Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Risotto and An Award

Despite the fact that both my maternal and paternal roots are in southern Italy, I have long been a fan of risotto. I'll stand at the stove stirring for the requisite 20 minutes with nary a complaint for the pure pleasure of eating this incredible dish. I'll confess that I often use the microwave recipe I've perfected over the years for a quick and easy weeknight dish.



When I found this recipe in the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook, I decided to make it the "long" way to fully appreciate the recipe. Now that it has been given a "10," the highest score I bestow on a dish, I'll make it using the microwave next time.


Broccoli rabe is an acquired taste. It wasn't until a few years ago that I began using it in pasta dishes and soups, then finally as a stand-alone vegetable. If prepared correctly, you can almost rid it of any bitterness. Almost...but not quite, and that's what makes it such a delicious vegetable.



This sausage and broccoli rabe risotto is supposed to serve 6; I'm sure if you begin with a soup or salad, that would be the case. It served 2 of us for 2 hearty meals. A one-sixth serving is 6 points (291 calories for 1 cup). That is, if you make it "as written." I've put my one change in red. I increased the sausage from 1/2 pound to 1 pound.





3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lb Italian turkey sausage, hot or sweet, casing removed and sausage crumbled (I used 1 lb SWEET Italian turkey sausage)
1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and chopped



To make the risotto, bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, then lower the heat to keep the broth at a simmer.



Heat the oil in a large, nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the outer shell is lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.



Add the wine, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more. The cooking time from the first addition of broth should be 20-24 minutes. If you need to, heat and add more broth. Stir in the parsley.



NOTE:
As the broth is being added, spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned. Break up with a wooden fork. Add the broccoli rabe. Cover and cook until wilted, about 7 minutes.



Stir the sausage and broccoli rabe into the risotto and serve.



Remember that timing and temperature are key to a successful risotto. The broth has to be kept at a simmer; the broth has to be added in 1/2 cup increments and stirred constantly; the heat under the cooking rice has to be kept turned to medium so it, too, maintains a gentle simmer and doesn't stick.



This dish tasted even better reheated the next day. It is filling and delicious and worth the bit of extra trouble.





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I love to blog hop and often do this by visiting some of my foodie friends' blogs and clicking on their favorites. Over time I've found many like-minded cyber friends and acquaintances.



Recently, one of my foodie friends and fellow book lovers, Rachel (http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com/) graciously passed on to me this "Adorable Blog" award which she received from another great food blogger, Ivy (http://kopiaste.org/), one of the founders of BloggerAid (http://bloggeraid.ning.com/. Please check out BloggerAid if you haven't done so already; it's a wonderful initiative.



Rachel owns Old Saratoga Books, a used and rare bookstore, and lives in an area that I fell in love with 15 years ago. While we haven't met face to face, yet, I can see why Ivy finds the Crispy Cook adorable. Thank you, Rachel, for your kind words and for the wonderful recipes and glimpses of your life that you share with us.

Here are the rules for this award:

1) Include the award logo in your blog or post.

2) Nominate as many blogs which show adorability, cuteness and charm.

3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4) Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5) Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

It took a bit of rumination to match award with blogger. I follow so many wonderful food blogs, each special in its own way. Some of the bloggers are all about the food; others share a bit of their lives with us. Some are business-like in their postings; others write in a more stream-of-consciousness way, as though their blogs are personal journals. I finally narrowed down my choices to the following food bloggers, whom I believe endear themselves to their readers by showing who they are both inside and outside their passion for cooking.

A Stove with a House Around It - http://stoveria.blogspot.com/

As soon as I read Dianne's bio and learned that the deciding factor in her buying her house was the stove, I knew she was a kindred spirit. Cooking in Akron, Ohio, Dianne loves complex recipes, the kind that take 3 days to get through. She's recently begun baking her own bread; has a nifty new cupboard thanks to her handy dad; and, has a blog filled with great photos and stories. Her blog is, indeed, adorable.

Finding La Dolce Vita - http://findingladolcevita.blogspot.com/

MaryAnn is a fellow New Yorker who more often than not has an incredible recipe for traditional Italian food on her blog. She has a flair for writing and has dedicated her blog to her dear Grandmother and Grandfather, the former responsible for her love of cooking. MaryAnn recently held the very successful 2nd Annual Festa Italiana (along with my next award winner). Having lost my Mother this past year, I was ecstatic to find MaryAnn's recipe for Italian Easter cookies. Please visit her wonderful blog.

Proud Italian Cook - http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/

PIC is another fabulous foodie, writing and cooking out of Chicago, Illinois. Just reading her list of recipes starts my mouth to watering. She and MaryAnn did a wonderful job with their annual Festa Italiana a few weeks back. PIC has incredible photos to go along with her prose. I look forward eagerly to each of her posts.

Well, there you have it. Just three of the many, many food bloggers who take time from their busy lives to share their love of all things culinary.

an amazing initiative that you should check out, if you haven't already.

FUSILLI AI TRE FORMAGGI

I would gladly eat pasta 3 or 4 times a week if I were a size 6. Unfortunately, that is not the case and so I don't make pasta nearly as often as Larry or I would like. I don't know about you, but when I was growing up, my mother didn't dish out pasta using a one-cup measure. With apologies to Weight Watchers, one cup is a tease. I decided to try a recipe for a very simple, quick tomato sauce that could be used to make a very simple, quick meat sauce and decided to make it on a weekend since weigh in day is on Wednesday (devious, aren't I?). I still have no sense of smell or taste, but I can tell you the different textures were incredible. Larry has to be my nose these days and he said this dish was very good. I made the sauce and then the meat sauce and then baked the casserole all in the same pot, my Dutch oven. The sauce is very thin, but the pasta quickly absorbs it and I suspect when it is reheated--we barely ate a fourth of it--it will require no additional sauce. As is my custom, I made double the sauce. Hey, if you're going to dirty a pot, make it worth your while. Buon appetito!

THE SAUCE
3 28 oz cans San Marzano tomatoes (or, 5 lbs ripe plum tomatoes)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced (2/3 - 1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups dry red wine (like a Pinot Noir)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbs sea salt (or to taste)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 large fresh basil leaves

Puree the canned tomatoes, then strain them to remove seeds and pulp; set aside (if using fresh tomatoes, core them, cut into chunks, and then puree and strain)

Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven and saute the onion over medium heat about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 2 minutes more, being careful NOT to let the garlic brown. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and simmer about 30 minutes.

FUSILLI WITH THREE CHEESES CASSEROLE

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground beef

1 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups of tomato sauce (recipe above)

1 lb fusilli

1 cup cubed Fontina cheese

1 8-oz ball of fresh mozzarella

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded fresh spinach

Brown the ground pork and beef in the olive oil in a Dutch oven or similar pot; season with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 cups of the tomato sauce and simmer uncovered about 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the fusilli about 6 minutes (that's about half the required cooking time; they'll be very firm). Drain and transfer to the Dutch oven. Stir in the Fontina, half the mozzarella, and the Parmesan cheeses over low heat. Off the heat, stir in the spinach and the remaining 2 cups of tomato sauce.

Bake the casserole covered to 20 minutes. Remove the cover, scatter the remaining half of the mozzarella over the top, and continue to bake for 15 minutes more.

My freezer now holds a large container of the basic tomato sauce and a large container of the meat sauce. Guess what's for dinner Monday night? Good thing Larry loves pasta because I would bet on their being at least one lunch there, too.

CAVATELLI WITH BROCCOLI

I haven't been posting much lately because the lack of a sense of smell and taste has seriously cut down on my cooking and baking. It's hard to be satisfied when you have no smell or taste whatsoever, so I've been eating foods that have some texture and way more cheese than is good for your system. Pizza, onion soup au gratin, and grilled cheese are about the only things that satisfy. However, that is not a balanced diet and I feel sorry for Larry, so yesterday I took advantage of the beautiful basil growing in my windowboxes and some wonderful broccoli I picked up at the farmers' market and made a healthy, easy pasta dish.

1 pkg frozen ricotta cavatelli

olive oil

6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the cavatelli according to package directions. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water. As they cook, heat about 1 1/2 tbs olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat and cook the garlic until golden brown and crispy. Watch carefully so the garlic crisps and doesn't burn. About 4-5 minutes before the garlic is done, add the broccoli to the pan and cook; it will be crisp tender. Add the pasta to the vegetable mix and toss with additional olive oil (start with a tablespoon and add to taste), salt, pepper, grated cheese, and just enough pasta water to moisten. Top with chopped basil.

If you haven't eaten cavatelli, they are lighter than gnocchi, but more satisfying than penne or ziti. Mom and I used to make our own for Easter. You form them with your thumb and after rolling some 5 pounds, let me tell you, your thumb is numb!

NEVER SAY "BASTA" TO PASTA

Pasta isn't just for Italians anymore. In fact, when I was growing up, we never called it pasta; we called it macaroni. No matter what you call it, no one ever seems to get enough pasta. It's inexpensive, delicious, and easy to put together. There's a pasta for everyone: meat eater, vegetarian, dieter, child, and old codger. Shapes run the gamut from tubes to butterflies to shells to wagon wheels. Why, there are even colored pastas if plain old beige doesn't do it for you. Whether you have an afternoon or just 30 minutes to prepare a meal, you can find a pasta dish that will feed you inexpensively and well. Here are a few of my favorite pasta dishes.

FARFALLE WITH BACON-TOMATO SAUCE

6 slices diced bacon
1 finely chopped onion
1 28 oz can plum tomatoes, crushed or blended
1 1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1 lb. farfalle pasta
1/4 cup heavy cream
Asiago cheese, grated

Brown the bacon, discarding all but 2 Tbs. of fat. Set bacon aside. Saute the onion in the bacon fat. Add the tomatoes with juices, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. As sauce simmers, prepare pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, add cream to sauce, then add drained pasta. Top with reserved bacon and Asiago cheese.

PENNE VODKA

2 Tbs. butter
1 diced shallot
4-6 diced, seeded plum tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup vodka
fresh basil ( a few leaves)
3/4 lb. penne pasta
Asiago cheese, grated

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Saute the shallot a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add the cream, vodka, and basil and simmer 5 - 8 minutes. Turn off heat while you prepare the pasta according to package instructions. Turn heat back on under sauce until hot, then add pasta, toss to coat, top with cheese, and serve.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

8 oz. spaghetti
1/2 cup grated cheese (I prefer Locatelli Romano here)
salt and pepper to taste
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
2 oz. chopped Pancetta (if unavailable, use chopped center cut bacon)
2 large leeks, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced

Be sure to clean leeks thoroughly. Boil water for the pasta. At the same time, cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Remove pancetta from skillet and add leeks to pan drippings, sauteing 3-4 minutes. Add garlic to skillet and cook an additional minute. Combine cheese, salt, pepper, egg, and egg white in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain pasta and add it to skillet with leeks and garlic. Reduce heat, add cheese mixture and pancetta and cook for 1 minute, tossing well to coat. Serve immediately.

ALL-AMERICAN SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Meatballs:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork

1/ lb. ground veal
2 eggs
1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 small onion, grated
salt and pepper
1 cup grated cheese (I prefer Locatelli Romano) OR 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
4 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces

1/4 cup milk
2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup oil

Soak the breadin the milk for a few minutes. Combine in a large bowl: bread, beef, pork, veal, eggs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Use your hands to blend ingredients. Add bread crumbs, then add water, 1 cup at a time, until mixture is moist. Shape the meat into 3 inch balls. Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the meatballs in batches. Don't crowd the skillet; you want the meatballs to brown and be slightly crispy. When bottom half is browned, gently turn over and brown the other side. Drain well on paper towels.

Sauce:
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
1 large can Italian plum tomatoes (San Marzano, of course)
salt and pepper
basil, 3-4 leaves
2 Tbs. tomato paste
3 Tbs. olive oil

In a food processor, chop carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil until hot, but not smoking. Add chopped vegetables and saute about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook on low an additional minute. Blend tomatoes and juices to consistency you prefer (I don't like chunks, so I puree). Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 1 hour. Add meatballs and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Serve over your favorite spaghetti (I love spaghettini) and top with lots of grated Asiago.

These are some of my favorite pastas. The farfalle with bacon-tomato sauce and the penne vodka are very easy. The spaghetti carbonara is all about timing. And, who doesn't like spaghetti and meatballs. Of course, the cook gets to sample the just-out-of-the-frying pan crunch of the meatball and, if there are any leftovers, they make great sang-wiches, as my mother's family used to call them.