tomato Archives - CIA Foodies

Classic Lasagna Bolognese

Mike — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 18:53:07 +0000

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Many variations on lasagna may be found all over Italy. If you go toward the south of Italy, you will see cooks using ricotta instead of béchamel. This is the classic lasagna Bolognese; try this version and you won’t be disappointed. If you want your pasta dough to be green (lasagna verde), replace 1 egg with 3 ounces of puréed cooked spinach, well drained. This lasagna may be frozen when uncooked and then defrosted and baked as though it were freshly made.

Ingredients

Besciamella

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1/3 cup all-purpose or “00” flour
5 cups milk
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Pinch of grated nutmeg

Pasta Dough

3 2/3 cups all-purpose or “00” flour (1 lb)
4 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups Bolognese Sauce
2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (8 oz)

Directions

To make the besciamella, heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender but has no brown color, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is a golden brown color and it has a rich, nutty aroma, about 6 minutes.
Add the milk and the bay leaf and stir well with a whisk to break up any lumps and smooth the sauce. Stir the sauce constantly with a wooden spoon as it returns to a simmer.
Once simmering, lower the heat slightly and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and creamy, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste the sauce and season it to taste with salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve. (You may make the sauce up to 3 days in advance. After straining it, let it cool completely, then store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Warm the sauce over very low heat or in a microwave when you are ready to assemble the dish.)
To make the pasta dough, mound the flour on a clean surface or put it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Create a well in the center and place the eggs and oil in the center. Using a fork, whisk the eggs and slowly start dragging the flour into the egg mixture. Knead well by hand or with the mixer until all the ingredients are well combined and the dough seems smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes if working by hand, about 5 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in a covered bowl and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Set up a pasta machine and set it to the largest opening. Dust a work surface with flour. Cut off pieces of dough about the size of an egg. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into sheets about 1/8-inch thick.
Cut the sheets into noodles that are about 5 inches wide and as long as your lasagna pan (usually about 10 inches) and reserve them on a baking sheet.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the noodles all at once and stir a few times to separate them. Cook uncovered at a gentle boil until the noodles are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain the pasta immediately through a colander. Shake well to remove any water clinging to the pasta. Immediately rinse the pasta under cold running water until the pasta feels cool. Drain in the colander, and then set the noodles flat on a clean cloth towel or several layers of paper towels to dry completely.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush a lasagna pan or baking dish (about 3-quart capacity) liberally with butter or oil. Layer the lasagna in the following order: 3/4 cup besciamella spread into an even layer, topped with lasagna noodles (lay them into the pan so that they very slightly overlap each other), another 3/4 cup besciamella, 3/4 cup Bolognese sauce, and 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat this sequence 3 more times. Spoon the remaining besciamella sauce over the lasagna to make a top layer. Spread it evenly to make sure that the noodles are coated. Spoon the remaining Bolognese sauce on top of the besciamella and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake the lasagna until it is very hot all the way through and a rich, golden crust forms, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.

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Paniscia (Risotto with Vegetables, Beans, and Salame)

Mike — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 17:22:07 +0000

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 qt chicken or vegetable broth
2 oz lard or pancetta, cut into small dice
1 medium yellow onion, minced
3 oz salamino or salami, diced
10 oz (1 1/2 cups) Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups cooked fresh or dried borlotti beans
1/4 cup canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes
2 oz (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Directions

Heat the broth over low heat; keep warm.
Heat the lard, onion, and salamino in a large pot over low heat to make a sofrito. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is well coated with the oil, about 2 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until almost dry. Add the beans and the tomatoes and enough of the broth to come 1/2 inch above the rice. Cook, stirring frequently to be sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. As the rice absorbs the liquid, keep adding more broth, 1/2 cup at a time.
Once the rice has absorbed almost all the broth and the grains are just tender (al dente), about 15 minutes total cooking time, remove the pot from the heat. Add the butter, parsley, and cheese, if using, and stir vigorously until the rice looks very creamy. Season the risotto with salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately.

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Ragù Bolognese

Mike — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 20:43:22 +0000

Makes 6 servings

Bolognese is essentially a meat stew with a small amount of tomato added— although Americans often confuse it for a tomato sauce with some meat added. The sauce is cooked slowly to develop a deep, rich flavor. In Italy it is traditionally served with tagliatelle pasta and Parmigiano-Reggiano, but you may choose another pasta if you’d like. It is also delicious in lasagna or served over creamy polenta.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced onion
1 cup peeled, small-dice celery
1 cup peeled, small-dice carrot
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 lb pancetta, finely chopped
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground pork
1/2 lb 85% ground beef
3/4 cup whole milk
One 14.5-oz can whole plum tomatoes
2 cups Beef Broth, plus more as needed
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 lb fresh tagliatelle pasta, or dried pasta
1/3 cup kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
4 oz freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

In a Dutch oven or saucepan, warm the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cover and cook until the onions are transparent, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy-bottomed or cast-iron pan over medium heat, and bring it just to the smoke point, the point at which you start to see small wisps of smoke coming from the hot oil. Working in small batches, add some of the pancetta, veal, pork, and beef to the pan. Add enough meat to cover threequarters of the surface area of the pan. Increase the heat to high. You should only add an amount of meat that can brown lightly without burning or boiling in its own juices as they render; you will need to do this in several batches in order to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook each batch of meat until the fat renders and the meat is browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Transfer the meat to the Dutch oven, or to a slow cooker along with the vegetable mixture.
When all the meat has been browned, add the milk to the Dutch oven or slow cooker. Simmer over high heat until all of the milk has reduced and there is none left in the pot. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand before adding them to the pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes more. Add the beef broth and wine, increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to establish a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours in the Dutch oven, or 3 to 4 hours on low in the slow cooker, adding more broth if necessary during cooking. At the end of the cooking time, the consistency should be thick and heavy.
Ten minutes before serving, add the pasta to a large pot with 6 quarts of boiling salted water and season with 1/3 cup of salt. Boil the pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes for fresh pasta, or according to the package instructions. (The Italian term al dente means “to the tooth” or “to the bite,” referring to the need to chew the pasta due to its firmness.) Drain the pasta.
To serve, season the sauce with salt and pepper as needed. Pour the ragú over the cooked pasta and top with the cheese.

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Solterito Nikkei (Peruvian Edamame Salad with Seaweed)

Mike — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:35:29 +0000

Makes 4 servings

In Peru, choclo can be found as an accompaniment to nearly any dish, and in this chilled salad, it marries with soybeans and seaweed inspired by this Peruvian-Japanese fusion dish. Look for frozen choclo at specialty markets or online. Don’t mistake it for the crunchy, corn-nut-style commonly served as a snack.

Ingredients

1/4 cup julienned dried seaweed, plus more as needed for garnish
2 cups finely diced tomato
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 lb blanched edamame, cooled
8 oz choclo (Peruvian corn), blanched and cooled
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
Togarashi salt, as needed

Directions

In a bowl, combine the seaweed, tomato, onion, edamame, choclo, and cilantro. Add the olive oil, lime juice, and vinegar and toss to combine.
Season to taste with Togarashi salt and garnish with additional seaweed. Serve chilled.

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