Italian Fontina ‘Fonduta’
The classic Italian-style fondue, crafted with this week’s silky duck eggs.
Ingredients:
8 ounces Fontina-style cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,
cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1 duck egg yolk
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the Fontina, milk and cream and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the cheese starts to melt, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter and egg yolk and cook over low heat, stirring, until very smooth, 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer the fonduta to a warmed serving bowl or fondue pot and sprinkle with additional sea salt, if desired.
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Fontina ‘Fonduta’ with Duck Eggs
Serve this classic Italian-style fondue with crudité and warm crostini for an enticing appetizer.
Ingredients:
1/3 pound Fontina-style cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 duck egg yolks
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Toasted bread crostini, for dipping
Assorted sliced vegetable crudité, for dipping
Optional:
Poached duck eggs
Thinly shaved fresh truffle
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the Fontina, milk and cream and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the cheese starts to melt, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter and egg yolks and cook over low heat, stirring, until very smooth, 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer the fonduta to a warmed serving bowl or fondue pot and sprinkle with additional sea salt, if desired. Serve immediately with the toasted ciabatta. Also delicious served in individual bowls with a poached duck egg in the center of each. Optional: add thinly shaved fresh truffles on top.
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Bucatini with Italian Sausage & Marinara Sauce
So simple, so satisfying: Top this week’s bucatini with our housemade sauce and cooked and crumbled Italian sausage.
Ingredients:
1 pound bucatini
1 pound Italian sausage
Nonna Pat’s Marinara Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Grana-style cheese
4 tablespoons micro basil
Method:
1. Cook the bucatini for 5-7 minutes in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente, or just cooked through with a bit of bite left. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high until no longer pink, breaking into bite-sized pieces with a spoon. Add in cooked pasta, 1 tablespoon butter and marinara sauce, tossing to combine thoroughly. Serve with a grated Grana-style cheese and a sprinkling of micro basil.
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Sweet Italian Sausage & Orzo Ribollita
This spin on the classic Italian soup features puttanesca sauce, orzo pasta and toasted Pomodoro bread.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling over the bread
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 quart Nonna Pat’s puttanesca sauce
3 cups chicken stock
1 3-inch Parmesan cheese rind
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons combined fresh thyme leaves and chopped parsley
1 bunch Lacinato kale, greens removed from ribs and torn into bite-sized pieces
½ cup orzo pasta
4-6 slices pomodoro loaf
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, sausage and minced garlic. Cook, crumbling the sausage into small pieces, until the onion is golden brown and the sausage is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Add the puttanesca sauce and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, herbs and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then add the orzo and kale, and simmer an additional 10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and kale is wilted.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. Drizzle the sliced pomodoro bread with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.
Variation: In leiu of the pomodoro bread, free free to sub in the sourdough dinner rolls crafted from this week’s starter!
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Campanelle with Italian Chicken Sausage & Grana Roasted Broccolini
Also tossed with lemon juice and zest, this light and lovely pasta is a snap to prepare.
Ingredients:
1 pound Lagana Foods campanelle pasta
1 pound Italian chicken sausage
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
Freshly-grated Grana cheese, for serving
Grana Cheese-Roasted Broccolini (see recipe)
Method:
1. Cook the campanelle for 5-7 minutes in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente, or just cooked through with a bit of bite left. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the Italian chicken sausage in a large skillet over medium-high until no longer pink, breaking into bite-sized pieces with a spoon. Add in cooked pasta, lemon juice and zest, along with the butter, tossing to combine. Add in the roasted broccolini. Taste for seasoning and then add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water or chicken stock if pasta mixture seems dry. To serve, sprinkle with fresh parsley and additional grated Grana cheese.
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Summer Heirloom Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
This light and lovely pasta makes the best of summer heirlooms; we also recommend adding a dollop of creamy chevre to each serving!
Ingredients:
1 pound semolina pasta of your choice
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound mixed cherry and heirloom tomatoes, cut in half for the cherry tomatoes, and then in bite-sized chunks for the larger heirlooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons finely-chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
¼ cup julienned basil leaves
Chevre cheese, for garnish
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper flakes, shallot and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste, and allow to sit while preparing the rest of the dish so that the flavors meld.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the water, stir gently and cook until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.
3. In a large skillet, cook the Italian sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling into bite-sized pieces, until cooked through and no longer pink. Add the tomato mixture and the drained pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to combine. Stir in the basil and season with additional salt if needed. Transfer to individual serving bowls and add a generous dollop of chevre cheese to each and drizzle again with olive oil before serving.
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Matera Perline Beans with Green Garlic Scapes & Pea Vines
Also topped with Italian sausage, this hearty dish is still incredibly light and flavorful.
Ingredients:
1½ cups Vero Matera Perline Beans, soaked overnight in a large pot of water, and drained
1 bay leaf
½ pound Skagit River Ranch Italian sausage (optional)
½ pound pea vines, trimmed of any tough ends
4 green garlic scapes, trimmed of ends and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Parmesan cheese, for grating
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Rinse the beans and transfer them to a large saucepan. Add the bay leaf and 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until nearly tender, about 1½ hours. Season the beans with salt and simmer until they are tender, but still hold their shape, about 45 minutes longer.
2. Meanwhile, if using, cook sausage in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, breaking up into small pieces. Once cooked through, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add olive oil to the same pan, then add pea vines and green garlic scapes, season with salt and pepper, and briefly sauté, about 1-2 minutes, until vines are tender and scapes are fragrant.
3. Add beans to pan with pea vines and scapes, then add back in Italian sausage and butter, lightly tossing everything together. Season with salt and pepper as needed and topped with fresh-grated cheese.
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Poached Duck Eggs over Asparagus with Italian Fonduta
Serve this elegant dish with toasted Italian Rustica bread to sop up those delicious runny egg yolks!
Ingredients:
3-4 duck eggs
1 pound asparagus, ends snapped and sliced into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Italian Fonduta (see recipe)
Method:
1. To poach the eggs, half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt. Meanwhile, crack each egg into its own small bowl and add a teaspoon of vinegar to each. Stir the boiling water vigorously with a balloon whisk until you have a whirlpool then immediately (and softly!) slip the egg into the pot. Turn the heat down low, and cook for three minutes. Gently lift eggs out of the pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter or heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. To serve, add a serving of the asparagus to a plate, and then top with a poached egg and a generous helping of fonduta. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
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Italian Sausage-Lentil Soup with Leeks
This longtime family recipe is a winning New Year’s dish. Fun fact: Lentils are believed to bring good luck and prosperity throughout the new year because they resemble coins!
Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, cleaned with white and light green parts chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups chicken stock
2 cans (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, for topping
Method:
- In a large pot, brown the sausage until it is no longer pink. Remove from the pan, drain and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the olive oil and then sauté onion, celery, carrot, and garlic until tender. Add stock, lentils, tomatoes, sausage, wine, sugar, vinegar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 and ½ hours. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.
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Tagliatelle Pasta with Grana Fonduta & Broccoli Rabe
The sauce for this delectable creamy pasta is crafted from duck egg yolks, Grana-style cheese and crème fraîche.
Ingredients:
2 large duck egg yolks
1½ cups crème fraîche
5 ounces Grana-style cheese, finely grated, plus a bit more for finishing
1 medium garlic clove, finely grated on a rasp-style grater
1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and separated into florets
1 pound tagliatelle pasta, or other favorite pasta noodle
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a small pot. Whisk together the egg yolks, crème fraîche, Grana and garlic in a heatproof bowl that will fit snugly inside the pot without making contact with the boiling water.
2. Set the bowl in the small pot and whisk the egg mixture constantly, occasionally scraping the sides and removing the bowl from the pot every couple of minutes as you whisk to keep the cooking nice and slow (don’t let it boil). Cook just until the sauce has thickened slightly (it should thinly coat the back of a spoon), 6 to 8 minutes. Set the bowl aside in a warm place.
3. Add the noodles to the boiling salted water and cook until al dente, dropping in the broccoli rabe during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli, then return to the pot, tossing to coat with most of the fonduta sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more fonduta as desired. Serve with additional freshly-grated Grana-style cheese.
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Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.