Bucatini

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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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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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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Around The World In 20 Minutes – Pork Neck Steak, Chilies, Onions And Bucatini With Herbs & Parmigiano Reggiano

Around The World In 20 Minutes – Pork Neck Steak, Chilies, Onions And Bucatini With Herbs And Parmigiano Reggiano

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Fusion cooking at it´s finest and most delicious :
Arachis Oil from South America (Peru or Brasil), Bucatini and Tomato Paste from Italy, Pork Neck Steak from Germany, Hoisin Sauce and Soy Sauce from China, smoked Paprika from Spain, Mirin from Japan, Maggi Seasoning from Switzerland and Chiles from Mexico.
Prep time, including pasta, 20 minutes.
As for the Napkin ring, old, sterilized tomato paste cans are my idea of witty, pretty and ~~cheap~~ economical tools/deco. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Around The World In 20 Minutes – Pork Neck Steak, Chilies, Onions And Bucatini With Herbs And Parmigiano Reggiano

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Preparation :
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: 1 lb pork neck steak, cubed, seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute the pork, chilies and onions in 2 tblsp arachis oil (peanut oil) until the pork is halfway cooked

: season with 1 tblps mirin, 1 tblsp tomato paste, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tblsp soy sause, 1 tblsp hoisin sauce, 1 dash of maggi seasoning, hot dried chili of your choice, 2 tblsp of cilantro, simmer for 30 seconds, check/adjust seasoning

: drain the bucatini, mix with 2 tblsp EVO and 2 tblsp grated parmigiano reggiano, plate on a deep pasta plate

: top the bucatini with more freshly grated parmigiano reggiano ; serves 4 portion

: Around The World In 20 Minutes – Pork Neck Steak, Chilies, Onions And Bucatini With Herbs And Parmigiano Reggiano

: Around The World In 20 Minutes – Pork Neck Steak, Chilies, Onions And Bucatini With Herbs And Parmigiano Reggiano

: Around The World In 20 Minutes – Pork Neck Steak, Chilies, Onions And Bucatini With Herbs And Parmigiano Reggiano

: Around The World In 20 Minutes – Pork Neck Steak, Chilies, Onions And Bucatini With Herbs And Parmigiano Reggiano

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Grilled Shrimp And Peppers-Brochette With Red Wine-Bucatini And Pangrattato

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While grilled shrimp is a dish that is well known to most of us, pasta cooked in red wine is probably less known/experienced by most folks, even those who are fans of pasta in all shapes and tastes 🙂
I for one have cooked pasta in red wine a few times, many years ago, but had forgotten about it since, until I came across it while browsing through some of my (very) old menus, notes, and pictures.
I have cooked this now twice in the past couple of weeks, and it has become one of my absolute favorite side – and even main-dish. The secret to preparing this pasta successfully lies in the red wine. Please, don’t even consider to use an inferior bottle of wine. Of course, you also don’t want to break the house, but, as with all very simple dishes, your success lies squarely on the quality of the ingredients. Also, it is my opinion that this pasta works best with butter instead of olive oil, since a really good EVO would, in my humble opinion, overpower the flavor of the wine. Again, this pertains to my very own taste preference and might work differently for yours 🙂
Also, panko in the pangrattato is a better choice for me than regular breadcrumbs 🙂

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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Before somebody gets’ their knickers in a twist about the pangrattato – there is no ONE way of preparing it. Pangrattato simply means “grated bread”.
It can be toasted, cooked in a dry pan until golden, sautéed in butter or olive oil. It can be highly seasoned or just a little, it can contain herbs and/or whatever dry ingredient suit your palette and the dish you prepare. 🙂
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Red Wine-Bucatini

Grilled Shrimp And Peppers-Brochette With Red Wine-Bucatini And Pangrattato

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Preparation :
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: saute 1/2 cup panko with 1 stick butter until golden, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste (see the P.S. on this page for further options)

: pangrattato

: bring 1 qt of the best redwine you can affort and 4 oz butter to a simmer; meanwhile, cook 1 lb of bucatini in lightly salted water for 2 minutes, drain

: immediatly add the freshly-cooked bucatini to the simmering red wine, season lightly with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste, simmer until al dente (at this point, there should be about 1/2 cup wine remaining; adjust if neccessary), check/adjust seasoning

: peel and devein 3 or 4 ea head-on 24/27 size shrimp per person, season with kosher salt, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to taste, thread on bamboo skewers, alternating with colored bell peppers

: brush the brochettes lightly with peanut butter

: grill on both sides until almost cooked through (the carry-over heat will do the rest)

: place the bucatini on a serving dish, sprinkle with most of the pangrattato, top with the brochettes, sprinkle the remaining pangrattato on top

: Grilled Shrimp And Peppers-Brochette With Red Wine-Bucatini And Pangrattato

: Grilled Shrimp And Peppers-Brochette With Red Wine-Bucatini And Pangrattato

: Grilled Shrimp And Peppers-Brochette With Red Wine-Bucatini And Pangrattato

: Grilled Shrimp And Peppers-Brochette With Red Wine-Bucatini And Pangrattato

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Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto And Ricotta

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Question : Who love’s a bright-green, traditional, heavenly aromatic basil pesto?
Answer : Just about everybody does, that’s who. (Including myself)
However, for my very own personal taste, I prefer to pair traditional pesto with light and airy gnocchi, while I love to marry a rustic pasta like penne rigate, rigatoni, farfalle or bucatini with a more complex pesto such as this Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto.
I hope that the Italian purist’s out there will forgive me and maybe even agree with my opinion that a non-traditional pesto such as this Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto can elevate a simple pasta to even greater culinary bliss than a one-note basil/pine pesto nut will ever be able to do. In my humble opinion, anyway……. 🙂
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Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: to 1 cup sun dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup salted cashew nuts, 2 tblsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: pulse with hand mixer until coarsely chopped

: add 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves and 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, pulse again until basil is coarsely chopped, check/adjust seasoning

: Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto

: meanwhile, cook and drain 1 lb pasta, add 1/2 of the pesto (reserve left over pesto for other use)

: mix pasta and pesto

: divide pasta onto four serving plates

: sprinkle pasta with fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano, top with 2 oz ricotta, sprinkle with small basil leaves ; serves 4

: Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

: Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

: Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

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Pork Shank’s & Lai Fen In Garlic/Ginger Broth

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Usually we use this cut of the animal to make Osso Buco (originally done with veal shanks), but I love me a hearty soup more than anything else, so I decided to prepare this dish with some pork shanks my friend Curtis dropped off last time he came to visit. Great, simple dinner, bursting with flavor and texture 🙂
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Pork Shank’s & Lai Fen In Garlic Ginger Broth

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Preparation :
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simmer pork shank’s in stock seasoned with star anis, cinnamon, garlic paste, black pepper, salt and grated ginger until tender but NOT falling apart

meanwhile, blanch green beans and cook lai fen pasta (rice flour bucatini)

add beans to soup

add diced peppers, onions and lap cheong (chinese sausage), check/adjust seasoning

add diced peppers, onions and lap cheong (chinese sausage), simmer two more minutes, check/adjust seasoning

add lai fen to serving bowl

to serve, top noodles with meat, vegetables and broth, sprinkle with chopped cilantro

Pork Shank’s & Lai Fen In Garlic Ginger Broth

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Octopus is one of my favorite seafood. Unfortunately, fresh octopus is not usually available around here. I sometimes order it online, but for the spur of the moment, I usually fall back to canned octopus. I have tried many different brands over the years and my favorite is the Vigo brand in garlic/olive oil. I usually prepare a salad by mixing it with peppers, herbs, potatoes and vinaigrette. Once in a while I mix it in a mixed seafood stew. However, for the dish at hand it was the perfect taste and texture. I even added the garlic oil from the can since it has a strong taste of the sea. A quick, easy and very affordable seafood recipe. If you are not a fan of octopus, replace it with shrimp, just simmer the shrimp and sauce for less time in order to keep the shrimp succulent and moist.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Preparation :
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saute finely diced onions and garlic paste in olive oil

