Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (10 page)

Classic lasagna in my family is made by layering thin lasagna noodles, preferably egg pasta, with layers of
besciamella
(white sauce) and a light meat sauce. Here, curly short-cut pasta is tossed with the white sauce and then topped with a rich meat sauce for mixing in, making it an anytime meal.

SERVES 4

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente.

While the pasta water comes to a boil, heat 2 tablespoons of the EVOO in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to render the fat, then add the meat and break it up as it browns. When the meat has begun to caramelize and develops a nice brown color, 4 to 5 minutes, add the carrot, onions, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, allspice, salt and pepper, and bay leaf. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more to soften the onions and carrots, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the stock and reduce the heat to a simmer.

While the red sauce cooks, cut the peeled whole garlic clove in half and rub the inside of a medium sauce pot with it. Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together for a minute or so, then whisk in the milk and bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat and season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; cook for 8 to 10 minutes to thicken.

In a large bowl combine the lemon zest and juice, peeled garlic, mustard, ¼ cup of EVOO, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Toss with the greens and beans.

Toss the pasta with the white sauce and the ½ cup of grated cheese. Serve the pasta in individual bowls and top each serving with a ladle of meat sauce for mixing in.

If you love chicken fricassee, chicken and biscuits, or chicken and dumplings, this is a flavorful Italian take on the theme. Here, basil pesto, a kid favorite, is stirred into the light gravy, and fresh potato gnocchi tossed in lemon butter stands in for the dumplings. Wow!

SERVES 4 TO 6

Place a large pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi.

Heat a pot or deep skillet with 1 tablespoon of the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and add another tablespoon of EVOO and 2 tablespoons of the butter to the pan. When the butter melts, add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes to soften the veggies, then sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in 2½ cups of the stock, slide the chicken and any juices on the plate back into the pot, and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Place the remaining ½ cup stock in a food processor with the basil, parsley, pine nuts, cheese, and salt and pepper. Turn the processor on and pour in the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO with the motor running.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the lemon zest.

Salt the boiling water and add the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface, then drain and add to the lemon butter. Toss the gnocchi in the lemon butter for 2 to 3 minutes, until light golden at the edges.

Remove the chicken from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the pesto sauce. Serve the chicken topped with lemon-butter dumplings in shallow bowls.

Need I say more? Serve with a green salad or chopped vegetable salad with oil and vinegar.

SERVES 4

Preheat the broiler.

Set up three dishes on your countertop: one with the flour, one with the eggs, and a third with the bread crumbs, half the grated Parm, and the parsley combined.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating up, season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, and coat each one in the flour, then in the egg, and lastly in the cheesy bread crumbs.

Once the oil is hot, cook 2 of the chicken cutlets until they are golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on how thick they are. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining 2 cutlets, adding more oil to the pan if needed.

While the chicken is cooking, place a medium pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped onion, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the veggies have softened. Add the tomatoes and heat them through, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the basil, then season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Spread a layer of the sauce in a casserole dish. Layer the chicken on top and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmigiano and the mozzarella. Brown the casserole under the broiler until the cheese has melted and is light golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Garnish with additional basil and serve.

My husband loves the grill so much that he and his friends go outside in the dead of winter to make themselves Fred Flintstone steaks in the snow. This is a simple, flavorful meal that you can make in a grill pan or skillet if you want to keep yourself and your food indoors.

SERVES 4