When you find a good neighborhood Italian restaurant you love, it’s the bells and whistles like warm garlic bread and crunchy iceberg lettuce that make the whole experience so comforting and inviting. This chapter will help you channel that feeling at home. There will be Parmesan croutons. There will be caramel budino and even melted Nutella baked into a lasagna that’s topped with a layer of toasted marshmallow. And there is tiramisu, of course.
VERY GOOD GARLIC BREAD
Like Fudgie the Whale ice cream cakes from Carvel, or calling in sick to work so you can go to the beach, garlic bread is one of those things you forget about until you need an infallible way to cheer someone (or yourself) up. There are no obscure ingredients to source, and there are no surprises when you make it. The secret is lots of butter and lots of garlic. Simple. If you’re in a fancy mood, you can throw in some smoked paprika, cracked fennel seeds, or fresh sage. Even if you stick to the classic, your home will smell better than it has in months.
MAKES 1 LOAF
5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of dried red pepper flakes (optional)
1 loaf (12 to 16 ounces) Italian bread or ciabatta, split lengthwise
¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or Jacobsen)
Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the center. On a cutting board, chop the garlic and rosemary together. Melt the butter in the olive oil in a small skillet over high heat. Add the garlic–rosemary mixture and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Immediately brush the mixture over the cut surfaces of the bread, spreading it to the edges.
Close the loaf, transfer to a baking sheet, and bake until crisp, flipping once, about 6 minutes. Open the loaf so the cut sides are facing up and turn on the broiler. Broil just until golden and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes. (Watch carefully as ovens vary greatly—nothing is sadder than burnt garlic bread). Sprinkle with the flaky salt and serve.
ITALIAN RESTAURANT ICEBERG LETTUCE SALAD
Never trust anyone who tells you they don’t eat iceberg lettuce. These poor green globes have gotten a bad rap for decades as nutrition-less, flavorless second fiddles to the kales and arugulas of the world. But no other lettuce can beat its crunch, its refreshing contrast to creamy dressings and spicy peperoncini—or its steadfast integrity in the face of wilty conditions. This spin on a classic Italian-American salad capitalizes on all of those attributes, pairing the iceberg with Sicilian green olives, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and a knockout garlicky, creamy dressing you last tasted on Taylor Street or Arthur Avenue. If you have leftovers, consider tucking them into a Leftover Lasagna Parm Sandwich (this page) once it’s out of the oven.
6 TO 8 SERVINGS
1 large garlic clove, smashed
Coarse kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons blended oil (3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons vegetable oil)
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 head of iceberg lettuce, cored and coarsely chopped
1 inner celery rib, thinly sliced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup cracked Sicilian green olives, pitted
8 peperoncini
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler (1 cup)
In a large bowl, using a fork, mash the garlic with a generous pinch of salt to form a paste. Whisk in the mayonnaise, vinegar, oregano, and sugar. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the lettuce, celery, onion, cherry tomatoes, olives, peperoncini, and Parmesan and toss to combine. Serve right away.
CAESAR SALAD with PARMESAN CROUTONS
Caesar salad makes an ideal counterpunch to lasagna, less because it involves fresh vegetables (although, sure, there’s some lettuce involved) and more because the zap of raw garlic, briny anchovy, and acidic lemon juice cuts through lasagna’s saucy, carb-y richness like a sharp knife through a stick of butter. This salad, topped with Parmesan croutons, holds its own even without lasagna. It would make a great dinner with a loaf of Very Good Garlic Bread (this page) or a batch of Why Knot Garlic Knots (this page), or you could add a little grilled steak or chicken and call it a day.
6 TO 8 SERVINGS
½ loaf (6-inch length) of Italian bread, sliced ½ inch thick
½ cup blended oil (¼ cup olive oil and ¼ cup vegetable oil)
Coarse kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large garlic clove
2 large anchovy fillets, chopped (or ½ tablespoon anchovy paste)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound (2 large heads) romaine lettuce, cored, ends trimmed, and leaves torn into bite-size pieces
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Tear the bread slices into 1-inch pieces and toss them in a medium bowl with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the bread, tossing once or twice, until lightly browned and crisp on the outside, about 10 minutes. Return the croutons to the bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Spread the croutons on the baking sheet and bake again, just until the cheese is melted and nutty, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool.
Meanwhile, on a cutting board, use the side of a chef’s knife to chop and mash the garlic clove and anchovies to a paste. Transfer to a salad bowl and whisk in the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in the remaining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of oil and season generously with pepper. Whisk in the remaining Parmesan and season with salt.
Add the lettuce to the dressing. Add the croutons and toss. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.
WHY KNOT GARLIC KNOTS
Whether you’re hungrily waiting for dinner to be served at your friend’s kid’s birthday party or you’ve just eaten three slices alone at the pizza parlor after work, nobody is ever disappointed to see a plate of garlic knots emerge from the kitchen, shining with warm butter and vibrating with a pleasantly potent garlic funk. Serving garlic knots at a dinner party is a vastly more exciting option than sliced bread or dinner rolls, and you can get them ready ahead of time, letting them proof on the baking sheet while you dole out Negronis and hellos. They can even be their own dinner, dipped in some Classic & Simple Red Sauce (this page) and served with a salad. Just make sure you don’t skimp on the garlic.
MAKES 24 KNOTS
Dough
1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water (80°F to 90°F)
Pinch of sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
1½ teaspoons kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Topping
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Flaky sea salt (like Maldon or Jacobsen), to taste
Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix the yeast with ¼ cup of the warm water and the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ¾ cup of warm water, the 2 cups of flour, and the kosher salt and stir to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead, adding flour as necessary, until a silky but soft dough forms. Use a pastry scraper to help knead the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and brush all over with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until the dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently press to deflate. Press or roll to a 6 x 10-inch rectangle. Cut the dough crosswise into 24 (½-inch-wide) strips, then gently tie the strips into knots and transfer to the baking sheets. Brush with oil, cover loosely with plastic, and let sit until risen and puffy, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse and dry the bowl.
Bake the knots: Preheat the oven to 425°F and set racks in the lower and upper third positions. Bake the knots until golden, about 18 minutes, turning the pans once from front to back and shifting from top to bottom for even browning.
Meanwhile, make the topping: In a small skillet, melt the butter in the oil on medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and transfer to a large bowl. When the knots are cooked, add them to the bowl and toss to coat evenly in the garlic butter. Sprinkle with flaky salt and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with more flaky salt (or with one of the optional toppings; see following) and serve right away.
MORE GARLIC KNOT TOPPINGS
Add these to the butter and oil in step 4:
• Garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest
• Garlic, dried red pepper flakes, and dried oregano
• Garlic and fresh chopped chives
SWEET CRESPELLE with LEMON & TART CHERRY SAUCE
Crespelle, the Italian version of crepes, are traditionally used as wrappers for savory baked cannelloni and manicotti dishes (like the one on this page). But by swapping in some butter for the olive oil and adding a tiny bit of sugar, the blintz-like pancakes become a great base for a dessert (or sweet breakfast). These are filled with a sweetened lemony mixture of farmer cheese (a mild, slightly denser version of cottage cheese), cream cheese, and egg, which gets melty and a little bit fluffy in the oven. You can top them with our tart cherry syrup recipe and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, along with fresh fruit; or try that jar of fancy jam someone gave you as a gift last summer that you never opened.
8 SERVINGS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the dish
15 ounces farmer cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
¼ cup plus 3½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Pinch of coarse kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
16 to 20 sweet Crespelle (see Note, this page)
12 ounces tart cherry preserves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons kirsch (or other fruit brandy, such as Framboise or Mirabelle)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Fresh berries, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch (3-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine the farmer cheese, cream cheese, egg, egg yolk, ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the vanilla, lemon zest, and salt and stir until smooth.
Arrange a crespella on a clean work surface, browned side up, and add a spoonful of the cheese filling to the center of each one. Fold up the bottom half of the crespella, covering the filling, then fold in both sides. Finally, fold the top over like an envelope and set the crespella in the baking dish, seam side down. Continue with the remaining crespelle and filling, forming the blintzes, adding them to the baking dish in 2 neat rows, overlapping slightly.
Brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1½ tablespoons of granulated sugar. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cherry preserves, lemon juice, kirsch, and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes to boil off the alcohol. Serve the blintzes dusted with confectioners’ sugar and drizzled with the sauce, and spoon fresh berries alongside.
VARIATION
Sweet Crespelle Lasagna
To build the crespelle into a lasagna, generously butter a 9 x 13-inch (3-quart) baking dish and line it with 6 or 7 of the crespelle, overlapping and extending them 2 inches over the edges (completely covering the bottom and sides). Spread half of the cheese filling in an even layer, followed by 2 or 3 crespelle, just to cover the filling. Repeat with the remaining cheese filling and 2 or 3 more crespelle. Fold over the sides and top with the remaining crespelle. Brush with the butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1½ tablespoons of granulated sugar. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Set aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
TIRAMISU FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
As much as we tend to think of tiramisu as one of the most iconic Italian desserts around, this dish really only started popping up on American restaurant menus in the 1980s. (If cannoli is the Dean Martin of Italian desserts, think of tiramisu as the Jon Bon Jovi.) But this doesn’t prohibit it from being the hit of dinner parties this decade. You can make it days ahead (it gets better with time) and have it sitting in the refrigerator for the moment your guests have finished their dinners and started to look like they’re getting snacky all over again. Then you emerge, like a hero, from the kitchen with a dish of cocoa-dusted, nostalgia-and-brandy-soaked tiramisu.
8 TO 12 SERVINGS
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1½ cups boiling water
4 large egg yolks
Pinch of table salt
1 pound mascarpone cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest (optional)
1½ cups heavy cream
36 large Savoiardi cookies (ladyfingers), from 2 (7-ounce) packages
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
In a medium heat-proof bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the brandy, the espresso powder, and the boiling water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, salt, the remaining ¼ cup of brandy, and the remaining ½ cup of sugar and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl over a pot filled with 1 inch of just-simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and gently whisk in the mascarpone, vanilla paste, and orange zest, if using.
In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Scrape the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold together.
Working with 1 ladyfinger at a time, dip the whole cookie very briefly into the espresso mixture and arrange it in an 8 x 11-inch (2-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish. To avoid sogginess, be careful not to oversaturate the ladyfingers. Repeat, using half of the ladyfingers to cover the bottom of the baking dish in neat rows. Spoon half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and sprinkle with the chopped chocolate. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers, espresso mixture (you’ll have some left over; don’t be tempted to pour it over the ladyfingers), and mascarpone mixture, spreading it to the edges of the dish. Lightly dust the surface with cocoa. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
BUTTERSCOTCH BUDINO with SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
In the 1980s and ’90s, budino took Italian restaurants in the United States by storm. The pudding, often flavored with caramel or butterscotch, was a quick, inexpensive dessert for kitchen staffs to make that didn’t involve any cooking on the fly or fussy plating. These same qualities make it a great party trick. You can make it the day before you have people over, pour it into ramekins, jars, mismatched champagne coupes, chipped teacups—whatever you have enough of in your cupboard. Then, when it’s time to eat, give each one a drizzle of warm, salty caramel sauce and a spoonful of whipped cream.
8 SERVINGS
Budino
2¾ cups whole milk
1½ cups heavy cream
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
1 large egg plus 3 large egg yolks
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Scotch or dark rum
Sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Flaky sea salt (like Maldon or Jacobsen), for serving
Caramel Sauce
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or ¼ vanilla bean, seeds scraped)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Make the budino: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a heat-proof bowl and place it near the stove. In a measuring cup, combine the heavy cream and milk. In a 3- to 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the brown sugar, ½ cup water, and the salt and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until the sugar is deep brown and reduced to a thin syrup (like maple syrup), 7 to 8 minutes. Immediately whisk in the milk and cream mixture and bring to a simmer. Remove the butterscotch from the heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk the whole egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Slowly add 1 cup of the warm butterscotch to the bowl, whisking constantly. Continuing to whisk constantly, return the egg–butterscotch mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is very thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and Scotch. Immediately pour the custard through the sieve into the bowl and press to remove any lumps. Carefully pour the mixture into 8 ramekins or half-pint jars. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
Make the caramel sauce: In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring, but gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the caramel is a medium amber color (like maple syrup), about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and, using a long-handled whisk, carefully add the cream, vanilla paste, and butter (the caramel will vigorously bubble as the cream is added). Pour into a heat-proof pitcher and let cool slightly.
