PASTA CARBONARA

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 8 oz. pancetta or guanciale trimmed and cut into strips or cubes – not too small or shrinkage

  • 4 eggs beaten

  • ¾ cup parmigiano/pecorino mixed

  • Salt and pepper

Heat oil and brown the pancetta, careful not to over cook.  Remove from heat.  Beat together the eggs, adding the cheese, salt and pepper.  When the pasta is al dente (3 minutes less than the package suggests), drain and add to the pancetta over low heat.  When the spaghetti and pancetta are mixed thoroughly, turn off the heat and add the egg mixture.  Serve immediately, adding salt and pepper to taste.                  NEVER EVER ADD MILK OR CREAM!

BAKED SPAHGHETTI FROM BETTY DESMOND

  • 2 # fresh roma tomatoes sliced ¼” thick

  • 1 large yellow onion sliced

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1/8 t. red pepper flakes

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • 10 sprigs parsley

  • Basil to taste

Arrange tomatoes in two layers on bottom of 9 x 12 Pyrex baking dish.  Cover with onions and garlic.  Salt and pepper.  Pour olive oil over.  Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Place cooked drained spaghetti over baked sauce.  Sprinkle with parsley and basil.  Toss.

PASTA AMATRICIANA – GARRUBBO

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 6  ounces pancetta

  • 3  onions, sliced

  • 1  28 ounce tomatoes whole peeled pureed

  • 1 chili pepper seeds removed and chopped fine

  • Salt and pepper

  • Pecorino and parmigiana

  • Bucatini

Heat oil and add pancetta.  Stir for a minute and then add onion and cook until it turns golden brown.  Add tomatoes, chili, basil, and salt and pepper.  Cook 30 minutes or until sauce thickens.

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

  • 1 lb rigatoni or other tubular pasta

  • 6 oz. pancetta, cubed

  • 2 onions, sliced very thin

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • ½ cup pecorino Romano

  • Black pepper – and maybe some salt to taste

In a large skillet, start sautéing the pancetta, and after a minute or two, add the onion.  Cook until golden.  Meanwhile cook the pasta, rigatoni is preferred, but any tube pasta will do like Cavatappi.  When the pasta has a minute or 2 left to cook, drain it, retaining 1 cup of cooking liquid.  Add pasta to pancetta and onion and mix well, cooking for a minute.  Place in serving bowl and add pecorino and a generous amount of black pepper and salt only after you have tasted it.

PASTA AMATRICIANA-original

  • 1 T. olive oil

  • 3-4 ounces pancetta or guanciale ¼ inch dice

  • 32 ounces crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

  • 3-4 ounces parmesan cheese

  • 3-4 ounces of pecorino cheese

  • Chili pepper flakes

  • 1 pound bucantini

In a large skillet heat oil and add pancetta.  You can add a couple cloves of garlic here if you want.  Sauté slowly with a pinch of chili pepper.    When pancetta becomes crispy, add tomato sauce and a handful of pecorino.  Meanwhile cook bucantini al dente.  Drain pasta saving a little pasta cooking water to add to the skillet with the bucantini.  Now turn on heat high, and spread a handful of pecorino and a handful of parmegiano over the bucantini and stir until the sauce becomes thick and creamy.  Transfer to serving dish and add a little more of the pecorino and parmesan.

PONCHO BURGERS FROM CAUCUS CLUB

  • 1 medium onion chopped

  • 3 T. oil

  • 2 cloves of garlic minced

  • 2 # ground chuck

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 T. parsley

  • 1 t. salt

  • ¼ t. pepper

  • ¼ cup crumbled Roquefort cheese

  • 2 T soft butter

  • 2 T brandy

Mix first 6 ingredients plus salt and pepper.  Mix cheese, butter and brandy.  Make little balls of butter mix and place inside meat mixture patties.  Grill burgers and top with Poncho Sauce.

  • ½ cup chili sauce

  • 1 cup catsup

  • 1 t. wine vinegar

  • 2 t. Worcestershire sauce

  • ¼ t. accent

  • ½ t. ginger

  • 3 drops Tabasco sauce

  • 1 t. dry mustard

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 1 t. horseradish

  • 2 T. pineapple juice

ONION AND OLIVE TART

Press a pie crust (I use Pillsbury found in the dairy case) into 9” tart pan with removable bottom.  Line it with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights.  Bake at 425 degrees until slightly set, 10-15 minutes.  Remove and cool.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Tapenade

  • ½ cup pitted Nicoise or Kalamata olives

  • 1 T. capers

  • 2 t. chopped anchovy fillet

  • 1 t. minced garlic

  • 1 t. grated lemon zest

  • ½ t. ground pepper

  • 2-3 T. olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to form a coarse puree, adding more oil if needed for spread ability

Filling

  • 3 T. unsalted butter

  • 1 T. olive oil

  • 3 large yellow onions cut into thin slices

  • 2 T. flour

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 2 t. chopped fresh thyme

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 2 eggs

  • ½ cup shredded Gruyere or Emmentaler cheese

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter with oil.  Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally until very soft, about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper and continue to cook, stirring for 2 minutes.  Add thyme, stir briefly, then let cool for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together cream and eggs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread tapenade into pastry shell.  Tope with onions.  Slowly pour in cream mixture and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake until custard is set, about 25 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes then remove pan sides and carefully slide tart onto a serving platter.  Serve warm.

 

 

BEEF BURGONOYNE FROM JEANNETTE JENSEN

  • 6 oz. bacon simmered in 1 ½ quarts of water for 10 minutes and drained and dried

  • 1 T. olive oil

  • 3 # lean beef chuck

  • 1 sliced carrot

  • 1 sliced onion

  • 2 T. flour

  • 3 Cups red wine

  • Beef stock

  • 1 T. tomato paste

  • 2 cloves mashed garlic

  • ½ t. thyme

  • 1 bay leaf crumbled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Saute simmered bacon in oil for 2-3 minutes.  Remove bacon.  Brown beef in bacon fat; then remove to platter with bacon.  In same fat, brown the carrot and onion.  Pour out excess fat and add beef and bacon to pan (9-10” fireproof casserole).  Toss with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour.  Set casserole uncovered in middle position of pre heated oven for 4 minutes. Toss meat and return to oven for 4 more minutes.  Remove casserole and turn oven down to 350 degrees.  Stir in wine and enough beef stock so that meat is barely covered. Add tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf.  Bring to simmer on top of stove.  Then cover casserole and set in lower 1/3 of oven.  Regulate oven heat so that it simmers very slowly for 3-4 hours.  When done add onions and mushrooms prepared below.

  • 1 # quartered fresh mushrooms sautéed in 1 ½ T. butter and 1 ½ T. oil

  • 18 small white onions braised in ½ cup beef stock

MUSTARD HAM SANDWICH

  • ½ cup soft butter

  • 3 T horseradish mustard

  • 4 green onions chopped

  • 1-2 T poppy seeds

Mix and spread on bread.  Sprinkle with crumbled bacon or ham and
shredded or sliced cheese.  Wrap in foil Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Variation:

  • ¼ cup butter softened

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise

  • 3 T. Creole mustard or any kind for that matter

  • 1 T. grated onion

  • 2 T. poppy seeds

  • 8 hamburger buns split

  • 1  6oz package Swiss cheese slices

  • 1 # thinly sliced ham

 

Combine first five ingredients.  Spread evenly on each bun half.  Layer 8 bun halves evenly with cheese and
ham.  Top with remaining halves.  Wrap in aluminum foil and freeze.  Bake frozen at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

MUSSELS WITH HERBS

  • 3 # mussels

  • 2 T. salt

  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

  • 6 large shallots

  • 1 large garlic clove

  • 2 T. unsalted butter

  • 2 medium fresh tomatoes

  • 1 ½ t. dried basil

  • 2 T. cognac

  • 4 T. butter

Soak mussels in salt for ½ hour.  Scrub, removing beard and discarding any open
ones.  Melt 2 T. butter.  Sauté parsley, shallots and garlic for 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and basil.  Add cleaned mussels.  Cover and cook on low hear about 10 minutes.  Spoon mussels on platter.  Add cognac and 4 T. butter to juices in pan.  Wisk butter.  Pour juice over mussels.