Pasta Estiva! / Summer Pasta!

“Pasta primavera” è un amato piatto italoamericano, anche se il nome sia un po’ sciocco – sciocco perché ognuno deve mangiare i prodotti agricoli della stagione, e di ogni stagione, non solo primavera.  Sennò, cosa si mangia?  Un ortaggio del supermercato che era stata in qualche freezer per un mese? Poi, grammaticalmente secondo me il nome dovrebbe essere “pasta primaverile.” Un’altra sciocchezza è la popolarità crescente delle padelle in ghisa, che ora tutti gli snob comprano per dimostrare la loro chiccheria – padelle che i contadini miserabili senza due soldi in tasca usavano per secoli.  Le padelle più gloriose della storia – specialmente quando stagionate non con olio ma con ... strutto! La seguente è stata una ricetta tipo svuotafrigo. È venuta così spettacolare che ho deciso di ripeterla oggi. Ingredienti 3 fette spesse di bacon (o pancetta o guanciale) ½ cipolla rossa 2 spicchi d’aglio (camice intatte) 1 zucchina, tagliata a medaglioni 500 gr pasta (io cavatappi, Divella #87) 125 ml (½ mestolo) acqua di cottura pecorino frescamente grattugiato s & p Preparazione In una griglia in ghisa (io Le Creuset “Skinny Grill”), grigliate il bacon.  Poi la padella avrà abbastanza unto per grigliare gli altri ingredienti. Grigliate la cipolla, l’aglio e la zucchina. Rimuovete dalla padella.  Buttate la camicia dell’aglio.  Appena raffreddati abbastanza, questi 4 ingredienti taglierete a pezzettini (io con la meravigliosa “pull chop svizzera” di Kuhn Rikon).  Scolate la pasta, conservando 125 ml (½ mestolo) dell’acqua di cottura.  Mescolate la pasta, le cose grigliate. l’acqua e il s & p.  Spolverate con pecorino, e Buona Estate!

Pasta primavera ("Spring pasta") is a beloved Italian-American dish, even if the name is a little silly –  silly because everyone should eat produce according to the season, and in every season.  If not, what are you eating?  A vegetable from the supermarket that had been in some freezer for a month? Also, grammatically in my opinion the name should be pasta primaverile (with the adjective form). Another silly thing is the growing popularity of cast-iron pans, which now the snobs buy to demonstrate their chicness – pans that the poor peasants without two nickels to rub together used for centuries.  The most glorious pans in history – especially when seasoned not with oil but with ... lard! The following was a recipe of the empty-the-fridge type.  It came out so spectacularly that I decided to repeat it today. Ingredients 3 thick slices of bacon (or pancetta or guanciale) ½  red onion 2 cloved garlic (the "shirts" still on) ½ lb. pasta (I used cavatappi, Divella #87) 125 ml (½ ladle) pasta water freshly-grated pecorino s & p Preparation In a cast-iron grill (I used Le Creuset "Skinny Grill"), grill the bacon.  Then the pan will have enough grease to grill the other ingredients. Grill the onion, garlic, and zucchini.  Remove from the pan. Discard the shirts of the garlic. As soon as they are cool enough, these 4 ingredients you will chop. (I used the marvelous "Swiss pull chop" by Kuhn Rikon.) Strain the pasta, saving 120 ml (½ ladle) of the cooking water.  Toss the pasta, the grilled things, the water, and the s & p.  Sprinkle with pecorino, and Happy Summer!

"Clean-the-Fridge" Calzone

(Cliccate qua per la versione italiana.)

The most delicious recipe in the world is that which you make from the stuff that you would have thrown away. — L.C.

Today I was cleaning out the fridge. There was a bunch of stuff in there:

* sausages, left over from the Salsicce, Finocchio, e Patate Rosse al Forno

* the “schmalz” from the same dish

* greens, prepared in the standard procedure for greens. (The two greens that, by chance, I had in the fridge were kale and collard greens — two greens common in America but rather unknown in Italy.  They both are types of “dark cabbage,” both from the Brassica oleracea Acephala group. Kale is curly; collards are flat.  A wonderful contrast!)

* a 15-oz. container of ricotta, intended for a cassata that was never made

* a plastic bag of pizza dough, made by Jeanette who said, “It has to be used either today or tomorrow.”

A light blub went off! A calzone.  But I’d never made a calzone before. I’m hardly a baker. (Jeanette is the baker in the family.)  

I greased the cookie sheet — not with butter, but with SCHMALZ!  I rolled out the dough. I added some sausage, cut in little pieces with a scissor. I took some greens, I squeezed out the broth, and I cut them with a scissor. I added some ricotta. Then I closed the calzone and placed the pan in a 350º oven for 35 minutes.

You can see from the photos to what extent I am not a baker.  I should have tucked the ends of the dough under!

The next time that I make this recipe, I will mix the fillings in a bowl, before adding them to the dough. And instead of ricotta alone, I will use the standard ricotta mixture that Italian-Americans use for ravioli, stuffed shells, manicotti, and lasagne. (Remember that béchamel sauce is not an ingredient of the classic Italian-American cuisine.)

- 15 oz. ricotta

- 1 large egg

- a handful of freshly grated pecorino (compulsory)

- a handful of freshly grated parmigiano (optional)

- a little freshly grated scamorza (or mozzarella)

- freshly chopped parsley

- salt (optional)

- freshly grated black pepper

- a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg