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The Food of Italy
with added gnocchi recipe
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.