Timballo alla Nettie

Ciao a tutti!! I’m very excited to share that I have been invited to be a La Cucina Italiana Blogger Ambassador. La Cucina Italiana is an amazing magazine dedicated to Italian cuisine, it’s one of my favorites!! My first “assignment” was to create an original pasta dish using one of three cuts of Delverde Pasta that I was sent. I went with the Mezzi Rigatoni for my….drum roll please….Timballo!!

A Timballo is an Italian dish made with baked pasta and whatever delicious ingredients you want to add.  Meat? Why not! Veggies? Sure! Cheese? But of course! There really are no limits, that’s part of the fun. Every family has their own version and this is mine, which I named after my late Nonna Nettie. I made my Timballo encased in beautiful, thin slices of grilled eggplant. Inside, you will find wonderful layers of different textures, flavors and all around deliciousness. There is a layer of the Delverde Mezzi Rigatoni with some of the liquid from my Bolognese, there is a layer of Bolognese and there is a layer of a ricotta and parmigiana blend. Buon Appetito!!

Timballo alla Nettie

The Bolognese Layer

4 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

¾ pound of ground beef, at room temperature

6 Italian sausage links, casing removed

½ pound of chicken

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups meat broth, preferably homemade

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups concentrated tomato puree

Put garlic, celery, onions and carrots in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Add oil and butter to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Let melt. Add the finely chopped vegetables, sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the ground beef and sausage, breaking apart as much as possible. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat looks fully cooked, about 30 minutes.  Add the white wine and allow the liquid to reduce by half. Add the broth. Add the chicken and allow to cook for an additional ½ hour. When the chicken is cooked, take it out and chop very finely. Put the chicken back in the pan. Add the cream and tomato puree. Bring to a simmer and then reduce. Let the ragu cook 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning. You can allow it to sit as long as you have time for so the flavor really develops. While that is cooking, start preparing your eggplant…

The Eggplant Layer

2 large eggplants

4 tbsp. olive oil

First, you will want to clean your eggplant. Next, using a mandoline, cut your eggplant holding it on its side in long thin strips. Once you have cut enough eggplant, prepare a large grill pan with the olive oil and begin grilling your eggplant. Just briefly grill it so the eggplant is cooked through, since the eggplant is thin, it will cook pretty quickly. Once you are done grilling all of the eggplant, put the slices on a plate to cool. After around ten minutes, you can start making the eggplant “encasing” for the Timballo.

You will want to use a very large cake pan, preferably one with a removable bottom, the one I used was a 9 by 5 inch cake pan. You will first want to spray the cake pan with a non-stick spray. First, start draping some of the eggplant slices over the rim on the pan, overlapping with each other to cover the entire side of the pan and hanging over the rim. Once the entire rim is covered, start layering the slices on the bottom, making sure it is completely covered. The idea is to have enough eggplant hanging off of the side so you can then “close” the timballo. Save a few slices to top the timballo with.

Now you can prepare your Ricotta Parmigiana Layer…

The Ricotta Parmigiana Layer

1 cup of ricotta

½ cup of parmigiana

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tbsp. dried mixed Italian seasonings

1 egg, beaten

In a medium size bowl, add your ricotta, parmigiana, salt, pepper, dried Italian seasonings and egg. Thoroughly mix. Now start preparing the pasta..

The Pasta Layer

1 box of Delverde Mezzi Rigatoni

Start boiling a large pot of salted water. Put your pasta in when it is boiling and cook until al dente. Drain and put the pasta back in the pan and add some of the Bolognese….there will be a lot of “liquid” that almost separates from the Bolognese itself because of all the fat from the meat, use a lot of that to cover the pasta! Now it’s time to assemble the Timballo!!

Assembling the Timballo alla Nettie

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Put your cake pan with the already prepared eggplant on a sturdy surface. Start off pouring a layer of the pasta in the cake pan, covering the eggplant surface. Fill with around 2 inches of pasta. Then add a layer of the Bolognese, around 2 inches. Then add an inch of the Ricotta Parmigiana Mix. Top with a little more pasta. Then, using the eggplant that is draping over the side of the pan, bring it over the pasta, almost “closing” it. Then use your additional eggplant slices to cover the Timballo. Make sure it is covered with eggplant so nothing leaks out. Put the Timballo on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. When it is done, take it out and allow it to cool for at least half an hour before slicing and serving. When those 30 minutes are FINALLY over, cut yourself a big slice and enjoy!! 

Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck

Ciao a tutti!! I am so sorry for not posting for a while, things have been hectic. Between a recent family vacation, preparing for culinary school in Italy at the end of next month, an active social life and my fabulous internship with Feast on History, I've been pretty busy. But that’s the way I like it!! As I mentioned, I’m an intern with an amazing company called Feast on History where I recently got to help develop recipes and cook for their Feast of the Seven Fishes which was HUGE SUCCESS!! The kitchen space they used was so beautiful; it actually inspired me to use it for my own upcoming event!!! For more than a year, I have been toying around with the idea of doing a supper club. But where to do it? I didn't want to do it in my own apartment and all of the spaces I found where way too big for what I needed.

When I saw this space, I felt like Goldilocks. Not too bag, not too small, it was just right. So, I will be inviting close friends to this first event to get some feedback...it will be a Masquerade Pop Up Dinner tied in with Halloween. The theme is good vs. evil, as is showcased in the menu. Sweet, light and luscious vs. rich, spicy and indulgent. Eventually my plan is for people to purchase a ticket for the event, but I want to do a few test runs and receive some feedback first. For those that interested in the underground dining scene, does this sound like something that might interest you in the future? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! So, I would like to share with you one of my recipes that will be served at my Masquerade….Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck…fried carbs  with a light, sweet mousse topped with a piece of smoky cured Italian meat…how good does that sound?

Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck

Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse

1 Butternut Squash

1 tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup of mascarpone

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. crushed Aleppo chili

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with foil. Clean and cut your butternut squash in half. You will want to remove all of the seeds and “guts. ”Rub with olive oil and top with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Roast for 2-3 hours or until the butternut squash is tender. Scoop out the butternut squash and put it in a food processor (if you have a Vitamix, use the Vitamix, I swear by this thing!!). Process until smooth and creamy and no fibers remain. Add your mascarpone, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, dried rosemary and Aleppo chili. Puree until thoroughly combined and smooth. Put the butternut squash mascarpone mousse in a container to chill for 3 hours.

Fried Polenta

1 ½ cups of polenta

4 cups of water

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. crushed Aleppo chili

1 cup of neutral oil (canola, peanut)

1 cup of flour

Prepare 4 cups of water in a medium size deep pot over high heat. While waiting for the water, butter a casserole dish. When water is boiling, add your polenta and stir with a wooden spoon for five minutes. You want to get the polenta nice and smooth. Add salt, pepper, dried rosemary and Aleppo chili. Pour the polenta into the casserole dish and spread so it is even. Put it in the refrigerator to chill for two-three hours.

When the polenta is done “chilling”, take it out to fry. In a medium size pan over medium-high heat, heat your oil. Cut your polenta into 1 inch squares and lightly drench in the flour. Put in the oil and fry on each side for three minutes. Continue doing this with all of the polenta bites.

Fried Speck

6 slices of speck

1 tsp. olive oil

In a medium size pan over medium heat, add your olive oil. When it is hot, fry your speck very briefly, around 2-3 minutes. Take it out of the pan and allow to cool before breaking the speck into small pieces.

Assembling the bites:

Take one of the polenta squares and using a small ice cream scoop, scoop some of the butternut squash mascarpone onto it. Top with a small piece of fried speck. Buon Appetito!! 

Stuffed Calamari for The Feast of the Seven Fishes with Feast on History

Buongiorno mei amici!! Next up for The Feast of the Seven Fishes with Feast on History…Stuffed Calamari!! No Feast of the Seven Fishes would be complete without it. Like the other recipes, I wanted to keep it traditional with a bit of a twist. I made mine stuffed with mushrooms and ricotta. It’s a wonderful mix of flavors and textures and the tomato sauce is reduced with some white wine. For more information on the upcoming Feast of the Seven Fishes be sure to head over to Feast on History for information on purchasing tickets for the dinner. Enjoy!!

                                     

Stuffed Calamari

1 pound of calamari tubes (around 6 tubes)

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

2 tbsp. crushed red pper

2 cloves of chopped garlic

2 cups of mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp. Italian parsley

2 cups of bread crumbs

½ cup of ricotta cheese

¼ cup of parmigiana

White Wine Tomato Sauce

2 cups of diced canned tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes (in my opinion, they’re the best!)

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup of white wine

Begin by cleaning your calamari in cold water. Add olive oil to a medium size pan over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and garlic. Cook until slightly golden. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they are tender. Add the parsley and turn off the heat. Put the mushrooms in a medium size bowl and add the bread crumbs, ricotta and parmigiana.

Meanwhile, in another medium size pan, add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and olive oil. Add the white wine.

Stuff your calamari with the mushroom stuffing. I like to use a tiny spoon to really get in there and then I press down the stuffing with my thumb. Put the stuffed calamari in the sauce and cook until opaque and tender, around 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Buon Appetito!! 

Stuffed Clams with Feast on History

Ciao a tutti!! I am so excited to have started my recipe testing for The Feast of the Seven Fishes with Feast on History. For those that have not heard, I recently became an intern with Feast on History. A wonderful new company that specializes in wine and food events and allows the guests to experience food and history together. It’s hard work, but someone’s gotta do it!! Up first were the Stuffed Clams. I love stuffed clams and I wanted to keep them traditional with my own special twist…enter speck. Speck is a cured smoky Italian meat and when you fry it, it gets nice and crispy. I thought some speck would lend itself perfectly to the clams. I mean, parmigiana, clams, bread crumbs, white wine, you can’t go wrong. Be sure to stay tuned for some other tempting recipes and of course, if you want to experience them for yourself without doing as much of the work, be sure to come to our upcoming Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner on August. 30^th. Mangia Bene!!

Stuffed Clams

For the liquid

1 pounds of clams (we used Manila Clams)

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of chopped garlic

2 tbsp. crushed red pepper

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. salt

3 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

1 cup of white wine

1 cup of water

For the stuffing

4 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of chopped garlic

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

6 slices of speck

1 cup of bread crumbs

2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

½ cup of parmigiana

½ cup of white wine

½ cup of the liquid from steaming the clams

Begin by cleaning and rinsing your clams in a large bowl with cold water. Get rid of any grit or sand. After rinsing them, begin preparing your steaming liquid. In a large pot, add your olive oil, garlic, red pepper, salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Cook briefly until the garlic is slightly golden. Add the white wine and water and bring to a boil. Put the clams in the liquid, cover them and lower the heat. Simmer gently until the clams have opened.

Once they opened, turn off the heat and let them cool in the pot while you prepare the stuffing. Do not throw out the liquid!

In a medium pan, add the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook until the garlic is slightly golden.

Add the chopped speck and cook until it is crispy. You will notice that the speck will get darker as it gets crispier. Add the bread crumbs and parsley. Cook until the crumbs are slightly toasted. Add the parmigiana, wine and clam liquid. Turn off the heat. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with olive oil.

Now take your clams out of the shell and roughly chop them. Add the clams to the stuffing mix. Do not put the heat back on; you do not want to overcook the clams. Stuff the shells with the clam stuffing and put in the oven for 25 minutes. Enjoy immediately with a fine glass of white wine. Buon Appetito!! 

Fusilli with Sausage, Ramps and White Wine

Ciao a tutti!! I feel like it’s been a while since I've posted a pasta dish, so I think it’s about time I do!! When I was in Italy last Christmas, I brought back A LOT of pasta. I loved seeing how many different shapes they offer. A lot of people think all pasta tastes the same, but to me, there is always a difference. Some has a bit more a bite, some is milder, but either way, I love all pasta. The pasta I’m using today is Fusilli Avellinesi. It has a twisted shape, so it’s perfect for dishes that you really want the sauce to cling to and get in there!! Since this pasta is hard to come by, I will suggest using regular fusilli. I made this pasta with sausage, ramps and white wine. I mean, what else do you need right? Enjoy!!

Fusilli with Sausage, Ramps and White Wine

4 Italian sausage links

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 box of fusilli

1 bunch of ramps, cleaned and finely chopped (including the green part!!)

1 ½ cups of white wine

2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Prepare a medium size pan over medium heat with the 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Remove the sausage from the case (you can easily do this by wetting the sausage link and cutting it with a knife, the inside of the link should easily come out). Tear the sausage into small pieces and put in the pan. Thoroughly cook through for 30-45 minutes. Always be careful with pork. When the sausage is almost done cooking, prepare a large pot of water over high heat. Generously salt your water. When the water is boiling, add the fusilli. Cook until al dente, depending on your pasta it could take 4-7 minutes. Once it is done, drain the pasta and put it in the pan with sausage and toss. Add the ramps, white wine, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook on medium until half of the wine has reduced. Buon Appetito!!

Fried and Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Ciao a tutti!! For years, I heard my mother speak of Zucchini Flowers. They’re not as popular in the United States as they are in Italy, so getting your hands on them can be pretty difficult. You’re best trying a farmers market once they are in season. I only first tried Zucchini Flowers on my first trip to Italy in the summer of 2011. When my mother and I were in Rome that trip, we made sure to indulge in zucchini flowers every single day. Since then, anytime they’re in season, I buy them once a week and go to town. There are many ways to prepare zucchini flowers, toss them with some pasta, serve them on a white pizza, simply grill them…but my favorite way is to stuff them with ricotta and fry them. Very healthy, I know. But life is short so you gotta live a little! If you have never had zucchini flowers and can get your hands on a batch, I promise you, you will LOVE them!

Fried Zucchini Flowers

Makes 8-12 zucchini flowers

For the ricotta filling

½ cup ricotta cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tbsp. dried Italian seasonings

For the batter

¾ cup of cornstarch

¼ cup flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 egg

For frying

1 ½ cups of neutral oil (Vegetable, canola or peanut)

Start off by cleaning your zucchini flowers. Check the insides for petals or small bugs (I know, it’s yucky, but they can sneak in there!) Rinse them and then pat them dry. In a medium bowl, add your ricotta, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, parsley and dried Italian seasonings. Mix until well combined. 

In a shallow dish or container, add your cornstarch, flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Lightly mix with a fork. In a bowl, crack and whisk your egg.  Take your zucchini flower and gently open it and add a tsp. of the ricotta mix, then roll it in the cornstarch mix and then dip in the egg. Set aside on a separate plate. Continue doing this until all of your zucchini flowers are covered. If you need more egg, you can always crack another. 

Prepare a medium size deep pot over medium-high heat and add your 1 ½ cups of oil. When the oil is heated, gently place in your zucchini flowers. Each flower should take around 3-5 minutes to fry. As they are each done frying, place them on a wire rack to cool, a wire rack will also help them avoid steaming up. There is a chance you may have some cornstarch mix leftover, so you will just have to throw it out. Eat right away while they are still nice, hot and crunchy!! Buon Appetito!! 

Maple Beer Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze and Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle

Ciao a tutti!! I have a confession to make….I do occasionally make non-Italian recipes. I know, I know, shocking right? The truth is, every now and then I prepare treats that are nowhere near Italian recipes. Hence, my newest creation…..Maple Beer Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze and Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle. I recently made this for a party and everyone went nuts for it!! Since everyone seemed to love it so much and was begging for the recipe, I figured other people might enjoy it. So, even though it’s not Italian, I knew I had to share this with all of you. Enjoy!!!

Maple Beer Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze and Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle

Serves 8 large slices

Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle

6 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped

¼ cup of beer

1 cup sugar

½ cup corn syrup

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup of peanuts, chopped

Prepare a large pan over medium heat and add the bacon to the pan. Cook until very crisp, around 30 minutes. Cover a plate with a paper towel and put the bacon on the plate to soak up any extra oil. Chop the bacon very finely.

Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper and set aside. Combine the bacon and peanuts in a bowl and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine beer, sugar and corn syrup until well mixed. Over medium high heat, bring mixture to 250 degrees F without stirring. Add the butter and stir constantly until mixture reaches 320 degrees F. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda (the mixture will begin to foam). Fold in nut and bacon mix. Pour onto lined baking sheet and spread out evenly. Let harden and cool completely and then break into small pieces. Add the pieces to a food processor and pulse until pieces are small and fine. Once the brittle is done, prepare your glaze…

Salted Caramel Glaze

5 tablespoons butter

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

Pinch of salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, dark brown sugar, heavy creamy and salt to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract. Add 1/3 cup of the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Continue to whisk in the sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Set the glaze aside and prepare the cake. 

Maple Beer Cake

2 cups of flour

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

¼ cup real maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. maple extract

2 eggs

1/8 cup milk

1/8 cup beer, any kind

Spray a standard 8 by 8 brownie pay with cooking spray and pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and maple extract and mix until well combined. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the milk and beer and dry ingredients and mix gently until well combined. Pour into the pan and bake for 40 minutes. You will want to brownies to completely cool before adding the glaze and brittle, around 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

Once you have waited an hour and 30 minutes, add the glaze on top of the cake. You can simply spread it with a butter knife or pour the caramel in a ketchup bottle and squirt it out. After you glaze the cake, add the crumbled Bacon Peanut Beer Brittle. Slice into 8 large pieces and enjoy!