Everyday Italian (10 page)
Authors: Giada De Laurentiis
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART; SERVES 4 OVER A POUND OF PASTA AS A MAIN COURSE
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 6 | ounces pancetta or slab bacon, diced |
| 1 | yellow onion, finely chopped |
| 2 | garlic cloves, minced |
| Pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes | |
| 1 | (28-ounce) can tomato purée |
| ½ | teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| ½ | cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese |
In a Large,
heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the pancetta and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato purée, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)
When we were kids, this was our favorite sauce, hands down. I used to love it on everything—pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, and polenta—you name it, I covered it in bolognese. We went through a lot of it in my household. So my parents had to figure out a way to make it that was quicker than the traditional recipe, and here it is. It’s just as rich and mouthwatering as the more time-consuming traditional recipe; I promise you won’t know the difference. Now that I’m all grown up, I try not to use bolognese for everything, but it’s tempting because it’s perfect as a sauce for any type of pasta shape.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART; SERVES 4 OVER A POUND OF PASTA AS A MAIN COURSE
| ¼ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | medium onion, minced |
| 2 | garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 | celery stalk, minced |
| 1 | carrot, peeled and minced |
| 1 | pound ground beef chuck |
| 1 | (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes |
| ¼ | cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |
| 8 | fresh basil leaves, chopped |
| ½ | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| ¼ | cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese |
In a Large Skillet,
heat the oil over a medium flame. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef, and sauté until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up any large lumps, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese, then season with more salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)
It’s important to have your cream at room temperature so that it does not curdle when it is mixed with the marinara sauce.
This tasty Italian-American invention (you just won’t find it in Italy) looks like it’s a heavy dish, but the vodka kicks in and heats up the back of your throat to cut through the heavy cream. You can buy it in a jar, but because it’s a cinch to make and very yummy, it’s definitely worth taking the few minutes to make it from scratch. I like to serve it with rigatoni or penne.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART; SERVES 4 OVER A POUND OF PASTA AS A MAIN COURSE
| 3 | cups Marinara Sauce |
| 1 | cup vodka |
| ½ | cup heavy cream, at room temperature |
| ½ | cup grated Parmesan cheese |
| ½ | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
| ¼ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
In a Heavy,
large skillet, simmer the marinara sauce and vodka over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture reduces by one fourth, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and continue to simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.
in Tomato Sauce
This is an Italian-American favorite, but I like to make my meatballs with turkey instead of the traditional pork, veal, and beef. It’s lighter and healthier, and that way I can eat it more often. Your guests will be so busy eating them that they won’t have time to ask what’s in them (they are
that
good), especially when they adorn a gigantic family-size platter of spaghetti or linguine.
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN MEATBALLS; SERVES 4 TO 6 OVER A POUND OF PASTA AS A MAIN COURSE
| ¼ | cup plain dried bread crumbs |
| ¼ | cup chopped flat-leaf parsley |
| 2 | large eggs, lightly beaten |
| 2 | tablespoons whole milk |
| ¾ | cup grated Romano cheese |
| ¾ | teaspoon salt |
| ¾ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 | pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat |
| ¼ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| 5 | cups Marinara Sauce |
In a Large Bowl,
stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ½ cup of the cheese, and the salt and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Shape the meat mixture into bite-size balls.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook without moving or turning the meatballs until brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes longer. Continue to cook until all the sides are golden brown. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors blend, about 5 minutes. (The meatballs can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before continuing.)
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Place the cooked pasta in the skillet with the remaining sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the pasta to a separate large serving bowl, and serve with the meatballs.
The meatballs
can be made ahead of time and reheated with their sauce in a 250 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. The recipe can also be used to make mini meatballs to serve as an appetizer.
This is another straight-from-the-pantry dish for days when there’s no time to cook. My mother relied on it very heavily when I was growing up, and everyone loved it. The lemon zest wakes up all the flavors and perfumes the dish, but you could use red pepper flakes instead if you don’t have a lemon.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART; SERVES 4 OVER A POUND OF PASTA AS A MAIN COURSE
| 3 | cups Marinara Sauce |
| 2 | (6-ounce) cans albacore tuna packed in oil, drained |
| 1 | tablespoon drained capers |
| 1 | teaspoon grated lemon zest (from about ½ lemon) |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |
| ½ | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
In a Large,
heavy skillet, combine the marinara sauce, tuna, capers, and lemon zest. Simmer to blend the flavors, stirring and breaking the tuna into chunks, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.
To serve with pasta: Add drained freshly cooked pasta to the sauce, and toss to coat. Add enough reserved cooking liquid from the pasta to moisten.
