Faux Babbo Ravioli Food

FAUX BABBO RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add onion and celery and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high and (working in batches, if necessary) brown beef on all sides. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add tomatoes and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. When the mixture returns to a boil, cover and place in oven until meat is fork-tender, 45 minutes.
• Remove pot from oven and allow to cool. Skim off excess fat, transfer to a food processor, and pulse until smooth. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon of wine or 1 or 2 tablespoons of tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Cut sheets of pasta into 4-inch squares. Place 1 tablespoon beef filling into the center of each square. Wet edges of pasta with warm water, and bring two opposite corners of each square together to form a triangle. Press edges to seal. Put finished ravioli on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic and place in freezer until needed.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Heat butter in a large sauté pan until it browns but does not burn. Add about half the chicken livers Toscani and sauté for 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons of the salted water to loosen the sauce. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
• Add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to pan of chicken liver sauce. Add parsley and 1/4 cup grated pecorino. Toss lightly. Divide ravioli on four warm plates. Spoon extra sauce over each serving and top with cheese. Serve immediately.

LEFTOVERS DELUXE THE TUSCAN WAY RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Drain beans after soaking and cover generously with fresh water, adding the sage and the 2 whole cloves of garlic. Bring beans to boil and cook 45 minutes to one hour, until they are quite tender. Reserve liquid.
• Meanwhile, saute the pancetta, the two minced garlic cloves and the onion in 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.
• When beans are cooked, puree half of them in a food processor, using a little of the cooking liquid, if necessary.
• Combine the pureed and the whole beans with the pancetta mixture and with tomatoes, carrots, celery, thyme, chard, potatoes and cabbag and 4 to 5 cups of the bean broth. Cook for 30 to 60 minutes, adding water if soup becomes more like porridge. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a layer of bread in a casserole and top with some soup. Repeat until all the bread is used, ending with soup on top. The dish can be served this way, as a bean and bread soup. To make ribollita, refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, mash the soup and the bread into a thick porridge. Boil to reheat. As an alternative, you may saute the ribollita in a skillet in 4 tablespoons of olive oil until it forms a light crust. In either case, each serving should be topped with the remaining olive oil.

CAULIFLOWER, BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND RED BEANS WITH LEMON AND MUSTARD

Steps:

• Quarter and core the cauliflower, then slice thin so that it falls apart into small, thin pieces. Whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and water or stock in a small bowl and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a well-seasoned wok or in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the cauliflower and brussels sprouts and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are seared and beginning to soften. Add salt and pepper and continue to cook, stirring or tossing (as you would a stir-fry), for another 5 minutes, or until the cauliflower and the brussels sprouts are just tender and flavorful.
• Add the beans, dill and lemon-mustard mixture and stir together for another minute or two. Taste, adjust seasonings, and remove from the heat. Serve with quinoa or another grain of your choice. If desired, add a drizzle of lemon-flavored olive oil to each serving.