Risotto Napoletana Recipes

RISOTTO ALL'AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy two-quart saucepan. Add the onion and cook over low heat until the onion begins to soften. Add the pancetta and red chili peppers and saute until the pancetta renders its fat and the onion is tender.
• Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the tomatoes thicken and turn into a sauce, about 10 minutes. Add the rice, stir and reduce the heat slightly.
• Heat the broth to boiling. Turn the heat to very low under the broth to keep it warm. Begin adding the broth to the rice mixture about half a cup at a time, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. As the rice absorbs the broth add more warm broth. Continue adding broth until the rice is al dente, tender outside but with a little bite at its center, and the mixture is quite moist, about 25 minutes total cooking.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining butter and the six tablespoons of grated pecorino Romano cheese. Serve extra grated cheese at the table.

RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE

Steps:

• Melt half of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer the onion and beef marrow in the butter for about 10 minutes. When the onion is soft, remove the onion and marrow from the pan using a slotted spoon, and set aside. (I like to leave the onions in.)
• Saute the rice in the pan over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Stir constantly so the rice will not stick and burn. Stir in one ladle of beef stock, and keep stirring until it is mostly absorbed, ladling and stirring in more of the broth as well as the white wine in the same manner, until the rice is almost al dente. Stir in the saffron, remaining butter, and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 4 or 5 minutes.
• Serve as a bed for ossibuchi or by itself with as much of the remaining Parmesan cheese sprinkled over as you like.

RISOTTO NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pan and add onion, cooking until soft.
• Add rice and stir until fully coated in oil.
• Add canned tomates and water and bring to the boil.
• Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes - stir once or twice.
• Remove from heat and let stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

RISOTTO ALLA VALDOSTANA

Steps:

• Heat butter in a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until translucent.
• Add mushrooms and saute until cooked through. Add rice and stir until well coated.
• Add 2 cups of chicken stock and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring continuously. Add remaining stock in small quantities (as above), stirring continuously until liquid is absorbed before adding more.
• After about 10 minutes, add diced yellow bell pepper. Continue to cook. When the rice becomes creamy and the grains al dente, add cheeses, and stir well. Add cream, parsley, and adjust seasonings.

RAVIOLI NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• Set the pasta dough aside covered with a damp towel for about 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, Parmesan, ham, mozzarella, salt and pepper, and stir to thoroughly combine. Roll out the pasta dough into a 1/8-inch thick sheet and place mounds of about 2 tablespoons of the filling equally spaced along half of the dough. Fold the dough over to cover the mounds, and cut around each mound of filling using a 3-inch cookie cutter, press the edges firmly to seal and pressing to release as much of the trapped air as possible. Crimp the edges, if desired. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet or large plate, covered with plastic wrap or a lightly damp towel, and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to overnight.
• Fill a large pot with water and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Drain briefly on paper towels, then transfer to shallow bowls and serve, with a heaping 1/4 cup of the warmed tomato sauce spooned over the top and garnished with chopped basil and Parmesan.
• Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until a ball is formed. Continue to pulse for 1 minute and remove from the processor. Continue to knead by hand for 5 minutes before forming into a tight ball and covering with a damp towel.

RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE

Steps:

• Heat butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Add shallots and saute over medium heat until soft but not brown. Stir in rice and cook for several minutes, until the rice is well coated with butter.
• Place the stock in another saucepan and keep it simmering.
• Dissolve the saffron in a little of the stock in a small dish and stir into the rice.
• Then, stirring the rice constantly, add the simmering stock, about one-half cup at a time, adding additional stock every few minutes as the rice absorbs it. After about 25 minutes, the rice should have absorbed most of the stock and be "al dente" and cohere in a creamy mass. Do not overcook the rice. Season to taste.
• Serve at once with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

NEAPOLITAN CHEESECAKE (TORTA DI RICOTTA ALLA NAPOLETANA)

Steps:

• Filling: bring a medium pot of water to a boil; add salt and farro; cook until the farro is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Drain well and set aside to cool.
• Combine the cooled farro, dried cherries, raisins, Marsala, and cinnamon in a bowl; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Dough: combine the butter and powdered sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until well combined, about 2 minutes.
• Add the flour and mix on low speed until combined.
• Turn the mixer to med-high speed and beat until the dough is soft and smooth, about 6 minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°; butter the bottoms and sides of a 10-inch springform pan.
• Wrap the outside of the pan with 2 squares of heavy-duty foil.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle.
• Transfer it to the prepared pan and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• Place the pan in the freezer for 5 minutes to allow the dough to firm up.
• Cut a 12-inch circle of parchment and place it on top of the dough; to weigh it down, cover the paper with 2 cups dried beans.
• Bake the crust for 7 minutes.
• Remove the beans and parchment, and bake until the crust is dry and golden brown, about 12 minutes.
• While the crust is baking, combine the ricotta, cream cheese, and mascarpone in a clean mixer bowl and mix on low with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until well combined.
• Add the sugar and mix for 2 minutes; add the eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and heavy cream, turn the mixer to med and mix for another 2 minutes.
• Bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil in a pot or large kettle.
• Remove the springform pan from the oven and place it in a roasting pan; lower the oven temperature to 275°.
• Spread half the cheese mixture evenly into the crust; spread half of the fruit mixture over the cheese and drizzle the liquid from the bowl over the fruit.
• Spread the remaining cheese mixture evenly over the fruit, and sprinkle with the remaining fruit.
• Place the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to came about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes; increase oven temperature to 300° and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Increase heat to 325° and bake until the cake is set around the edges but a little loose in the middle, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the springform pan from the water bath; carefully remove and discard the foil, and set the pan on a wire rack.
• Run a sharp paring knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the sides of the cake, and let cool to room temperature before removing the cake from the pan, slicing, and serving.
• The cheesecake is best served on the day it is made.