pasta Archives - Dinner in Venice

Bittersweet Manicotti with Moscato Wine Sauce

November 1, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 12 Comments

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This October my column in the Jewish Week featured a recipe for butternut squash manicotti with goat cheese and pumpkin. But there are so many versions of these, that I couldn’t resist posting one more! After all, for the past few weeks, I’ve been in a pumpkin frenzy. This time, I also added red radicchio, and a touch of Moscato wine. The result is slightly bitter, slightly sweet; buttery, creamy, and totally worth the splurge.

Bittersweet manicotti with Moscato Wine Sauce

Ingredients

12 lasagna rectangles
1 head radicchio (or just over 1/2 lb)
about 2 1/2 cups peeled cubed pumpkin (just over 1/2 lb)
1 cup whole milk ricotta (just over 1/2 lb)
1 scallion
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup moscato wine
3/4 cup clear (no tomato) vegetable broth
1 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter
2 to 3 tbsp slivered almonds
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Chop the radicchio coarsely and cut the pumpkin (or butternut squash) into small cubes.

Heat 1/2 the butter in a skillet and add the minced scallion. Cook on medium/low for 3 minutes. Add The pumpkin and radicchio and cook on medium/high for 10 minutes, stirring often. Allow to cool and combine with the ricotta, salt and pepper.

In a saucepan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar; add the flour, then gradually the wine and broth until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and cook in a bain marie (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Double-Boiler-(Bain-Marie) ) over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it thickens; at the end, add the remaining butter to the sauce. Keep warm.

In he meantime, cook the lasagnas according to instructions in a large pot of salted water.

Drain them with a slotted spoon, place them on paper towel (blot them dry on both sides. Spread one side with the ricotta/vegetable cream, leaving 1/2 " margins, and then roll the pasta up on itself into cylinders.

Arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment, brush them with little melted butter, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for about 15 minutes at 350F in a pre-heated oven. Serve warm, topped with the Moscato sauce and the slivered almonds. You can serve some parmigiano or grana for those who prefer to add some grated cheese on top.

*** if the semi-sweet egg sauce is not your thing, you can top the manicotti with a bechamel sauce or simply some melted butter and grated cheese.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/11/01/bittersweet-manicotti-with-moscato/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Comfort food, Dairy, First course, Pasta and Rice, Thanksgiving Tagged With: appetizer, cucina ebraica, dairy, delicious pasta, First course, Italian food expert, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, lasagna, manicotti, Northern Italian food, pasta, pumpkin, radicchio

Quick Pipe Pasta with Swiss Chard

June 13, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 22 Comments

Don’t get me started. I’ll just mention that when the doctor heard how I got injured, he laughed. I’ll spare you the gory details, but it involved an epic fight with the mini-blender blade falling into the stand mixer bowl (in action), AND the unlocked dishwasher door. In case you ever wondered why I don’t teach knife skills demos. Today, the saga continues with water flooding our building through the upstairs neighbor’s apartment.

I hope I’m forgiven if I post this recipe without a proper intro!

To cheer me up, feel free to share your most surreal kitchen accidents in the comment box.

Quick Pipe Pasta with Swiss Chards

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

serves 4

Ingredients

3/4 lb "pipe" pasta (penne or rigatoni work too, and use 1 lb if you are a group of football players)
3/4 lb Swiss chard
1/2 can (1/2 lb) peeled tomatoes, possibly Italian San Marzano quality (or use fresh, seeded)
1/2 cup black olives (pits removed)
1 chili pepper
1 clove garlic, peeled
3or 4 tbsp good extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp grated pecorino romano
salt and pepper

Directions

Wash the chard and remove the stems and harder part. You CAN use the stems, they taste great! But they will need to cook for twice as long, so it's easier to do it separately.

Steam or boil the chard in salted water (about 5-10 minutes for the leaves, and 15-20 minutes for the stems, if using). Drain, pat dry and choap coarsely.

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the chili (broken into 3-4 pieces), the sliced olives, and the chard.

Drain the tomatoes from the liquid; chop them coarsely (or crush them with your hands) and add them into the skillet.

Cook for about 5-10 minutes on medium heat, and adjust the salt and pepper.

While cooking the sauce, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the directions on the package, keeping it "al dente".

Drain the pasta without rinsing it, and transfer it into the skillet with the sauce. Saute with the sauce for a minute, stirring.

Sprinkle with the grated cheese and serve immediately.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/06/13/quick-pipe-pasta-with-swiss-chards/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Comfort food, First course, Pasta and Rice, Quick/Easy Tagged With: authentic italian recipe, greens, olives, pasta, pasta bietole, quick and easy Italian, Swiss Chards

“Masconod” – Sweet Cheese Rolls

May 9, 2012 By dinnerinvenice 4 Comments

One of the most traditional Italian pasta dishes for Shavuot has ancient roots and a mysterious name: “Masconod”. The original recipe features parmigiano mixed with sugar and cinnamon (the same unusual combination used to dress gnocchi in some areas of North-Eastern Italy), although the less adventurous palates replace the sugar and cinnamon with black pepper. The pasta is rolled-up manicotti-style, but tighter, like Moroccan cigars: since Shavuot commemorates God’s giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, it’s customary to eat some “rolled” foods, resembling Torah scrolls. This is also true of Simchat Torah (which marks the conclusion of the annual Torah reading cycle and the beginning of the next), but the rolls of Shavuot are usually filled with cream or cheese, since “Like honey and milk [the Torah] lies under your tongue” (Song of Songs 4:11)….

