Tag Archives: parm

Tomato Pie from Vivian Howard

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For the Filling
2 cups diced and drained fresh tomatoes
2 cups diced and roasted tomatoes
1 cup caramelized onions
1/2 cup picked basil
salt
pepper
sugar

For the Topping
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/3 cup grated Fontina
1/2 cup mayo
1 pie crust

For the diced and drained tomatoes
Seed and dice about 3 cups fresh, high-quality tomatoes. Toss them with a little kosher salt and sugar. Set over a colander while you prepare the remaining ingredients if possible. If not, drain for a minimum of an hour. You should be left with about 2 cups of tomato.
For the roasted tomatoes
Seed and dice 4 cups fresh, high quality tomatoes. Toss them with olive oil (at C&F we use garlic oil), plenty of kosher salt, and several sprigs of thyme. Spread this mix out on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. You want the tomatoes to be dry and slightly caramelized, but not burned around the edges.

For the Onions
Peel and slice (with the grain) 4 medium yellow onions. In a large sauté pan, heat 1/4 cup butter. Add the onions and season them with salt. Let the onions simmer and become juicy. Once the situation becomes a bit drier and much of the onion liquid has cooked out, turn down the heat, to its lowest setting and settle in for a long, slow caramelize. To get these onions where they need to be, it could take about 2 hours. You are looking for a medium brown, sweet caramelization.

To Assemble the Filling
Combine the onions, fresh tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Keep in mind, tomatoes take a lot of seasoning to really make them shine in applications like this.

To Bake and Serve
Spread the filling over the bottom of a blind-baked crust. Flatten the topping between wax paper or use your good ol’ hands to create a 1/3 inch thick round of delicious, cheesy topping that spreads nearly to the edges of the pie. Bake at 375 degrees until the top is nicely browned…20-25 minutes. Serve at just over room temperature.

Tips/Techniques
At Chef Vivian Howard’s restaurant, the Chef & the Farmer, they make a tight aioli to fold into the cheeses, but you can substitute your favorite brand of mayo to great effect. As for the crust… Chef Howard will add the crust recipe when she gather it from Kim, their pastry chef. For now, use your favorite crust recipe or even a frozen crust…and blind bake it!

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Farro Risotto from Nigella Lawson

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  • 1/2 cup dried porcini
  • 1/2 cup recently boiled water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 leek (washed and trimmed), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 2 3/4 cups pearled farro (perlato)
  • 1/4 cup Marsala
  • 5 cups broth, vegetable, chicken, or porcini
  • 8 ounces crimini mushrooms
  • sliced leaves from a few sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cup ricotta
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to serve

1. Cover the dried porcini with 1/2 cup of recently boiled water, then fill the kettle and put it on the heat again if you are making up the broth with concentrate, cube, or powder. In a wide, heavy saucepan (that comes with a lid) add 2 tablespoons of the oil and the fine jade tangle of leek, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the leeks are softened.

2. Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid, then chop them and add them to the pan. Stir well, then add the farro and turn it gently but thoroughly in the pan. Tip in the Marsala and porcini-soaking water and let it bubble up.

3. Make up the broth as wished and add this to the farro pan, stir, bring to a boil, and then clamp on a lid, turn down the heat, and let it cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, until the farro is cooked and all the liquid absorbed.

4. While the farro is cooking, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium-sized frying pan and cook the sliced crimini mushrooms for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften (they will first seem alarmingly dry) at which point add the thyme, grate in (or mince and add) the garlic, and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are juicy and soft. Remove from the heat if there is still time on the clock for the farro. Once the farro is cooked, take it off the heat, too, and add the cooked mushrooms. Stir in the ricotta and Parmesan (they will melt in the heat of the farro) until the farro is creamy, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.

 

Soy Sauce Butter Pasta with Shrimp and Shiitakes from woks of life

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10 oz. dried pasta of your choice (we used thin spaghetti)
olive oil
8 oz. shrimp, peeled, deveined, and thoroughly pat dry
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms (about 10-12), thinly sliced
1/3 cup white wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce (salt levels vary across different brands. Try to find a low sodium version)
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil for your pasta. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, until the pan is almost smoking. Sear the shrimp just until opaque and crisp on the outside. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and shallots. Sautee until beginning to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and caramelize, 5-7 minutes. If the pan is looking a little dry, add a bit more olive oil.

Boil pasta according to package directions, drain, and reserve a cup of pasta water. Deglaze the mushrooms with white wine and cook for another two minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the cooked pasta, soy sauce, and butter to the pan and toss until the butter is melted. Add the shrimp, parsley, and Parmesan, and give everything a final toss. Loosen it up with a bit of your reserved pasta water if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that soy sauce is quite salty, so you may not need any more salt at all), and serve. 4 servings

dmv note: I substituted red onion for shallots and button with cremini mushrooms for shitake.

Neely Veggie Pesto Lasagna

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2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
Pinch of sugar, optional
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
7 ounces store-bought pesto
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Fresh basil, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the yellow squash and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, if necessary.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, spinach, pesto and season with pepper.

Grease the bottom and sides of your lasagna dish with butter. Spread a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay 4 noodles across the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta and pesto mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle with about a 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on top. Repeat layering in the same order. Layer the top layer of noodles and drizzle with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with the Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake in the center of the oven until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Parmigiana Bianca (“White” Eggplant Parmigiana) from food52.com

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Author Notes: This is a version of Eggplant Parmigiana that hails from Puglia, Italy’s heel, called “Parmigiana bianca” or “white Parmigiana”. The main difference is that it’s made without the tomato sauce that is characteristic of traditional Eggplant Parmigiana. The result is a gentler, sweeter version of the classic recipe.

It’s typically served as an antipasto — cut into small pieces and presented alongside a delicious platter of salumi, olives, marinated vegetables, fresh cheeses, and lovely deep-fried things. It also makes for great, portable picnic fare.(less) – Emiko

  • 2 large eggplants
  • Salt
  • Olive oil for frying
  • 4 tablespoons (60 grams) dried breadcrumbs
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) milk
  • 3 ounces (80 grams) Parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated
  • 7 ounces (200 grams) fresh mozzarella (about 1 large ball), provola, or caciocavallo cheese
  1. Cut the eggplant into 1-centimeter slices and sprinkle each with salt on one side. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. Rinse and pat the slices dry, then fry them in plenty of olive oil (or grill with a little olive oil) until golden brown and tender. Place the slices on paper towels to drain any excess oil and set aside until needed.
  2. Prepare a casserole dish by greasing it with olive oil and dusting with a tablespoon of the breadcrumbs.
  3. Beat the eggs and milk together with a pinch of salt and half of the Parmesan cheese.
  4. Layer the eggplant in a casserole dish with the mozzarella and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Pour the egg mixture over the eggplant and mozzarella. Finish with the rest of the Parmesan and a final sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven at 350º F (180º C) until the eggs are set and the top is golden and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve as part of an antipasto.
  5. Serves 4 to 6 as part of an antipasto