Rustic Italian Food Read online

  MAKES 4 SERVINGS

  1 pound young fava beans in the pods

  1 pound refrigerated extruded Fusilli, or 12 ounces boxed dried fusilli

  1¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil

  ½ cup finely chopped onion

  ¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus a few for garnish

  1½ cups grated pecorino cheese

  Salt and freshly ground pepper

  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole fava pods and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. When cool, pluck the favas from the pods, then pinch open the pale green skin and pop out the bright green fava beans. You should have about 1 cup.

  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (or salt the fava blanching water if you like). Drop in the pasta, quickly return to a boil, and cook until the pasta is tender yet firm, about 2 to 7 minutes, depending on how long it has been refrigerated (or 8 to 9 minutes for the boxed stuff). Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water.

  Meanwhile, heat ¾ cup of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the drained fusilli to the pan along with 1½ cups of pasta water and the fava beans. Toss over medium-high heat until the water is reduced to almost nothing.

  Cut the ¼ cup mint leaves into thin strips (stack them, roll them like a cigar, then cut crosswise). Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining ½ cup olive oil, 1¼ cups of the pecorino cheese, and the mint strips. Toss until the pasta and sauce become creamy and velvety. If it looks clumpy, add a small amount of pasta water to loosen the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

  Divide among warm pasta bowls and garnish with the remaining ¼ cup pecorino, a few grinds of fresh black pepper, and a few beautiful mint leaves.

  PREP AHEAD

  The favas can be blanched, peeled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 6 hours before you serve the pasta.

  BEVERAGE—Tenuta Luisa, Cabernet Franc 2006 (Friuli): This is one of my favorite varietals to pair with green vegetables. Cabernet Franc harmonizes perfectly with the herbaceous aromas of the vegetables. Expect most Italian bottlings to follow with soft, chocolaty-strawberry fruit, medium body, and low tannins.

  Macaroni WITH BIGEYE TUNA BOLOGNESE

  I am always trying new bolognese sauces. Some with beef. Some with veal. Some with lamb. Some with duck. Large, fatty fish also work remarkably well. My favorite is bigeye tuna. It has a brawny texture that pulls its own weight in a thick sauce like this. But you could substitute salmon or swordfish, if you like.

  MAKES 8 SERVINGS

  TUNA BOLOGNESE

  1¾ pounds bigeye tuna, cut into 1-inch chunks

  ¾ pound pork fatback, cut into ½-inch chunks

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  1 onion, finely chopped

  1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

  1 rib celery, finely chopped

  1 clove garlic, minced

  4 canned San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

  1 cup dry white wine

  1 sprig rosemary

  3 cups water

  1 piece Parmesan rind

  Salt and freshly ground pepper

  1½ pounds refrigerated extruded Large Macaroni, or 1¼ pounds boxed dried large macaroni or penne

  ½ cup unsalted butter

  1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

  ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

  For the bolognese: Spread the tuna and fatback in a single layer on a baking sheet or another shallow pan that will fit into your freezer. Freeze all the parts to the meat grinder, too. Freeze the tuna and fat until firm but not solid, about 1 hour. Grind the cold tuna and fat in a meat grinder, using a large die. If you don’t have a meat grinder, you can chop it in small batches in a food processor using 4-second pulses. Try not to chop it too finely; you don’t want a fish puree.

  Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat. Add the ground tuna mixture and cook until the tuna is no longer red, stirring and scraping the pan, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes.

  Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary, water, and Parmesan rind. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the sauce is creamy, about 1 hour. Remove the rosemary and Parmesan rind. Makes about 8 cups.

  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, quickly return to a boil, and cook until tender yet firm, 3 to 4 minutes (9 minutes for the boxed stuff). Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water.

  Meanwhile, heat the bolognese in a large sauté pan over high heat until boiling. Add the butter and olive oil and simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce is creamy.

  Add the drained macaroni to the pan. Stir in a ladle of pasta water, the 1 cup Parmesan, and the ½ cup parsley, tossing until the sauce is creamy. If the sauce gets too thick, add more pasta water.

  Divide among warm pasta bowls and garnish with Parmesan and parsley.

  PREP AHEAD

  The bolognese can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it in a large sauté pan before adding the pasta.

  BEVERAGE—Isole e Olena, Chianti Classico 2007 (Tuscany): This pairing is a take on a classic match: Chianti with bolognese. Here the tuna in the bolognese pushes me toward Paolo de Marchi’s incredible all-Sangiovese entry-level Chianti. It has a delightful core of iron-rich minerality that supports abundant fruit and lively tannins.

  Bucatini alla Matriciana

  Bucatini ALLA MATRICIANA

  This is a very important dish in Italian cuisine. It gives you a taste of pork from the guanciale, a shot of salt from the pecorino, and a touch of acid from the tomato. It is the quintessential example of a perfect combination that should never be altered. And by the way, it is called bucatini alla matriciana, not bucatini al amatriciana. Americans butcher that all the time!

  MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

  1 pound refrigerated extruded Bucatini, or 14 ounces boxed dried thick spaghetti

  ½ cup olive oil

  8 ounces Shortcut Guanciale, cut into ½-inch cubes

  4 peeled whole plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano if canned

  ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  1 cup dry white wine

  2 cups grated pecorino cheese

  4 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  Salt and freshly ground pepper

  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, quickly return to a boil, and cook until tender yet firm, 2 to 7 minutes, depending on how long it has been refrigerated (or 8 to 9 minutes for the boxed stuff). Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water.

  Meanwhile, heat 4 teaspoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the guanciale and cook until crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the tomatoes and pepper flakes and break up with tongs. Add the wine and 2 cups pasta water and boil until the sauce reduces in volume and thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

  Add the drained bucatini to the pan along with 1 cup of the pecorino, the parsley, and the remaining olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper, tossing until the sauce is creamy. If the sauce gets too thick, add more pasta water.

  Divide among warm pasta bowls and garnish with the remaining 1 cup pecorino.

  PREP AHEAD

  Make the bucatini up to 5 days ahead of time and the guanciale up to a week ahead of time. Keep both refrigerated in airtight containers.

  BEVERAGE—Masciarelli, Montepulciano d’Abruzzi 2008 (Abruzzo): A hint of heat in any dish is always one of the first things I’ll consider when pairing a wine. This Roman classic always seems to demand a plush fruit-forward, low-tannin wine like Montepulciano, especially one with low a
lcohol.

  Which Oil?

  Do I always use extra-virgin olive oil when cooking? No! I try to match the oil to the dish. For drizzling on pasta and salads, I use novello, or first-cold-pressed olive oil, because it has a robust flavor and aroma. But when I make vinaigrette with a substantial amount of oil in it, I use half extra-virgin and half virgin olive oil. All extra-virgin would just be too intense, especially if it’s a really strong-flavored oil. Or, let’s say I’m making a dessert with olive oil like Olive Oil Cake, or drizzling the warm oil over solid chocolate. Then I’ll use oil from Tuscany, because Tuscan oils are fruitier than oils from the south, which tend to taste more piccante in the back of the throat. The fruitier oil will pair better with the dessert. For dipping bread at the table, I usually make a 75 to 25 percent mix of strong-flavored extra-virgin olive oil and a milder virgin olive oil to keep the oil from overpowering the bread. If the extra-virgin is really strong, I’ll use half and half. And for frying and grilling, I use grapeseed oil or canola oil because they have a higher smoking point than olive oil. The best thing to do is taste a lot of different oils, find your favorites, and experiment with them in the kitchen.

  Tonnarelli CACIO E PEPE

  Here’s another example of how certain ingredients go perfectly together, like salt and pepper. In this elemental Roman pasta dish, cheese provides the salt. Cacio is a hard sheep’s milk cheese similar to pecorino and just a little sharper than Parmesan. With the aroma of cracked black pepper and the chewy texture of the semolina pasta, it’s a perfect three-way marriage. There’s nothing you could add to make this dish any better.

  MAKES 4 SERVINGS

  1 pound refrigerated extruded Tonnarelli, or 14 ounces boxed dried spaghetti

  ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 equal pieces

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns

  2 cups freshly grated cacio de Roma or pecorino cheese

  Salt and freshly cracked pepper

  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, quickly return to a boil, and cook until tender yet firm, 2 to 7 minutes, depending on how long it has been refrigerated (or 8 to 9 minutes for the boxed stuff). Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water.

  Just before the pasta is ready, ladle about 2 cups pasta water into a large sauté pan. Add the butter, olive oil, and cracked pepper and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

  Add the drained pasta to the pan. Simmer gently until the sauce is slightly creamy (most of the sauce will be absorbed by the pasta), about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cacio or pecorino cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

  Divide among warm pasta bowls and top with the remaining 1 cup cheese and a few grinds of black pepper.

  PREP AHEAD

  The tonnarelli can be made and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days ahead. If you don’t have a tonnarelli attachment (like a square spaghetti) on your pasta machine, make regular spaghetti instead, which will work just fine.

  BEVERAGE—Germano Ettore, Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 (Piedmont): People sometimes skip this style in favor of its more esteemed (and pricier) older siblings, Barolo and Barbaresco. But Nebbiolo often delivers similar flavors in a fresher frame with noticeable but more manageable tannins. The result is a fresh, delicious, incredibly versatile wine with the ability to stand up to full-flavored salty cheeses like pecorino.

  Spaghetti in Parchment with Clams and Scallions

  Spaghetti IN PARCHMENT WITH CLAMS AND SCALLIONS

  The pasta in this dish cooks twice, so be sure to undercook it when you first boil it. Then when it bakes in the parchment, it will absorb all the briny, garlicky, wine-soaked, chile-flecked juices from the seafood. That’s how you create flavor! It also helps to use fresh scallions from the farmers’ market. Better yet, use ramps when they are in season. You can also replace the clams with cockles and serve this with grated Parmesan if you like.