Serve the budino: Serve each budino topped with the warm caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
NUTELLASAGNA
When chef and writer Allison Robicelli introduced Nutellasagna to the menu at her Brooklyn bakery, Robicelli’s, she meant it as a cheeky response to the absurd stunt dishes that restaurants had started concocting in the hope they would go viral—the rainbow-hued, gold-encrusted monstrosities of the world. She never expected what happened next. People went crazy for the sweet, hazelnutty, marshmallow-topped lasagna. Fans wrote about it, Instagrammed it, and lined up down the block for a taste. Now that Robicelli’s is closed, Allison has retired the dish, but we decided to immortalize the recipe in this book. If you have trouble tracking down gelatin, or just don’t want to make your own marshmallow topping, you can skip steps 7 through 10 and pour a bag of mini marshmallows over the top before broiling.
8 TO 10 SERVINGS
Nutellasagna
1 pound mascarpone cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup whole milk or half-and-half
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces chopped skinned hazelnuts (2 cups)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter plus ½ tablespoon melted unsalted butter
Coarse kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
Zest of 1 large orange
18 to 20 no-boil lasagna noodles (from about 2 boxes; see Note)
1½ cups Nutella (from two 7.7-ounce jars)
1½ cups heavy cream
Marshmallow Topping
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
2 pinches of cream of tartar
4 large egg whites
½ packet (1¼ teaspoons or ⅛ ounce) gelatin
¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (preferably Diamond crystal)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon hazelnut extract (optional)
Make the mascarpone filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center. Using a mixer, beat together the mascarpone, ricotta, confectioners’ sugar, milk, and cornstarch until smooth, then beat in the eggs and the vanilla. Set aside.
Toast the hazelnuts: Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Immediately toss with the ½ tablespoon of melted butter and a pinch of salt; set aside to cool.
Make the orange butter: Cook the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until the milk solids turn a medium shade of amber and the butter begins to smell nutty, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; add the orange zest and stir well. Cover to keep warm.
Prepare the noodles: Fill a large baking pan or pasta pot with hot water. Add the noodles one at a time to prevent sticking. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until softened; drain. Place several 2-foot-long pieces of parchment paper on your counter. Using a paper towel, pat any excess water off each noodle, then lay them on the parchment. Lightly brush the tops with some of the orange butter.
Scoop the Nutella into a large heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream to a near boil, then pour over the Nutella while whisking vigorously.
Assemble the Nutellasagna: Brush a 9 x 13-inch (3-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish with orange butter, making sure the bottom of the pan is well coated. Place about 4 or 5 noodles in the dish in an even layer, then pour on a thick layer of mascarpone cream, spreading with a spatula to even out. Next, grab the Nutella sauce and generously drizzle across the mascarpone cream layer, then sprinkle with one third of the chopped hazelnuts. Repeat for 3 more layers, ending with a thin layer of mascarpone cream on top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the top layer looks puffy. (Start the marshmallow topping while the Nutellasagna bakes.)
Make the marshmallow topping: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan affixed with a digital or candy thermometer, combine ½ cup water with ½ cup of the granulated sugar, the corn syrup, and a pinch of cream of tartar. Cook over high heat to the soft boil stage (235°F).
In the meantime, using a mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed with another pinch of cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and continue beating on high speed until medium peaks form, then turn off the mixer. Add ¼ cup water to a measuring cup, sprinkle the gelatin over the top to soften; set aside.
When the sugar reaches the soft boil stage, turn the mixer back on to medium speed. Carefully drizzle the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl, going very slowly so that you don’t scramble the eggs. The marshmallow will gain significant volume during this step. Once all the sugar is added, turn off the mixer, add the gelatin and the salt, then turn the mixer back on to medium-high speed. Beat until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and the hazelnut extract, if using, and beat for an additional minute to incorporate.
Top and finish the Nutellasagna: Raise the oven rack up to the upper-middle position, then preheat the broiler to high. Using an offset spatula, cover the Nutellasagna with peaks of marshmallow. Place under the broiler until brown and toasty, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your personal tastes and the intensity of your oven. If desired, cover the top with additional Nutella cream and toasted hazelnuts before serving.
NOTES
If using dried, curly noodles, arrange 15 precooked noodles in 3 layers and bake uncovered the entire time.
Nutellasagna can be served hot, at room temperature, or cold. If serving hot, make the marshmallow topping while the Nutellasagna is baking, and allow the Nutellasagna to rest for 15 minutes before proceeding. Otherwise, wrap the Nutellasagna well and place in the refrigerator or freezer until the day you’re intending to serve, as the marshmallow tastes best when it’s made the day of.