Italian | Saveur

Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Beer Sauce

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:34:39 +0000

Photo: Heami Lee • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Heami Lee • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

In this easy pasta dish, based on one served at Birrificio Italiano, a brewery and restaurant in Italy’s Lombardy region, the puttanesca-style sauce is enriched with Bibock, the brewery’s bock-style beer.

Yield: 4

Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup salt-packed capers, rinsed
8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
6 oil-packed anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
4 red Fresno chiles, seeded and roughly chopped
4 gherkins, roughly chopped
2 red onions, roughly chopped
One 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
12 oz. bock beer
¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. long pasta, such as linguine or scialatielli
8 caper berries, for garnish
2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions

To a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the capers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, chiles, gherkins, and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are browned, about 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beer and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 1½ hours. Transfer the sauce to a blender and pulse until smooth, then scrape it back into the pot and place over low heat. Stir in the olives and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a little cooking water, then transfer the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Stir a little pasta water into the sauce to loosen if needed. Garnish with caper berries and parsley and serve.

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Broccoli Strascinati (Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic and Chile)

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:27:43 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Strascinati, which means “dragged,” refers to a technique for sautéing in olive oil with plenty of garlic and chiles. This Roman side dish, which pairs beautifully with porchetta or pork chops, can be made with regular broccoli, broccoli rabe, or broccoli romano, known in the U.S. as romanesco.

Featured in “Roman Contorni” by Dana Bowen.

Yield: 2–4

Time: 15 minutes

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. broccoli, stemmed and cut into florets
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
½ tsp. crushed red chile flakes
Kosher salt

Instructions

To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the broccoli and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of water, then add the garlic and cook until golden, 2–3 minutes. Add the chile flakes and continue cooking until toasted, about 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

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Marcella Hazan’s Braised Celery with Tomatoes

Marcella Hazan — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:48:37 +0000

Photo: Julia Gartland • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Julia Gartland • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

This sedano e pomodori brasati (braised celery and tomato) recipe, adapted from celebrated Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan, produces results that are surprising from celery: creamy, sweet, luscious. The stalks’ stringy fibers, often removed before cooking, here act as a brace that helps the vegetable keep its shape through a long simmer.

Featured in “The Soft Approach: In Praise of Soft-Cooked Vegetables” by Lesley Porcelli.

Yield: 4–6

Time: 2 hours

3 oz. pancetta, cut into 1-in. pieces
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 bunches celery (about 2 lb.), stalks trimmed and cut on the bias into 2-in. pieces
¾ cup whole peeled canned tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

To a large pot over medium-high heat, add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders, about 12 minutes. (If the pancetta begins to brown too fast, turn the heat to medium-low.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to drain.
Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and light brown, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, tomatoes, and ¼ cup of water and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery is very tender, about 1½ hours.
Transfer the celery with its juices to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the reserved pancetta. Serve hot or at room temperature.

The post Marcella Hazan’s Braised Celery with Tomatoes appeared first on Saveur.

Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Fried Zucchini Coins

Stefano D’Onghia — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 19:22:17 +0000

Clay Williams. Clay Williams

Chef Stefano D’Onghia opened Botteghe Antiche on a storybook square in the town of Putignano after apprenticing at several high-end restaurants around Southern Italy. “You have to walk a careful line between respecting tradition and innovating,” he says of his constantly changing menu, which leans toward cheeky takes on Pugliese classics. This dish seems designed to foreground versatility: a single plant, torn asunder to build two very different experiences. The lightness of airy, minty ricotta nestled in delicate zucchini flowers provides a bite-by-bite counterpoint to the heartier fried zucchini coins.

Featured in “The Cuisine of Puglia Defies Definition,” by Sebastian Modak.

Yield: 4

Time: 50 minutes

2 medium zucchinis
8 zucchini flowers, with stems
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ cup vegetable broth
3 scallions, ends discarded, cut into 3-in. lengths
Kosher salt
2 cups sheep’s milk ricotta
1 mint sprig, finely chopped
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano

Instructions

Cut the zucchinis into ¼-inch coins, place on a clean kitchen towel, and leave to dry at room temperature for 24 hours.
Gently rinse the zucchini flowers. Remove the stems and coarsely chop them. (Set the flowers aside.) Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
To a medium skillet set over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil, the vegetable broth, and the chopped stems and cook until the stems are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the scallions and 2 more tablespoons of the oil, blend until smooth, and season to taste with salt.
In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta and mint and season to taste with salt. Fill the zucchini flowers evenly with the ricotta mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the pecorino evenly over the flowers and bake until the flowers are light golden brown, about 8 minutes.
To a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When it is hot, working in batches, add the zucchini coins and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per batch.
To serve, dollop the zucchini-stem cream evenly onto four plates, using the back of a spoon to spread slightly. Divide the zucchini flowers and coins among the plates and serve warm.

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Orecchiette with Octopus Ragù and Chickpea Purée

Stefano D’Onghia — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 19:22:07 +0000

Clay Williams. Clay Williams

At Botteghe Antiche, Chef Stefano D’Onghia makes orecchiette with grano arso flour. Literally translating to “burnt grain,” grano arso is thought to refer to what was left behind after the stubble of harvested wheat fields had been burnt off, often gathered by poor farmers before the next crop was planted. Store-bought pasta will suffice, and you can find dried grano arso orecchiette in specialty Italian food shops. D’Onghia pairs the pasta with indulgent chunks of octopus instead of the traditional broccoli rabe.

Featured in “The Cuisine of Puglia Defies Definition,” by Sebastian Modak.

Yield: 4–6

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the chickpea purée:

2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water for 24 hours, then drained
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

For the octopus ragù:

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
10 oz. octopus tentacles, cut into 1⁄2-in. pieces
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 cup fish stock

For the pasta:

Kosher salt
1 lb. uncooked orecchiette, preferably grano arso

Instructions

Make the chickpea purée: To a medium pot, add the chickpeas, carrot, celery, and onion and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer until the chickpeas are very soft, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the octopus ragù: To a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, carrot, celery, and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the octopus, tomatoes, and fish stock, turn the heat to simmer, cover, and cook until the octopus is tender, about 1 hour.
Transfer the chickpeas along with their cooking liquid to a food processor. Add the oil and pulse until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
Make the pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the orecchiette, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8–10 minutes. Strain the pasta, then transfer to the pot of ragù. Stir to coat and remove from the heat.
Divide the chickpea purée evenly among 4–6 pasta bowls, top with the orecchiette, and serve warm.

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Brindisi Seafood Stew

Ernesto Palma — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 19:21:33 +0000

Clay Williams. Clay Williams

At La Sciabica, a seaside outpost in the Adriatic port city of Brindisi, this seafood stew is a culmination of generations of fishermen throwing whatever they’ve got into a pot and feeding a family. In chef Ernesto Palma’s original recipe, he instructs cooks to “look at the sea for a minute” while adjusting the salt to taste before serving.

Featured in “The Cuisine of Puglia Defies Definition,” by Sebastian Modak.

Yield: 4

Time: 45 minutes

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
Crushed red chile flakes (optional)
14 oz. cuttlefish, cleaned and cut into ½-in. pieces
14 oz. squid, cleaned and cut into ½-in. pieces
Kosher salt
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2½ lb. firm white fish, such as rockfish, cleaned and cut into 2-in. pieces
1 lb. hard clams, scrubbed
1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and debearded
10 medium shrimp
4 large prawns
Finely chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Toasted crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

To a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the oil, celery, garlic, onion, and chile flakes, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cuttle-fish, squid, tomatoes, and 2½ cups of water. Season lightly with salt, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to simmer until the cuttlefish and squid are tender, 20–40 minutes (large cuttlefish may take longer to cook). Add the fish, clams, mussels, shrimp, and prawns and cook until the bivalves open, 3–5 minutes.
Drizzle the stew with olive oil, season to taste with salt, garnish with parsley, and serve hot with bread on the side.