  MAKES 4 SERVINGS

  1 pound refrigerated extruded Spaghetti, or 12 ounces boxed dried spaghetti

  8 tablespoons olive oil

  4 scallions, trimmed and top quarter removed, sliced crosswise

  4 cloves garlic, smashed

  50 to 60 small clams, scrubbed

  ¼ cup dry white wine

  ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  ¼ cup water

  ½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, quickly return to a boil, and cook until slightly underdone and chewy, 1 to 6 minutes, depending on how long it has been refrigerated (or 7 to 8 minutes for the boxed stuff). Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water.

  Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the clams, wine, pepper flakes, and water. Cover and simmer until the liquid reduces in volume by about half, 5 minutes. When the clams have opened, discard the garlic and any empty clam shells.

  Add the drained pasta to the pan along with the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil and the parsley. Cook over medium heat, tossing until the sauce gets a little creamy.

  Tear 4 sheets of parchment paper, each about 2 feet long. Place one-fourth of the pasta mixture in the center of each sheet of parchment. Bring the long sides of the parchment up above the pasta so the edges meet. Fold the edges together and keep folding down until tight over the pasta. Flip over and pull each side of parchment over the center to make a tight packet. Flip back over so the folded seam side is up.

  Transfer the packets to a baking sheet and bake until the paper browns lightly, 5 to 7 minutes. If you have convection, turn it on to help the paper brown. Transfer to plates and allow guests to slit open the packets lengthwise with a knife.

  PREP AHEAD

  The spaghetti can be made and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days ahead.

  BEVERAGE—Scarpetta, Friulano Bianco 2007 (Friuli): This wine is crafted by our close friends Bobby and Lachlan of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado. It shows off everything that’s great about the grape: mouthwatering acidity, pear and almond flavors, and cleansing minerality that makes it an ideal match for shellfish dishes spiked with garlic.

  BASIC Egg Pasta DOUGH

  Here’s my go-to dough for almost every ravioli, lasagna, fettuccine, and other flat pasta that I make. It’s rich with egg yolks and satisfyingly chewy, thanks to high-protein durum flour. The amounts here are for 1 pound of dough, which is enough to make about 6 fully rolled pasta sheets, each 4 to 5 feet long. That will give you about 32 large (2-inch-square) ravioli or 46 small (1-inch-square) ravioli.

  MAKES 1 POUND

  1¼ cups (190 g) tipo 00 or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (71 g) durum flour

  9 egg yolks (150 g)

  3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 55 g) water

  1 tablespoon (15 g) extra-virgin olive oil

  Put both flours in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, run the mixer on medium speed and add the egg yolks, water, and oil. Mix just until the ingredients come together into a dough, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until silky and smooth, kneading in more flour if the dough is too sticky. The dough is ready if it gently pulls back into place when stretched with your hands. Shape the dough into a 6-inch-long log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days (it could get too soft and difficult to roll if left at room temperature).

  Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and let them return almost to room temperature. They should still feel a little chilly when you touch them. Position a stand mixer pasta roller or other pasta roller at the widest setting, and roll one piece of dough through the rollers, lightly dusting the dough with flour
if necessary to prevent sticking. Reset the rollers to the next narrowest setting and again pass the dough through the rollers. Pass the dough once through each progressively narrower setting, concluding with the narrowest setting or as directed in the recipe you are making. Between rollings, continue to dust the dough lightly with flour if needed, always brushing off the excess. You should end up with a sheet 4 to 5 feet long and thin enough to see your hand through when the pasta is held up to the light.

  Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle lightly with flour. Use a knife or the cutter attachment on the pasta machine to create the pasta shape specified in the recipe you are making.

  BASIC FETTUCCINE

  Cut the sheet into 9-inch lengths. Fit your stand mixer or pasta machine with the fettuccine roller and set to medium speed. Feed one length of dough at a time through the roller, dusting the dough lightly with flour as needed. Form the fettuccine into rounded nests and dry on a floured towel for 1 hour. Or dust with flour and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can transfer the pasta right from the freezer to the boiling pasta water.

  BASIC RAVIOLI

  Lay a pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface trim the edges so they are square, and notch the center of the sheet on the edge to mark the centerit. Spritz the pasta with a little water to keep it from drying out and to give you a little more time to work. Spoon ½-inch-diameter balls of filling at 1-inch intervals in two rows down the length of the pasta sheet just to the center. Leave a 1-inch margin all the way around each ball of filling. Lift the opposite end of the sheet and lay it over the filling so the edges meet. Gently press the dough around each ball of filling to seal. Using a knife, cut into squares. Or use a 1½-inch fluted round cookie cutter and cut into rounds. Repeat with the remaining pasta and filling. Dust with flour, cover loosely, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Take the pasta right from the freeze to the pasta water.