your pasta for 8-10 minutes until al dente.  Reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid and add it to your mussels.  Drain your pasta and toss with  with your mussels.  Take it to the table in a hurry, you won't be able to resist a taste.  Don't forget a good, crisp white wine to serve along side.  Buon Appetito!

Olive Rolls (Pagnottelle con le Olive)

Makes 10 olive rolls

1/2 cup oil cured French Nicoise olives pitted

3 cups of unbleached All Purpose flour (plus some extra for your board)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup plus 1/2 cup warm water  (warm to the touch)

1 teaspoon of salt

Method:  Whether by food processor or by hand, this should take you just a few minutes to prepare.  I like to start my bread to rise the night before.  The bread has all night to rest and rise.  Remember some basic things about bread making:  the longer it rises, the more flavorful it will be.  It will also be light and airy inside.  Be patient,  your end result will be perfect.

Into a bowl, proof your yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water.  If you are using the food processor, just place it in the food processor bowl and pulse.   In a separate bowl, measure you flour, add your salt and mix.   Add your additional water to your bowl of your food processor and pulse once.  Turn your machine on and begin to add your flour until your bowl is empty.  After just about 30 seconds you will begin to see your dough forming a ball.  You want it to be sticky to the touch.  Turn your bowl over onto your floured counter and bring it together into a stick ball shape.  Do not worry if its sticky.  This process is very much like making my "Pane di Nonno" except we are making rolls. (That we will discuss later).  Place the ball back in a bowl, covered.  Place it in a dark kitchen cabinet, covered with a plate  or plastic wrap so the air is trapped inside and the ball of flour doesn't dry out.

Leave for up to 12 hours to rise.  I left mine overnight.  In the meantime pit your black olives and cut them into tiny pieces and place in a covered bowl.  Set aside for later.

The next morning, remove your bowl from your cabinet and you will notice your flour has risen and is quite sticky.  Remove it onto a floured surface and form into a ball.  This should take 10 seconds.  Be sure to flatten and shape into a ball.  Set it into the bowl for one hour. 

Remove the ball onto a floured surface  and pat down.  Add your chopped black olives and work them right into the dough.

  Do Not worry if they look uneven, it's part of the charm of making this type of bread.  Divide your ball of flour  into to 8 inch logs with a pastry cutter or knife.  Form and shape into a log and let rest 30 more minutes.  

At this point if you have a non stick cupcake pan, sprinkle your cornmeal into 10 of the cupcake forms. 

Divide each log into 5 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a ball.  Place the balls into the cupcake forms.

If you do not have a cupcake pan, use a cookie sheet.  You do not need fancy equipment. 

Let them rest another hour in the pan.  They will continue to rise.  Do not be alarmed if they are slightly uneven. 

Heat your oven to 450 degrees/ bake

Bake them for 45 minutes.  You will notice they will keep growing in the oven.  It will be hard to resist just one. 

 Buon Appetito Everyone!

Special note:  If you do not have a food processor, do not worry.  With a wooden spoon or your hands, mix your flour and water until its just come together. It will be sticky and wet.  It does not have to be kneaded, just mixed.  Cover your bowl and follow the rest of the above steps.

Pasta with Sausage and Mascarpone (cooking class/Marcella Hazan version)

This is a re-post for my Students.  This recipe was used in our recent cooking class.  We used  Rigatoni and it works just the same with any Tubular shaped Pasta.  Buon Appetito.

 I have seen variations of this recipe in several cookbooks over the years.  This dish dates back to Ancient Rome. In recent years, it can be seen traditionally served with the sausage stuffed inside a Tortellini Pasta.  Marscarpone and Parmigiano Cheese is added right before serving to to give this dish it's creamy texture. 

In an effort to make it just a little healthier, (which is virtually impossible and why bother),  I made this dish two different ways today.  My boys, did not suspect a thing.  One was made classically with Pork sausage, the other with chicken sausage.   They loved it all.  I must say, the chicken sausage was quite flavorful and went very well with this dish. Do not get the chicken sausage with the cheese inside.  Seems to be something relatively new and so unnecessary.  Meat only chicken sausage is best.  The chicken sausage was also much dryer in the pan after it was cooked.  The pork sausage required draining of the fat.  Who doesn't like sausage? I am glad I rode my bike 4 miles today.  It was so worth it. 

INGREDIENTS:  FOR 4 PEOPLE

3 TABLESPOONS  OF CHOPPED  ONION

4 MEDIUM  LINKS OF SAUSAGE (PORK OR CHICKEN), CASING REMOVED, ABOUT 12 OUNCES

2 TABLESPOONS OF VEGETABLE OIL

ONE CUP OF WHITE WINE

2 TABLESPOONS OF MASCARPONE CHEESE

4 TABLESPOONS PARMIGIANO REGGIANO

12 OZ OF RIGATONI PASTA OR ANY LARGE TUBULAR SHAPED PASTA WILL DO

SALT FOR THE PASTA WATER

PINCH OF SALT/PEPPER TO TASTE

This is a quick and easy recipe that will have you at the table in less that 30 minutes.

Place your water on to boil for your pasta. In a large skillet, heat your oil.  Add your onion and cook until fragrant and soft.  Add your sausage and brown, always on medium heat.  Add your white wine and let reduce.  Your pan will be come almost dry.  You will be left with some oil in the bottom of the pan.  If it's in excess of 3 tablespoons, drain some of the fat or spoon it away. Set aside and add Mascarpone cheese and do not mix. The heat from the pan will melt it a little.   Cook your pasta and drain.  Add your pasta to your skillet and mix.  Add your Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and serve~There is even some left over for tomorrow's lunch!  Buon Appetito~

Nonno's Pasta e Patate

This is another classic dish you just should not live without any time of year.   It translates to a classic Italian potato soup and is quite delicious.   This wonderful minestra is perfect after a long weekend of  Holiday eating.  You don't have to have very much fat in the pan to get good flavor.  My grandfather's favorite dish.   He believed in eating it at least once a week.    He was from Taranto (Puglia), and retired from Italy's rail system,  the Ferrovie.  He was a tall, thin man,  considering his starchy diet.  He believed moderation was the key to a long life.  He was correct.
  This dish was a family staple especially when Nonno would visit on Friday nights.  My mother always used white potatoes due to the fact that they break down very easily when cooked and could feed more than just a few people.
Today, this version utilizes small red potato's.  I prefer to use red potatoes for  many reasons.  They tend to be less starchy, slightly sweeter when cooked and hold their shape so much better.  In the end, your plate is full and you actually eat less. Although, I must admit, I had a second helping. 
 This is very rustic.  Feel free to use white potato's if you like.  It will not be pretty but it will still be delicious.
Ingredients:  Serves 4/ 6 oz bowls
10-12 small/med red potato's
One large pasta pot to hold your soup
1/2 cup spanish onion diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon diced garlic/ or leave the clove whole and remove it before serving
4 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoons of pepper
one handful of parsely
One bay leaf (optional), remove before serving
1 cup of white wine
2 teaspoon of tomato paste
4 cups of water or vegetable broth if you have it on hand.  We always used water.

Method:
Into a bowl, peel your potatoes.  Set your potatoes into a bowl of cold water with one teaspoon of salt  and let rest for about 10 minutes. (The salt will help expell the additonal dirt away from the potato while it's under water).  Rinse and drain your potatoes and pat dry.  Set aside.

You will see some dirty water after draining your potatoes.

Into a pan large enough to accommodate your soup, heat your olive oil.
Add your onion and garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add your tomato paste and give it a stir for a few minutes.  Add potato's and mix until heated.  Add your salt, pepper and white wine.  Turn the heat up and let reduce.  Add your water to cover.   Add approximately enough water to cover your potatoes by at least 2 inches.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat and set your lid ajar. Let cook for 45 minutes. 
  There is no science to it.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  It just has to be good.  Just a few minutes before your soup is done,  drop in your pasta.   You will only need about 4 ounces of pasta for this.  It goes a long way.  If you are like me, there is always a package with some left in the box to use.  This is the perfect excuse.  Cook until its done to your liking.  Keep in mind, as the soup cools down, the pasta will continue to cook.  Be sure and just pull it off the heat when the pasta is almost al dente. 

A special note about using dried pasta:    Please try to  use a "Made in Italy" product.  

 Add some additional salt if needed.  Let rest just a few minutes before serving.  Buon Appetito!

I sprinkled a little red pepper on top for color and taste~Buon Appetito!