L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2017 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES W ith the chill of ole man winter blanketing the country, I am able to tuck into my kitchen surrounded by cookbooks and cooking maga- zines, a steaming mug of coffee in hand, not feeling at all guilty about staying inside while the winter wind does its thing out- side. Atop the pile is my haul of Italian cooking magazines from my recent weekend trip to Montalcino. The edges of the magazines are punctuated with little blue stickies – the result of time well spent on the long flight back across the pond; recipes now waiting to be translated and tested in the month ahead. Blow your heart out, winter wind. Nestled into my kitchen, one recipe caught my eye immediate- ly – nidi di spaghetti - little nests of pasta with a single meatball tucked on top. It was the perfect project for a winter's day and a nod to the approaching spring. The little nests are fun and easy to form and perfect sized portion for an antipasto, first course or light lunch. If short on time, you can make the meatballs and sauce in advance and then just make the spaghetti at mealtime. Broccoli rabe in the little meatballs add a subtle, interesting flavor. You could of course just leave out the rabe but it is a nice way to tuck in some extra greens for the fussy folks in the family. With that, I am off to tuck into the gennaio issue of 'A Tavola'! Buon inverno, tutti! Nidi di Spaghetti (adapted from Sale&Pepe, January 2017) Ingredients: For the meatballs: • Extra-virgin olive oil • 1 medium onion, chopped • Salt • 3 cloves garlic, chopped, divided • Red pepper flakes • 1 large bunch broccoli rape • 1 pound ground beef • ½ pound ground sausage • 2 eggs • ½ cup breadcrumbs • ½ cup Parmigiano • About ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley For the sauce: • Extra-virgin olive oil • 3 cloves garlic, chopped • ½ cup dry red wine • 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes with juice, chopped • About 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley • Salt and pepper For the nests: • 1/2 pound pasta • ½ cup Parmigiano • Salt and pepper Directions: 1. In the pan in which you MICHELE BECCI intend to fry the meatballs, driz- zle a few tablespoons of oil. Add the onions over medium heat. Salt generously. Cook until the onions are just softened, about 5 minutes. Add about 2/3 of the chopped garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes. Sauté for another minute. Remove onions from heat. Transfer to the bowl in which you will mix the meatballs and allow to cool. Wipe pan clean. 2. Trim the tough ends of the broccoli rabe. Coarsely chop. In the same pan, drizzle a few more tablespoons of oil and heat over medium heat. Add in the chopped broccoli rabe and remaining chopped garlic. Salt generously. Sauté until tender. Remove from heat. Allow to cool and remove to cutting board. Finely chop broccoli rabe. Add to the onions. 3. Add the ground beef, ground sausage, eggs, bread- crumbs, Parmigiano and parsley to the bowl. Mix with hands. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands again. Test by frying a little patty. Adjust sea- sonings if necessary. Using moistened hands, form the mixture into little golf-ball sized meatballs. 3. Coat the same pan you have been using with more oil and bring to medium heat. Add the meatballs and fry on all sides until browned. Remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat until all the meatballs are cooked. 4. Make the sauce: Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporat- ed. Add in the chopped tomatoes with their juices and parsley. Stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the meatballs and stir. Cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. 5. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, according to package directions. Combine the spaghet- ti with about ½ cup of sauce and the Parmigiano. 6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or oil a non-stick muffin pan. Using tongs, pick up some spaghetti and twirl into a muffin cup. Make a little indentation in the middle of each, forming a nest. Place a meatball in the cen- ter of each. Bake in the oven until the nests are set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. 7. Remove the spaghetti nests from the pan and place on a serv- ing platter. Top with additional sauce and Parmigiano and serve! Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who love all things Italian. Together, from opposite coasts, they co-author the blog OurItalianTable.com. N e s t i n g i n Wi n t e r : N i d i d i Spaghetti con Polpettine Spaghetti con polpettine Broccoli rabe in the little meatballs add a subtle, interesting flavor Coarsely chopped broccoli rabe 25

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