ricotta

What's a Seasonal Cook to do? Cannelloni al Radicchio with Walnuts

13 Oct 2011
Cannelloni with radicchio and walnuts

What's with the wacky weather? Hot one day, cold the next. I live in Southern California so I have come to expect these crazy fluctuations this time of year, but honestly what is a seasonal cook like me supposed to do?

How about Cannelloni al Radicchio? The perfect dish for 100 degree weather and wild Santa Anna winds right?

You see I've got cannelloni on the brain because it seems like just yesterday that I awoke to a chilly morning leading to a rainy afternoon. So I curled up with a new cookbook. I chose The Glorious Pasta of Italy by Dominica Marchetti to warm my soul that morning. You see it's been sitting on top of my book pile all summer waiting for my attention. Chronicle Books sent it to me so I knew it was bound to be a winner.

Have you ever opened a book to the exact page you wanted (without even knowing what you wanted)? Well that's what happened that cool morning last week. Cannelloni al Radicchio swept me in and would not let me out of its warm embrace. So I went out into the cold, cold rain and picked me up some radicchio. But by the time I got home, this and that and some more of the other thing happened. Meaning, there just wasn't time to make egg pasta, homemade béchamel and all the other lovely ingredients that make this recipe such a seasonal winner.

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Cannelloni al Radicchio

cannelloni with walnuts
By jgreghenry Published October 13, 2011
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots,halved & thinly sliced
  • 2 heads radicchio, quartered through the stem end, cored & finely shredded
  • 1 T kosher saly, plus more as needed
  • 1 pn black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 1.5 c whole cows milk ricotta, drained
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small dice
  • 1 oz batch fresh egg pasta, cut into lasagna noodles
  • 3 c bechamel sauce, slightly heated
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 1.5 c parmigiano-reggiano, grated
  • 0.25 c walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan placed over medium heat. Add the shallots and stir to coat them with the oil. Sauté, stirring from time to time, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the shallots are soft and translucent but not browned. Add the radicchio and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and a generous grind of pepper. Cover the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook the radicchio for about 8 minutes, or until wilted. Uncover the pan and use tongs to toss the radicchio. Cook for another minute or two, or until the radicchio is purple-brown, wilted, and just tender. Remove from the heat and let the radicchio cool to room temperature in the pan. Remove a handful of the radicchio and set it aside to garnish the cannelloni.

In a large bowl, work the ricotta with a fork until it is creamy. Fold in the mozzarella. Add the radicchio in the frying pan to the cheese mixture and fold to distribute evenly.

Spread a clean tablecloth or several clean dish/tea towels on a clean, flat surface near the stove. Have ready the uncooked pasta, the béchamel, and the radicchio-cheese filling. Place a large bowl filled with ice water near the stove for briefly immersing the cooked lasagne noodles to remove excess starch.

Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas 5. Lightly coat two 8-by-12-in/20-by-30.5-cm baking dishes with the butter.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously. Carefully drop in 4 or 5 lasagna noodles, taking care not to crowd the pot. Boil the pasta for about 1 minute; fresh pasta cooks quickly and the lasagna noodles should be slightly underdone. Use a large skimmer to remove the lasagna noodles from the pot and gently immerse them in the bowl of ice water. Use the skimmer to remove the noodles; let them drip and then spread them out on the tablecloth. Continue to cook, cool, and spread out the lasagna noodles until you have cooked and cooled all of them.

Spread a thick layer of béchamel sauce (about 3/4 cup/180 ml per dish) in the bottom of each prepared baking dish.

Place a lasagna rectangle on a clean work surface. Spoon about 2 tbsp of the radicchio-cheese filling onto the center, and spread it out with the back of the spoon, leaving a border all around. Roll up the pasta rectangle, cigar style, and place it, seam-side down, in one of the prepared baking dishes. Continue to fill and roll the cannelloni, arranging 10 cannelloni in each dish.

Divide the remaining béchamel between the 2 baking dishes, spreading it over the filled cannelloni. Strew a little of the reserved radicchio over the top in uneven clumps. Sprinkle the Parmigiano cheese and then the walnuts (if using) over the cannelloni. Cover the dishes with aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese and béchamel sauce are bubbly and the top is golden brown. Serve the cannelloni piping hot from the oven.

Simplify: The radicchio filling may be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Store-bought dried cannelloni or dried lasagna noodles may be substituted for the fresh ones. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cooking.

If you do not want to make homemade pasta dough and stretch it into sheets, you can substitute store-bought fresh egg pasta sheets, available at gourmet food shops, Italian food stores, and well-stocked supermarkets, and cut them into lasagna noodles. 

Notes:

Béchamel Sauce

This is a good all-purpose white sauce. In this book, it is used in several recipes, including Lasagne Verde alla Bolognese and Cannelloni al Radicchio. You can vary it by adding shredded cheese (at which point it becomes a Mornay sauce), by perfuming the milk as it heats with a fresh bay leaf or other herbs, or by stirring pesto into it, as in the recipe for Nonna's Zucchini and Mushroom Agnolotti with Pesto Béchamel.

Makes about 3 cups/720 ml

  • 3 cups/720 ml whole or 2-percent milk
  • 4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup/30 g unbleached all-purpose/plain flour
  • 1 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Do not let it boil over. Remove the pan from the heat. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot milk in driblets, whisking constantly and taking care to avoid lumps and scorching. When all of the milk has been added, cook the sauce, stirring it frequently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, for 10 to 13 minutes, or until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Season with the salt, pepper to taste, and the nutmeg, and remove from the heat.

Simplify: The sauce may be stored in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash or two of milk if necessary to loosen it.

Source: The Glorious Pasta of Italy by Domenica Marchetti

Uova da Raviolo: As Big as a Plate and Oozing with Egg

19 Feb 2011
Uova da Raviolo from Sippity Sup

The word ravioli is an Italian word for a type of pasta. I know you know what ravioli is. Even Chef Boyardee knows ravioli!

But what about raviolo, what do you think that means?

Well at its most technical raviolo is merely the singular of ravioli. Which seems a bit silly to me because who would ever eat just one. A big plate of ravioli is one of life’s great pleasures. I can’t imagine having that steaming plate in front of me and just eating a single raviolo off the plate. Could I? Would I? Should I??

Well maybe I would if that raviolo were as big as the plate, scented with truffle oil and stuffed full of Swiss chard, ricotta cheese and just dripping with the rich intensity of a barely cooked egg yolk.

Uovo da raviolo! That’s Italian for a single fist-sized pillow of fresh pasta. Each enormous raviolo is enough for one person and makes an amazing first course. It’s such a simple idea, but it makes a huge impact at the table. Because each raviolo shrouds a whole, soft-boiled egg yolk along with a ricotta-chard filling. When you slide your fork into it; just like a perfectly poached egg, the yolk oozes out– joining the pool of browned truffle butter, with sage and slivers of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Mario Batali first introduced me to the concept here in Los Angeles at Osteria Mozza. But my recipe is much more of an amalgamation. I shamelessly stole parts of this recipe from three great chefs. The afore mentioned Mr. Batali, Lidia Bastianich, and Michael Chiarello. The result is an impressive first course not nearly as difficult to make as you might think.

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Default Pasta: Egg Noodle Fettuccine & Meatball Lasagna

04 Feb 2011
baked fettuccine from sippity sup

Lasagna. You know what that is right? So you don't mind if I fiddle about some with this classic Italian-style comfort food do you? Egg Noodle Fettuccine & Meatball Lasagna. After all what's lasagna if not pasta, right? And when it comes to pasta at my house, it commonly makes its appearance in what I like to call default pasta.

I present default pasta here at Sippity Sup quite often, so I know you know what that is too. But quickly, just in case, default pasta is an easy flavorful way to make dinner with whatever ingredients you have on hand. There are a few basic rules however. If you need to review these CLICK over to my original post featuring default pasta.

Because today I want to talk about the ingredients I had on hand and why I chose them for this deconstructed lasagna recipe.

One of the "perks" of blogging is– I get stuff sent to me. Things people want me to try. Quite often it's food. That makes sense right? Some of these products get a little nod or mention from me here on Sippity Sup. But I am a little stingy with my nods and mentions, so most of these things end up in the pantry waiting to catch my attention. It doesn't mean they are not good products. It just means I am a picky bastard who refuses to sell my blog for a box of nuts...

Well on this particular default pasta night. I really had very slim pickings in the fresh food department. I was also having friends in for dinner and they have a 6 yo. Now I don't coddle children. In my house, kids eat what the adults eat. But that doesn't mean I won't try and accommodate the menu to appeal to kids as well as adults. What is it that both kids and adults crave? Lasagna of course!

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Egg Noodle Fettuccine & Meatball Lasagna

Egg Noodle Fettuccine & Meatball Lasagna from Sippity Sup
By jgreghenry Published February 4, 2011
Prep time: 150
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 0.333333 c whole milk
  • 1.5 c fresh, untoasted coarse breadcrumbs
  • 1 lb ground beef, pork and veal in whatever ratio you prefer
  • 2 clv garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 c parmesan cheese, freshly grated plus more for passing
  • 2 large eggs
  • 0.5 c flat leaf parsley, minced
  • 0 salt & pepper as needed
  • 1 c vegetable oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 lb ricotta cheese
  • 1 lb dried egg fettuccine
  • 6 c prepared tomato sauce
  • 0.5 lb mozzarella, chilled then grated

Directions

Make the meatballs: Add the milk and fresh breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl. Let them sit together about 10 minutes until most of the milk is absorbed. Add the ground meats, garlic, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 large egg lightly beaten, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Using your hands blend the ingredients together until barely combined. Do not overmix. Pinch off a small amount of the mixture, and rolling it between your palms, form it tiny meatballs. Less than a teaspoon each. Ideally they will about 3/4-inch in diameter. Repeat will all of the meat mixture. Heat the oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet set over medium heat. The oil should be hot but not smoking. Add the meatballs to the hot pan in batches small enough to not overcrowd them. They should be able to freely roll around the skillet as you shake it to fry the meatballs on all sides and keep them from sticking. About 3 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel lined tray. Repeat until all the meatballs are browned, adding more oil to the skillet if necessary. Make the filling: In a small bowl mix ricotta, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined. Assemble and bake the pasta: Place the oven rack in the center position. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, about 3 minutes, to al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander. Rinse and drain, and rinse and drain again. Spread 2 cups of the prepared tomato sauce evenly across the bottom of a 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of the pasta evenly over the sauce. Top this with all of the meatballs in an even layer. Make another even layer each of 2 cups tomato sauce and 1/3 of the pasta, then spread the filling over it all in an even layer. Top with half of the mozzarella, the remaining noodles, the remaining 2 cups of tomato sauce. Then the final layer is the remaining mozzarella. Make sure to pull some of the fettuccine above the cheese here and there so that it will get very brown and crisp during cooking. Cover loosely with foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake about 25 more minutes, until the top is well browned and the sauce is bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool about 20 minutes before serving with extra Parmesan passed at the table.

Notes:

serves 10 Source: adapted from Gourmet magazine