Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Inspiration:
I love, love, love Carbonara. It's one of my comfort foods. Tim isn't a huge fan, so I eat it when he's working late or has other plans. It's so easy to make and perfect for a cold night in.
This recipe is from Tyler Florence.


Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.

4. Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Pass more cheese around the table.

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Sicilian Shepherd's Tomato Pasta with Fresh Ricotta

Inspiration:
Lynne Rossetto Kasper of The Splendid Table on NPR


Ingredients:

• 1 15-ounce container creamy whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup coarsely chopped salami (such as soppressata or Genoa)
• 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 10 large fresh sage leaves, snipped
• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley leaves, snipped
• 2 medium onions (about 1 cup), chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large cloves, garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 28-ounce can and 1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and cut up
• 1 pound penne rigate or bucatini pasta
• 6 quarts boiling salted water

Instructions:

1. Let ricotta come to room temperature. In a 12-inch skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the salami; cook to release a little of its fat. Stir in the celery, carrot, sage, parsley, onions, black pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until thick.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain in a colander.
4. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss together over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Spread about one-third of the pasta in a warm serving bowl. Top with one-third of the ricotta. Layer in more pasta and ricotta, then the remaining pasta; finish with a few spoonfuls of ricotta. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes:

Soffritto is literally a "sautéed base" and is the building block for tomato sauce. This pasta dish features the best of pasta, cheese and tomatoes all in one place. Lynne Rossetto Kasper, author and radio show host of "The Splendid Table®," is fond of this dish. Use the sweetest, creamiest ricotta cheese you can find. Soppressata or Genoa salami add a pleasant amount of spice to this pasta dish; you can find these varieties at a gourmet food store.

Notes:
This was a new twist on pasta sauce- I really enjoyed it. It's amazing how much better homemade sauce tastes. This was a fairly easy recipe as long as you don't mind chopping some vegetables. You could surely make the sauce ahead of time. Before eating, boil the pasta, warm up the sauce, and toss together.

I am not the world's biggest fan of ricotta cheese, but this was good. I think the sauce would be just fine without the ricotta. I did attempt to find sheep's milk ricotta without success- when I can find some, I'll try this again!

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Sausage Risotto with Mustard Greens

Inspiration:
Bon Appétit

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch dandelion greens, Swiss chard, or mustard greens (12 ounces), tough bottom stems removed, leaves cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 6 ounces mild Italian sausage (about 1 1/2 links), casings removed
• 2 cups arborio rice (13 to 14 ounces)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 3/4 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Instructions:

1. Cook greens in boiling salted water just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain; cool.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sausage; sauté until brown, breaking up with spoon, about 3 minutes.
   

3. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until wine is almost absorbed. Add 1 cup broth. Stir until broth is almost absorbed. Add remaining 4 cups broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more. Mix in greens after 10 minutes. Cook until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, 25 minutes total. Mix in cheese and remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve risotto, passing additional cheese.

Notes: Tim stirred. He says stirring is his best kitchen task, and as we all know, risotto needs some good stirring!

Vegetarian Option: Replace sausage with additional greens or mushrooms and use vegetable broth.

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Pesto alla Anna

Inspiration:
A Lidia Bastianich recipe, adapted and printed in GQ


Ingredients:

• handful of almonds, lightly toasted
• bunch of fresh basil
• 1 large clove garlic
• pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
• salt and black pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (for the non-vegans)

Instructions:

1. Boil water for the pasta, and cook when ready.
2. Place the almonds, a handful of the basil, the garlic, and red-pepper flakes in a food processor. Process while drizzling in about a half cup of olive oil, until pureed but still chunky.
   
3. Add the cherry tomatoes. Process until incorporated. The sauce should look like bolognese--thick and hearty, a yellowish orange. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Just before pasta is done, scoop out about a cup of cooking water. Drain pasta.
5. Place sauce in a large serving bowl. Add some of the water (start with just a little) and stir until the sauce is smooth.
6. Add pasta to the bowl and toss until coated. Let cool a bit, then toss with lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano (if desired).
7. Taste. Season. Serve. Devour.

Recipe Notes: A bright, bracing alternative to traditional pesto genovese. And as easy a recipe as you'll find, provided you own a food processor.

My Notes: Super easy and flavorful. A nice bright bunch of flavors as spring arrives but the winter produce still fills the grocery store.

