Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 6 SERVINGS

- 1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3 Ib (1.5 kg)
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) whole milk

In this recipe, known as maiale al latte, a boneless pork loin is slowly braised in milk until the meat is tender and the milk is reduced to a rich, flavorful, dense sauce. Similar preparations are popular in the Veneto, Tuscany, and Piedmont. Serve the pork with Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the pork generously on all sides with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pork and cook, turning as needed, until well browned on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Watch carefully to make sure the butter does not burn, adjusting the heat as necessary.

Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the pork is very tender when pierced with a fork, 11/2 to 2 hours. Transfer the pork to a warmed platter and cover to keep warm.
Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until thickened slightly and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a large spoon, skim off the fat from the surface.

Slice the pork and arrange the slices on the platter, spooning the sauce over the slices or passing it at the table. Serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 6 SERVINGS

- 4 pork loín chops, each about
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) dry Marsala wíne
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) fresh orange juice
- Grated zest of 1 orange

Marsala, traditionally produced in western Sicily, is generally thought of as a fine dessert wine, but it is also excellent for cooking. A blended wine with a rich amber color, it comes in three basic styles: dry, or secco; semidry, or semisecco; and sweet, or dolce. Sweet Marsala is best used in or as an accompaniment to desserts, while young, dry Marsala makes a superb kitchen wine for savory dishes, as in this quick and easy secondo.

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chops and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the chops are tender but stili pale pink and juicy when cut finto the center with a knife, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Add the Marsala to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until the wine is reduced and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the orange juice and bring to a simmer. Return the chops to the pan and sprinkle with the orange zest. Cook, basting the chops with the pan juices, for 2 minutes.

Transfer the chops to a warmed platter or warmed plates, spoon the sauce over the top, and serve.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 6-8 servings

- 1 1/2 lb (750 g) meaty pork spareribs, cut into individuai ribs
- Sea sait and freshiy ground pepper
- 2 tabiespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 mi) dry red wine
- 2 1/2 ib (1.25 kg) fresh pium (Roma) tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 can (28 oz/875 g) pium (Roma) tomatoes, chopped
- 1 lb fresh egg pasta dough
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving

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.

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!