In Emilia-Romagna the first course is the one not-to-be-missed part of a meal. When not eating pasta, everyone has soup, risotto or a vegetable dish. Italians sometimes skip an antipasto or forego a second dish, but rarely will they give up their first course.
Many of these dishes make much of little and come from peasant beginnings. For instance, Reggio has a tart made with greens gathered from the hillsides. Modenese laborers had a soup of beans, potatoes and cabbage to celebrate Christmas Eve. Out on the Po plain a risotto of locally grown rice was cooked with more local red wine than meat-based broth.
Today in Emilia-Romagna these dishes often become meals unto themselves because of hectic lives and lighter eating. A century ago for the poor, many of these dishes were one-dish meals because there was nothing more to eat.
At the other end of the spectrum are the first courses of the wealthy. These were and still are taste-teasers. Light soups like Almond Spice Broth and “Little” Spring Soup from the 17th Century were the palate fresheners on tables laden with more elaborate banquet food than anyone could finish. Rice of the Princes, Domed Rice with Pigeon, and Nino Bergese’s Risotto all began on those same banquet tables.
For the farmers of the time a feast was a bowl of beans and pasta. Today these crosses between soups and stews are still enthusiastically eaten in the region. They are included in this chapter because they are more about vegetables than pasta. Flour for pasta was expensive and used sparingly. Beans and legumes grew in the garden and could be cooked any number of ways.
Another outgrowth of the peasant tradition are dishes centering on one vegetable. Oven-Glazed Porcini and Paola Cavazzini’s Eggplant Torte are elegant dishes today, but they come from a time when a single vegetable in its seasonal prime was used not only for its good taste, but because it was easily had.
Eat these dishes as in Emilia-Romagna, serving several, one after the other. Or let them stand on their own, eaten after an antipasto and followed by fruit or dessert.
Three hungry gentlemen wearing wigs of state eye a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in this mid-20th century advertisement. Coating the cheese in black ash and crushed grape seed was discontinued in the 1950s and 1960s.
Il Collectionista, Milan
Risotto in Bianco
It is mesmerizing to watch women create this risotto with the instincts that come from years of practice. The finish is the best part, when big handfuls of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese are folded into the risotto. Nothing happens for a few moments. Then, as the cheese warms, its fragrance fills the room.
The white in the title comes not only from the color of the rice but also from the dish’s classic simplicity. No saffron, tomatoes, vegetables, or meats are used. The risotto depends on a homemade stock and a good Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Renditions of this risotto are made throughout Emilia-Romagna. They illustrate the innate restraint of the region’s foods, in the seamless blending of subtle but distinctive ingredients.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish]
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
8 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
2 cups (14 ounces) imported Superfino Arborio or Roma rice (see Note)
1/3 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or ¼ cup heavy cream
2/3 to 1 cup (3 to 4 ounces) freshly grated Italian
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: Risotto is best cooked just before serving. The cooking time can be cut slightly by sautéing the onion several hours ahead. Cool, cover, and set aside at room temperature. Once the onion is reheated and the stock is bubbling, cooking the rice takes no more than 15 to 20 minutes.
Making the Onion Base: Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy 5- to 6-quart casserole over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook slowly 8 minutes, or until very soft and clear, but not browned.
Cooking the Risotto: Warm shallow soup plates in a low oven. Bring the stock to a gentle bubble over medium heat. Using a wooden spatula, stir the rice into the onions over medium heat. Use broad strokes, sweeping the rice up from the bottom of the pot. Cook 3 minutes, or until it looks chalky and you can see a white dot in the center of each grain. Keeping the heat at medium, stir in the wine and keep stirring as it is absorbed by the rice. Then start stirring in the stock, 1 cup at a time. Each cup must be absorbed before the next is added. Stir the risotto to prevent sticking, pulling it down from the pot’s sides and folding the top to the bottom as you go.
Once 6 cups have been absorbed, add the stock in ½-cup portions and start tasting the rice. A good risotto is tender but still a little firm to the bite—never mushy. Some prefer risotto creamier than others, but it is never soupy or dry. Risotto has flow and movement, yet enough substance to be mounded on a soupspoon.
Finishing and Serving: Take the risotto off the heat when the rice still has a little more resistance than you would like. Season with salt and pepper. The next step not only finishes seasoning the rice but completes its cooking. Fold in the butter or cream and the cheese, keeping the mixture light. Taste again for salt and pepper, adding more if necessary. Once everything is blended in, let the risotto rest a moment or two. The rice will swell a little as it absorbs the final flavorings. Spoon the risotto into heated soup dishes, and serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A white Gavi dei Gavi from the Piedmont or Tuscany’s Montecarlo.
Menu: If the risotto is a main dish, the Salad of Tart Greens with Prosciutto and Warm Balsamic Dressing is a fine prelude. For dessert, Ugo Falavigna’s Apple Cream Tart is ideal. For a rich and elegant finish, have Frozen Chocolate Pistachio Cream with Hot Chocolate Marsala Sauce. A fuller menu has the risotto followed by Pan-Roasted Quail, Lemon Roast Veal with Rosemary, or Maria Bertuzzi’s Lemon Chicken.
Cook’s Notes Parmigiano-Reggiano: See A guide to Ingredients for information on selecting a fine cheese.
Arborio and Roma Rice: Find these imported Italian rices in Italian grocery and specialty foods stores. Arborio will be more available than Roma.
Rice in Parma
Many believe Emilia-Romagna’s rice dishes were always made with rice imported from neighboring Lombardy and the Piedmont. But Parma food historian Guglielmo Capacchi explains that rice was grown in what is now Parma province as far back as the 1400s. After city dwellers claimed their water supply was ruined by the rice’s standing water, and local millers objected to the diversion of water from their mills to the rice fields, rice growing was banned on Parma’s plain in 1542.
Rice’s availability from nearby areas and the strong Spanish connections of the Farnese dukes (Parma’s ruling family from 1545 to 1731), made rice dishes a permanent part of Parma’s repertoire. Rice still grows in Emilia-Romagna around the village of Rolo in Reggio province, with the fields stretching into neighboring Modena province. The baked Modena Rice Pudding found in Desserts is from that area. In Parma, the Superfino Roma rice of Reggio and Modena is often used in risottos instead of Arborio.
Risotto Mantecato
Risotto Mantecato is an unforgettable dish. Its big golden and brown tastes meld into each other like the colors of an old Italian still-life. Rich sweet onion and meaty stock flavor the rice, which in turn is gilded with spoonfuls of a Marsala-flavored sauce. This dish is a cook’s reward for having Meat Essences and Poultry/Meat Stock on hand. The risotto was created by the now-deceased Nino Bergese, chef to Italian nobility and co-founder of Imola’s Ristorante San Domenico. Although it requires some advance preparation, the final dish needs only a few extra minutes more than a usual risotto.
[Serves 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish.]
Onion Base
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
Water as needed
Sauce and Risotto
2 cups Meat Essences
¼ cup dry red wine
¼ to 1/3 cup dry Marsala
7 to 9 cups Poultry/Meat Stock
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2½ cups (17 ounces) imported Superfino Arborio or Roma rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
About ½ cup freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method Working Ahead: The onion base can be cooked and puréed up to 3 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Season the Meat Essences about 1 hour before serving; set aside, covered, at room temperature.
Making the Onion Base: This slow cooking must be done over very low heat. Use a flame-tamer if necessary. Combine the butter, olive oil, onion, and salt in a heavy medium-size skillet. Cover and cook over low heat 3 hours, stirring occasionally and making sure the onions are not coloring. They go from white and crisp to moist and almost transparent. Do not rush or shortcut this step; it gives the onions the deep sweetness important to the risotto’s foundation.
Uncover and continue cooking the onions over low heat another 2 hours, or until caramelized to the color of a copper penny. They will have a rich aroma and taste almost sugary. Run a wooden spatula under the onions frequently to keep them from sticking and to bring up the brown glaze from the bottom of the skillet. Let the onions cool. Then transfer them to a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Add a few spoonfuls of water if necessary.
Making the Sauce: Combine the Meat Essences and red wine in a 1½-quart heavy nonaluminum saucepan. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, or until reduced to about ¾ cup. Add ¼ cup Marsala, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. The sauce should be deeply flavored, robust, with a touch of sweetness. Add more Marsala if necessary. Set aside.
Cooking the Risotto: Have shallow soup dishes heating in a low oven. Heat the 7 to 9 cups of stock to a gentle simmer. Heat the 1½ tablespoons butter in a 5-quart heavy casserole over medium heat. Stir in the onion base and heat through. Stir in the rice with a wooden spatula, and cook a few minutes, or until it looks chalky. Keeping the heat at medium, stir in the wine. Keep stirring to prevent sticking as it is absorbed. Then start blending in the stock, 1 cup at a time. Each cup must be absorbed before the next is added. Stir the risotto to keep it from sticking, pulling it down from the pot’s sides and folding the top to the bottom as you go. Once 6 cups have been absorbed, add the stock in ½-cup portions and start tasting the rice. Risotto is tender but still firm to the bite, never mushy. The ideal consistency differs slightly from one cook to the next—some prefer their risotto creamier than others—but it always has flow and movement. It is never soupy or dry. Bergese’s risotto needs enough substance to be mounded on a soupspoon.
Finishing and Serving: Take the risotto off the heat when the rice still has a little more resistance than you would like. Fold in the 2 tablespoons butter and the cheese, keeping the mixture light. Taste for salt and pepper. Once everything is blended in, let the risotto rest a moment or two. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Mound the risotto in the center of the heated soup plates. Using the side of a wooden spoon, make five grooves, like the spokes of a wheel, down the sides of each mound. Drizzle each serving with about 1½ tablespoons of the sauce. Serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, a Tuscan Carmignano, or a Barbera d’Asti.
Menu: For a full menu, serve before Giovanna’s Wine-Basted Rabbit, Lemon Roast Veal with Rosemary, or Erminia’s Pan-Crisped Chicken. As a first course, a lighter menu, begin with Fresh Pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar and close the meal with Strawberries in Red Wine or Capacchi’s Blazing Chestnuts.
Cook’s Notes Although the success of this dish depends on two time-consuming recipes, both Meat Essences and Poultry/Meat Stock freeze well.
How a Chef’s Mind Works
Bergese fine-tuned the elements of each ingredient in this risotto. He used essentially the same components as Classic White Risotto, but each is pushed to its limits. The onions’ sweetness is concentrated into a caramelized marmalade by hours of cooking. Meaty stock is simmered with even more meat into the complex meat essence. Red wine and Marsala season the essence before it sauces the finished risotto. Poultry/Meat Stock’s full flavor is cooked into the rice, while the white wine’s acidity takes on new importance, giving needed contrast to the mellow flavors. Mantecato (from mantecare, to pound into a paste or to make creamy) in a risotto means the folding in of butter and cheese at the end of cooking to give the rice an extra creaminess. In Bergese’s dish it is another element, building up like a musical crescendo to the final moment when a spoonful of the Marsala-flavored sauce is spooned over the mound of risotto.
Risotto of Red Wine and Rosemary
Risotto al Barbera
This simple risotto often begins winter game dinners in Emilia-Romagna. Use a Barbera, a Barolo, or a big Zinfandel for cooking and drinking.
[Serves 4 to 5 as a first course, 3 as a main dish]
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small to medium onion, minced
1 large California bay laurel leaf
Two 2-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
5 to 6 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
2 cups (14 ounces) imported Superfino Arborio or Roma rice
2½ cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method Working Ahead: Although the rice should be cooked just before dining, the onion and herbs can be sautéed several hours in advance. Set them aside, covered, until ready to cook the rice. Allow yourself about 20 to 25 minutes to finish the risotto.
Making the Flavor Base: Heat the butter or oil in a heavy 5-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bay leaf, and rosemary. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and cook 15 minutes, or until the onion is soft and clear, not browned. Stir occasionally and check for browning.
Cooking the Rice: Have soup dishes warming in a low oven. Bring the stock to a gentle bubble. Uncover the onions and raise the heat to medium. Add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula, 3 minutes, or until it looks chalky and a white dot appears in the center of each kernel. Stir 1 cup of the wine into the rice. Keep stirring as the wine bubbles and is slowly absorbed by the rice. Sweep the spatula over the bottom and sides of the pot to keep the rice from sticking. Add the rest of the wine and stir until it is absorbed.
Now blend in 1 cup of the stock until it is absorbed. Keep adding cupfuls of stock, stirring and folding in each addition, until you have used about 4 cups. Taste the rice. It should have a suggestion of tenderness but still some crunch. Now add stock in ½-cup portions, cooking until the rice is just a shade too firm. If it is very thick and stiff, thin it to a creamy consistency with another ¼ cup of stock. Take it off the heat.
Finishing and Serving: Fold the 2 tablespoons of butter and ½ cup of the cheese into the risotto with a big folding motion that protects the grains from being crushed. Keep folding until the butter has melted. Season the rice with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into the heated soup dishes, and serve immediately. Pass the rest of the cheese separately.
Suggestions
Wine: Serve the same wine used to make the risotto: a Barbera or Barolo from the Piedmont, or a big California Zinfandel.
Menu: Have the risotto in small quantities before Pan-Roasted Quail, Christmas Capon, or Rabbit Dukes of Modena. Serve it as a main course after Spring Salad with Hazelnuts. Fresh pears and Sweet Cornmeal Biscuits make a fine finish.
Risotto alla Piacenza
We rarely think of ragù with risotto, yet it is a favorite combination throughout much of northern Italy. Often the ragù is prepared as the flavor base of the risotto and cooked into it. But in this Piacenza dish the ragù is made separately and layered into the finished risotto on its serving platter. I prefer this approach, since the ragù can be prepared well in advance. And it is particularly colorful, with the rice tinted golden by saffron and set off by the deep russets of the ragù. No doubt the saffron is evidence of influence from Piacenza’s neighbor to the north, Milan. Saffron is one of the hallmarks of the famous Risotto alla Milanese.
[Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish]
1 recipe Country-Style Ragù
About 10 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
½ teaspoon saffron threads
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
3½ cups (1½ pounds) imported Superfino Arborio or Roma rice
¾ cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: The ragù can be stored, covered, 3 days in the refrigerator, and freezes well up to 1 month. The risotto is best cooked and eaten right away. But the onion can be sautéed several hours in advance; cover and keep at room temperature. The risotto will take about 20 minutes to cook.
Making the Base: Place a large platter and soup dishes in a low oven to warm. Have the ragù heating up in a saucepan over medium heat; keep covered. Pour all but 1 cup of the stock into a saucepan, and bring it to a gentle bubble. Dissolve the saffron in the reserved cup of stock. Heat the butter in a heavy 5- to 6-quart casserole over medium heat. Add the onion and slowly sauté until it is soft and clear, about 10 minutes.
Cooking the Risotto: Add the rice and stir over medium heat 3 minutes, or until a small white dot appears in the center of the kernels. Stir in the wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until it is absorbed by the rice. Blend in the saffron-flavored stock, stirring frequently until it is absorbed by the rice. Add the remaining stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring each addition until it is absorbed. Never cover the pot.
After about 6 cups of stock have been added, taste the rice. The risotto is ready when the rice is tender but still has a pleasant firmness that slightly resists the bite. As the risotto gets close to this stage, add the stock in ½-cup amounts. Keep tasting. Finally, make sure the risotto is creamy, not dry. If necessary, stir in another ½ cup of stock once the rice is done. Remove the pot from the heat and fold in ½ cup of the cheese. Taste for salt and pepper. Let the risotto rest 2 or 3 minutes as you remove the serving platter and soup dishes from the oven. Make sure the ragù is hot.
Serving: Spread half the risotto on the platter. Top it with half the ragù and a sprinkling of about 3 tablespoons of cheese. Then add the remaining risotto, ragù, and another 3 tablespoons cheese. Serve hot. Pass the remaining cheese separately.
Suggestions Wine: Pour a Gutturnio from Piacenza or a Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva. From other parts of Italy, drink a Tuscan Chianti Classico, a Barbera from Lombardy, or the Piedmont’s Barbera d’Asti or d’Alba.
Menu: Serve the risotto as a main dish, beginning with the Platter of Cured Meats and Marinated Baby Onions or Spring Salad with Hazelnuts. Following a Piacenza theme, the cured meats could be solely a fine coppa. Serve Salad of Mixed Greens and Fennel after the risotto if you are not having a salad antipasto. Nonna’s Jam Tart or Capacchi’s Blazing Chestnuts is a typical family-style dessert.
Risotto of Baby Artichokes and Peas
Risotto Carciofi e Piselli
Artichokes and peas are a favorite springtime combination throughout Italy. They make this risotto substantial enough to be a main dish. Sometimes no bigger than a Brussels sprout, the artichokes for this recipe come from the bottom of the plant and have no coarse choke in their centers. New peas have such fresh flavors that cooks in Emilia-Romagna often sweeten spring risotti with the pods as well as the pea.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish]
2½ pounds (24 to 35) baby artichokes (see Note)
½ lemon
Juice of 2 large lemons
1½ quarts cold water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
2½ cups freshly shelled sweet peas or frozen tiny peas, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large clove garlic, minced
7 to 8 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
2 cups (14 ounces) imported Superfino Arborio or Roma rice
Handful of pea pods (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 to 1½ cups (4 to 6 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: Although the risotto is best made just before serving, its base can be prepared several hours ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Allow about 20 minutes to finish the risotto.
Preparing the Artichokes: Break off the dark green outer leaves until you reach leaves that are yellow-green at their base. With a small sharp knife, trim away any dark green stubs around the base of the artichokes. Keep rubbing the cut areas with the lemon half to avoid darkening. Then cut off and discard the top half of the remaining leaves. You now have artichoke hearts. Cut half the artichoke hearts into quarters. Thinly slice the other half. Drop both into separate bowls of lemon water created by combining the lemon juice and cold water.
Making the Base: In a heavy 5- to 6-quart pot, heat the 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in the onions with a wooden spatula. Soften and sweeten them by turning the heat to medium-low, covering the pot, and cooking 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pat dry the sliced artichokes. Uncover the pot and add the sliced artichoke hearts. If you are using fresh peas, add 1 cup now. Sprinkle the mixture lightly with salt and pepper, turn the heat up to medium, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently with the wooden spatula. The artichoke pieces will be tinged with gold.
If you are using frozen peas, add 1 cup now. Then stir in the garlic and ½ cup of the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot securely, and cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes, or until the artichokes are soft. Stir to keep from sticking. While the artichokes are cooking, bring the remaining stock to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low so the stock bubbles occasionally, and keep partially covered.
Cooking the Risotto: Warm soup plates in a low oven. Pat dry the quartered artichokes. Once the artichokes have softened, stir in the quartered pieces and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes, or until it looks chalky and you can see a white dot in the center of each grain. Now add about 1 cup of the simmering stock to the pot, along with the pea pods if you are using them. Stir over medium heat until the stock is absorbed. The stock should bubble gently once it has settled into the rice. Add another cup of stock and repeat the process, stirring with the spatula to prevent sticking. Lower the heat if necessary.
If you are using fresh peas, stir in the remaining 1½ cups after you have added about 3 or 4 cups of stock. Once the rice has absorbed about 6 cups of stock, start adding the stock in ½-cup increments. Perfect risotto is moist, creamy, and pleasantly tender, but is still firm enough to resist a little when bitten. A dry risotto can be moistened with a little extra stock.
Finishing and Serving: When the rice is tender but still a little firm, fold in the remaining frozen peas if you are using them. Taste the rice for salt and pepper. Then remove the pot from the heat (pluck out the pea pods at this point), and fold in the 1½ tablespoons butter and the cheese. Keep the risotto light and avoid crushing the rice by scooping down to the bottom of the pot and up with a big circular motion. Keep folding until the butter has melted and is thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Spoon the creamy risotto into the heated soup dishes, and serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A white Trebbiano Val Trebbia from Piacenza or a Trebbiano d’Abruzzo.
Menu: Serve in small quantities followed by Erminia’s Pan-Crisped Chicken, Green Beans Bolognese, and Ugo Falavigna’s Apple Cream Tart. For lighter dining, begin with Fresh Pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar. Serve the risotto as a main course, and finish with the tart.
Cook’s Notes Using Large Artichokes: Follow the same procedure of breaking off the dark green leaves until you reach the pale green inner leaves. Trim away the top two thirds of the inner leaves. Quarter the hearts and cut away the fuzzy choke. Then cut half the artichoke hearts into eighths and thinly slice the remainder. Keep in lemon water as described.
Peas: One 10-ounce package of frozen tiny peas yields 2½ cups.
Traditional Variation: Stir 2 ounces chopped Prosciutto di Parma into the risotto with the butter and cheese.
Riso Mantecato al Mascarpone, Uvetta, Pinoli, e Cannella
Technically this is not a risotto, as all the liquid is added at once and the rice is cooked covered. A blend of past and present created by Ferrara chef Sergio Ferrarini, this rice, with its nuts and spice, is served on a bed of roasted greens and topped with marscapone. Tart and sweet, crunchy and smooth, cool and hot play on the palate with wonderful sensuality. Dolloping a little mascarpone on each serving gives a rich and satiny finish to the dish.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course]
16 escarole or curly endive lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried
8 Boston lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup raisins
½ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
2 generous cups (1 pound) imported Superfino Arborio or Roma rice
1 scant cup (4 ounces) pine nuts, toasted
Pinch of ground cloves
1 quart Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
1 cup (about 4 ounces) freshly grated Italian
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Generous pinch of ground cinnamon
1 cup (about 4 ounces) mascarpone cheese
Method Working Ahead: Although the rice is best made just before serving, the sautéed onion base and roasted lettuce can be prepared several hours ahead and held at room temperature. Allow the lettuce to cool, and keep at room temperature.
Roasting the Lettuce: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange half the lettuce leaves on it without overlapping. Sprinkle lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 10 or 15 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and golden brown. Carefully lift the foil off the baking sheet without disturbing the leaves. Set it aside. Spread another sheet of foil on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining leaves.
Making the Flavor Base: Soak the raisins in the wine about 30 minutes. In a heavy 5-quart pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté 8 minutes, or until soft and golden.
Cooking the Rice: Have dinner plates warming in the oven. Stir the rice into the pot and sauté 3 minutes, or until it looks chalky. Drain the wine from the raisins into the rice (reserve the raisins). Stir over medium heat, 5 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the wine. Stir in the raisins, pine nuts, ground cloves, generous sprinklings of salt and pepper, and all of the stock. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and then turn it to low. Cover the pot tightly, and cook 18 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender but still has a little bite in the center.
Serving: When the rice is done, remove it from the heat and fold in the Parmigiano and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper. Fan out a cluster of three roasted lettuce leaves (two escarole or curly endive and one Boston) on each heated plate, with the leaf bases in the center of the dish. Cover the bases with mounds of rice. Top each serving with generous spoonfuls of the mascarpone, and serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A dry Albana di Romagna, Trebbiano from Emilia-Romagna, or Tocai from Friuli’s Colli Goriziano or Colli Orientali.
Menu: Weave through the region’s culinary history by following the rice with Rabbit Dukes of Modena or Christmas Capon. Offer a dessert of Marie Louise’s Crescents served with Romagna’s dessert wine, Albana Amabile, or Malvasia delle Lipari from Sicily.
Cook’s Notes Pine Nuts: Pine nuts spoil easily, so always taste for a sweet fresh flavor before buying. Store them in the freezer.
At Table with the Princes
In 1988 Ferrara celebrated her golden age in an exposition, “At Table with the Princes,” which centered on the court of the Este dukes from the 14th through the 16th centuries. Chef Sergio Ferrarini re-created the foods of the period in a restaurant set up within the walls of the Este Castle. Most of the dishes were inspired by Christofaro di Messisbugo, the 16th-century cookbook author. This was not simply a matter of developing recipes with modern ingredients. Ferrarini worked with a team of scholars. Agricultural historians, botanists, and farmers strived to re-create foodstuffs of the 16th century. Researchers discovered how food was cooked, served, and eaten in the period, detailing the original utensils, table settings, and decorations.
Thanks to their work, it is now possible to stand in the frescoed halls of Ferrara’s Este Castle and bring to life a court banquet of the era. At the head table, the Este and honored guests could have been scooping up a rice dish similar to this one, with spoons made of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. Sweet wine was sipped from tall Venetian glasses, so fragile and blown into such delicate shapes, it is remarkable how the ones exhibited at the exposition could have survived to this day. Everyone probably remarked on the novelty of rice, this exotic food from Spain and the East.
Messisbugo’s many recipes reveal few rice dishes. Most of them suggest using rice or farro (spelt or emmer), a word used to describe the several ancient wheat grains known to the Romans and still used in central Italy. No doubt these dishes were made with farro until the Arab invasion of Sicily and Spain introduced the cultivation of rice to Europe during the Middle Ages. By the mid-15th century, rice paddies were flooding the Po plain northwest of Ferrara. Still, rice seems to have been more an exotic than a staple in the dukes’ kitchens. This recipe blends ingredients and techniques from three of Messisbugo’s dishes: Turkish Rice, Sicilian Rice, and Rice with Egg Yolks and Cheese. He never mentions risotto, nor the risotto technique of cooking rice by first sautéing it and then stirring in small quantities of liquid until the rice is creamy and tender. Instead, rice is added to a sauté of flavorings along with all the liquid. Chef Ferrarini’s touch of roasted greens gives a tart balance to the rice’s sweet overtones and stays true to the flavor combinations of the period. However, he eliminated the pound or more of sugar required by the original recipes (even though these were savory, not dessert dishes). Duplicating the cultures and airborne microbes that produced the cheeses of centuries ago is a study in frustration, but mascarpone may come close to the fresh fat cheese Messisbugo calls for.
Risotto della Vigilia di Natale
A sauté of beef and cabbage simmers in a risotto of tomato and wine. Carrot and onion browned with fresh sage and a hint of garlic boost the flavors of this country dish. Breaking Christmas Eve’s meatless vigil with this one-dish feast was the tradition in the farmhouses of Imola’s countryside.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish]
About 4 cups water
3 ounces lean salt pork, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces lean beef chuck, cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
1 small stalk celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
1 medium to large onion, coarsely chopped
3 large fresh sage leaves, or 3 large dried sage leaves
1 medium head Savoy cabbage (about 1 pound), halved, cored, and coarsely chopped
3 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
2 cups water
1¼ cups (8½ ounces) imported Superfino Arborio or Roma rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup Winter Tomato Sauce, or 1 cup canned tomatoes with their liquid and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method Working Ahead: The risotto is best cooked just before serving, but its base can be prepared several hours ahead. Refrigerate the browned beef. The sautéed vegetables can be held up to 3 hours at room temperature in their covered pot.
Blanching the Salt Pork: Bring the water to a boil, drop in the salt pork, and boil about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse, and pat dry.
Making the Base: In a heavy 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the salt pork and cook slowly 8 minutes, or until it has given up much of its fat and turned golden brown. Remove the pork bits with a slotted spoon, and reserve. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons of the fat. Turn the heat to high and add the beef. Quickly brown 8 minutes, or until dark and crusty on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon, and reserve. Stir the carrot, celery, onion, and sage into the pot, and cook over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown. Add the cabbage, and stir frequently over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes, or until wilted.
Cooking the Rice: Warm shallow soup dishes in a low oven. Bring the stock and 2 cups of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the rice to the vegetable mixture, and stir over medium heat about 2 minutes. Blend in the wine and garlic and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, 5 minutes, or until the wine has been absorbed. Then add the tomato sauce or canned tomatoes and basil, along with the reserved salt pork and beef, and cook another 5 minutes, stirring to keep from sticking.
Keep the heat at about medium so the mixture simmers. Add 1 cup of the stock mixture and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Repeat, stirring in 1 cup at a time, until the rice is still a little too firm to be eaten. Then start adding the liquid in ¼-cup quantities until the rice has only slightly more bite than you would like.
Finishing and Serving: The risotto’s consistency should be like a thick soup. Fold in about 2/3 cup of the cheese, remove from the heat, and season with salt and pepper. Let the risotto rest, uncovered, 5 minutes. Mound the risotto in the heated soup dishes and serve, passing the remaining cheese separately.
Suggestions Wine: A young Sangiovese di Romagna, a soft Dolcetto d’Alba from the Piedmont, or a Salice Salentino Rosso of Apulia.
Menu: The risotto makes a substantial main dish after the Salad of Tart Greens with Prosciutto and Warm Balsamic Dressing. Finish the meal with Baked Pears with Fresh Grape Syrup and a platter of Sweet Cornmeal Biscuits.
Dome of Rice Stuffed with Braised Pigeon
Bomba di Riso
Both Piacenza and Parma claim this dish as their own, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries when both provinces were a single duchy ruled by the Farnese family. Bomba di Riso was a favorite ducal dish. Eaten as a first course on festive occasions, it is especially popular during Advent and after Christmas. In the United States, serve it as a main dish on New Year’s Eve or for special dinners. If pigeon or squab is unavailable, duck makes a good substitute.
[Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish]
Braised Pigeon
2½ to 3 pounds pigeon or squab (4 to 5 birds), or one 5- to 6-pound duckling
1 large California bay laurel leaf
1½ cups dry white wine
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1 small carrot, minced
1 small stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 cup canned tomatoes with their liquid
2 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
Rice
9 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
¼ cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups (21 ounces) imported Superfino Arborio or Roma rice
3 eggs, beaten
1½ cups (6 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup dried bread crumbs
Garnish
Lemon leaves or sprigs of fresh bay leaves (optional)
Method Working Ahead: Braising the pigeon, squab, or duck 2 days ahead allows the flavors to mellow. Once the meat is tender, take it from the bones, combine it with the defatted sauce, cover, and refrigerate. The bones could be frozen for use in stock later. Assemble the dish 8 to 10 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Bring it close to room temperature before baking.
Marinating the Pigeon: The night before cooking them, quarter each bird, discarding the skin and any fat in the cavities. In a glass or stainless steel bowl, toss the pieces with the bay leaf, 1½ cups wine, and the garlic. Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you are using duck, trim away all skin and fat, and discard. Cut the duck into eight pieces and combine with the marinade as described above.
Braising the Pigeon: The next day, drain the birds, reserving the marinade. Pat the pieces dry. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy casserole over medium heat. Add the poultry pieces, sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper, and take about 30 minutes to brown them on all sides over medium to medium-low heat. Transfer the browned poultry pieces to a platter, and add the minced vegetables to the pot. (If you are cooking duck, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot before adding the vegetables.) Brown them over medium heat, taking care not to burn the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pot. Return the poultry pieces to the pot, and add half the reserved marinade with the crushed garlic. Bring it to a slow bubble and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes, or until the wine has totally evaporated. Turn the pieces occasionally as the wine cooks away. Repeat with the remaining wine and cook another 15 minutes, or until it is gone.
Stir in the tomatoes and cook another 10 minutes, stirring often. Then add the stock. Bring it to a very gentle bubble, partially cover the pot, and cook about 40 minutes for squab, 1¼ hours for pigeon, and 1½ hours for duck. Whichever poultry is used, the meat must be tender and succulent, but not overcooked or stringy. Cool the poultry in its sauce and discard the bay leaf. Remove the meat from the bones.
Skim as much fat as possible from the sauce, and taste for intensity. Boil the sauce down until it is deeply flavored, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the meat pieces, cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat before filling the rice mold.
Cooking the Rice: Set a strainer over a large bowl. Bring the stock and the ¼ cup wine to a boil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the rice, cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Strain the rice, reserving the stock for another use. Turn the rice into a bowl, and once it has cooled to warm, blend in the eggs and cheese.
Assembling the Bomba: Slather a 9½-cup stainless steel bowl or dome mold with the 2 tablespoons butter, and then coat it with the bread crumbs. Pat a ½-inch-thick layer of rice over the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the bowl. Add half the warmed pigeon meat and its sauce. Cover with enough rice so you cannot see the meat. Build the rice up to the bowl’s edge. Spoon in the remaining pigeon. Cover it with the rest of the rice, sealing and patting it with the back of a large spoon or metal spatula so that the rice is compact. Cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil.
Baking and Serving: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the mold 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until heated through. Test by inserting a tester or knife into the center and checking it for warmth. Unmold the rice by setting a large round platter atop the bowl and then, using pot holders, flipping it over so the mold rests on the plate. Tap the bowl’s sides and top, and gently lift it off the rice. Garnish the mold with shiny lemon leaves or small clusters of fresh bay leaves, if desired. Cut into wedges at the table.
Suggestions Wine: A young red Gutturnio from Piacenza, Parma’s Colli di Parma Rosso, a Bolognese Merlot, or a Tuscan Monte Antico, Morellino di Scansano, or Chianti Montalbano.
Menu: For a festive menu, serve in small portions before Christmas Capon, finishing the meal with a green salad and for dessert, Frozen Chocolate Pistachio Cream with Hot Chocolate Marsala Sauce. Serve as a main dish after Priest’s Soup. Have a green salad afterward, and then Marie Louise’s Crescents.
Cook’s Notes Squab and Pigeon: Squab is young pigeon specially raised for the table. Its flesh is lighter colored and milder in flavor than wild pigeon’s. For this dish I prefer wild pigeon, the bird of choice in Piacenza and Parma, because of its bolder character. Both are available through mail-order sources.
Old engraving of Parma
Parma Consulates and the Bomb Scare
Parma is more than a geographic location; it is a state of being. To be a Parmesan is to know you live in the best possible place on earth. Other parts of Italy and even the world may attract, but only Parma nourishes your soul. You are a Parmesan first, then an Italian. Other Italians concede that Parma’s reputation for elegance and refinement, won over the centuries as a center of court, is well founded. Strong links with the courts of Spain, France, and Austria during their respective heydays only add luster to Parma’s aura. With this powerful provincial identity, it is not surprising to discover that Parmesans felt displaced when, after unification, they took up official positions in Italy’s central government in Rome.
According to Dr. Mario Zannoni, Parma scholar and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese expert, it was during the 1890s that the homesick Parmesans in Rome made an important decision: They would create a permanent meeting place where their countrymen could gather, carry on Parma traditions, and share their love of homeland—a Parma consulate. Today Parma consulates exist in many foreign places, among them Romagna and Bologna, both no more than 3 hours away, as well as London and Caracas. A short time after the first Parma consulate opened in Rome, its members found themselves longing for one of their favorite dishes, the Bomba di Riso. This savory rice dish molded into a dome and stuffed with braised pigeon is traditional winter food. By good luck, a friend coming to Rome from Parma was delighted to bring the dish. It was agreed that he would telegraph just before he stepped onto the train so that all the necessary preparations for the feast would be completed when he arrived.
As the train pulled out of the Parma station a message was wired to Rome: “The bomb is on the train. Stop.” Rome’s telegraph office immediately relayed the message to the police. They, in turn, telegraphed Parma’s police: “Stop train, find out what bomb. Stop.” While they waited for a reply, other trains were cleared from the Parma train’s route, Rome’s station was surrounded, and incoming tracks were cordoned off. Armed police waited for the order to close in.
Finally a message came from the Parma police: “Bomb: A typical Parma dish of rice and pigeon. Stop.” I do not know if they ever got to eat the Bomba di Riso that year.
Ferrara’s Soup of the Monastery
Zuppa dei Frati Cappuccini
An old recipe with a fresh contemporary feel. Stories tell of the Capuchin friars of Ferrara creating this tomato and cauliflower soup. The secret of its success is a final sprinkling of fresh rosemary, parsley, and crisp pancetta bits. Cooking away most of the pancetta’s fat keeps the soup light.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish]
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce pancetta, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large cauliflower, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
3 fresh sage leaves, or 3 dried whole sage leaves
3-inch sprig of fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 cups drained canned tomatoes, or 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Garnish
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: The soup can be made 1 day in advance. Take care not to overcook the cauliflower so that it keeps some of its crispness in reheating. Cool the cooked soup to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate. Garnish just before serving.
Making the Flavor Base: Heat the olive oil and pancetta in a large pot. Cook over medium heat, 8 minutes, or until the pancetta is golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove and reserve the pancetta. Spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons oil from the pot. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the onion, cauliflower, parsley, and herbs. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula, 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onion is a deep golden brown and the cauliflower has browned too. Remove the herbs if they threaten to burn. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes, and boil about 5 minutes.
Cooking and Serving: Have soup dishes and a tureen warming in a low oven. Pour the stock into the pot and simmer 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender-crisp. Sprinkle the soup with the vinegar. Transfer it to the tureen, and sprinkle with the garnish of parsley, chopped rosemary, and the reserved pancetta. Serve, passing the Parmigiano-Reggiano separately.
Suggestions Wine: In Ferrara a red Rosso del Bosco is the choice. Otherwise, serve a simple red Refosco from the Friuli region’s Colli Orientali, or a Merlot d’Aprilia from Latium.
Menu: Serve in small quantities before Balsamic Roast Chicken, Artusi’s Delight, or Herbed Seafood Grill. Finish the meal with Meringues of the Dark Lake from Ferrara’s countryside, or Home-Style Jam Cake. Present the soup as a main dish after Spring Salad with Hazelnuts. Make dessert Espresso and Mascarpone Semi-Freddo.
A Ferrara court kitchen in the 16th century, from Libro Novo, by Christofaro di Messisbugo
Il Collectionista, Milan
Zuppa di Aglio Fresco
This cross between a soup and a creamy purée is as healthful as it is delicious. An old Romagna cure for colds, the soup has been fed to babies and the elderly for generations, especially in the hills of Brisighella, the spa town above Faenza.
Don’t be put off by the amount of garlic. The soup is mellow and mild, yet full-flavored. It is one of my favorite dishes—easy to do and substantial enough to make a light supper main dish on its own. (The recipe doubles easily.) If possible, use the fresh garlic of spring and early summer, still green and moist. Special thanks to Gianni Quondamatteo, who shared the traditions of this recipe.
[Serves 4 as a first course or light supper]
Soup
2 heads large-cloved garlic
4 cups water
2 small to medium onions, finely chopped
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium fresh sage leaves, or 6 small dried sage leaves
3½ cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Croutons
Four ½-inch-thick slices good-quality Italian baguette-style bread
2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) shredded Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: The soup comes together quickly once the garlic has been peeled and boiled 10 minutes. This could be done 1 day ahead and the garlic refrigerated in a sealed container. The croutons can be prepared at the same time, then wrapped and stored at room temperature. Rewarm them in a 300°F oven 5 minutes. Make the soup itself, without puréeing, within 2 hours of serving. Reheat to a boil, purée and serve.
Preparing the Garlic: Separate the cloves from each head of garlic, but do not peel them. Bring the water to a rolling boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Drop in the garlic cloves and boil 10 minutes. Drain them in a sieve and peel. If you are using fresh green garlic, do not peel the cloves.
Making the Soup: Return the garlic cloves to the saucepan, and add the onion, olive oil, sage, and stock. Bring to a lively bubble over medium-high heat. Partially cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover, adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles slowly, and cook another 5 minutes.
Making the Croutons: Preheat the broiler. While the soup is simmering, arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Toast them under the broiler 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until the slices are crisp and golden. Set aside a few spoonfuls of the cheese to top the soup. Sprinkle the rest over the bread slices. Slip the baking sheet back under the broiler only a second or two, to melt the cheese but not brown it. Keep warm.
Finishing and Serving: Have four soup dishes warming in a low oven. The garlic cloves will be meltingly soft when the soup finishes cooking. Remove all but 1 sage leaf, and purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Season to taste. Arrange the croutons in the soup dishes, and pour the purée over them. Sprinkle each serving with a few shreds of cheese, and serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A crisp white Sauvignon from Romagna, Emilia, Alto Adige, or Friuli.
Menu: For a simple supper, have Marinated Baby Onions with the Platter of Cured Meats before the soup, and a green salad afterward. Make dessert Paola Bini’s Sweet Ravioli or fresh pears with homemade squaquerone cheese. A more elaborate menu has the soup served in half portions before Lamb with Black Olives. It is also particularly elegant as a prelude to Balsamic Roast Chicken. Finish the menu with Caramelized Almond Tart.
Cornmeal Pasta with Braised Beans
I Gnuchétt
This is lusty winter food from Romagna, best eaten around a fire on an icy evening after a day out-of-doors. The beans are fragrant with a sauce of browned vegetables, sage, and rosemary, while the unusual cornmeal pasta gives a chewy counterpoint.
Today gnuchétt is enjoyed as delicious nostalgia by many Romagnoli. Before World War II it was peasant food. Then, cornmeal stretched expensive wheat flour in the pasta. Sausage and pancetta meant times were good.
[Serves 6 to 7 as a one-dish meal]
Pasta
1½ cups water
2 cups organic stone-ground cornmeal
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ to 3 cups (10 to 12 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred), or more as needed
2 eggs, beaten
Beans
2 cups dried borlotti, pinto, or bolita beans
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 large stalk celery with leaves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
3-inch sprig of fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried whole rosemary leaves
4 large fresh sage leaves, or 4 large dried sage leaves
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 cup water
1 cup well-drained canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound mild Italian sausage (without fennel), cooked (optional)
8 quarts salted water
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded young pecorino (sheep) cheese, such as Canestrato, Lago Monate Pecorino, or Fiore Sardo
Method Working Ahead: The pasta can be made up to 3 days ahead. Dry it at room temperature, turning the pieces several times. The beans can be cooked 1 day before serving. Let them cool before covering and refrigerating.
Making the Dough by Hand: Bring the 1½ cups water to a boil. Combine the cornmeal and salt in a deep bowl. Stir the cornmeal with a long-handled spoon while pouring in the boiling water. Stir 1 minute, then blend in 2½ cups of the flour and the beaten eggs. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it for a few moments. Work in enough additional flour to make an elastic, but not very sticky, dough. Knead 10 minutes, adding another few spoonfuls of flour if needed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
Making the Dough in a Food Processor: Pour the cornmeal and salt into a processor fitted with the steel blade. With it running, add the boiling water and process 30 seconds. Add 2½ cups flour and the beaten eggs. Process until smooth and elastic, adding the remaining ½ cup flour if the dough is too soft or sticky. With or without the additional flour, process 30 seconds, turn the machine off for a minute, then process another 30 seconds. If the dough is still sticky, process in a few extra tablespoons of flour. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
Rolling and Cutting: Have handy several large flat baskets covered with kitchen towels (baking sheets can stand in for the baskets if necessary). Generously flour a large work surface. Roll out all the dough until it is a little less than 1/8 inch thick (gnuchétt is rolled thicker than wheat-flour pasta). Let it dry 15 minutes, and then cut into 1-inch squares. Spread the squares out on the baskets and let them dry at room temperature at least 3 hours. Turn them over after about 12 hours.
Cooking the Beans: Cover the beans with cold water and let them soak overnight in the refrigerator. Or if time is short, cover them with boiling water and let stand 2 hours at room temperature. Either way, drain and rinse the beans before cooking. Then pour them into a 4-quart saucepan and cover with 2 inches of fresh water. Heat until the water bubbles slowly, then partially cover and cook 1½ to 2 hours.
As soon as the beans are cooking, heat the olive oil and pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a wooden spatula, stir in the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, rosemary, and sage. Take 8 to 10 minutes to cook the onions to golden brown, stirring often. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds, and then stir in the 1 cup water. Bring it to a boil and scrape up the brown glaze from the bottom of the pan. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the bean pot, stir in the tomatoes and vinegar, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir the beans frequently, checking for sticking, as they cook at a slow bubble. Keep partially covered.
If you are using the cooked sausage, slice it into ¼-inch-thick rounds and stir them into the beans when they are barely tender (after about 1¼ hours). Continue cooking until the beans are tender, another 15 to 45 minutes. They should have the consistency of a thick soup. Add a little water to the pot if too thick.
Cooking the Pasta and Serving: Have bowls heating in a warm oven, and make sure the beans are hot. Bring the salted water to a fierce boil. Drop in the pasta. If it has dried for several days, count on 23 to 28 minutes of cooking. If fresher, 8 to 13 minutes. It must have bite but not be too hard. Just before draining, spoon about 1/3 cup of the pasta water into the beans. Drain the pasta in a large colander and stir it into the beans. Serve in the bowls, topping each serving with a generous spoonful of cheese. Pass the rest of the cheese separately.
Suggestions Wine: In Romagna I Gnuchétt is accompanied by a simple local red Sangiovese di Romagna. A young Chianti, a Merlot from Lombardy, or a Valpolicella Classico is a good stand-in.
Menu: Gnuchétt needs only a green salad served before or after. Roasted chestnuts or fresh fruit is a traditional dessert. (Romagna custom has everyone dipping hot peeled chestnuts into the red wine.)
Zuppa di Funghi Porcini
This is a big, full-flavored soup, yet it is amazingly light. Dried porcini and cultivated mushrooms replace the fresh porcini used in Parma hill country.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 3 to 4 as a main dish]
½ to 2/3 cup (½ ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
1½ cups hot water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
6 large fresh basil leaves, or ¾ teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
8 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon imported Italian tomato paste
7 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
3 tablespoons dry white wine
6 tablespoons dry Marsala
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Method Working Ahead: The soup can be prepared 1 day ahead, but do not add the Marsala and cream. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Bring it to a gentle bubble before serving, stir in the Marsala and cream, and ladle into bowls.
Preparing the Porcini: If the mushroom pieces are large, rinse them under cold running water to rid them of sand and grit. If the pieces are small, drop them into a bowl of cold water and quickly swish them around; then allow a few seconds for the particles to settle, and scoop the mushrooms out of the water. Repeat several times if the mushrooms are still sandy. Put the rinsed mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the hot water. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes. Then scoop them out of the water and finely chop. Reserve the soaking liquid.
Preparing the Base: Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, basil, parsley, and both mushrooms. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook the mixture 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables will be wilted and aromatic.
Cooking and Serving: Have soup dishes warming in a low oven. Line a strainer with paper towels, and strain the reserved mushroom soaking liquid over the vegetables. Add the ½ cup wine and the tomato paste. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook down, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until reduced by about half. Stir in the stock, and adjust the heat so the soup bubbles very slowly. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Then add the 3 tablespoons wine and simmer for 1 minute.
Stir in the Marsala and cream. Serve right away.
Suggestions Wine: A still, dry Colli di Parma Malvasia or the Friuli region’s Pinot Bianco or Riesling Italico.
Menu: Serve the soup before Christmas Capon or Erminia’s Pan-Crisped Chicken. Hold to the Parma theme with a dessert of Frozen Chocolate Pistachio Cream with Hot Chocolate Marsala Sauce or Marie Louise’s Crescents. For lighter dining, serve Spring Salad with Hazelnuts before having the soup as a main dish.
Cook’s Notes For information on buying porcini, see A guide to Ingredients.
Minestra del Prete
Savory croutons are cut from a baked pudding of cheese, butter, and egg. They float in this simple and genteel soup, the mainstay of a century’s worth of special dinners in Bologna, Ferrara and Modena. Imperial Soup is the soup’s most common name. You will see the label on the big baked squares of golden croutons ready-made and displayed in the windows of Bologna’s food shops. My friend Riccardo Rimondi shared this recipe. He thinks it is more delicious than the Imperial version—certainly worthy of a priest’s dinner.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course]
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 eggs
¾ cup (3 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred)
Generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
1½ cups (6 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: The croutons can be baked and diced up to 3 months ahead. Dry the diced croutons at room temperature 3 days, then freeze them in a well-sealed plastic bag. Drop the defrosted croutons into the boiling stock just before bringing the soup to the table.
Making the Croutons: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch square or round cake pan with the 1 tablespoon butter. In a bowl, whisk the eggs into a froth. Beat in the ¾ cup cheese and the melted butter. Using a spatula, lightly fold in the flour and seasonings until just blended. Spread the batter in the baking pan, and bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted near the middle comes out clean. A film of bubbly butter forms over the cake and is absorbed as the cake cools. Once the cake has cooled, cut it into ½-inch dice, and spread the croutons out on a platter to dry.
Serving the Soup: Have soup dishes, and a tureen if desired, warming in a low oven. Bring the stock to a lively bubble in a 4-quart saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Drop in the croutons, and turn the soup into a tureen or ladle it into the soup dishes. Pass the Parmigiano-Reggiano separately.
Suggestions Wine: A young white Pinot Bianco Colli Bolognesi or a Pinot Bianco from Friuli.
Menu: Small bowls of the soup are excellent before roasted, grilled, or braised meats and poultry, such as Maria Bertuzzi’s Lemon Chicken or Rabbit Roasted with Sweet Fennel. For dessert, have fresh pears and grapes with Sweet Cornmeal Biscuits.
Cook’s Notes Variation with Mortadella: Mortadella and extra cheese baked into the croutons takes the soup from delicate to robust. Whisk 4 eggs to a froth. Beat in 1¼ cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, and 2 ounces ground mortadella. Finally, fold in 3 tablespoons semolina flour. Bake, cool, and finish the recipe as described above.
Thumb Pasta and Tomato Braised Beans Piacenza Style
Pisaréi e Fasô
Pisaréi e Fasô is a proud peasant tradition in Piacenza. Pisaréi are little coils of chewy pasta made by a press and flick of the thumb. The bread crumbs in the pasta give it a pleasant graininess. Stirred into the braised beans (the fasô), the pisaréi become a one-dish meal. On fast days, the stew is made meatless with an extra spoonful of olive oil standing in for the pancetta. Pisaréi e fasô is good party food. Double this recipe and serve it at a buffet.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish]
Pasta
1 cup water
2 cups dried bread crumbs
4 cups (16 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred)
2 eggs
10 tablespoons water
Beans
2 cups dried borlotti, bolita, pinto, or Great Northern beans
8 fresh sage leaves, or 8 dried whole sage leaves
Two 3-inch sprigs of fresh rosemary, or 1¼ teaspoons dried rosemary
Sauce
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces pancetta or fat from Prosciutto di Parma, chopped
1 medium and 1 large onion, minced
4 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons imported Italian tomato paste
Two 14- to 16-ounce cans tomatoes with their liquid
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups water
Assembly
8 quarts salted water
2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: This dish comes together very easily, especially if each of its components is prepared ahead. The tomato sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator. The pasta can be blended and shaped 24 hours before cooking. Turn the pieces over after 8 to 12 hours of drying. The beans can also be cooked 1 day ahead. After cooling them, cover and store in the refrigerator. Allow about 30 minutes before serving for cooking the pasta, reheating the sauce and beans, and combining them all together. Leftover Pisaréi e Fasô reheats successfully.
Making the Dough by Hand: Bring the 1 cup water to a boil. Pour the bread crumbs into a bowl and add the boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Mound the flour on a work surface. Using a wooden spoon, make a well in the mound that looks like a volcano crater. Add the eggs, 10 tablespoons water, and soaked bread crumbs to the well. Blend them together with a wooden spoon. Then gradually stir in the flour by making shallow scrapings along the walls of the well and incorporating the flour into the liquids. Use a pastry scraper to catch any liquids that might escape from the flour crater. Once the mixture becomes a rough dough, knead it by hand 10 minutes, or until elastic. It should be quite stiff and not very sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Making the Dough in a Food Processor: Bring the 1 cup water to a boil. Pour the bread crumbs into a bowl and add the boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes.
In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the eggs, 10 tablespoons water, and the soaked bread crumbs. Blend about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour in the flour through the feed tube. Process about 30 seconds. The dough should be stiff and just a little sticky. Let the dough rest about 30 seconds, and then process again 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a board and knead 5 minutes, or until elastic. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest 30 minutes to 2 hours at room temperature.
Shaping the Pisaréi: These little pasta curls are shaped by taking a pea-size piece of dough, pressing it with the tip of the thumb, then pulling the thumb back and up in a quick motion. The dough thins and curls, forming a “C” shape in profile. After you’ve made several pieces, a rhythm will develop and shaping the pisaréi will become automatic. Have handy several large flat baskets lined with kitchen towels for drying the pasta. Take one quarter of the dough (keep the rest wrapped in plastic wrap) and divide it into 10 pieces. Roll out each piece with the flat of your palms to form a long cord ¼ to ½ inch in diameter. Keep the cords covered with plastic wrap. Take out one cord and cut it into pea-size pieces. Use the tip of your thumb to press each piece into the work surface and then pull back and up. It is a flicking motion. Some cooks prefer pushing forward and up. Either way, the pasta will curl. Pisaréi are not elegant-looking. Although every piece should be about the same thickness, they look handmade, with slightly uneven shapes and rough edges. They should be about the same size as the beans they are to be served with. Continue making pisaréi with the remaining dough. Spread them on the baskets without letting the pieces touch.
Cooking the Beans: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pour the dried beans into a bowl, cover them with boiling water, and let stand about 2 hours. Drain the beans and turn them into a 5-quart pot. Sprinkle with the sage and rosemary. Add enough cold water to cover by about 3 inches. Cover and bring to a very slow bubble over medium heat. Adjust the heat so the water bubbles slowly. Cook, covered, 1 hour, or until the beans are just tender enough to eat but not at all mushy. Drain the beans in a colander, and return them to the pot.
Making the Tomato Sauce: While the beans are cooking, heat the olive oil and pancetta or prosciutto fat in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and parsley. Sauté the onions to a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir often. Blend in the garlic, basil, and tomato paste, and cook about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, breaking them up as they go into the pan. Bring to a lively bubble and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Finishing the Beans: Add the tomato sauce and the 3 cups water, and bring the bean/tomato mixture to a gentle bubble. The mixture should bubble very slowly. Partially cover and cook 1½ hours, or until the beans are very tender (but not falling apart), and have the consistency of a thick soup. Stir frequently to check for sticking. Add more water if the mixture threatens to burn.
Cooking the Pasta and Serving: Have a serving bowl and soup dishes warming in a low oven. If necessary, reheat the beans to a slow bubble. Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop in the dried pisaréi and boil 5 to 15 minutes, depending upon how dry they are. Taste for tender yet firm texture with no suggestion of raw flour. Drain in a colander. Pour the beans into the heated serving bowl. Turn the colander full of pisaréi into the bowl and fold the two together, taking care not to break up the pasta. Sprinkle with a few spoonfuls of the cheese, and serve. Pass the rest of the Parmigiano-Reggiano separately.
Suggestions Wine: In Piacenza, local reds like Barbera Colli Piacentini or Gutturnio are served with this dish. From other parts of Italy, try a Piemontese Barbera, Friuli’s Santa Maddalena, or the Valtellina’s Sassella or Inferno.
Menu: Traditionally Pisaréi e Fasô is a one-dish meal, and it works best that way today. Serve with salad, and offer Baked Pears with Fresh Grape Syrup for dessert. Make a buffet dinner with a double recipe. Serve a Platter of Cured Meats and perhaps Balsamic Vegetables. Have the Salad of Mixed Greens and Fennel. Offer fresh fruit, roasted chestnuts, and wedges of Nonna’s Jam Tart for dessert.
Cook’s Notes Variation: Spoon the braised beans over platters of hot Polenta.
“Little” Spring Soup from the 17th Century
Minestrina di Latecchi, Punte di Sparagi, Fondi d’Artichiochi, et Agro di Limoni
This soup comes straight through three centuries from the dining table of Ranuccio Farnese II, Duke of Parma. His cook, Carlo Nascia, combined slivers of asparagus, artichoke bottoms, and spring lettuces in a “good broth of substance.” Beaten egg yolk makes golden threads in the soup. The broth and greens are seasoned with tart lemon juice and sweet pistachios. In all, the soup takes about 10 minutes to cook.
[Serves 4 as a first course]
4½ cups Poultry/Meat Stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
6 ounces thin asparagus
2 large artichokes
1 large lemon, halved
2 egg yolks, beaten
¾ cup chopped heart of Boston lettuce or leaf lettuce
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pistachio nuts
Method Working Ahead: The soup loses its fresh taste and appearance if cooked ahead. But seasoning the stock and preparing the vegetables can be done several hours in advance. Set them aside, covered, at room temperature.
Seasoning the Stock: Pour the stock into a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a slow bubble. Season with salt and pepper, and grate in enough nutmeg to give a hint of its taste. Keep the stock at a slow bubble.
Preparing the Vegetables: While the broth is heating, trim the tough ends from the asparagus. Cut off the tips on the diagonal, then continue cutting the stalks on the diagonal into ¼-inch-thick slices. Prepare one of the artichokes by trimming away any part of the stem that seems tough. Peel the rest of the stem and rub it with one of the lemon halves. Break off all the outer leaves around the base of the artichoke. Using a sharp thin-bladed knife, trim away the dark green leaf stubs until you can see the pale green of the artichoke bottom. Now hold the artichoke upside down, and cut away any dark green around the base. Rub the surface with the lemon. Cut away the top two thirds of the leaves, and scoop out the choke with a spoon. Rub every surface with the lemon. Repeat with the second artichoke. Then cut each bottom into quarters and thinly slice into small chips. Toss with the juice from the lemon half you’ve been using.
Making the Soup: Warm soup dishes, and a tureen if desired, in a low oven. Extract 1 to 1½ tablespoons juice from the other lemon half. Bring the stock to a boil, drop in the artichoke slices, and boil, uncovered, 1½ minutes, or until barely tender. Add the asparagus and boil, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes, or until barely tender. Turn down the heat so the soup simmers gently. Add the yolks to the stock and stir slowly until firm threads are formed. This happens in a matter of seconds. Season with the lemon juice. There should be a distinctive lemony flavor. Ladle the soup into the soup dishes or tureen. Sprinkle with the lettuce and pistachios, and serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: Wines are defeated by the soup’s fresh lemon.
Menu: Because of its lightness, the soup successfully introduces any main dish not flavored with lemon. Serve it as the beginning to a meal built around the Domed Maccheroni Pie of Ferrara or An Unusual Tortellini Pie. It matches the period of both these dishes, and its light body and tartness prepares the palate perfectly for the creamy richness of what is to come.
Cook’s Notes Variation with Cheese: Although Nascia does not suggest it, the addition of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is excellent here. The cheese is a magical addition to soups, especially broth-based ones. Stir the cheese into a bowl of plain broth, and you will experience an explosion of taste. In soups like Nascia’s, Parmigiano-Reggiano accentuates each ingredient without overwhelming any of them. Add 1 tablespoon to each serving.
From the fantasy land of plenty, Cucagna, the Palace of Delicious Tastes, by Bolognese artist Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, 1703
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
Modena’s Spiced Soup of Spinach and Cheese
Minestrina di Spinaci alla Modenese
Fresh spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and prosciutto are an unbeatable combination. In this dish they meet in a homemade broth scented with cinnamon and nutmeg. Strong similarities to the 17th-century soups of Parma’s chef Carlo Nascia suggest that this may have been Modenese court food years ago. Made without eggs, it is a fine opening for elegant but simple menus. You can make the soup in only 10 minutes, with or without egg.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish]
8 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
3 eggs (optional)
2 generous pinches of ground cinnamon
2 generous pinches of freshly ground black pepper
2 generous pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 ounces fresh spinach, well rinsed and cut into thin shreds
1 to 2 ounces Prosciutto di Parma, cut into thin shreds
Salt to taste
Method Working Ahead: Although the soup must be cooked at the last moment, it takes no more than 10 minutes and little effort. You can prepare all the ingredients hours ahead; cover and refrigerate them. The stock could be made months ahead and frozen.
Cooking the Soup with Eggs: Have soup dishes, and a tureen if desired, warming in a low oven. Bring the stock to a slow bubble in a 3-quart saucepan. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the spices and cheese. Stir the mixture into the bubbling stock with a fork, making lacy threads. Taste the soup for seasoning. Drop in the spinach and prosciutto, and immediately pour the soup into the tureen or ladle it into soup dishes, and serve while the spinach is still bright green.
Cooking the Soup Without Eggs: Have soup dishes, and a tureen if desired, warming in a low oven. Bring the stock to a slow bubble in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the spices to the stock, and cook for a few moments. Taste for seasoning. Then stir in the spinach, cheese, and prosciutto, and immediately serve in the soup dishes or tureen, while the spinach is still bright green.
Suggestions Wine: A soft white Trebbiano from the Modena area, Sicily’s young Corvo Colombia Platino, or Müller-Thurgau from Lombardy.
Menu: Do a menu from Modena by following the eggless soup with Giovanna’s Wine-Basted Rabbit or Zampone of the Aristocrats. Make dessert Modena Crumbling Cake with sweet wine. If you are serving the soup as a light main dish, begin with Modena’s Antipasto Castelvetro.
Cook’s Notes Prosciutto: Prosciutto di Parma (see A guide to Ingredients) replaces the robust hams from Modena’s mountains, not yet available in the United States.
Bolognese tavern sign, “The Garden,” 17th century, by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli
Casa di Risparmio, Bologna
Mountain Soup with Garlic Croutons
Zuppa di Cavolo Nero
I first heard of this from Modenese Americans originally from the Modena mountains, now living in Highwood, Illinois. According to Maria Picchietti, Anna Mardini and Sue Bernardi, the soup, a cross between a soup of winter greens and a stew thickened with garlic-scented country bread, had to contain at least seven vegetables. On Christmas Eve there was no meat in the pot, but at other times a little pancetta, some meat broth or a prosciutto bone would find its way into this recipe.
The croutons and olive oil seasoning come from an old recipe from Modena, and hint at Tuscan origins (Tuscany lies on the other side of those high mountains). The region’s unusual black cabbage originally gave the soup its name. Tuscans love sprinkling thick soups with olive oil instead of cheese as a final seasoning at the table, just as this one is seasoned. And thickening dishes with bread is another hallmark of the Tuscan kitchen.
When I asked the Highwood women if they thought the soup might come from Tuscany, they were puzzled. One replied, “It is our cooking, of our home. My mother and her mother made the soup this way, and now I do.” Perhaps only outlanders need labels and borders.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish]
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 medium carrot, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
3-inch sprig of fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried whole rosemary leaves
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into bite-size dice
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ small green cabbage, chopped
Leaves of 1 bunch Swiss chard, or 14 large Romaine lettuce leaves, chopped
½ head black cabbage, or 24 stalks curly endive lettuce, chopped
31/3 cups canned borlotti or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons imported Italian tomato paste
9½ cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Croutons
4 large slices Modena Mountain Bread or other country bread (see Note)
1 large clove garlic, halved
About 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method Working Ahead: The soup mellows nicely if done 2 or 3 days ahead. Make sure it is cool before covering and refrigerating. Croutons hold well for several hours after they are toasted. Reheat them in a 300°F oven before serving with the soup.
Cooking the Soup: In 6- to 8-quart pot heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Blend in the potato, garlic, and greens. Let them melt into the browned vegetables, cooking over medium heat, uncovered, 10 minutes. The greens will wilt and start to sauté. Stir in the beans, tomato paste, and water. Bring to a gentle bubble, partially cover, and cook 40 minutes, or until thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Making the Croutons: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut each bread slice into four pieces. Brush with olive oil, and toast on a cookie sheet, about 3 minutes per side. Remove, cool, and rub both sides of each slice with the split garlic. Rewarm before adding to the soup.
Serving the Soup: Have soup dishes warming in a low oven. Make sure the soup is bubbling. Taste for seasoning. Have about a cup of olive oil in a small pitcher at the table, along with a peppermill. Put two croutons in the bottom of each soup bowl. Ladle the soup over them and serve hot. Encourage everyone to drizzle about ½ tablespoon of olive oil into their soup, and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
Suggestions Wine: A young red Sangiovese di Romagna or from Umbria, a Cabernet Franc from Friuli’s Collio Goriziano or Grave del Friuli areas.
Menu: Make the soup a main dish. A few slices of salami could be its prelude. Follow the soup with Paola Bini’s Sweet Ravioli or Baked Pears with Fresh Grape Syrup.
Bread: If Mountain Bread of Modena is unavailable, use a country-style bread, dense and crusty, made without sugar but with enough bran and whole wheat flour to give it a full, nutty flavor. Farmers’ markets, health food stores and local bakeries are good sources.
Minestrina di Mandorle
An unusual opening to menus from the past or special dinners of today, this delicate infusion of almonds, stock, and spices was inspired by Carlo Nascia, 17th-century cook to the Duke of Parma. This recipe doubles easily.
[Serves 5 to 6 as a first course]
7 cups Poultry/Meat Stock or Quick Stock
1½ cups (6 ounces) blanched almonds
1 large clove garlic
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 generous pinches of freshly grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon
Salt to taste
½ to 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 whole scallions, cut into 1-inch julienne
3 large thin slices Prosciutto di Parma, cut into 1-inch julienne
Method Working Ahead: Start steeping the ground almonds and spices in the stock 1 day ahead. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. If time is short, steep the stock unrefrigerated, at least 45 minutes. Strain it before finishing the recipe.
Making the Infusion: Bring the stock to a lively bubble in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Meanwhile combine the nuts, garlic, pepper, and nutmeg or cinnamon in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Grind to a powder. Stir the almond mixture into the bubbling stock, cover, and remove from the heat. Let steep at room temperature at least 45 minutes.
Finishing and Serving: Strain the stock into a bowl, and then pour it back into the cleaned saucepan. Have small soup bowls, and a tureen if desired, warming in a low oven. Just before serving, bring the stock to a gentle bubble. Add enough salt and lemon juice to satisfy your taste. Sprinkle with the scallions and prosciutto, and ladle into the tureen or soup bowls. Serve immediately.
Suggestions Wine: A flowery white Trebbiano dei Lazio or a delicate Riesling from Bologna or Friuli.
Menu: Serve small bowls of the soup before period dishes such as Christmas Capon, Domed Maccheroni Pie of Ferrara, or An Unusual Tortellini Pie. Finish the menu with chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano and raw fennel, then Strawberries in Red Wine or Frozen Hazelnut Zabaione with Chocolate Marsala Sauce. For a more contemporary menu, have as a prelude to Porcini Veal Chops, Pan-Roasted Quail, or Rabbit Dukes of Modena.
Almond Milk
The foundation of this soup used to be called almond milk. Medieval and Renaissance recipes called for the ground almonds to be infused in hot broth, water, or milk. The naturally sweet liquid held its popularity in many court kitchens well into the 18th century, saucing meats, moistening stews, becoming desserts, or, as in this dish, standing on its own as soup. In Italy during the mid-1600s, soup was not served as it is today. It often appeared in the middle of the meal, presented at the same time as the meats, savory/sweet pies, and sweet tidbits. In recording the banquets he prepared for the Duke of Parma, Carlo Nascia reports menus where soups like this one follow two other courses of over fifteen dishes each.
Porcini al Forno Franco Casalboni
Franco Casalboni, of Ristorante Belvedere in Romagna’s Bertinoro, created this dish at the height of porcini season. Balsamic vinegar, minced radicchio and arugula give this easy gratin great taste.
[Serves 4 as a first course, 2 as a main dish]
½ cup (½ ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
1½ cups hot water
2 large leaves arugula, finely chopped
4 small leaves radicchio, finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced onion
4 to 5 tablespoons (2 to 2½ ounces) unsalted butter
10 to 11 ounces fresh cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced vertically 1/8 to ¼ inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 ounces Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½ to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (artisan-made tradizionale if possible, see Note)
Method Working Ahead: This dish comes together and cooks in almost no time. The mushrooms must be served right after cooking, but the dish can be assembled up to the point of broiling 1½ hours ahead.
Preparing the Porcini: If they are large, rinse the porcini pieces under cold running water to rid them of sand. If the pieces are small, drop them into a bowl of cold water and immediately swish them around. Let any particles settle a few seconds, and then scoop the mushrooms out of the water. Repeat if they seem very sandy. Place the rinsed porcini in a small bowl, and cover with the hot water. The mushrooms will be softened in 20 to 30 minutes.
Assembling the Dish: Combine the arugula, radicchio, and onion in a bowl. Use one third of the butter to slather the bottom and sides of two 13- to 14-inch oval gratin dishes or one large rectangular shallow baking dish made of enameled cast iron. Remove the soaked porcini from their liquid, and coarsely chop. Scatter half the sliced fresh mushrooms over the bottom of the dishes. The mushrooms should not entirely cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle them with half the chopped porcini, onion, arugula, and radicchio. Dot with half the remaining butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make another layer of mushrooms, and top as you did the first.
Broiling and Serving: Preheat the broiler, setting the oven rack so the baking dishes will be as close as possible to the flame. Shave the cheese into large furls with a vegetable peeler. Have the olive oil in one ramekin and the balsamic vinegar in another. Set out the ramekins on the table, along with two serving spoons and heat protectors for the baking dishes. (You present the hot baking dishes at the table, toss the mushrooms with the oil and vinegar, and serve.)
Slip the baking dishes under the broiler and cook 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are sizzling and browning at the edges. During the last minute, spread the cheese shavings over the mushrooms. Broil only until the cheese has melted but is not browned. Immediately present at the table. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and toss. Spoon onto individual dishes. The mushrooms could be served over small triangles of Grilled or Baked Polenta.
Suggestions Wine: A red Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, or Tuscany’s Monte Antico, or Chianti Montalbano.
Menu: The mushrooms make a fine main course after Chicken and Duck Liver Mousse with White Truffles or Tagliatelle with Caramelized Onions and Fresh Herbs.
Cook’s Notes Balsamic Vinegar: If using commercial balsamic, add a generous pinch of dark brown sugar before sprinkling it over the mushrooms. For information on balsamic vinegar, see A guide to Ingredients.
Bertinoro Hospitality
Franco Casalboni and his restaurant carry on a Bertinoro tradition of hospitality. The town crowns a hilltop, and a tall column stands in front of the Renaissance palace that is now Bertinoro’s town hall. Large iron rings attached near its base are the key to its name, the Hospitality Column. Until the last century, each ring was the charge of a Bertinoro family. When a stranger arrived and tied his or her horse to a ring, that family became responsible for the stranger’s care and well-being. Today restaurateurs and local vintners carry out Bertinoro’s tradition to the extent of making guests feel especially welcome and never sending anyone on their way without some form of sustenance.
Paola Cavazzini’s Eggplant Torte
Tortino di Melanzane La Greppia
This is a dish worthy of culinary canonization. Chef Paola Cavazzini of Parma’s Ristorante La Greppia layers rounds of crisp-fried eggplant with two cream sauces, slices of nutty Fontina, a tomato sauce (excellent eaten on its own), and Parma’s famous namesake cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano. From an American point of view, this is the ultimate eggplant Parmesan. Yet that southern Italian dish is unknown in Parma. For Parmesans this tortino, or little cake, is enjoyed as an original, available only at La Greppia. The torte is versatile; serve it hot or warm, as a starter or a main dish.
[Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 as a main dish]
Cheese-and-Egg Cream
3 eggs
¾ cup (3 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup heavy cream
Cooked Cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred)
1 cup milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Assembly
Salt
2½ pounds eggplant, unpeeled, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
About 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred)
2½ cups Winter Tomato Sauce, puréed
6 ounces imported Italian Fontina cheese, thinly sliced
¼ cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method Working Ahead: The components of the torte can be prepared several days ahead, but the dish is at its best assembled no more than about 1 hour before baking. Winter Tomato Sauce can be made months in advance and frozen. Up to 3 days ahead, prepare the two cream sauces, storing them, covered, in the refrigerator. Up to 8 hours before assembling the dish, fry the eggplant, and keep it uncovered at room temperature.
Preparing the Cheese-and-Egg Cream: In a bowl, blend together the 3 eggs, ¾ cup Parmigiano cheese, and ½ cup cream. Cover and refrigerate.
Preparing the Cooked Cream: In a small saucepan, whisk together the 1 tablespoon flour with ¼ cup of the milk until smooth. Use a wooden spatula to stir in the rest of the milk and the /3 cup cream. Heat over medium-high heat until the sauce bubbles gently. Keep stirring while it bubbles, 5 minutes, or until thick enough for you to see the bottom of the pan as you pull the spatula across it. Cool, and season to taste.
Cooking the Eggplant: Early on the day you will be serving the torte, lightly salt the eggplant slices, and arrange them between several layers of paper towels. Weight them with a heavy cutting board at least 4 hours or up to 10 hours. Heat about 1½ inches of olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. The oil should be hot but not smoking. Dredge the eggplant in the flour, shaking off any excess. Fry several slices at a time, 1½ minutes per side, or until golden. Drain on paper towels, gently pressing with additional paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Assembling the Torte: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 2½-quart shallow glass baking dish. Have the tomato sauce, cream sauces, and two cheeses handy. Cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of cooked cream. Arrange half the eggplant slices in a single layer over the cream. Scatter half the Fontina over the eggplant, and slather with half the tomato sauce. Spread half the cheese-and-egg cream over the tomato sauce. Lay the rest of the eggplant over the sauce. Spread it with the remaining Fontina, cheese-and-egg cream, tomato sauce, and finally the remaining cooked cream. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Let the torte stand at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it into small squares. Serve on heated plates.
Suggestions Wine: A soft white like an Arneis from the Piedmont, a Chardonnay from Bologna, the Trentino, or Friuli, or Tuscany’s white Montecarlo.
Menu: Offer in small quantities before Parma dishes like Porcini Veal Chops or Erminia’s Pan-Crisped Chicken. Finish the meal with chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese followed by fresh pears. If serving as a main dish, begin with “Little” Spring Soup from the 17th Century. Serve a green salad after the torte, and finish with either fruit and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Marie Louise’s Crescents.
Will the Real Eggplant Parmesan Please Stand?
No, that great Italian standby, known to most Americans, did not originate in Parma. The casserole of fried eggplant slices baked with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan was born in the southern Italian region of Campania. There it is called Parmigiana di Melanzane (Parmesan of Eggplant), no doubt because expensive Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese imported from the north figures so importantly in its flavorings. I say “no doubt” but must include a fascinating note from Mary Taylor Simeti. In Pomp and Sustenance: 25 Centuries of Sicilian Food, she explains melanzane alla parmigiana is really a mispronunciation. Most Sicilians believe their dish of sliced eggplant layered with tomato sauce and local caciocavallo cheese was originally Melanzane alla Palmigiana. Palmigiana means shutter in Sicilian, and reflects the layered louver-like pattern of eggplant slices. Sicilians have difficulty pronouncing “l,” and so the dish became alla parmigiana.
The Parma dish is Melanzane alla Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmesan), but in the four renditions I have found from Parma, only one calls for the area’s famous cheese. Obviously the name means eggplant as cooked in Parma, not eggplant with Parmesan cheese. Parma food historian Guglielmo Capacchi dashes a local theory that eggplant made its debut in Parma during the 1600s, when ducal cook Carlo Nascia brought it from southern Italy. According to Capacchi, old records tell of eggplant being eaten in Emilia during the 13th century. But the proof gets even better, claims Capacchi. It was recorded in the 14th century that a medical teacher in Bologna, Master Taddeo, stated emphatically to his students the accepted medical fact of the day: Eat eggplant for nine days straight and you will go mad. (Some etymologists believe melanzane derives from “apple [mela] of madness [insano].”) True to the spirit of inquiry, one student performed the experiment. At the end of the ninth day, convinced Taddeo would be amazed, he announced to his teacher and fellow students that he was not mad. Taddeo remained unperturbed, simply commanding his class to write down a new margin note: “The eggplant theory has been tested and is not true.”
One last note on origins: Many assume the purple vegetable came by its English name solely because of shape. But in India, where many historians believe eggplant originated, one species grows as a small oval white vegetable. Small white eggplants are found in Southeast Asian markets, and large white eggplants are often seen in the vegetable stalls of Emilia-Romagna.
Piacenza Peppers Country Style
Rustisana Piacentina
A dish of late summer from the farmhouses of Piacenza, Rustisana was often communal family food, eaten from a shallow pot set in the middle of the table. Some spooned the braising of sweet peppers and tomatoes over toasted bread; others ladled it onto slabs of baked or grilled polenta. Rustisana became a more substantial dish when topped with poached eggs and shavings of local grana cheese. Enjoy it hot or at room temperature.
[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 5 as a main dish]
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium onions, sliced into strips
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch triangles
2 large yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch triangles
1 small clove garlic, minced
8 fresh basil leaves, or 2-inch sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped, or 6 canned plum tomatoes, drained and crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional Accompaniments
3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
8 slices Modena Mountain Bread or other bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic
½ recipe Polenta, baked and sliced
Method Working Ahead: Rustisana can be cooked ahead and held, covered, up to 3 hours at room temperature or as long as 4 days in the refrigerator. It is fine at room temperature or briefly reheated.
Cooking the Peppers: Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook quickly, tossing with two wooden spatulas, 4 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown. Turn the heat up to high if necessary. Stir in the garlic and basil or rosemary, cook a few seconds, and then add the tomatoes. Simmer 3 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and season to taste.
Serving: Spoon into a shallow bowl, and pass with any of the desired accompaniments.
Suggestions Wine: Piacenza’s fresh white Monterosso Val d’Arda, Sicily’s white Rapitalà, or a Pinot Bianco from the Veneto’s Breganze area.
Menu: This is fine outdoor food. Serve before almost any grilled or roasted dish not containing tomatoes, such as Herbed Seafood Grill, Grilled Beef with Balsamic Glaze, or Erminia’s Pan-Crisped Chicken. Follow with Paola Bini’s Potato Salad, and fruit for dessert.
Torta di Carciofi
A melt-in-the-mouth pastry encloses chunks of sautéed artichoke made even more savory by additions of onion, carrot, garlic, basil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. You will discover many renditions of this tart in pastry shop windows throughout the region.
[Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 as a main dish]
Pastry
1½ cups (6 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred)
½ cup (2 ounces) cake flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, or half butter and half lard, chilled
6 to 8 tablespoons cold water
Filling
6 large artichokes
2 large lemons
1½ cups water
1 ounce thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small to medium onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced carrot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon shredded lemon zest
1 large clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves, or 2½ teaspoons dried basil
½ cup water
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¾ to 1 cup (3 to 4 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Glaze
1 egg, beaten
Method Working Ahead: The pastry can be made up to 3 months ahead and frozen. It can be rolled out 24 hours before baking the tart. The filling keeps, covered, in the refrigerator 2 days, but the tart is at its prime when baked and eaten within a day. Rewarm it before serving if possible.
Making the Pastry: Grease a 9- to 10-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Combine the flours, salt, and pepper in a food processor or mixing bowl and blend. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles small peas. Either process a few seconds in the machine, or use a hand-held pastry cutter or two knives. Sprinkle the cold water over the dough. In a processor, use the on/off pulse to blend the dough just until it forms clumps. By hand, toss with a fork to moisten. Do not mix so much that the dough forms a ball—that will toughen it. Using your hands, gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill about 30 minutes. Roll out half the dough to less than 1/8 inch thick, and fit it into the tart pan, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll out the remaining dough to form a large circle of the same thickness. Spread it on a foil-covered baking sheet. Chill both pastry pieces 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Preparing Artichoke Bottoms: Halve both lemons and squeeze the juice of three halves into a medium bowl. Add the water. As you cut the artichokes, keep rubbing the surface with the remaining lemon half to keep them from darkening. Begin by cutting away the stem. Then pull off the leaves, starting at the base and going up halfway. Trim away the leaf stubs around the base until you see the pale green bottom. Turn the artichoke upside down and cut away the dark green from its base. Then cut away the leaves from the top of the artichoke, and scoop out the fuzzy choke with a spoon. Immediately immerse the bottom in the lemon water.
Cooking the Filling: Drain the artichoke bottoms, pat them dry, and cut into bite-size chunks. Heat the pancetta and oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Sauté pancetta 2 to 3 minutes to give up its fat. Then turn the heat to medium-high. Add the artichoke pieces and sauté, uncovered, 4 minutes, or until they begin to color. Stir in the onion, carrot, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula, 4 minutes, or until the onion has browned and the artichokes are golden.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the lemon zest, garlic, and basil, and cook 30 seconds. Add the water and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cover and simmer over low heat 3 to 4 minutes, or until the artichokes are slightly softened. Uncover and cook down the juices 1 minute, or until they form a moist glaze on the bottom of the skillet. The artichokes should still be a bit crisp. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. When they are cool, season them to taste with lemon juice.
Assembling and Baking the Tart: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Spread the filling in the tart pan. Sprinkle it liberally with the cheese, and top with the sheet of dough, pressing the edges together. Fold the overhanging pastry over toward the tart’s center, and crimp into a zigzag shape. Brush the crust with the beaten egg, and pierce with a fork. Bake in the lower third of the oven 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F and bake another 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot or warm.
Suggestions Wine: Artichokes and wine are not a happy marriage.
Menu: For a light menu, have as a main dish after Salad of Tart Greens with Prosciutto and Warm Balsamic Dressing. Follow it with Espresso and Mascarpone Semi-Freddo or Strawberries in Red Wine. For picnics, serve the tart, then pieces of cold Erminia’s Pan-Crisped Chicken with Paola Bini’s Potato Salad. Fresh berries make a fine dessert.
Reggio’s Tart of Garden Greens
Erbazzone Reggiano
This big round tart of crisp pastry and sautéed greens is a favorite snack in Reggio. There you will see shoppers eating Erbazzone as street food from folded paper napkins. This version is tastier than most because a little of the onion, pancetta, and garlic are held back from the filling sauté and added just before baking.
Years ago, Erbazzone was an entire meal for a peasant family, marking the first green leaves of spring and the last signs of green before winter set in. When the filling is wrapped in big turnovers of pastry and deep-fried, it becomes Erbazzone Fritto. Many Reggiani claim the true Erbazzone must contain ricotta. When made without ricotta, some call the tart Scarpazzoun.
[Serves 10 to 12 as a first course or snack, 6 to 8 as a main dish]
Crazy Dough
2 cups (8 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred)
½ cup (2 ounces) cake flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons high-quality lard, or 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter and 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, chilled
7 to 10 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon olive oil for pan
Filling
5 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, minced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 medium-large onions, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2½ pounds fresh spinach, beet greens, or Swiss chard leaves, or a blend, cooked until barely wilted, squeezed dry, and chopped
1½ to 2 cups (6 to 8 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt to taste
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons high-quality lard or olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Method Working Ahead: The pastry can be made up to 3 months ahead and frozen. Or roll it out and chill overnight if convenient. The filling can be made 1 day ahead. The Erbazzone is at its best when eaten the same day it is baked. Serve it hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Making the Pastry by Hand: Combine the flours and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the cold lard or butter and oil. Working with your fingertips or a pastry cutter, blend the fat and flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 7 tablespoons of the water, and toss with a fork until the dough begins to form clumps. If it is dry, add more water. Gather the bits of dough into a ball, wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes.
Making the Dough with a Food Processor: Combine the dry ingredients in a processor fitted with the steel blade. Blend a few seconds. Then add the fat(s), processing until the pastry looks like coarse meal. Sprinkle about 7 tablespoons of the cold water over the dough, and process just until the mixture begins to gather into clumps (add more water if necessary). Wrap and chill 30 minutes. Roll out a generous half of the dough very thin, and lay it over a greased 14-inch pizza pan, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Roll out the remaining dough to form a 15-inch round, and set it on a foil-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate both pieces at least 30 minutes.
Making the Filling: Combine about ¼ cup of the minced pancetta with a little of the garlic, about ¼ cup of the onion, and a generous amount of black pepper. Set aside. Heat the remaining pancetta with the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook about 5 minutes, or until the pancetta has given off much of its fat. Add the remaining onion and cook, covered, 15 minutes, or until softened. Uncover, raise the heat to high, and cook another 6 minutes, or until a rich golden brown. Add the spinach or chard, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat to prevent burning.
Stir in the remainder of the 3 garlic cloves, and cook another 30 seconds or so. If a brown glaze forms on the skillet bottom, add a little water and simmer, scraping it up with a spatula to incorporate the glaze into the filling. Cook a minute or so until the liquid evaporates. Turn the filling into a bowl and cool. Blend in 1½ cups of the cheese and reserved pancetta mixture. Taste for seasoning and for enough cheese, and then blend in the eggs.
Baking the Erbazzone: Preheat the oven to about 400°F. Set the rack as close to the bottom of the oven as possible. Combine the lard and garlic in a small pan, and heat over medium heat only 2 minutes, or until the lard is melted.
Spread the filling over the pastry-lined pizza pan, leaving about a 2-inch border. Dampen the edges with water, top with the remaining dough, and pinch the edges together. Fold the edges over toward the center of the tart, and crimp. Make slashes in the top of the crust. Bake 20 minutes. Then brush the crust with the melted lard and garlic mixture, and bake another 20 minutes, or until pale gold and very crisp. The edges of the tart will be golden brown. Cut in narrow wedges to serve.
Suggestions Wine: In Reggio a local Lambrusco is ideal. Outside the region drink a Gamay della Valle d’Aosta, Umbria’s Castel Grifone, or a Merlot from Friuli’s Aquilea or Collio Goriziano areas.
Menu: Serve as a main dish after a Platter of Cured Meats with Balsamic Vegetables or Spring Salad with Hazelnuts. Finish with Capacchi’s Blazing Chestnuts or pears and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Have Erbazzone as a first course before country dishes like Maria Bertuzzi’s Lemon Chicken or Grilled Beef with Balsamic Glaze.
Cook’s Notes Lard: For information on lard, see A guide to Ingredients.
Crazy Dough
This dough is found in old peasant recipes. Rather than tender and melting, this pastry is lean, thin, and crisp. Nothing but flour, water, and a little lard makes the crazy dough (pasta matta), as it was called years ago. Even lard (called the butter of the poor) must have been scarce for many, because the trick in this dish was to stretch the lard’s goodness. The melted lard brushed on the crust (an amount too small to have any effect as an ingredient in the crust) makes it very crisp. Without this finishing touch, the crust’s lean qualities are all too evident. Today many cooks gentrify and tenderize the crust with generous amounts of butter and olive oil. But I am still in awe of the skill of those grandmothers and great-grandmothers who could create such elegantly satisfying food from so little.
Villa Gaidello