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Malfatti

Inspiration:
NY Times Magazine


Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh spinach (weighed after trimming) or 2 packages frozen

• 6 ounces crusty Italian bread (about half a loaf)

• Hot water

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 to 1 cup dry, coarse bread crumbs

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• Flour

• 3 cups hot tomato sauce, preferably homemade

Instructions:

1. Cook the fresh spinach in the water clinging to the leaves after washing, or cook the frozen according to package instructions. Drain over a bowl, squeezing out as much water as possible — do this in small handfuls so you can press out the most water — and chop. Reserve the water.
2. Briefly soak the bread in the reserved spinach water plus enough hot water to cover and squeeze dry.
3. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix the spinach, bread, sautéed onion and garlic and put through the finest blade of a meat grinder or pulse in a food processor until chopped, then scrape into a mixing bowl.
4. Add 1/2 cup of the dry bread crumbs, the cup of Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper and basil. Stir in the eggs. With lightly floured hands, gently shape the mixture into sausagelike links, 1 inch round by 3 inches long. If they do not hold together, add more bread crumbs. Lay on a baking sheet.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the links, one at a time, into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to let the water barely simmer and cook until the malfatti float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and place in a greased baking dish, large enough to fit the malfatti in a single layer.
6. Spoon the tomato sauce over the links, sprinkle with lots of cheese and broil to reheat.

Recipe Notes:
My Notes: This was time-consuming, but fun to make on a Saturday afternoon that Tim had to work. I clearly didn't broil as directed in step 6, because I knew I couldn't put pyrex in my broiler and I didn't feel like digging around for the right pan. These were surprisingly light, and really delicious. Other recipes for malfatti include ricotta cheese, which I may try next time.


Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("I feel like I am in Italy again.")

Bucatini All'Amatriciana

Inspiration:
When in Italy, one of my favorite pasta dishes is bucatini all'amatriciana. If you're ever in Rome, head over to La Matriciana near the Vatican for a fantastic meal.

Bucatini is a hollow spaghetti, and for some reason the hole in the middle makes it taste a lot better. :) I had difficulty finding bucatini in the United States, but when I saw it at Trader Joe's, I picked up a few packages for 99 cents each. w00t!

The amatriciana sauce recipe is from Emeril. The tomatoes and onions were from our CSA.


Ingredients:

• 5 ounces raw pancetta, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound canned chopped tomatoes
  
• 1 pound fresh bucatini, cooked until tender
• 2 tablespoons chiffonade basil
• 4 ounces freshly grated pecorino
• red pepper flakes, for garnish
  

Ingredients:

1. In large saute pan, over medium heat, cook pancetta until crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

2. Add olive oil to saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add onions to saute pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until wilted, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the wine and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and reserved pancetta back to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 15 minutes.

4. In a large mixing bowl, toss the pasta with the tomato sauce, basil, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Notes:
Pancetta is delicious. That's all.
I used two large tomatoes, chopped, in place of the canned tomatoes.


Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Pomodori al Riso

Inspiration:
A dish Tim and I made in our Rome cooking class
and
Tomatoes, garlic, basil, and parsley from our CSA


Ingredients:

• 4 large squat-shaped large tomatoes
• basil
• parsley
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 6 heaped tablespoons of Arborio rice
• grated Parmesan (optional)
  

Instructions:

1. Remove stems from tomatoes, turn upside down and evenly cut off bottoms, reserving them. With a kitchen spoon or grapefruit spoon, carefully scoop out the tomatoes into a bowl, leaving the "shell" intact. Reserve all contents.
2. Place scooped tomato in a blender or liquidizer, add plenty of parsley and basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and some olive oil. Blend until smooth. Place in a saucepan, add rice, and bring to a boil, cooking for about 4 minutes.
3. Place tomatoes cut-side up in an oiled baking dish, fill up to 2/3 with rice mixture, adding a little water if it's too thick. Close with cut off tops. Spread any leftover rice around tomatoes.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cooked, about 30 minutes. You can test by removing one of the tops from a tomato and tasting the rice. It should be fairly al dente.
   

Recipe Notes:
Traditionally in Rome these tomatoes are baked surrounded by potatoes cut like French fries, adding some water and olive oil. I [the cooking class instructor] prefer the extra rice around them, which is very tasty!

My Notes:
Pomodori al Riso = "Rice Stuffed Tomatoes"
I forgot to reserve the tops of the tomatoes, whoops! Next time. Actually, next time I think I'll make this recipe from Food & Wine instead. The stuffed tomatoes made a nice presentation, but the crispy risotto cooked in the pan tasted even better!

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10 ("I definitely like the crispy risotto from the pan the best.")
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Homemade Pizza

Inspiration:
A desire to make another edible yeast-bread recipe.

Ingredients/Instructions:

• pizza dough (see link for instructions)
  
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
  
• pizza sauce (just mix together)
  
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• toppings
  
• cheddar/mozzarella cheese
• pepperoni

Notes:
I was finally able to find instant yeast at the co-op. Finally! I can't believe I couldn't find it at our other 4 grocery stores, including Whole Foods. This was so easy, and tasty, we were very impressed with ourselves. We'll be making pizza quite often!

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Inspiration:
Free-range chicken from the co-op and parsley from our CSA

Ingredients/Instructions:
Martha Stewart

Notes:
Easy! This was very easy and quick to put together. I loved the lemon zest.

Per Serving:
429 calories, 6.1 grams fat, 81.9 grams protein, 35.8 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Giada's Pasta alla Caprese

Inspiration:
Modified from Giada's "Fusilli alla Caprese" recipe.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces whole-wheat farfalle pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn (do not use dried basil)
  
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a potato masher or a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. If needed, add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Notes:
This was a great fresh-tasting recipe. It was relatively quick to make, except for quartering the tomatoes. If you're in a huge rush, you could probably substitute the fresh tomatoes with drained canned tomatoes, but it would lose a bit of "freshness."


Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza

Inspiration:
A recipe in the Top Chef Cookbook (from Frank, season 2), modified to include arugula.

Ingredients:

Pizza Sauce:

• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, minced
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1 15-oz. can tomato puree
  
• 1 T tomato paste
  
• 1/4 cup red wine
  
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
  
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
  
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Crust and Toppings:

• 4 whole wheat pita bread rounds
  
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  
• 12 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
  
• 8 slices prosciutto, torn into pieces
  
• 1 bunch arugula, washed, stemmed, and torn into pieces
  
• Balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.


2. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until soft, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, wine, oregano, basil, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.


3. Drizzle the pitas with the oil and season with salt and pepper.


4. Spread the sauce over the pitas, then top with the cheese.


5. Place the pizzas on a baking sheet, transfer to the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp, about 20 minutes.
   


6. Meanwhile, toss prosciutto and arugula with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.


7. Remove from the oven and scatter the prosciutto and arugula mixture on top. Cut each pizza into 4 slices and serve immediately.

Notes: The sauce is delicious. The pitas were crispy. I will be using and continuing to modify this recipe in the future!

Suggested beverage: red wine

Liz's Rating: 10/10 for the sauce and toppings, 8/10 for the pita crust.
Tim's Rating (he had a pepperoni version): 8.5/10 (When he was done eating: "I'm sad it's over.")

Tim Cooks: Pepperoni Rolls

Inspiration:
Modified from this recipe on the blog Sweet Tea in Texas, which came from Michelle's blog, Sugar and Spice.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf refrigerated bread dough
• turkey pepperoni
• shredded mozzarella
• butter
• Italian seasoning
• garlic salt
• olive oil
• dried parsley (optional)
  
• pizza sauce
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 350F.
2. Take the dough out of the container & lay it flat. Cut it in half & roll out two rectangles. Spread a little butter over the dough. Sprinkle that with some Italian seasoning & garlic salt. Layer the pepperoni on the dough, and cover with mozzarella cheese.
3. Roll up lengthwise and seal the ends and seam. Place seam-side down in a baking pan.
4. Brush a small amount of olive oil over the top; sprinkle with dried parsley.
   
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.
   

Suggested Beverage: Red Wine

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Giada's Chicken Piccata

Inspiration:
Giada's recipe

Ingredients:

• 1lb. boneless skinless chicken tenders
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brined capers, thoroughly rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate.
   

3. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Suggested Beverage: Pinot Grigio (Lindeman's Bin 85 Sauvignon Blanc)

Notes: I like the sauce, but the chicken was a little blah.

Tim's Rating: 7/10 ("It's fine, I'd eat it, I just don't like it that much. I'd rather eat tacos if I had the choice.")
Tim's Second Helping: 8/10 ("It's growing on me, I am changing my rating to an 8.")
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Giada's Shrimp Lasagna Rolls

Inspiration:
Giada's recipe, featured on Brooke's blog.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) container whole-milk ricotta
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1.5 cups marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 6-8 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and saute until shrimp are cooked, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a bowl with 1 cup ricotta cheese, the Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, 3/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.
• In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with remaining 1 cup ricotta and stir to combine.
• To make lasagna, cover the bottom of a baking dish with 1/2 cup marinara mixture. Lay 4 noodles flat on a dry work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup shrimp mixture evenly over each noodle. Roll up and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat twice more to make 6-8 lasagna rolls.
• Drizzle the rolls with the remaining marinara mixture and top with mozzarella. Bake until lasagna rolls are heated through and cheese begins to brown, about 25 minutes.

Notes: The ingredients/instructions above reflect the fact that I halved the recipe, which made 8 rolls, or 3-4 servings. You can see the full recipe and results on Brooke's blog.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Florentine Mac and Cheese and Roast Chicken Sausage Meatballs

Inspiration:
Modified a recipe by Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• salt
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• Black pepper
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs, plus more, if needed*
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach, stemmed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
   
2. Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the pasta to cook to al dente. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

3. While the water is coming to a boil, in a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, salt and pepper, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano - a rounded handful, egg and bread crumbs. *If the mixture seems too wet, add a handful of bread crumbs and mix together.

4. Form 8 large round balls, about 3 to 4-inches. Coat balls in a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange balls on the baking sheet and roast 17 to 18 minutes until juices run clear

5. While the meatballs roast, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, add spinach and thicken 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup grated Parmigiano and reduce heat on lowest setting.

6. Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings.

7. Serve Florentine Mac-n-Cheese with 2 meatballs per person along side.

Notes: The chicken meatballs are really, really good. The fennel shines in the dish. The sauce is also pretty good- not gluey like I was expecting.

Tim's Rating: 9/10 ("Can you make these again next week?")
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Balsamic Bruschetta

Inspiration:
Book Club
Kathy Bias's recipe at www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 8 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 loaf French bread, toasted and sliced

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.
   
2. Serve on toasted bread slices.

Notes: This makes a LOT of the tomato mixture. I would make less next time.

Tim's Rating: ?/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Stracciatella (Italian Parmesan and Egg Soup)

Inspiration:
We tried two versions of this delicious soup while in Rome during March 2007.
This recipe comes from the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
  
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• freshly grated lemon zest (optional)
  

Instructions:

1. Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk together the egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, and garlic.
3. Stir this mixture rapidly into the simmering stock and stir until the egg is set, 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Ladle into warmed bowls and garnish with lemon zest.
   

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, Spinach, and Cream

In process

Finished product

Inspiration:
Cara Brunetti Hillyard
Featured in Bon Appétit, January 2006

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage (casings removed, if necessary)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
• 1 14.5-ounce diced tomatoes with liquid
• 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound whole wheat corkscrew or farfalle pasta
  
• Optional: 1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
  and/or freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions:

• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
  
• Add sausage and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes.
  
• Add onion, spinach and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer.
  
• Add tomatoes and cream.
  
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.
  
• Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot.
  
• Add sausage mixture and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry.
  
• Transfer pasta to serving dish. Sprinkle with basil. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Tim's Rating:7/10 (doesn't like chunky meat sauce)
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Ribollita

(not my photo)

Inspiration:
Cold-Weather Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 carrots, peeled and minced
• 4 ribs celery, minced
• 1 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 small head green cabbage, shredded
• 1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, undrained
• 8 ounces beet greens or Swiss chard, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 slices (each 1 inch thick) stale French or Italian bread
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnishes: olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, minced scallions

Instructions:

1. The day before serving, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot.
   
2. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, parsley, and thyme. Saute 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes, beet greens, and spinach; toss to combine with the other vegetables.
4. Stir in the chicken (or vegetable) broth and red wine.
5. Simmer the soup uncovered until the vegetables are very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
6. Fifteen minutes before the soup is done, stir in cannellini beans and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Ladle one-third of the soup into a clean stockpot. Cover with 4 slices of the bread and 3/4 cup Parmesan. Cover the bread layer with another third of the soup. Make a layer of the remaining bread and 3/4 cup Parmesan. Cover with the remaining soup. Refrigerate overnight.
8. About 30 minutes before serving, reheat the soup over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot.
   
9. Ladle the soup into large soup bowls and garnish each serving with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan and scallions. Serve at once.
   

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Orecchiette with Toasted Breadcrumbs

(not my photo)

Inspiration:
Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried orecchiette or other small shaped pasta
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup Italian-seasoned dried bread crumbs
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup finely chopped prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water.
   
2. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saute pan, heat the oil until warm. Since the bread crumbs will cook quickly, you don't want to add them into a hot pan, otherwise they can burn.
4. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly. Season lightly with salt and pepper since flavored bread crumbs may already have seasoning. Saute for about 2 minutes.
   
5. Remove from heat and set aside.
   
6. Drain pasta in a colander.
   
7. Working quickly, add pasta to the saute pan and stir to combine. Add Parmesan and the chopped prosciutto. Mix thoroughly.
   
8. Pour into large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.

Tim's Rating: ?/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10