Ingredients

for the polenta:

• 2 quarts water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 1/2 cups stone-ground cornmeal
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper

for the stew:

• 3 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 3 pounds boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preparation

For the polenta:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a medium ovenproof saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and reduce to a gentle simmer. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal until smooth and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, over low heat; cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring vigorously every 15 minutes, until thick and no longer gritty. Stir in the butter and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper.

For the stew:

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add half of the veal, season with salt and pepper, and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer the veal to a plate. Repeat with another 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining veal. Pour off the oil.

2. In the casserole, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the celery, onion, and carrot and cook over low heat until softened and golden, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and boil over moderately high heat until almost evaporated, about 12 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, rosemary, and veal, along with any accumulated juices. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring once or twice, until the veal is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

3. Spoon the polenta into bowls, top with the veal stew and serve with more Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 24 oz. prepared marinara sauce
• 1/4 c. fresh basil
• 30 2" fresh ravioli (about 20 oz.)
• 1 lb. ricotta
• 2 tbsp. parsley (optional)
• 2 c. grated mozzarella

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 13x9" pan.
2. Saute onion and sausage. Add marinara sauce and basil, and heat for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Put 1/3 of sauce in bottom of casserole (sauce layers will be thin). Top with 15 (3x5) ravioli.
4. Mix ricotta, egg, 1/4 tsp. salt, and parsley (if using), and spread over ravioli.
5. Top with 1/3 of sauce and then the next layer of ravioli.
6. Top with remaining sauce and grated mozzarella.
7. Cover with greased foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes more.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe of Mommawater’s crazy dough; 3 oz or 85g worth for each
• frying oil

for classic tomato and mozzarella:

• 9 oz mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz peeled tomatoes
• fresh basil leaves

Preparation

Take the dough and divide it into balls of around 3 oz (= 85g). If the dough has been frozen, you can let the balls rise a bit, or not.

Cut the mozzarella into cubes (or buy the fresh mozzarella in small balls). Take the peeled tomatoes, cook them for ten minutes in a pan with a little oil, salt to taste and once you’ve removed them from the heat, add the fresh basil leaves.

Roll out the balls into a circle. Place a tablespoon of sauce and a few cubes of cheese, then fold shut, forming a crescent. Press the edges well, then fold the edge over inward and seal it again with a fork.

In a pan, heat the oil to around 350F and fry two panzerotti at a time, waiting for them to turn golden before you flip them over. Drain and serve hot.

La Cucina Italiana, adapted

Ingredients

• olive oil, 80 ml/ 2.7 fl oz
• onion, 1 large chopped
• fennel seeds, a good pinch
• chicken thighs, 8
• white wine, 200ml/ 6.8 fl oz (Vermentino is the local grape)
• fresh herbs, 2 tbsp roughly chopped – sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary and a few whole sprigs
• pine nuts, 25g/1oz
• zest of 1 lemon
• olives, 60g/ 2.5oz preferably Taggiasca, the local Ligurian cultivar
• sea salt and freshly milled pepper

Preparation

1. Pour a good glug of olive oil into a good-sized pan. Sauté the onion in the oil until it is translucent and then add the garlic and fennel seeds being careful not to let them catch.
2. Next, in a separate pan, heat a little olive oil and sear the chicken all over until it is golden brown. Then add the chicken to the onion pan.
3. Next add the wine and cook letting the wine evaporate a little.
4. Add the herbs, zest of the lemon, olives, pine nuts and salt and pepper and cover and cook on a low heat for 40 minutes.
5. When the chicken is cooked add the fresh juice of the lemon and serve with a small jug of freshly squeezed lemon juice on the side for those who like it extra tangy.

Nudo

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry lentils, soaked overnight
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 sprigs parsley, stems and leaves chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly mashed
• 3¼ cups (750ml) vegetable stock
• optional: 1 medium potato, chopped in 1cm cubes

Preparation

In the pre-heated pressure cooker, add the olive oil and cook the onion until just beginning to soften. Then add the celery, parsley and cook for another minute. Add the rice and garlic cloves mix well and cook until it is all evenly wet and pearly (about a minute). Add the stock, potato (if using), and strained lentils, mix well. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker, and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. When time is up, quick release pressure and open the cooker. Mix well and serve immediately with extra virgin olive oil.

Hip Pressure Cooking

Ingredients

• 1.5 L chicken stock
• 80 g butter
• 1 onion
• 350g risotto rice
• 1 glass dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp. saffron threads
• 80g Parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation

Bring the stock to the boil. Melt 2/3rds of the butter in a saucepan and add the finely chopped onion, stirring occasionally on a low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the risotto rice so it’s evenly coated in butter and starts to turn translucent. Pour in the wine and cook until it has evaporated.

Then start to add the broth, one ladle at a time, so the rice slowly absorbs the liquid. Add more stock as the saucepan goes dry. This will take about 20-25 minutes. The rice should be tender with a pleasant bit of bite in the middle.

Before you add the last ladle of stock, stir in the saffron threads and a pinch of salt. After all the stock has been absorbed take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining butter and the grated parmesan. Serve.

Nudo

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash (2 1/4 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup Italian pine nuts (3 1/2 ounces)
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Pinch of saffron threads
• Finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°. Peel and slice the butternut squash 1/2 inch thick; spread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast until tender but not browned, 45 minutes. Meanwhile, spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden, 4 minutes.

Transfer the squash to a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside 1 cup of the puree and reserve the rest for another use.

Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pressure cooker. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 4 minutes. Add the pine nuts and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 5 minutes. Add the broth. Cover and cook at 15 PSI (see Note) for 7 minutes. Place the pressure cooker in the sink and run cold water over the lid to depressurize it rapidly; remove the lid once it can be released without force.

Return the pressure cooker to medium heat, uncovered, and bring the contents to a boil. Allow the liquid to reduce until the pine nuts are suspended in a thick sauce, about 4 minutes. Stir in the reserved squash puree and saffron and cook until heated through. Stir in a tablespoon of water if the puree is too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into bowls, garnish with orange zest and the cheese shavings and serve.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 500 g dried linguine
• 3 lemons (zest and juice)
• 6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g. parmesan cheese, grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Cook the linguine according to the instructions on the packet - in a generous amount of boiling, salted water. Drain and return to the saucepan. Mix the lemon juice and zest with the olive oil, then stir in the parmesan so that it becomes creamy. Season and add more lemon to taste. Add the lemon pasta sauce to the linguine shaking the pan to coat each strand. Garnish with some herbs to suit yourself.

Nudo

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 ½ cups finely grated pecorino Romano, plus more for dusting completed dish
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, plus more for finishing the dish
• ¾ pound tonnarelli or other long pasta like linguine or spaghetti
• Good olive oil

Preparation

Put a pot of salted water on to boil. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses and black pepper; mash with just enough cold water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste evenly in the bowl.

Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. The second before it is perfectly cooked (taste it frequently once it begins to soften), use tongs to quickly transfer it to the bowl, reserving a cup or so of the cooking water.

Stir vigorously to coat the pasta, adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a bit of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if necessary. The sauce should cling to the pasta and be creamy but not watery.

Plate and dust each dish with additional pecorino and pepper. Serve immediately.

Mark Bittman, NYT

Ingredients

• 2 bunches mustard greens
• 6 italian sausages
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• grated parmesan
• lemon

Preparation

Rinse and chop the mustard greens. Brown the sausages, very thoroughly, with a tiny bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. They do not, however, need to be fully cooked. Add the garlic and sautee for around 30 seconds. Add the greens in batches, cooking them down. Add around 1/2 cup of water (if the greens haven’t produced enough of their own liquid) and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for around ten minutes, until the greens are fully cooked. Serve with parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Epicurious, modified