Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, the classic ragù alla Bolognese recipe, is a better marriage than the Americanized pairing of spaghetti with meat sauce. The fresh, eggy tagliatelle and bold, meaty ragù yield an absolutely delicious dish.

The traditional plating would be a lot less ragù for a given amount of pasta than you expect, with just a light sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano. But traditions are for the elderly; do as you wish.

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

Makes four servings.

Ingredients:

2 cups ragù alla bolognese (recipe)
1 lb fresh tagliatelle
1/2 cup freshly and finely-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, preferably Stravecchio or Riserva
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper

Simmering the Ragu Bolognese

In a saute pan, bring the two cups of ragù alla bolognese to a simmer. Keep warm.

Cooking the Tagliatelle

Bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook until just tender, only 60-90 seconds. Drain.

Tossing the Tagliatelle to Coat in the Sauce Bolognaise

Add the tagliatelle to the saute pan and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Plated, Garnished, and Ready to Serve

Plate, topped with a little Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pairs well with a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from one of Italy's so-called Super Tuscans.

Ragù alla Bolognese

I'm not Italian, but your sweet nonna is. Of course her ragù bolognese is the world's best. I bet it is decadent and delicious. Also, not as good as mine. Life is tough, nonna.

Ragù, Italian from the French ragoût, is a meat sauce used as a pasta condimento. Veal, pork, liver, and even horse meat is simmered for hours with soffritto and perhaps a little milk and tomato, until deliciously thick.

The most common ragù, if not also the tastiest, is ragù bolognese, often called bolognese sauce in North America. Originating from Bologna, capital of Emilia-Romagna, the dish is onions, carrots, and celery sauteed in rendered pancetta, and then combined with beef and pork, deglazed with white wine, and finally slow cooked with milk and a little tomato. Almost universally a tomato-based sauce in the states, the authentic recipe is a ragoût of meat, with minimal tomato.

Recipes differ. Some swap beef for veal or white for red wine. Others add chicken or goose liver, mushrooms, or sausage. This is my recipe, but its faithful to the dish's history. I use veal instead of beef, light cream in lieu of milk, and add chicken liver, but otherwise adhere closely to tradition. Note: Even if liver is not your thing, do not skip it. I promise it is the key to beating your nonna's recipe.

Ragù alla Bolognese

Mise en Place

Makes 2-3 cups, generally sufficient for 4-6 servings as a pasta condimento.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta, batoned into lardons
5 shallots, diced
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound chicken livers, chopped well
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons (about half a tube) tomato paste
1 cup light cream
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Browning the Pancetta

In a heavy stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the pancetta and cook until brown and rendered, about five minutes.

Cooking the Mirepoix

Add the shallot, celery ribs, and carrot. Cook for two minutes and then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about three more minutes. Do not brown the vegetables.

Raise heat to high. Add the pork, veal, and chicken livers. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned but not yet fully cooked.

Add the thyme and stir to infuse.

Add the white wine and deglaze, scrapping the bottom of the pan.

Folding in the Light Cream and Tomato Paste

Add the tomato paste and light cream. Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to just a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for two hours.

Simmering for Hours

You will have to try hard to overcook the ragù: The longer you simmer, the better. You want the liquid to slowly reduce and the fat to slowly render out, until the remaining ragù is thick, brown, and meaty, with even less liquid than these pictures.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and let rest. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Qing Chao Dou Miao: Sauteed Pea Shoots

A Chinese dish, qing chao dou miao, sauteed pea shoots are as delicious as they are simple. Pea shoots are the tips of the pea plant: a fibrous stalk with the leaves (pea greens) and threadlike climbing appendages (pea tendrils) attached. Pea sprouts are the new, tender shoots of the pea plant, with no tendrils and only the smallest of leaves. Pea sprouts have a subtle, green flavor, with a hint of pea. Pea shoots, befitting their maturity, are stronger and sweeter, although still quite delicate.

Pea shoots, with mature greens

Shoot and sprout are often used interchangeable—dou miao without modifier refers to either—but as both are delicious, you cannot go wrong. If what you have looks like alfalfa sprouts, only greener, then you have pea sprouts. This recipe works with sprouts or shoots, yielding a delicate pea-like sauteed green in either case.

Qing Chao Dou Miao: Sauteed Pea Shoots

A great little dish on its own, this is also a wonderful addition or garnish to non-Asian recipes, in which case you likely will want to skip the soy sauce.

Makes two large servings or four small.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons grape seed oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
3/4 lb (about 6 cups) pea shoots, cleaned and rinsed and any tough bottoms trimmed
1 tablespoon Chinese light soy sauce, optional
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the grape seed oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic and saute until soft and infused in the oil, about 60 seconds.

Plated and Ready to Serve

Add the pea shoots and saute, stirring and flipping often, until just wilted, 45-60 seconds (30-45 seconds for pea sprouts). Optionally, add the soy sauce. Using a slotted spoon, reserve to a plate.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve or use immediately. If not using as part of a larger dish, pairs well with a Sauvignon blanc from Martinborough, in the South Wairarapa district, New Zealand.

Sherry-Glazed Chorizo and Brussels Sprouts

One late night, with brussels sprouts the only fresh produce in the kitchen and Marlena threatening to order pizza, I threw this together, making it up as I went along.

Sherry-Glazed Chorizo and Brussels Sprouts

Surprisingly tasty and balanced, it works.

Dried, Spanish picante chorizo

Makes four small side servings or two larger.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound dried, Spanish, picante chorizo, sliced thin on a bias
3/4 pound fresh brussels sprouts, bottom trimmed and any tough or wilted outer leaves removed
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika (pimentón picante)
1/4 cup dry Spanish Sherry
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Sauteing the chorizo

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the chorizo. Cook, stirring and flipping often, until brown and just starting to crisp, about five minutes. Using a slotted spoon, reserve the chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate.

Sauteing the brussels sprouts

Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and stir to coat in the oil. Add more olive oil if necessary. Saute, stirring often, for four minutes, until the brussels sprouts start to brown.

Deglazing with Sherry

Add the hot paprika and stir to coat. Add the Sherry to deglaze, scrapping the bottom of pan.

Reducing the Sauce

Add the chicken stock. Raise heat to high. Once boiling, lower heat to medium and reduce the liquid, stirring occasionally, until only three tablespoons remain, about 10 minutes.

Add the butter. Cook, stirring, until fully incorporated and a thin sauce remains. Add the chorizo and stir to coat. Remove from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, plate the brussels sprouts. Cover them in the chorizo. Spoon some of the sauce over the sprouts and around the plate. Serve immediately. Pairs well with a semi-dry Alsatian Gewürztraminer.

Creamy Broccoli Soup with Sourdough Cheddar Croutons

Creamy, with broccoli and cheddar cheese, this soup is a godsend on a cold night. Don't skimp and forgo the sourdough cheddar croutons, as they really bring the dish together.

Creamy Broccoli Soup with Sourdough Cheddar Croutons

Makes four soup course-sized servings.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large sweet white onion
1 medium celery rib, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
5 cups broccoli florets, about 4 small heads or 1-2 large
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons acetic hot sauce, plus more to garnish
1 cup aged English or Vermont cheddar cheese, grated
sourdough cheddar croutons (recipe), to garnish
ground cayenne pepper, to taste
gray salt, to taste
freshly-ground white pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Once bubbling, add the onions and celery and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, thyme, and nutmeg and cook 60 seconds. Season with salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the broccoli and stir to infuse.

Simmering the Vegetables

Add the chicken stock. If the three cups do not fully cover the broccoli, add more as needed. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 8 minutes.

Puréeing with an Immersion Blender

Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup.

Incorporating the Heavy Cream

Add the heavy cream and hot sauce and return to a gentle simmer. Cook until reheated.

Folding in the Cheddar Cheese

Add the cheddar cheese. Cook, stirring, until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Plated, Garnished, and Ready to Serve

Serve, garnished with a couple sourdough cheddar croutons and a couple drops of hot sauce. Pairs well with a Viognier from France's Rhône Valley, such as one from the Condrieu AOC or Château-Grillet AOC.

Cheddar Sourdough Croutons

Pronounced KROHT-uhn.

Cheddar Sourdough Croutons

Makes 12-16 large croutons, enough for 4 servings of soup.

Ingredients:

4 thick slices of rustic sourdough bread, each torn into 3-4 chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup aged English or Vermont cheddar cheese, grated
ground cayenne pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a mixing bowl, toss the sourdough with the olive oil, salt, and pepper to coat.

Tossed Bread Arranged on Baking Sheet

Place bread on a tinfoil-lined baking sheet and bake until starting to brown, turning once in the middle of cooking, about six minutes. Remove from oven.

Set broiler to high.

