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Pasta alla Zozzona + Lemon Ricotta Cake Zoom Class

I’ve been doing  in-person Italian cooking classes in Nashville since 2009 (before that in NYC). When Covid locked us all down I began Zoom Italian Cooking Classes. They were such a hit people asked me to keep going with Zoom, even tho I’ve resumed in-person classes.

And I LOVE doing Zoom classes. We are each in our own kitchens cooking. I lead you thru the recipes step by step, cooking along with you, and demonstrating each task.

 

In the end (in less than 2 hours) you have dinner and we’re off to enjoy our meals with our families, friends, or having a yummy bite by ourselves by the TV.

Friday evening, June 9th, 2023 at 5pm CENTRAL is my next Zoom class. And it will be a doozy! We’re making a classic Roman pasta dish that isn’t as well known as Amatriciana, Carbonara, and Cacio e Pepe…it’s called: Pasta alla Zozzona.

It’s actually a mash-up of Carbonara and Amatriciana (with some sausage added– why not??). It’s so good! A new taste altogether with garlic, pancetta, sausage, eggs, and grated cheese. And a cool technique to learn.

For dessert we’re making a cake fave inspired by the Amalfi Coast: Lemon Ricotta Cake with Limoncello Frosting. So moist, so stellar!

 

And we’re adding a fresh Tomato-Berry-Herb Salad.

Join in! I send you the ingredient list, and let you know which pots/pans you’ll need. Then we all have a blast cooking together. Just $35 per household/computer (invite friends and family, just 1 fee). Contact me to reserve: info@chefpaulette.net

See you in the kitchen!

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Travel to Roma

Last November, Duane and I spread our wings across the city of Roma! A stupendous trip. We absorbed all things Roman — from ancient city ruins to current yummy cuisine…steeped in history with a vibrancy that only Rome can do.

Let’s go back! Or have a short trip of your own in this video we put together. Photos and videos are all ours — even the soundtrack music. Duane (Spencer) wrote every track…there are times you’ll think it’s music from ancient times, and then total Mediterranean jet-set vibes.

Duane Spencer at Audiosparx

Duette

Let me know what you think — as you sink into Roma.

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Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Many (many) years ago, when I was a student in Rome and lived in an apartment in Trastevere for almost a year, I learned how to make Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

I remember the first time I tried the dish at a tiny trattoria. I didn’t know what it was, but ordered it anyway. I can still remember the specks of black pepper, the silkiness of the sauce coating the pasta, and the big surprise when I took my first bite. A flavor I never tasted before. A magical flavor.

Massimo, a new Roman friend, taught me and my co-student friends how to make this pasta dish. It was a sunny afternoon as we gathered at his family’s apartment in EUR– the apartment complex just outside of the city. We sat around the kitchen table as he demonstrated how to mix the eggs, add the pecorino, fry the guanciale, and toss the cooked pasta quickly with the sauce. Result? Perfection. I have never wavered from this recipe all these years — no matter how many variations are out there.

Here’s the recipe. Try it!

Roman Spaghetti alla Carbonara
1 lb. spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ lb guanciale or pancetta, diced
4 large eggs
½ cup pecorino or more as needed plus extra to serve w/pasta
2 teaspoons black pepper
salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, season with salt, add spaghetti. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. In a small skillet sauté the pancetta in the oil until cooked, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
In a large serving bowl, break the eggs, add the pepper, and salt to taste. Mix together thoroughly. Add enough of the cheese to make a pasty (rather than thin & liquidy) mixture.
Just before the pasta is done, spoon out a cup of the pasta water and reserve. When pasta is al dente, drain and immediately add to the bowl with the egg mixture. Immediately, mix the pasta and eggs together quickly. Pulling the eggs through the pasta strands over and over. The hot pasta will “cook” the egg and the egg mixture will give the pasta a creamy coat of sauce. When you see the pasta as absorbed all the eggy mixture, add the pancetta in its oil, and mix through. Add a few spoonfuls of the reserved water if the dish is a little dry. Serve hot, passing around extra cheese.

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Spicy Shrimp Sauce

I love this recipe! It’s been in my family since forever — a real Sicilian hand-me-down. It’s great with all kinds of seafood.

