parmigiano

broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano (à la Angelo Pellegrini)

| Simona
broccoli gratin a la Pellegrini / DSC_7828

a simple, flavorful side dish (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The current selection of our Cook the Books Club is The Unprejudiced Palate: Classic Thoughts on Food and the Good Life by Angelo Pellegrini1 (1948). At the beginning, the author declares what his book is about:

I concluded that what America needs is not another cookbook, but a book on bread and wine in relation to life.

As Greg Atkinson states in his West Coast Soup:

[Pellegrini's] book did not provide any recipes per se. Instead, it provided an alternate perspective on cooking.

Such perspective is profoundly influenced by his Italian heritage and his upbringing as the son of recent immigrants to the US (he went on to become a professor of English at the University of Washington).

I thoroughly enjoyed the book: the language, the tone, the stories. Pellegrini's measured attitude makes the reading always interesting—even when I may not agree with him. I know that in part that was due to my comparing my experience with his: I am also Italian and an immigrant—though I moved to the US for different reasons and as an adult.

broccoli at the farmers' market / IMG_4396

I love broccoli

Though it contains no detailed recipes, Pellegrini's book describes a lot of dishes. One that caught my attention is a simple side dish (contorno) of broccoli boiled, then sautéed in olive oil (ripassati in padella) and finally gratinéed with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Besides broccoli, the dish requires ingredients always available in a typical Italian kitchen: olive oil, garlic, lemon and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

There are a few things about which I am opinionated: Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of them. I buy a chunk and grate it as needed, right before it is needed. I am happy to report that Angelo Pellegrini and I are in perfect agreement on this topic:

Screen Shot 2016-02-25 at 8.02.31 PM
Exactly!

broccoli gratin a la Pellegrini

a snowfall of Parmigiano-Reggiano (the dish before baking)

The recipe below is based on Pellegrini's description, with steaming taking the place of boiling and with the actual quantities suggested by my personal taste and some testing and tasting I did.

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Feel free to adjust the quantities to your liking, keeping in mind that you want to taste the various ingredients.

Printer-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound 2 ounces / 510 g broccoli, preferably organic
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon / 20 ml Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 ounce / 21 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Wash and cut broccoli heads into florets, halving large florets lengthwise. Peel the tough outer layer of the stalk(s), quarter if very thick, and cut crosswise into coins. Steam until half-way cooked, then transfer to a bowl. (The cooking time depends on the freshness of the broccoli and on your personal preference in terms of softness.)

Heat the oven to 400 F / 205 C.

Cut broccoli into smaller pieces (i.e., cut florets in half lengthwise, cut long stems in half crosswise).

Warm up the olive oil in a skillet. Peel and quarter the large garlic clove (halve the small cloves). Remove the green sprout inside, if present. Add the garlic to the oil and toss. Lightly fry the garlic in the oil for one minute, then add the broccoli to the skillet. Stir well and cook until the broccoli is done to your liking, stirring often.

Remove the skillet for the heat. Remove the garlic and discard. Season the broccoli with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and stir well. (I am not sure whether Pellegrini stirred the broccoli after adding the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano: I decided to distribute it on the surface.)

Transfer the broccoli to a 9 1/2-inch / 24 cm glass or ceramic deep dish pie plate (1 3/4 inch / 4.5 cm deep) and arrange it to form an even layer.

Distribute grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the broccoli. Place the plate in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and serve.

Serves 4.

Besides hot out of the oven, I like this broccoli dish also at room temperature.

1 A nice article on Angelo Pellegrini

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by me, Simona of briciole. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

Small_NFlogoThis is also my second contribution to the 26th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started some time ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the placemat free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano

or launch the broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

side dish, broccoli, parmigiano-reggiano, garlic, lemon, Italian cuisine

 

recipe: broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano

| Simona

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pesto di cavolo riccio novello con anacardi / baby kale pesto with cashews

| Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

kale pesto with cashews

baby kale, cashews and Parmigiano-Reggiano

In my little vegetable garden (orto), kale grows easily and year round, a situation that encourages me to be creative about using such overabundance. As I mentioned previously, one nice thing I can do with extra kale is to bring a bag of it to our local food bank, which puts freshly harvested greens to excellent use.

Right now, I have a raised bed with baby Red Russian kale and decided to try using the tender leaves to make a pesto. I considered cooking the leaves before dropping them into the food processor, then decided against: I wanted to taste the raw power of kale.

This pesto is not for the faint of heart. It tastes intense, grassy and it needs a bit of getting used to. However, in the right company, it makes a dish sparkle. Here I am giving the recipe for the pesto. In the next post, I share one use I made of it, of which you get this preview:

bean and tuna salad

the right company for kale pesto

Print-friendly recipe of briciole's recipe for baby kale pesto with cashews

Ingredients:

  • 100 g / 3.5 oz. baby kale, possibly organic (even better if from your garden)
  • 30 g / 1 oz. cashew nuts, toasted (I do this in the oven)
  • A small garlic clove, peeled
  • A generous pinch of sea salt
  • 30 g / 1 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh Meyer lemon juice or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil of good quality

Wash kale and spin to remove excess water. Trim the stem.

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, chop cashews and garlic. Add sea salt and baby kale and process until kale is finely chopped. Add cheese and lemon juice and process briefly. You will need to scrape the side of the bowl to make sure that the ingredients get processed properly.

Add the oil slowly through the feeding tube while pulsing the processor. I keep this pesto dry on purpose. Transfer pesto to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. You can freeze some of it in an ice cube tray.

The first use I made of my pesto was to spread a bit on a king salmon steak I cooked in a cast-iron skillet. I liked the contrast between the grassy notes of the pesto, somewhat toned down by cashews and cheese, and the intense flavor of the king salmon (salmone). My husband liked the pesto so much that he spread some on a slice of bread. It certainly wakes up your taste buds.

Whb376This is my contribution to edition #376 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Simona of Simona's Kitchen.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

pesto di cavolo riccio novello con anacardi

or launch the pesto di cavolo riccio novello con anacardi audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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kale, pesto, cashew

Newrule

pesto di cavolo riccio novello con anacardi

kale pesto with cashews

cavolo riccio, anacardi e Parmigiano

Nel mio orticello il cavolo riccio cresce abbondante tutto l'anno, uno stato di cose che mi spinge ad usarlo in modo creativo. In questo momento, ho molte piante giovani e ho deciso di utilizzare un po' per fare un pesto alternativo. Prima ho pensato di cuocere le foglioline, ma poi ho deciso di lasciarle crude e vedere cosa sarebbe successo.

Questo pesto non è per i deboli di palato. Ha un sapore intenso, erbaceo e ci vuole un po' per abituarsi. Ma combinato con ingredienti adatti, fa brillare un piatto. Qui di seguito c'è la ricetta del pesto. Nel prossimo post condivido un piatto che ho preparato utilizzandolo. Ecco un assaggio:

bean and tuna salad

la compagnia giusta per il pesto

Ingredienti:

  • 100 g cavolo riccio novello, possibilmente bio (anche meglio se raccolto nel vostro orticello)
  • 30 g anacardi tostati a secco (io uso il forno per questo)
  • Un piccolo spicchio d'aglio pelato
  • Un generoso pizzico di sale fino
  • 30 g Parmigiano-Reggiano grattugiato fresco
  • 1 cucchiaio (15 ml) succo fresco di limone Meyer o 2 cucchiaini (10 ml) succo fresco di limone
  • 1 cucchiaio (15 ml) olio EV d'oliva buono

Lavare le foglioline di cavolo riccio e scuotere l'acqua in eccesso. Tagliare via il gambo.

In un robot, spezzettare anacardi e aglio. Aggiungere sale e cavolo riccio e far andare fino a quando queste ultime sono tritate fini. Aggiungere formaggio e succo di limone e far andare per un po'. Raschiare la parete del robot per assicurarvi che gli ingredienti vengano tutti triturati bene.

Far scendere lentamente l'olio dall'apertura sul coperchio del robot, mentre pulsate. Far andare ancora un pochino per dare una mescolata finale. Questo pesto rimane secco di proposito. Trasferire in una ciotolina e refrigereare fino al momento dell'uso. Potete surgelarlo a cubetti utilizzando un vassoio per il ghiaccio.

Appena preparato questo pesto ne ho spalmato un pochino su una bistecca di salmone reale cotto in padella. Il contrasto tra le note erbacee del pesto, un po' addolcite da anacardi e formaggio, e il sapore intenso del salmone reale mi è piaciuto molto. A mio marito il pesto è piaciuto così tanto che ne ha spalmanto un po' su del pane. Certamente mette in allerta il palato.

Whb376Questo post è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 376 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Simona di Simona's Kitchen.

Questo post contiene la raccolta dell'evento.



pasta al burro e parmigiano / pasta with butter and parmigiano

| Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

I grew up eating pasta for lunch almost every day. As a child, I looked forward to departures from the routine (which, in the case of pasta seasoning, was tomato and meat sauce): I looked forward to having pasta al burro e parmigiano. Arriving home after school, I would ask my mother: Cosa c’è per pranzo? (what’s for lunch?) and the ‘right’ answer would bring a big smile on my face.

image from briciole.typepad.com

My preferred shape for pasta al burro e parmigiano is spaghetti, but any shape can be used. Pasta al burro e parmigiano can be made easily and quickly, if the ingredients are available: good quality pasta and unsalted butter and genuine parmigiano.

I know that other people in Italy have a soft spot for this kind of pasta. I have also met a young woman in this country who, thanks to an Italian baby-sitter, loves pasta al burro e parmigiano, which makes me think that the dish has a power across geographic boundaries. To me it has the power of skilled simplicity. When I decided to follow on my mother’s steps and make pasta all’uovo (egg pasta), my first batch of fettuccine was made al burro e parmigiano.

To prepare pasta al burro e parmigiano for two, I bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste and toss in it 1/3 lb of spaghetti or other dried pasta shape. While the pasta is cooking, I place one tablespoon of unsalted butter into each of two bowls, cut into 3-4 pieces. I also grate an ounce of parmigiano. I cook the pasta until it is al dente (firm to the bite), drain it, leaving a little of the cooking water clinging to it, and divide it equally into the two bowls with the butter. I start stirring immediately, so that the heat from the pasta melts the butter. At the same time, I sprinkle the grated parmigiano on it (also divided equally into two), and keep stirring until butter and cheese are evenly distributed. Immediate eating is required, as the dish is at its best when hot.

78502745im2_m This is my contribution to Un Piatto di Potere (a dish of power), an event organized by Lenny of Una Finestra di Fronte. The idea is to talk about a dish that affected our lives. Here is the roundup of the event, presented as the table of contents of an anthology.

I loved pasta al burro e parmigiano as a child: eating it was an utter pleasure that has left one of the strongest memories of my childhood. The delight (in both smell and flavor) of this simple three-ingredient dish transcends the sum of its components.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post: 

pasta al burro e parmigiano

or launch the  pasta al burro e parmigiano  audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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Newrule

pasta al burro e parmigiano

Sono cresciuta mangiando pasta a pranzo quasi tutti i giorni. Da bambina non vedevo l’ora che mia madre facesse la pasta al burro e parmigiano. Per questo tipo di pasta io preferisco gli spaghetti, ma si possono usare altri tipi. La pasta al burro e parmigiano è facile e veloce da preparare, se si hanno gli ingredienti.

image from briciole.typepad.com

So che ci sono altre persone in Italia che hanno un debole per questo tipo di pasta. Ho anche incontrato una giovane donna americana che, grazie ad una baby-sitter italiana, ama la pasta al burro e parmigiano, il che mi fa pensare che questo piatto ha un potere che va al di là dei confini geografici. Per me, questo piatto ha il potere della semplicità esperta.

Per due persone, io cuocio 150 g di pasta. In ognuno di due piatti fondi metto 15 g di burro, poi ci verso metà della pasta scolata lasciando su di essa un po’ dell’acqua di cottura. Mentre mescolo, distribuisco il parmigiano, grattugiato di fresco (30 g, divisi tra le due porzioni di pasta). Quando burro e parmigiano sono ben distribuiti, servo la pasta, che va mangiata immediatamente.

78502745im2_mQuesto è il mio contributo a Un Piatto di Potere, evento organizzato da Lenny di Una Finestra di Fronte. Il riassunto, presentato come l’indice di un’antologia, si trova qui.

Da bambina adoravo la pasta al burro e parmigiano: mangiarla era una delizia che ha lasciato un ricordo indelebile. La delizia di questo semplice piatto fatto di tre ingredienti trascende la somma delle sue parti.