Biba's Northern Italian Cooking - Biba Caggiano [16]
PASTA WITH ALMONDS AND CREAM
Pasta con Mandorle e Panna
Almonds and cream are combined to make a simple dish with a delightful flavor.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
3 ounces blanched almonds
¼ cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Chicken Broth, page 23, or canned chicken broth
2 cups whipping cream
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 pound penne or pasta shells
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Put almonds on a baking sheet and bake until light golden.
Melt butter in a large skillet. When butter foams, add garlic and almonds. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the garlic begins to color, less than 1 minute. Add broth and cream; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is reduced almost by half and has a medium-thick consistency.
While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook uncovered until the pasta is tender but firm to the bite, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Stir in the basil or the parsley and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese. Mix quickly over very low heat until the pasta is well coated with the sauce, 20 to 30 seconds. Serve at once with remaining Parmesan cheese if you wish.
RODRIGO’S PENNE WITH PROSCIUTTO, PEAS AND CREAM
Le Penne di Rodrigo con Prosciutto, Piselli e Panna
One night at Rodrigo, one of my favorite restaurants of Bologna, I ordered a pasta dish that had a luscious sauce of prosciutto, peas and cream. The sauce, which barely coated the pasta, was very light and absolutely delicious, because cream had been kept to a minimum and a small amount of broth had been added in its place.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 cup shelled fresh green peas or thawed frozen peas
3 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup very finely minced shallot or yellow onion
2 or 3 thick slices (¼ pound) prosciutto, cut into strips and diced
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup Chicken Broth, page 23, or low-sodium canned
Salt to taste
1 pound penne or garganelli
⅓ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
If using fresh peas, drop them into a small saucepan of salted boiling water, and cook until peas are tender but still a bit firm. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter foams, add shallot or onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is light golden and soft, about 5 minutes. Add prosciutto and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add peas, stir once or twice, then add cream and broth. Season with salt. As soon as cream comes to a boil, reduce heat and let sauce bubble gently until it has a medium-thick consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste, adjust seasoning and turn heat off.
Meanwhile, cook pasta, uncovered, in plenty of boiling salted water, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain pasta and place in skillet with sauce. Add a small handful of Parmigiano and mix over medium heat until pasta and sauce are well combined. Add some more broth or cream if sauce seems a bit dry. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with remaining Parmigiano.
BAKED PASTA WITH BOLOGNESE MEAT RAGÙ
Pasta al Forno con Ragù alla Bolognese
Some dishes, made with leftover sauces or meat ragùs, are even better the second time around. My mother would combine leftover Bolognese meat ragù with Salsa Balsamella (béchamel sauce or white sauce) and rigatoni or penne. She would dust them generously with Parmigiano and bake them until cheese melted and top of pasta was golden and crisp. The baking dish went from oven to table where pasta was spooned onto our plates.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
1 recipe Bolognese Meat Sauce, page 206
White Sauce
1½ cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose