Italy...pasta threesomes and veal trois

Ahh, the creator of the most excellent entrees has finally typed them all up. I can't wait to try out the pasta recipes myself. I'm salivating...

And without further ado:

Ravioli Dough

2 cups of unbleached or all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp olive oil

Mound flour and salt on floured surface. Make a well in the center, gradually add eggs and olive oil, and with a fork beat lightly. Gradually pull the flour until it is absorbed. If dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour, if too hard and doesn’t mix easily, add a few drops of water. Mix dough well and form into ball.

Using pasta machine: Pasta machines have two parts; one for rolling and one for cutting. For ravioli, you use the rolling part. Set machine at its widest setting, break off dough the size of a golf ball, and pass it through the machine 8 times to knead, folding the dough in half lowering the setting 1 notch each time until you reach the next-to-last notch. Put on floured surface or bed sheet and sprinkle lightly with flour.

Beet Casunziei with poppy seeds

1 ¼ pounds of beets, boiled, drained and peeled

6 tbs butter, divided

5 ounces ricotta

1 egg yolk

salt and pepper

¼ cup fresh bread crumbs

3 tbs poppy seeds

½ freshly grated pecorino

1. Prepare filling: Purée the beets in a food processor. In a skillet over medium heat, warm 2tb of butter. Add the puréed beets, and cook until the mixture starts to thicken, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and the egg yolk, and season with salt and pepper. If mixture is too liquidy, add the bread crumbs.
2. Roll out pasta dough and cut each sheet unto 4inch wide strips. Using ravioli or pairing knife cut out circles that are 3iches in diameter. Place one teaspoon of filling in the center of the circle. Moisten edges of the dough with water and fold into a half moon shape, pressing to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Set aside and, cover with clean cloth and let rest for 1 hour.
3. Bring large pot of water to low boil. Add salt and casunziei and cook until they raise to the surface, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile prepare sauce: in small saucepan over medium heat melt remaining butter. Add the poppy seed and pecorino. Toss casunziei with sauce.

Potato Culingiones

1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed

3 tbs olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 clove of garlic minced

1 tb finely chopped mint

4 cups of grated pecorino divided

salt

4 cups fresh or pre-made tomato sauce

1. In a pot combine the potato cubes with enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil, and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat , warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and mint and sauté for about 5 minutes. Darin the potatoes, and pass them trough a ricer until a bowl. Add the onion mixture and 3 cups of pecorino, season with salt and mix well. Cover with plastic and set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Pasta: roll out pasta dough and cut each sheet unto 4inch wide strips. Using ravioli or pairing knife cut out circles that are 3iches in diameter. Place 1tsp of filling in the center of each circle. Moisten the edges of the dough with water, and close the culingiones by overlapping the edges to form a braid like pattern. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Set aside, cover with a clean clothes, and let rest for 1 hour.
3. Bring large pot of water to low boil. Add salt and culingiones and cook until they raise to the surface, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile in saucepan prepare sauce warm the tomato sauce. Remove the culingiones, add to the sauce, and toss. Sprinkle with the remaining pecorino.

Tortellini with Creamed Mushroom Sauce

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small cooked chicken breast, minced

2oz fresh spinach, cooked, squeezed dry, and minced

2 oz prosciutto, minced

½ cup grated parmesan

2 cups whipping crème

pinch of pepper

½ pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons butter

Boiling salted water

3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1. Combine chicken, spinach, procuitto and egg, mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of crème, and the pepper, mix well.
2. Knead pasta dough briefly and divide dough in thirds. Roll out, cut, and fill a third of dough at a time. Cut out dough circles with a 5cm round cutter, place filling in center, brush edges with water and fold in half to enclose filling. Pinch outside edges together to firmly seal. Let tortellini dry on towel for 30 minutes before cooking.
3. Saute mushrooms in butter over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining crème. Heat to boiling then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 3 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese, cook, and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat
4. Cook torellini a third at a time in a large pot of boiling salted water until dente. (2 to 3 minutes) Drain well and add to sauce. When all tortellini have been cooked heat in sauce over medium heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley and remaining cheese.

