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Bucatini All'Amatriciana
After that last post on how pecorino cheese is made, it didn't seem fair to leave you without a recipe, and I couldn't think of any recipe more associated with pecorino cheese than this pasta dish. The recipe is frought with controversy - Romans claim it as their own (it's on the menu of nearly all Roman eateries), but it originated in Amatrice, a town that was once in Abruzzo, but that was annexed in 1927 to the region of Lazio, where Rome is located.
Romans prefer to add onions to the sauce, something that's heresy in Amatrice. Some recipes call for pancetta, but purists will use only guanciale (pork jowls). Because the ingredients are so few, each one makes a crucial contribution to the flavor. Pancetta has less fat than guanciale and comes from the midsection of the pig (pancia means belly), while guanciale comes from the cheeks (guancia means cheek). The flavor from the fat that's rendered becomes an integral part of the dish, and while pancetta fat is good, guanciale fat is better. That said, if you live in an area where guanciale is impossible to find, I'll give you a perdonanza for using pancetta.
By the way, you'll also see pasta "alla gricia" on nearly every Roman menu too. It's the same recipe as pasta "all'amatriciana" but without the tomatoes.
The traditional pasta used is bucatini - a thick pasta so named because of the hole (buco) down the center of each strand. But it's also not unusual to see the dish served with rigatoni, paccheri or penne either.
One thing you should not substitute however, is the cheese you grate on top. It HAS to be pecorino cheese, not parmigiano, not grana padano. Years ago, I ordered this dish in one of the hill towns outside of Rome, but asked the waiter to bring me parmigiano instead of the pecorino I later learned was the classic topping. Big mistake. "Parmigiano?" the waiter said incredulously to my request, as if I'd just asked him to dance naked in the Roman Forum. "Sei sicura che vuoi parmigiano?" he asked. "Yes, I'm sure I want parmigiano," I replied. And the service went downhill from there. Something about "When in Rome...." came to mind at that point and from then on, I have always ordered bucatini all'amatriciana with pecorino.
So please, take liberties and use onions if you like, switch up the fat and buy pancetta if you must, go non-traditional and cook up conchiglie pasta if need be, but don't sprinkle anything but real pecorino on top!
Bucatini All'Amatriciana
printable recipe here
Serves four to six, depending on appetites.
1/4 pound of guanciale, cut into lardons
1 28-ounce can tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1/4 tsp. (or more if you like) red pepper flakes
abundant pecorino cheese, grated
1 pound bucatini pasta
Place the lardons of guanciale in a saucepan on medium heat and slowly let the fat render. The lardons should not crisp up, but should remain a little chewy. Remove the lardons with a slotted spoon, and add the tomatoes, breaking up with your hands or with a spoon. Put the lardons back in, add the red pepper flakes and cook together with the tomatoes, on a low simmer, for about 1/2 hour.
Meantime, when the sauce has cooked about 15 minutes, get the water boiling and throw in the pasta. Bucatini takes a while to cook, depending on the brand. Cook until a little firmer than al dente, then drain the pasta with a slotted spoon or fork and place into the pan with the sauce. Don't worry if a little pasta water makes its way into the sauce. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce for the last couple of minutes. Serve immediately while it's hot, with ample pecorino cheese grated on top.
Insalata verdissima
Tanti ingredienti accomunati dal colore verde, un sapore gradevolissimo ed originale, da provare! Con questa ricetta partecipo al bel contest di Eleonora del blog " Burro e Miele"
Ingredienti per 2 persone :
1 mozzarella
1 piccolo porro
100 gr. di uva
1 mela verde
1/2 avocado
succo e scorza di 1/2 limone
olio ev
sale, pepe
basilico
Per prima cosa preparare il condimento sbattendo bene l'olio, il succo e la scorza grattugiata del limone, il basilico, il sale e il pepe. Mettere da parte. Spellare e tagliare a cubetti l'avocado e spruzzarlo con un p� di succo di limone affinch� non annerisca, metterlo in una ciotola ed aggiungere la mozzarella tagliata a quadretti, gli acini d'uva tagliati a met� e privati dei semi, il porro tagliato a rondelle sottili e la mela tagliata a fettine sottili con tutta la scorza.Versare la vinaigrette e mescolare bene...
Grilled Chianti Butter Italian Style Poterhouse Steak Recipe
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| My husbands favorite, I have a secret on steak, I only eat the filet side and he loves that I only love the that small little side piece! Why? Because he gets to eat the other side of mine which is the biggest amount, so bonus for my hubby! |
1 (2-1/2- to 3-pound) porterhouse steak (2 1/2 to 3 inches thick)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper4 cloves of garlic sliced lengthwise
oregano
garlic powder
Chianti Butter
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), at room temperature
2 teaspoons Chianti or red wine
1 teaspoon kosher salt
First make the butter spread:
Use a spatula, mix softened butter in a mixing bowl until it's spreadable. Add wine and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Place compound butter on a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape into a log and twist the ends to seal. Place butter in the refrigerator to harden.
Brush steak with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, make slits into the steak and fill with garlic slices. Sprinkle with garlic powder lightly and oregano. Heat grill on high till very hot. Sear steaks on each side. Then lower to medium low heat, cook to desired taste, rare, medium or well done.
Top with a few slices of Chianti Butter.
Bucatini al sugo di triglia, finocchi e pomodori
Un piatto di pasta � sempre gradito specialmente se il sugo � appetitoso ed originale. Questo riunisce sapori inconsueti ma vi assicuro buonissimi...la ricetta potete leggerla qui :
Vi aspetto di l� per i commenti......
Grilled Blackened Seasoning for Pompano or White Fish Recipe
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| Blacked Grouper is another favorite here in Florida, we just love this in a sandwich, on top of lettuce greens or by itself! |
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| The grilled Pompano is just bursting with flavor! |
6 fresh Pompano fillets or you can use Snook, Mahi, Grouper, Snapper, Redfish
3 sticks of unsalted butter, melted
Blackened Seasoning Mixture:
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp. ground red pepper ( cayenne)
3/4 teaspoon white pepper and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
Place all seasonings in a plastic large bag and shake till well combined. Unused mixture can be stored in empty spice jar. In a large pie plate add melted butter and dip each fillet in melted butter on both sides. Shake seasoning mix generously and evenly. Place fillets skin side down in white hot cast iron skillet on outdoor grill. Pour one teaspoon of melted butter on top of each fillet. I suggest cooking to be done outdoors because of extreme smoke from skillet. Once skin side has been blackened.
Note if using Redfish and Snook their fillets must be skinned before cooking and both sides sprinkled generously with seasoning mix.
