Rigatoni Amatriciana

We may have a new favorite pasta dish in my house! I have already made this dish a couple of times. We didn’t even miss the garlic. 😉 It is an incredible version of the classic- a perfect weeknight dish.

The recipe was adapted from a Food and Wine “staff favorite” recipe, inspired by sommelier Arjav Ezekiel, co-owner of Birdie’s in Austin, contributed by Anna Theoktisto. We ate it with our favorite garlic bread and green salad, of course.

Yield: Serves 4 to 5

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium or large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 (4 oz) package chopped pancetta
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely shredded (about 2/3 cup), plus more for serving
• 3/4 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely shredded (about 1/4 cup), plus more for serving
• 2 T unsalted butter
• finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium. (I used a large enameled cast iron pan.)
2. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir in pancetta; cook, stirring often, until pancetta begins to render, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Stir in crushed red pepper.
5. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, crush tomatoes; add tomatoes and their juices to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, until flavors meld and mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.
6. Stir in salt. Remove from heat.
7. While sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add rigatoni, and cook according to package instructions for al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
8. Add rigatoni, 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino Romano, and butter to sauce in skillet.
9. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 2 minutes.
10. Remove from heat, and garnish with parsley. Serve with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano cheeses, as desired.

Marcella Hazan’s Eggplant Parmesan

WOW. This was amazing. We are battling over the leftovers. 😉

This version of this classic Italian casserole is from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. I added garlic and basil to the tomato sauce and modified the proportions. I found it interesting that breading the eggplant is an Americanized method used to prepare this dish. Hazan only coats the salted and dried eggplant slices with flour prior to frying them.

We ate it with pasta on the side but crusty bread would also be wonderful. Cheesy and delicious.

Yield: Serves 6

• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds eggplant (I used 4 small organic eggplants)
• coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced, optional
• 28 oz can canned whole imported Italian plum tomatoes with juice (such as San Marzano), crushed by hand or coarsely chopped
• 3/4 to 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, preferably buffalo-milk mozzarella (I used cow-milk mozzarella)
• vegetable oil, for frying (I used canola oil)
• all-purpose flour spread on a plate or glass pie dish
• 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves plus 1 sprig for the sauce plus chopped leaves for garnish
• an oven-to-table baking dish, approximately 11 inches by 7 inches or its equivalent (I used a 2-quart baking dish)
• unsalted butter or cooking oil spray for the pan
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• crusty bread or pasta, for serving, optional (I used 1/2 pound penne)

1. Cut the green, spiky top off each eggplant and peel it. Cut each eggplant lengthwise into slices about 3/8-inch thick.
2. Stand one layer of slices upright against the inside of a pasta colander and sprinkle with salt.
3. Stand another layer of slices against it, sprinkle with salt, and repeat the procedure until you have salted all the eggplant you are working with. Place a deep dish under the colander or place the colander in a large bowl to collect the drippings and let the eggplant steep under salt for 30 minutes or more. (This process is important in order to remove excess moisture from the eggplant.)
4. Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a pot, turn the heat on to medium, add sliced garlic, if using. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add tomatoes (with juice), basil sprig, and salt; stir, and cooking the tomatoes down until thickened, about 15 minutes.
6. While the sauce is cooking, thinly slice the mozzarella.
7. Before cooking, pat each slice of eggplant thoroughly dry with paper towels. (I placed all of the eggplant slices in 3 layers (one for each layer of casserole) between slices of paper towels to dry.)
8. In a large frying pan, pour enough oil into it to come 1 to 1 1/2 inches up the sides, and turn the heat up to medium-high to high. (I used 45 to 50 oz of canola oil in a 12-inch sauté pan.)
9. Working a few slices at a time, with the eggplant thoroughly dried with paper towels, dredge the slices in the flour, coating them on both sides. (Do only a few slices at a time at the moment you are ready to fry them, otherwise the flour coating will become soggy.)
10. After coating with flour, fry the eggplant, by slipping as many slices into the pan as will fit loosely without overlapping. Cook to a golden brown color on one side, then turn them and do the other side. Do not turn them more than once. When both sides are done, use a slotted spoon, tongs, or spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack placed over a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet to drain or to a platter lined with paper towels.
11. Repeat the procedure until all the eggplant is done. If you find the oil becoming too hot, reduce the heat slightly, but do not add more oil to the pan.
12. Preheat the oven to 400°F. (I set my oven to convection.)
13. Wash the basil leaves, and tear each leaf into two or more pieces.
14. Smear the bottom and sides of the baking dish with butter or coat with cooking oil spray.
15. Put in enough fried eggplant slices to line the bottom of the dish (about 1/3)(the original recipe recommends placing them in a single layer but I used overlapped slices).
16. Spread some of the cooked tomato over the first layer of eggplant slices (about 1/3), cover with a layer of mozzarella (about 1/2), sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan (about 1/3), distribute a few pieces of basil over it (about 1/2), and top with another layer of fried eggplant (another 1/3).
17. Repeat the procedure in step 16, ending with a layer of eggplant on top. (3 layers of eggplant with sauce and 2 layers of cheese with basil)
18. Sprinkle the top layer of eggplant slices with remaining sauce topped with remaining grated Parmesan (about 1/3), and place the dish in the upper third of the preheated oven.
19. Occasionally eggplant Parmesan throws off more liquid as it bakes than you want in the pan. Check after it has been in the oven for 20 minutes by pressing down the layered eggplant with the back of a spoon, and draw off any excess liquid you may find.
20. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, and after taking it out allow it to settle for several minutes before bringing it to the table.
21. Garnish with additional fresh basil, as desired.

Note: Eggplant Parmesan tastes best shortly after it has been made, but if you must, you can complete it from several hours to 2 or 3 days in advance. Refrigerate under plastic wrap when cool. Warm it up on the top-most rack of a preheated 400°F oven.

Chickpeas & Kale in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce

This dish was also named one of Food and Wine Magazine’s “40 Best” in their 40th anniversary issue. It was super delicious.

The recipe was contributed by Missy Robbins of Lilia in Brooklyn. She was also named a “Best New Chef” in a previous issue. The genius of this dish is that Robbins substitutes chickpeas and kale for pasta in her spicy pomodoro sauce. It still tasted rich and indulgent for a “healthy” dish. I increased the amount of garlic and incorporated my CSA red kale. The inclusion of fennel seeds added subtle sweetness. We ate it with a crusty baguette to soak up all of the sauce- a little bit less healthy but crazy good.

I hope to make this dish repeatedly with my CSA kale. I absolutely love dishes that make kale a crowd-pleaser! 🙂

Yield: Serves 4

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 5 to 7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• one 28-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand
 (I used San Marzano tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• Kosher salt

• one 8-ounce bunch of Tuscan kale or red kale, ribbed, stemmed, torn in half, and sliced into 1/4-1/2″ thick ribbons
• two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• torn or chiffonade basil and marjoram leaves, 
for garnish

• finely grated Pecorino Romano, 
for serving

• baguette or other crusty bread, for serving, optional

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over low heat. (I used an enameled cast iron pot.)
2. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant 
but not browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and 
the sauce is thickened, about 25 minutes.
4. Stir the kale into the sauce and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the chickpeas and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.
6. Spoon into bowls and garnish with herbs. Top with finely grated pecorino and serve hot.

Sourdough Mozzarella Grandma Pizza Pie

This is a sourdough version of one our favorite pizzas. When we order a pizzeria pizza, it is almost always a Grandma pie. The sauce makes it extra delicious.

This pillowy crust is absolutely perfect for a Grandma pie. I have made it several times now, and have used the crust for classic homemade pies as well. I was able to shape the dough into either form extremely easily just using my fingertips.

The crust recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour. I incorporated white whole wheat flour and modified the technique and baking temperature. The sauce is from Bon Appetit, contributed by Alfia Muzio, and is included in my Classic Grandma Pie post. According to the original recipe, this crust is also delicious with bold toppings and well-aged cheeses.

I included some active dry yeast in the crust, but plan to try it without, using fed sourdough starter instead of unfed, now that my sourdough starter is really active. The crust can also be made with sourdough discard.

I have made the dough two hours prior to baking the pizza, but the dough can be made a day in advance and put in the refrigerator to rise overnight. I also doubled the recipe on a few occasions to try various toppings (and to have leftovers!).

Yield: One Grandma Pie (half sheet pan) or Two 12-inch round Thin-Crust Pies

(Double the recipe to make Two Grandma Pies or Three 14-inch round Classic Pies)

For the Pizza Crust & Toppings:

• 1 cup (241g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard
• 1/2 cup (113g) warm water (plus 2 tsp water- if using whole wheat flour)
• 1 1/4 cups (150g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups (141g) white whole wheat flour (can substitute and additional 1 1/4 cups/150g all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
• fresh tomato pizza sauce (recipe below)
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese grated or torn
• Optional toppings: fresh basil, broccoli, bacon, pepperoni, corn, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, onions

1. Stir any liquid on top of your refrigerated starter back into it before measuring 1 cup (241g) into a large mixing bowl. Note: This is a good opportunity to feed the remainder of your starter, if necessary.
2. Add the warm water, flours, salt, and yeast. Mix to combine, then knead for about 7 minutes in a mixer with the dough hook, until the dough wraps itself around the hook and cleans the side of the bowl.
3. Place the dough in a greased container, cover and let rise until almost doubled in bulk. Depending on the vitality of your starter, this will take between 2 and 4 hours. For a faster rise, place the dough in a warm spot, or double the yeast. (I placed my dough in a warming drawer and it doubled in about 2 hours.)
4. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat your oven to 500°F. (I heat a baking stone in the bottom of the oven.)
5. For a thicker, large pizza- a Grandma Pie, oil an 18″ x 13″ half-sheet pan. Place the dough in the selected pan and press it out to the edges, again giving it a 15-minute rest before continuing if it starts to snap back. (For two thin-crust pizzas, divide the dough in half, and shape each into a flattened disk. Drizzle two 12″ round pizza pans with olive oil, and brush to coat the bottom. (I used a pizza peel and pizza stone to make classic pizzas instead.) Place the dough in the pans, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes. After this rest, gently press the dough toward the edges of the pans. If it starts to shrink back, cover and let rest for 15 minutes before continuing.)
6. Cover the pan(s) and let the dough rise until it’s as thick as you like. (It will rise quite a bit in 30 minutes. I just let it rest while preparing the toppings.)
7. While the dough is rising, make the sauce. (see recipe below)
8. Once dough has risen on baking sheet, top with mozzarella, and dot pie with tomato sauce; sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes, if desired. Add any additional toppings, if desired.
9. Bake the Grandma Pie until golden brown and crisp on bottom and sides, 15–30 minutes. (Bake traditional pies for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.)

Note: Store leftover pizza covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

For the Fresh Tomato Pizza Sauce:

• 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, drained (I used San Marzano)
• 2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
• 2 cloves garlic cloves
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Pulse tomatoes, anchovies, garlic, oil, and basil in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth (some texture is okay).
2. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Tikka Masala

For years, this was the most popular recipe on Food and Wine.com. It was included in the 40th Anniversary edition of Food and Wine magazine titled “Our 40 Best-Ever Recipes.” I have tried several recipes from this wonderful collection.

This is an easy version of this classic and popular Indian dish. I especially loved it because the sauce was so amazing. The original recipe makes a note that the marinade and sauce are also delicious with shrimp, lamb, and vegetables.

The recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Grace Parisi. I doubled the garlic and used slivered almonds. We ate it over brown Basmati rice with warm naan and sautéed spinach. Yum!

Yield: Serves 4

For the Marinade:

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Chicken:

• 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed (8 to 10 thighs)
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T plus 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup blanched whole or slivered almonds
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 T garam masala
• 1 1/2 tsp pure chile powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• One 35-ounce can peeled tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved (I used San Marzano tomatoes)
• pinch of granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• warm naan and/or rice, for serving

1. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the broiler and position a rack about 8 inches from the heat.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade; scrape off as much of the marinade as possible.
5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread the pieces on a baking sheet. Broil the chicken, turning once or twice, until just cooked through and browned in spots, about 12 minutes.
6. Transfer to a cutting board and cut it into 2-inch pieces.
7. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil.
8. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground.
9. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering.
10. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes.
11. Add the garam masala, chile powder and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
12. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar and season with salt and pepper.
13. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
14. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer.
15. Stir in the chicken and pan drippings; simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and serve.

Note: The Chicken Tikka Masala can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Shakshuka with Feta

As in my last post, this recipe was re-published in a New York Times special section called One Pot/Pan/Skillet: 24 Brilliant Recipes for Everyone Who Hates Doing the Dishes. My dream. 🙂

During this time of self-quarantine, I have made or plan to make several other dishes from this collection including past favorites like One-Pan Shrimp Scampi with Orzo and Mustard Chicken with Shallots and White Wine.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. We ate it for dinner with a crusty sourdough baguette and a giant green salad. This quick and tasty dish can be served any meal of the day.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne, or to taste
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with their juices, coarsely chopped (I used San Marzano)
  
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more as needed
• 5 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 6 to 8 large eggs (I used 7)
• chopped cilantro, for serving
• hot sauce, for serving
• warm pita or crusty bread, for serving

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. (I used a large enameled cast iron pot.)
3. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes.
4. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute.
5. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes.
6. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in crumbled feta.
7. Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
8. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce and warm bread.

Cauliflower Parmesan

I have made this wonderfully cheesy dish a couple of times already- just to get the proportions right. I knew that I had to increase the amount of simple and flavorful sauce after making it the first time.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I lightened the dish by baking the cauliflower after coating it instead of frying it. We ate it over linguini fini with sautéed broccoli rabe on the side. Wonderful!

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

For the Simple Tomato Sauce:

• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red Chile flakes, optional
• 3 (28-ounce) cans whole or diced plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 3 sprigs basil or 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• scant 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Parmesan rind, optional

1. In a large, straight-sided skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. (I used an enameled cast iron pot with a glass lid.)
2. Add garlic and cook until just lightly golden.
3. Add chile flakes if desired and cook 30 seconds.
4. Stir in tomatoes and juices, basil or bay leaf, and salt and pepper.
5. Bring sauce to a simmer, add the Parmesan rind, if using, and cook until sauce is thick and tomatoes have mostly fallen apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Adjust heat as needed to keep at a steady simmer. If using whole plum tomatoes, mash them up with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to help them break down.
6. Remove sauce from heat and discard basil or bay leaf.

For the Cauliflower & To Finish the Dish:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups panko or plain unseasoned bread crumbs
• Kosher salt, as needed
• freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• 1 large or 2 small/medium heads cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 2-inch florets (I used 1 small and 1 medium)
• olive oil, for drizzling
• Simple Tomato Sauce (recipe above)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces
• linguine fini or other pasta, optional, for serving

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. Place flour, eggs, and panko into three wide, shallow bowls. (I used glass pie dishes.) Season each generously with salt and pepper.
3. Dip a cauliflower piece first in flour, then eggs, then coat with panko. Repeat with remaining cauliflower.
4. Place on 2 parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheets. Roast coated florets for 22-24 minutes, or until nicely browned.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.
6. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
7. Sprinkle one-third of the Parmesan over sauce.
8. Scatter half cauliflower mixture over the Parmesan and top with half the mozzarella pieces.
9. Top with half the remaining sauce, sprinkle with another third of the Parmesan and repeat layering, ending with a final layer of sauce and Parmesan.
10. Transfer pan to oven and bake until cheese is golden and casserole is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes. While the dish is baking, prepare the pasta, if desired.
11. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Serve over prepared pasta, as desired.