by Pam Marraccini | Mar 22, 2024 | Polenta, Recipes
From Pam Perugi Marraccini
• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• 9×9 or 10x 10 baking dish brushed with olive oil
• 2 c polenta
• 6 c water or chicken stock
• 2 t Salt
• 2 T Butter
• ½ c grated parmigiana
1. Cook polenta. I bring the liquid to a boil with salt and add the polenta all at once stirring with a whisk to
remove all lumps, takes only seconds to accomplish.
2. Lower the temperature and continue stirring until it pulls away from the sides of the pot (20 minutes or so).
3. Add butter and parmigiana. Stir thoroughly.
4. Spread evenly in baking dish and sprinkle top with thinly sliced brick cheese if you can find it or 1 ½ c grated Monterey jack or other mild cheese mix. Then add Quick Tomato Sauce on top of that.
5. Bake for 30-45 minutes. It’s even better reheated the second day; it gets firm and becomes sliceable.
Note from Deb: I have placed firm pieces of polenta on a charcoal grill and added sauce before serving. Excellent!
by Pam Marraccini | Mar 22, 2024 | Recipes, Sauce
By Pam Perugi Marraccini
When Dad came home from one of his visits to Italy, he showed me this quick method for making tomato sauce taught to him by his cousin Bruna Palermo. It has been my standard ever since.
You can use fresh peeled tomatoes or jarred/canned tomatoes.
I use canned whole San Marzano Tomatoes or the Jarred version by Jovial.
• ¼ – ½ c Olive oil to cover bottom of pan. (I use a frying pan which speeds up the process due to the larger surface area, cooks in 45 minutes or less.)
• 1 – 28 oz can whole/peeled San Marzano or 2 – 14 Oz Jars of Jovial whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
• Any herb that suits your menu of the day: marjoram is my favorite, but oregano, rosemary, or fresh basil (added at the end) will work too.
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until transparent, add whole tomatoes and chop them with the edge of a wooden spoon while cooking them ( or pulse them in a food processor to a chunky texture.) Add all seasonings, except basil. Stir and chop regularly. Takes only 45 minutes or so. Add fresh basil at the end.
by Pam Marraccini | Mar 22, 2024 | Bread, Gluten Free, Recipes
By Ivo Cola, from Pam Perugi Marraccini
INGREDIENTS:
• 500 grams (1.1 lbs) (17.637 ozs.) Caputo Brand, “Fioreglut”, gluten-free flour (this flour works best, period)
• 5 grams dry yeast (i.e. 1 ¼ to 1 ½ tsp)
• 400 grams (400 ml) (14.1 oz) of luke-warm water, around 80-degrees F
• 10 grams salt (i.e. 1 ½ tsp)
•12 grams (3 tsp) extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) plus more for mixing
• Some extra gluten-free flour for dusting
PROCESS:
1. Add yeast to the flour, and then add the water, mix to incorporate (before you mix, coat your hands with EVOO. If
using a spatula to mix, coat the spatula with EVOO)
• Add the salt and mix in until incorporated
• Add the EVOO and continue mixing (use the pincher method, which is to squeeze the dough while mixing)
• Once all ingredients are mixed thoroughly together, let rest, covered, for 10 minutes
• After 10 minutes, coat your hands with some EVOO and shape the dough into a round shape (like making a large meat ball)
• Sprinkle a proofing basket (or bowl) generously with gluten free flour (this will help prevent the dough from sticking) and then place the dough in the basket
• Sprinkle some gluten free flour on top of the dough and cover with a kitchen towel until it doubles in size, which is typically 3 – 4 hours
• Place a Dutch oven with its lid (or any other oven proof bakeware and lid) into the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
• Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from your oven, and carefully place the dough inside. Score the top of the dough with a bread lame (or you can cut the top with scissors) Place lid on top and cook in oven for 30 minutes with the lid on
• After 30 minutes, remove lid and cook for 10 minutes
• After 10 minutes, change setting on oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes (this will add an amazing color to the top of the bread)
• Then remove the bread and let stand 30 minutes. Enjoy.
by Pam Marraccini | Mar 16, 2021 | Beans, Recipes, Soup, Vegetables
Pam and her father Archie Perugi developed this recipe as remembered by Archie from his childhood.
Makes 12 servings
INGREDIENTS
1⁄2 lb dried cannellini beans or
24 oz canned/cooked beans 1⁄2 c olive oil
1/2 c olive oil
4 oz pancetta, chopped
2 lg onions chopped small
2 leeks (white part only) cut in half lengthwise & thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, deveined & chopped bite size
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped bite size
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cabbage, chopped bite size
3 qts water/chicken stock (I make my own chicken stock and use 1 qt stock and 2 qt water)
4 potatoes, diced small (4 cups)
1⁄2 lb linguine broken into 1-1 1/4 “ pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 c homemade pesto (or to taste) without parm cheese
Parmesan for sprinkling on each serving
DIRECTIONS
Soak the beans overnight with 1 teaspoon baking soda for at least 8 hours, drain.
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pan, brown the pancetta. Add the onions and leeks and cook for 5-10 minutes until wilted. Add all the chopped greens and cook until wilted. Add (the soaked dried beans)**, and 2 quarts of water/chicken stock, bring to boil then lower it to a simmer for 45-60 minutes (test the beans).
Add the potatoes, (canned beans)**, and the linguine. Add 1 qt water. Raise temperature to bring to a boil and then lower it to a simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until linguine are al dente. Turn off heat and add Pesto. Serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
**Soaked dried beans need more time to cook than the canned beans.
