Burrata With Polenta and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

 Burrata with Polenta & Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Soft polenta, sweet burst cherry tomatoes and creamy burrata come together for a satisfying dish that could be a vegetarian main for two or a satisfying side serving four alongside roast chicken. Feel free to swap in basil for mint, and the tomatoes on their own make for a terrific pasta sauce.

Ingredients:
2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) cider vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) salt, divided
2 tbsp (30 mL) roughly chopped mint
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (125 mL + 15 mL) cornmeal

1 3/4 cups (425 mL) water

1/2 cup (125 mL) whole milk
6 tbsp (90 mL) salted butter
3/4 cup (175 mL) finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 container (250 g) burrata, drained
Torn mint, shaved Pecorino Romano
freshly ground pepper to serve

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325˚F (163˚C).

In a 9-inch- (23-cm-) square baking dish, mix tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, honey, vinegar and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt. Bake until soft and beginning to brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, then stir in chopped mint.

After tomatoes have been baking for 15 minutes, start polenta. In a medium-size saucepan, combine cornmeal, water, milk and remaining 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan every 5 minutes, until polenta no longer has gritty texture, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in butter and Pecorino Romano until melted and combined. Polenta should be thick, but pourable—if it’s too thick, stir in a small amount of water.

To serve, pour polenta into a round serving dish. Top with tomatoes, then push burrata down into centre of polenta. Garnish with torn mint, shaved Pecorino Romano and pepper.  Serves 4

Blogger's Suggestion:  When you remove the polenta from the heat, stir in Boursin Herb and Garlic Cheese for a creamy flavorful polenta.

Pasta Carbonara

 

Pasta Carbonara 

Ingredients:

8 servings

1 lb. bacon or pancetta, thick cut

1 lb. spaghetti pasta
4 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated

2 tablespoons parsley

Directions:
Chop bacon or pancetta and fry crisp.  Drain fat from skillet.

Bring water to a boil, add salt and pasta, cook al dente.  Co-ordinate the two are done at the same time.

Mix the eggs and egg yolks with salt and pepper and cheese.  Briefly set aside.

Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Drain the pasta and the pasta to the meat skillet and toss with the egg mixture.  Add reserved pasta water in small amounts till creamy.  Toss quickly as to not let the eggs cook solid.  Garnish with the parsley.  Serve immediately.

Penne Tossed With Ricotta Cheese And Sausage

Penne Tossed With Ricotta Cheese And Sausage

Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side dish.
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. spicy or mild Italian sausages
1/2 lb. penne pasta
1/2 lb. whole milk ricotta cheese
2 T. chopped Italian parsley
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Remove sausage casings and break into 1 inch pieces into the skillet. Cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage is cooked through; set aside.

2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid

3. To the hot pasta cooking pot add the ricotta, 3/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, parsley, red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Stir to combine and stir in cooked sausage and then the pasta. Mix in remaining cooking liquid if necessary to thin sauce further. Stir in half the Romano and serve pasta immediately topped with remaining cheese. 

Brussels Sprout Leaf Salad

Brussels Sprout Leaf Salad

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 cups baby arugula
1 head Belgian endive, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted* see Cook's Note
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano

*

Directions
Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Salad: Using a small paring knife, remove the outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts. Reserve the cores for another use. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprout leaves and cook for 1 minute. Drain and put in a bowl of iced water, then transfer to a colander to drain. Put the Brussels sprout leaves, arugula, endive, and almonds into a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss together. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

*To toast the almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

The unused core of the Brussels sprouts can be used in soups and stir-fries.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara

Today we mark "The Ides Of March", the day Julius Caesar was assassinated and The Roman Empire became the Roman Republic in the year 44 B.C.   I am posting a dish typical of a Roman dinner.  The first time I enjoyed Pasta Carbonara, our son-in-law from Italy served it to our family.  It was so delicious. I thought you might enjoy it also!  Celebrate!

***

Ingredients:

RAGU
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped carrot
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
12 oz ground dark-meat chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 branch Italian parsley
Pinch dry thyme
2 tbsp white wine
¾ cup chicken stock

TO FINISH
2 tbsp olive oil
⅔ cup diced bacon or pancetta
4 egg yolks
2 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb fusilli pasta

*

Directions:

1 Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add celery, carrot and red onion and sauté gently for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft and lightly browned. Turn heat to medium-high, add chicken. Press chicken with the back of a fork, separating morsels well. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, parsley branch and thyme and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, or until chicken is lightly browned.

2 Add white wine and cook for 2 minutes or until wine has almost completely evaporated. Add ½ cup chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, adding more stock as needed, until chicken is cooked through and still slightly saucy. Discard bay leaf and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.

3 Heat oil in a separate frying pan over medium-low heat. Add bacon and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon and blot on paper towels. Reserve.

4 Combine egg yolks, Pecorino, bacon, parsley and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.

5 Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving about ½ cup of the cooking water. (Pasta water gives substance to sauces, making them a little creamier. It’s a good addition to most pasta dishes.)

6 Combine ¼ cup of the cooking water with egg yolk mixture and quickly toss with the hot pasta, stirring to coat. If necessary, add more cooking water to make the sauce even more creamy. Add reserved ragu, toss and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4