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when onions are translucent add tomato paste, saute another minute

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deglaze with red wine, add octopus with it's canned oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer fr three minutes, check/adjust seasoning

deglaze with red wine, add octopus with its canned oil, finely chopped tomatoes, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for three more minutes, check/adjust seasoning

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meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, mix with olive oil

meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, add some olive oil

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plate bucatoni, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

plate bucatini, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Chicken Parmigiana

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This post is for David’s mom, who needs a fool proof recipe/instructions for chicken parmigiana.
David, make sure you send us pictures when your mom prepares it 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Tomato Sauce recipe
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Chicken Parmigiana

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season skinnles chicken breast with salt and pepper, bread with flour, egg and bread crumbs

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saute in butter until 3/4 cooked through, remove to baking rack

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sprinkle with grated parmesan, cover with tomato sauce

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covered in tomato sauce

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sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, sprinkle with oregano, bake until cheese has melted

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meanwhile, cook bucatini until al dente, strain, add finely sliced chilies, scallions, garlic paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, red wine, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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meanwhile, cook bucatini until al dente, strain, add finely sliced chilies, scallions, garlic paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, red wine, grated parmesan, some of the cooking water, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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sprinkle bucatini with fresh basil

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bucatini in creamy tomato sauce

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Chicken Parmigiana

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Calamare E Bucatini

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I love calamari, but I hate to clean them at home and it is hard to find good quality cleaned ones around here. But, yesterday I got lucky. I drove around a bit with Bella to see what’s out there and low and behold, I found a fishmonger I had not noticed before, even though I drove by there many times over the year’s. To my surprise, they have a great selection of fresh, quality seafood. I had to control myself not to go crazy and buy too much (I did anyway).
So, one of the first things on my list today were the calamari, simply prepared and served over Bucatini.

Bon Apetit ! Life is Good !
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Calamare E Bucatini

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mise en place

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season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, dredge in corn starch. Cook bucatini until al dente, drain, reserve some of the cooking liquid

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saute in VERY hot peanut oil for less then a minute

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remove to absorbent paper

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add herb butter, chilies, scallion, garlic paste, small amount of grated parmesan, kosher salt, chili sauce and small amount of cooking liquid, mix well until pasta is coated

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bucatini

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Calamare E Bucatini

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Calamare E Bucatini

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Calamare E Bucatini

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Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg ” Midnight Snack In Simpleland “

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Yesterday I had a very long workday without lunch or dinner. I finally came home at 9.00pm (I left the house at 5.00am, after two hours of walking Bella, breakfast, checking e-mail, etc) .
First thing’s first, so I poured myself a glass of merlot and sat down to relax a few minutes before I wanted to move on to do what needs to be done. However, I woke up three hours later at around midnight, because Bella brutally stubbed me with her nose, demanding to finally be taken on her walk. When we got back it was past 1.00am and I was famished. I wanted to have something quick, uncomplicated, substantial and tasty, but not too heavy or fatty. A quick inspection of the fridge and cup board revealed, amongst other goodies:
Bucatini, salted butter, bologna, aged asiago, greek yoghurt, eggs, tomatoes and scallions.
Usually and traditionally, one would saute the bologna and tomatoes in fat before adding the other ingredients.
But I wanted to have a different, “fresher” taste. So, here is how it went:
I cooked the pasta, drained it (reserved some of the cooking water). I chopped the tomatoes, sliced the scallions, grated the asiago, whisked the eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Then I mixed all the ingredients over low heat including a bit of the cooking water and cooked it until the eggs set. The result was a revelation of how the addition or absence of one single cooking step (sauteing) can completely alter the taste and texture of a dish. This version is actually my new favorite when it comes to pasta with bologna. The freshness of the bologna (must be of very good quality) and the slight acidity of the yogurt and raw tomatoes make it a new, much appreciated dish in my arsenal of pasta dishes.
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Bon Appetit ! Long Live The Midnight Snack ! 🙂
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