Vegetable broth
Olive oil
Few cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
Very ripe fresh beefsteak tomatoes, coarsely chopped with their juice
Fresh basil, torn by hand into small pieces
Black pepper from a mill
Soak the bread in a bowl of broth.
Heat some oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and lightly brown it. Raise the heat to high and add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring gently, then add the basil. Cook the tomatoes for a while, stirring, until the mixture has thickened. Lift the bread from the broth and squeeze it out. Shred the bread and add it to the pot.
Serve the soup in warm bowls, stirring in extra oil. Season at the last second with some freshly ground black pepper. If you have some extra basil leaves, you can garnish each serving with one or two. Serve.
SPAGHETTI ALLA RUSTICA (RUSTIC-STYLE SPAGHETTI)
The super-simple star of many nights at Sapore di Mare and other restaurants of mine. The name really does say it all: this is the essence of rustic cooking, making something distinct and special from a handful of the most familiar ingredients you can think of.
Unsalted butter
Olive oil
Red onion, thinly sliced
Canned tomatoes, crushed in their own juice
Spaghetti
Coarse salt
Parmesan cheese, grated
Melt some butter and heat some oil in a heavy pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté. Once you know from the smell and color that the onion is ready—not brown, but soft and golden—stir in the tomatoes. Let the mixture cook slowly, uncovered, until the liquid is gone, but do not over-reduce.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking liquid in a heatproof container, then drain the pasta.
When the sauce is ready, stir in a little more butter to enrich and thicken it. Add the pasta to the pan, and toss. If the dish seems dry or the sauce isn’t quite bound, add a tablespoon or so of cooking liquid and toss again. Add the parmesan, toss some more, and serve.
PENNE ALLA SALVIA (QUILL-SHAPED PASTA WITH SAGE AND VEAL)
Here’s a version of the veal ragù I began serving at Da Silvano. If you read that chapter and wondered whether a meat sauce for pasta could satisfy with no tomato, here’s your chance to see for yourself. This is also delicious with rigatoni or mezzi (half ) rigatoni. You can substitute ground pork or crumbled sweet sausage for the veal.
If you’ve never cooked with fresh sage before, keep in mind that a little goes a long way; just a few leaves will make a big impact here.
Olive oil
Ground veal
Prosciutto, chopped
Red onion, finely chopped
Carrot, peeled and finely chopped
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Fresh sage leaves
Dry white wine
Beef broth
Coarse salt
Black pepper from a mill
Dry penne
Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat the oil in a heavy pan. Add the veal and brown it all over, breaking it up with a wooden kitchen spoon or a fork. Add the pro-sciutto, onion, carrot, and parsley. Stir in the sage, and add just enough wine to come to the top of the mixture. Turn up the heat and cook until the wine evaporates. Stir in just enough broth to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes, adding more broth when necessary to keep the mixture moist but not runny. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking liquid in a heatproof container, then drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce. Toss. If the dish seems dry or the sauce isn’t quite bound, add a tablespoon or so of cooking liquid and toss again. Add the parmesan and toss again. Serve with more parmesan on the side.
RIGATONI ALLA BUTTERA (PEASANT-STYLE PASTA)
One of the dishes that put me on the map at Il Cantinori. You can learn a lot about pasta making from preparing this dish a few times. The desired result is a pleasingly thick, creamy sauce but one that doesn’t overwhelm the texture or flavor of the peas. It’s fine to use frozen peas.
You can also make this with fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle. Never use a thinner pasta such as spaghetti; the rich sauce needs a substantial pasta for relief. You can also use just sweet sausage, but do not make it only with hot, or the heat will take over the plate.
Sweet and hot Italian sausages
Black pepper from a mill
Unsalted butter
Green peas, parboiled and shocked in ice water
Canned tomatoes, crushed in their own juice
Heavy cream
Parmesan cheese, grated
Dry rigatoni
Coarse salt
Peel the casings off the sausages and crumble the meat. Cook over medium-low heat in a heavy pan. (Don’t use any oil; the natural fat in the sausages renders enough grease to keep them from sticking.) The sausages will crumble even more once the fat is released. When the meat is cooked through, drain the excess fat from the pan, season with black pepper, and set aside.
In a large, heavy pan over medium heat, melt a generous spoonful of butter and add the cooked sausage, the peas, and the tomatoes. Mix well and raise the heat. Cook until the sauce thickens and the peas are tender. Stir in the cream and reduce again. Stir in just enough parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce; it should be uniformly thick but moist.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking liquid in a heatproof container, then drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss. If the dish seems dry or the sauce isn’t quite bound, add a tablespoon or so of cooking liquid and toss again. Add more parmesan, toss again, and serve with more parmesan cheese on the side.
SPAGHETTI CON AGLIO, OLIO, E PEPERONCINO (SPAGHETTI WITH GARLIC, OLIVE OIL, AND PEPPER FLAKES)
This is one of my signature dishes, and also one of the simplest recipes you’ll ever make, just five ingredients including the olive oil and salt. Timing is essential because the sauce cannot be held. For a different version, add a splash of tomato sauce just when the garlic turns golden. (The tomato version is very forgiving because the sauce cools down the contents of the pan and keeps the garlic from browning or burning.)
Don’t serve this with cheese. Don’t add anything. It’s perfect just as it is; it’s also delicious with a vodka martini.
Coarse salt
Dry spaghetti
Olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic, thinly sliced
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook just until al dente, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, generously cover the bottom of a heavy pan with olive oil and set over low heat. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and the garlic. Sauté until the garlic is golden. Drain the pasta (there’s no need to reserve any cooking liquid in this recipe because there’s nothing to bind), add it to the pan, and toss well. Taste for spiciness. If it isn’t fiery enough, add more pepper. Serve.
IL CACCIUCCO (TUSCAN-STYLE FISH-AND-BREAD STEW)
I don’t expect that most people reading this will have the experience (or the stomach) to clean and break down fish the way my mother used to when preparing cacciucco, or that you have a food mill, so here’s a slightly different version from the one she made. You can vary the selection of fish and shellfish according to taste. If you have any extra, reheat it the next day, add a little water to open up the flavors, and toss it with pasta as a sauce.
Olive oil
Red onions, coarsely chopped
Few cloves of garlic, chopped, plus 1 clove peeled and left whole
Shellfish (clams, mussels, and shrimp), cleaned and left in their shells
Fish, a large variety, including eel and small fish such as striped bass, grouper, and/or red snapper, boned and cut into ch
unks
Coarse salt
Black pepper from a mill
Tomatoes, fresh or canned
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Good Italian bread, sliced
Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add plenty of oil and let it get nice and hot, then add the onions and chopped garlic and sauté until golden.
Add the shellfish and fish: the juicier and stronger-tasting ones go in first, and you want to let each type cook briefly before adding the next. First, add the clams and mussels, then the chunks of eel and the rest of the fish, smaller pieces first. Finish by adding the shrimp. Raise the heat to high and let everything cook together briefly, then season with salt and pepper and gently stir in the tomatoes. (If using canned tomatoes, break them into chunks and add them with their juice. If using fresh, quarter them.)
Stir in some parsley, saving some for garnish. Let everything cook until hot, then pour in enough cold water just to cover the ingredients and stop the cooking. When the water simmers, lower the heat and cook, uncovered, until the fish is tender, taking care not to overcook. Start checking after 10 minutes; if you can penetrate a piece of fish easily with a fork, it is done. Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard any clams or mussels that have not opened.
Meanwhile, toast 1 slice of bread for each person. Cut the whole garlic clove at one end to expose the interior. Impale it on a fork and gently rub the cut side on each slice of hot toast, releasing the pulp and juice into the bread. Sprinkle the bread lightly with oil.
Once the cacciucco is done, put a piece of toast in the center of each bowl. Spoon the stew over it, shells and all, and garnish with parsley. Serve with empty bowls alongside for the shells and extra bread for mopping up the stew.
TONNO ALLA LIVORNESE (TUNA STEAK, LIVORNESE STYLE)
One of the dishes I used to make for Silvano after service, and which later went on the menu at Sapore di Mare. You can also make this with swordfish.
Olive oil
Tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
Dry white wine
Canned tomatoes, chopped, in their own juice
Capers
Green olives, pitted and sliced
Preheat the oven to high.
Cover the bottom of an ovenproof skillet just large enough to hold the tuna steaks without crowding with a small amount of oil and sear the tuna on both sides over high heat. When the tuna turns a light color, add wine to the skillet until it comes halfway up the sides of the steaks. Cook over high heat until the wine simmers and reduces by half. Add the tomatoes, capers, and olives. Cover with a lid or snugly with foil and place in the oven. Start to check the tuna by prodding it with a fork after about 10 minutes. The dish is done when the steaks flake easily.
To serve, transfer the steaks to individual plates and spoon sauce over them.
FEGATO ALLA SALVIA (CALF’S LIVER WITH SAGE)
The liver in this dish should be sliced so thin that it cooks when you look at it. If possible, buy the liver from a piece no larger than six to eight pounds, which means it came from a young animal; any larger and it may have a sour taste.
All-purpose flour
Calf’s liver, very thinly sliced
Unsalted butter
Fresh sage leaves
Sprinkle some flour on a plate and dredge the liver on both sides, gently shaking off any excess. Melt a generous scoop of butter in a frying pan and brown 4 or 5 sage leaves. Let the sage cook until it starts to burn. Add the liver to the pan one slice at a time and cook for 1 minute on one side, then 30 seconds on the other. As the slices are done, transfer them to plates. When all of the slices have been cooked, pour the butter and sage over them. Serve at once.
STRACOTTO ALLA FIORENTINA (POT ROAST, FLORENTINE STYLE)
One of those long-cooked cold-weather dishes that made my childhood home smell so wonderful in the fall and winter. To this day, when it gets cold every autumn, this is one of the dishes I can’t wait to cook and serve. For an even more tender result, do as the mothers did at Le Madri (and as I still do at Centolire) and make this with brisket.
If you have leftover pot roast, there are a number of options: mill it and serve it over polenta or as a sauce for fresh fettuccine or pap-pardelle. It’s also wonderful tossed into scrambled eggs for a decadent version of steak and eggs.
Note: The meat will throw a lot of smoke when you sear it; you might want to open your kitchen window and turn off your smoke detector. (Just be sure to turn it back on when you’re finished; the lawyers made me say that!)
Eye round of beef, trimmed of most excess fat (ask your butcher to do this)
Coarse salt
Black pepper from a mill
Olive oil
Red onion, finely chopped
Carrot, peeled and finely chopped
Celery, fibrous outer layer removed with a vegetable peeler and finely chopped
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Few cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Red wine
Beef broth
Dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in red wine
Canned tomatoes, crushed in their own juice
Preheat the oven to medium.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Use a snug ovenproof oval pan if you can; otherwise, you’ll need to use a lot of liquid. Moisten the bottom of the pan with a little olive oil, using your finger to spread it around. (The olive oil is just to keep the meat from sticking to the pan.) Set the pan over high heat and preheat it, then add the meat and brown it on all sides until practically burnt. The bottom of the pan will start to turn a dark color thanks to the fat and extra liquid, which is the honey of the dish.
Transfer the meat to a plate.
Put a thin layer of onion, carrot, celery, parsley, and garlic in the bottom of the same pan. Brown them over high heat, add a little wine, and stir to loosen any flavorful bits of meat and vegetable cooked onto the bottom of the pan. Return the meat to the pan along with any juices that have collected while it was resting, keep it over high heat, and let it absorb the scent and taste of the vegetables. After a minute, when you see the vegetables sticking to the meat, add enough wine or broth—or a combination of the two—to cover the meat. (Use about 1 bottle of wine for 4 people, because a lot of wine evaporates in cooking.)
Add the porcini and the soaking wine to the pan and bring everything to a boil. Cover and put in the oven. Cook for about 2 hours, or until you can penetrate the meat with a fork.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes. Add a scoop of tomatoes to the sauce and boil for a few minutes. Slice the meat and put the slices in the pot. Let cook for another few minutes and serve it with good bread.
Acknowledgments
I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the following people:
My coauthor, Andrew Friedman, who unselfishly used his writing skills to capture my voice and help organize my story;
Nick Trautwein, our editor, for his smart notes, honesty, and patience, and for having his heart in the right place at all times;
Karen Rinaldi, for buying the book and first believing in it. I miss you;
Kim Witherspoon, for selling the project and especially for her feedback and guidance down the homestretch; and Sabrina Farber in Bloomsbury USA’s marketing department, for getting the word out.
—Pino Luongo
In addition to the people named above, my thanks to . . .
Pino Luongo, for his early belief and many pasta-filled nights;
David Black, for his always treasured counsel along the way;
Peter Bodo, for some crucial advice on Sunday, May 4, 2008;
Caitlin Friedman, for her unwavering support, both emotional (“You can do it!”) and practical (“Sure I can take the kids for ice cream while you write for another hour.”), and for keeping things in perspective for the two of us; and
Declan and Taylor Friedman, who went from babies to “real people” during the year this book was writt
en; keep up the good work!
—Andrew Friedman
About the Authors
PINO LUONGO has owned and operated some of the most successful and influential restaurants in New York, the Hamptons, and Chicago. He opened his first restaurant, Il Cantinori, in 1983 and went on to open several legendary restaurants including Sapore di Mare, Le Madri, and Coco Pazzo. He is currently the chef and owner of Centolire in New York City. He is also the author of several cookbooks.
ANDREW FRIEDMAN coauthored the New York Times bestselling memoir Breaking Back, the story of American tennis star James Blake, and co-edited the popular anthology Don’t Try This at Home. He has also collaborated on cookbooks with Alfred Portale, Tom Valenti, and former White House chef Walter Scheib, among many others.
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