Pasta Ala Greco Food

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Steps:

• Cook the guanciale in a large skillet over medium heat until deeply golden (adjust the heat as necessary to render the fat without burning the meat). The meaty parts should be browned and the fatty parts should be cooked but still slightly transparent. This will take 15 to 20 minutes. When it's done, add the black pepper and turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, put a pot of salted water on to boil. When the water boils, cook the pasta until it's al dente, nearly but not quite done and still a bit chalky in the middle.
• When the guanciale has cooled a bit, and while the pasta is cooking, add 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the pan, turn the heat to high and reduce by about half.
• When the pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Stir the pasta as it finishes cooking, adding more pasta cooking water if necessary until the pasta is done and the sauce thick and creamy. Add half the cheese and a pinch of pepper, and stir vigorously to incorporate.
• Divide the pasta among four dishes, and dust each with the remaining pecorino.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Steps:

• Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside.
• Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a pasta bowl.
• Combine garlic and olive oil in a cold skillet. Cook over medium heat to slowly toast garlic, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low when olive oil begins to bubble. Cook and stir until garlic is golden brown, about another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt into the pasta. Pour in olive oil and garlic, and sprinkle on Italian parsley and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; stir until combined.
• Serve pasta topped with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

EASY GRECO CHICKEN AND PASTA

Steps:

• Brown chicken breasts in a large skillet over medium heat in olive oil, clarified butter or a combination until juices run clear.
• Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
• Saute garlic in pan drippings til softened.
• Add cream soup and diced tomatoes to pan, stir to combine thoroughly.
• Add Italian seasoning and cinnamon.
• Adjust seasonings, more or less of each, to your family's tastes.
• If you intend to freeze the dish for later, go lightly on the seasonings as the flavors usually intensify with freezing.
• Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions.
• Add chicken on top of sauce.
• Top each breast with shredded cheese.
• Cover and heat until cheese is melted.
• Place pasta on a platter, top with sauce and chicken breasts.
• Pass parmasan cheese at table.
• The sauce is very, very good made fresh but is fantastic when reheated, making it a great make-ahead dish.
• Follow the directions below.
• Freezer directions: Cool sauce and chicken (do not put mozzarella on chicken breasts at this time!).
• Place sauce and chicken breasts, without mozzarella, in freezer bag.
• Remove air, seal, label, date and freeze.
• Keep pasta and mozzarella on hand for serving day.
• To serve, thaw sauce and chicken.
• Reheat on medium-low to medium heat until chicken is hot throughout.
• Proceed with recipe as directed above.
• Alternately, sauce and chicken may be reheated in the microwave at 50% power.

PASTA ALLA GRECIA

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. In a small saucepan, combine olive oil and meat, and turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat. 2. Salt water, and cook pasta until tender but not mushy. Reserve about a cup of water before draining pasta. 3. Toss drained pasta with meat and its juices; stir in cheese. If mixture is dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water (or a little olive oil). Season with plenty of black pepper, and serve.

CHICKEN EL GRECO

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Saute the chicken in oil till browned.
• Place in a 9 X 13 baking pan.
• Add the other ingredients, except for the feta cheese if using.
• Toss together well.
• Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or till chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Steps:

• Add the bacon to a large skillet. Place over medium heat and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 20 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Stir in the pepper and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season it generously with salt. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the bacon, return the pan to medium-high heat and cook, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
• Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and add it directly to the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle the pasta with the cheese and begin to toss the pasta with the sauce. Continue to stir over low heat and toss until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta and the pasta is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. (Through this process, you may need to add more pasta water to help cook the pasta and maintain a sauce. This could take up to a cup more pasta water.) Serve topped with more cheese if desired.

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Steps:

• In a large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil, and then add the guanciale and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, making sure that the meat does not get too crunchy and the garlic does not burn. Cook's Note: If you see that the garlic is browning too fast, remove it from the pan, finish the pork, and then add it again to the sauce.
• When the guanciale and the garlic are nice and golden brown, add the sage.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta to the water, and cook it about 2 minutes less than indicated on the box. Strain the pasta and add it to the saucepan over a medium-high heat, toss it around for a few seconds, then add the grated Pecorino, toss for one minute.
• Garnish with some grated Pecorino, a drop of extra-virgin olive oil, and some ground black pepper. Serve with a bottle of robust red wine.

PASTA ALA GRECO

Steps:

• Boil orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse and return to pot. Rinse and dry spinach Sliver olives (cut in quarters) Zest lemon Crumble feta With pan of drained and rinsed orzo on low heat, add all remaining ingredients and gently stir until spinach is wilted and ingredients are mixed. Serve warm.

HOW TO RECREATE PASTA ALLA NORMA FROM STANLEY TUCCI: SEARCHING FOR ITALY

Steps:

• Place eggplant cubes in colander and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Let eggplant drain 15 minutes. Pat dry, removing excess salt. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add peperoncini and tomatoes with juice; cook until tomatoes begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Remove tomato sauce from heat. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in another heavy large skillet over high heat. Working in 3 batches and adding 1 tablespoon olive oil for each batch, cook eggplant until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to tomato sauce in skillet. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. Add cooking water to sauce; bring to boil. Add pasta and basil to sauce and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl; top with ricotta salata and serve.