Recipes Meat main dishes - Pasta or Risotto Displaying items by tag: pappardelle
Pappardelle with Pork Ragù
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MAKES 6-8 servings - 1 1/2 lb (750 g) meaty pork spareribs, cut into individuai ribs |
Meaty pork ribs add hearty flavor to this ragù, which marries perfectly with homemade pappardelle, wide ribbons of egg pasta. The pasta is topped with freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, an aged sheep's milk cheese made in the countryside around Rome. Aged pecorino sardo or pecorino siciliano, from Sardinia and Sicily, respectively, is a good substitute. |
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Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In a nonreactive Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the ribs and cook, turning as needed, until nicely browned on all sides, about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ribs to a plate. Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and golden, 10-15 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a simmer, and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits from the pot bottom. Cook for 1 minute to cook off some of the alcohol. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) water, and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the ribs to the pan, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the ribs are very tender and the meat comes away easily from the bone, about 21/2 hours. While the ribs simmer in the sauce, make the pasta dough, then divide and roll out each piece into a sheet 7,6 inch (2 mm). Lightly flour a rimmed baking sheet. Lay 1 pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface and, using a chef's knife or pastry wheel, cut it into strips 4 inches (10 cm) long by 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. Lay the strips fiat on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them so they doni touch and separating each layer with a lightly floured kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining 3 dough pieces. Let the pasta dry for 10-20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ribs from the sauce and let cool slightly. Remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Return the meat to the pan and cook, uncovered, over low heat until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt. Add the pappardelle, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 1-2 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce, tossing gently to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the 1/2 cup cheese and toss again. Serve at once. Pass additional cheese at the tabie. Buon appetito! |
The Tuscany (Toscana) Region - Capital: Florence (Firenze)
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Spectacular Simplicity
Of all the regional cuisines of Italy, Tuscan cooking is perhaps the least influenced by other cultures and traditions. Its foundation is good raw
materials—local produce, beef (especially the prized Chianina breed), chicken, pork, beans (such as cannellini and borlotti)—that are generally Culinary Signature: Olive Oilprepared with
a minimum of herbs and spices, so that their essential qualities shine through. Much of the food is homespun, and many dishes are born of poverty, like panzanella, a salad that turns stale bread and vegetables into a delicacy. Olive oil is the cooking fat of choice, and cheese is centrai to the diet, with the sheep's milk cheeses of the Pienza area among Italy's finest. Every Italian region with a coastline has its seafood stew, and Tuscany's is cacciucco, a spicy specialty of Livorno. Among the many celebrated Tuscan wines, standouts include Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a light, crisp white; the ruby red Brunello di Montalcino; Chianti Classico from the Chianti zone between Florence and Siena; the complex Vino Nobile di Montepulciano; the so-called super-Tuscans, sophisticated blends created since the 1970s and produced outside the DOC system; and vin santo, a sweet dessert wine.
Culinary Signature: Olive Oil
Olive trees define the landscape of Tuscany, and olive oil is the common denominator of the cuisine. It is used for frying and sautéing and is drizzled over soups, pastas, vegetables, and other dishes. Tuscan olive oil is prized for its fruitines, and low acidity. Olives are harvested in the fall and pressed immediately. The bright green new oil has
a peppery bite that mellows over time. Tuscan cooks prefer extra-virgin olive oil, which comes from the first pressing and has an acidity leve! of 1 percent or less.
Regional Specialties
Panzanella a salad made from day-old bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions, moistened with olive oil and vinegar
Ribollita a bean and kale soup, layered with slices of bread and reheated
Pappardelle wide, flat pasta, often served with wild boar ragù
Bistecca alla fiorentina thick-cut grilled steak, made with meat from white Chianina cattle, a local breed
Cinghiale wild boar, prepared in umido (slowly braised) or simmered with tomatoes to make a robust ragù for pasta
Panforte the dense spite cake of Siena, studded with candied fruit and almonds Pecorino sheep's milk cheese, fresh or aged, also known in Tuscany as caciotta
Cantucci biscotti made with almonds, often served with vin santo, a sweet dessert wine, for dipping
Photo: Tuscan olive oils (pictured at top) are generally fullbodied and fruity, with a pungent nose. Fiorentine steak (pictured at bottom) is simple and delicious.
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