pasta

TODAY AT “CHEZ BELLA” – Bucatini With No-Cook Tomato Sauce

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This is probably one of my most-loved simple dishes of all time.
Not only does it taste wonderful if you use the best ingredients (good quality EVO (or Butter), pasta, chopped fresh tomatoes or bottled passata, and cheese, (if possible Grana Padano),
It is also done in a flash and, best of all, it tastes incredibly FRESH, as if your old Italian grandma had produced it with lots of love and livelong experience on her wood-fired oven, just for you. 🙂
But please!, resist the temptation to use crappy, pre-packed, grated “mystery cheese” ! Grate your own favorite cheese and be rewarded with the best pasta dish you´ve had in a long time. 🙂
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Why “Chez Bella” ??? Because……….click here.
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Add 3 tblsp EVO to 2 cup passata, 1 tsp garlic paste, kosher salt, sriracha to taste and a dash of Maggie Seasoning (optional), mix well.
Remove the pasta straight from the cooking water to the seasoned oil, grate 3 tblsp fresh grated cheese of your choice on top (if possible, use Grana Padano) , mix well, check/ adjust the seasoning.
Serve with some more grated cheese and chopped herbs of your choice (optional)
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Bucatini With No-Cook Tomato Sauce

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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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“Cacio e Pepe” is undoubtedly the most minimalist among Roman pasta.
It´s secret lies in its wonderful creaminess, which is achieved by the perfect balance between its four main ingredients: pasta, water, Pecorino Romano and black pepper. (Because of the saltiness of the Pecorino, no additional salt is needed)
(A similarly simplistic, yet very different flavor and texture are present in “Spaghetti Aglio e Olio”, which, in its most basic form, contains only spaghetti, water, olive oil, garlic, and grated hard cheese. This is usually enriched with pepperoncini and/or arugula).
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When preparing Cacio e Peppe, there are a few RULES one MUST follow to achieve the creamy texture for which Cacio e Peppe is priced, otherwise there will be just “Pasta with Cheese and Pepper”, which is not too bad either, but comes in no way close to the magic of Cacio e Peppe.
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First, – grate the cheese as fine as possible.
Second, – take the pasta straight from the water to the pan with the cheese and pepper.
Third, – quickly and thoroughly lift the pasta with two forks or a tongue from the bottom of the plate to blend and achieve a creamy sauce when the moisture and starch of the pasta and the cheese combine to form a heavenly, creamy, delicious “sauce”.
Fourth, – use warm plates to mix and serve the pasta at once.
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And there you have it ! One of Rome’s and Italy´s most iconic, simple, delicious and wonderful dishes ! 🙂
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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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Preparation:
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: Use the very best quality available to you 🙂

: Pecorino, black pepper

: microplaned …..(VERY finely grated)

: add freshly crashed/ground black pepper to taste to the cheese

: add freshly crashed/ground black pepper to taste to the boiling water

: cook pasta until al dente

: move the pasta from the pot directly to the cheese/pepper

: mix quickly, if needed, add a bit of pasta water to get a very CREAMY texture

: plate on warm plates, top with more cheese and pepper, serve at once (Pls only prep 2 portions at a time)

: PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

: PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

: PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

: PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

: PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

: PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

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Traditionally, in Southern Germany (Swabia and Bavaria), we serve our classic Ravioli (Maultaschen) in beef broth, with potato salad on the side. Then, if there are leftovers, we saute them the next day in butter with onions and eggs, accompanied by leaf salad.
Since I moved back to Germany, I have Maultaschen three to four times a month. They are easy to prepare at home and even available frozen in most supermarkets, nowadays the majority of brands a VERY good quality. ( I usually make my own, since I love a bit of veal liver in my stuffing – the ones on these pages are homemade). Alas, I buy them just as often ready made. 🙂
This time, when I was ready to reheat or saute the leftover Maultaschen from the previous day, I did not feel to go with the usual suspect of a recipe, so I came up with this wonderful variation. It is so good and delicious that it is now one of my standard recipe for leftover Maultaschen (and other types of ravioli)
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Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: saute 1 ea large,juliennednion in 4 oz salted butter until translucent

: add 1 tsp garlic paste, saute 1 minute

: add 2 tblsp tomatopaste, saute another minute

: add 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, kosher salt and sriracha sauce to taste

: simmer until sauce has nape texture

: add 12 oz cooked cannellini beans

: simmer another minute, check/adjust seasoning

: cut 4 ea ravioli/maultaschen into thick slices

: spread the sliced ravioli/maultaschen slices atop the beans, sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano

: drizzle with 2 tblsp EVO, gratinate until golden brown, ca 20 minutes at 360 F ; serves 2 – 4 main course

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

: Cannellini Beans & Ravioli, Gratinated In Chilli/Tomato Cream

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“Fried Fish Dabbawalla” – Ocean Perch, Curried Noodles, And Mint Yogurt

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Part of the fun of creating a new dish is the right to name it 🙂
Sometimes, (often) 🙂 the name is not related to the ingredients of the dish, such as in the dish featured here. Many times, the name was given to honor a person, a profession, or an occasion, etc.
When I came up with this dish, I remembered the dabbawalla which impressed me so much when I saw them in India. Meanwhile, I also saw a number of posts on YouTube, documentaries on TV and I also read articles in books and magazines about Dabbawalla. (Check out the episode on Top Gear) 🙂 🙂 🙂
The more I know about dabbawalla, the more I respect them and the system they created. I don´t know if there is another dish which honers these people and their system, so now, at least I have tried to do my own small part to do so. 🙂
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oh my………..

“Fried Fish Dabbawalla” – Ocean Perch, Curried Noodles, And Mint Yogurt

Curried Noodles

“Fried Fish Dabbawalla” – Ocean Perch, Curried Noodles, And Mint Yogurt

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Preparation :
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: 20 oz ocean perch fillet (or other fish filet of your choice)

: cut into 3 to 4 oz pieces

: marinade overnight in butter-milk

: to 1 cup a/p flour add cayenne pepper, garam masala,, turmeric, kosher salt and madras curry powder to taste, mix well

: dredge the fish in the flour/spice mixture

: ready to fry……..

: heat enough peanut oil (or other flavor-neutral oil) to 375F to fry the fish covered in oil until nearly cooked through, remove to absorbent paper (remember the carry-over heat), so remove the fish a bit BEFORE its cooked through – the carry-over heat will do the rest

: almost…………. 🙂

: oh my………..

: cut 1 medium size onion into julienne, saute in 2 tblsp ghee until translucent, add 2 tblsp tomato paste, 2 tblsp madras curry powder, 1 tblsp turmeric, 1/2 tblsp garam masala and kosher salt to taste, saute until fragrant

: add 2 cup heavy cream

: add 2 tblsp coursly chopped cilandro, simmer 1 minute

: add 10 oz cooked pasta of your choice

: mix well, check/adjust texture and flavor

: Divide the pasta between 2 serving plates, top with half the fillets, top with mint yogurt ; serves 2 to 3 main courses or 4 to 6 appetizer

: “Fried Fish Dabbawalla” – Ocean Perch, Curried Noodles, And Mint Yogurt

: “Fried Fish Dabbawalla” – Ocean Perch, Curried Noodles, And Mint Yogurt

: “Fried Fish Dabbawalla” – Ocean Perch, Curried Noodles, And Mint Yogurt

: Curried Noodles

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Beef Udon (Niku Udon) 肉うどん

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Very few beautiful, heart and belly-warming dishes are as easy to prepare as these beef-noodles. At times I have eaten the noodles just with broth, at other times I have eaten the meat just by itself or over steamed rice. Any way I choose, I enjoy each one of them, but of course, the whole schamuckas as shown on this page is the very best of them. 🙂
I especially love the simplicity of the preparation. Hot broth, udon noodles and caramelized beef and caramelized scallions and voilà – culinary heaven has been reached ! 🙂
(In Japan, one usually adds a few slices of fish cake ( Narutomaki ), but I can do without that……..
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Beef Udon (Niku Udon) 肉うどん

Caramelized Beef only

Udon in Broth only

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Preparation :
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: lightly freeze (to be able to easily cut into very thin slices) 1 lb of well-trimmed tender beef (strip or flap works great)

: good stuff……….

: marinade the beef for 4 hours with 2 tblsp mirin, 1 tbls soy sauce and 2 tblsp sugar

: meanwhile, heat 4 cups of dashi with 1 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tblsp sugar and 2 tblsp mirin, bring to a simmer, remove from heat

: saute 2 stalks of on the bias cut scallions in 1 tblsp peanut oil until starting to caramelize

: add the beef

: saute over very high heat until the liquid has evaporated

: when the meat is nicely browned, remove from heat

: add the fresh-cooked udon noodles to the broth, check / adjust seasoning, – if neccessary, add Shichimi tougarashi for some extra heat

: add the udon with the broth to a deep serving dish, top with the beef, sprinkle with finely sliced scallions ; makes two main courses or six appetizers

: Beef Udon (Niku Udon) 肉うどん

: Beef Udon (Niku Udon) 肉うどん

: Beef Udon (Niku Udon) 肉うどん

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Easy Does It # 37 – Homemade Gyozas (Potstickers)

Easy Does It # 37 – Homemade Gyozas ( Potstickers )

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Gyōza (Japan), Potstickers (USA), Jiǎozi (China), Mandu (Korea), Maultaschen (Germany), Pierogi (Eastern Europe), Pelmeni (Russia), Ravioli (Italy) are just a few names for stuffed dumplings/dough pockets which are served around the World.
Nearly all cuisines have at least one variation of these delicious marvels. Some are eaten as snacks, others as appetizers or main courses, they are served dry or in soup, boiled, steamed, sauteed, fried or a combination of these cooking methods, some are big while others are small, some are sweet, some are savory.
Fillings can consist of almost anything you can think of, such as seafood, pork, veggies, fresh fruits, candied fruits, even soup (Xiao Long Bao— Chinese Soup Dumplings), etc, etc, etc.
Here you have a very simple, easy and quick version of Gyozas/Potstickers. The pork can be substituted with chopped shrimp for a different taste, or you can mix 2/3 of pork with 1/3 of shrimp, or cab meat, veggies, and so forth.
As for the folding, as usual, practice makes the master – but if you just want the dumplings without too much headache about complicated folding, just flip one side of the wrapper over into a half-moon, or, if you use square wrappers, fold into a triangle -done 🙂
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“Easy Does It” Dumpling Stuffing Recipe :
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: 1 lb grd pork, 1/ cup finely diced carrots, 1 tblsp corn starch, 1 ea egg white, 1 tblsp toasted sesame seed oil, 1 tsp chili oil, a pinch of granulated garlic, a pinch of granulated ginger, 2 tblsp slices scallions, 2 tblsp chopped cilantro, soy sauce to taste

: mix well until there are no lumps

: lightly brush a wanton skin with water, add 1 ea tsp stuffing, close the dumpling, squeeze the edges tightly together (leave shape as is, or use fancy folding techniques), alternatively, use square wrappers

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Easy Does It # 37 – Homemade Gyozas ( Potstickers )

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Preparation :
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: saute 10 ea gyozas in 1/2 tblsp peanut oil until lightly browned

: carefully (splatter), add 1 /2 cup lightly salted water, cover tight and steam until the water has evaporated and the gyozas start to saute again (you´ll hear the sizzle)

: remove the cover, saute another few seconds, plate and serve with dippings of your choice (I used Thay sweet chili sauce, wasabi, sriracha and yuzu/soy sauce

: Easy Does It # 37 – Homemade Gyozas ( Potstickers )

: Easy Does It # 37 – Homemade Gyozas ( Potstickers )

: Easy Does It # 37 – Homemade Gyozas ( Potstickers )

: Easy Does It # 37 – Homemade Gyozas ( Potstickers )

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Curried Pasta With Cauliflower And Crisp Lettuce

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Curried pasta is one of my favorite “quick-meals”, tasty food that can be prepared without much effort, time and money.
Here I have combined curry- pasta for the first time with cold, crisp lettuce and I was just blown away by the difference this addition has made to a familiar dish which I enjoyed so many times before.
The different temperature, texture and seasoning of the raw greens and the hot, spicy pasta made this a very new curried pasta experience and it will be showing up on my table often from here on……
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Curried Pasta With Cauliflower And Crisp Lettuce

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Preparation :
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: blanche 2 cups of caulifloer rosettes

: cook 10 oz of pasta of your choice

: saute1 ea large sliced onion in 2 oz ghee or whole butter

: add 1 tblsp garlic paste

: add 1 tblsp garam masala, 1 tblsp madras curry powder, 1 tsp turmeric and kosher salt to taste, saute until fragrant

: add 1 cup half&half

: add the pasta and 3 whole eggs, stir and cook until the eggs start to set

: add 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes

: add the cauliflower, mix well, check/adjust the sesoning; dress 2 cups of diced iceberg with fresh lemon juice, sunflower oil and salt and pepper to taste; devide the pasta between 2 plates, top with the salad, sprinkle with chives and basil; serves 2

: Curried Pasta With Cauliflower And Crisp Lettuce

: Curried Pasta With Cauliflower And Crisp Lettuce

: Curried Pasta With Cauliflower And Crisp Lettuce

: Curried Pasta With Cauliflower And Crisp Lettuce

: Curried Pasta With Cauliflower And Crisp Lettuce

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Pasta E Fagioli (Pasta Fazool) (Pasta And Beans)

Pasta e fagioli , meaning “pasta and beans”, is a traditional Italian soup, (although beansoup with pasta is served the World over, with different beans, different pasta, meats or seafood and vegetables, and of course different local names).
Like many other Italian favorites, including pizza and polenta, it started as a peasant dish, being composed of inexpensive ingredients. It is often called pasta fasul (fazool) in the United States, derived from its Neapolitan name, pasta e fasule.

Recipes for pasta e fagioli alter greatly, the only true requirement being that beans and pasta are included. Ingredients vary from region to region, town to town, restaurant to restaurant, household to household, cook to cook, and of course, also depend on available ingredients.
Pasta e fagioli is most commonly made using cannellini beans, Great Northern beans or borlotti beans, and a small variety of pasta such as elbow macaroni or ditalini. The base typically includes olive oil, garlic, minced onion, celery, carrots and often stewed tomatoes or tomato paste. Some variations omit tomatoes and instead use a broth base. Preparation may be vegetarian, or contain meat (often bacon or pancetta) or other proteins and a meat-based stock. The consistency of the dish can also differ to a wide range, with some being soupy, while others are much thicker. For instance, in Bari the dish is thicker in consistency and uses mixed pasta shapes. It also uses pancetta in the base of the sauce. Other varieties call for the beans to be passed through a food mill, giving it a stew-like consistency.
As for the version on this page, it could not be more perfect for my personal taste/texture. I prepare Pasta and beans in uncounted versions all the time, but pigs feet, pork/tomato broth, pasta and bean can hardly be topped (unless you add tripe) 🙂

P.S.
The word for “beans” varies in different Italian languages, e.g. fagioli [faˈdʒɔːli] in standard Italian, fasule [faˈsuːlə] in Neapolitan, and fasola [faˈsɔːla] in Sicilian. “Pastafazoola“, a 1927 novelty song by Van and Schenck, capitalizes on the Neapolitan pronunciation in the rhyme, “Don’t be a fool, eat pasta fazool”; and the song “That’s Amore“, by Warren and Brooks (popularized by Dean Martin), includes the rhyme “When the stars make you drool, just like pasta fazool, that’s amore”.

Pls note:
Part of the above article is an excerpt from wikipedia.
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Pasta E Fagioli (Pasta Fazool) (Pasta And Beans)

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Preparation :
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: in 3 qt salted water, simmer 4 med sized hamhocks until tender, about 2,5 hours

: done………

: remove the hocks from the broth, skim off most of the fat

: at this point, you should have 1 qt of broth, add 1/2 qt of pureed tomatoes, season with garlic paste and cayenne pepper, add 1/4 cup fresh chopped basill and 1 tsp fresh chopped oregano, simmer for another 10 minutes, check/adjust seasoning

: remove all the meat from the bones, cut into bite sized cubes

: plate 1/4 of the meat in a deep soup plate

: add 1 cup pasta of your choice

: add 1 cup beans of your choice, cover with 1/4 of the broth, sprinkle generously with chopped parsley or cilantro, top with freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano, serves 4 main course or 10 appetizer / snacks

: Pasta E Fagioli (Pasta Fazool) (Pasta And Beans)

: Pasta E Fagioli (Pasta Fazool) (Pasta And Beans)

: Pasta E Fagioli (Pasta Fazool) (Pasta And Beans)

: Pasta E Fagioli (Pasta Fazool) (Pasta And Beans)

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Geschmorte Kalbsbrust (Braised Veal Breast)

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Not only is Veal / Breast one of my favorite animals/cuts, it is also the best bargains you can find for any meat, with the average price here in south Florida being just around $2.50 to $3.50.
The only place I can usually get it are the Asian or Latino markets. In a way, Veal’s lack of popularity is a blessing for poor retirees like myself, because it is the only meat I can really splurge on often, without emptying my coffers to the bottom. 🙂
I like veal breast prepared any style, bones-in, boneless, stuffed (my favorite), grilled, braised, simmered, whole, sliced on the rib, cubed for stew, etc, etc, but this recipe beats them all 🙂
And of course, the pasta – to die for !
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Geschmorte Kalbsbrust (Braised Veal Breast)

Ziti Longi, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Pangrattato

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Preparation :
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: cut 6 lbs veal breast into two, brine overnight in 5 oz water, 15 oz ice, 2 oz salt, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 pinch cayenne pepper ( bring the water , salt and sugar to a boil, remove from heat, add the ice to cool the brine down quickly before you add the veal, brine in the refrigerator overnight

: next day, discard the brine; to a roasting pan add 4 medium size onions, cut into coarse julienne, add 1 qt good quality red wine, 2 lb diced tomatoes, 6 ea smashed garlic cloves, 4 ea laurel leaves, 1 tblsp dried oregano, 1 tblsp dried thyme, 1 cup soy sauce, 2 qt chicken or beef stock, 1/2 tblsp kosher salt, 15 ea crushed black pepper corns; braise in a 300F oven for 3,5 to 4.5 hours, depending on the thickness and toughness of the meat

: while braising, torn the meat every 30 minutes, if the stock reduces too much, add some more stock ( Pls note !!! – cooking times and temperatures are guidelines – ovens, especially after years of use, tend to be way-off calibration, heating elements heat unevenly, doors don’t close properly, etc, etc )

: the meat is done when you can pull-out the rib bones easily

: remove the meat to cutting board, let rest lightly covered for 15 minutes, pull-out the rib bones

: check / adjust the seasoning and consistency of the sauce – strain or not, thicken or not

: while the veal rests and after the sauce is to your liking, cook the pasta of your choice ( I LOVE Ziti Longhi )

: Ziti Longi, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Pangrattato

: cut the veal into 1 inch slices

: not how juicy the veal still is after 4 hours VERY SLOWLY braising

: arang veal and pasta on serving platters, cover veal with sauce, serves 4-6

: Geschmorte Kalbsbrust (Braised Veal Breast)

: Geschmorte Kalbsbrust (Braised Veal Breast)

: Geschmorte Kalbsbrust (Braised Veal Breast)

: Geschmorte Kalbsbrust (Braised Veal Breast)

: Geschmorte Kalbsbrust (Braised Veal Breast)

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Fusilli Lunghi With Avocado And Sambal

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Two weeks ago I prepared avocado preserve. In the meantime I used most of it for breakfast, different egg preparations as well as different sidings such as focaccia, tortillas and rice.
For today’s delicious pasta dish I used the last of the preserve.
I am happy to say that the preserve held up wonderful – it looked, smelled and tasted as beautiful as on the day I prepared it.
I am sure it would have lasted in perfect condition another one or two weeks – Good Stuff 🙂
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