While Masconod is traditionally made with fresh lasagna sheets, this year I’ve tried it with crespelle (Italian crepes) and it was love at first taste! Move over, blintzes! Here are both options:

“Masconod” / Sweet Cheese Rolls (Dairy)

Ingredients

(serves 6)
fresh lasagna sheets OR crespelle (Italian crepes) (double the amount in the crepes recipe)
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (to taste)
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (to taste)
3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano, Grana or Parmigianito
1 stick unsalted butter, or to taste

Directions

Make fresh pasta, cut into 25-30 5-inch squares, cook in boiling salted water a few at a time, drain and dry on an old towel.

If you prefer, make the (round) crespelle following the recipe, and cook in a non-stick skillet.

Combine the cheese with the sugar and cinnamon (or with simple black pepper if you don’t like sweet and savory combinations).

Brush each pasta square or crepe with melted butter, and sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of cheese mixture.

Roll up like tight manicottis and arrange in one single layer in a buttered baking tray.

Brush the rolls with more melted butter, and top with the remaining cheese mixture.

Depending on the size of your baking dish, you can make a single layer or a double layer.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2012/05/09/masconod-sweet-cheese-rolls-dairy/

Filed Under: Dairy, First course, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Pasta and Rice, Shavuot Tagged With: Cheese, cheese pasta, cucina ebraica, cuisine, dairy, historic recipe, Jewish holiday, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, kosher Italian, macaroni and cheese, Masconod, pasta, Shavuos, Shavuot

Pasta with Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Sauce

September 4, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

This is one of my favorite recipes when I really need to force some vegetables into my kids!

Pasta with Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Sauce (Dairy)

serves 4

Ingredients

3/4 pound spiral-shaped pasta, such as eliche, fusilli or gemelli
6 spoonfuls milk
5 ounces goat cheese (a small log)
1/4 pounds swiss chards, boiled, drained, squeezed, and chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly pressed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
freshly grated Italian Parmigiano cheese (or Argentinian Reggianito)
salt and pepper

Directions

Cook the pasta in abundant salted boiling water. In the meantime, heat the oil in a skillet and add the slightly pressed garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes, discarding the garlic before it starts smoking. Add the swiss chards (boiled, drained, squeezed, and chopped), stir well, salt and cook for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and combine well with the goat cheese, milk. and about 1/2 a ladleful of the pasta cooking water. When the pasta is "al dente", drain it and dress it with the swiss chard sauce; add some grated parmigiano, et voila!

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/09/04/pasta-with-swiss-chard-and-goat-cheese-sauce-dairy/

Filed Under: Dairy, First course, Pasta and Rice, Quick/Easy, Vegetarian Tagged With: cucina ebraica, dairy, goat cheese, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, kosher Italian, pasta, quick/easy, Swiss Chard

How to make the Perfect Pasta

August 7, 2011 By dinnerinvenice 2 Comments

How to make the Perfect Pasta

My friends at CookKosher just posted my special tips on How to Cook the Perfect Pasta, including when you need to reheat it for Shabbat!

Are you ready to start eating like a Real Italian? Click here!

Filed Under: First course, How-To, Pasta and Rice Tagged With: cooking, cucina ebraica, how to, italian cuisine, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, kosher, pasta, spaghetti

Cheese and Pepper Pasta

July 25, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Pasta Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper) is the perfect example of a minimal dish that packs maximum flavor. The only tricks are using really good ingredients (the cheese and the butter), and cooking the pasta perfectly al dente. Pair it with an arugola salad and you won’t miss your Mac ‘n Cheese!

Cheese and Pepper Pasta (Dairy)

serves 4-6

Ingredients

a package of Italian pasta (tagliolini, linguine, bucatini, or thick spaghetti)
coarse salt
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 tablespoon freshly grated black pepper (or to taste)
2/3 cup freshly grated Italian Parmigiano Reggiano
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Directions

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Melt half the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper and cook for one minute.

Add half of the reserved pasta water to the skillet, bring to a simmer and add the pasta and the rest of the butter.

