Everyday Pasta Read online

  Baked Caprese Salad

  Goat Cheese Toasts

  Bruschetta with Frisée, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella

  Toasted Ciabatta with Balsamic Syrup

  Crostini with Anchovy Butter and Cheese

  Parmesan Popovers

  Fried Ravioli

  Zucchini and Carrot a Scapece

  Fried Zucchini

  Prosciutto-Wrapped Vegetables with Parmesan

  Clockwise, from top: Bruschetta with Frisée, Prosciutto and Mozzarella; Baked Caprese Salad; Goat Cheese Toasts

  4 to 6 servings

  Be careful not to overheat the crostini; the cheese and tomatoes should be just warmed through and softened but not melted or falling apart. It’s perfect if you have slightly underripe tomatoes.

  1 baguette, sliced ½ inch thick (30 to 36 slices)

  ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  Salt

  5 Roma tomatoes, sliced

  Freshly ground black pepper

  1¼ pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

  Leaves from 1 bunch of fresh basil

  Preheat the oven to 450°F. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet, brush with some of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Top each slice of bread with a slice of tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a slice of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with salt. Return the baking sheet to the oven until the cheese and tomato are just warm, about 5 minutes.

  Arrange the toasts on a serving platter. Top each toast with a basil leaf. Using the brush, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

  6 servings

  Goat cheese is something I like to use in many different ways, and this herb-y mixture is especially versatile. You can toss it with hot pasta for a quick, creamy sauce, or roll it into balls to top a salad, but I probably like these little toasts best of all. They’re so easy to make and they fly off the platter every time I serve them. The recipe can easily be doubled for a party. (See photograph.)

  1 baguette, cut on the diagonal in 18 half-inch slices

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese

  2 ounces cream cheese

  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

  1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

  Salt and coarsely ground multicolored or black peppercorns

  ¼ cup pitted Sicilian green olives or kalamata olives, finely chopped

  1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

  Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the bread slices on one or two large, heavy baking sheets. Brush the olive oil over the bread slices. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.

  Blend the goat cheese and cream cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the parsley, thyme, and lemon zest. Pulse just to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the crostini. Sprinkle with the olives, chives, and more pepper. Arrange the toasts on a platter and serve.

  Do-Ahead Tip

  The crostini and cheese mixture can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store the crostini in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the cheese mixture. Let the cheese mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour to soften slightly before spreading.

  6 servings

  Think of this bruschetta as a portable salad that doesn’t require utensils or a plate—perfect for entertaining! (See photograph.)

  1 baguette, cut on the diagonal in 18 half-inch slices

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  18 paper-thin slices prosciutto

  1 (8-ounce) ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into 18 thin slices

  1 head of frisée, leaves separated

  2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinaigrette

  Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the bread slices on one or two large, heavy baking sheets and brush with the olive oil. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.

  Place one slice of prosciutto on a work surface. Place a slice of cheese and 2 or 3 frisée leaves on top, allowing the tops to protrude from one end. Roll the prosciutto around the cheese and frisée and place on a toasted bread slice. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

  Arrange the crostini on a platter. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.

  Toasted Ciabatta with Balsamic Syrup

  6 servings

  I love this sweet syrup. It’s similar to chocolate sauce; in fact, beyond the antipasto platter, you could even use it as a dessert topping, drizzled over ice cream or berries.

  1½ cups balsamic vinegar

  4 tablespoons sugar

  12 ½-inch-thick slices ciabatta bread

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  Boil the balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to ½ cup, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

  Toast the bread slices. Spread the butter over the toasts. Arrange the toasts on a platter. Drizzle the reduced balsamic syrup over the toasts, then sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, and serve.

  Makes 24

  Garlic bread done even better: the salty, buttery, garlicky topping makes these toasts absolutely addictive.

  ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

  4 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped

  2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

  1 teaspoon minced garlic

  ½ teaspoon minced lemon zest

  ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  12 ½-inch-thick baguette slices

  1 cup shredded Provolone cheese

  Melt the butter in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and stir until they dissolve, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper flakes.

  Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the bread slices on a large baking sheet. Brush with the anchovy mixture, then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, about 10 minutes.

  6 to 8 servings

  Irresistible is the only word for these light and airy popovers. Add them to the bread basket with dinner or lunch and see how quickly they disappear. (See photograph.)

  6 eggs

  1½ cups all-purpose flour

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence

  ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  2 cups whole milk

  1¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese (about 5 ounces)

  Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  In a blender, combine the eggs, flour, salt, pepper, herbes de Provence, and parsley. Blend on medium speed. Turn the blender to low and slowly add the milk, then the cheese.

  Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup three-quarters full. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

  Remove the popovers from the muffin pan and serve hot, or cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

  Fried Ravioli

  4 to 6 servings

  When I visited St. Louis on my first book tour, I sampled these addictive little cocktail nibbles. They are a perfect addition to an antipasto platter or a fun and easy party appetizer; serve them on a big platter with a small bowl of marinara in the center for dipping.

  Olive oil, for frying

  1 cup buttermilk

  2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs

  1 box store-bought bite-size cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)

  ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  1 to 2 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade), heated, for dipping

  Heat 2 inches of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325°F.
/>   While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip the ravioli in the buttermilk to coat completely, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge the ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, while you coat the remaining ravioli.

  When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

  Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan cheese and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

  Zucchini and Carrot a Scapece

  6 servings

  A scapece means pickled, and the longer the vegetables marinate in the red wine vinegar, the better they taste. My family used to make them in the winter when the veggies weren’t at their peak. These are super versatile; serve them alongside pasta, bread, fish, or meat or as the centerpiece of an antipasto platter.

