Salsa Rustica With Egg And Pancetta Recipes

PASTA RUSTICA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towel; cut or break into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Discard bacon drippings from skillet; add oil. Cook onions in oil over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper, parsley, garlic and pepper flakes; cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and reserved bacon; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in olives and oregano; simmer 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, if desired.
• Drain pasta; toss with sauce and cheese. Transfer to serving plates and serve with additional cheese, if desired.

SALSA RUSTICA WITH EGG AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, slip in the eggs, and cook for 9 minutes. Cool and peel, then chop, grate, or push through a spider-I prefer the eggs to be pretty chunky. In a medium bowl, season the eggs with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Warm a small skillet over medium-low heat, add the cooking oil, then the pancetta, and cook until it's the way you like it: soft, crispy, or in between. Drain and set aside both the pancetta and the fat.
• Add the pancetta, garlic, parsley, olive oil, and a pinch of salt to the chopped eggs. Mix well, taste, and consider adding a tablespoon more of the olive oil or a tablespoon of the reserved pancetta fat. Spread everywhere, as if it were good news, which it is.
• More good news, this from the salty sea: Replace the pancetta with 8 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped or pounded to a paste. Keep the eggs in there, or don't.

PARMESAN CRISPS WITH PANCETTA AND ROMA TOMATO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl combine Parmesan, paprika, and freshly ground black pepper.
• On a parchment lined cookie sheet, add the Parmesan mixture in 2 tablespoon dots, 2 inches apart.
• Place in preheated oven and cook until cheese melts.
• Remove from oven and when cheese is cool enough to handle but still moldable, remove and form into small taco type shells
• In a small saute pan cook pancetta until crispy, remove and let cool. When cool, crumble with your hands.
• In a small bowl add tomatoes, basil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil, and toss gently to combine.
• Add tomato mixture to Parmesan crisps and top with pancetta.

SPINACH AND PANCETTA STRATA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a bowl. Add the onion to the pan drippings in the same skillet and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the spinach and garlic. Saute over medium-low heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, nutmeg, and the cooked pancetta.
• Place half of the bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bread, then top with half of the spinach mixture. Repeat layering.
• Whisk the milk, eggs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over the strata. Chill the strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake strata uncovered until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

BABY FRISéE WITH POACHED EGG AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and pancetta to a skillet; cook over medium heat until pancetta is crisp.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta to paper towels to drain; set aside.
• Make salad dressing: combine the olive oil, vinegars, garlic, shallot, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
• Poach the eggs: use your preferred method or as follows-bring enough water to cover whole (unshelled) eggs to boil in a small saucepan; gently lower eggs into boiling water.
• Let them boil only for 30 seconds, then carefully remove them (this preliminary cooking serves to set the whites a bit and makes the eggs much easier to handle).
• Bring the 5 cups water and cider vinegar to a simmer in a deep skillet.
• Gently crack each egg and open it directly over the simmering water.
• Let the egg gently slide into the water; spoon simmering water over the eggs if they are not completely submerged.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and cover for 4-5 minutes; assemble salad during this time.
• To make 6 individual servings: place 1 head of frisée on each plate and spoon the dressing on top.
• When poached eggs are ready, with a slotted spoon lift them out of the water and onto a kitchen towel to drain.
• Carefully place the drained eggs on the dressed frisées.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper; scatter pancetta over the eggs.
• Garnish each plate with freshly made crostini; serve immediately.

RUSTIC ROASTED TOMATO SALSA (SALSA DE MOLCAJETE)

Steps:

• Set a small skillet over medium heat. Lay the chilis and garlic in the skillet and dry-roast until soft and blotchy black in spots, about 10 minutes for the chilis, about 15 minutes for the garlic.
• While the chilis and garlic are roasting, scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water. Shake off the excess water and pour into a medium bowl.
• Pull the stems off the roasted chilis and peel the papery skins off the garlic. Scoop them into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Add the tomatoes, with their juice, re-cover and pulse a few more times, until the mixture is as coarse or smooth as you want your salsa to be.
• Pour the tomato mixture into the bowl with the onion. Add the cilantro and stir thoroughly. Thin with a little water, if necessary, to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. Taste and season with the lime juice or vinegar, if using, and salt, usually about ½ teaspoons If not using within an hour or two, cover and refrigerate.
• Note: If you're not planning to use the salsa within a few hours, wait until you're ready to serve to add the onions and cilantro.
• Using fresh tomatoes:.
• Roast 4 medium to large tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered, close up under a hot broiler until blistered and blackened in spots, then flip them over and roast the other side. Peel off the skin, chop them and use them in the salsa.

TORTA RUSTICA WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Alternatively, mix together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, then add butter, working the pieces into the flour with your hands, squeezing and pinching them until the mixture looks like oatmeal.
• Add egg, egg white and lemon zest, and pulse after each addition. If working by hand, whisk together egg, egg white and lemon zest in a separate bowl, then mix into the butter mixture. Slowly add iced wine, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse or mix by hand until the dough just comes together. You may not need all the liquid. The dough should be moist, but not wet.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather and press it into a ball. Divide into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other, and shape into disks. Wrap the disks tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Make the filling: If your ricotta seems watery, put it in a sieve and let it drain while you cook the spinach.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and a large pinch of salt, and continue to cook until spinach is very dry, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. If any liquid accumulates as the spinach sits, pour it out of the bowl (you don't want it to water down the ricotta).
• In a food processor, purée drained ricotta and eggs until just combined and smooth. Add to the bowl with the spinach and fold in mozzarella, pecorino, ham (if using), parsley, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, red-pepper flakes and nutmeg. Set aside when rolling out dough (or chill for up to 4 hours).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger pastry dough disk to a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch springform pan, pressing the dough up the sides of the pan. Scrape filling into crust and spread evenly. Roll out second pastry disk to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut 1/2-inch-wide strips and weave into a lattice on top of the filling. Seal, trim and crimp the edges. Brush the top of the torta with the egg wash.
• Place torta on sheet pan and bake until crust is crisp and brown, and filling is firm, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before serving.

EGGS, CARAMELIZED ONION, AND PANCETTA ON PITAS

Steps:

• Cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer pancetta with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, reserving remaining fat. Add onions to skillet with salt and pepper to taste and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and adding some of reserved fat if onions are sticking, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Divide pitas, cut sides up, between 2 shallow baking pans and brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven until golden and slightly crisp, about 7 minutes.
• Remove 1 pan of pitas from oven and set aside. Top remaining pitas with onions (about 1/2 cup each), covering pitas. Form a well (with sides about 1/2 inch high) in center of onions to hold egg. Crack an egg into each and bake in middle of oven until whites are set, about 12 minutes. If desired, reheat plain pita toasts in oven until hot. Top eggs with pancetta and bake until yolks are cooked to desired doneness, about 3 to 5 minutes more. Top eggs with pitas to make sandwiches and cut into wedges if desired.

RUSTICA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add the rotini and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic in the hot oil until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes; stir in the parsley and cook another 30 seconds; remove from heat immediately and spoon over the drained pasta; season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese.