The Recipe

Source: The Silver Spoon

1/4 cup butter
1 thick slice cooked, cured ham, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup vodka
3 cups penne rigate
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a pan, add the ham, tomato paste and parsley, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and vodka and cook until the vodka has evaporated. Cook the penne in a large pan of salted, boiling water until al dente, then drain and tip into a warm serving dish. Pour the sauce over the pasta.

The Recipe

Source: A Cook’s Tour of Italy by Joe Famularo

1 pound cremini or button mushrooms
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound pasta bows
4 cups finely shredded fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Wipe the mushrooms with damp kitchen towels, cut off and discard the tough stem ends and slice the mushrooms thinly. Put in a bowl with the lemon juice and toss well.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the garlic and Marsala. Cook for about 3 minutes and add the mushrooms. Stir well and cook 8 minutes longer. Add the cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Keep this sauce at a simmer for about 5 minutes and then remove from the heat.

Cook the pasta until al dente according to directions on the package. Drain and return the pasta to the pan in which it cooked. Add the spinach, reserving about 1/3 cup, and the cream sauce. Toss lightly but well. To serve, apportion the pasta and add a heaping tablespoon of Parmesan over the top of each serving. Arrange the reserved spinach over the cheese. Serve right away.

The Recipe

Source: The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 medium carrot, minced
1/2 medium stalk celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 ounces pancetta, minced
4 ounces mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
12 ounces chicken thighs, skinned, boned, and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice
4 ounces turkey or chicken giblets, trimmed and finely chopped, or 4 ounces lean ground pork
4 ounces lean beef chuck, finely chopped
1 California bay laurel leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
Generous pinch of ground cloves
1 1/4 cups poultry or meat stock
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons imported Italian tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mincing the meats by hand makes for better browning and gives a silkier texture to the sauce. [Umm, I bought a bag of ground meat from the butcher shop.] In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables and pancetta. Leisurely saute, stirring often, until they begin to color, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage, chicken, giblets, beef, and bay leaf. Cook over high heat 8 more minutes, or until they begin to brown. Lower the heat to medium, and continue sauteing, stirring often with a wooden spatula, 10 minutes, or until the meat is rich dark brown. It should sizzle quietly in the pan, not violently pop and sputter. Slow browning protects the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan.

Drain off fat by tipping the browned meat into a large sieve and shaking it. Put the meat back into the pan, placing it over medium-high heat. Add the wine and cloves. Cook at a lively bubble 3 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated. As the wine bubbles, use a wooden spatula to scrape up the brown glaze from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1/4 cup of the stock. Take about 3 minutes to cook it down to nothing. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and another 1/4 cup of stock; bubble it down to nothing again. Turn the mixture into a 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan.

Add the remaining stock to the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, uncovered, 30 to 45 minutes, or until the stock has reduced by about one third and the sauce is moist but not loose. Add the cream, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste. Allow the ragu to cool; cover and refrigerate. Defat the ragu when it is cold.

Toss the reheated ragu with cooked pasta as suggested above. Serve in heated bowls, passing freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese separately.

The Recipe

Source: A Taste of Southern Italy by Marlena de Blasi

1 small head white or green cauliflower
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 pound cima di rape [Hard-to-find Italian turnip greens] or dandelion greens, beet greens, or red chard
2 ounces anchovies, preserved under salt
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 small, dried red chile pepper, crushed, or 1/3 to ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
3 fat cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and finely minced
3 ounces dried black olives, stones removed (optional)
12 ounces orecchiette
coarse sea salt for the pasta water
1 cup just-grated pecorino
1 cup just-made fine bread crumbs, sautéed in ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Trim the cauliflower of its leaves and place it, whole, in a pot, covering it with cold water, adding 1 tablespoon of the fine sea salt and poaching it until tender. Drain the cauliflower and set it aside. Wash and trim the rape and place them in a pot, covering them with cold water, adding the remaining table of salt and poaching them for 3 minutes. Drain the rape very well, transferring them to absorbent paper towels. When the rape are cooled a bit, squeeze each piece, extracting as much water as you can before chopping them coarsely and placing them in a bowl. Add the poached cauliflower, breaking it up and blending it lightly with the rape.

Rinse the anchovies and remove their heads and bones. Dry them on paper towels and crush lightly with a fork.

In a sauté pan over a medium flame, warm the olive oil, scenting it with the fennel, crushed chile, and garlic, taking care not to color the garlic. Add the anchovies and the olives, if you wish to use them, stirring and blending the components. Add this hot mixture to the bowl with the rape and the cauliflower, smashing the whole against the sides of the bowl, permitting the vegetables to inhale the hot, spicy bath.

Cook the orecchiette in abundant, sea-salted water until al dente, draining the pasta but leaving it somewhat wet. Reserve ½ cup or so of its cooking liquids. Transfer the pasta to a large, shallow, warmed bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the cooking liquids and the pecorino to the sauce, thinning it only slightly. Add a few drops more of the cooking liquids only if the sauce is still extremely thick. Add the sauce to the pasta, tossing it and coating each little ear.

Dust the pasta with the browned bread crumbs and present the dish with a rough but honorable red wine.

The Recipe

Source: A Taste of Southern Italy by Marlena de Blasi

4 fat cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
zest of 1 large orange, removed in strips with a potato peeler
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
1 small, dried red chile pepper, crushed, or 1/3 to ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 cup good red wine
4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, drained of their oil and thinly shredded
4 ounces dried black olives, stones removed
12 ounces bucatini or other dried string pasta
coarse sea salt for the water
1 handful of torn basil leaves

With a mezzalune or a very sharp knife, mince the garlic and the zest to a paste.

In a sauté pan over a medium flame, heat the olive oil and add the almonds, sautéing them a minute or two in the oil, taking care not to let them get too dark. Remove from the flame and add the garlic/orange paste and the crushed chile, stirring them about and permitting them to scent the oil and the almonds. Set the pan aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the wine and add the sun-dried tomatoes and the dried olives, bringing the mixture just to a simmer. Remove the pan from the flame, cover it, and permit the tomatoes and the olives to plump up a bit for 10 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and the olives with a slotted spoon and add them to the sauté pan with the almonds. Reduce the remaining wine over a lively flame to a tablespoon or so and add it to the sauté pan.

Cook the pasta in abundant boiling, sea-salted water to al dente, draining it but leaving it somewhat wet. Transfer the pasta to a large, shallow, warmed bowl, tossing it with the just rewarmed sauce, coating each strand. Strew the pasta with a few torn leaves of basil and present it with good red wine.

The Recipe

Source: From Biba’s Italian Kitchen by Biba Caggiano

For the spinach tagliatelle:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons cooked, finely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, squeezed of all moisture

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1/3 cup minced carrot
1/3 cup minced celery
1/4 pound prosciutto, cut into a 1/8-inch slice and then cut into thin strips
3 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, with their juices, put through a food mill to remove the seeds
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Prepare the spinach dough as instructed on pages 48-49, using the flour and the eggs in this recipe.

Roll out the dough and cut it into tagliatelle as instructed on page 50.

Prepare the sauce: Heat the butter and oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring, until vegetables are lightly golden and soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the prosciutto and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the tomatoes and the cream and season with salt and just a touch of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, until sauce has a medium-thick consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the tagliatelle. Cook, uncovered, over high heat until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite.

Drain the pasta and place it in a large, heated, serving bowl. Add the sauce and about 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, and mix well. Serve at once with additional Parmigiano.

The Recipe

Source: Pasta Improvvisata : How to Improvise in Classic Italian Style by Erica De Mane

Peperonata Sauce – For One Pound of Pasta

5 or 6 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 or 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
3 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
a handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Roast the peppers over a gas flame until charred on all sides. Place in a paper bag to steam. When cool enough to handle, remove the charred skins, wiping off excess black spots. Seed the peppers and cut into thin strips.

In a large skillet, heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the roasted peppers and saute a minute to blend the flavors. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute longer, just to release its aroma. Add the tomatoes, basil, and parsley; season with salt and pepper; and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, just until all the ingredients begin to thicken and the flavors come together. You can cover the pan if you like a sauce to have a little more liquid. Check the seasonings. The peppers should have a touch of sweetness but also a pleasant acidity.

Ziti with Peperonata, Almonds, and Green Olives

Ingredients for 1 recipe Peperonata Sauce
a generous handful of blanched almonds, lightly toasted
about 1/2 cup pitted green olives, cut in half
a splash of balsamic vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pound ziti

Prepare the peperonata sauce and add all the remaining ingredients except the ziti. Heat gently over medium-low heat in a large skillet for 2 or 3 minutes to warm through and blend the flavors. Check the seasoning.

Cook the ziti until al dente, drain, and add to the pan. Toss well and check the seasoning. Serve hot. This dish also tastes wonderful at room temperature.

The Recipe

Source: Pasta Improvvisata : How to Improvise in Classic Italian Style by Erica de Mane

Ziti with Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce, Prosciutto, Black Olives, and Hot Chile

1 recipe Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce [see below]
3 or 4 thin slices prosciutto, trimmed of some fat, cut in small pieces
a large handful of black olives, pitted and cut in half (I use Gaeta here)
1 fresh red or green chile, seeded and very finely minced (taste a bit of the flesh to see how hot it is; you may want to add only a tiny amount)
1 pound ziti

Make the tomato sauce and, while it is still warm, mix in the prosciutto, olives, and chile.

Cook the ziti until al dente, drain, and toss with the sauce.

Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce

about 15 plum tomatoes (2 to 2 ½ pounds), coarsely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
a few tablespoons olive oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
a small handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
a small handful of fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 500 F.

Place the chopped tomatoes on a baking sheet. They shouldn’t be too crowded, so if you think it is necessary, use 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Mix the tomatoes with your hands until they are well coated with oil. Distribute them evenly in one layer on the baking sheet. Roast about 10 minutes, stirring the tomatoes once or twice so they cook evenly. Sprinkle the garlic and the herbs on top of the tomatoes and mix briefly. Roast another 5 to 10 minutes. The tomatoes should be slightly browned around the edges of the pan but still moist. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl, and while still hot, break them up a bit with a fork, saving all the juices.