  6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  5 large zucchini (about 2 pounds), cut in ¼-inch rounds

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

  ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

  10 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and cut in ¼-inch rounds

  ¼ cup red wine vinegar

  Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the zucchini slices and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried zucchini to a baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, then with half of the garlic, basil, and mint.

  Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan. Add the carrots to the hot oil and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to add the fried carrots to the dish with the zucchini. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and the remaining garlic, basil, and mint. Drizzle the vinegar over the vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat. Cool to room temperature, then cover and marinate at room temperature for 8 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. (Allow the vegetables to come to room temperature before serving.) Transfer the scapece to a platter and serve at room temperature.

  Fried Zucchini

  4 servings

  In Naples, fried zucchini is a street food, and it was always my favorite component of Frito Misto (a dish of mixed fried foods) when I was a child. I’ve made it lighter by coating it in the Japanese bread crumbs called panko instead of regular bread crumbs, a method you could use equally well with sweet potato slices, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers—really any vegetable you like.

  1¾ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  1½ cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

  ¾ teaspoon salt

  2 large eggs

  3 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch strips

  Olive oil, for deep-frying

  Stir 1½ cups of the Parmesan cheese, the panko, and salt together in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk the eggs in another medium bowl to break them up. Working in batches, dip the zucchini sticks in the eggs to coat them completely, allowing the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Coat the zucchini in the panko mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely. Place the coated zucchini strips on a baking sheet.

  Heat 2 inches of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, fry the zucchini sticks until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried zucchini to paper towels and drain.

  Arrange the fried zucchini on a platter. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and serve.

  Prosciutto-Wrapped Vegetables with Parmesan

  4 to 6 servings

  It’s time to reinvent the crudité platter, and I nominate these attractive little bundles of vegetables; they’re great with cocktails for entertaining as an alternative to a boring deli plate, but they are also a nice alternative to a salad with a pasta dinner. My friends request this often.

  6 broccolini stalks

  6 small cauliflower florets with stems

  15 paper-thin slices prosciutto

  ½ fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced lengthwise

  ½ orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut lengthwise into thin strips

  ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut lengthwise into thin strips

  2-ounce piece of Parmesan cheese

  2 tablespoons Meyer lemon olive oil

  Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Place a large bowl of ice water near the stove. Cook the broccolini in the boiling water for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the bowl of ice water. Let cool for 2 minutes, then drain on a towel and reserve. Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water for 3 minutes, then cool in the ice water and drain as for the broccolini.

  Working with 1 slice at a time, cut the prosciutto slices in half lengthwise. Make a small bundle of fennel slices and wrap it with prosciutto, allowing the fennel to extend out the ends. Bundle together 2 strips each of orange and red bell peppers and wrap them with prosciutto in the same way. Wrap prosciutto strips around the stalks of broccolini and the stem ends of the cauliflower florets.

  Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan cheese onto a large platter or serving plates; arrange the vegetable bundles over the cheese shavings. Drizzle the oil over the bundles.

  2:

  something on the side

  One of the great things about many pasta dishes is that they are an all-in-one meal—starch, vegetables, and maybe some protein conveniently dished up at once. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to augment your pasta with a little something more: a salad to start or finish the meal or a quick vegetable side to complement a pasta dish that doesn’t feature many vegetables. I believe in always serving some kind of green when serving a pasta. It rounds out the meal and cleans the palate. Italians serve salad after the main course, but these can also be served before. These are some of my favorite dishes to serve with pasta and none of them takes more than a few minutes to put together. Most of the recipes in this chapter would work well as a first course for a more formal dinner, too. And when you’re serving a baked or cheesy pasta, a side of sautéed spinach or a mixed green salad lightens the meal and ensures everyone gets a serving of veggies.

  Cornbread Panzanella

  Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola

  Spinach Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

  Insalata Mista with Basil Dressing

  Hearty Winter Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

  Greens with Gorgonzola Dressing

  Asparagus with Vin Santo Vinaigrette

  Anytime Vegetable Salad

  Sautéed Spinach with Red Onion

  Cornbread Panzanella

  4 to 6 servings

  Panzanella is a staple of Tuscan cooking that is traditionally made with leftover stale bread; the dressing moistens the bread, which soaks in all the flavors and juices from the vegetables. I like panzanella but I love cornbread. When I found myself with lots of leftover cornbread one Thanksgiving, I was inspired to give it an Italian spin, and this salad was born.

  It’s best to use stale cornbread, but if you have only fresh cornbread, toast the cubes in the oven at 300°F for 8 to 10 minutes to dry them out; that way they won’t fall apart in the salad and become mushy.

  1 pound cornbread, cut into 2¾-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

  1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

  1 cup cubed fontina cheese (about ½-inch cubes)

  ½ hothouse cucumber, quartered and sliced

  ½ cup chopped fresh basil

  Dressing

  ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  Zest of 1 lemon

  Juice of 2 lemons

  1 teaspoon kosher salt

  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  Combine the cornbread, tomatoes, cheese, cucumber, and basil in a larg
e bowl.

  In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper. Stir together and pour over the salad. Toss very gently to combine. Serve immediately.

  Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola

  6 servings

  Little fried balls of Gorgonzola turn a boring green salad into a mouthful of joy. For convenience, you can prepare and chill the cheese balls overnight so they are very firm before you fry them. To test the temperature of your oil, drop a small piece of bread into the pot. If it sinks to the bottom, the oil is not hot enough; if it rises slowly to the top and turns golden brown, it’s just right for frying.

  7 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

  1 large egg

  ¾ cup dried bread crumbs

  ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

  3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice