Pomodoro (Marinara)

1 large can San Marzano tomatoes with juice. (Find authentic San Marzano at Trader Joes, Wegman’s and World Market.)

1/4 c olive oil

1 garlic clove

2 T tomato paste

fresh basil leaves

 

Pour olive oil into saucepan and add roughly sliced garlic clove, brown lightly and remove. Add tomatoes. Break up as they cook into smaller pieces. Add tomato paste to thicken. Crushed red pepper if desired. Cook to reduce sauce. Add basil leaves and continue to cook until done..

Use as a base sauce for eggplant parmesan, Sasage Ragu, Pasta Puttanesca,  pizza, etc.

(Photo to come)

 

Linguini with Clam Sauce

Linguini with Clam Sauce

Do you remember Archies’ friend Cinque and his Linguini with Clam Sauce? Many years ago (circa 1980) there for Christmas party. You can see me being served in the doorway. Back then I could eat plenty of pasta!  Recipe follows.

archie-cooking

Archie and his Chicken Diablo

archie perugi

Archie at the stove.

Add clam juice to a pot of water, boil and cook linguini to al dente.
Meanwhile, chop garlic, parsley and grate plenty of parmesan.
Cook chopped garlic in butter and olive oil, add chopped clams and cook briefly, then add salt and pepper. Drop pasta by the spoonfuls into the saucepan and stir. Add chopped parsley (squeeze of lemon?) and transfer directly to a large bowl. Sprinkle plenty of parmesan, more salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Grandpa’s Spaghetti Sauce

Grandpa’s Spaghetti Sauce

olive-oil(large pot as made 12/9/1979)  –  from A Perugi

1 lb+ Italian Salamini Sausage – boiled 20 minutes, cooled and crumbled
1 1/4 lb. pork loin with bone
1/2 lb. pancetta, diced
2 1/2 lb. beef stew meat (chuck?) cut into 1/2″ cubes
3 or 4 tbsp. parsley (remove stems)
1/2 lb. carrots diced
1 1/2 lb. onion diced (3 – 4 medium large)
6 or 7 garlic large cloves, pressed
2-3 stalks celery (1/2 lb.)
1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup Madre Sicilia Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. dried margoram, 2/3 tsp. thyme, 2 bay leaves, 3 generous dashes cinnamon, 4   dashes cayenne
35 oz. can imported peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
29 oz. can Heavy tomato puree (Contadina)
6 oz. can Progresso Tomato paste
29 oz. can Hunts tomato sauce
15 oz. can Del Monte tomato sauce
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and diced.

Melt butter in oil with pieces of pancetta. Cook onion , carrots, celery, parsley in oil
mixture until soft. Take out most of this “suffrito”, and add some garlic and put aside.
Add rest of garlic and pork to pot and brown, then add beef and brown. Return soffrito, cook
awhile, add everything else and simmer 1 hour. Add mushrooms and cook 1/2 hour more. Serve

Cappelletti

Dough:
5 C. flour
4 eggs
ground nutmeg
salt
1/2 eggshell water per egg
Knead well and let stand one hour. The more you knead the better.

Filling:
2 Chicken breasts browned in butter and put through meat grinder.
1/4 lb. prosciutto
1/4 lb. mortadella (with nuts, optional)
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese
Stir. Add two eggs.

Add to homemade chicken broth or use canned Old Colony Chicken Broth. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Uncle Vic’s Bolonese Sauce Lasagna

From N Krug:
Meat sauce:
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 Tblsp. butter
1 lb. Mild Italian sausage
1 lb. Ground round
2 Tblsp. olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine (“or red” -D.P.)
2 cups chopped tomatoes peeled and seeded
3 Tblsp. tomato paste
2 cups beef bouillon
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper

Becciamella sauce:
5 Tblsp. butter
6 Tblsp. flour
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
Dash nutmeg

Other:
1 lb. Lasagna noodles
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese grated
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To prepare meat sauce:
Combine onion, garlic and celery and saute over low heat in 2 Tblsp. butter 8-10 minutes.
Remove to heavy 3-4 quart saucepan. In same frying pan, sautŽ the sausage and ground round in olive oil until browned.

Remove excess grease. Add wine to meat and boil stirring constantly until wine is almost evaporated. Add meat to sauce pan with onion mixture and add the tomatoes, paste, stock and seasonings. Simmer for 1 hour.

To prepare the becciamella sauce:
Melt 3 Tblsp. butter into heavy 2-3 quart saucepan over low heat.
Stir in flour. Cook slowly 2-3 minutes. Pour in milk and cream slowly stirring with a whisk to obtain a smooth sauce. Heat to boiling stirring constantly until sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. salt and nutmeg.

To build the lasagna:
Butter a 9 x 13 x 3 inch-baking dish. In a large 6-8 quart pot, cook the lasagna.  When cooked, drain and cover lasagna with cold water.
Spread layer of meat sauce on bottom of baking dish. Over this, lay 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. Repeat 2 more times. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.