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Maiale in Agrodolce (Sweet and Sour Pork Chops)

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:46:05 +0000

Michael Kraus. Michael Kraus

Honey and balsamic vinegar are the sweet and sour agents in the glaze for these Italian-style grilled pork chops. Known as maiale in agrodolce, they’re typical of the sturdy, lusty food found in Roman neighborhood restaurants and home kitchens alike. The juicy, flame-kissed meat pairs well with peperonata (stewed sweet peppers), roasted potatoes, or sautéed greens.

Featured in “Eternal Pleasures” by Anya von Bremzen.

Yield: 4

Time: 50 minutes

Four 10-oz. bone-in pork chops
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 fresh rosemary sprig, torn into 1-in. pieces

Instructions

On a large plate, drizzle the pork chops with the oil, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and set aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high. To a small pot over medium heat, add the vinegar and honey, and cook until reduced to ¼ cup. Stir in the butter and rosemary, and set aside.
Grill the pork chops, turning and basting with the balsamic mixture occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 12–14 minutes. Transfer to a platter, allow to rest for 5 minutes, and serve.

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Burrata and Marinated Cherry Tomato Sandwiches

Casa del Vino — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 17:50:00 +0000

Photo: Belle Morizio • Food Styling: Victoria Granof • Prop Styling: Dayna Seman. Photo: Belle Morizio • Food Styling: Victoria Granof • Prop Styling: Dayna Seman

This take on a classic caprese sandwich from the Florentine enoteca Casa del Vino gets an upgrade by using burrata, a mozzarella-adjacent cheese with a stretched, firm exterior that just barely contains a creamy filling of stracciatella curds. Crusty bread loosely holds the burrata and marinated tomatoes together, but it is a pleasantly messy, altogether indulgent delight. Marinate the tomatoes overnight for sandwiches that come together in minutes. Check out more of our tomato recipes to celebrate the glory of summer.

Featured in “8 Reasons to Fall in Love with Florence” by Adam Leith Gollner.

Yield: 4

Time: 8 hours 10 minutes

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. capers
10 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped (2 Tbsp.)
Crushed red chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 8-oz. ball burrata
4 small crusty sandwich rolls

Instructions

To a large bowl, add the tomatoes, oil, vinegar, capers, anchovies, a pinch of chile flakes, and a generous pinch each of salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest on the countertop if serving immediately, or in the refrigerator for 8–24 hours.
When ready to serve, let the tomato mixture come to room temperature, stirring briefly before plating. Split each sandwich roll and top with some of the tomato mixture. Divide the burrata among the rolls. Season with salt, black pepper, or more chile flakes to taste, and serve.

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Garlic Scape and Cherry Tomato Pasta

SAVEUR Editors — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Belle Morizio. Belle Morizio

Early summer brings an underappreciated and short-lived bounty along with the tomato harvest. Garlic scapes—the tender, green stalks that rise from hard-neck garlic—are an aromatic, herbaceous, and mellow way to add garlicky flavor to your dishes. Roasting the scapes with tomatoes and red onion sweetens the alliums’ heat and enriches their flavor; toss with pasta, lemon juice, and arugula for a simple summer meal.

Yield: 4

Time: 30 minutes

Kosher salt
½ lb. spaghetti
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint multicolored cherry tomatoes
10 garlic scapes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup baby arugula
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside and keep warm.
In a medium bowl, toss together the oil, tomatoes, garlic scapes, and onion. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then spread the vegetables in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the tomatoes are just beginning to burst, 12–15 minutes.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and add to the bowl of spaghetti. Add the arugula and lemon juice and zest, toss to combine, and serve hot.

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Bistecca alla Fiorentina with Watercress and Pistachio Salad

Stacy Adimando — Tue, 28 May 2019 17:43:47 +0000

Jenny Huang. Jenny Huang

Modeled after the famed Tuscan porterhouse, which in Italy is most often served in hefty cuts intended for sharing, this slightly more petite version from cookbook author and former SAVEUR editor-in-chief Stacy Adimando quickly comes together for dinner at home. The simple, umami-packed seasonings are slicked on using a pastry brush at the end of cooking. If possible, select a quality steak with some age on it for this recipe.

Featured in: “Italy’s Most Delicious Steak, on a Weeknight at Home.”

