ITALIAN Shit I've Cooked Lately

[washparkhorn 9939]

This thread delivers (wish it delivered it to my mouth). That looks great Dutch. 

[Party_Taco 3726]

Got damn, Dutch... almost feel meek posting this Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Vodka Sauce:

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

Damn that bread looks good. What did you put on it?

[Dutch 4465]

Looks great, PT. I’d mop up all that sauce with that bread.  

[Party_Taco 3726]

Damn that bread looks good. What did you put on it?

There’s a sauce called Just Dip It from Temecula Olive Oil Company that did most of the truck there, along with some Chimichuri blend. Threw her in at 225 for an hour and fucking POW!

Yes, my wife proceeded to “eat her feelings” after dinner concluded and mop up all that was left of the vodka sauce.

[Landomatic 3813]

On 12/15/2020 at 4:59 PM, Dutch said:

Penne alla vodka. Slammed very hard, and this one went to the “will make again” list.

Mise en place.



Browned some prosciutto in olive oil. Then added garlic and a basil stem. Cooked for a bit till the prosciutto crisped but before the garlic burned.



Deglazed with vodka, cooked off the alcohol, then added San Marzano tomatoes (pulsed twice in a blender).



Simmered for ~ 30 mins till thick, then added cream. Reduced a bit further while pasta cooked. Finished the pasta in the sauce, with some pasta water and a bit of butter.



Plated, with a bit of parsley and everyone’s favorite fresh-grated Parmesan.

I would eat the ever living crap outa that.  Nice work.  Will try sometime.  Is the cooking off the alcohol part optional?

[Dutch 4465]

33 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

I would eat the ever living crap outa that.  Nice work.  Will try sometime.  Is the cooking off the alcohol part optional?

Not sure, but the recipe I found said cooking the vodka down releases “flavor-enhancing compounds.” Not sure if it’s true or not, but the finished sauce was damn delicious. Like, easily top five things I’ve ever made. The prosciutto definitely added kicked it up a few notches; I would not leave it out.

[Cousin Strawberry 1261]

On 6/4/2020 at 12:52 PM, Landomatic said:

Baked Ziti...

No ricotta?  I am making gravy this weekend with 6 pounds of red stag and bison meatballs. Gravy will be incorporated into the Christmas Eve Ziti.  Will also add short ribs and sweet Italian sausage to the pot.  You don't use any ricotta at all?

[Landomatic 3813]

9 hours ago, Cousin Strawberry said:

No ricotta?  I am making gravy this weekend with 6 pounds of red stag and bison meatballs. Gravy will be incorporated into the Christmas Eve Ziti.  Will also add short ribs and sweet Italian sausage to the pot.  You don't use any ricotta at all?

I do sometimes if I have it on hand.  I find baked ziti to often be a spur of the moment deal. And I don’t keep ricotta on hand very often.  I keep everything else needed on hand and it’s easy so I make it without ricotta a quite a bit.  Only real negative I’ve found is it maybe gets a little dry for leftovers.

My cooking generally falls into 2 categories...1) I plan for it and get all the right ingredients, or 2) let me see if I can throw something together with what I’ve got laying around.

Both can be great.  Both can suck. 

[Landomatic 3813]

10 hours ago, Dutch said:

Not sure, but the recipe I found said cooking the vodka down releases “flavor-enhancing compounds.” Not sure if it’s true or not, but the finished sauce was damn delicious. Like, easily top five things I’ve ever made. The prosciutto definitely added kicked it up a few notches; I would not leave it out.

I was joking about the alcohol.  But does look great.  I’ll try it.

[Horn Draoi 255]

10 hours ago, Dutch said:

Not sure, but the recipe I found said cooking the vodka down releases “flavor-enhancing compounds.” Not sure if it’s true or not, but the finished sauce was damn delicious. Like, easily top five things I’ve ever made. The prosciutto definitely added kicked it up a few notches; I would not leave it out.

Early in the day and now I’m craving Italian!  The alcohol in the vodka solubilizes flavor components (polyphenols and others) from other sauce ingredients, don’t think anything in the vodka itself will much flavor the sauce.  Inspirational cooking!

[CooterBrown 18012]

No pics even though I made it last night.  This creamy tomato tortellini has been a huge hit in our house for the past few months...

• 1 20oz package of refrigerated tortellini
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 32oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 pint of heavy cream
• 1 5oz package of baby spinach
• 1 onion diced
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper

1. In a deep braising pan or skillet, saute the sausage, onion, red pepper, and garlic until sausage is no longer pink.

2. Crush the tomatoes by hand and add to the pan (including all juice from the can).  Add in the cream. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add in the tortellini, stir, and cover.  Simmer until soft. Stir occasionally. This will only take about 5 minutes with the fresh tortellini.

4. Fold in the baby spinach, cover, and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes until wilted.

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by CooterBrown

[LW Goatman 1124]

15 hours ago, Cousin Strawberry said:

No ricotta?  I am making gravy this weekend with 6 pounds of red stag and bison meatballs. Gravy will be incorporated into the Christmas Eve Ziti.  Will also add short ribs and sweet Italian sausage to the pot.  You don't use any ricotta at all?

Sounds finominole. I make axis meatballs year round. 

[Cousin Strawberry 1261]

2 hours ago, LW Goatman said:

Sounds finominole. I make axis meatballs year round. 

Fucking axis man.  Best meat on the planet.

[DDD Dad 14339]

Does Detroit pizza count? ‘Cause I’m making that tomorrow.

Just got back from Jimmy’s with a bunch of pepperoni, sausages, etc.

[elfenix 34240]

2 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

Does Detroit pizza count? ‘Cause I’m making that tomorrow.

Just got back from Jimmy’s with a bunch of pepperoni, sausages, etc.

no, that's a different thread

[DDD Dad 14339]

no, that's a different thread

I figured but I wanted to get this thread into my “participated” feed.

[Landomatic 3813]

Have some leftover Christmas ham?  Why not make some Carbonara?

[Landomatic 3813]

Guess I'll put this here.  Lots of guys on here love their hot sauce (I find it a little too overpowering for everyday use).  Didn't know they did pasta sauce, bet it's good for the right dish...

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

I love this thread. Those of you in the Austin area, where are good places to buy some of these ingredients? I may toss a cooler in the car post pandemic and head west to stock up for a grocery road trip of sorts.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Rather than mention it in the television thread, if you enjoy Italian cooking, the Stanley Tucci show on CNN on Sundays has been a real treat. I don't usually watch CNN (no CR), but husband saw a promo for it and we have enjoyed it thus far. The new episodes air at  8pm CST and the week's prior begins at 7. He devotes each episode to one of Italy's twenty regions and it's a combo of dishes, people, history, and restaurants. The piece on San Marzano tomatoes was interesting but my husband is a devotee of the various cheeses. I think the series only covers six of the regions, but I hope he will continue because it's been a fun watch for us and while we've always cooked a lot of Italian cuisine, we had no idea just how much we didn't know.

Here's  a link to his trailer from Insta:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLP1-brgQ5l/

and an article about the show:

 

[elfenix 34240]

Weeknight puttanesca

[mchookem 16335]

great pic!

[Landomatic 3813]

On 3/11/2021 at 4:17 PM, Mrs Whiggins said:

Rather than mention it in the television thread, if you enjoy Italian cooking, the Stanley Tucci show on CNN on Sundays has been a real treat. I don't usually watch CNN (no CR), but husband saw a promo for it and we have enjoyed it thus far. The new episodes air at  8pm CST and the week's prior begins at 7. He devotes each episode to one of Italy's twenty regions and it's a combo of dishes, people, history, and restaurants. The piece on San Marzano tomatoes was interesting but my husband is a devotee of the various cheeses. I think the series only covers six of the regions, but I hope he will continue because it's been a fun watch for us and while we've always cooked a lot of Italian cuisine, we had no idea just how much we didn't know.

Here's  a link to his trailer from Insta:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLP1-brgQ5l/

and an article about the show:

 

Looks great. Will record. Thanks!

[Mo Horn 8839]

Watched 2 episodes the other day... Rome and Tuscany... which is where we're going to be the next 2 weeks. Enjoyed them. 

[luke duke 6413]

Watched 2 episodes the other day... Rome and Tuscany... which is where we're going to be the next 2 weeks. Enjoyed them. 

Now that you’ve experienced both you can cancel your trip! How’s that for saving some money!

[Mo Horn 8839]

I have no idea why anyone would buy pasta sauce in a jar. In an hour I made a sauce by sautéing an onion and garlic with herbs. Added tomatoe paste and sausage and browned it off. Added two cans of San Marzano tomatoes that I got at Costco along with some fresh basil and let it simmer. Boiled some linguini and added it to the sauce to finish. A little fresh basil and parmesean on top after serving. Paired with a really good chianti. It was damn good if I do say so myself. So much that I forgot to take pictures. 

[VABuckeye 2472]

Same with pasta. It’s east to make and cooking time is greatly reduced.  

[South Austin 52499]

13 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

In an hour

Homemade sauce is the way to go. But this is why people get pasta sauce in a jar. Some nights when you’re just trying to sling plates of spaghetti and meatballs in front of your kids, you don’t have an hour.

[Mo Horn 8839]

Just now, South Austin said:

Homemade sauce is the way to go. But this is why people get pasta sauce in a jar. Some nights when you’re just trying to sling plates of spaghetti and meatballs in front of your kids, you don’t have an hour.

I get it, and I've been there. My kids are adults and out of the house, so not as rushed. 

[South Austin 52499]

Just now, Mo Horn said:

I get it, and I've been there. My kids are adults and out of the house, so not as rushed. 

If I was a better planner, I’d make a ton of sauce on a Sunday and put in the fridge or freezer for later.

[Landomatic 3813]

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

Homemade sauce is the way to go. But this is why people get pasta sauce in a jar. Some nights when you’re just trying to sling plates of spaghetti and meatballs in front of your kids, you don’t have an hour.

 

1 hour ago, Mo Horn said:

I get it, and I've been there. My kids are adults and out of the house, so not as rushed. 

Kids or no kids, sometimes you just don’t feel like that level. Especially when I can make you a solid 9 from scratch in about an hour and I can make you a pretty strong 8 from a jar in about 15-20 mins.

[NoRagrets 1125]

On 12/31/2021 at 10:38 AM, Landomatic said:

 

Kids or no kids, sometimes you just don’t feel like that level. Especially when I can make you a solid 9 from scratch in about an hour and I can make you a pretty strong 8 from a jar in about 15-20 mins.

No pasta jar garbage is an 8 unless your reference is shitty homemade sauce that you claim to be a 9.

You make a moderate sauce in an hour (call it a 5) that’s good for putting on pizza or a topping for meat. I do that all the time on weekdays. If you want the spaghetti to be the star, you need to spend at least 4 hours on it. Best thing to do is to put it on at lunch and just let it simmer all afternoon.

Also, I’ve never had a manufactured meatball that was decent. They all suck. My grandmother taught my wife how to make meatballs but not me, so I have no advice to give on that front.

Regarding cheese, there’s no reason to not have a nice hunk of Parmesan in your fridge at all times. I buy mine from Costco because my boys eat a lot. It only takes 1-2 minutes to have fresh graded cheese to compliment the sauce you’ve worked all day on.

And don’t get me started on the pasta itself. Buy good organic pasta or make it yourself from scratch. It’s easy and it’s fun. My kids even participate. 

[Landomatic 3813]

7 minutes ago, NoRagrets said:

No pasta jar garbage is an 8 unless your reference is shitty homemade sauce that you claim to be a 9.

You make a moderate sauce in an hour (call it a 5) that’s good for putting on pizza or a topping for meat. I do that all the time on weekdays. If you want the spaghetti to be the star, you need to spend at least 4 hours on it. Best thing to do is to put it on at lunch and just let it simmer all afternoon.

Also, I’ve never had a manufactured meatball that was decent. They all suck. My grandmother taught my wife how to make meatballs but not me, so I have no advice to give on that front.

Regarding cheese, there’s no reason to not have a nice hunk of Parmesan in your fridge at all times. I buy mine from Costco because my boys eat a lot. It only takes 1-2 minutes to have fresh graded cheese to compliment the sauce you’ve worked all day on.

And don’t get me started on the pasta itself. Buy good organic pasta or make it yourself from scratch. It’s easy and it’s fun. My kids even participate. 

If you can’t make a 9 red sauce from scratch in an hour, you’re doing it wrong. The hours long ones are the 10s.

And yes, I can do an 8 with the right jar sauce. I’ll put a couple different brands from my local Italian market combined with some of my own tweaks up against most peoples sauce from scratch all day long.

Agree on the meatballs, parm and pasta though.

[TankedBevo 2482]

On 3/11/2021 at 4:17 PM, Mrs Whiggins said:

Rather than mention it in the television thread, if you enjoy Italian cooking, the Stanley Tucci show on CNN on Sundays has been a real treat. I don't usually watch CNN (no CR), but husband saw a promo for it and we have enjoyed it thus far. The new episodes air at  8pm CST and the week's prior begins at 7. He devotes each episode to one of Italy's twenty regions and it's a combo of dishes, people, history, and restaurants. The piece on San Marzano tomatoes was interesting but my husband is a devotee of the various cheeses. I think the series only covers six of the regions, but I hope he will continue because it's been a fun watch for us and while we've always cooked a lot of Italian cuisine, we had no idea just how much we didn't know.

Here's  a link to his trailer from Insta:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLP1-brgQ5l/

and an article about the show:

 

Started watching this and now my wife wants to go to Lake Como. Thanks Obama 

[elfenix 34240]

On 12/30/2021 at 8:39 PM, VABuckeye said:

Same with pasta. It’s east to make and cooking time is greatly reduced.  

eh, i can make sauce in 10 minutes at midnight without messing up the whole kitchen.  no way i'm doing that with pasta. 

[VABuckeye 2472]

2 hours ago, NoRagrets said:

there’s no reason to not have a nice hunk of Parmesan in your fridge at all times

And a spare rind.  That's one of the things that makes those hours long sauces a 10.  I get that a pretty good sauce can be made in an hour but I prefer the 3-4 hour version that turns into something special.  JMO.

[Landomatic 3813]

39 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

And a spare rind.  That's one of the things that makes those hours long sauces a 10.  I get that a pretty good sauce can be made in an hour but I prefer the 3-4 hour version that turns into something special.  JMO.

The argument isn't which one you prefer. Of course we all prefer those 10s that simmer all day with the rind and all the other magic that makes those amazing. I'm talking about the fact that there are, in fact, times when you don't have time and/or just don't feel like fucking with that level, so there are 2 other levels that are just fine in a pinch...a 9 from scratch in an hour or an 8 from a jar in 15 mins.

[VABuckeye 2472]

Not arguing at all.  When I cook I tend to cook a full meal that takes time.  It's a Sunday thing for me generally.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

4 hours ago, TankedBevo said:

Started watching this and now my wife wants to go to Lake Como. Thanks Obama 

I'd love to go there, myself. @PenelopeWitherspoon's travel thread pertaining to Italy has been a real pick me up because the meals and venues are just lovely.

What we ended up doing was sourcing the ingredients and cooking the dishes together. It was a blast, (okay, some of that may have been the wine I was consuming while we were cooking), but we would put on some Italian cafe accordion music/Dean Martin/the 3 Tenors/you get the idea and talk while the two of us cooked. It helps that our children are older and not needing supervision, but we have had a lot of fun with it. I've been cooking homemade meatballs, sauce, lasagna, and the like for many years and the family loves them, but this was a whole new experience and gave us some new dishes for our repertoire. I still haven't worked up the courage to make Lemon Delight, but I may try this spring and for once, remember to take pics....

[Bogeywon 2519]

Just finding this thread. Will post gravy when I cook it next. Also cross posting this from the soprano thread cause Italy and shit…

[PorscheGuy 127]

Finally had a spare minute to try making tomato sauce from scratch. Wanted to keep it simple.
San marzano tomatoes (1 large can /whole) crushed by hand
Drained tomato water
Garlic/ shallots / fresh thyme
Salt

The flavor was there, but it was too acidic.

It reduced way faster then I thought, but worked well when I added bucatini and some pasta water.

What sugar ratio do you recommend to add-or do you do it by taste? Am I missing anything else?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WhatTheBuck 28781]

1 hour ago, PorscheGuy said:

Finally had a spare minute to try making tomato sauce from scratch. Wanted to keep it simple.
San marzano tomatoes (1 large can /whole) crushed by hand
Drained tomato water
Garlic/ shallots / fresh thyme
Salt

The flavor was there, but it was too acidic.

It reduced way faster then I thought, but worked well when I added bucatini and some pasta water.

What sugar ratio do you recommend to add-or do you do it by taste? Am I missing anything else?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sugar? Why would you add sugar to tomato sauce? Unless you’re Nick Stellino and sponsored by a sugar company. Try carrots for sweetness instead. I also think celery is okay. Try adding crushed red pepper to your olive oil before adding anything else. It flavors the oil and also adds color. And I don’t know how much garlic you used, but try using more.

They’re tomatoes. It’s supposed to be acidic. That’ll help it keep for a long time. And It has a natural sweetness so no sugar should be added. But you should definitely add carrots  

There are a lot of recipes out there. Here’s Mario Batali’s recipe from his cookbook; it’s super simple:

Mario Batali Basic Tomato Sauce
Makes 4 cups

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Spanish Onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced [Use more!]
3 Tbs chopped fresh Thyme
1/2 medium Carrot, finely shredded
Two 28-oz cans whole Tomatoes
Salt

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until the carrot is quite soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for 6 months. 

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

Not gonna copy and paste the good suggestions above, especially about using carrots and MORE garlic! I don't really use recipe's much, but I usually also:

Roast the tomatoes -- whether fresh or canned

Add a goodly amount of red wine (I really like Sangiovese for this) once the vegetables are soft -- let it reduce a little before adding the tomatoes in

Add a couple of shots of anchovy paste and some butter to the sauce as it is cooking and reducing

Enjoy!  There are no rules!

[Landomatic 3813]

10 hours ago, PorscheGuy said:

Finally had a spare minute to try making tomato sauce from scratch. Wanted to keep it simple.
San marzano tomatoes (1 large can /whole) crushed by hand
Drained tomato water
Garlic/ shallots / fresh thyme
Salt

The flavor was there, but it was too acidic.

It reduced way faster then I thought, but worked well when I added bucatini and some pasta water.

What sugar ratio do you recommend to add-or do you do it by taste? Am I missing anything else?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Shouldn’t drain the tomato water. I suspect that’ll solve all your problems.

Also, the carrots and celery is a good suggestion, but not critical.

Onions, garlic, basil, salt &pepper, and can of san mar tomatoes does a damn fine job for quick and easy.

[Etexhorn13 3047]

My base is essentially the Raos recipe from the NYT. Pretty simple as it is but it’s a good starting point (no need to get any more complicated, IMO) . As mentioned above, onion, good bit of garlic, SP, and basil are all that’s really necessary imo. Everything else is just to taste. 
 

One other thing, remember that tomatoes can take a lot of salt. I always forget that if it’s been a while since the last time I’ve made sauce. 

[Texzilla58 4735]

If I have tomatoes starting to turn I roast in the oven halved with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, oregano.

Throw it all in a pan with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes. and mash it roughly. It can be the sauce after adjusting. I usually add butter and fresh basil, maybe some capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, pasta water.

Or add lots of butter and milk, get the immersion blender, and it’s killer cream of mater soup.

[Dutch 4465]

14 hours ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Try carrots for sweetness instead. I also think celery is okay. Try adding crushed red pepper to your olive oil before adding anything else.

Both of these.

13 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

MORE garlic

This.  Use more than you think, 4-5 cloves sliced very thin. Put the aromatics (garlic, basil, etc) in the pan when the oil is cold. This will help infuse the oil as it heats.

4 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Shouldn’t drain the tomato water. I suspect that’ll solve all your problems.

Also, the carrots and celery is a good suggestion, but not critical.

Yup.

1 hour ago, Etexhorn13 said:

My base is essentially the Raos recipe from the NYT. Pretty simple as it is but it’s a good starting point (no need to get any more complicated, IMO) . As mentioned above, onion, good bit of garlic, SP, and basil are all that’s really necessary imo. Everything else is just to taste. 
 

One other thing, remember that tomatoes can take a lot of salt. I always forget that if it’s been a while since the last time I’ve made sauce. 

Yup. Undersalting can make the acidity more noticeable also.

Try cooking longer or simmering more aggressively if it's still too acidic.  As the tomatoes cook, their natural sweetness will emerge.

I like to hit my sauce with some fresh-grated parm when its nearly done.  Oh, and finish your pasta in the sauce, with a splash of pasta water and a bit of butter. 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Dutch

[Landomatic 3813]

1 hour ago, Etexhorn13 said:

One other thing, remember that tomatoes can take a lot of salt. I always forget that if it’s been a while since the last time I’ve made sauce. 

This too. I’ll add salt a minimum of 3 different times throughout the process. The final one, “finishing salt” being the most critical. Amazing how important finishing salt is with most dishes. Changes everything

[pops 6985]

On 3/30/2022 at 7:49 PM, PorscheGuy said:

Finally had a spare minute to try making tomato sauce from scratch. Wanted to keep it simple.
San marzano tomatoes (1 large can /whole) crushed by hand
Drained tomato water
Garlic/ shallots / fresh thyme
Salt

The flavor was there, but it was too acidic.

It reduced way faster then I thought, but worked well when I added bucatini and some pasta water.

What sugar ratio do you recommend to add-or do you do it by taste? Am I missing anything else?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A little reduced balsamic will help cut the acidity. But be gentle,  it can turn sweet very quickly. 

A carrot is a good suggestion,  especially if you are making it in a pressure cooker. 

My go to weeknight marinara is Sauté some garlic and oregano and red pepper flake in the insta pot. Throw in a can of san marzano whole peeled, a fat carrot and a quartered yellow onion and a handful of fresh basil. Maybe a splash of white wine. Set for 40 minutes. When done throw it all in the blender. 

If I want something chunkier and more time consuming I do it on the stove top but I skip the carrot, dice the onion and let it simmer for a couple hours then hit it with a potato masher at the end.