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FEATURED RECIPES Italian Wine Tasting at the Avon Wine Room 3/31
Tuscan Beans with Crostini The creamy texture and mild flavor of cannellini, or white kidney beans, are perfect for the strongly herbal rosemary, thyme and sage. Finely diced red onion lends a zesty crunch to the white bean puree. In the summer you can add diced red tomato and basil to the red onion. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 small clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon each chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage pinch of hot pepper flakes 2-15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained 1 teaspoon tomato paste, optional (adds color and some flavor) kosher salt to taste 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced freshly ground black pepper several slices of French bread, cut ½ inch thick, toasted on both sides (about 18 for 6 servings) extra virgin olive oil for drizzling Grill or toast breads on both sides. Place the olive oil, butter, garlic, herbs, and hot pepper flakes in a medium saute pan. Cook over low heat for several minutes or until herbs and garlic are fragrant. Add the beans, tomato paste, and salt to taste. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, crush the beans into a coarse puree. Add about 1/4 cup of water if texture seems dry. Place bean mixture in a bowl or martini glass. Place on a platter or a tray. Place the red onion in a separate bowl near the beans with a bottle of olive oil nearby. Arrange the slices of bread around the beans. To serve, spread bean puree on crostini, top with a few red onions and a drizzle of the olive oil. Serves 4-6. Bagna Cauda Bagna Cauda ( BAHN-yah KOW-dah) is a specialty of Piedmont, Italy. This sauce made of olive oil, butter, garlic, and anchovies is served warm as an appetizer with raw vegetables for dipping. Cauda is the Piedmontese word for hot, as in heat, which is the essential feature of this sauce. In Piedmont, table burners fed by candle keep the bagna cauda at the right temperature, but any dish that can keep it will do the trick. At Laurel Run Cooking School, we like to serve it over crostini. 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced very thin 5 anchovy fillets, chopped fine salt 1-28 ounce can roasted peppers, drained and cut into large dice 1 loaf of crusty bread, sliced into ½" slices Place the diced red peppers in a heat proof serving dish, cover with foil and place in a warm oven (200 degrees) until ready to serve. Choose a pot that will be able to hold a bowl in a double boiler fashion. Add water about 2 inches of water and bring to a lively simmer. Put the oil and butter into a bowl that will fit on the pot and set over the water. Heat the butter until it is thoroughly liquified and just barely begins to foam. Add the garlic and saute. (It must not take on any color.) Add the chopped anchovies and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon while using the back of it to mash the anchovies until they dissolve into a paste. Add salt and stir. When ready to serve, Pour mixture over roasted peppers. Bring to the table in the warm serving dish. (A warming apparatus works well also). Serve with crusty bread or crostini. Penne with Vodka and Spicy Cream Sauce I have been making this recipe since 1996. It has become a family favorite and one I serve when I need something quick for dinner. A crisp salad, crusty bread, and a glass of Sangiovese rounds out this meatless entree. This recipe is from a favorite cookbook of mine : "Trattoria" by Patricia Wells. (Trattoria rhymes with pizzeria.) Patricia Wells writes, "There is something wonderfully satisfying about thick tubes of pasta, such as penne, sauced with a mixture of lightly spiced tomatoes and cream. The addition of vodka makes a very intriguing dish. I’m sure only one out of a thousand people would guess that vodka is the secret ingredient. The recipe comes from La Vecchia Betolla, a lively, elbows-on-the-table trattoria in Florence, where you squeeze onto rough wooden benches and ultimately share in conversation with your neighbors, always close at hand." 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 plump fresh garlic cloves ½ teaspoon crushed red peppers (hot pepper flakes) or to taste sea salt One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 1 pound dried pasta, such as penne 2 tablespoons of vodka ½ cup heavy cream 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley In an un-heated skillet large enough to hold the pasta later on, combine the oil, garlic, crushed red peppers, and a pinch of salt, stirring to coat with oil. Cook over moderate heat just until garlic begins to turn golden, but does not brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes directly to the pan. Stir to blend, and simmer, uncovered, until sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 3 Tbsp. salt and the penne, stirring to prevent pasta from sticking. Cook until tender but firm to bite. Drain thoroughly. Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Toss. Add the vodka, toss again, then add the cream and toss. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and let rest for 1-2 minutes to absorb the sauce. Add the parsley and toss again. Transfer to a warmed shallow soup bowls and serve immediately. (Traditionally, cheese is not served with this dish.)
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Yields 6 servings Spaghetti alla puttanesca, or "whore’s pasta", is said to have originally been a favorite dish of Italian prostitutes, who could prepare it quickly when they had only a few moments in the kitchen. Today it is found in trattorias throughout Italy, although it is particularly popular in Rome. When preparing this pasta, don’t skimp on the fresh parsley, for it adds great fresh flavor as well as brilliant color.1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 anchovy fillets, minced 3 plump garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1-28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree 15 salt cured black olives or ripe olives, halved 2 Tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed 1 pound spaghetti ½- 1 cup flat leaf parsley, snipped with scissors In an unheated skillet large enough to hold pasta later on, combine the oil, anchovies, garlic, crushed red peppers, and a pinch of salt, stirring to coat with oil. Cook over moderate heat until garlic turns golden, but not brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, and capers. Stir to blend. Simmer uncovered, until sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add 3 Tbsp. salt and the spaghetti, stirring to prevent it from sticking. Cook until tender but firm to bite. Drain thoroughly. Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss, cover and let rest off heat 1-2 minutes to allow pasta to absorb the sauce. Add parsley and toss again. Serve. (Traditionally, cheese is not served with this dish.) |