Italy, By Way of Britain

   

You can be forgiven if you think that most Americans have the view that Italian food is all pizza and spaghetti. It's not. In fact, there are so many variations of what's being cooked over there, no restaurant could possible serve it all! And that's where one woman from Great Britain takes on the task of trying to explain it. Vicki Bennison wrote the cookbook Pasta Grannies. She takes on Italy with a fresh eye for what's new and different and guides the kitchen chef through the various forms of authentic Italian cooking. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a recipe for Lemon Pesto, which is a fresh, light offering from the island of Procida, just off the coast of Naples. Reflecting its seaside culture, Vicki told Tonia she uses lemon peel, lemon juice, a little sugar, almonds, parsley and basil to create this treat!

• 3.5 oz boxed spaghetti per person
• 3 large organic lemons, ideally from Procida
• 0.2 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons) 
• 0.4 oz flat-leaf parsley (or basil) 
• 0.2 oz mint 
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 0.2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.8 oz Italian pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 3.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano (or pecorino), grated

1. Start by peeling the lemons; you only want the skin. A great way to remove the pith from the peel is to use a filleting knife, which has a flexible blade. Anchor the peel pith side up with a finger, then with the other hand press and slither the knife horizontally under the pith (away from your fingers, please), leaving the zesty skin. Chop the rinds finely. Strain the lemon juice to remove pips.
2. Rough chop the parsley, mint and garlic and blitz all these together in a food processor with a pinch of salt, the chilli flakes and the oil until smooth.
3. Roughly chop the nuts, add them to the mix and blitz again until you have a rough pesto paste.
4. Add half the cheese and give it a quick zhuzh. Taste for acidity and, if needed, add tablespoons of water to adjust.
5. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for the time indicated on the packet. In the meantime take a large salad bowl and dollop in the pesto. Dilute with a ladle of hot pasta water to make it more of a sauce.
6. Drain your pasta, keeping some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding in the rest of the cheese and adding more hot pasta water if necessary so the sauce coats the spaghetti. Serve immediately. This should be on your regular recipe roster! 

Italy, British Style

   

You can be forgiven if you think that most Americans have the view that Italian food is all pizza and spaghetti. It's not. In fact, there are so many variations of what's being cooked over there, no restaurant could possible serve it all! And that's where one woman from Great Britain takes on the task of trying to explain it. Vicki Bennison wrote the cookbook Pasta Grannies. She takes on Italy with a fresh eye for what's new and different and guides the kitchen chef through the various forms of authentic Italian cooking. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a recipe for Lemon Pesto, which is a fresh, light offering from the island of Procida, just off the coast of Naples. Reflecting its seaside culture, Vicki told Tonia she uses lemon peel, lemon juice, a little sugar, almonds, parsley and basil to create this treat!

• 3.5 oz boxed spaghetti per person
• 3 large organic lemons, ideally from Procida
• 0.2 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons) 
• 0.4 oz flat-leaf parsley (or basil) 
• 0.2 oz mint 
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 0.2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.8 oz Italian pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 3.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano (or pecorino), grated

1. Start by peeling the lemons; you only want the skin. A great way to remove the pith from the peel is to use a filleting knife, which has a flexible blade. Anchor the peel pith side up with a finger, then with the other hand press and slither the knife horizontally under the pith (away from your fingers, please), leaving the zesty skin. Chop the rinds finely. Strain the lemon juice to remove pips.
2. Rough chop the parsley, mint and garlic and blitz all these together in a food processor with a pinch of salt, the chilli flakes and the oil until smooth.
3. Roughly chop the nuts, add them to the mix and blitz again until you have a rough pesto paste.
4. Add half the cheese and give it a quick zhuzh. Taste for acidity and, if needed, add tablespoons of water to adjust.
5. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for the time indicated on the packet. In the meantime take a large salad bowl and dollop in the pesto. Dilute with a ladle of hot pasta water to make it more of a sauce.
6. Drain your pasta, keeping some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding in the rest of the cheese and adding more hot pasta water if necessary so the sauce coats the spaghetti. Serve immediately. This should be on your regular recipe roster! 

A Decadent Mac and Cheese

And this is no blue box dinner! Jessie-Sierra Ross, who wrote the new cookbook, Seasons Around the Table, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her take on Macaroni and Cheese, please! She says there's no processed cheese sauce, here, just good old fashioned gruyere and orange cheddar. It's creamy, it's decadent and it's delicious. See, Mac and Cheese just isn't for the kids! At least if you do it the right way!

serves 6-8  

2 cups of large shell pasta 

6 ounces of orange cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces of gruyere cheese,

2 ounces aged parmesan, finely shredded

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup unsweetened corn flakes

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

pinch ground cayenne pepper

generous pinch kosher salt  

Preheat your oven to 375F, and butter a medium sized baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook the pasta 2 minutes under what the box directions advise (12 minutes for the large shells in my case). Once cooked, drain and put aside.  

While the pasta water is heating, place a medium sized pot with two inches of water to boil over high heat. Wash and trim the cauliflower into small florets.

Once the medium pot of water has come to a boil, drop the cauliflower in and cook until tender (not mushy!), about 8-10 minutes. Drain and put aside. 

Shred your cheeses and reserve.  

In a large dutch oven or saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter on medium high heat, until frothy. Add the flour and stir with a whisk or wooden spoon constantly.

Cook until the paste turns an almost nut-brown. This is your roux. (if you don’t get the right color, the flour will taste uncooked!)  

Once the roux is cooked, immediately add in the milk. Continue stirring and cook for 3-5 minutes. The mix will thicken slightly. Add in the spices.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheeses.

Continue to stir until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. 

Combine the cooked pasta with the cheese sauce.

Pour the macaroni and cheese into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the corn flakes over the top evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly. I like to finish it under the broiler for a minute or two, to give it a bit more color and crunch on top. Be careful not to burn the corn flakes.

Lamb...Slow

 

Are you ready for the most delicious, juiciest and succulent lamb you will ever have? Read on! Nicki Sizemore, who wrote the new cookbook Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for slow cooked Lamb Ragu. She says the advantage of the slow-cooker here is in the way lamb is roasted. And because you're using the slow cooker, this lamb comes tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Nicki told Tonia she browns the lamb meat in a skillet first, before adding it and the other ingredients to the slow cooker for several hours. She serves the lamb over pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For Serving

• 12 ounces papperdelle pasta (or any pasta shape you prefer)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving
• Fresh ricotta cheese
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Make the lamb ragu

• In a large straight-sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a plate. Drain off and discard the fat.
• Place the skillet back on the stove and reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, along with the onions, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and give it a good stir to combine. Pour the wine into the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Slide the lamb back into the pan and cook until most of the wine is absorbed.
• Scrape everything to one side of the pan and then pour the tomatoes and their juices into the other side. Using kitchen scissors, roughly chop the tomatoes. Give everything a good stir, then sprinkle in the cinnamon and some more salt and pepper. Cook at a brisk simmer (adjusting the heat as necessary) for 15-20 minutes—stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat and tomatoes with a wooden spoon—until the vegetables are tender. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Discard the bay leaf. Do Ahead: The ragu can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently before serving.

Cook the pasta and serve

• In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta, then transfer it back into the pot. Add the ragu. Cook over medium heat, stirring the pasta to coat in the sauce, 1-2 minutes (or until the pasta is cooked through). Add some of the pasta water as needed to create a nice sauce (it should look a tad watery in the pan, as the sauce will continue to absorb once it’s plated). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese and the mint.
• Twirl the pasta into shallow bowls and top with a bit more sauce and a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese. Drizzle good quality olive oil over the ricotta and sprinkle with mint. Serve with more Pecorino Romano on the side for grating. Devour.

A True New England Gourmet Dish

But you can make it right at home! Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor at Yankee Magazine, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about a delicious Lobster Pasta that's been cooked up in the kitchen of award-winning eatery Aragosta, of Deer Isle, Maine. Amy says Chef-Owner Devin Finigan wants as many people to enjoy this New England-style gourmet. So he adopted this recipe for the home chef. Just about anyone with a stove can enjoy!

Yield:

4 to 6 servings

For the gremolata:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

Instructions

First, make the gremolata: In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. Set aside.

Now, make the lobster mixture: In a large bowl, use a spatula to fold the lobster meat with the mascarpone, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. Add salt to taste. Set aside.

For the pasta:

Ingredients

1 pound cooked lobster, cut into bite-size pieces
½ cup mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt, to taste, plus more for pasta water
12 ounces dried linguine or tube-shaped pasta
½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
1 small shallot, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Set a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until it is still just a bit firm in the center, or al dente.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, bring the wine to a simmer with the shallot. Simmer until the wine reduces to about 2 tablespoons. Add the butter, a few cubes at a time, whisking as you go. It should blend in and look creamy. Add the cream and stir until the sauce can coat the back of a spoon. Add the lobster mixture to the pan and stir until well combined. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine. Add a ladleful of the pasta water to thin the sauce a bit, if you’d like. Taste, and add salt if needed. Serve hot, topped with gremolata.

