Recipes

Recipes from the Italian Wine Tasting, April 15th

 ...ingredients marked in bold are available at Benz...

Flatbread Pizza with Fig, Prosciutto & Arugula

½ lb Prosciutto

16 oz baby arugula

¼ lb Parmigiano-Reggiano

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

Cracked black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Fleur de Sel sea salt

Olive Oil Dough (recipe below)

Fig Spread (recipe below)

________________________________

Martha Stewart Olive Oil Dough

2 ½ cups flour

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup cold water

¾ tsp coarse salt

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl with a fork, then turn out onto a surface and knead until silky, about 1 minute. Cover dough in plastic wrap, and let rest 30 minutes.

Martha Stewart Fig Spread

10 oz dried Mission figs

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

dash of dark rum (optional)

In a medium saucepan, combine figs with sugar and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until most of liquid has evaporated and figs are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, about 10-15 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a food processor; add lemon juice. Puree until smooth (add up to 1/4 cup additional water, if needed, to thin to desired consistency). Store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.

________________________________

Preheat oven to 375º.

Coat the back of a cookie sheet with nonstick spray, then dust with flour. Roll out dough to fit the back of the sheet, trimming excess. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on a cutting board. When cool, cover the flatbread with half of the fig spread. Cover with arugula. Tear prosciutto into pieces, and scatter amongst arugula. Using a vegetable peeler, slice off shards of parmigiano, then sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Cut into squares, and carefully transfer to a serving platter.

Tiramisu

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• ¾ cup strong hot coffee
• 3 tablespoons Tia Maria (coffee liqueur)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup dry Marsala or tawny port
• 1 cup mascarpone
• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 10 Italian ladyfingers
• 1 box diSarrono cookies
• 1 bar Lindt dark chocolate

Stir together coffee, 1 tablespoon sugar, and Tia Maria in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then cool.

Beat egg yolks, Marsala or port, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone and cream cheese until just combined.

Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.

Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

Rigatoni al Forno

1 package Rao’s Rigatoni

1 jar San Marzano Arribiatta Sauce

1 package Cucina Viva Mozzarella

½ lb pancetta, diced

1 quantity béchamel (recipe below)

Béchamel sauce

2 ½  tsps butter

¼ cup flour

1 cup milk

1 bay leaf

pinch of nutmeg

Heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the milk. Add the bay leaf, return to heat and simmer, stirring often until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and cool. Discard bay leaf.

Preheat oven to 375°

Cook diced pancetta in a frying pan until crisp, and drain on paper towels.

Cut mozzarella into quarter-inch slices.

Coat a 9 1/2 by 11 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Cook the rigatoni in salted water according to package directions, subtracting 3-4 minutes from cook time. You want the pasta to be almost al dente—it will finish cooking in the sauce in the oven. In a large bowl, mix pasta sauce with cooked pancetta, and mix. Add drained pasta to the bowl and toss to coat. Pour into prepared pan. Add béchamel, and swirl the sauce through pasta. Cover the pan with tin foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and layer the cheese across the surface. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until cheese becomes brown and bubbly.

Savory Rosemary & Parmigiano Biscotti (recipe adapted from Wine Bar Food)

1 cup flour, plus extra for dusting and rolling

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tbsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tbsp sugar

3 large eggs

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided

1 cup Marcona almonds, roughly chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, or ½ tsp dried

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, and add to the butter mixture bit by bit, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Add the ¼ cup of cheese, almonds, and rosemary. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. The dough will be very sticky, so place in the freezer to firm, about 2 ½ hours.

Tear off two pieces of waxed paper, about 9 by 11 inches. Coat each piece with nonstick spray, then dust with flour. With floured hands, divide the dough into two pieces, and shape by rolling the dough up into the wax paper, gently squeezing with each turn, eventually shaping it into a ten inch long and 1 ½ inch wide log. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight (and up to a month).

Preheat the oven to 350°

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Bake the logs until light brown and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer logs to a cutting board and cut into ½ inch slices. Return to the oven for 15 minutes, then flip and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely.

Caramelized Onion & Chickpea Spread

(recipe from Wine Bar Food)

8 tbsp butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 ½ tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

½ cup vin santo or tawny port

2 15oz cans chickpeas, drained

1 teaspoon truffle oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

Melt half of the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and coo, stirring occasionally until well caramelized, around 45 minutes. Add the capers and vin santo or tawny port and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Transfer to a food processor and add the chickpeas and truffle oil. Puree into a paste. Add the remaining butter and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.