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Tuscan Kitchen II
Karel Burrows
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Friday, November 10, 2006
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A Kitchen in Tuscany
Karel Burrows
Buy This Art Print At AllPosters.com
Pasta Tordellatta
(Pasta with Ricotta, Spinach, and Meat Sauce)
 
Diary of a Tuscan Chef:
Recipes and Memories of
Good Times and Great Food
by Cesare Casella and Eileen Daspin, 1998, Doubleday
(serves 4
as an appetizer)
3 quarts water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
10 ounces fresh pasta (I prefer 3-x-1-inch rectangles, but any size will do)
[You may substitute lasagna broken into rectangles if you choose not
to tackle fresh pasta for this dish. But do not expect the same results!]
1 cup Meat Sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup Sautéed Spinach (recipe follows)
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt, then
the pasta (fresh pasta cooks very quickly, check it after 2 minutes).
In a bowl, combine the meat sauce, spinach, and ricotta. When the pasta is
very al dente, drain it, return it to the pot, add the ricotta mixture, and
combine well. Cook over low heat for another 5 minutes. Stir in the
Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.
Ragu di Carne (Meat Sauce)
(Makes 10
– 12 cups)
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 medium carrot, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
4 thin slices pancetta, chopped
4 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
2 cups white or red wine
One 28-ounce can whole Italian tomatoes, drained
1 cup crushed canned tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or a dash each of grated nutmeg,
ground cloves and ground cinnamon
In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, celery, carrot and
garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the mixture is tender and
translucent, about 15 minutes. Just before the mixture begins to color, add
the pork, beef, veal, pancetta, and prosciutto. Continue cooking until the
meat is browned, about
8 or 9 minutes.
Add the wine, and raise the heat to reduce the liquid. Cook for 5 to 10
minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, covered, over medium-low heat for about
50 minutes. Add the water, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and spices
and cook for another 50 minutes, until the sauce is thick and flavorful.
(Check occasionally to make sure the sauce isn’t drying out. If it is, add a
bit more water.)
Spinaci Saltati (Sautéed Spinach)
“If you can find tender, baby spinach, you can add it directly to the oil
and garlic without precooking it.”
(serves 6
– 8)
4 pounds spinach, well washed, tough stems removed
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place the spinach, with the water still clinging to its
leaves, in a pot large enough to hold it. Cover and cook it over medium
heat, stirring occasionally, until the spinach just wilts, about 7 to 8
minutes. Drain the spinach well in a colander, pressing out the excess water
with the back of a spoon.
Heat the olive oil and garlic in a medium sauté pan. When the garlic begins
to color, after about 5 minutes, add the spinach and cook it briefly, about
2 minutes, adding salt and pepper.
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