Pecorino Custard With Tomato Sauce Food

CHEESE TORTELLINI WITH PORCINI PECORINO SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes. Strain mushrooms through a sieve, reserving liquid. While the mushrooms are soaking, cook tortellini according to package directions.
• While the tortellini is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook 3 minutes, stirring with spoon until soft. Add oregano and bay leaves and cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add porcini mushrooms and reserved mushroom soaking liquid and bring to a simmer, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add heavy cream and simmer 2 minutes to heat through. Remove bay leaves with tongs, add tortellini to the mushrooms and cook 1 minute, to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

AMATRICIANA (GUANCIALE, TOMATO, AND PECORINO ROMANO)

Steps:

• Put the guanciale and oil in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and heat gently so the guanciale renders some fat and starts to brown. Taste a piece to assess how salty it is. Then, when it just begins to become crisp, add the chopped onion (if using) and sauté gently until transparent. Add the tomatoes and chile, then taste for salt (how much you need will depend on the guanciale).
• Finish cooking the sauce, covered, over low heat. You'll know it's done when the liquid has thickened somewhat and the fat shows on the surface, about 20 minutes.
• Make-ahead note: This much can be done earlier in the day, but this sauce is not customarily made in advance or kept, except casually as leftovers for the next day.
• Bring 5 quarts (5 liters) of water to a boil in an 8-quart (8-liter) pot over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
• Warm a serving bowl or platter in a low oven. If the oven is not practical, warm the bowl just before use with hot water, even a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
• Drain the pasta and put it in the warmed serving bowl. Toss it first with the grated cheese, then with the sauce. Serve immediately.

PECORINO CUSTARD WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F Spread the diced bread on a baking sheet and dry in the oven for 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• In a heavy saucepan, warm the milk and cream over medium-high heat, until heated through but not boiling.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks. When they are blended, drizzle in about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture to temper the eggs, whisking continuously. Slowly add the tempered eggs to the hot cream in the pan as you continue to whisk the mixture.
• Increase the oven temperature to 325°F Pour the egg-cream mixture over the dried, diced bread to soak. Using a hand-held mixer or immersion blender, purée until smooth. Stir in the cheese.
• Divide the mixture evenly among 6 6-ounce ramekins. Put the ramekins in a roasting pan. Pull out the middle rack of the oven and set the roasting pan on it. Add enough water to the pan to come 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and slide the rack back inches.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the custard is heated through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Lay the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Toast in the oven, turning once, for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and bubbling.
• Using tongs (wrap rubber bands around the tips to improve grip), transfer ramekins to a kitchen towel to dry. Place one ramekin on each of six serving plates and top each with about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce. Drizzle each ramekin with olive oil and pepper. Put three slices of toast on each plate and serve. (Turn off the oven and let the pan of hot water cool before removing it.).

PASTA WITH PECORINO AND PEPPER

Steps:

• Place the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle and crush them until you have a mixture of coarse and fine bits. (You can also grind them in a small food mill or coffee grinder.) Set aside.
• Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package until al dente. Ladle 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into a glass measuring cup and reserve it. Drain the pasta quickly in a colander and return the pasta to the pot with a lot of the pasta water still dripping.
• Working quickly, with the heat on very low, toss the pasta with 1/2 cup of the grated Pecorino, the crushed peppercorns, cream, butter, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt, tossing constantly. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking water. Off the heat, toss in the remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino. Serve immediately with a big bowl of extra grated Pecorino for sprinkling.

PASTA WITH BURST CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 15 seconds, then add the oil and heat until it thins out and easily coats the pan when swirled. Add pancetta and cook until it starts to render its fat, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they burst, turn golden at the edges and shrivel up slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add pasta to pan and toss with tomato-pancetta mixture; if the mixture looks dry add a little pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time. Cook over high heat until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce. Add the butter and toss until it melts and coats everything.
• Divide pasta among warmed pasta bowls. Garnish with dollops of ricotta if desired, and top with a generous mound of fresh mint and scallions. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and more pepper before serving.

CHERRY TOMATOES AND PECORINO QUICHE

Steps:

• Crust: Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg and yolk with ice water. Add to flour mixture and pulse until moist crumbs start to form (no longer). Transfer mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and, using wrap and your hands, form into a disk (or 2 disks, if making 2 quiches in pie plates). Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Let sit at room temperature until pliable, then roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch springform pan, folding and pressing sides to an even thickness. (Or roll out 2 disks to 11-inch rounds and fit into 8- or 9-inch pie plates.)
• Trim edge of dough flush with top of springform pan. (If using pie plates, fold edges of dough under; crimp as desired.) Wrap in plastic; freeze at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line crust with parchment; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake, with a baking sheet on rack below, 20 minutes; remove paper and beans. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes (8 to 10 minutes, for pie plates). Let cool.
• Reduce oven to 375 degrees. Whisk eggs until smooth, then whisk in remaining ingredients until well combined.
• Pour custard mixture into cooled crust, stopping just short of top (if making in 2 pie plates, divide evenly between crusts). You may not need to use all of custard; be careful not to overfill.
• Top with pecorino and tomatoes. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees, then about 1 hour at 325 degrees. Let cool about 1 hour before serving.