THE BUDGET GOURMET

Asparagus stuffed Gnocchi

makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. potatoes (russets work well)
2/3 lb. asparagus (the thinner the better)
1/2 lb. flour, and more for dusting
2 egg yolks
Freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper (optional - not in original)
3/4 stick of butter (and/or olive oil)
Aromatic mince (parsley, marjoram, sage, thyme, lemon zest)

Method:

1. Boil potatoes with their skins until tender, abot 40 min.
2. Cut off tough ends of asparagus.
3. Steam asparagus for 5 minutes, rinse with cool water, drain, dry and coat with some flour.
4. Peel cooked potatoes under cold water and mash.
5. On a floured work-board incorporate flour, egg yolks, a pinch of salt and some grated nutmeg.
6. Shape dough into 3-4 ropes about as thick as a thumb.
7. Make a lengthwise groove in the dough where you will place the asparagus, closing the dough around to envelop them.
8. Cut gnocchi, about 1 inch pieces.
9. Boil in salted water, fishing them out with a strainer or slotted spoon about a minute after they come floating to the top.
10. Melt butter/oil in a skillet and add a spoonful or more of the aromatic mince and toss in the gnocchi.
11. Serve with grated parmigiano.


Translated and adapted from:
http://www.petitchef.it/ricette/gnocchi-di-patate-agli-asparagi-fid-809125?in=FBOOK

The Classic Bolognese Ragù according to the 'Accademia Italiana della Cucina'.

"With a solemn decree of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina – the Italian Academy of Cuisine, the present was notarized and deposited in the Palazzo della Mercanzia, the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Bologna on the 17th of October 1982."

Ingredients:

300 gr. beef cartella (thin skirt) [what is meant here is ground skirt steak, substitute with what's available].
150 gr. pancetta, dried [you could substitute diced prosciutto, salt pork or slab bacon]
50 gr. carrot
50 gr. celery stalk
50 gr. onion
5 spoons tomato sauce or 20 gr. triple tomato extract [or use tomato paste]
1 cup whole milk [I use half & half]
Half cup white or red wine, dry and not frizzante [not sparkling]
Salt and pepper, to taste.[freshly ground please!]
[Don't forget freshly grated parmigiano cheese].

Procedure:

The pancetta, cut into little cubes and chopped with a mezzaluna chopping knife, is melted in a saucepan; the vegetables, once again well chopped with the mezzaluna, are then added and everything is left to stew softly. Next the ground beef is added and is left on the stovetop, while being stirred constantly, until it sputters. The wine and the tomato cut with a little broth are added and everything left to simmer for around two hours, adding little by little the milk and adjusting the salt and black pepper. Optional but advisable is the addition of the panna di cottura of a litre of whole milk [this is a liter of milk reduced by half by simmering it, ] at the end of the cooking.

[You should serve this on fresh-made tagliatelle or fettuccine or use store bought fresh pasta like Putney Pasta brand].


Adapted from: http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=138&Itemid=856#
[quotes in brackets mine].

Fettuccine con Noci e Alici

pronounced: fettucine cohn NO-chee eh ah-LEE-chee
Fettucine with walnuts and anchovies
makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 package fresh or dry fettuccine
1 1/2 cup or more walnuts coarsely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
Extra virgin olive oil
1 can anchovies in olive oil (rolled with capers OK too)
Cayenne or red pepper flakes (optional)
Freshly grated parmigiano or other cheese
1 buch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a large skillet slightly toast walnuts on medium heat.
3. Add anchovies with their oil and stir until they are dissolved.
4. Add Garlic (and red pepper if using) and cook until translucent.
5. Drain pasta reserving some cooking liquid.
6. Add pasta to skillet adding a little of the reserved cooking water if too dry.
7. Add chopped parsley.
8. Serve with grated cheese and additional olive oil if desired.

Variations:

Omit anchovies and parmigiano and stir in some gorgonzola ot other creamy blue cheese.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

pronounced: put-tah-NEH-ska
Spaghetti with olives, capers and anchovies.
makes about 4 servings

Spaghetti alla puttanesca (whore's spaghetti) is a spicy, tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish that culinary experts regard as modern and reflects the bounty of the market rather than the garden. The ingredients are inexpensive, easy to find and typically Mediterranean. Italians refer to the sauce as sugo alla puttanesca.
[...]
To understand how this sauce came to get its name, one must consider the 1950s when brothels in Italy were state owned. They were known as case chiuse or 'closed houses' because the shutters had to be kept permanently closed to avoid offending the sensibilities of neighbors or innocent passersby. Conscientious Italian housewives usually shop at the local market every day to buy fresh food, but these "civil servants" were only allowed one day per week for shopping, and their time was valuable. Their specialty became a sauce made quickly from odds and ends in the larder.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti
• Olive oil (you can use oil from anchovies)
• 3-4 anchovies in olive oil
• 2-3 tsp capers, or to taste
• 2 dozen or more black olives (Gaeta, kalamata or oil cured work great)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced or minced
• Crushed red pepper or cayenne, to taste
• 1 can whole San Marzano plum peeled tomatoes (or just use crushed)
• Salt, if needed
• Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• Some chopped italian flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta.
2. In a pan add olive oil and anchovies, stir until dissolved.
3. Add garlic, red pepper, capers, olives and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon as they cook along, if using whole.
5. Simmer until sauce is thickened, a few minutes.
6. Add 3-4 tbsp chopped parsley
7. Serve on well drained pasta.
7. Top with some freshly grated parmigiano or pecorino.