Remove the skillet from the heat; add both the Parmigiano and the Pecorino cheeses, tossing well and adding more pasta water if the pasta is too dry.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/07/25/cheese-and-pepper-pasta-dairy/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Dairy, First course, Pasta and Rice, Quick/Easy Tagged With: butter, Cheese, comfort food, cucina ebraica, dairy, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, kosher Italian recipe, pasta, pepper, spaghetti

Tagliolini in Lemon Sauce

June 23, 2011 By dinnerinvenice 2 Comments

Italian Jews have always been very fond of lemons, and incorporate their juice and zest into many recipes: just like those with vinegar, these dishes are described as “all’agro” (sour style).
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, they were apparently heavy lemonade drinkers – in most regions it was sweetened with honey or sugar, but in Rome it was seasoned with salt.*

Tagliolini in Lemon Sauce

serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 pound tagliolini, fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti
extra-virgin olive oil (1/2 cup to 2/3 cups) OR melted butter
grated Parmigiano (1/2 cup to 2/3 cups)
2 large organic, untreated lemons
grated zest of one of these lemons, avoiding the white part
Salt to taste
White pepper
2-3 tablespoons of freshly chopped mint leaves

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring every couple of minutes, until "al dente".

In the meantime, mix together the olive oil (or butter),lemon juice, lemon zest and cheese in a large bowl, previously warmed.

Drain the pasta, but save 3/4 cup of its cooking water. Toss the pasta with the sauce and the reserved cooking water. Add the water a little at a time, only as needed 1/4 cup at a time as needed. Add salt and pepper, and the chopped mint leaves or chives.

*For more on this topic, A. Toaff, Mangiare alla Giudia, Bologna 2000, Societa' Editrice Il Mulino, p.109 (also available in Hebrew)

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/06/23/tagliolini-in-lemon-sauce/

Filed Under: Dairy, First course, Pasta and Rice, Quick/Easy Tagged With: comfort food, cucina ebraica, dairy, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, kosher Italian recipe, lemon, linguine, pasta, quick/easy, spaghetti

Bigoli in Salsa

June 12, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Bigoli are a kind of thick, hand-made whole-wheat spaghetti typical of Venice, my hometown. This delicious white sauce with onions and anchovies has Jewish roots, but has become popular across the religious spectrum. This recipe can also be made using regular whole-wheat spaghetti.

Bigoli

Ingredients

(serves 6):
. 1 pound package whole-wheat spaghetti (I like De Cecco or Barilla)
- 5-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large white onions, minced thin
- a 3-ounce can of oil-packed anchovy fillets (even better, 10 salt-packed anchovies, rinsed), minced
- half a cup of dry white wine, like a Pinot Grigio or Riesling
- salt, pepper
- toasted bread crumbs, if desired.

Directions

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta 'al dente'.

Meanwhile, in a saute' pan, heat the olive oil over a medium flame.

Add the minced onions and a couple of tablespoons of water and lower the flame.

Let the onions cook, stirring, till translucent, adding little water if they start to dry out.

In the meantime, you will have minced the anchovies; once the onions are translucent add the anchovies and wineto the onions and keep cooking on low heat, stirring, until they 'melt' completely into the sauce.

Add black pepper to taste, and use this sauce to dress your spaghetti.

Some like to add grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (in a dairy meal), or toasted bread-crumbs and parsley; but the classic Venetian way to eat this pasta is without any additions.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/06/12/bigoli/

Filed Under: Dairy, First course, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Non-Dairy, Pasta and Rice, Quick/Easy, Shabbat Tagged With: anchovies, bigoli, cucina ebraica, jewish italian, kosher, pasta, spaghetti, venetian recipe, Venice, whole wheat

Traditional Pasta Sauce

May 15, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

A quick and traditional pasta sauce used for Shabbat in many communities in Northern Italy is the juice
left over from roasting lean cuts of meat.

Use high-quality Italian olive oil, a couple of garlic cloves (whole), rosemary, salt and pepper.

Serve some of this sauce with the roast meat, but use what’s left to dress egg noodles (tagliolini or fettuccine).

A cold version of this pasta is the Agresto, or Bagna Brusca, in which lemon juice and egg are added to the meat juices after the pasta has been allowed to cool off. In this case, serve at room temperature.

Filed Under: First course, Meat, Pasta and Rice, Quick/Easy Tagged With: cucina ebraica, Italian, Italy, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, kosher, Meat, pasta, Sauce, spaghetti, tomato sauce, traditional

Bittersweet Manicotti with Moscato Wine Sauce

Quick Pipe Pasta with Swiss Chard

“Masconod” – Sweet Cheese Rolls

Pasta with Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Sauce

How to make the Perfect Pasta

Cheese and Pepper Pasta

Tagliolini in Lemon Sauce

Bigoli in Salsa

Bigoli are a kind of thick, hand-made whole-wheat spaghetti typical of Venice, my hometown. This delicious white sauce with onions and anchovies has Jewish roots, but has become popular across the religious spectrum. This recipe can also be made using regular whole-wheat spaghetti.

Traditional Pasta Sauce

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Bigoli are a kind of thick, hand-made whole-wheat spaghetti typical of Venice, my hometown. This delicious white sauce with onions and anchovies has Jewish roots, but has become popular across the religious spectrum. This recipe can also be made using regular whole-wheat spaghetti.

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