Out of the Broiler and Golden

Sprinkle cheese liberally over tops of each chunk of bread, fully covering one whole side, as any exposed bread will char. Return to the oven and broil about two minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Remove.

Dusted with Cayenne Pepper

Lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Serve right away as cheesy crostini or let cool and use as croutons.

Risotto with Asparagus, Fennel Pollen, and Ricotta Salata

This is a unique and interesting dish, but it works.

Fennel pollen is the hand-collected microgametophyte of wild fennel. It has a concentrated, but delicate, fennel taste, with floral honey-like notes. The yellowish-gold powder is not cheap, but a little goes a very long way. Perfect on scallops, pork, and blanched vegetables, the fennel pollen is what makes this dish.

Ricotta salata is a dense, slightly spongy cheese with heavy notes of fresh milk and salt. Not your ordinary ricotta—ricotta just means recooked—ricotta salata is great in salads or served cool atop grilled vegetables. It is not a great melting cheese, so you rarely see it in risottos as featured here. But if you grate the ricotta salata very fine—a food processor works well—and integrate with a little extra cooking liquid, it makes an interesting coat over the rice.

Risotto with Asparagus, Fennel Pollen, and Ricotta Salata

Makes four servings.

Ingredients:

3 quarts water
2 tablespoons sea salt, to salt water
18 medium-sized spears asparagus, bottoms trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 shallots, diced
1.5 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
2 teaspoons fennel pollen
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup freshly and finely-grated ricotta salata, as fine as possible, plus four "peels" for garnish
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh chive, chopped, to garnish
gray salt, to taste
freshly-ground white pepper, to taste

Blanching the Asparagus

In a stockpot or sauce pan, bring 3 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons of sea salt to a boil. The proportions matter as we are going to use the cooking water for our risotto. Once boiling, add the asparagus. Blanch for 90 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus and submerge in an ice bath. Drain. Cut into 1" long pieces and reserve. Lower heat to a gentle simmer, just enough to keep the cooking water warm.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallot and saute until just soft, about four minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and, stirring frequently, toast until opaque, about 90 seconds.

Add the fennel pollen and stir to coat.

Add the white wine, scrapping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is almost gone.

Cooking the Risotto

Decrease heat to medium-low. Add a ladle of the asparagus cooking water to the pan, just enough to cover the rice. Stir frequently, until the water is all but completely evaporated. Continue, a ladle at a time, until the risotto is cooked, slightly al dente, and creamy. This should take about 30 minutes.

Add the asparagus to the rice and cook just long enough to return it to temperature and integrate.

Remove from heat. Add the butter, the grated ricotta salata, and the chopped Italian parsley. Fold in. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If needed, add more cooking liquid, a tablespoon at a time, to help the cheese coat the risotto.

Plated, Garnished, and Ready to Serve

Serve immediately, garnished with chopped chive and a peel of ricotta salata. Pairs as well as one can hope with a Garganega from Italy's Soave Classico DOC.

Jamón Ibérico con Fichi alla Griglia

Iberian Ham with Broiled Figs: A classic antipasto, with Spain's ham substituting for Italy's. Of course, this dish soars with prosciutto di parma as well.

Jamón Ibérico con Fichi alla Griglia

Makes four servings.

Ingredients:

8 figs, ripe, sliced in half
2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons of your best peppery olive oil
1 tablespoon aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena
6 ounces jamón ibérico, sliced thin

Set broiler to high.

Tossed with oil, arranged on a baking sheet, and ready for the oven

In a medium mixing bowl, gently toss the fig halves and two tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange the fig halves flesh-side up on a tinfoil-lined baking sheet.

Place the figs on the top rack in the oven and cook until just beginning to char. Depending on your broiler, this will take anywhere from four to ten minutes. Remove from oven. Reserve figs to a plate and let cool.

Out of the oven and beautifully charred

Once cool, return figs to the mixing bowl and very gently toss with the aceto balsamico and the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil.

Plated and Ready to Serve

Arrange the jamón across a serving plate. Scatter the grilled figs across the top. Serve. Pairs well with a German Spätlese Riesling.

Updated Recipes, Categories, and Call for Comments

I have updated a few recipes, mostly with the addition of photos, but also with some small tweaking of the instructions or prose, and I hope you enjoy:

• Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
• Vin Rouge Sangria du Loup
• White Bean Hummus
• Dirty Tahini

Separately, I have delineated posts into three categories—recipes, howtos, and meta or miscellaneous posts—and tagged them as such.

Finally, note that every post allows comments, and I welcome your input. Love or hate a recipe? Have a question? Comment on the post, or email me. I would love to hear from you, particularly if you have cooked up a recipe.

Curried Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup with Spiced Pecans and Pumpkin Seed Oil

Your cold-weather-comfort creamy butternut squash soup meets Asian spice. The Madras curry powder and coconut milk marry so well with the squash, you'll wonder why this approach isn't the norm.

Pumpkin seed oil, a Central European delicacy, is viscous and brownish-red, with a concentrated, nutty flavor. Not cheap, but with an intense taste and color, pumpkin seed makes an excellent finishing oil.

Curried Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup with Spiced Pecans and Pumpkin Seed Oil

Makes four servings.

Ingredients:

roughly 2 large, 2 pounds, or 5 cups butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
6 shallots, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
2 cups chicken stock
1 14oz (400ml) can coconut milk
pumpkin seed oil, to garnish
spiced pecans (recipe), to garnish
freshly-ground white pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Arrange the squash halves flesh side up on a baking sheet. Cover each half with about half a tablespoon of grape seed oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until soft and tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, add the remaining two tablespoons of grape seed oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallot and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic and continue cooking until the shallot is starting to brown, another 2-3 minutes. Add the Madras curry powder and stir to infuse. Cook another 60 seconds.

Add the chicken stock to the pot. Scoop the flesh out of the squash and into the pot. Stir well.

Simmering

Raise heat to high. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and integrated. If the liquid gets perilously-low before the vegetables are soft, add more stock, a half cup at a time.

Puréeing with an Immersion Blender

Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup.

Stirring in the Coconut Milk

Return to heat. Add the can of coconut milk. Bring to a simmer but do not boil. Cook, stirring frequently, for two more minutes to allow the flavors to integrate. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Plated, Garnished, and Ready to Serve

Serve in warm soup bowels, garnished with a small handful of spiced pecans and a drizzling of pumpkin seed oil. Pairs well with a Tocai Friulano (Sauvignon Vert) from Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

Spicy Spiced Pecans with Grand Marnier

A refined take on the street vendor classic: Spicy (but not too spicy) via the cayenne pepper, with great molasses notes from the dark brown sugar, and a kicked up finish thanks to the Grand Marnier. This treat is delicious and easy—a perfect snack, but also excellent in salads or garnishing Autumnal soups.

I like this recipe as it does not involve deep frying or baking the pecans. Instead, my approach uses a single saute pan for all of the work.

Spicy Spiced Pecans with Grand Marnier

Makes a little over a pound.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Ceylon, but Vietnamese is fine
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound raw pecans, halved
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup Grand Marnier

Line two half sheet pans (or one full sheet pan) with aluminum foil. Set aside.

Spices, Mise en Place

Mix the cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and sea salt in a small bowl and reserve.

Toasting the Pecans

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the pecans—don't haphazardly dump your whole container of pecans in the pan, as the little bits and crumbs at the bottom will burn. Toast, stirring and shaking frequently, until they are just brown, about four minutes.

Add the butter and stir constantly, coating the pecans, until it melts.

Add the combined spices and stir until they fully coat the pecans.

Cooking the sugar and Grand Marnier

Add the light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, and Grand Marnier. Cook, stirring frequently, until the ingredients thicken and fully coat the nuts, about two minutes. Once fully thickened, cook an additional 60 seconds, stirring constantly.

Laying the pecans out on sheetpans

Transfer the pecans, spread out as much as possible, to the sheetpans. Using a fork, separate the nuts, as any touching pecans will solidify into a single chunk. Let cool until the sugar hardens, about ten minutes.

If not using immediately, once completely cool, transfer to an airtight container.

Baby Spinach Salad with Green Peas and Bucheron

I have been making this salad for years in a pinch. Simple and light, yet not pedestrian thanks to the chèvre, it is always a winner.

Baby Spinach Salad with Green Peas and Bucheron

Makes four salad course-sized servings.

Ingredients:

4 cups baby spinach leaves, cleaned and dried
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed and drained
1 shallot, diced small
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium-large lemon, juiced
your best peppery olive oil, to taste
1/3 pound Bucheron, or your favorite chèvre, crumbled

Combine the baby spinach leaves, green peas, and shallot in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and olive oil.

Plated

Plate, along with a liberal garnish of the crumbled Bucheron. Serve immediately. Pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc from the Sancerre appellation in the Loire Valley.