Italy, British Style!

  

You can be forgiven if you think that most Americans have the view that Italian food is all pizza and spaghetti. It's not. In fact, there are so many variations of what's being cooked over there, no restaurant could possible serve it all! And that's where one woman from Great Britain takes on the task of trying to explain it. Vicki Bennison wrote the cookbook Pasta Grannies. She takes on Italy with a fresh eye for what's new and different and guides the kitchen chef through the various forms of authentic Italian cooking. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a recipe for Lemon Pesto, which is a fresh, light offering from the island of Procida, just off the coast of Naples. Reflecting its seaside culture, Vicki told Tonia she uses lemon peel, lemon juice, a little sugar, almonds, parsley and basil to create this treat!

• 3.5 oz boxed spaghetti per person
• 3 large organic lemons, ideally from Procida
• 0.2 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons) 
• 0.4 oz flat-leaf parsley (or basil) 
• 0.2 oz mint 
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 0.2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.8 oz Italian pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 3.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano (or pecorino), grated

1. Start by peeling the lemons; you only want the skin. A great way to remove the pith from the peel is to use a filleting knife, which has a flexible blade. Anchor the peel pith side up with a finger, then with the other hand press and slither the knife horizontally under the pith (away from your fingers, please), leaving the zesty skin. Chop the rinds finely. Strain the lemon juice to remove pips.
2. Rough chop the parsley, mint and garlic and blitz all these together in a food processor with a pinch of salt, the chilli flakes and the oil until smooth.
3. Roughly chop the nuts, add them to the mix and blitz again until you have a rough pesto paste.
4. Add half the cheese and give it a quick zhuzh. Taste for acidity and, if needed, add tablespoons of water to adjust.
5. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for the time indicated on the packet. In the meantime take a large salad bowl and dollop in the pesto. Dilute with a ladle of hot pasta water to make it more of a sauce.
6. Drain your pasta, keeping some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding in the rest of the cheese and adding more hot pasta water if necessary so the sauce coats the spaghetti. Serve immediately. This should be on your regular recipe roster! 

A Classic Combo Brought Even Closer Together

   

How about red wine and pasta? That dinner has been enjoyed for centuries. Very little to add here...or is there? Ali Rosen, who wrote the cookbook Bring It, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to give a modern take on that dish.  She told Tonia that instead of enjoying a glass of wine with the pasta, cook the spaghetti IN the wine! Ali cautions you need to mix the wine with water to make sure the pasta cooks properly. She then adds pine nuts and feta cheese, which gives the dish a beautiful, bright color, and a taste that will leave your dinner guests demanding more.  And of course, you can still enjoy a glass of wine with this meal!

 Red Wine Pasta

Pasta often relies on other ingredients to add color. In this dish, however, the pasta is the star. I once encountered a version of this recipe in a restaurant and thought that color had been added to the pasta dough itself. But you can make this magical burgundy pasta with whatever dried pasta is in your pantry. Spaghetti is used in this recipe, but almost any pasta size or shape will do: the concept remains the same. The wine adds an earthy fruit flavor to the dish, and the simple addition of pine nuts, feta, and parsley brings another dimension.

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 garlic cloves, diced

1 (750 ml) bottle light red wine,

such as Beaujolais

1 pound spaghetti or other pasta

1 cup pine nuts

11/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 cup fresh chopped basil

Salt to taste

Directions

Find a pan wide enough to hold the uncooked spaghetti. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the pan on medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the garlic just starts to brown.

Add the red wine and 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and reduce heat to a rapid simmer. Cook the pasta until the wine has been absorbed, approximately 8 to 10 minutes (or according to your particular pasta’s instructions), stirring occasionally.

Depending on the pasta you are using, you may need to add up to 2 more cups of water as you cook. If the pasta has absorbed the liquid but still isn’t quite done to your liking: add another half a cup at a time until it is done.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in the last minute or two before the pasta is done. Remove from the heat and toss with the pine nuts, feta cheese, lemon, and basil. Add salt to taste.

How To Bring It

1The way you handle this recipe depends on whether you want to serve it hot or cold. If you are

serving it cold, you can just refrigerate it after cooking and serve it as is up to 2 days later. If you are serving it hot, save the feta, lemon juice, and basil for whenever you are serving it. Cook the pasta fully and store separately; keep the pine nuts, feta, and parsley in another container. To reheat, place the cooked pasta in a skillet with a tablespoon of butter and bring back up to temperature, and then mix in the remaining ingredients.

FRIDGE TO TABLE

Reprinted with permission from BRING IT! © 2018 by Ali Rosen, Running Press

A British Take on Italian Food

 

You can be forgiven if you think that most Americans have the view that Italian food is all pizza and spaghetti. It's not. In fact, there are so many variations of what's being cooked over there, no restaurant could possible serve it all! And that's where one woman from Great Britain takes on the task of trying to explain it. Vicki Bennison wrote the cookbook Pasta Grannies. She takes on Italy with a fresh eye for what's new and different and guides the kitchen chef through the various forms of authentic Italian cooking. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a recipe for Lemon Pesto, which is a fresh, light offering from the island of Procida, just off the coast of Naples. Reflecting its seaside culture, Vicki told Tonia she uses lemon peel, lemon juice, a little sugar, almonds, parsley and basil to create this treat!

• 3.5 oz boxed spaghetti per person
• 3 large organic lemons, ideally from Procida
• 0.2 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons) 
• 0.4 oz flat-leaf parsley (or basil) 
• 0.2 oz mint 
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 0.2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.8 oz Italian pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 3.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano (or pecorino), grated

1. Start by peeling the lemons; you only want the skin. A great way to remove the pith from the peel is to use a filleting knife, which has a flexible blade. Anchor the peel pith side up with a finger, then with the other hand press and slither the knife horizontally under the pith (away from your fingers, please), leaving the zesty skin. Chop the rinds finely. Strain the lemon juice to remove pips.
2. Rough chop the parsley, mint and garlic and blitz all these together in a food processor with a pinch of salt, the chilli flakes and the oil until smooth.
3. Roughly chop the nuts, add them to the mix and blitz again until you have a rough pesto paste.
4. Add half the cheese and give it a quick zhuzh. Taste for acidity and, if needed, add tablespoons of water to adjust.
5. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for the time indicated on the packet. In the meantime take a large salad bowl and dollop in the pesto. Dilute with a ladle of hot pasta water to make it more of a sauce.
6. Drain your pasta, keeping some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding in the rest of the cheese and adding more hot pasta water if necessary so the sauce coats the spaghetti. Serve immediately. This should be on your regular recipe roster! 

The Wine's Already In It

  

How about red wine and pasta? That dinner has been enjoyed for centuries. Very little to add here...or is there? Ali Rosen, who wrote the cookbook Bring It, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to give a modern take on that dish.  She told Tonia that instead of enjoying a glass of wine with the pasta, cook the spaghetti IN the wine! Ali cautions you need to mix the wine with water to make sure the pasta cooks properly. She then adds pine nuts and feta cheese, which gives the dish a beautiful, bright color, and a taste that will leave your dinner guests demanding more.  And of course, you can still enjoy a glass of wine with this meal!

 Red Wine Pasta

Pasta often relies on other ingredients to add color. In this dish, however, the pasta is the star. I once encountered a version of this recipe in a restaurant and thought that color had been added to the pasta dough itself. But you can make this magical burgundy pasta with whatever dried pasta is in your pantry. Spaghetti is used in this recipe, but almost any pasta size or shape will do: the concept remains the same. The wine adds an earthy fruit flavor to the dish, and the simple addition of pine nuts, feta, and parsley brings another dimension.

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 garlic cloves, diced

1 (750 ml) bottle light red wine,

such as Beaujolais

1 pound spaghetti or other pasta

1 cup pine nuts

11/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 cup fresh chopped basil

Salt to taste

Directions

Find a pan wide enough to hold the uncooked spaghetti. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the pan on medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the garlic just starts to brown.

Add the red wine and 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and reduce heat to a rapid simmer. Cook the pasta until the wine has been absorbed, approximately 8 to 10 minutes (or according to your particular pasta’s instructions), stirring occasionally.

Depending on the pasta you are using, you may need to add up to 2 more cups of water as you cook. If the pasta has absorbed the liquid but still isn’t quite done to your liking: add another half a cup at a time until it is done.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in the last minute or two before the pasta is done. Remove from the heat and toss with the pine nuts, feta cheese, lemon, and basil. Add salt to taste.

How To Bring It

1The way you handle this recipe depends on whether you want to serve it hot or cold. If you are

serving it cold, you can just refrigerate it after cooking and serve it as is up to 2 days later. If you are serving it hot, save the feta, lemon juice, and basil for whenever you are serving it. Cook the pasta fully and store separately; keep the pine nuts, feta, and parsley in another container. To reheat, place the cooked pasta in a skillet with a tablespoon of butter and bring back up to temperature, and then mix in the remaining ingredients.

FRIDGE TO TABLE

Reprinted with permission from BRING IT! © 2018 by Ali Rosen, Running Press