Oui, Chef

Penne with Asparagus, Lemon and Proscuitto

This dish is our interpretation of a recipe from the fabulous "Al Forno" restaurant in Providence, RI.  Their original can be found in the terrific cookbook Cucina Simpatica: Robust Trattoria Cooking From Al Forno written  by the restaurant's owners, Johanne Killeen and George Germon. 

The key to it's success comes from baking it in a large enough pan to hold all the pasta in a very thin layer. This allows the pasta to cook to al dente, and the asparagus to just cook through in a short amount of time in a very hot oven. The flavors of the lemon, tarragon, proscuitto and asparagus marry perfectly....don't expect any left-overs.

It is an easy dish to make on a weeknight, requiring just a few minutes to slice the asparagus and par boil the pasta before tossing it into a large baking dish (or roasting pan) and placing it into the oven.  For those of you who have been with us a while, you may notice the breadcrumbs we use as a topping here are the same ones from our Macaroni and Cheese with Ham recipe.  If you haven't already, make yourself a batch of these and toss them in your freezer, you'll reach for them frequently to top pasta, fish, salads, you name it.

There is plenty of slicing and grating to keep idle young hands busy while making this dish, so by all means, grab one of your kids by the ear and drag them along to help.  This one became an instant classic in our household, I'm sure it will in yours as well.  Cheers - S.

Recipe:

Penne with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Lemon

Inspired by a dish from: Al Forno's "Cucina Simpatica"

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Penne Rigate
• 3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup rich chicken stock (2 cups good quality low-sodium stock, reduced by half)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh tarragon
• 1 bunch asparagus, washed, dried and root ends trimmed
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 5 ounces thinly sliced imported prosciutto, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and a few grinds of white pepper
• 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Method:

• Preheat oven to 500 ℉
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta
• For the breadcrumbs - in a saute pan heat 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat and toast 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until golden brown.  Spread on a plate to cool.  (Keep for 2 days in the fridge, or a long time in the freezer)
• In a large bowl, combine the cream, reduced stock, lemon zest, cheeses, salt and pepper
• Slice the asparagus on an extreme bias, about 1/8-1/4” thick and toss into a small bowl with the melted butter, mix to coat
• Boil the pasta for 4 minutes, then drain and toss into the bowl with the cream and other ingredients, mix well
• Pour the pasta into a large baking dish or roasting pan so that it fits comfortably in a thin layer no more than 1” deep.  Sprinkle the sliced asparagus and chopped prosciutto on top and toss it into the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, and the pasta is just starting to take on color.
• Remove from the oven and serve, passing breadcrumbs and grated parmesan to sprinkle on top if desired.

Chicken with Fontina, Proscuitto and Sage

This is my adaptation of a dish I saw Jamie Oliver prepare on Mark Bittman's "Minimalist" web show.  It is absolutely delicious, quick to throw together, and fun for the kids to help with. 

Grab a youngster that has a little anger to vent, hand them a heavy pan or meat mallet, and let 'em go to town smacking down the split chicken breasts to a nice, thin paillard (cutlet).  We used fontina, sage and proscuitto as toppings for these lovelies because that's what we had in our fridge, but by all means, substitute different herbs, cheeses, or cured hams as you wish.  Have a little iberico, or jambon de bayonne hanging around....they'll be perfect.  Shave some parmesan, romano, or grate some cheddar or gruyere, as long as your cheese melts well, it will work.  For the herbs, thyme, rosemary, marjoram....you name it, have some fun with this dish.

Gemelli with Rapini, Sausage and Raisins

This is absolutely one of my favorite pasta dishes, and one that is an excellent vehicle for introducing rapini (or broccoli rabe) to your kids.  Rapini is a delicious bitter green, that served on its own, is a tough one for kids to love, the flavor being just a little too sharp and funky for your average ankle biter.  In this dish, the sweetness of the raisins, and the luxurious mouth-feel afforded by the fat in the sausage, keep the bitterness of the rapini in check, much to the delight of the youngsters.  It is a quick meal to toss together, and so easy that it can be prepped top to bottom by anyone old enough to use a knife, just be sure to save the act of slipping the sausage meat from their casings for your least squeamish child.  Serve it with a simple green salad and a crust of country bread

Recipe:

Gemelli with Rapini, Sausage and Raisins

By: Steve Dunn

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Gemelli or other small shell-shaped pasta
  
• 1 pound (about 4 links) sweet Italian sausage
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, stem bottoms trimmed, washed well
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, reduced in half
  
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
  
• 1/2 cup golden (or dark) raisins
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Fresh ribbons of parmesan cheese, peeled with a vegetable peeler

Method:

Set a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Place low-sodium chicken stock in a pan and reduce by half to 1 cup, add dry white wine and reserve.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a dry skillet, reserve.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When shimmering, squeeze sausages from their casings, dropping bite-sized pieces in the hot skillet to saute, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned.  

Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausages to a bowl, leaving behind the drippings in the skillet.

Cook the pasta to producers instructions for al dente.

Trim the ends, wash, dry, and cut the brocolli rabe into 1-1/2” pieces.  Add to the drippings in the skillet and saute over medium-high heat until wilted and just starting to take color.  Add the sliced garlic and pepper flakes and cook 1-2 minutes, add the reduced chicken broth, wine, and raisins and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the broccoli rabe is just starting to soften, but still has a nice bite to it.

Drain the pasta and add to the skillet, chuck in a few large knobs of butter and the pine nuts, and toss to combine.  Check seasoning for salt and pepper, and serve topped with ribbons of freshly peeled parmesan.

"My Meal" aka Pork Cutlet Milanese

Each of the kids has a favorite meal that they regularly ask for, but none of the others do so with the frequency, and tenacity of Boris.

HEY DAD, WHAT’S FOR DINNER? 

Not sure, buddy.  Today is market day...I’ll see what looks good.

CAN WE HAVE "MY MEAL"? 

Uh...didn’t we just have your meal?

NO, IT’S BEEN AWHILE SINCE WE’VE HAD MY MEAL.  YOU MUST BE THINKING ABOUT ARTHAS......WE JUST HAD HIS MEAL.

Hmmmm....

REALLY DAD, ITS BEEN LIKE FOREVER SINCE WE’VE HAD MY MEAL.

Forever?  Don’t you think you’re exaggerating just a bit, buddy?

ARTHAS, GRID, PEYTON, AND MUPPET ALWAYS GET THEIR MEALS.  WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE MY TURN? 

Huh?

YOU LOVE THEM MORE THAN ME, DON’T YOU?

Don’t be silly.......hey, are you tracking all these meals on a calendar or something?

DUH....OF COURSE I DO.  IT’S THE ONLY WAY I CAN GUARANTEE THAT I DON’T GET SHAFTED BY YOUR WHOLE MEAL SELECTION PROCESS.  I HAVE TO SAY THAT YOUR CURRENT METHOD SEEMS SERIOUSLY INDIFFERENT TO MY NEEDS!

You're kidding right? 

Don't tell me....you suspect that a vast right-wing conspiracy is at work, plotting to continually deny you your favorite meal.

HEY, I'M JUST CALLING IT LIKE I SEE IT.

You, my young Padawan, are a nut-bag!

And so it was that we came to have Boris’ meal the other night.  The rarely made, most often ignored, and practically forgotten, Pork Cutlet Milanese.

Spaghetti Carbonara

A recent commenter to the blog asked for a really easy meal to make on a weeknight with her kids, so when I reached for this dish myself last week, on a cool and rainy spring night, I decided that this would be a perfect recipe to pass along.  This is hands-down my favorite pasta recipe, and is fast becoming that of my kids’ as well.  It requires only a handful of ingredients, and can literally be tossed together in minutes.  In fact, when we made this meal last week, we were rushing to get to a movie, and were able to prep, cook, eat, and clean-up after dinner in about 45 minutes (and that even included time to shoot the photos for this post).

Spaghetti Carbonara, loosely translated from Italian means “Coal Miner’s Pasta.”  As legend has it, it was a favored dish of said Italian miners because they could easily carry the few ingredients required underground and cook them simply on a camp stove.  I’ve even read that the liberal sprinkling of fresh ground black pepper to finish the dish is meant to evoke the coal dust that inevitably settled on each plate of the miners’ meal.  The dish is rumored to have been imported to the states by GIs returning home from duty in WWII.  It is said to have been a favorite meal prepared for our soldiers by recently liberated, and very grateful Italian families, who cooked with ingredients that they knew the GIs were homesick for, bacon and eggs.

Arthus, my WWII aficionado son, finally got drafted into kitchen slavery for this meal, and was so taken with my explanation of the history of the dish, that he promptly fell into character as a dutiful US serviceman for the duration.

“PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ARTHUS PADFOOT REPORTING FOR MESS DUTY, SIR!

“Ok...you with the weird name, I need you to prep our mise for the evening meal, are you game, soldier?

I’M PREPARED TO DO ANYTHING ASKED OF ME FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY SIR!

Excellent Padfoot, I need you to dice the pancetta, grate the cheese, whisk the eggs, and chop the garlic and parsley, pronto.”

WHAT, NO GRENADE TO THROW MYSELF ON SIR, YOU’RE KIDDING RIGHT?  I WAS HOPING FOR A MISSION THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE HEROIC AND MANLY, YOU KNOW SOME REAL ACTION, SIR, NOT JUST THIS DICING AND GRATING SILLY STUFF!

We’ll if you really want to come face to face with the mayhem and carnage of war, then you COULD go clean your room, I mean, the place looks like central London after the blitzkrieg.

HA....VERY FUNNY SIR, YOU HAVE SUCH A GIFTED COMIC MIND! 

AHHH...SO, LET’S SEE, THE BACON, EGGS, CHEESE, GARLIC AND GREEN STUFF....SIR, YES SIR!  I’M HAPPY TO DO IT SIR!

Thank you PFC, carry-on.

Pizza

Yeast farts.  

Yeah, yeast farts.  That’s how I hooked ‘em.  

It will come as no surprise to most parents reading this post, that when I asked my kids for a volunteer to assist me in our first cooking lesson, you would have thought that I had asked one of them to join me in the kitchen to get an arm amputated.  I must say that I found their general lack of enthusiasm for what I had hoped to be a pretty fun and easy launch to our "Oui, Chef" experience, a little disheartening.  It seemed that I needed a hook to capture their imaginations and get them engaged. I'm not ashamed to tell you that dishing some potty-talk and extolling the virtues of yeast farts as a means of leavening dough seemed to work quite nicely, thank you.  Just these two words got my kids so enthralled with the idea of making their own homemade pizza dough, that any hesitation they felt about their first cooking lesson with dad, fairly quickly dissipated. 

To be honest, the boys seemed a tad more intrigued than the girls by the idea of the little yeasts consuming sugars from the dough and “farting” out carbon dioxide gas, thus causing the dough to rise.  I could see their slightly twisted minds picturing the whole scene, the yeasts all rolling around inside the dough, turning toward each other, slapping high-fives, dropping their shorts and letting ‘em rip.

FART...... “oh that was sweet man, ball’s in your court”

FART......”gasp..... your killing me dude.  Hey can anyone find a window in this place, I’m dying in here!”

I am just a bigger version of them....I totally get this line of thinking.

The girl’s take on the topic was a bit more questioning, and was accompanied by a look of mock horror.  “You’re kidding right.... that’s just plain gross.”