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I love this pasta on a cold, foggy San Francisco night. It’s easy to make and is extremely comforting and satisfying.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-1 pound of best quality dried Rigatoni such as the Rustichella brand
-1 28 ounce can of whole San Marzano tomatoes
-2 cloves of garlic, coarsely sliced
-1 cup of heavy cream
-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of hot pepper flakes or powder
-Salt and pepper
-Parmigiano Reggiano for grating
Pour 3/4 of the canned tomatoes (reserve the remaining portion for another use) into a bowl and gently crush with your hands. In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sweat for 2 minutes or until translucent but not brown. Add the crushed tomatoes into the pan and stir through. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir through. Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the mixture has a nice sheen to it and has come together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with 3-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt. Drop your pasta and stir around. Be sure to drain your pasta at least 45 seconds prior to being al dente as the pasta will continue to cook. While the pasta is boiling bring your tomatoes to a boil. Pour in the heavy cream and stir through. Cook over high heat for approximately 4-5 minutes or until the mixture comes to together. Add the hot pepper and stir through.
Drain the pasta well and add into the pan with the sauce. Stir/toss over high heat for 1 minute. Serve on warmed plates and grate with Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately.
For a video of me making this dish please go here.
Buon apetito!
April 1st, 2009
This dish is my take on the French Beef Bourguignon. However, I keep mine a bit lighter by not using bacon or flour or butter. I also add a bit of hot pepper and sweet Hungarian paprika at the end. In fact, it’s very similar to the way they prepare beef stews in Eastern Europe, particularly Hungary.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 pounds of best quality stewing meat such as chuck roast, cut into cubes. For this dish I used organic grass-fed beef.
-2 Spring onions (if in season) or 1 large yellow onion, cut into a medium dice
-2 medium carrots, cut into medium dice
-1/2 pound young potatoes such as fingerlings, cut into bit-size pieces
-2 large sweet white carrots (or organic orange carrots), cut into bite-size pieces
-1 bottle of dry red table wine
-1 tablespoon of organic tomato paste
-Extra virgin olive oil for searing the meat
-Hot pepper (powder or pepper flakes) for finishing
-Sweet Hungarian paprika for finishing
-A few pieces of freshly torn herbs such as oregano or marjoram or parsley
Remove your meat from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Season meat aggressively with salt on all sides. Do not add pepper as the pepper will burn when searing. In a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven bring 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the point of almost smoking. Brown the meat in batches, taking care to not over-crowd the pan. Make sure to leave the meat long enough to develop that deep, dark golden brown color. Remove your meat to a platter.
Pour out any excess oil and fat from the pot. Add a tablespoon or two of fresh olive oil. Scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon as this will add flavor to the sauce. Adjust heat to medium high and add the diced carrots and onions. Season with salt so that the carrots and onion begin to break down. Sweat (do not brown) the carrots and onion for 6-8 minutes or until soft. Add the tomato paste and stir through. Add the meat back in on top of your “sofrito”, including any juices the meat gave up on the platter. Turn up the heat to high and add the bottle of red wine to just cover the meat.
Allow everything to come to a boil and wait about 5 minutes for the alcohol to burn off. Cover your pot and lower the heat to low and cook until tender, about 2 hours. Check the meat every 30-40 minutes and stir the mixture around to ensure even cooking. The liquid should be just bubbling. If the liquid evaporates too quickly add a little water.
When the meat is completely tender add your potatoes and white carrots. Cover and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything through. To serve garnish the meat with a bit of hot pepper and sweet paprika. Throw in a bit of roughly torn herbs. I like to take the entire Dutch oven to the table and serve everyone up with a large spoon. The aroma coming from this dish is wonderful and is always appreciated at the table.
Buon apetito!
April 1st, 2009
I love the crispness and acidity from this salad. It is especially delicious after enjoying rich dishes such as my Pork Saltimbocca or Potato Gnocchi with butter & sage. The addition of the roasted sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes) adds texture to the dish and means it can even be enjoyed as a main course or lunch on its own.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 heads of escarole
-2 heads of purple or Treviso radicchio
-Medium grind sea salt such as a Fleur de Sel
-Freshly ground black pepper
-Best quality extra virgin olive oil (try to find recently harvested olio nuovo)
-Best quality champagne or white wine vinegar
-1 Meyer lemon
-1 pound sunchokes, cleansed of any dirt and chopped into bite-size pieces
-2 oranges cut into segments, pith removed
Trim off the outer leaves of the radicchio and escarole and cut into bite-size pieces. Wash in cold water and if possible dry using a salad spinner. If you don’t have a salad spinner then lay the lettuces out on paper towels and pat dry. Or if you would like to use an old-fashioned method wrap all lettuces in a large cloth towel. Grab the bottom of the towel and step outside. Hold the towel behind your back and vigorously sling forward as if you are going to launch the towel in front of you. Repeat until all the water has come off the lettuces.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the sunchokes onto a skillet or roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and any good fresh or dried herbs you have around. I like to use Herbs de Provence or anything similar. Roast in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the sunchokes are brown on all sides.
Put the lettuces & orange into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of the sea salt on top of the lettuces. Crack a few good rounds of black pepper. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the champagne vinegar over everything. The vinegar will cause the salt to break down. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over everything. Drizzle a healthy amount of the extra virgin olive oil, approximately 3 tablespoons. With your hands carefully mix the salad well. Taste a lettuce. Is there enough saltiness and most importantly acidity? If not, add more vinegar and toss again and taste.
Pour in the warm sunchokes into your now perfectly seasoned salad. Toss again and serve immediately.
I like a lot of acidity in my salads so feel free to adjust this to your taste and to those of your guests. Enjoy!
April 1st, 2009
I love the crispness and acidity from this salad. It is especially delicious after enjoying rich dishes such as my Pork Saltimbocca or Potato Gnocchi with butter & sage.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 heads of escarole
-2 heads of purple or Treviso radicchio
-Medium grind sea salt such as a Fleur de Sel
-Freshly ground black pepper
-Best quality extra virgin olive oil (try to find recently harvested olio nuovo)
-Best quality champagne or white wine vinegar
-1 Meyer lemon
-1 avocado cut into segments
-2 oranges cut into segments, pith removed
Trim off the outer leaves of the radicchio and escarole and cut into bite-size pieces. Wash in cold water and if possible dry using a salad spinner. If you don’t have a salad spinner then lay the lettuces out on paper towels and pat dry. Or if you would like to use an old-fashioned method wrap all lettuces in a large cloth towel. Grab the bottom of the towel and step outside. Hold the towel behind your back and vigorously sling forward as if you are going to launch the towel in front of you. Repeat until all the water has come off the lettuces.
Put the lettuces, avocado & orange into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of the sea salt on top of the lettuces. Crack a few good rounds of black pepper. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the champagne vinegar over everything. The vinegar will cause the salt to break down. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over everything. Drizzle a healthy amount of the extra virgin olive oil, approximately 3 tablespoons. With your hands carefully mix the salad well. Taste a lettuce. Is there enough saltiness and most importantly acidity? If not, add more vinegar and toss again and taste.
I like a lot of acidity in my salads so feel free to adjust this to your taste and to those of your guests. Enjoy!
March 13th, 2009
This is a classic dish from the small town Amatrice in the region of Lazio, near Rome. There is, however, much controversy around the origins of the dish and the way in which it should properly be prepared. Amatrice was originally part of Abruzzo and only became connected to Rome through Lazio in the early 1900s. The residents of Amatrice originally made this dish without tomatoes, using only spaghetti, Pecorino and guanciale (cured pork jowl). This dish today is made in Rome and Amatrice with the same ingredients but also includes San Marzano tomatoes.
The Romans argue that they created the dish and have many variations on how it is prepared. They typically use Buccatini pasta and also incorporate onions into the dish. The Amatrice use spaghetti and omit onions entirely. I prefer the classic way of Amatrice and have included the recipe below.
Ingredients (serves 6-8)
-1 pound best quality spaghetti
-1/2 pound guanciale or pancetta
-Salt & pepper
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Pecorino Romano
-1 tablespoon of Pepperoncino or red pepper flakes
-1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile slice the guanciale into small chunks. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large saute pan over medium high heat until most of the fat has rendered and the pieces are slightly crispy (but not carmelized). Reove from heat and discard all fat except for 1/4 cup.
Take 1/2 can (16 ounces or 2 cups) of the San Marzano tomatoes and place into a bowl. Reserve the other half can for another use. Crush them by hand until all the tomtoes are roughly broken. Put the saute pan with guanciale back on the heat. When hot pour the tomatoes into the pan and stir. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to low. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper along the way to taste, knowing that the guanciale is already salty. If the sauce becomes too dense add a tablespoon or two of pasta water to loosen it. Toward the end stir in the red pepper flakes.
Add 2 aggresive tablespoons of salt to your boiling pasta water and drop your spaghetti. Cook according to the package instructions but remove 45 seconds prior to being done. Bring your sauce pan to a boil and drop the pasta into the sauce. Toss for 1 minute over high heat. Add more pepper and grate a healthy amount of Pecorino Romano over the top. Serve immediately.
February 25th, 2009
