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Shrimp Fra Diavolo

½ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup white wine

1 cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes, with juices

½ cup water

2 to 3 basil leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper

• Pre heat a sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil; heat until warm.
• Season shrimp lightly with salt and pepper.
• Add shrimp; cook, turning once until center is no longer translucent (do not overcook). Remove from pan.
• Add onion; cook until soften but not browned.
• Stir in garlic, peppers and oregano; cook 1 minute.
• Add white wine; cook until reduced by half.
• Add tomatoes; bring to a simmer and cook until flavors combine. Thin with water if necessary.
• Return shrimp to pan; cook until warmed through.
• Add basil, season with salt and pepper.

Gnocchi with Pesto Cream and Ricotta

1 teaspoons olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup white wine

½ cup heavy cream

½ pound fresh gnocchi, cooked and cooled

2 tablespoon fresh pesto

2 to 3 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoon fresh ricotta

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• Bring a saute pan to medium heat and add the oil. Cook the shallots and garlic until softened.
• Add the white wine; reduce by half. Add the cream; cook until slightly thickened.
• Add the gnocchi and pesto; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
• Stir in the parmesan cheese; season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with a dollop of ricotta.

Pesto

½ cup basil leaves

½ cup parsley leaves

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic

½ olive oil

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• Add first five ingredients to bowl of a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped.
• Add oil; pulse until finely chopped. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

Crispy Pork Milanese

For Breading Station:

2 pork cutlets (cut from loin), thinly pounded

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 whole egg, whisked

1 cup dried breadcrumbs (finely ground) mixed with ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

To finish

2 pork cutlets

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

• Gently season pork with salt and pepper. Set up flour, eggs and breadcrumb mixture in separate shallow bowls.
• Gently dredge pork in flour until coated (shake off excess flour). Dip floured pork in egg mixture to completely coat. Transfer to breadcrumbs and coat until completely covered
• Pre-heat a sauté pan over medium heat; add oil and butter.
• Add pork to the pan in a single layer; cook until golden brown on first side (about 3-4 minutes). Flip and cook until second side until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer to plate lined with a paper towel to catch excess grease. Serve with salad.

Note:  Temperature is vital; do not allow the pan to reach a smoking point or the cutlets will burn.  You may need to lower the heat at some point; a gentle sizzle should be heard throughout the cooking.

Milanese Salad

1 cup arugula

2 to 3 stems parsley, leaves only

¼ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

¼ cup pecorino cheese, grated

½ lemon, juice and zest

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• Whisk lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt & pepper.
• Add remaining ingredients to bowl; toss until well coated. Serve directly on top of cutlet.

Ricotta Gnocchi

1 pound fresh whole milk ricotta

2 egg yolks

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1-¼ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

½ cup white wine

4 cups crushed tomatoes

¼ cup heavy cream

Fresh basil

Salt and pepper

• Stir together ricotta, egg yolks, parmesan and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Add flour, stirring, until it forms a firm dough.
• Transfer to a floured cutting board. Gently knead into a ball; cut into two pieces and shape each piece into a rope about ½-inch in diameter.  Cut each rope crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces; transfer to a floured baking sheet.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic until softened; add wine, reduce by half.  Add tomatoes; bring to a simmer and cook until flavors combine.  Add cream; reduce slightly.
• Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil; cook the pasta until tender. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
• Add the gnocchi to the sauce; toss, adding some of the cooking liquid to form a sauce. Season with basil, salt and pepper.