We used to catch blue-claw crab on Long Island and make them with this sauce. Wonderful for lobster, too — a real Fra Diavolo taste. But here’s the more regular go-to: shrimp!

Make it as spicy as you like — I put in about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, but it can be hotter, or less hot, and it’s still the best sauce ever.

The combo of dried oregano, minced fresh parsley, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes are the umami magic.

Plus Pastene tomatoes, originally from the Boston area, are here in the Southeast and at Publix. I love to use the San Marzano DOP or the Kitchen-Ready Crushed Tomatoes. Both work great in this recipe.

Try it. You’ll love it!

Spaghetti with Spicy Shrimp Tomato Sauce (serves 3-4)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons, minced fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can Pastene San Marzano Tomatoes or Pastene Crushed Tomatoes
1/2 lb. Spaghetti or Linguine

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan until hot. Season the shrimp lightly with salt. Add shrimp to pan with oil. Cook tossing shrimp until almost cooked through and pink, about 1-2 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan. Reserve.

Add garlic, oregano, parsley, and red pepper flakes to pan. Sauté until garlic softens and starts to color, less than a minute. Add the wine, cook another minute.

Add tomatoes (if using whole San Marzano tomatoes, cut them roughly with a pair of scissors before adding to the sauce with all the juices), stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pasta pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta. Add shrimp back to sauce while pasta is cooking, simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes more.

Drain pasta. Add to a large serving bowl or platter. Add sauce with shrimp to pasta, toss to coat. Serve with toasted breadcrumbs.

Toasted Breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
salt to taste

Add the breadcrumbs and oil to a small sauté or frying pan. Stir on medium heat until the crumbs turn a golden brown color. Season with salt. Use as a sprinkling condiment to seafood pasta.

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Tuscan Ribollita. Yes, make this.

 

You have to make this soup. Just hearing about it isn’t enough. It’s deceptively simple, but the flavor is so much bigger than it sounds.

Its Tuscan origin shows up in the vegetable choices, the beans, and the bread that’s part of the soup. Tuscan lacinato kale is much more tender than traditional kale with a light deeply green taste. Cannellini beans are the “meat” of the mixture. And the toasted bread within is a satisfying bite of soupy yum.

This soup takes the chill right out of the air. Make a batch…it gets better the next day. And the next. And the next.

Ribollita – Tuscan Hearty Soup

2-3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, trimmed and diced
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed & minced
2-5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed, stems discarded
1 15-oz can plum tomatoes, roughly cut up
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drain and rinsed
3-4 cups stock or broth
4-5 cups Tuscan kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
salt & pepper to taste
6-8 slices Italian bread or baguette
1/2 cup grated parmigiano

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. When hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic & herbs, cook a minute or two more. Add the tomatoes and beans, sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the stock. Season with salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer, then add the kale. Simmer for about 30 minutes until all the flavors combine.

Meanwhile, place bread slices on a baking sheet in one layer. Brush or drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt & pepper. Dust with grated parmigiano. Toast bread in a medium oven until golden, about 5-7 minutes.

To serve: Place a slice of bread in an individual soup bowl. Ladle soup on top, Top with another toast. Drizzle a little olive oil and dust with grated cheese. Serve hot.

 

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Quick Easy Roasted Asparagus & Mushrooms

CIao! This dish came about in the interest of doing something quickly. The result: wow! So good. I love easy and I love so good. Two of the best things that can go together.

Here’s how:

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed of woody ends & rinsed

10-12 mushrooms or 8 ounces mushrooms, rinsed, stems trimmed, quartered

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

olive oil for drizzling

salt & pepper to taste

Line a sheet pan with foil. Drizzle a thin film of olive oil. Spread out asparagus in one layer, lined up. Toss the cut mushrooms around the edges. Season all with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumb and cheese. Drizzle a little olive oil to moisten slightly. Season with salt & pepper.

Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture lightly over asparagus. Drizzle a little more olive oil over all. Roast in 400 degree oven until crumbs are golden and vegetables are cooked — about 15 minutes.

Ta-da!

 

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Chef Paulette September Pop-Up Restaurant

Join me for my next Pop-Up Restaurant!

Autumn in Italy Dinner with Chef Paulette

Multi-Course Italian Feast

I can’t wait to cook for you on Monday, September 19th!

The 4- course menu is full of Italy’s Best Autumn Flavors…traditional dishes from Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, and more…

Handmade Pasta, Chianti Beef Ragu, Classic Chicken, Vegetable, and Dessert courses. Don’t miss it!

Advance Tickets Only – Limited Seating
Bring Your Own Wine

Venue: 615chuTNey, 7075 Hwy 70S Nashville

More info at link: 

More info at link: AutumnDinner and QR Code in poster

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Easy Roasted Sausage, Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes

These ingredients are together for a reason.

Each ingredient tastes great on its own. But. When you combine Italian sausage (hot or mild) with onions and peppers (and the potatoes just up the ante)…it’s cause for some taste-bud celebration.

Roasting them together couldn’t be easier. I just blanche the potatoes first to give them  a start. But then everybody into the pool! (Oven, really.) MMMmmmm!

Baked Sausage, Peppers & Potatoes

Serves 4-6

4-5 small red potatoes
2 medium onions, yellow or white
2 red or green bell peppers
1-1.5 lbs Italian sausages
olive oil for drizzling
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse & peel the potatoes (or leave peel on if you prefer) and cut them into ½ inch wedges. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Blanche the potatoes for 2 -3 minutes. Drain.

Peel onions and cut them into ½ inch wedges. Cut the peppers in half. Pull out the stem, and seeds. Cut into ½ inch strips. Line a sheet pan with foil. Add the potatoes, onions and peppers. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Toss to coat.

Cut each sausage into 2 or 3 chunks, or cut in half and then split lengthwise. Add to the vegetables. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes until vegetables and sausage are cooked through and starting to brown. Turn vegetables and sausages 1-2 times while cooking. Serve hot or warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My First Pop-Up Restaurant!

Join me for an Italian Feast that I am cooking for YOU! My first restaurant Pop-Up is on Monday June 13th in Nashville. 6 pm. One Seating.

Multi-Course —  Individually-Plated — This is a treat you don’t want to miss!

Click here for MORE INFO

Venue Host: 615ChuTNey

Created with GIMP

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Easy Focaccia

You will love this authentic focaccia. You don’t even need a mixer to make it. Just a bowl and a fork. It is reminiscent of Riviera-style focaccia. Not very thick, with the moistness of olive oil, and a crunchy-tender bite.

You can top it with almost anything. I usually sprinkle thinly sliced onion, or sliced pitted olives, and/or rosemary. And then a touch of finishing salt.

Here’s the recipe. Let me know how you do!

Riviera Focaccia with Rosemary and Olives

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons plus scant 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed, stems discarded
1/2 cup of pitted kalamata olives, or favorite pitted olives, sliced
1/4 teaspoon finishing salt, or regular salt

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the yeast and sugar to a small mixing bowl, add 1 cup warm water. Stir once. When yeast puffs up (blooms), add 2 tablespoons olive.

Make a well/hole in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk together gently with a fork until flour is all absorbed and the mixture looks smooth, about 1 minute. Cover dough in bowl with plastic wrap to seal, then cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a draft-free spot and let dough to rise until about doubled, about 1-1 ½ hours.

Pour a scant 1/4 cup of olive oil in a quarter-sheet pan, or rimmed jelly roll pan (approximately 9 x 13-inches). Pour out the dough into the pan without folding it, using a spatula to help (dip spatula in the oil — dough will be sticky). Poke your fingers into some of the oil, so the dough won’t stick as you poke down the dough to fill pan. Push it into the corners and try to even out the thickness all around. Poking the dough gives it the characteristic pocked surface of focaccia. Cover the dough with plastic, without sealing it— just on top to cover, and then kitchen towel. Let rise about 30 minutes more. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

When the dough has risen a second time, discard plastic. Poke your (oiled) fingers to make impressions again, scatter rosemary, olives, and finishing salt on top. Bake focaccia in the hot oven for about 20-30 minutes until deep golden. Allow to cool a few minutes before loosening from pan with a spatula. Cut into squares or strips.