Tag: sauce

Vodka Pasta (Made Vegetarian)

I’ve been away for so long that I feel almost ashamed of myself! Luckily, this is not sufficient to stop me from posting again 🙂

As you can see from the pictures below, I’m cooking in a different kitchen 🙂 – this is part of the reason for my prolonged absence: we have moved to a new apartment and I haven’t been cooking much lately, let alone blogging!

This quick and simple pasta recipe (adapted from the Silver Spoon) is another Italian classic although it’s made with vodka, a classic Russian spirit. Vodka pasta traditionally contains ham, but it can be omitted without taking too much away from the original flavor. As always when cooking with liqueurs and spirits, it has to be noted that any alcoholic content ends up evaporating completely. What is left, however, is more than the drink’s flavor – alcohol as a solvent has the ability to extract aromatic compounds from other ingredients (including some that don’t mix with water), increasing the overall flavor of the dish.

Vodka Pasta (Made Vegetarian)

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Vodka Pasta (Made Vegetarian)

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup cream (33% fat)
  • ¼ cup vodka
  • 2 cups penne rigate (dried pasta)
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. While bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil, finely chop the parsley.
  2. Melt the butter in a pan, then add the tomato paste and the parsley.
  3. Cook for 10 minutes at low heat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, start cooking the pasta.
  4. Mix in the cream and the vodka, then continue cooking until the vodka evaporates completely and the sauce thickens again. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. When the pasta is a couple of minutes from being ready, drain it quickly and finish cooking it in the sauce. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2012/09/vodka-pasta-made-vegetarian.html

Handmade Tagliolini with Mushrooms

Most Italians would be perfectly happy to eat pasta every day, and some probably do! Everyday pasta is normally dried durum pasta, delicious when of good quality and properly cooked, and also convenient as it can be stored for months in the cupboard. Fresh pasta, on the other hand, is generally regarded as more sophisticated, and it’s more likely to be found on restaurant menus. This recipe describes how to make ‘tagliolini’ from scratch without a pasta machine, and then serve it with a simple wine mushroom sauce. ‘Tagliolini’ is a kind of ‘tagliatelle,’ and is similarly named from the verb ‘tagliare,’ to cut.

Fresh pasta has a different texture and flavor than dried pasta also because of the different ingredients. Eggs are frequently added (most fresh pasta is labeled: ‘pasta all’uovo’) and all-purpose flour is often used instead of durum wheat flour. This is especially true when fresh pasta is made by hand since durum flour is harder to work into shape.

Handmade Tagliolini with Mushrooms

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 1 hour

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Handmade Tagliolini with Mushrooms

Ingredients

     For the tagliolini

    • 100 g (3/4 cup) of flour
    • 1 egg
    • a pinch of salt (1/16 of a tsp)

     For the mushroom sauce

    • 2 cloves of garlic, each peeled and cut into 2 or 3 pieces
    • 5 or 6 medium-sized cremini mushrooms, sliced
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • a splash of white wine
    • 1/2 cup of double-cream
    • salt & pepper

     For the plating

    • 1/8 cup grated Parmigiano
    • a handful of Italian parsley leaves, minced
    • black pepper, ground

    Preparation

       For the tagliolini

      1. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together (2).
      2. Add just enough warm water (2 o 3 teaspoons) to form a compact, hard ball.
      3. Kneed for a couple of minutes (3).
      4. Have the dough rest, covered in plastic wrap, for 30 minutes at room temperature.
      5. As the dough rests, start bringing a large pot of salty water to a boil (see Cooking Pasta 101) and prepare the sauce.

       For the mushroom sauce

      1. Roast the garlic in the olive oil at medium heat (a) until golden.
      2. Add the cremini mushrooms. Roast them until they soften and start to release some liquid (b).
      3. Add a splash of white wine and wait until it evaporates fully.
      4. Remove the garlic and add the cream. Season with salt and simmer for a few minutes (c).
      5. Turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan to keep the sauce warm and moist.
      6. Mince the parsley and grate the Parmigiano in preparation for the plating.
      7. Unwrap the dough and proceed to roll and cut the tagliolini as shown in the video below.

       To complete the dish

      1. Warm up the sauce adding some pasta water to rehydrate it if necessary.
      2. Boil the pasta for 2 minutes stirring gently (it'll start floating in about a minute).
      3. Drain the pasta quickly and toss it into the pan with the sauce. Mix gently.
      4. Serve in bowls, sprinkle with Parmigiano, parsley, and some ground black pepper.
      5. Enjoy!
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2012/03/handmade-mushroom-tagliolini.html

      Note: This traditional technique makes use of the rolling pin to stretch the dough, as opposed to just pressing it. This process takes a bit of time to master, but it’s easy when making a small batch of noodles. Preparations like ravioli and tortellini are a lot harder to do by hand because they require a thinner dough.

      Egg Pasta with Green Beans and Mushrooms

      The combination of green beans and mushrooms makes for a vegetarian recipe with amazing depth of flavor. The earthiness of the mushrooms perfectly marries with the green beans, which also add texture to the dish. But the secret star of the show is the wine – its complex aroma is essential to bring all the flavors together.

      This all-season sauce can be prepared relatively quickly, almost while the pasta cooks, and makes for a satisfying dish that is also beautiful to serve.

      Egg Pasta with Green Beans and Mushrooms

      Yield: 2 servings

      Total Time: 25 minutes

      Prep Time: 10 minutes

      Cook Time: 15 minutes

      Egg Pasta with Green Beans and Mushrooms

      Ingredients

      • 125 g (4 ½ oz) fresh or dried egg pasta (e.g.: pappardelle, tagliatelle, fettuccine)
      • 100 g (3 ½ oz) green beans
      • 150 g (5 ½ oz) mushrooms (e.g.: fresh porcini, oyster, crimini), sliced
      • 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
      • ½ of a small onion, sliced
      • 2 Tbsp olive oil
      • 1 cup vegetable stock, warmed up
      • 1 cup half and half (10% fat cream)
      • ½ glass dry white wine
      • 2 Tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved
      • Salt and pepper

      Preparation

      1. Shave the green beans using a sharp potato peeler. This preparation is essential for the recipe as it tenderizes the green beans, while preserving their crunchiness.
      2. In a frying pan, sauté the green beans in olive oil for a couple of minutes at high temperature (1-2).
      3. Add the vegetable stock and let the green beans stew for 10 minutes at medium heat (3).
      4. Meanwhile, in a second frying pan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes at high (4).
      5. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes at medium heat until tender.
      6. Add the white wine and let it evaporate completely (5).
      7. Add the cream and let it reduce for 5 minutes at low temperature (6).
      8. Merge everything into a single pan, mix and simmer for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
      9. Boil the egg pasta in plenty of salty water (see Cooking Pasta 101 for all the ins and outs), then drain it briefly and add it to the sauce mixing well for about 1 minute. Serve with some shaved Parmigiano.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2012/02/egg-pasta-with-green-beans-and.html

      Pasta alla Norma – A Sicilian First Course with Character

      Pasta alla Norma is a staple Italian first course almost unknown in North America. The dish, native to Sicily, is especially known in southern Italy but can be found all around the country.

      Alla Norma sauce (likely named after the opera Norma, by Sicilian composer Vincenzo Bellini) can be recognized from other eggplant-based sauces for the use of fried eggplant and for a finish of ‘ricotta salata’ (salted ricotta), not replaceable with fresh ricotta.

      Unlike fresh ricotta (a mildly flavored dairy product resulting from the coagulation of the proteins left in the whey after the production of cheese), ricotta salata contains sea-salt and is allowed to ripen for up to 30 days, while being pressed. At the end of this process, ricotta salata reaches a firm consistency and can be shaved or grated. When added to a pasta dish, it brings a savory touch, but also some creaminess, while remaining separate from the sauce (just like regular ricotta, ricotta salata doesn’t melt).

      This recipe has been adapted from La Cucina Italiana (October 1986, page 18).

      Pasta alla Norma

      Yield: 2 servings

      Total Time: 50 minutes

      Prep Time: 20 minutes

      Cook Time: 30 minutes

      Pasta alla Norma

      Ingredients

      • 150 g dried spaghetti
      • 350 g crushed or diced tomatoes
      • 1 small eggplant, sliced
      • 25 g ricotta salata, shaved
      • 1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly diced or mashed
      • 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
      • salt & ground black pepper
      • a few basil leaves, sliced (optional)
      • lots of paper towel!

      Preparation

      1. Lay the eggplant slices on absorbent paper, sprinkle them generously with salt (fig. 1-3).
      2. Let them rest for at least 15 minutes to draw out some moisture through osmosis (fig. 4).
      3. Wash each slice under running cold water to remove the excess salt, then vigorously squeeze the slices to eliminate even more water (which has a hint of bitterness) and to collapse some of the air pockets that constitute the eggplant's spongy structure (so that less oil will be absorbed when deep fried).
      4. Dry the eggplant slices with paper towel, then dice them into uniform cubes (fig. 5).
      5. In a tall pot, pre-heat the olive oil to 150 °C; deep fry the eggplant dices (fig. 6) for about 5 minutes until golden, then drain and lay them on paper towel (fig. 7); pat them with more paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
      6. In a large non-stick pan, fry the garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil (fig. 8), then add the tomatoes (fig. 9) and the fried eggplant (fig. 10). Simmer for about 15 minutes, adjusting the salt.
      7. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in plenty of salted water then drain it briefly and toss it in the pan with the sauce.
      8. Serve with a generous sprinkle of shaved ricotta salata, the (optional) basil, and some black pepper.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/10/pasta-alla-norma.html

      Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans Pasta

      This recipe describes a common variation of the classic pesto pasta. In Liguria, pesto pasta is often had along with potatoes and green beans, a hearty version sometimes called ‘enriched’ pesto.

      Please see the Making Pesto in a Blender article for tips on how to make the pesto base simply and quickly.

      Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans Pasta

      Yield: 4 servings

      Total Time: 30 minutes

      Prep Time: 15 minutes

      Cook Time: 15 minutes

      Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans Pasta

      Ingredients

      • 1 russet potato (about 250 g in weight)
      • 150 g of green beans
      • 250 g of pasta (trofie is the most traditional, linguine or spaghetti are also common).

      Preparation

      1. Dice the potato and cut the green beans in bite-size chunks (fig. 4).
      2. Drop the green beans in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook for 10 minutes (fig. 5a).
      3. Dried pasta generally takes the same cooking time as the diced potatoes (about 10 minutes). If using dried pasta, add it along with the potato (fig. 5b) and cook for the time indicated on the box. If using fresh pasta, start by adding the potatoes, boil for 7-8 minutes, then add the pasta and cook for another 2 or 3.
      4. Put a good tablespoon of pesto in each plate and dilute it with some of the pasta cooking water (fig. 5c).
      5. When the pasta and vegetables is ready, quickly drain it, pour it on top of the pesto (fig. 5d) and stir gently. Serve immediately.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/08/pesto-potatoes-and-green-beans-pasta.html

       

      Tortiglioni all’Arrabbiata

      Sugo* all’Arrabbiata is a classic pasta sauce from central/southern Italy that can be prepared very quickly, while the pasta cooks. This sauce is traditionally quite spicy, and this is at the origin of its name (all’arrabbiata, in Italian means ‘angry-style’). If desired, a milder version can be made, but a certain amount of heat is necessary to counter the acidity of the lightly cooked tomato and enhance its flavor. (*Sugo is another name for ‘salsa’, sauce.)

      Tortiglioni all’Arrabbiata

      Yield: 2 servings

      Total Time: 20 minutes

      Prep Time: 10 minutes

      Cook Time: 10 minutes

      Tortiglioni all’Arrabbiata

      Ingredients

      • 500 g peeled diced tomatoes (fresh or from a quality can)
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil
      • 1 chili pepper (whole or seeded if a milder sauce is desired), minced
      • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
      • some fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
      • 150 g dried short pasta (e.g.: tortiglioni, rigatoni, penne)
      • salt

      Preparation

      1. Mince chili pepper and garlic (fig. 1).
      2. In a large non-stick pan, fry garlic and chili pepper in olive oil for 2 minutes (fig. 2).
      3. Add the diced tomatoes (fig. 3), cook at medium heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
      4. Boil the pasta in plenty of salty water for the time indicated on the box.
      5. Add the well drained pasta to the pan and toss for 1 minute at high heat (fig. 4).
      6. Take off the heat, sprinkle with parsley, serve immediately.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/07/tortiglioni-allarrabbiata.html

      Home-Style Pizza

      Unless you have a brick oven in your backyard, you can’t quite make pizzeria-style pizza at home; the regular kitchen oven simply can’t reach high enough temperatures. It is, however, possible to approximate the flavors of a pizzeria-style pizza by using a few expedients.

      There is more than one way to make home-style pizza. A pizza stone, for instance, can work really well but it requires time and practice.  The method that I am about to describe makes use of a perforated pizza tray. I find it easier and quicker and the results, in my opinion, are comparable.

      As usual with Italian cuisine, quality and simplicity of the ingredients are essential. Pre-made bread shells, pizza sauce, and pizza mozzarella must be avoided! Here is what you need:

      Home-Style Pizza

      Yield: 2 servings

      Total Time: 30 minutes

      Prep Time: 15 minutes

      Cook Time: 15 minutes

      Home-Style Pizza

      Ingredients

      • 1 perforated pizza pan
      • 450 g bread dough (from a bakery or bought frozen)
      • ¾ cup uncooked strained tomatoes (fresh or from a quality brand, e.g: Mutti, Pomì, Molisana)
      • 300 g fresh bocconcini mozzarella
      • some extra-virgin olive oil
      • one pinch of salt
      • one pinch of dried oregano (optional)
      • some fresh basil leaves (optional)
      • moderate amounts of your favorite toppings (I used capers and onions)

      Preparation

      1. First, warm up the oven to 450 °F (240 °C). Allow 15 minutes for the oven to fully reach its temperature.
      2. Flatten the bread dough into a disc that fits the pan. The dough should feel fluffy and slightly elastic. If it's too elastic, give it some time to relax its gluten strands.
      3. Unless you are using a non-stick pan, coat the pan very lightly with some olive oil, then transfer the dough onto it (1).
      4. Add the strained tomatoes, a pinch of salt, the oregano and any toppings that need to be fully cooked, e.g.: onions, fresh mushrooms, peppers (2).
      5. Half-bake the pizza base for 7 minutes. This allows the dough to cook through, without the weight and moisture of the cheese.
      6. While the base cooks, chop the mozzarella in small bites and prepare any additional toppings that don't need to be fully cooked, e.g.: capers, olives, ham.
      7. Remove the pan from the oven (3) and quickly add the cheese and the remaining toppings. Put the pan back in the oven.
      8. When the cheese is completely bubbly and starting to brown in some spots (after about 7-8 minutes), the pizza is ready (4).
      9. Add a drizzle of olive oil or of chili oil (if desired) and the basil leaves, serve immediately.

      Notes

      The perforated pizza pan is essential to allow the dough to cook evenly without becoming crunchy. Its holes allow excess moisture and the CO2 produced by the leavening process to escape so that the dough can cook rapidly without forming bubbles. The thin aluminum allows the pan to match the temperature of the dough that lays on it, preventing any hardening.

      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/07/home-style-pizza.html

      Pasta Names Explained

      In this atypical post, we will go over some of the most common pasta cuts and describe the origins of their names. We will use the following template:

      Italian Name (Literal Translation)
      Photograph* (photos are at scale)
      [sounds like, the accent goes on the syllable in bold]

      The root word that inspires the shape, to which a modifier is usually applied:
      -ini/-ine – small;
      -oni/-one – large;
      -etti/-ette – little & cute.

      Main use, e.g.:
      dry – boiled in salty water, drained, and served with a sauce;
      baked – (often) blanched, then baked in the oven;
      broth – added to a soup or broth.

       

      Bucatini (Little Hollowed Ones) Cannelloni (Big Cute Hoses)
      [boo-ca-tee-nee]
      from ‘bucato’ = holed, hollowed
      – dry –
      [can-nel-low-nee]
      from ‘canna’ = hose
      – baked –
      Conchiglie (Shells) Farfalle (Butterflies)
      [con-keel-yay]
      from ‘conchiglia’ = shell
      – dry, broth –
      [far-fal-lay]
      from ‘farfalla’ = butterfly
      – dry –
      Fettuccine (Small Ribbons) Filini (Little Threads)
      [fay-too-chee-nay]
      from ‘fettuccia’ = ribbon, tape
      – dry –
      [fee-lee-nee]
      from ‘filo’ = thread, wire
      – broth –
      Fusilli (Little Spindles) Linguine (Small Tongues)
      [foo-sil-lee]
      from ‘fuso’ = spindle
      – dry –
      [ling-win-aye]
      from ‘lingua’ = tongue
      – dry –
      Mezze Penne Rigate (Striped Half Quills) Orecchiette (Cute Little Ears)
      [met-zay pen-aye ree-gah-tay]
      from ‘penna’ = quill
      – dry –
      [o-ray-kee-ette-aye]
      from ‘orecchio’ = ear
      – dry –
      Pennette Integrali (Small Whole-Wheat Quills) Rigatoni (Large Striped Ones)
      [pen-ette-aye in-tay-gral-ee]
      from ‘penna’ = quill
      – dry –
      [ree-gah-tow-nee]
      from ‘rigato’ = ridged
      – dry –
      Rotini (Small Twirled Ones) Spaghettoni (Big Cute Twines)
      [ro-tee-nee]
      from ‘roteare’ = to twirl
      – dry –
      [spah-get-tow-nee]
      from ‘spago’ = twine, string
      – dry, broth (cut) –
      Tortiglioni (Big Twisted Ones) Tubetti (Cute Little Tubes)
      [tor-til-yo-nee]
      from ‘ritorto’ = twisted
      – dry –
      [too-bet-tee]
      from ‘tubo’ = tube
      – broth –
      * All photos © Quatro Fromaggio. All rights reserved.

      Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino – The Staple Midnight Pasta

      Aglio (pronounced ‘ah-llyo’), Olio e Peperoncino (Garlic, Oil and Chili Pepper) is one of the simplest and most popular Italian pasta sauces, and one of the most delicious. Its simplicity is unmatched for showcasing perfectly cooked, high-quality spaghetti, the cut of pasta that it best goes with. Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino is really more of a pasta dressing, rather than an actual sauce. And it’s perfect for when there is no time to make a sauce, for a midnight snack, or for unexpected guests.

      Italian cuisine is based on quality – the more a dish is simple, the more it requires the best ingredients. And this is definitely the case with Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.

      Let’s start with the pasta: a typical serving of 70-80 grams per person of dried durum semolina spaghetti from a quality Italian brand (e.g.: Voiello, De Cecco, Barilla). It’s possible to use another cut of pasta – spaghetti could be replaced with linguine, but that’s pretty much as far as an Italian would push it. Definitely, short pasta wouldn’t be appropriate, and neither would egg noodles.

      Even by sticking to spaghetti, most Italians have a preference of what thickness best suits this dish. Every brand has its own “units”, for instance in my family we’ve always preferred the thicker Barilla #7 (‘Spaghettoni’), whereas the most popular kind is the thinner #5.

      Another fundamental choice that Italians make is whether or not to break the spaghetti in half before boiling them. Traditionally, pasta should never be cut – not before cooking it and especially never after it has been dished out. However, boiling 10 inch long noodles requires a particularly tall pot and breaking them in half may be practical.

      As for the oil, extra virgin olive oil is a must for this dish. Other than being a vessel on which to carry the flavor of the pasta and the spiciness of the chilies, extra virgin olive oil brings its distinct aroma, which perfectly complements them.

      The third and last ingredient, chili pepper, tops up the flavor profile with the simplest cooking trick: adding some heat! Any kind of chilies can be used, from a fresh cayenne pepper to dried flakes. It’s only important to get the desired amount of spiciness, which is usually medium-hot.

      Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

      Yield: 2 servings

      Total Time: 15 minutes

      Prep Time: 3 minutes

      Cook Time: 12 minutes

      Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

      Ingredients

      • 150 g high quality dried spaghetti
      • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
      • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
      • 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (or 1 fresh cayenne pepper*)
      • (optional) 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

      Preparation

      1. Start boiling the pasta in "abundant salty water" (fig.1).
      2. In a small pan, warm up the olive oil at medium heat for a minute.
      3. Add the crushed garlic and let it fry until it turns golden-brown (fig. 2).
        *If using a fresh cayenne pepper, it should be seeded and roasted along with the garlic and then also removed.
      4. Turn off the heat, discard the garlic and add the chili flakes (fig. 3).
      5. As soon as the pasta is cooked "al dente", drain it in a colander and toss it back in the empty pot.
      6. Pour in the garlic chili oil, quickly stir and dish the pasta into serving bowls.
      7. If desired, add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and serve immediately.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/04/spaghetti-aglio-olio-e-peperoncino.html