Variations:

Add shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels or other seafood.
Add pinenuts and golden raisins.
Use pancetta bacon or prosciutto in place of the anchovies.
Vegans: omit anchovies and top with toasted bread crumbs.
A few drops of Worcestershire sauce also goes well (it is flavored with anchovies)
Makes a  great sauce for baked fish or chicken.

Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet

Asian style Noodles with Ginger, Green Onion & Peanuts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb.or equivalent noodles such as linguini, vermicelli, soba, ramen, rice, etc.
• 1 bunch chopped scallions
• 1/3 cup soy sauce or to taste
• Dash of black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
• 3/4 to 1 cup peanuts
• A little sesame, canola or other light vegetable oil  

Method:

1.Cook noodles 'al dente'. Immediately drain, rinse under water and drain well again.
2.Combine with other ingredients and Voila'. Good warm or cold.

Variations:

Substitute slivered almonds, cashews, sunflower or pumpkin seeds for the peanuts. Add other raw or stir-fried veggies (onions, peppers, broccoli, baby corn, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots etc.).

Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet

Pasta alla Carbonara

pronounced: car-boh-NAH-rah
makes aprox. 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti, rigatoni or other pasta
• ¼ cup cream (optional)
• 4 eggs
• 1 lb pancetta, bacon, or prosciutto coarsely diced
• 1 medium onion (optional)
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped (optional)
• 1 package frozen baby peas (optional)
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper - to taste
• Freshly grated pecorino romano, parmesan or asiago cheese.

Method:

1.Fill a large pot with cold water and add a handful or so of Kosher salt. Stir and taste; it should taste like seawater. Cover the pot and heat the water until it comes to a rolling boil.
2.Add the diced bacon or other to the pan and cook slowly over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, drain excess fat.
3.Add diced onion and garlic if using, cook until golden.
4.Drop the pasta into pot and cook according to package instructions, about 8 to 11 minutes or until 'al dente' - or tender but still firm to the bite.
5.Add frozen peas to pasta water during last few minutes if using.
6.While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs, cheese, cream (if using), and fresh cracked pepper in a bowl and beat with a whisk or fork until completely mixed.
7.Drain pasta reserving some of the cooking water on the side.
8.Immediately toss with the egg and cream mixture, bacon, onion and garlic.
9.Add a little of the cooking water if too dry. Serve right away, with additional grated cheese if desired.

Variations:

Substitute bacon with crumbled chicken or vegetarian sausage.
Make a cream sauce with onion, diced prosciutto or cooked ham to make "Pasta alla Papalina - the Pope's pasta.
Add shrimp and blanched cut asparagus or even green beans.

Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet

Pasta e Fagioli (aka: pasta fazool)

pronounced: pasta EH fah-JOE-lee
Makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 lb. pancetta bacon, or prosciutto ham diced (optional)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, diced small
• 1/2- cup celery, diced small
• 4-5 garlic cloves, leave whole or slice
• 2 cans cannellini beans (or 2 cups dried beans, soaked, rinsed and cooked in the stock until tender)
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock or equivalent water and bouillon
• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or puree (optional)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary and/or thyme, or use dry
• 1/2 lb. dried short tubular pasta, such as ditalini or other cooked 'al dente', drained and rinsed under cool water
• Pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Freshly grated cheese (Parmesan, Romano or Asiago), to taste
• Crusty bread, croutons or bruschetta

Method:

1. Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta (if using), cooking it until golden brown.
2. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and herbs stirring well.
3. Season lightly with salt, pepper and cayenne (if using).
4. Cook until onions and celery start becoming translucent.
5. Add stock, tomato puree (if using), beans and bring to a simmer, covered.
6. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
7. When vegetables are tender, take off from heat and cool slightly.
8. Add pasta (if you plan on having left-overs or you're making the soup ahead of time, you can keep the pasta separate and add it as needed, so it doesn't become soggy).
9. Serve topped with freshly grated cheese & crusty bread, croutons or bruschetta.

Variations:

Add chickpeas or different kinds of beans.
Add Italian, chorizo or other kind of sausage.
Make a flavorful stock ahead of time with bones, veggies or a smoked hock.
Deglaze the pan with the pancetta and/or veggies with some dry white wine.
Add a shot each of Tabasco (or other hot sauce) and Worcestershire sauce.

Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet