Scott Conants Italian Cheesecake Food

LINGUINE AGLIO E OLIO WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• For the shrimp marinade: Add the shrimp, oil, garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes and salt to a medium bowl and mix to combine.
• For the breadcrumb topping: Add the olive oil, breadcrumbs and salt to a medium skillet and cook over medium-low heat until lightly golden brown, tossing the breadcrumbs constantly, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and toss to combine for another 30 seconds. Remove to a plate so that the breadcrumbs do not continue cooking.
• For the pasta: Salt the water and start boiling the linguine (cook it 80 percent of the way, if the directions say boil for 10 minutes, boil for 8 minutes as you will finish cooking it in the sauce). At the same time add the oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and lower to medium-low heat so that the garlic sizzles gently (the garlic should not change color, if it does, it means the heat is too high and you will have a bitter burnt garlic taste and should start over).
• When the edges of the garlic are just starting to brown, add the shrimp with the marinade and a pinch of salt and cook the shrimp until it is no longer opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup pasta water and remove the shrimp to a bowl to prevent overcooking. Keep cooking and shaking the pan to create an emulsion (when fat suspends in water, oil and water forms a smooth bond).
• When the pasta is cooked, add it to the skillet and toss to combine. Add some pasta water if the pasta needs to cook slightly longer, otherwise toss in the parsley and stir until well incorporated. Serve on plates immediately and top with the breadcrumbs.

SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil with about 3 teaspoons of salt.
• Meanwhile, put the tomato sauce in a large saute pan and cook over medium heat to further concentrate the sauce's flavors.
• Cook the spaghetti until just shy of tender. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water and gently drain the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti and a little of the pasta cooking water to the pan with the sauce; the starch and salt in that water will help the sauce adhere to the pasta. Add the basil, give the pan a good shake, increase the heat to medium-high, and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce. The sauce should coat the pasta and look cohesive, and when you shake the pan, the sauce and pasta should move together.
• Take the pan off the heat and add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter. Using two wooden spoons (tongs can tear the fresh pasta), toss everything together well.
• Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and serve.
• To peel the tomatoes, use a paring knife to cut a small x on each tomato. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, and have ready a bowl of ice water. Boil the tomatoes for about 10 seconds, then plunge them into the ice bath. The shock of going from hot to cold should cause the skin to contract, making it easier to peel. Use your fingers or a small paring knife to pull the skin off. If the skin is stubborn, try boiling and shocking the tomato again.
• In a wide saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes; be careful, as the oil may spurt. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and, using a potato masher, smash the tomatoes, really working the masher to break them up. If the consistency is thick or if they get too dry, add the tomato boiling water or reserved tomato juice to the pan. Cook, occasionally mashing and stirring, for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the oil from the heat and let the ingredients steep for 5 minutes.
• Strain the oil into the cooked tomatoes. Stir to combine. Remove the sauce from the heat. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. The sauce may taste spicy on its own, but it gets balanced when used with other ingredients, especially the pasta, butter, and cheese. The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 days. Reheat gently before serving.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the "00" flour, semolina flour, and salt on low speed. Add the egg yolks, olive oil, and up to 1 1/3 cups water, adding the water a little at a time, and continue to mix on low speed. Once the flour is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low and mix/knead the dough for 5 minutes.
• Lightly dust a work surface with a mix of "00" flour and semolina.
• Dump the dough out onto the work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes. Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1 hour.
• To roll and shape the dough, set the pasta machine on its widest setting. Lightly flour a rimmed baking sheet. Cut the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Work with one piece at a time and wrap the others in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Very lightly flour the dough and stretch it by hand, then put it on the pasta roller. Run it through the pasta machine twice, starting at the longest setting. Fold it in half and run it through again, so the dough gets thinner each time and wipe the surface of the pasta for excess flour as you go. Run the dough through the machine a couple more times; this serves as a final kneading.
• Set the machine to the next level of thickness and run the piece of dough through again. Keep running the dough through the machine, adjusting the rollers to a thinner setting each time, until the sheet is 1/8-inch-thick; on most machines this means stopping at the 3.5 or 4 setting. Cut the sheet to lengths of about 12 inches. Then, using the linguine cutter, cut the sheet into strands. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
• Dust the strands with a little flour (preferably a mix of the "00" and the semolina), and gather the strands into nests by wrapping them around your hand. (At the restaurant, we portion the spaghetti into 4-ounce nests.) Dust the nests with a little more flour, place on the baking sheet, and freeze until hard. (Once the spaghetti is rock-hard, it can be transferred to a freezer bag or other airtight container and kept frozen for up to 1 month.)
• You can also layer the sheets of pasta with semolina flour and cover them with plastic wrap while you get set up to cook them.

AMATRICIANA PASTA

Steps:

• Place the guanciale in a 1-quart saucepot with 2 tablespoons of the oil and render the fat out on low heat (you don't want too much heat, or you'll scorch the guanciale), 15 to 20 minutes. When the fat is rendered out, place the guanciale on paper towels, reserve the fat and put aside.
• If your tomato sauce isn't silky smooth, put it in a blender for about a minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the guanciale fat, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic to an 8-inch saute pan. Heat it over medium-high heat to infuse the oil with garlic flavor, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, season the pasta water with salt and add the pasta. Cook it for 80 percent of the way (if the directions say boil for 10 minutes, boil for 8 minutes, as you will finish cooking it in the sauce).
• Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup pasta water and red pepper flakes. Remove the garlic and add a pinch of salt. Reduce for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the pasta (once it's ready) and half of the guanciale. Toss and stir for about 2 minutes (the sauce should reduce a little and the pasta should be al dente). Toss to combine and cook to bring the flavors together, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and finely grate about 1/4 cup cheese over top.
• Place the pasta onto plates. Place the remainder of the crispy guanciale on top as garnish, more cheese if necessary and a drizzle of oil. Serve immediately.

PASTIERA

Steps:

• Make the crust: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, melted butter and milk in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Lightly butter a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan in an even layer; set aside.
• Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ricotta, heavy cream, eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Fold in the rice and orange zest with the rubber spatula.
• Pour the filling over the prepared crust. Bake until the edges are golden brown and set but the center is still slightly jiggly, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

SCOTT CONANT'S ITALIAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, melted butter and milk in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, 4 - 5 minutes.
• Lightly butter a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan in an even layer; set aside.
• Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350*. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 2-3 minutes. Add the ricotta, heavy cream, eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Fold in the rice and orange zest with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the filling over the prepared crust. Bake until the edges are golden brown and set but the center is still slightly jiggly, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes.
• Let cool before slicing into squares.