Mangia Bene Pasta
Valentine's Day Dinner Recipes
Halibut with Tomato-Saffron Sauce
(Serves 2)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Pinch of saffron
2 (6 to 8 ounce) halibut, cod, or grouper fillets
1/3 cup quartered canned artichoke hearts
1/4 cup black olives, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add garlic, reduce heat to low, and cook 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes with their juices, saffron, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, brush the fish with the remaining olive oil.
Season the fish with salt and pepper.
Put the fish into a baking dish an bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until opaque.
Transfer the fish to a serving dish.
Add the artichokes, olives, and parsley to the tomato-saffron sauce.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook 1 minute, just to heat through.
Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve.
Salmon with Pistachio-Basil Butter
(Serves 2)
1/4 cup (about 1 ounce) shelled pistachios
5 large basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 (6 to 8 ounce) salmon fillets
1/3 cup dry white wine
To make the pistachio butter:
In a food processor, combine the pistachios, basil, and garlic.
Process until finely chopped
Add the butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper; process until well combined.
Transfer the butter to a small bowl and refrigerate until well chilled.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter a small baking dish.
Place the salmon fillets in the dish. Pour the wine over.
Season the fillets with salt and pepper.
Bake the salmon about 10 minutes, or until almost opaque.
Spread half of the pistachio butter over each fillet.
Continue baking until fish is cooked through, another 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve.
Veal Andrea
(Serves 2)
4 veal cutlets
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
3/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese (provolone can be substituted)
4 slices prosciutto
Coat cutlets with the flour and shake off excess.
Place a skillet over high heat and add the butter.
Sauté the cutlets for 30 seconds on each side. Remove and set aside.
Add the mushrooms to the skillet, turn the heat down to medium.
Sauté until the mushrooms begin to give off their liquid.
Add the sage and cook until the liquid is evaporated.
Add the wine or broth, salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce liquid to about 4 tablespoons.
Place half of the mushrooms in the bottom of a small baking pan.
Place the cutlets over them and sprinkle with half of the cheese.
Place a slice of prosciutto over each cutlet, then top with remaining mushrooms and
cheese.
Bake in a 375-degree F. oven for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
Fettuccine with Four Cheeses
(Serves 2)
8 ounces fettuccine
1/4 cup finely mined onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 ounces goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Cook pasta in salted boiling water while preparing the sauce.
Sauté onion and garlic in butter over medium-low heat, 3-4 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in ricotta and goat cheese.
Allow to heat through. Add salt, cayenne, and Parmesan.
Toss cooked pasta and olive oil together.
Add ricotta mixture and toss again. Stir in mozzarella and chives.
Serve before mozzarella melts completely.
Tenderloin Steaks with Portobello-Marsala Sauce
(Serves 2)
2 beef tenderloin steaks, about 1-inch thick
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce:
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided
3 to 4 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
Remove steaks from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.
Pat the steaks dry and season them with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Place the steaks in the skillet and cook until brown on one side, 4 to 5 minutes.
Turn the meat over.
Cook an additional 4 minutes for rare, or 5 to 6 minutes for medium rare.
Transfer the steaks to a serving dish and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
To make the sauce:
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over high heat.
Add mushrooms and saute 10 minutes until mushrooms are well browned.
Add another teaspoon of butter, garlic, and shallots to skillet.
Saute the mixture 5 minutes.
Add the Marsala wine and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil and cook 20 minutes or until reduced by half.
Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon of butter.
Serve steaks with sauce on top or on the side.
Risotto with Shrimp and Champagne
(Serves 4)
8 ounces shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 cups fish stock
6 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 cups Arborio or other risotto rice
3/4 cup Champagne or sparkling wine
Salt and pepper
Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside
Bring the fish stock in a saucepan to a simmer.
In another saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.
Add the onion and garlic; cook over low heat 3 to 4 minutes until soften but not brown.
Add the rice and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Pour in over half of the Champagne and stir until it is evaporated.
Begin to add the stock, one ladleful at a time, only adding more when all is absorbed.
Continue in this way, adding stock and stirring until all the stock has been incorporated.
The rice should be tender but still retain some bite and be a creamy consistency.
Add the shrimp and cook 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked.
Stir in the remaining Champagne and butter; season with salt and pepper.
Serve.
Ribs with Rigatoni
(2 to 3 generous servings)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 pounds pork spareribs, cut into individual ribs
Salt and pepper
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried pepper flakes
2 (28 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes and their juice
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
8 ounces rigatoni
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat.
Season spareribs with salt and pepper.
Working in batches, brown ribs on all sides and transfer to a bowl.
Add onions, garlic, and red pepper to the saucepan.
Sauté until the onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
Return spareribs and their juices to the saucepan.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered about 2 hours.
The spareribs should be very tender and the sauce thickened.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the rigatoni, drain, and return to the same pot.
Add Parmesan cheese, parsley, and some sauce from the spareribs. Toss to coat.
Transfer pasta to a serving dish and top with spareribs and sauce.