Everyday Italian (18 page)
Authors: Giada De Laurentiis
Like a pizza, it’s crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Nearly any pasta shape with any sauce will do; as long as you liked the original serving, you’ll like the leftovers prepared this way.
4 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 1 | cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish |
| ½ | cup whole milk |
| 2 | large eggs |
| ½ | teaspoon sea salt |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 2 | cups leftover cooked and sauced pasta, such as spaghetti with Tomato Sauce with Olives |
| ½ | cup olive oil |
In a Large Bowl,
beat the 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, the milk, eggs, sea salt, and pepper. Add the leftover pasta and toss to coat.
In a 10-inch-diameter nonstick sauté pan, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the pasta mixture to the pan, spreading evenly. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 8 minutes. Carefully invert the pasta mixture onto a plate, then slide it back into the pan. Continue cooking until the bottom is golden brown and the mixture is heated through, about 6 minutes. Transfer the pasta mixture to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
The literal translation of
torta di pasta
is “cake made of pasta.” What I particularly love about this recipe is that it makes for great finger food: All the ingredients bind together and can be cut up into easy little servings, and it can be served at room temperature. You probably won’t want to tell your guests that you’re serving them leftovers, and they’ll never know the difference.
6 APPETIZER SERVINGS OR 4 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS
| Salt | |
| 8 | ounces dried spaghetti, or leftover cooked pasta |
| ½ | cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped |
| 4 | large eggs |
| ¾ | cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese |
| ¾ | cup freshly grated fontina cheese |
| 1½ | teaspoons salt |
| ½ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
If Using Dried Pasta,
bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, toss the spaghetti with the sun-dried tomatoes, then set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, 1½ teaspoons of salt, and the pepper to blend. Add the egg mixture to the cooled spaghetti mixture, and toss to coat.
Preheat the broiler. In a 9½-inch-diameter ovenproof nonstick skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Transfer the spaghetti mixture to the skillet, pressing to form an even layer. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let the torta cool in the skillet to room temperature, then invert it onto a platter. Cut the torta into wedges and serve at room temperature.
POLENTA
Polenta is cornmeal (dried ground corn) cooked in a liquid until it swells. It’s Italy’s version of mashed potatoes. A piping hot bowl is excellent served with meats or stews, or polenta can be fried into sticks and dipped in marinara sauce, or baked and topped with all sorts of sauces; there are so many great ways to serve it. Polenta is easy to make, but the traditional cooking method takes some muscle because you need to stir constantly for 30 to 40 minutes. In order to save time, I often use instant polenta, which is partially cooked, meaning half the work is already done for you.
This is the most basic, fundamental version of polenta. It’s the perfect side to accompany a delicious, long-simmered stew. Or you can serve this basic recipe topped with your favorite sauce; I’m partial to bolognese.
6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| 6 | cups water |
| 2 | teaspoons salt |
| 1¾ | cups yellow cornmeal |
| 3 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces |
In a Large,
heavy saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt, then gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.
Better than French fries—and a great snack or appetizer. You can use other dipping sauces, but the simplicity of a good marinara is hard to beat here.
MAKES 30 PIECES
| 1 | teaspoon plus ½ cup olive oil |
| 3 | cups Basic Polenta , freshly made and hot |
| ¼ | cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese |
| 2 | teaspoons salt |
| 1 | cup Marinara Sauce |
Coat an 11x7-Inch
baking dish with 1 teaspoon of oil. Transfer the hot polenta to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly to ¾ inch thick. Cover and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Cut the polenta into 2
x
1-inch pieces. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the remaining ½ cup of oil over a medium-high flame. Working in batches, fry the polenta pieces until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the polenta pieces to paper towels and drain. Place the polenta pieces on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining batches.
Transfer the polenta pieces to a serving platter. Sprinkle the polenta with the Parmesan cheese and salt, and serve, passing the marinara sauce alongside.
When I make polenta I like to use a heavy-bottomed saucepan because it cooks the polenta
evenly
and helps
develop
rich, creamy, sweet corn
flavor.
I’m using instant polenta for this recipe because it works so well for my polenta party: I invite six friends over, and I cut the baked polenta into triangles and serve it with three different sauces:
Simple Bolognese
,
Spicy Tomato Sauce
, and
Mushroom Ragù
. My guests top the triangles with their choice of sauces, and there you have it: a new and easy way to entertain.
6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS OR 4 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS
| 2 | teaspoons vegetable oil |
| 6 | cups cold water |
| 1 | teaspoon sea salt |
| 1 | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 | (13-ounce) package instant polenta |
Preheat The Oven
to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 11
x
7-inch baking sheet, then line the baking sheet with wax paper.
In a large pot, combine the water, sea salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and slowly stir in the polenta. Continue stirring the polenta until it is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour the polenta onto the lined baking sheet, and bake in the oven until the polenta is slightly firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. When the polenta is cool enough to handle, cut it into desired shapes, such as triangles, squares, diamonds, or rounds.
with Gorgonzola Cheese
As an alternative to mashed potatoes, try making this mouthwatering polenta. Nearly any easily melted cheese will do, but I happen to
love
the taste of the king of Italian blue cheese, Gorgonzola. It’s available in either sweet (
dolce
) or more tangy (
piccante
) versions, and the choice is really up to you. If you have access to a good cheese counter, they’ll let you taste before you buy. And if Gorgonzola isn’t available but you still want to make this dish—and trust me, you really do—you can use any good blue cheese, such as Roquefort, Stilton, or Bleu d’Auvergne.
6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
| ¾ | cup heavy cream |
| 3 | ounces Gorgonzola cheese, cut into pieces |
| ¼ | teaspoon salt, plus more to taste |
| ¼ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| Basic Polenta , freshly made and hot |
Add the Cream,
Gorgonzola, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the freshly made polenta while it is still in the saucepan, and stir until the cheese melts. Season the polenta with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.
