You don’t have to be a food trendsetter to see that this combination of everyday vegetables (carrots, onions, and celery, carefully diced and simmered) can become an unbridled base for countless recipes. The last frying pan…
To make a large batch of soffritto
This will be kept in an airtight container for up to five days. Every day the soffritto will develop a richer flavor.
Yields 600g 200ml extra virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, peeled4 large carrots, finely chopped 4 large white onions, finely chopped 4 large celery sticks, finely chopped 3 whole cloves50g unsalted butter, room temperature1 teaspoon fine salt 1 teaspoon black pepper
1 Heat the oil over low heat. Add the garlic. Let it sizzle for about 5 minutes until lightly browned, then take it out.
2. Add all the vegetables and cloves to the pan, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the carrot and celery sweat slightly. Season.
3 To finish, let a few butter knobs melt on top of the hot soffritto.
Sophisticated dinner: Sarde in saor (pictured above)
Literally meaning “tasty sardines”, these fish are like good wine: interesting when young, but exceptionally delicious after a couple of days of rest. It is best to cook these sardines in large quantities, to enjoy throughout the week.
Make 4 servings2 tablespoons raisins 1 tablespoon salted capers 100 ml vegetable oil 500 g fresh sardines, cleaned50 g natural flour3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 300 g large white onions, thinly sliced300 g sofofito1 tablespoon sugar 120 ml white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons pine nuts A handful of fresh sage, chopped1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 Soak
raisins and capers together in cold water for 10 minutes, then squeeze and drain on kitchen paper
.
2. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Dredge the sardines in the flour. Fry them for 2 minutes per side, until they become pleasant and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
3. Heat the olive oil over low heat for 2 minutes, then add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
4 Next, add the soffritto, sugar and vinegar. Add raisins, capers, pine nuts and sage. Simmer for a few minutes. Season, to taste.
5. Spread the fried sardines in a saucepan and spread with the hot sauce. Let stand in the fridge overnight, then serve at room temperature.
The highlight: Sartu di riso (baked rice timpani)
This is a glorious Italian centerpiece: a rice dome stuffed with fine ingredients. Don’t worry about leftovers; You can revitalize it by jumping the next day in just under 10 minutes. Here’s how: melt a butter knob in a nonstick skillet and spread the rice to form a flat cake. Cook until the bottom of the cake is golden brown, flip it using a lid or a large place to cover, and skip the other side.
Makes 6 servings 150g bacon or bacon, diced 2 tablespoons ground nutmeg 150g soffritto200g minced beef 200g minced pork 120ml red wine700g tomato passata200ml beef broth100ml whole milk1 large handful fresh basil, chopped30g rock salt500g rice risottoSalt and black pepper150g grated parmesan4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin30g unsalted butter 50g breadcrumbs100g bite, finely chopped200g scamorza cheese or mozzarella cucina
1 Fry the bacon over low heat for 5 minutes, or until perfectly golden
.
2. Add the nutmeg and soffritto, then stir for 2 minutes and add the meat. Turn up the heat, pour the wine and let it evaporate, while stirring gently.
3. After about 10 minutes, add the passata and simmer for another 45 minutes, adding the broth little by little to adjust the density of the sauce.
4. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, add the milk to the sauce.
5. Chop half of the basil leaves. Once the heat goes out, mix them in the sauce. Reserve 1/4 of the sauce for the final decoration.
6 Set oven to 180C/350F/gas brand 4. Cook the rice al dente in a pan with boiling salt water. Drain. Add half of the remaining sauce. Season, then add 3/4 of the Parmesan and olive oil.
7 Butter a ring mold of 22cm in diameter. Sprinkle the pan with half of the bread crumbs. Pack half of the rice in the pan. Top with bologna, scamorza cheese, 2 tablespoons parmesan and half of the remaining serving of sauce. Top with the last rice and breadcrumbs. Top with what’s left of the sauce and parmesan. Spread the diced butter on top, then bake for 15 minutes.
8 Let it sit inside the oven with the door slightly open for 15 minutes, then turn it over to a large plate. Serve warm, with tablespoons of the reserved sauce and the last basil leaves.
The quick soup
: Zuppa di verza e ceci (chickpea and cabbage soup)
A rustic, generous and delicious bowl – the fact that most of the cut has already been made makes this a great place for the night of the week
.
Serve 41 Savoy cabbage (about 800 g)100 g fresh tomatoes1 King Edward large potato 3 tablespoons olive oil3 bay leaves100 g soffritto 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin A small handful of fresh cilantro, choppedA handful of rock salt240g canned chickpeas1/2 teaspoon chili flakes 1 rustic bread50ml vegetable oil1 teaspoon of fine salt100g guanciale/bacon/bacon, 1 sliced
Cut the cabbage, tomato and potato into rough pieces. Brown the vegetables over low heat in a saucepan with olive oil and bay leaves.
2. After 5 minutes, add the soffritto, cinnamon, cumin and half of the cilantro. Add 1.5 liters of hot water, bring to a boil, add rock salt and cook over low heat, covered with a lid, for 30 minutes.
3. Drain the chickpeas in a strainer and add them to the soup. Sprinkle with a few chili flakes and continue simmering uncovered for another 15 minutes.
4. Cut the bread into slices and fry in hot vegetable oil: drain on the kitchen paper and salt lightly. Meanwhile, cut the guanciale into 5mm strips and fry in a nonstick skillet for 5 minutes, or until crispy. Lightly dry each strip on some kitchen paper.
5 Using a hand blender, mix about half of the soup before returning it to the pan. Serve hot and top with croutons, guanciale and the remaining fresh cilantro.
The darkest bites: Pear puff pastry
with
Stracchino cheese is a divine cheese with a mild flavor and a creamy, almost melted texture. You’ll find it in specialty stores or online in nifeislife.com. If you can’t get your hands on it, mascarpone will work fine.
Serves 4 1 lecture/William pear30g unsalted butter2 tablespoons melted sugar1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped50g soffritto320g butter puff pastry100g stracchino or mascarpone cheeseGrated 1 lemon1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 Preheat oven to 190C/375F/gas brand 5. Wash and dry the pear before peeling and cutting it into 5 mm thick slices. Melt the butter with the sugar and half of the rosemary in a pan. Brown the pear slices for about 5 minutes. Heat the soffritto in a second skillet over low heat for 2 minutes only.
2 Using a regular cup as a guide, cut the puff pastry into circles and put 1/2 teaspoon of soffritto and a slice of pear on top of each. Bake on a tray in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Take it out for a minute to distribute the cheese and add a pinch of lemon zest in each of the bites, then cook for another 4-5 minutes. Let cool a little, then garnish with pepper and remaining rosemary.
Eleonora Galasso is a food writer. His book As The Romans Do (Octopus) will be published in spring. @eleonoragalasso
