Eating Italy: A Chef's Culinary Adventure (32 page)

Lay a pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 4-inch (10-cm) squares. You should get twelve to fourteen squares from the sheet. Repeat with the remaining pasta dough so you have a total of twenty-four to twenty-eight squares.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Drop in the pasta, quickly return the water to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 seconds just to blanch it, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Immediately transfer the pasta to ice water to stop the cooking. Lay the pasta squares on kitchen towels or parchment paper and pat dry; they will be delicate and some may stick, but you should have plenty.

Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Turn on convection if possible. Butter a 4-quart (4-L) baking dish, or use individual dishes if you like, allowing two to three cannelloni per dish.

Cut off a corner from the resealable plastic bag of filling, and pipe a ¾-inch (2-cm)-thick line of filling along one edge of each pasta square. Starting at the filled side, use the edge of the kitchen towel or parchment to lift and roll the pasta to the edge of the unfilled side to enclose the filling.

Place the cannelloni into the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and browns on top, 8 to 10 minutes.

For the cauliflower:
Thinly slice the cauliflower florets. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower in a single layer in batches and sweat until soft but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

To finish,
place two to three cannelloni on each plate. Lay a few slices of cauliflower on top, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley.

TAGLIOLINI
with
RAGÙ DI SEPPIA

Seppia
(cuttlefish) is all over the fish market in Venice. It’s similar to squid and octopus but tastes sweeter and more tender. It’s my favorite cephalopod. You can eat it raw, stuffed, braised, baked, or even grilled. The best thing is the ink from the cuttlefish (often labeled as squid ink in stores). It turns everything black, like a busted ballpoint pen. Wear an apron when making this recipe! I use plenty of ink because if I’m going to eat a squid ink dish, I want it to be completely black, not gray. The sauce here should be so black that the pasta turns black. I use the ink from the cuttlefish plus some store-bought squid ink. You can buy jars of it from various gourmet retailers (see Sources on
page 289
). The cuttlefish itself you can get at most Asian fish markets. Or, if you can’t find cuttlefish, use squid instead.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1½ pounds (680 g) cuttlefish or squid, cleaned

¾ cup (175 ml) olive oil, divided, plus more as needed

1 medium-size yellow onion, julienned finely

⅛ teaspoon (0.25 g) red chili flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 peeled canned tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, cored and crushed by hand

2 to 3 cups (500 to 750 ml) white wine

2 teaspoons (10 ml) squid ink

1 bay leaf

1 pound (450 g) fresh or frozen tagliolini pasta (
page 282
)

⅓ cup (20 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Reserve the cuttlefish or squid ink sacs. Finely julienne the bodies and tentacles (if using squid) and set aside. For directions on cleaning squid, see
page 94
.

Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the oil in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the cuttlefish and tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes. Add enough wine to just cover the ingredients, and cook until the liquid reduces in volume by three-quarters, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully peel the skin off the ink sacs over a small bowl, which will release the ink. Cover the ink with just enough water so the ink can be poured out of the bowl. Add the inky water to the pan, and then rinse out the bowl with just enough water to capture all the ink, adding the inky liquid to the pan (you want maximum ink and minimum water). Add the 2 tablespoons (10 ml) of squid ink and the bay leaf and simmer over medium-low heat until the cuttlefish is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then remove from the heat. The
ragù
can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 days before using. Just reheat it gently in a sauté pan.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta; quickly return the water to a boil, stirring the pasta gently, and cook until the pasta is tender yet firm, about 1 minute. Reserve 1 cup (235 ml) of pasta water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, add the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) of oil to the
ragù
, stirring vigorously to blend it in. Add the pasta to the
ragù
(in batches if your pan is small), stirring immediately with a fork to prevent the pasta from clumping. Stir in the parsley, and cook over medium heat until most of the sauce coats the pasta; stir in additional oil and pasta water as necessary to create a creamy sauce.

Divide among warm plates, twirling the pasta into nests on each plate.

FRIED STUFFED SOFTSHELL CRABS
with
ASPARAGUS

In the spring and fall in Venice, the fish market sells
moleche
(baby softshell crabs). They’re a little bigger than a silver dollar but you could use larger, more mature softshells in this recipe. The classic Venetian preparation is to soak them in raw egg until they gorge themselves, and then bread and fry them until crispy. I serve them in the spring with asparagus vinaigrette and a loose asparagus mayonnaise. With the crispy crab, the creamy mayo, and the fresh asparagus, it’s a great starter plate. You may have some leftover asparagus mayo. Save it for sandwiches, fries, or anywhere you’d use plain mayonnaise.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Softshells and Vinaigrette:

1 to 1¼ pounds (450 to 570 g) softshell crabs (about 12 small or 4 large)

8 to 10 large eggs

1 tablespoon (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces (113 g) white asparagus (3 to 5 spears)

4 ounces (113 g) green asparagus (3 to 5 spears)

Asparagus Mayonnaise:

8 ounces (227 g) green asparagus (6 to 10 spears)

½ packed cup (30 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and small stems

1 large egg yolk

About 1½ cups (375 g) olive oil

About 2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Serve:

Oil, for frying

About 1 cup (125 g)
tipo
00 flour (see
page 277
) or all-purpose flour, for dredging

Salt

1 teaspoon (1.5 g) chopped fresh chives for garnish

For the softshells and vinaigrette:
Place the softshell crabs in a small saucepan or other high-sided container. Beat enough eggs to cover the crabs. Make sure the crabs are completely submerged in the eggs and keep them submerged in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Then clean the crabs by using scissors to cut off about ¼ inch behind the eyes; lift up the pointed sides of the crab to remove the gills underneath; then turn the crab over and snip off the flap or “apron” on the bottom. Return the cleaned softshells to the eggs until ready to use.

Put the lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Trim the tough ends of both the green and white asparagus. Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, thinly shave the asparagus into the bowl of vinaigrette. Toss and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.

For the asparagus mayonnaise:
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Trim the tough ends from the asparagus, add the asparagus to the boiling water, and blanch until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, coarsely chop the asparagus and puree in a blender. Add the parsley and egg yolk to form a smooth puree. With the blender running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream until the mixture emulsifies, about a minute. Season with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

To serve:
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep saucepan to 350°F (175°C). Remove the crabs one by one from the egg, dredge in the flour, and deep-fry until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season immediately with salt.

While the crabs are frying, spoon a generous amount of asparagus mayo on each plate. Mound the asparagus salad near the mayo. Sprinkle with the chives and place the crab over the mayo.

RADICCHIO RAVIOLI
with
BALSAMIC BROWN BUTTER

The Veneto mainland grows incredible produce. It’s all on display at the Rialto market in Venice. One of my favorites is radicchio. Not just the familiar round heads of red radicchio grown nearby in Chioggia, but also the longer heads of early and late radicchio from Treviso, the looser oval radicchio from Verona, and the red-speckled pale green radicchio from Castelfranco that’s shaped like a huge rose blossom. They’re all bitter and delicious, so use any type here. Mixed with ricotta, radicchio makes a great ravioli filling. For a sauce, I like to cut the bitterness with balsamic vinegar mixed into brown butter. When you taste it, it’s almost like having a salad in pasta form.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1 small garlic clove, smashed

½ round head red radicchio, julienned or shredded

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small egg

4 ounces (120 ml) fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese (½ cup)

1 ounce (28 g) Parmesan cheese, grated (⅓ cup), divided

8 ounces (227 g) Egg Pasta Dough (
page 282
), rolled into 2 sheets, each about
inch (0.8 mm) thick

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 tablespoons (45 ml) balsamic vinegar

Heat 1 tablespoon (14 g) of the butter with the oil and smashed garlic over medium heat in a large sauté pan until the garlic browns just a little, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the radicchio and sweat over low heat until tender but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and then remove from the heat and let cool. Discard the garlic clove and drain off any excess liquid.

Mince the cooked radicchio and transfer to a large bowl. Add the egg, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons (12.5 g) of the Parmesan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Use immediately or transfer to a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Lay a pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface and dust with flour. Trim the ends to make them square, then fold the dough in half lengthwise and make a small notch at the center to mark it. Open the sheet so it lies flat again and spritz with water.

Beginning at the left-hand side, spoon two rows of ½-inch (1.25-cm)-diameter balls of filling along the length of the pasta, leaving a 1½-inch (3.75-cm) margin around each ball and stopping at the center of the sheet. Lift up the right-hand side of the pasta sheet and fold it over to cover the balls of filling. Gently press the pasta around each ball of filling to seal. Use a 2½-inch (6.25 cm) round fluted ravioli cutter or a similar size biscuit cutter to cut the ravioli. Repeat with the remaining pasta dough and filling. Use immediately, or freeze in a single layer, transfer the frozen ravioli to resealable plastic bags, and freeze for up to 1 week. You should have about forty-eight ravioli.