kale

Asiago Mac and Cheese Pie with Truffled Potato Crust or Timballo di Maccheroni

27 Jan 2012
Asiago Mac and Cheese with Truffled Potato Crust

 

I have a not-so-classic Asiago Mac and Cheese Pie with Truffled Potato Crust for you today that could pass for a geography lesson, or maybe even a life lesson. It may seem like a simple but comforting baked pasta, but unique ingredients and an international pedigree make it something more too.

This "pie" is dense with penne pasta, creamy Wisconsin Asiago cheese and Tuscan kale. I have given it an Idaho potato crust that is scented with truffle oil. I call it a non-traditional pie, but it's really a variation on timballo di maccheroni, a traditional drum-shaped baked pasta dish from Naples and the surrounding Campania region of Italy. Some few years ago, in a movie called "Big Night," the preparation of a timballo di maccheroni was featured in a big way. It made a big impression on audiences. Me included. Recipes for timballi proliferated and suddenly the dish came to the attention of Americans. Since then I have made some variation many, many times. But the more I make it the more it becomes (at least in my mind) another great take on good ole Mac & Cheese. Another example of cross-cultural culinary calisthenics.

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Asiago Mac and Cheese with Truffled Potato Crust

Asiago Mac and Cheese with Truffled Potato Crust (timballo di maccheroni)
By jgreghenry Published December 26, 2011
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb dried penne pasta
  • 1.5 lb idaho russet potatoes
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 1 t white truffle oil
  • 2 scallions, white & light green parts, minced
  • 1 pn each, kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, plus more as needed
  • 2 c half and half
  • 0.25 t crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 2 c asiago cheese, grated
  • 0.25 t freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 T vegetable oil
  • 1 shallot, peeled & minced
  • 3 c lightly packed shredded tuscan kale
  • 4 oz sliced prosciutto
  • 12 sage leaves, minced
  • 0.25 c parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for passing

Directions

Cook the penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.

Heat oven to 375°F. Bake potatoes until tender, about 45 minutes. Let them cool slightly, then peel the potatoes with your hands. The peels should come off easily. Discard the skins. Push the potatoes through a ricer into a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the butter, truffle oil and scallions until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, press the potato mixture evenly across the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until lightly browned on the edges, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Bring the half-and-half to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the red pepper flakes. Let the mixture cool slightly, then briskly whisk in eggs, egg yolks, Asiago, and nutmeg. Season with more salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Stir the cooked penne, Asiago mixture, kale mixture, prosciutto, and sage into a large bowl until well combined. Scrape this mixture over the potato crust and spread evenly. Top with the Parmesan cheese and bake until well-browned on the tips of the penne, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a rack before releasing the springform pan. Slice into wedges and serve warm with additional Parmesan passed at the table.

An African Bean Finds Its Way to America- Cowpeas

20 Oct 2010
Stewed Cowpeas

Cowpeas, Field Peas, Stock Peas and Southern Peas are just a few names by which the legume Vigna unguiculata is known. Its humble origins seem to be in northern Africa where they are widely cultivated to this day. They are a food that sustains millions of people who live on the very edge of existence because it thrives in hot, dry conditions.

I found these red cowpeas at my local Latin market. I had never seen them before so naturally I picked up a couple of bags. But what to do with them. Most of the recipes I googled seemed rather, well... bland. Boiled beans and rice.

But they are very similar to black-eyed peas in both taste and texture. They have the same nuttiness and are very dense in nutrition. So I took my cues from my favorite recipes for black-eyed peas (which are usually spicy) and added an African touch and used Moroccan spices.

Brought across the Atlantic to the Caribbean in the holds of the same ships that carried slaves destined to eat them, cowpeas were introduced to America during this dark portion of our history. There are records of their cultivation in Jamaica as early as 1675. There is documented consumption of these beans in Florida in 1700 and North Carolina in 1714.

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