Last indulgences of winter

The days are getting longer. The spring equinox comes at the end of March, but it is still plenty cold outside. Take the chill out of the late winter evenings with this warm and comforting dish of pasta, radicchio and rich Alpine Fontina. Nutmeg is typically used in dishes with cream and cheese. freshly grated is best. Use a Microplane grater. Try using white peppercorns if you happen to have some on the spice shelf.

If you do not have access to wild fennel, use the fronds from bulb fennel with some fresh dill weed.

Simpler to prepare than American style macaroni and cheese; no baking required. This will keep you feeling cozy until the thaw comes.

The Greenest Pasta

From Autentico: Cooking Italian, the Italian Way, Rolando Beramendi, 2017 

There is not any basil in the garden yet for pesto alla Genovese. Try this one made with a blend of nuts instead.

This hearty meat sauce gets a double dose of flavor from homemade vegetable stock and a "sofrito", vegetables sautéed and braised in the stock until they are golden. Use this to sauce tagliatelle, penne rigate or maccheroni.

You will love the combination of citrus and fennel in this dish.

This simple and elegant dish takes minutes to prepare. Great for a hurried weeknight.

from Bon Appetite, Vol. #65, Issue 3, p.79

Try this simple and elegant pasta dish.

This is a nice transitional dish as we move from late summer into early autumn.  We are using Granna Padano, but you can certainly use Pecorino or Parmesan.  We are using sweet sausage today, but fennel sausage would be delicious with saffron as would a spicy variety.

Here is an uncomplicated pasta dish loaded with bright fresh flavors. Use a plum tomato or two if you have them on hand.  You might want to add a clove of finely minced garlic to the tomatoes.  Stack the basil leaves, roll them, then slice them into thin strips. 

This is the peak season for Myer lemons. This is inspired by a dish served in Taormina with no green garnish or grated cheese. It is unusual and extra special. lt takes only minutes to prepare. Pass grated Parmigiano if you will. It makes a great first course before simply grilled fish.

We've taken the Smoked Mussels Spaghetti recipe from Spicy Gelato Kitchen by Sacha Hirschfeld and given it our own unique spin, incorporating our favorite ingredients.

From Spicy Gelato Kitchen by Sacha Hirschfeld

If you have the inclination and some time on your hands you can make your own ravioli.  A good brand of store-bought is fine.  It is well worth patronizing an Italian specialty store in your area. Lifting the ravioli out of the boiling water with an Asian-style spider or slotted spoon rather than pouring them into a colander will keep them from tearing. The sauce is basically a mushroom sauté with Balsamico.  Many grocery stores are now offering a mix of wild mushrooms in one container.

This recipe can be used with any winter squash: acorn, butternut, honey nut, Hubbard, kabocha…

To prepare the tomato concassé, cut out the stem of the tomato and cut an “X” at the blossom end. Blanch them for a minute, then peel off the skin. Halve them and remove the seeds. Chop. You can certainly make the pasta dough in a stand mixer.

This recipe calls for dried porcini. You can certainly use fresh mushrooms. Sauté them first in a little olive oil.