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

1 ½ pounds green beans, the smallest you can find
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 tablespoon minced sun-dried tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Snap off both ends of the beans and wash them under cold running water. Bring a medium-size saucepan half full of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the beans and cook, uncovered, until tender but still a bit crunchy, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on size. Drain and immediately plunge the beans in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and to set their green color. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir for about 1 minute, making sure not to let the garlic turn too dark. Add the green beans, season with salt and pepper, and stir just long enough to heat the beans through, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

The Recipe

Source: From Biba’s Italian Kitchen by Biba Caggiano

For the Filling:

2 pounds baby artichokes
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons minced sun-dried tomatoes
¼ pound ricotta
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
salt to taste

For the Ravioli:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 extra-large eggs

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 fresh, ripe plum tomatoes, about ¾ pound, seeded and diced
6-8 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
salt to taste
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Prepare the Filling:

Remove the green leaves of the artichokes by snapping them off at the base. Stop when the leaves closer to the base are pale yellow and the tips of the artichokes are green. Slice off the green top. Cut the stem off at the base and, with a small knife, trim off the remaining green part at the base. Cut the artichokes into small wedges and place them in a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

Bring a medium-size saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the artichokes, and cook gently until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain artichokes, place in a bowl, and cool.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes, and stir for a few minutes. Put the artichokes mixture in the bowl of a food processor and turn the machine on and off until the artichokes are chopped very fine. Make sure they are not pureed; they should retain a bit of granular consistency. Place the artichokes mixture in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, Parmigiano, and parsley, and season with salt. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a few hours to firm up the filling.

Prepare the pasta dough, using the flour and eggs in this recipe.

Roll out the dough and prepare ravioli.

Prepare the sauce:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the tomatoes and the basil, and season with salt. Cook, stirring a few times, until the tomatoes are soft and their juice has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and turn the heat off under the skillet.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the ravioli. Cook, uncovered, over high heat until ravioli are tender but still a bit firm to the bite. Drain ravioli and place in the skillet with the sauce. Toss gently and quickly over low heat until the pasta and the sauce are well combined. If pasta seems dry, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmigiano.