About Pancetta with Recipes for Pasta with Squash, Arugula, and Pancetta & Pasta with Pork in Garlic-Wine Sauce (Ιταλική Πανσέτα με Ζυμαρικά)

Alaska has been having a cold snap.

I imagine many of you thinking, “So what else is new?” Even though Alaskans expect and are used to cold weather, the last couple weeks really have been colder than usual. To see what cold weather looks like, check out Marc Lester's lovely photo-essay showing Southcentral Alaska’s chilly wonderland.

Hearty food, including pasta, is a good antidote for cold weather blues. One of my favorite ways to boost the flavor of winter pasta sauces is adding pancetta (cured Italian pork belly). Only a small amount of pancetta is needed improve the taste of savory sauces (a corollary to the principle that everything tastes better with bacon).

Salumi's hand-crafted pancetta

Pancetta is often sold in packages of very thinly cut pre-sliced meat. Although I use pre-sliced pancetta in a pinch, I mostly buy pancetta direct from the deli counter. I ask for either a chunk of pancetta, which I hand slice and dice at home, or have the deli staff cut the pancetta into slices the thickness of regular bacon. With thicker slices, eaters enjoy bursts of pancetta flavor when devouring the sauce; thinner slices tend to melt into the other flavors.

I was recently at Seattle’s Metropolitan Market where I bought several pounds of hand-crafted pancetta from Salumi Artisan-Cured Meats. This is far and away the best pancetta I’ve ever eaten; Salumi’s hand-rolled pancetta is meaty, with superior texture and flavor. Although more expensive than pre-sliced pancetta, Salumi’s product is well worth the price, and may be ordered online.

Two delicious pasta sauces that benefit from pancetta are Pasta with Squash, Arugula, and Pancetta and Pasta with Pork in Garlic-Wine Sauce. Either is just right for even the coldest winter day.

Pasta with Squash, Arugula, and Pancetta
Serves 4
Inspired by Cookthink
If using artisan-cured pancetta, it may be quite salty, so be careful not to over-salt the other components of the dish.

Squash:
1 small Kabocha, butternut, or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 3/4” chunks (4 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Pancetta and Onions:
3 thick slices pancetta, cut in 1/2” dice (1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups diced onion, 1/2” dice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
2 Tbsp. minced fresh sage

Pasta:
1/2 pound casarecci or similarly shaped pasta
4 cups arugula, cleaned and roughly chopped
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Make the Squash: Preheat the oven to 515°F. On a baking sheet with rims, toss the squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Put the squash in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 475°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the squash cubes halfway though, until the squash is cooked through and lightly browned.

Put a large pot of salted water on a burner over high heat.

Make the Onions and Pancetta: Sauté the pancetta in olive oil until it begins to brown. Stir in the onions and freshly ground black pepper, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and sauté until the onions soften. If the onions start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water. When the onions are lightly browned, stir in the garlic and sage and keep warm over very low heat.

Make the Pasta: Add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, put the arugula in a large bowl. When the pasta is done, remove 1 cup of pasta cooking water, drain the pasta well, and put the drained pasta on top of the arugula in the bowl. Add the roasted squash and cooked onions to the bowl and toss all the ingredients well. If the dish is too dry, add as much of the pasta cooking water as necessary (usually 1/4 - 1/2 cup). Taste and add freshly ground black pepper or salt, as needed.

Serve sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Pasta with Pork in Garlic-Wine Sauce
Serves 4
Spruce vinegar and salt-cured spruce buds add interesting highlights to the sauce, but aren’t necessary to the success of the dish. If you’re among the 99.99% of people who don’t have either ingredient, red wine vinegar and capers work equally well. For capers, I prefer the taste of salt-cured; when I can’t find salt-cured, I use capers in brine. If using artisan-cured pancetta or salt-cured capers, they may be quite salty, so be careful not to over-salt. Bacon may be substituted for pancetta; it adds a pleasant smoky flavor.

Sauce:
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), cut in 3/4” dice
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed
1 Tbsp. spruce vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 thick slices pancetta, cut in 1/4” dice (1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion, 1/8” dice
1/4 cup sun-dried or regular tomato paste
1 Tbsp. salt-cured spruce buds or capers, well-rinsed and minced
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 cups chicken stock

Pasta:
1/2 pound gemelli or similarly shaped pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Mix the pork, garlic, peppercorns, and vinegar and let marinate at least 1 hour (overnight is fine).

Sauté the pancetta in olive oil until it begins to brown. Add the pork mixture and cook until the pork is browned on all sides. Stir in the onion, using the moisture in the onions to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the onions soften and begin to turn golden. Stir in the tomato paste until it is thoroughly combined. Mix in the wine and cook until it is reduced by half. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 40 - 45 minutes, until the sauce slightly thickens. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and toss it with the pork sauce. Serve sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

The road we live on

Recipe: Beet and Red Pepper Salad (Παντζάρια Σαλάτα με Κόκκινες Πιπεριές)

Beet and Red Pepper Salad tastes really good. It’s easy to make and looks beautiful on the plate. Try it with feta cheese and olives for a light lunch or savory appetizer.

Beet and Red Pepper Salad (Παντζάρια Σαλάτα με Κόκκινες Πιπεριές)
Serves 4

Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has moved as of March 2011. To read this post please go to


http://www.laurieconstantino.com/beet-red-pepper-salad/


Please click on over and visit my new site. Thank you!

Sisterhood is Powerful with Recipe for Wine and Garlic Braised Short Ribs (Μοσχάρι Κρασάτο με Σκόρδο)

Seattle was wonderful; it was sunny and warm (at least by this Alaskan’s definition). Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and green was the dominant color outdoors.

Alaska, in contrast, remains white and brown. It’s a lot browner now than when I left. The snow berms lining the roads have begun to melt, exposing winter’s accumulation of dirt and debris.

Every day I was in Seattle, my sister and I took Josie and Rudy, her black labs, to the dog park. Every breed of dog, from Mexican hairless to mutt, was there. Running and smelling and licking and chasing and swimming and fetching, the dogs were in their element. Just entering the park is enough to lighten one’s mood. The dogs’ unrestrained enthusiasm is infectious.

Of course, we also went ingredient shopping. My mother had sent a newspaper story about Big John’s Pacific Food Importers, a Seattle wholesale/retail company that specializes in Mediterranean foods. Although Big John’s is a little tricky to find, it was worth the trip.

Big John’s has an exciting selection of ingredients at reasonable prices. For example, I bought a kilo of Italian salted capers for under $16 (in Alaska, a 3 ounce jar of salted capers costs nearly $10). Because I didn’t have much baggage space, I passed on buying olives, olive oils, or any of Big John’s 125 cheeses, opting instead for dried fava beans (koukia), harissa, shelled pistachios, herbs, and spices. I’ll definitely go back to Big John’s next time I’m in Seattle.

The best part of the trip was cooking with my sister. I’ve already written about our Kale and Myzithra Crostini. Another evening we made Wine and Garlic Braised Short Ribs and thoroughly enjoyed its meltingly tender texture and rich sauce.

Wine and Garlic Braised Short Ribs (Μοσχάρι Κρασάτο με Σκόρδο)
Serves 4
The wine is essential to the braising liquid's rich flavor, so be sure to use a bottle you'd be willing to drink. Better yet, buy two bottles of the same wine: one for the recipe and one for the table. I usually leave the cooked vegetables in the braising liquid when I serve this, and sometimes add 3 Tbsp. tomato paste along with the beef stock. For a more refined presentation, strain out the vegetables, pressing as much liquid out as is possible, and whisk in 2 Tbsp. cold butter after reducing the liquid and just before serving. Serve with hilopites (egg noodles), mashed potatoes, or polenta.

