Stracotto (Italian Pot Roast) - Sip and Feast

 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3 pound chuck roast
• ▢1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
• ▢1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢8 cloves garlic
• ▢3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢1 large sweet onion finely diced
• ▢2 large carrots shredded or pulsed in a food processor
• ▢3 ribs celery shredded or pulsed in a food processor
• ▢3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
• ▢1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• ▢2 cups low-sodium beef stock
• ▢1 cinnamon stick optional
• ▢3 large bay leaves
• ▢5 large sage leaves
• ▢10 sprigs thyme tied
• ▢salt and pepper to taste
• ▢3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325f and set the rack in the middle of the oven to accommodate a Dutch oven with its lid.

Cut the garlic cloves into slivers. Make slits in the roast and insert the slivers of garlic. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels then season with salt and pepper. Any remaining garlic can be added to the pot in step 5 below.

Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat with the olive oil. Add the chuck roast to the pot and sear until browned on all sides (about 15 minutes total) then remove the roast to a plate

Add the onions along with a 1/4 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat while scraping the pot with a wooden spoon to remove all of the browned bits.

After sauteing the onions for 10 minutes, add the celery and carrots and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. During the last few minutes, add any remaining garlic. If at any time the veggies start to burn, lower the heat and/or add a splash of water or beef stock to the pot.

Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute while stirring frequently. Add the red wine and bring to a simmer. Again, scrape the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge any remaining browned bits.

Tie the thyme, sage, and bay leaves together or add to a sachet.

Add the beef stock, plum tomatoes, cinnamon stick, and tied herbs and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn off the heat and add the roast back to the pot and cover. Place into the oven.

Cook the roast for 3 hours then check for doneness. If it isn't tender enough, return it to the oven for another 30 minutes and check again. Once the roast is tender remove it from the pot and tent with foil. The roast can be cut into chunks or carefully sliced.

To degrease the sauce, lay paper towels on top of the sauce to absorb the fat then discard or use a ladle to skim some of the fat. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as required. Place the chunks of beef into a platter and top with sauce. You will have pleny of extra sauce to serve with pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

• Chuck roast makes the best pot roast due to its unique fat profile, but other leaner roasts such as rump roast, top round, and bottom round can also be used.  Those cuts can be sliced instead of shredded.  
• There will be enough sauce for the pot roast and 1 pound of pasta.
• Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 748kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.1g | Protein: 75.7g | Fat: 36.6g | Saturated Fat: 12.5g | Cholesterol: 239mg | Sodium: 919mg | Potassium: 1988mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15.5g | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 10mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Cooktopcove)

 Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
12 oz fettuccine or pasta of choice, cooked and drained

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach to the skillet, stirring until the spinach wilts.

6. Slice the cooked chicken breasts and return to the skillet with the cooked pasta. Toss everything together to coat in the creamy sauce.

7. Serve hot, with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Stanley Tucci 6 ingredient pasta casserole

 Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, or as needed
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 ounces pancetta, diced
• 6 ounces frozen peas
• 8 ounces cooked farfalle pasta
• 2 cups béchamel sauce (or other jarred creamy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in pancetta and frozen peas. Cook until warmed through and pancetta has crisped up a bit.
3. Combine cooked pasta, béchamel, and pancetta mixture in a casserole dish. Dot with butter and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, until the sauce is bubbly and the top is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Béchamel Sauce Recipe (Italian White Sauce)

• Prep Time: 5 Min
• Cook Time: 15 Min
• Servings: 4 people or 500 ml (2 ½ cup) of bechamel sauce

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Bechamel Ingredients

• 500 ml (2 cups) of milk
• 50 g (1,7 ounce or ¼ cup) of unsalted butter
• 50 g (1,7 ounce or 4 tablespoons) of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt
• freshly grated nutmeg
• Parmigiano reggiano cheese (optional)

WHITE SAUCE RATIO: the ingredients for this recipe are for 500 ml (2 ½ cup) of Bechamel sauce. If you need 1 liter (5 cups) of bechamel, doubled the ingredients. If you want a more liquid béchamel sauce, reduce the flour and the butter. For example 30 g (1 ounce or 2 ½ tablespoons) of flour and 30 g (1 ounce or 2 tablespoons) of butter.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces of whole wheat rotini

4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup chopped onion

1 (28 ounce) can of no-salt-added tomatoes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat ove to 400 degrees

Lightly coat an 8 inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. add the rotini and cook accordingly to package directions. Drain

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and crushed red pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and the cooked rotini. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with mozzarella.

Stir panko, Parmesan, parsley and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake until hot and the topping is golden, 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition: 1 cup is 442 calories

Corn and Blistered-Tomato Pasta

 

Total time: 1 hour

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces pappardelle pasta

2-3 slices of bacon, or about 1/4 cup chopped

2 teaspoons avocado oil, separated

2 cups of corn

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

11/2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 teaspoon black pepper 

Parmesan cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place bacon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Once the bacon is done, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Fill a large pot with water and set over high heat to bring to a boil. Season liberally with salt 1-2 tablespoons of salt. 

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/2 teaspoon oil and corn. Cook for four minutes or until slightly charred.

Transfer the corn to a bowl and set aside.

Add onion to the same skillet with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil, red pepper flakes and thyme. Sauté until translucent about three to four minutes. 

Transfer the corn back to the skillet and toss with the onion.

Remove half of the corn and inion mixture and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add one cup of pasta water (after pasta has cooked). And process until smooth.

Add the sliced tomatoes to the skillet with the remaining corn and onion mixture and cook on low for about l0 minutes.

While the tomatoes are cooking add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions. 

Strain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

As noted above, add the one cup of pasta water to the corn and onion mixture then puree.

Add the pasta and the corn puree to the skillet with the remaining corn and tomatoes. Toss the pasta until completely coated.

Add bacon and pepper then toss one more time before placing in a serving bowl.

Finish with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Egg Pasta Dough (Based on Helen Rennie YouTube)

Pea Puree Ravioli

Ingredients:

300 grams "00" flour or 300 grams bread flour
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
Cold water to bring the liquid weight to 185 grams

2 teaspoons of kosher salt

Instructions:

Weigh out 300 grams of flour and add to the bowl of food processor. Add the 2 teaspoons of salt and pulse briefly to combine.

Add a bowl to the scale and zero out (tare) the weight of the bowl. Add the eggs and egg yolks to the bowl and note the weight. DO NOT REZERO THE SCALE. Carefully add water to the bowl until the weight of the eggs and the water equals 185 grams.

Add the 185 grams of liquid to the food processor and pulse until the ingredients gather into a ball.

Remove all of the dough and any bits of unincorporated flour onto a smooth counter surface and combine the remain bits into the overall dough. Then, knead the dough for 8 minutes. Wrap in cellophane and let rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

The dough can then be rolled based on use. Generally, I will cut the dough into quarters prior to rolling. Take one quarter and roll out to make pasta or ravioli. While rolling the first piece you want to cover the remaining three pieces so they do to dry out. 

You can use the scraps to roll together and make pasta or ravioli. Once batch of dough can make 60 raviolis using a ravioli tray.

Note I roll the dough to a setting of six (6) on the kitchen-aid

Spinach, Ricotta and Pine Nut Ravioli

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 pound baby spinach

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim)

8 Tablespoons of toasted pine nuts

3 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté the shallots for about 1 minute then add the spinach in batches  and cook, stirring from time to time until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool then grab the cooled mixture and squeeze the water out of the spinach doing small handfuls at a time. Finely chop the spinach and combine with the ricotta, parmesan and pine nuts and place in refrigerator to cool prior to using to fill the ravioli.

Tom Keller's Pea Puree Filling

300 grams of frozen peas (I used a complete package of 368 grams)

150 grams of marscapone (I used a complete package of 227grams)

75 grams of panko bread crumbs

Instructions: 

Blanch peas in a large pot of well salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. Then drain and place on cotton towel and squeeze extra moisture from the peas. Place the peas into a food processor and process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until there is a smooth paste. Place the filling into a bowl and place in refrigerator. 

Making Ravioli:

Follow the egg pasta dough recipe above and place rounded teaspoons of filling between sheets of pasta and form the raviolis by hand or with the use of a form.

Makes 72 raviolis

Sun-dried Tomato and Ricotta Ravioli

300 grams of Ricotta cheese

2/3 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) finely chopped

3-4 basil leaves (chiffonade) 

1/3 cup Parmesan

Salt and Pepper to taste

Lemon Capellini (Ina Garten)

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter
Zest of two lemons
Juice of two lemons
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper

One pound of dried capellini.


Directions:
Fill a large pot with water and a 2 tablespoons of salt and a 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat to boiling. Add the dried capellini and cook 3-4 minutes until cooked al dente. Reserve pasta water.

For the sauce:
In a 12 inch stainless skillet add the butter; zest and juice of two lemons; salt and pepper. Combine when melted. Once the pasta has cooked, drain and add pasta to the lemon sauce. Mix to combine and allow to absorb the sauce for a few minutes.

Divide into serving bowls.

NOTE: If making or purchasing fresh pasta please note that it cooks much faster than dried pasta.

Basic Pasta Recipe (James Beard)

This recipe makes enough pasta to serve 4 as an appetizer or 3 as a main course.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon of olive oil (if using the food processor or stand mixer)


DIRECTIONS:

Food Processor

Put the metal blade into the food processor. Measure in the flour and salt and process  briefly to blend them. Drop the eggs and oil through the feeding tube, and let the machine run until the dough begins to form a ball; around 15 seconds should do it. Once you become familiar with the method, you'll be able to correct the recipe at this point. If the dough is too sticky and tablespoon or two more flour. If the dough is too dry, add a few drops of water or part of an egg. Process again briefly.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. you will notice that this method results in the yellowest and stickiest dough of all. That's because it;;s already half kneaded. Due your hands with flour and continue the kneading. Work for 3 to 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until you have a smooth ball of dough. Set it to rest under a dish towel or in plastic wrap.


RESTING:
I cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of letting the dough rest between the kneading and the rolling. During this period, which should last at least 30 minutes and can continue in the refrigerator for days, gluten in the flour relaxes and the dough becomes soft, all blended, and easy to work. I've put many a worrisome dough to rest under a dish towel only to retrieve it 2 hours later, in perfect condition for rolling.

Italian Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
   1 pound Sweet Italian sausage
   1 green pepper diced
   1 28 oz can of San Mariano tomatoes
   2 pkgs of mozzarella cheese
   1 box of ziti pasta (or other shape desired)
   Parmesan cheese


Directions:
Crumble sausage and cook with diced peppers until no longer pink then add the tomatoes including the juice from the can. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Add once cup of water and let simmer while cooking the pasta.

Drain the pasta.

In the baking dish, put one layer of ziti, a layer of mozzarella, another layer of ziti then another layer of mozzarella. Then dump sausage and tomato on top. Spread evenly and shake the pan to allow juices to get to the bottom.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 425 for 35-40 minutes.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Sage Sausage

Photo courtesy of  Chelsea Imbler

Ingredients:

1. 1 pound ziti or rigatoni noodles, cooked to al dente
2. 1 pound sage sausage (can substitute for sweet Italian)
3. 1/2 onion, diced
4. 2 cloves garlic, minced
5. 1 bay leaf
6. 4 sage leaves, chopped
7. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
8. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
9. pinch of cinnamon
10. 1/2 cup dry white wine (like chardonnay)
11. 1 cup vegetable stock
12. 15 oz can pumpkin puree
13. salt and pepper to taste
14. 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

   Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Brown the sausage in a skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat until the fat is rendered and the sausage is no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
3. In the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sage leaves, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt / pepper to taste. Cook one more minute.
4. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. The heat should remain to medium high. Add the stock and stir in the pumpkin puree. Mix until everything is incorporated. The pumpkin will thicken the sauce.
5. Stir in the sausage and transfer to a large bowl with the pasta. Mix until combined.
6. Transfer back to your cast iron skillet (or a baking dish) and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-35 minutes until bubbly.
7. Garnish with sage and parsley. Fried sage is good too!

Linguini with Roasted Peppers, Kalamata Olives and PIne Nuts

INGREDIENTS:

4 Red and Yellow Peppers
2-3 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (cut in chunks)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
three finger pinch of Sea Salt and course pepper
1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Handful of fresh basil
1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted
1/4 cup pine nuts
12 ounces of linguini or other pasta

Directions:

Preheat boiler. Place peppers on a foil lined baking sheet  and broil turning to blacken and char all sides. Place peppers in a bag to steam for at least 10 minutes.

Remove skin from peppers. Slice off tops and remove seeds. set aside until ready to make sauce.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Place cheese into a food processor and grind. Place the peppers, garlic, seasoning, pepper flakes, olive oil and olives in the processor and pulse until slightly chunky. Place in a large serving bowl that will hold your cooked pasta.

Boil pasta until al dente and remove pasta with tongs to the serving bowl.  Add about 1/8 cup of the hot pasta water to the sauce and pasta and toss well. Add a bit more of the pasta water to the pasta if it seems dry.

Toss with the pine nuts and serve with additional cheese.

Note: I used grated cheese so I included with the other ingredients in the processor and did not process separately. Also this is a recipe that can be modified based on ingredients on hand. You could add pancetta or bacon for a little more flavor.

Adapted from the food blog "The Italian Dish"

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Recipe curtesy of Guy Fieri (foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients

• 4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup blackening spice (recommended: Paul Prudhomme's Chicken)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cooked fettuccine
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the chicken breasts in the blackening spice and place in a cast iron skillet over very high heat. Blacken both sides of the chicken and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Slice in strips on the bias and set aside.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken slices. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.

When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta.

Nest the pasta on large rimmed plates, pour sauce over pasta, and garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Blackening Spice Rub:

• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Combine the garlic, black pepper, salt cumin, onion, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika and chili powder in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.