italian recipes and more from fabio viviani

Linguine alle Vongole – Lunguini Clams

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Homemade pasta dough rolled and cut in ½ inch ribbons
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fish broth or clam juice
2 lbs fresh or small clams in shells
5 cloves of Garlic crushed
1 tbsp of butter
½ cup fresh parsley chopped
10 small leaf of basil
1 cup dry white wine

Directions:

1) In 3-quart saucepan cook with 2 tbsp of olive oil, garlic on medium fire, Add the wine, deglaze and completely reduce

2) Add the broth and the clams and bring the fire on medium/low

3) Add the butter and boil gently, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until sauce is desired consistency, stirring occasionally.

4) Boil the linguini in salted water for only 2 minutes, drain them and add them to the pasta sauce, bring fire on high

5) Heat through, till the sauce is reduced and the pasta is coated

6) Drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and top with fresh chopped parsley

Pulled Beef and Barely Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 lb. chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes & patted dry
½ c extra light olive oil
2-½ qt. beef broth
I onion -diced
2 large carrots -sliced into ½ inch slices
2 celery stalks –sliced
1 parsley root –diced
1/3 c fresh parsley -minced
1 c barley
4 thyme sprigs
2 whole cloves
1tsp salt +more to taste

Directions:

1) Heat up 3 tbsp. of the olive oil in a large heavy bottom pan (cast iron works great) and brown the beef on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate & keep warm.

2) Work in batches as to not overcrowd the meet and add a little bit of oil in between if necessary.

3) Wipe the pan clean with paper towels and add another 4 tbsp. of the oil. Add the onion, parsley root, cloves herbs and sauté together for 5 minutes. Return the meat to the pot, pour in the broth, partially cover with a lid and allow it to cook for about 2 hours.

4) Add the sliced carrots, celery and barley and let it simmer for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables and barley are tender and the meat is falling apart. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and cloves.

5) Ladle into bowls and serve hot with a sprinkling of minced parsley.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 c Bertolli Classico olive oil
10 flour tortillas
1 lb. roast chicken –shredded
1 tbsp. dry oregano
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper- diced
1 ½ qt. chicken broth
The juice from ½ lime
4 scallions –sliced
1/c c fresh basil –chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt + more to taste
¾ c Queso Blanco cheese –grated
1 large avocado –seeded & diced
Cilantro leaves for garnish
Sour cream for serving

Directions:

1) Heat 3 tbsp. of the olive oil in a heavy bottom pot and sauté the onions and peppers with a pinch of salt until translucent.

2) Add the tomatoes, cumin, oregano and broth and bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add the shredded chicken to the pot and cook just until warmed through, a few minutes. Remove from flame, adjust seasonings and stir in the chopped basil and lime juice.

3) Meanwhile heat up the rest of the oil in a pot over high heat. Add the tortilla strips and fry until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

4) Ladle the soup into bowls, top with a few tortilla strips, some diced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, some of the cheese and green onions. Garnish with a cilantro leaf.

Italian Minestrone Soup with Butternut Squash

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2.5 qt. chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 tbsp. Bertolli Classico Olive Oil
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 carrot –diced
3 celery stalks diced
1 large butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes
1 bunch Swiss chard rinsed and chopped
4 of the Swiss chard stems diced
3 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 x 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups fusilli pasta
20 basil leaves thinly sliced or torn
Salt to taste

Directions:

1) Heat up the olive oil in a large heavy bottom stockpot. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent.

2) Add the garlic, carrot, celery, Swiss chard stems and butternut squash and give them a good stir.

3) Add the thyme and bay leaf and cook for another 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

4) Pour in the stock and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes then add the pasta.

5) Cook another 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the chard and let it wilt for a couple minutes.

6) Remove from heat , discard the thyme and bay leaf, adjust seasoning then ladle into bowls and serve sprinkled with some basil and freshly grated Parmiginano Reggiano.

Dark Beer and Black Pepper Braised Short Ribs

Serves 3/4

Tips:

•When slow cooking, always use meats that have some fat or will be a dry disaster.
•Always brown the meat first to seal the juice in. This caramelization is key to making flavor-packed short ribs!
•Don’t place cold meat in the slow cooker, use it to keep food warm.
•Dark beer and cracked pepper bring out the caramels and deep flavors in short ribs.
•Reducing beef stock helps concentrate the flavors in your slow cooker. A little goes a long way.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds boneless beef short ribs
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 ea. onions, sliced
5 ea. garlic cloves, smashed with a knife
6 fl. oz (about ½ of one bottle or can) stout beer
1 quart beef stock
1 sprig rosemary

Method:

1) Reduce the quart of beef stock to one cup in a shallow sauce pan or deep sauté pan and set aside.

2) Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and then dredge in flour until well coated.

3) Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

3) Cook the dredged ribs until browned on each side, about 5 minutes per side.

4) When browned on both sides, remove the ribs from the skillet and set aside. Reserve pan drippings for later.

5) To a slow cooker, add the onion as a bed, then add seared short ribs. Add as well any juice or drippings reserved from the pan.

6) Cover the ribs with smashed garlic cloves, fresh herbs, butter, salt and fresh cracked pepper.

7) Add the stout beer and reduced beef stock.

8) Place the lid on the slow cooker and set to high.

9) Cook for approximately 6 hours or until tender.

10) Top short ribs with sauce made from cooking them.

Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine Gravy

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 lb. beef short ribs
8 thyme sprigs -fresh
8 oregano sprigs –fresh
3 bay leaves
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste –freshly ground
1 Spanish onion –chopped
8 garlic cloves -smashed & peeled
2 large carrots cut into chunks
2 celery stalks cut into chunks
2-½ qt. beef stock – low sodium
1 bottle good red wine
1 x 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
½ c extra light olive oil
4 tbsp. all purpose flour
4 tbsp. butter

Directions:

1) Heat up the oil in a large Dutch oven. Sprinkle the beef ribs generously with salt and pepper then sear in the hot oil until browned. Work in batches so you won’t crowd the pot and transfer to a plate.

2) Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot, stir to coat in all the drippings and brown bits and sauté together for 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, making sure to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom. Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme and oregano sprigs and bring to a simmer.

3) Add the beef ribs back to the pot, pour in the beef stock and simmer together uncovered on low flame for 30 minutes.

4) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and transfer into the oven.

5) Cook for about 3 hours or until the meat falls off the bone.

6) Remove the ribs from the pot and keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid and discard all the solids. Reserve 1 qt. of the liquid and set aside.

7) In a saucepan heat up the butter over medium flame then whisk in the flour. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to get some color then whisk in 1 qt. of the reserved liquid that the ribs have cooked in. Simmer on low flame until thickened and adjust seasonings.

8) Serve the ribs hot with the sauce on top and a side of mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!!!

Lemon Spaghetti with Chilies, Garlic and parsley

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lbs of Spaghetti
6 Garlic Cloves crushed with the side of a knife
The Skin of 2 Lemon finely Zested or grated
1 tsp of Red Chili flakes
1/2 cup of parlsey
1/ tbsp of Butter

Directions:

-Sautee the Garlic and the Lemon with the Oil and Butter combined on medium fire, once the garlic start to brown, set aside.

-Cook the pasta according to package direction keeping it slightly al dente, reserve about 1/2 cup of water.

-Add the pasta and water to the Lemon sauce and start to stri till the water combine with the fat and start to thicken up on low fire.

-Add the Parsley and some crushed black pepper.