chianti cheeseburgers

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings:  tbd

ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons balsamic reduction
2 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling
2 large onions - thinly sliced
salt
pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup chianti or other dry red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons thinly sliced sage leaves
2 large cloves garlic - grated
shaved pecorino, gorgonzola or fontina
4 5-inch squares focaccia - split horizontally

steps:
1.  in a small bowl, mix the ketchup and balsamic reduction.  set aside.

2.  in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  add the onions and season with salt and pepper.  cook onions, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and very sweet, about 35 minutes.  as the onions cook, add some water if needed to keep them moist.

3.  preheat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.  in a medium bowl, combine the beef, wine, rosemary, sage and garlic.  season with salt and pepper.  form four patties.  drizzle the patties with some olive oil and cook, turning once.  during the last minute of cooking, top the patties with the cheese.  cover patties or tent with foil until cheese melts.

4.  divide the burgers among the focaccia bottoms.  top each with onions, balsamic ketchup and top of focaccia.

- rachael ray magazine, july/august 2014

lemon-basil ricotta stuffed shells in a champagne cream sauce

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings:  2 - 4


ingredients:
1 box jumbo shells
1 1/2 cups lemon basil ricotta
1 cup pecorino romano - grated on the largest holes of the box grater
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup champagne
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper


directions:
1.  butter a large baking dish.  bring a large pot of water to boil and season with salt.  cook the jumbo shell pasta two - 3 minutes shy of al dente.


2.  meanwhile, season the ricotta with salt and pepper.  mix in half of the grated pecorino and set aside. 


3.  once the pasta is partially cooked, drain well and spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet.  with a spoon stuff the shells until the ricotta is gone (you may have left over shells) and place the stuffed shells into the baking dish. 


4.  in a small sauce pan melt the butter.  once melted press in the garlic clove.  cook until fragrant and soft, but not browned.  whisk in the flour and cook for a minute.  pour in the champagne and the cream while whisking.  let bubble until slightly thick, 1 - 2 minutes.  add some pepper and remove.  pour evenly over the stuffed shells.  top with remaining cheese.


5.  place in a the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 20 - 30 minutes.


- simply scratch

pici pasta with dandelion greens

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings:  2 - 4

ingredients:
12-ounces pici pasta
1 bunch dandelion greens - washed
1 garlic clove - sliced thin
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs - lightly beaten
salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
2 tablespoon bread crumbs

steps:
1.  bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons slat.  slice the stems off the dandelion greens until only about 1/2-inch remains.  heat the oil and garlic in a saute pan until the garlic becomes fragrant and starts to sizzle.  toss in the dandelion greens and move them around the pan. cook partially covered until greens are wilted and softened, about 5 minutes.  set aside.

2.  meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente.  just before draining, scoop out 1/3 cup of the pasta water and slowly whisk it into the eggs.  add the drained pasta to the saute pan, drizzle in the eggs and chili, and then toss everything together.   taste for seasoning and add more salt, if needed.  stir the pecorino and breadcrumbs together in a little bowl; sprinkle over the pasta and serve.

- goop, february 2014

risotto with slow-roasted tomatoes

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings:  4 - 6

ingredients:
8 - 10 ripe plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large cloves garlic - slivered
salt
pepper
6 - 8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 ounce pancetta - diced
1 medium onion - finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon finely slivered sage leaves
1 ounce pecorino - grated

steps:
1.  heat oven to 300 degrees.  cut tomatoes in half lengthwise.  place on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side up.  brush with olive oil, scatter a few slivers of garlic on each, season with salt and pepper and place a piece of thyme sprig on top of each.  bake 3 hours.  discard thyme.  chop tomatoes and garlic.

2.  place a 3-quart saucepan on medium heat, add pancetta and cook until fat starts to render and pancetta barely begins to brown.  add onion and saute until soft but not brown.  stir in rice and cook a couple of minutes, until grains whiten a bit.  place stock in a separate saucepan on very low heat.

3.  add wine to rice and onions, stir and cook just until it is absorbed.  start adding warm stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and adding more as it is absorbed.  when 3 cups of stock have been used, fold in tomatoes and sage.  season with slat and pepper.  risotto should be almost al dente.  continue cooking about 5 minutes more, adding a little more stock or some water if needed until rice is just done.  divide among 4 - 6 warm plates.  top each with cheese and serve.

- new york times, october 2013

frankies spuntino’s fried eggplant sandwich

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings: 6

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves - peeled

pinch red chile flakes

2 (28-ounce) cans whole, peeled tomatoes

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt + more as needed

5 small italian eggplants (2 pounds)

4 large eggs

6 tablespoons ground parmigiano-reggiano + more as needed

6 tablespoons ground pecorino romano+ more as needed

1 very large or 2 medium ciabatta loaves, for serving

steps:

1.  in a large deep saucepan over medium low heat, combine 1/4 cup oil and garlic. cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and fragrant, 5 - 10 minutes. stir in chile flakes; cook 30 seconds.
      

2.  while garlic cooks, place tomatoes and juices in a large bowl and crush with clean hands. remove tomatoes’ firm stem ends and any basil leaves packed into the can. stir crushed tomatoes and salt into pot. simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tomatoes and garlic have completely broken down and sauce is thick, about 2 hours. cool.
 

3.  line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment or paper towels. trim stem end from eggplants; peel and discard skin. using a knife or a mandolin, slice lengthwise into 3/16-inch-thick slabs. arrange eggplant in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices with salt. let stand 10 minutes. pat eggplant dry with paper towels.
 

4.  line another rimmed baking sheet with paper towel and place a wire rack on top. in a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil until a drop of water flicked into pan sizzles. working in batches, fry eggplant until just tender, 20 - 30 seconds per side. transfer fried eggplant to rack to drain. remove skillet from heat.
      

5.  in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, 2 tablespoons parmigiano-reggiano and 2 tablespoons pecorino. add 3/4 cup oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until oil is sizzling.
 

6.  working in batches, dip drained eggplant into egg batter; fry in oil until lightly golden and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per batch. you will know oil is hot enough if batter puffs and sticks to eggplant on contact with oil. if it falls off, the oil isn’t hot enough.
 

7.  heat oven to 350 degrees. spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. arrange eggplant over the bottom of pan in a tight, even layer. top with 1/3 of the remaining combined cheeses. repeat layer of sauce, eggplant and 1/3 of cheese. rinish with a final layer of sauce and cheese (reserve any remaining sauce for serving). transfer pan to oven and bake until cheese is melted and golden, 20 - 30 minutes. remove from oven; spoon additional sauce over top, and garnish with additional cheese. cool for at least 20 minutes.
 

8.  cut eggplant into six equal pieces. cut ciabatta into six pieces equal to the size of the eggplant servings. split each portion of the ciabatta horizontally and toast. sandwich eggplant portions between bread and serve.

- new york times, september 2013

linguine cacio e pepe

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings:  4 - 6

ingredients:
1 pound bavette or linguine fine
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 stick butter
3 tablespoons pepper
1 1/2 cup freshly grated cacio di roma
1 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano + extra for serving
2 tablespoons salt

steps:
1.  bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  add 2 tablespoons salt.  drop in pasta.

2.  in a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and butter over low heat until just melted.  turn off the heat.

3.  when pasta is about one minute short of package directions for al dente, turn the heat back on under the saute pan. take 2 ladles of pasta cooking water and add to the oil and butter in the saute pan and bring it to a boil.  add a small handful of the cheese and allow to melt into the butter.

4.  drain the noodles, reserving a few cups of the cooking liquid.  drop the noodles into the saute pan and toss with black pepper, using tongs.  add in 2 more ladles of past water.

5.  add rest of the cheeses, turn off the heat, allow them to melt into the top of the pasta, then too well.  drizzle with olive oil.  keep tossing, adding another ladleful of pasta cook water, until pasta is well coated and sauce as formed.

6.  serve with additional grated pecorino and pepper. 

- goop, march 2011

spaghetti all carbonara

prep time:  tbd
cook time:  tbd
servings:  4 - 6

ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
5-ounces slices pancetta (about 8 slices
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
9 large eggs (6 whole eggs, 3 separated)
1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano + more for serving
1 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano + more for serving
salt
2 tablespoons pepper + more to taste

steps:
1.  bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons salt.  drop the paste into the boiling water.

2.  slice pancetta into 1-inch strips.  in saute pan with olive oil, place pancetta and cook over medium-high heat until the pancetta has rendered some of its fat and is lightly browned.

3.  crack 6 eggs into large serving bowl.  separate 3 eggs, adding the whites to the 6 cracked whole eggs.  set aside the yolks in their shells on a bed of salt.

4.  whisk the eggs well.  add the grated pecorino romano and whisk together.

5.  stir pancetta and add small ladle of pasta water to slow down the cooking.  allow pancetta to cool for a minute and add another small ladle of pasta water.

6.  take a ladle of beaten eggs and stir it into the pan with the pancetta and past water.  working quickly, stir the egg pancetta mixture and as soon as the eggs start to thicken and set just slightly, add them to the rest of the room temperature beaten egg mixture.  whisk furiously for 30 seconds to combine the two mixtures.

7.  when pasta is al dente, drain the pasta (reserving the pasta water).  add the pasta to the egg mixture, stirring and tossing well to coat, approximately 30 seconds.  stir in the parmigiano reggiano and mix well again.  add the pepper and stir along with another ladle of pasta water to loosen the sauce a bit and further cook the egg.

8.  gently drop the 3 egg yolks into pasta.  add more of the grated cheeses and pepper on top.  bring the dish to the table.  just before serving, stir the yolks into the pasta so they will cook.  serve the pasta and finish with grated parmigiano reggiano and pepper.

- goop, march 2011