Yield: 2

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the steak:

One 1¼ lb. bone-in porterhouse steak
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped, plus ½ tsp. oil from the jar
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, grated (1¼ tsp.)
1 tsp. very finely chopped fresh rosemary

For the salad:

2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot (from ½ shallot)
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups loosely packed watercress (2½ oz.)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. raw or roasted, unsalted pistachios
Parsley sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Dry the steak with paper towels if needed. Season all over with salt and black pepper, ensuring that it thoroughly sticks to the meat. Set aside to come to room temperature, at least 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the anchovies and their oil, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic, and rosemary.
Make the salad dressing: In a large bowl, stir together the shallot, vinegar, and a pinch of salt.
Place a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium heat. Brush the steak with a little oil from the anchovy mixture (avoid any solids at this point). Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully add the steak and cook, pressing down on the bone with tongs to help the steak remain in contact with the skillet, until a very dark crust forms on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Flip the steak and cook until the other side is deeply browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the steak to press its fatty sides up against the skillet until browned, about 1 minute more.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and immediately brush all over with the remaining anchovy mixture. Set aside to rest for 6–8 minutes.
Make the salad: In the bowl with the shallot mixture, whisk in the olive oil. Add the watercress, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and toss gently to coat.
Using a chef’s knife, cut the meat away from the bone and into two pieces by following the lines of the center bone. (Reserve the bone.) Starting from one end, slice each piece of meat about ½ inch thick against the grain, keeping it in the shape of the original steak.
Transfer the salad to one side of a large platter. Add the steak bone to the other side of the platter and nestle the two halves of meat back into the bone, overlapping slightly with the salad. Drizzle the meat with juices from the cutting board, top the salad with the pistachios and parsley (if desired), and serve immediately.

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Rose Veal Vitello Tonnato

Tony Ferrari — Wed, 15 May 2024 19:45:42 +0000

Michael Tittel. Michael Tittel

Cincinnati chef Tony Ferrari believes rose veal loin or top round—roasted until rare—make for an impeccable vitello tonnato, a traditional Piedmontese antipasto. “Rose veal is great for this because of how flavorful it is on the raw or rare side,” Ferrari says. “With vitello tonnato, you want quality veal because, as with most things Italian, it’s a simple dish where less is more.” Rose veal is quite lean and can dry out quickly, so Ferrari sears it fast to retain a medium-rare temperature and the meat’s natural juices.

Unlike traditional veal, which typically comes from young cattle raised in unsanitary feedlots, rose veal (also called rose beef) is always pasture-raised, and can be purchased online from Our Home Place Meat, a cooperative of farmers dedicated to high animal welfare standards.

Featured in “Veal’s Reputation is Complicated—And Worth Reassessing” by Keith Pandolfi.

Yield: 4–6

Time: 3 hours

1½ lb. rose veal loin or top round
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting and garnish
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. light olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Champagne vinegar
3 caper berries, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 oil-cured anchovy fillets
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove
One 5-oz. can oil-packed tuna
1⁄2 cup finely chopped celery leaves or parsley leaves, for garnish
Thinly sliced radishes, for garnish

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Season the veal with salt and black pepper to taste, then drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and rub evenly to coat. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest part of the meat reads 140°F, about 30 minutes. (The meat will still be quite rare.)
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the light olive oil over high heat until slightly smoking. Add the veal and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large platter and refrigerate for at least 1 and up to 24 hours.
Meanwhile, to the cup of an immersion blender or the bowl of a small food processor, add the lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, caper berries, anchovies, egg yolk, and garlic, followed by the remaining light olive oil. Pulse until all of the oil has emulsified. Add the tuna and continue pulsing until a smooth sauce forms. Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl, then slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil while whisking continuously until all of the oil has emulsified. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and more lemon juice.
On a large cutting board, thinly slice the veal against the grain. Spoon the tuna sauce in an even layer over a large platter, then arrange the veal slices over it. (If you like, you may cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours to allow the flavors to meld.)
When ready to serve, top the veal with celery and parsley leaves, sliced radishes, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, caper berries, and a sprinkle of salt. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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