It is such a little bit of magic when something truly easy is also masterfully elegant.  And that is the case with this simple pasta dish.  So few ingredients, only a little fiddling around and you end up with bubbling deliciousness.  Maybe because the ingredients are just a little out of the norm or because it basically makes its own sauce in the oven.  Serve this up to your family or friends and they are bound to be impressed at your skill in the kitchen. 

Gnocchi are readily available in the pasta section of any big grocery – look for the vacuum packed varieties that are still soft.  I pick mine up at a local handmade pasta shop so I know they are fresh and pillowy.  And real gorgonzola is key here, the sharp, tangy taste is the dominant flavor.  A big green salad makes this a hearty meal. And yes, sometimes I reduce the recipe and make it just for myself.

Baked Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and Sage Cream

Individual, shallow gratin dishes work best for this, but a single shallow baking dish will work.

2 (1-pound) packages gnocchi

¼ cup butter

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup fresh sage leaves

4 ounces gorgonzola cheese

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper

Preheat the broiler to high.

Cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions in plenty of salted water.  Drain the gnocchi and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Toss in the sage leaves and garlic and swirl around, cooking until the leaves begin to crisp and the garlic browns slightly.  Remove from the heat and strain the butter into a measuring jug.  Divide the butter between the 4 dishes, leaving a bit left for drizzling.

Divide the gnocchi between the gratin dishes. Crumble the gorgonzola and tuck the pieces into the gnocchi in the dishes.  Pour the heavy cream evenly over the gnocchi in each dish, season well with salt and pepper, and drizzle any remaining sage butter over the top.  Place the dishes on a baking sheet and slide under the broiler.  Cook until the gnocchi are warmed through, the cream is bubbling and the cheese is melty.  Watch carefully so they don’t burn.

Serve immediately, with a little of the cooked, crumbled sage leaves sprinkled over the top.

Serves 4

January is National Soup Month and I have been celebrating in style, and passing my favorite recipes along to you.  And what could be better with a bowl of soup than a grilled cheese sandwich of some sort.  Now, I will readily admit to being a fan of the individually wrapped cheese slice on white bread version, but it is occasionally nice to step out of the ordinary.  So here’s an Italian version of the grilled cheese. Mozzarella in Carrozza, which literally means “cheese in a carriage,” the carriage being the crispy carapace of egg around the sandwich. It’s rich, gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside – everything a grilled cheese should be. It may be a little bit more involved to make, but the pay-off is well worth it. Try it with a bowl of Roasted Vegetable Stracciatella for a true Italian feel.

This has to be made with fresh mozzarella cheese, which is so readily available now, not the pre-grated “pizza cheese.” I’ve tried lots of versions of this, but eventually realized that grating the cheese gives you a better melt than slices, which is the traditional method.  And the mozzarella needs lots of salt and good grinding of pepper to bring out the flavor.

Mozzarella in Carrozza

Half a sandwich with a bowl of soup can be enough for one person, but feel free to increase the recipe as you like.

1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella cheese

4 slices firm white sandwich bread

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup milk

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 egg

Grate the cheese on the wide holes of a box grater.  At some point this process really becomes just pushing the cheese through the holes as the cheese comes apart, but do your best.  Remove the crusts from the sandwich bread and place the cheese over two slices.  Leave a small margin around the edge of the bread.  Generously season the cheese with salt and pepper.  Place the top slices of bread over the sandwiches, the press the edges together to seal.

Place a wide bowl and two small flat plates on the counter.  Pour the milk in the bowl, beat the egg in one plate, and place the flour in the second.  Coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Dip the first sandwich in the milk, turning to coat both sides and the edges, then dip the sandwich into the flour to coat both sides.  Shake the sandwich to loosen any excess flour, then dip in the egg, turning to coat both sides.  Fry the sandwich in the hot oil until crispy and brown and melty, turning to cook both sides. Repeat with the remaining sandwich.  Let the cooked sandwiches sit for about a minute, then slice into halves and serve.

Serves 2 – 4

Italian egg-drop soup.  That’s how I have heard versions of this soup described.  And there appear to be many versions, with light chicken broth, or added spinach or chicken. In fact, the first time I concocted this soup, I didn’t know stracciatella was an actual thing.  It was pure kitchen happenstance, and one little discovery I am glad to have made.

My version of stracciatella is made with roasted vegetable broth that is insanely flavorful and rich.  In fact, the broth is so rich, I originally wanted only the lightest of add-ins, and decided the delicate egg ribbons would give a bit of body without diluting the flavor.  And I hit that nail on the head. Only later did I see a recipe for stracciatella using fresh chicken stock did it occur to me that I had stumbled upon something classic, and could consider my humble little accident a gourmet discovery. The origins of this broth itself were kind of a misstep, a side alley I went down in an attempt at creating a thick vegetable soup.  But this method of roasting the vegetables, then simmering in water with herbs creates a broth so packed with flavor any initial doubts about ”plain old vegetable broth” will disappear.  Besides, the enchanting fragrance of roasting, then simmering, vegetables fills your house with the smell of love and comfort.

I love this broth on its own, sipped out of a mug, particular when feeling a little puny.  It feels fortifying.  Add the delicate threads of egg, and it has an added protein boost and a bit more body.  But this broth is versatile.  Stir in some cooked small pasta like ditalini, acini di pepe, or orzo and it takes on a whole new dimension.

Roasted Vegetable Stracciatella

3 medium onions

5 carrots

5 celery stalks

5 leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned, with a few green leaves reserved

5 medium tomatoes

6 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

A few sprigs of thyme

A few sprigs rosemary

A handful of celery leaves

8 cups water

4 egg yolks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the onions into eighths and place in a large rimmed baking sheet.  You may need to use two.  Cut the carrots, celery, leeks into chunks and add to the baking sheet.  Quarter the tomatoes and tuck them into the vegetables, all in one layer.  Place the peeled garlic cloves on top of the vegetables (don’t let the garlic touch the bottom of the tray – it will burn) and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil over everything. Roast the vegetables until soft and slightly browned, about 45 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, make a bouquet garni with the herbs.  Lay out one or two sections of green leek leaves on the counter, then place the bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and celery leaves on top of the leaves and roll into a tight little cigar.  Tie it up with kitchen twine.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and scrape everything into a large Dutch oven.  Heat the tray on the stove, and deglaze the pan with a little water, scraping up any browned bits or stuck pieces.  Pour this and add it to the soup pot.  Add the bouquet garni. Pour in 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and carefully spoon the soup into the strainer.  Press on the solids to extract as much broth as possible.  You will probably have to do this in a couple of batches.  Discard the pressed vegetable pulp.  Rinse out the stock pot. Rinse out the strainer, then line it with two layers of cheesecloth.  Pour the broth through the strainer into the stockpot.  Bring the stock back to a boil.  Season to taste with salt.

Thoroughly whisk the egg yolks in measuring jug with a pouring spout.  When the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and stir it well to get it moving in a circle with a little vortex.  Slowly drizzle the eggs into the swirling broth, running your spoon through the stream to cut little ribbons.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

A rut-buster.  That’s what this recipe is all about.  Veering off the road a little bit, getting out of the ordinary. Traditional lasagna is a good thing, make no mistake, but it’s nice to go in a different direction every once in a while.  Move away from the meat sauce to a creamy white lasagna, laced with salty prosciutto.

This lasagna is rich and creamy, but the flavor of chicken and the herbaceous note of rosemary make this fresh and bright.  I originally created this recipe for a birthday dinner for my Mom and nephew, who share a birthday, and it has been favorite ever since. This makes a great party dish (it was a hit my recent book club-hosting turn) or an equally fantastic family meal.  I often prepare the recipe in two 8 by 8 inch foil pans, rather than the big 9 by 13 inch standard, so I can freeze one or share it with friends or family. I generally buy fresh lasagna pasta sheets from a local shop that sells fresh pasta products.  I have to ask, but they are always happy to cut some for me.  If you can’t find fresh, dried no-boil noodles work beautifully and are easy to find.  I prefer flat ones to the wavy-edge variety, largely because I think that ruffled type makes my finished product look store-bought, and I surely don’t want to create that effect!

Chicken, Prosciutto and Rosemary Lasagna

Chop the rosemary as finely as possible.  If you have an electric spice grinder or small food processor, this is a great time to use it.  When I have all the chicken shredded and the prosciutto torn, I make two or four equal little piles (depending on whether I am making one big lasagna or two smaller ones) and do the same with the cheese so I have the perfect amount on each layer. 

4 boneless, skinless split chicken breasts

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 cup water

5 stalks fresh rosemary

1¼ cups (1 ½ sticks) butter

½ cup flour

2 cups milk

1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 ½ cups heavy cream

 ½ teaspoon nutmeg

2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, from about 3 stalks

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (9 ounce) package flat no-boil lasagna noodles

¼ pound thinly sliced prosciutto

In a large saucepan, combine the chicken breasts, broth and water.  Add the 5 rosemary stalks and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. (If you have an instant-read thermometer the temperature should be 160 degrees).  Remove the chicken to a plate to cool.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Rinse out the pan, wipe dry and return to the heat. Melt the butter over medium heat then whisk in the flour.  Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and pale, about 8 minutes.  Slowly add the reserved cooking liquid, whisking, then the milk and cream.  Continue whisking until thickened and smooth.  Whisk in 3/4 cup of the cheese, nutmeg, the chopped rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste (add just enough salt to be almost perfect – remember that the prosciutto will add saltiness.).

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces with your hands or two forks.  Cut the prosciutto into bite size pieces with kitchen scissors or roughly tear it up.

Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch or two 8 by 8 inch square pans.  Top with lasagna noodles, breaking some in half if you need to fit the dish.  Sprinkle the chicken, prosciutto and a 1/3 of the remaining grated cheese.  Spoon over 1/3 of the remaining sauce and spread the layer out.  Repeat with another layer.  Whether you make one large dish or two small, there should be three layers of noodles and two of chicken-prosciutto.  Finish with a layer of noodles, and spread over the last of the sauce, spreading out to cover the noodles. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.  The lasagna can be kept covered in the fridge at this point for up to a day, or wrapped in plastic wrap, then foil and frozen for up to a month. If frozen, thaw completely overnight in the fridge, then bake.

 Preheat the oven to 350 degree and bake the lasagna until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes.  Let the lasagna sit for several minutes before serving.

Serves 8

The Italian Grandmother in My Head

I do not have a particularly ethnic background.  Basic Anglo-Scots stock.  Okay, a WASP.  I cherish my Southern heritage and all the great culinary traditions I have enjoyed, inherited, and try to preserve.  But I’ve never had a Bubbe teach me to make latkes or an Abuela to show me how to roll tamales.  No Greek uncle schooling me on spit-roasted lamb or Czech relative mastering the technique for kolaches.  But I have often wished that I could pick up some of those traditions – draft on the experience of my more diverse friends.  I developed this deep desire to make Italian gravy – real meat sauce, what I would call Bolognese.  The kind that someone’s Nonna used to make.  So I asked a friend from a large, widespread Italian- American family if she could show me how to make a good sauce. Alas, her family lived next door to the city’s great Italian restaurant family, so they just bought theirs from the neighbors.  Another friend of Italian heritage held more promise.  She assured me her grandmother made fantastic sauce – really easy, but authentic and she sent me the recipe.  It wasn’t what I had expected.  Cheap, fatty beef, canned tomato sauce, canned tomato paste, dried Italian seasoning, powdered garlic and onions.  Now, it was a good sauce, but not really what I had in mind.  I could imagine her grandmother explaining the recipe.  What a joy it had been to create a sauce that didn’t require hours of chopping and mincing and peeling.  But my desire was really for something a little more traditional – or at least how I envisioned traditional.

So I went to work, researching and testing, tasting and starting over.  I read old Italian cookbooks and new Italian cookbooks.  I flipped through community cookbooks looking for any remotely Italian names as contributors.  I tried many, and failed often.  So I just sat back and thought about all I’d read, all I’d tried and what I imagined the finished product would taste like.  Then I got to chopping.  First off, I do use quality canned tomatoes, because they are packed at peak freshness and do cut down on the amount of work.  Other than that it’s all me. 

Having a good meat sauce recipe up your sleeve is a real blessing.  Make a huge batch, it will keep in the fridge for several days and can be frozen in whatever quantity you are likely to use (one family-sized bag and several single-serves maybe).  Use straight over noodles, as a layer in lasagna, stuffed into manicotti, or any way you can imagine.  The best thing about making your own meat sauce is that you know exactly what’s in it – no preservatives, unnecessary chemicals, you can limit the salt and fat amounts.                

Bolognese Sauce

Italian Meat Sauce

This recipe makes a huge batch, which is fabulous because it freezes beautifully and has a wealth of uses.  By all means half the recipe, but I can’t imagine why you would!

1 large yellow onion

2 celery ribs

2 carrots

3 Tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic

1 pound ground chuck

1 pound mild Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 cup red wine

1 cup beef broth

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup chopped fresh oregano

½ cup chopped fresh basil

Finely chop the onion, celery and carrot – you really want small pieces here and you can use the food processor in a few pulses if you’d like. Finely mince the garlic seperately. Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven. Add the onion and sauté until soft.  Add the celery and the carrots and continue to sauté until soft and slightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook a further minute.  Add the beef and sausage, breaking the meat up with a spoon.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink and beginning to brown.  Make sure all the meat is nicely crumbled.  Drain off any accumulated fat.

Add the tomatoes, wine, broth, sugar and nutmeg.  Stir to blend then bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in the chopped oregano and basil.  Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan.  Remove from the heat to cool if not serving immediately

Scoop the cooled sauce into freezer bags or rigid freezer containers.  Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.  When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge or for and hour submerged in a bowl of cold water.  Pour into a saucepan and reheat over medium until bubbling and heated through.  Serve over noodles.