Sweet Sausage Sugo with White Wine and Fennel →

In Italian, “sugo” means juice. Sugo di Pomodoro (tomato sauce) is juicier than marinara sauce and lighter than a slow-cooked ragú. This recipe, adapted from Chef Andrew Carmellini, is an updated, refined version of a dish my grandmother used to make when I was a kid. Marinating the sausage in a mixture of white wine, grated garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes tenderizes the pork, adds depth, and balances the richness of the sauce. Quick and easy to prepare, this sugo is loaded with flavor your family will love. My grandmother would be smiling. Mangiare mi familia!

SWEET SAUSAGE SUGO WITH WHITE WINE AND FENNEL
Serves 4-6
Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, grated (about 1 tablespoon)

• 1 1/3 cups dry white wine, divided

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

• 1 teaspoon ground fennel

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 small carrot, finely chopped

• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained and crushed (San Marzano tomatoes recommended)

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained and crushed

• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 pound uncooked spaghetti (I prefer thin linguine or spaghetti rigati)

• ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus small leaves for garnish

• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

Preparation

1. Stir together the grated garlic and 1/3 cup wine in a large bowl. Add sausage, fennel, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium until shimmering. Increase heat to high and add the sausage mixture; cook, breaking up the sausage until lightly browned. Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until the onion is translucent and the celery and carrot are softened, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, until the wine is nearly evaporated. Stir in the crushed tomatoes with juices and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by about half, about 30 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions for al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Add ¼-½ cup of pasta water to the sauce to thin it. Add a cup of the sauce to the hot pasta and stir to coat the pasta. Stir in the cheese, basil, and parsley. Serve the hot pasta with additional sauce spooned over and garnished with extra Parmesan, chopped basil, and parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Wine pairing: Chianti, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cotes du Rhone

Pesto Genovese →

This recipe is adapted from Pesto World Championship finalist, 77-year-old Maurizio Valle. Valle’s specialty is “pesto genovese” which uses garden fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, good quality olive oil, a mixture of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses, and coarse salt. One of the most famous and versatile Italian sauces worldwide, the word “pesto” comes from the Italian “pestare” meaning to crush. According to Saveur, the recipe for Pesto Genovese first appeared in Giovanni Battista Ratto’s “La Cuciniera Genovese” in 1863. This version of Valle’s recipe adds a bit of lemon zest and uses an easy two-step method that is less labor intensive than using a mortar and pestle to crush the ingredients with similar results. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Mangiare bene!

PESTO GENOVESE
Ingredients

• 3 cups of fresh basil leaves (smaller leaves preferred)

• 3 tablespoons of pine nuts

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher or sea salt

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• a mixture of 4 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus ½ tablespoon Pecorino Romano

• 1/3 cup mildly flavored extra-virgin olive oil

• Optional: ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preparation (you can do it the traditional way using a mortar and pestle and a lot of elbow grease, or use the two-step method below)

1. Place all the ingredients into a small food processor. Blend as finely as you can, pausing to scrape down the sides of the processor until you have a paste.

2. Scrape the paste into a Weck jar or other jar slightly wider than the immersion blender. (I use a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.) Process using an immersion blender until you have a smooth emulsified paste.

3. Use three tablespoons of the pesto paste for every four ounces of dry pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente and drain reserving a small amount of the cooking water. Add the cooked pasta to the paste and mix well. The water from the pasta will loosen the paste to create your pesto sauce. If necessary, add a small amount of the reserved pasta cooking water to achieve the sauce consistency you prefer.

4. Garnish with shaved Parmesan or a sprinkle of toasted Panko bread crumbs.

Note: try walnuts in place of pine nuts

Shrimp Pesto

For Freezing: some people will blanch the basil leaves and immediately give them a cold water bath to preserve the bright green color of the leaves. If you take this extra step, dry the leaves well before processing them. Process the pesto as above. As a rule of thumb, use 3 tablespoons of pesto per 4 ounces of dry pasta; 3/4 cup (12 tbs.) of pesto will sauce about a pound of pasta. Measure and freeze the pesto in freezer containers topped off with a thin layer of olive oil to help prevent the basil from oxidizing and turning an unappetizing color. Alternatively, spoon the pesto into ice-cube trays, top with olive oil (optional), and freeze. Once frozen, the pesto-cubes can be stored in zip-lock plastic bags in your freezer for up to 6 months. For reference later, it's helpful to note how many tablespoons of pesto you use for one cube or each container.

Wine pairing:
White wines: Viognier, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Vermentino
Red wines: Rosé or a light-bodied red wine like a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir

Adapted from: https://food52.com/blog/25401-how-to-make-pesto

Pasta and Crab with Prosciutto and Green Peas →

Here's a light and delicious pasta dish to serve as a small plate starter or as a quick and indulgent weeknight meal accompanied by a green salad. I collected the recipe many years ago from Food and Wine Magazine and have tweaked it to enhance the flavor profile and dress it up a bit. I hope you like it. Food is intimately connected to memories. Lump crab meat is an indulgence these days, unlike my childhood when my grandfather and I would fill a bushel basket full of blue crabs from Quonochontaug Pond in South County, Rhode Island. Here's to you Grampa! Thanks for that memory.

Pasta and Crab with Prosciutto and Green Peas
Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS
·   1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
·   2 thin slices of prosciutto, cut into thin strips
·   3 tablespoons unsalted butter
·    ½ cup sliced shallots
·    1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
·    ¾ cup dry white wine
·     ½ pound lump crab meat
·     1 ½ teaspoons chopped thyme
·     1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
·     1/3 cup blanched green peas
·     ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
·     2 teaspoons lemon zest
·     ½ pound thin linguini (or Angel-hair pasta)
·     Salt and freshly ground pepper
·     2 tablespoons chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS
1.  In a deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook over moderate heat, tossing, until hot; transfer the prosciutto to a plate.
2.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat until softened, but not brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. (1-2 minutes Don’t burn the garlic.)
3.  Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the crab, green peas, thyme, and oregano and toss until hot.
4.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking water.
5.  Add the prosciutto, pasta, lemon zest, reserved cooking water, and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet; mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
6.  Garnish the pasta with parsley and serve. Grated parmesan is optional.

Wine pairing: a dry, white wine like Pinot Blanc, Chablis, Vermentino, Albariño, Viognier
Adapted from: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/angel-hair-pasta-crab-and-country-ham

Pearl Couscous with Pine Nuts and Pomegranates →

Crunchy, chewy, sweet and sour, savory, and refreshing, this dish is a variation on a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis I posted a few years ago Israeli Couscous with Apples, Cranberries, and Herbs. The new version was adapted to go with Spice Crusted Lamb Chops, but similar to the original recipe, it is very versatile and pairs well with many dishes. For example, it would work well served as a lighter side dish as part of any rich meal like Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Think of how many new dishes you can create by retaining the basic structure of a familiar recipe but swapping out some of the basic ingredients. Experiment and have fun!

Pearl Couscous with Pine Nuts and Pomegranates
Serves 6

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup Israeli couscous (or barley or orzo)

• 2+ cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

• ½ medium green apple, diced

• ½ cup pomegranate arils

• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño (optional)

Preparation:
While the couscous is cooking make the vinaigrette.

1. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the couscous and stir until it begins to brown. Add the chicken broth stirring occasionally until all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is just tender (not mushy) to the bite.

2. Spoon the cooked pasta into a mixing bowl to rest and cool for a few minutes before adding the remaining ingredients.

3. Once all the ingredients are well incorporated, add the vinaigrette and mix well.

Vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons white Balsamic vinegar

• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Creamy Artichoke Pasta with Lemon and Capers →

Cooking and eating are so often connected to memories. Memories of our families, places we’ve been, good friends, good times… When I cook this dish I’m reminded of Lafayette, southern Louisiana, where I was introduced to Cajun/Creole cooking. Served with spicy Cajun shrimp, this dish is a delicious example of the fusion of French, Italian, African, and Spanish traditions that are reflected in Creole and Cajun food. Eating a plate of this pasta and shrimp, I can almost hear my grandmother’s laugh and Zydeco music off in the distance. Bon appetit et laissez le bon temps rouler!

Creamy Artichoke Pasta with Lemon and Capers
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thin linguine, fettuccine, or rotini

• 1 cup ricotta

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan

• Zest and juice from ½ lemon

• ¼ cup dry white wine

• 1 clove garlic minced

• 1 tablespoon capers

• 4 canned or frozen (not marinated) artichokes halved

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

Garnish with freshly snipped or torn basil
Optional: serve with Spicy Cajun Shrimp

Preparation:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

1. While you prepare the sauce, cook your pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.

2. While the pasta cooks, combine the ricotta, oil, pecorino, lemon juice, and zest in a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Set aside.

3. Over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and briefly sauté the garlic and capers stirring constantly, about a minute, don’t let the garlic burn.

4. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, the artichokes, and the ¼ cup of wine; bring to a boil stirring until the wine has almost evaporated.

5. Reduce the heat to low and add the ricotta mixture and stir. Add a ¼ cup of reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick and not creamy smooth. Keep adding a ¼ cup of pasta water at a time, stirring constantly until the sauce is creamy and the consistency you want. Check for salt and pepper to your taste.

6. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir gently to coat.

7. Sprinkle with grated pecorino or parmesan and garnish with basil, and more freshly ground black pepper.

Optional: serve as above garnished with 3-4 Spicy Cajun Shrimp.

Adapted from: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a26830130/ricotta-pasta-recipe

Pearl Couscous with Asian Pear, Cranberries, and Ginger Vinaigrette →

This colorful, savory, refreshing couscous dish uses Israeli pearl couscous, chewy dried-cranberries, ginger, and cilantro, crunchy-tangy Asian Pear, and toasted walnuts, topped off with a simple rice wine vinegar-ginger-maple syrup dressing. It is a perfect side dish for meat, fish, poultry, or your protein of choice. The recipe will serve 4-6 people easily with leftovers; double the recipe for more people.

4-6 servings
For the Couscous
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup Pearl (Israeli) Couscous (or barley or orzo)

• 2+ cups low-sodium chicken broth

• ½ cup finely chopped onion

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• 1-2 teaspoons finely minced jalapeño

• 1 Asian Pear cored, peeled, and diced

• ½ cup dried cranberries

• ¼ cup chopped walnuts toasted (see *Note)

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté stirring for a minute. Add the couscous and cook, stirring until slightly browned and aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to12 minutes stirring occasionally until the liquid has evaporated. When done, the couscous should be tender and slightly chewy, not crunchy. If you need to add more chicken broth to finish cooking the couscous, add 1/2 cup chicken broth at a time and cook until the couscous is tender.

3. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

4. Once the couscous has cooled a bit, add the vinaigrette and mix to coat the couscous.

5. Add the pear, cilantro, minced jalapeño, and dried cranberries and mix gently.

6. Mix in the toasted walnuts just before serving.

For the Vinaigrette:
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

• 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup

• 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, and pepper.

2. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth and emulsified.

3. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

*Note: To toast the walnuts, preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Monitor carefully to avoid burning. Cool completely before chopping and using.

Adapted from https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/israeli-couscous-with-apples-cranberries-and-herbs-recipe-1947611