Sweet and sour onions (cipolline in agrodolce)

4tbs butter

5 tbs sugar

½ cup of white wine vinegar

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1.5 lb small picking onions, peeled.

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Add the sugar and heat until dissolved stirring constantly.
2. Add the vinegars to the pan with the onions and combine well. Season with salt and pepper and cover and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, until the onions are a golden color and soft when pierced with a knife. Serve hot.

Fennel braised in parmesan (Finocchio gratinato)

2lb fennel bulbe, washed and cut in two

2oz butter

1.5 oz freshly grated parmesan

1. Cook fennel bulbs in a large casserole of boiling water until tender but not mushy. Drain. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cut the fennel bulbs in 4-6 pieces lengthwise et put in a buttered dish.
3. Sprinkle with butter pieces and parmesan on top of fennel. Cook in oven for 20min or until cheese is golden. Serve immediately.

Potato Gateau with pancetta and smoked provola

4 large russet potatoes

4oz pancetta diced

3tbs freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

3tbs freshly grated pecorino

1 whole egg, plus 1 egg yolk

½ cup parsley

slat and freshly ground pepper

1 cup of milk heated

2 ts butter, melted

1 cup coarse dried bread crumbs

1 slice of picked beet for garnish

Rosemary sprig for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover, bring to boil. Cook until tender, about 15-20minutes. Drain the potatoes, peel and set aside to cool. Pass the potatoes through a ricer until a bowl and stir in the pancetta, provola, parmigiano and pecorino.
2. Add the whole egg, yolk and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Mix until soft, gradually pouring in the milk. Transfer the mixture to a round buttered baking dish, brush the top with melted butter, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in the oven until golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and unmold. Slice and serve garnished with beet and rosemary.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Figs and Gorgonzola

· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 medium white onion, diced

· 1 medium carrot, diced

· 2 stalks celery, diced

· 2 bay leaves

· pinch of black peppercorns

· 1 2 lb. pork tenderloin, silver skin removed

· kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

· 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, plus 1 sprig

· 1 tablespoon chopped fennel seeds

· 4 oz. gorgonzola, cold and cut into strips

· 8 dried Turkish figs, flattened

· 1 cup white wine

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. In an ovenproof skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns; saute for 5 minutes, and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, butterfly the tenderloin so there are 2 flaps of meat hinged at the center. Using a mallet, pound the meat until flat and even. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the rosemary and fennel seeds.

4. Line up the gorgonzola and figs in the center of the meat. Fold one flap over the filling, roll up tightly lengthwise, and tie with butcher’s string as in the photo, tucking a rosemary spring underneath. Rub with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

5. Return the skillet with the vegetables to medium heat, and add the stuffed tenderloin. Deglaze with the wine, and place in the oven for 25 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven, and set the meat aside to rest for 10 minutes, under tented tin foil. Remove the string from the roll, slice into 1-inch pieces, and arrange on a dish. Pass the vegetables and pan juices through a sieve, and drizzle the strained liquid on top of the meat.

Veal Piccata

For sauce

• 1 1/4 cupslow-fat chicken stock or low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For veal

• 2 lb veal cutlets (also called scallopini; 1/4 inch thick)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Make sauce:
Boil stock and wine in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan until reduced by about half (to about 3/4 cup), about 3 minutes. Whisk together flour and water in a cup, then whisk into stock. Boil, stirring, 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep sauce warm.

Prepare veal:
Cut veal into 3-inch pieces, then pat dry with paper towels. Lightly oil grill pan and heat over high heat until just smoking.

While pan is heating, sprinkle veal with salt and pepper. Grill veal in batches, without crowding, until browned, about 30 seconds on each side, transferring with tongs to a platter. Grill lemon slices, in batches if necessary, until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side, transferring to platter with veal.

Stir parsley into warm sauce and pour over veal.