2 1/2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs (or other stew meat), cut into 2” – 3” chunks
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cups diced onion, 1/2” dice (1 large)
3/4 cup diced carrots, 1/2” dice (1 large)
3/4 cup diced celery, 1/2” dice (2 stalks)
2 large heads garlic, broken into cloves and peeled (2/3 cup)
750 ml. hearty red wine (1 bottle)
1 Tbsp. minced rosemary or 1 Tbsp. dried thyme, crushed
4 cups beef stock
1/4 cup minced parsley

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Season the short ribs with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and brown the short ribs well on all sides. Don’t stint on browning the ribs, as doing so adds important flavor to the braise. Remove the ribs to a plate. Discard all but 2 Tbsp. of fat.

In the same pan, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until the onions soften and start to turn golden. As the vegetables cook, use their moisture to help scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the wine, bring to a medium boil, and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the rosemary and beef stock and bring to a boil. Add the browned ribs and all of their juices to the pot. Cover and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beef is very tender. (The recipe can be made ahead to this point.)

Remove the ribs to a plate. If you are making this ahead, refrigerate the braising liquid and ribs separately. Remove and discard as much fat as possible from the braising liquid. Bring the braising liquid to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until the sauce is nearly the thickness you desire. Add the ribs and cook until they are heated through.

Sprinkle with the minced parsley and serve immediately.

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This is my entry for St. Paddy's Day Pub Crawl 2008 hosted by Sugar Plum Sweets.

Recipe: Kale and Myzithra Crostini (Χόρτα και Μυζήθρα Κροστίνι)

Before I left Alaska to fly south, we'd had days of snow followed by a windstorm. After wind packed down the snow, it warmed up and started raining. Rain on top of hard-packed snow turns into glare ice.

When the plane landed in Seattle, it was 50°F and the sun was shining. Crocuses and other early bloomers stood proud against the dark soil. A first blush of pink cherry blossoms lit up leafless branches. Dog walkers were everywhere; half weren’t wearing coats. Spring is racing to arrive in the Pacific Northwest.

At Whole Foods, the entryway was brimming with a colorful explosion of locally grown tulips and daffodils. A women and her daughter debated which was better: yellow tulips with red stripes or red tulips with yellow stripes.

Whole Foods’ produce section is always amusing; mountains of glowing vegetables spread out in every direction. Luckily, I’m staying with my sister, who has a fully equipped kitchen.


We were drawn to the crinkled, darkly green leaves of Lacinato kale and decided to turn it into crostini for that night’s dinner. Giant, first-of-the year, frost-kissed artichokes were also too good to pass up. We opted to pair the artichokes with garlicky aioli and grilled pork and fennel sausages.

As we picked out kale, we decided to use it for a crostini topping seasoned with garlic, hot peppers, and dried currants. Then we passed the cheese counter. My sister snagged a chunk of myzithra, a semi-dried Greek sheep cheese that would add the crowning touch to kale crostini.

Back at home, I destemmed kale, while my sister minced garlic. I remembered how fun it is to cook with her and how much I enjoy my rare opportunities to do so. She has finely tuned taste buds and excellent kitchen skills, the two ingredients most necessary for good cooks.

A healthy dose of garlic in the crostini topping bound the robust kale, spicy peppers, and salty cheese together. The finished kale mix was something I’d enjoy for dinner, on its own, any day of the week.

Kale and Myzithra Crostini made a savory and unusual vegetarian appetizer. They were delicious hot, and retained their full flavor when served two hours later at room temperature.

Kale and Myzithra Crostini (Χόρτα και Μυζήθρα Κροστίνι)
Makes 16 crostini

1 bunch of kale or other greens, cleaned and stemmed (1 1/2 cups blanched and chopped)
4 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. sambal oelek or sriracha (fresh chili paste)
3 Tbsp. dried currants
1/2 cup sliced and crumbled myzithra or ricotta salata cheese
16 slices of baguette, 1/2” thick

Blanch the kale in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, or until it is tender (older greens may take longer). Drain and squeeze out excess water. Roughly chop the kale.

Over medium heat, sauté the garlic, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chili paste and kale, and stir to coat the kale with oil. Stir in the currants and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, adding a little water if the greens seem too dry. Turn off the heat and stir in the myzithra. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Lightly toast the slices of baguette, and top each one with a large spoonful of kale mix. Serve hot or at room temperature.