Directions

Onion Confit: Cut off the tops and bottoms of the onions and cut the onions lengthwise in half. Remove the peel and outer layers. Cut a V wedge in the bottom of each half to remove the core and pull out any solid flat pieces from the center. Lay an onion half, cut side down, on a cutting board with the root end toward you. There are lines on the outside of the onion; cut along these lines (the grain) rather than against them to help the onions soften more quickly. Holding the knife almost parallel to the board, slice the onion lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, following the lines of the onion. Once you cut past the center of the onion, the knife angle will become awkward: Flip the onion onto its side (toward the knife), return the knife to the original position, and finish cutting the onion. Separate the slices of onion, trimming away any root sections that are still attached. Repeat with the remaining onions. (You should have about 8 cups of onions.) Warm 1/4 cup of water in a large pot over low heat. Add the butter and whisk gently to melt it. Add the onions, salt, and bouquet garni, stir to combine, and place a parchment “lid” (a piece of parchment, cut to fit) on top, pressing it against the onions. Cook very slowly, stirring the onions every 20 to 30 minutes at first, more often toward the end of cooking, for about 2 hours. The onions will wilt and steam will rise, but they should not brown. Check the onions after about 30 minutes: If they seem lost in the pot, transfer to a smaller pot and cut down the parchment lid to fit. If there is a lot of liquid remaining at this point, you can turn up the heat slightly to cook a bit more rapidly. After about 2 hours, the onions will have softened but should not be falling apart; there still may be liquid left in the pot. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Allow the onions to cool in their liquid. Transfer the onions, with their liquid, to a plastic container and refrigerate for up to a week. Drain the confit before using. Favas and Morels: Remove all the fava beans from their pods. Place the fava beans in a heat proof bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the beans to cover by about 1-inch. Let the beans sit undisturbed until the water has cooled enough so as to handle the beans. Start peeling the beans by using your thumbnail to nick a slit in the skin. Squeeze slightly, and the inner bean will pop right out. If possible start with the smaller beans working to the largest beans. Place the peeled favas in a bowl and set aside. Cut the morels in half lengthwise and set aside. In a large saute pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter. When the butter melts and begins to get foamy add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook an additional minute or two more until the pan nearly dry. Add the vermouth, deglazing the pan. Cook about 2 minutes then add the favas, stirring to combine. Turn off the heat, until ready to serve. Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add a good heaping of salt and add the fresh pasta. Stir gently to keep it from sticking. Since it's fresh, it will cook in 3 or 4 minutes. Do not let it overcook! Fresh pastas with egg are often made with "soft" flour with less gluten than the "hard" durum wheat flour used in the best dried pasta. While the pasta cooks add about 2 cups of the onion confit to the fava and morel mixture. Reheat them together gently. Once the pasta is cooked use tongs to move it from the water to the fava, morel and onion pan. It's good to being a bit of the water along. In fact you may even need to add a bit more of the pasta water to achieve a good consistency of sauce. Pour the contents of the pasta pan onto a serving platter and garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Serve hot.

Directions

Gnocchi Place the sheep's milk ricotta into a cheese cloth lined strainer set over a bowl. Allow it to drain for a couple of hours. Save the liquid. Place the ricotta onto a very lightly floured surface. Make a well in the center of the cheese and put the egg yolks into this well. Adding the flour a little at a time, along with a couple of pinches salt and pepper. Carefully and gently mix and fold the ingredients together adding more flour as needed. You may not use it all. In fact finding the perfect balance of cheese to flour is what keeps the gnocchi light and fluffy. Use as little as you can but use your judgment. Let the dough rest 30 minutes at room temperature. After the dough rest bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a good amount of salt to it. Roll the gnocchi into 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick ropes, then cut crosswise into 2 inch pieces. drop the gnocchi one at a time into the boiling water and blanch them until they float to the surface. Remove them, adding more, as the finish cooking and plunge them into cool water to stop the cooking. Move them to a a parchment lined tray. Until ready to plate the meal. At which time you may melt 1/2 stick of butter with 2 T olive oil in a large saute pan. Brown the gnocchi in batches, adding another 1/2 stick of butter and 2 more T olive oil as the pan dries out. Once they are golden move them to a serving tray with the rest of the elements of the dish. Lamb Loin Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a large saute pan on the stove set over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until very hot. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and sear the lamb loin on all sides until nicely browned. Move the pan to the oven and cook until an internal temperature reaches 125 degrees for the rarer side of medium-rare. Let the meat rest 10 minutes before slicing. Butafuso Sauce Bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Do not add salt to the water. Cook the pasta in water until slightly overcooked. Strain the pasta, reserving it for another use if you like. You want the water for this recipe. Continuing boiling the water until it is reduced to about 4 cups. Add 1 stick butter, 3 T olive oil and the Parmesan cheese. Continue cooking until a thickened silky texture is achieved. Season with salt and pepper. Lamb Demi Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub bones with 2 T olive oil and put them in a Dutch oven and roast them until they are a deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Move the pot to the stove top and add the chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Cook the vegetables for several minutes until they begin to caramelize. Add the red wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Cover the vegetables and bones with water by about 1/2" add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and then turn down to a simmer. Add the tomatoes, 1 sprig marjoram and 1 sprig thyme, and cook 1/2 hour. Strain out all the solids, then return the sauce to the stove and continue to reduce until depth of flavor and a velvety consistency is achieved. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Mushrooms Soak the fresh morels in water to allow the sand and grit to sink to the bottom. Remove the mushrooms from the water, drying them well. Discard water. Place a saute pan over medium-high heat, add the final T butter and the shallots, cooking until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until they weep out all their moisture and the pan begins to dry out, about 4 minutes. Finish the mushrooms with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Add the pea tendrils at the very end. Turn off the heat and let the heat from the mushrooms wilt the tendrils. To Plate Place the lamb gnocchi, mushroom and tendril mixture on a large serving platter in an attractive manner. Drizzle the Butafuso sauce on top and serve with the Lamb reduction sauce on the side.