The Essential James Beard Cookbook (48 page)

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, heated

Dash of freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon Tabasco

½ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions until just tender. Drain well, rinse under cold water, and drain again.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in another large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook it for about 3 minutes, until the roux is frothy and the taste of raw flour is gone. Add the warm milk gradually to the roux, whisking all the while. Turn up the heat and cook, whisking, until the sauce is just at the boiling point. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes. Now season with the pepper and Tabasco. Don’t be afraid of the Tabasco: it will help to bring out the taste of the cheese. Stir in the cream and simmer a little longer, until the flavors are blended.

Mix about 2¼ cups of the Cheddar cheese into the simmering sauce. As soon as it melts, stir in the drained macaroni, and pour it into a baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining ¾ cup of cheese. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

LASAGNE

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Often baked pasta dishes are a bore, but this one holds up, I think, because all the different sauces are first-rate and the final cooking is brief. It looks like a long recipe, but once you have prepared the different elements, you can put it together in a matter of minutes.

For the Meatballs

½ pound ground beef chuck

½ pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from its casings

2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

1 large egg, beaten

2 teaspoons
Pesto

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For the Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups
Chicken Stock
or use canned chicken broth

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

For the Assembly

4 ounces dried lasagne

4 ounces dried whole-wheat lasagne

2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil, plus more for the baking dish

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Light Tomato Sauce

¾ cup shredded Gruyère cheese

¾ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

To make the meatballs: Put everything into a large bowl. Using your hands, blend the ingredients thoroughly and make small balls, around the size of large cherries. Refrigerate until needed.

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and golden. Remove from the heat while you add the stock, whisking vigorously. Return the pan to the heat and whisk until the sauce is smooth and thick. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the heavy cream, and keep the mixture just below the simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

To assemble the lasagne: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the lasagne strips, 3 or 4 at a time, according to the package directions, until they are just done. Remove them with a slotted spoon, dip in cold water to stop the cooking, and lay on a clean kitchen towel. Continue until all the pasta is cooked.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of oil and of butter in a large heavy skillet. When the fats have blended and are hot, but not smoking, add the meatballs. Cook over medium-high heat, shaking the pan constantly to keep the meatballs in motion, until lightly browned all over. Be sure to keep them hopping in the pan so they do not flatten.

Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce onto the bottom of an oiled 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Make a layer of plain lasagne over the sauce. Spread on more tomato sauce, and sprinkle with some meatballs. Spoon on half of the béchamel. Continue with a layer of whole-wheat pasta, tomato sauce, and meatballs and so forth until they are all used up, alternating the plain and whole-wheat lasagne and ending with the béchamel. Sprinkle with the grated cheeses and bake in a preheated 450°F oven for 15 minutes.

PASTA AND CHEESE ROLL IN TOMATO SAUCE

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

This is an amusing variation on a jelly roll. I love the tiny acini di pepe, which look like peppercorns, but you could use any other really small pasta. Try pastina, or orzo, or star-shaped stellini. They have to be light enough so that they don’t drag down the soufflé mixture.

¾ cup acini di pepe

Softened butter, for the pan

6 large eggs, separated

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1½ cups
Light Tomato Sauce

Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain in a wire sieve, rinse under cold water, and drain well.

Butter a 15 by 11-inch jelly-roll pan. Line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang of about 2 inches at each end. Butter the paper well to prevent the eggs from sticking.

Beat the egg yolks well with an electric mixer on high speed until they are light and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the pasta, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, the melted butter, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, unwavering peaks. Fold the whites into the yolk mixture quite thoroughly. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan, smoothing it with a knife or a rubber spatula so that it is the same thickness overall. Sprinkle it evenly with the mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 minutes, until it is firm and puffy. Take it out of the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 325°F.

With most soufflé-roll mixtures, you would now quickly invert the pan onto a towel and peel off the paper. But you want to keep the mozzarella on the inside of the roll; so, instead, you grasp the extended ends of the parchment paper, lift it out of the pan, and lay it on a large cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 minutes, and then use the paper to help roll it up, starting with one long side. As you roll, peel off the paper. You may have to use a small, sharp knife to help you along.

Slice the roll into 10 rounds. Arrange them in an overlapping row in a buttered baking dish. Cover them with the tomato sauce, sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

PASTITSIO FOR A PARTY

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

This is one of the best Greek dishes I know, a good oven dish that’s very rich and full-flavored. It comes from Leon Lianides, the owner of the original Coach House [see Editor’s Note,
here
].

For the Meat Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds lean ground lamb

1½ pounds ground beef sirloin

3 cups tomato sauce

1 cup dry red wine

½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Cream Sauce

7 cups light cream

2 cups whole milk

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1½ cups all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper

Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

10 large egg yolks

2 cups ricotta cheese, preferably fresh, available at cheese stores and some Italian delicatessens

Softened butter, for the baking dish

1½ pounds elbow macaroni or ziti

1½ cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

To make the meat sauce: In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground lamb and ground sirloin over high heat, add break the meat up with a wooden spoon until it is no longer red. Stir in the tomato sauce, wine, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, basil, bay leaf, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the bay leaf. The meat sauce can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to use it. I never think that far ahead about what I plan to eat, but it’s a useful idea if you are making the pastitsio for a party.

To make the cream sauce: Bring 6 cups of the cream just to a boil with the milk. In another large saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour. When the roux is blended and smooth, pour in the hot cream mixture, whisking furiously with the whisk to keep it from lumping. Cook until the sauce is simmering, thick, and smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the unheated cup of cream. Gradually add about 2 cups of the warm cream sauce to this egg mixture, whisking all the while to make sure that the eggs don’t curdle. Then pour the egg mixture into the cream sauce, continuing to stir until everything is blended. Finally, beat in the ricotta.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions until barely tender. Drain well.

Butter the inside of a large, deep baking dish. This recipe will need a dish at least 15 by 9 by 4 inches. Place half the macaroni in the dish and sprinkle with half of the Romano cheese. Spoon on half the cream sauce, smoothing it with the back of a large spoon. Spread on all of the meat sauce. Now add the rest of the macaroni, the rest of the cream sauce, and the rest of the Romano cheese, and place in a preheated 400°F oven. Bake for 55 minutes, when the pastitsio should be covered with a golden-brown crust.

If you want to serve it in neatly cut squares, finish cooking the pastitsio at least 6 hours before you intend to serve it. Let cool for an hour or so, then refrigerate. Cut the casserole into serving portions and reheat in the oven before serving.

STUFFED SHELLS

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

This is one of those clean-out-the-refrigerator recipes. It is absolutely delicious when made with cooked chicken. But it can be made as well with leftover beef, ham, or veal, and is a wonderful solution for the very last scraps of the Thanksgiving turkey.

Thirty 2-inch pasta shells, for stuffing

Meat from 2 chicken legs and thighs, or 1½ to 2 cups any leftover cooked meat

½ pound mushrooms, roughly sliced

3 large garlic cloves

6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt