Tag: Pecorino Romano

Sicilian Braciole

The weather hasn’t quite turned cooler yet, but I am already starting to shift into more comfort food type cooking. Every Sunday is pasta night in my house, so this past Sunday, I decided to make something a bit more special than my usual Spaghetti and Meatballs. This recipe for Sicilian Braciole is very loosely based on the Braciole my mother-in-law makes.

I’ve made Braciole in the past, but the addition of pine nuts and raisins is what makes this recipe specifically Sicilian Braciole. The pine nuts become nice and soft in the sauce, and the raisins appear to almost melt away, adding just a touch of sweetness to balance the dish.

This recipe takes a good 5 hours to make, so plan accordingly!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup dry red or white wine
  • 4 (12.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Sicilian Braciole:

  • 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup dry red or white wine
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup olive oil; divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 pounds braciole meat (at my butcher, they were referred to as beef roll ups)

Other:

  • 1 (16 oz) box spaghetti, cooked al dente
  • fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

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Eggplant Meatballs

The end of April can mean only one thing, Flavors on the Avenue is almost here! Held the last Sunday of every April, Flavors on the Avenue is one of my favorite annual events. The food festival is held on E Passyunk Ave from Broad St to Dickinson St this Sunday, April 28 from 11am to 5pm.

Over two dozen of the region’s best restaurants will fire up street food, small plates, and signature dishes along the Avenue, ranging on average from $3.00 to $6.00 and will be pay-as-you-go. Craft beef, wine, and seasonal sips will also be available, sold by select restaurants, plus a Founders Brewing Co. Tasting Tent. Restaurants participating include:

  • Barcelona Wine Bar
  • Bing Bing Dim Sum
  • Brigantessa
  • Cantina Los Caballitos
  • Chhaya Cafe
  • El Sarape Restaurant
  • Essen Bakery
  • Fond
  • Fuel
  • ITV Philly
  • Izumi
  • Le Virtù
  • Mamma Maria Ristorante
  • Manatawny Still Works
  • Noir Philadelphia
  • Paradiso Restaurant
  • Pistola’s Del Sur
  • Plenty Café
  • P’unk Burger
  • Redcrest Fried Chicken
  • Saté Kampar
  • Stogie Joe’s Tavern
  • The Bottle Shop
  • Teas n’ Mi
  • Tre Scalini
  • Vanilya Bakery

In addition to all of the yummy food options, look for live music and entertainment throughout the festival, plus bring the kids for free family fun activities in kid zones up and down the avenue.

Source: EPABID

Retail, family, and fashion shops along the avenue will also be participating; look for shopping, sidewalk sales, special events, workshops, and much more!

Source: EPABID

This is an event that I’ve been attending since it first began as Flavors of the Avenue, under a tent. In 2017, the event moved along the avenue itself and has become the largest event on E Passyunk.

Source: EPABID

To read some of my past posts highlighting this event, check out:

This year, I wanted to highlight one of the many vegetarian options that will be offered on Sunday: Eggplant Meatballs from Brigantessa! I attended a media event for Flavors this year and was struck with how many delicious meatless options will be offered this year.

Every Sunday is pasta night in my house, so we went for a meatless Sunday, substituting in these yummy Eggplant Meatballs for our usual Meatballs in Tomato Sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced (or use a garlic press)
  • 2 (28 oz) cans tomato puree
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 tablespoons chopped basil, divided, plus more for serving
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2.5 cups bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • crusty bread or pasta, for serving

Continue reading Eggplant Meatballs

Pasta Alla Norma

Created with De Cecco

Pasta night at my house is a very important night. Every Sunday, we have a pasta dish, but like to switch up what exactly the dish is. It’s always fun to experiment with new ingredients, with pasta always being the constant.

So it is pretty important for me to use premium pasta, like De Cecco Authentic Italian Dry Pasta. Since 1886, De Cecco has made its pasta in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. The 130-year-old company still uses its original family recipe and high-quality ingredients to create a variety of pasta types.

De Cecco pasta is made with only the best coarse durum semolina, whereas flour is used in most other ordinary pasta brands. This translates into De Cecco being a firmer pasta that doesn’t get mushy or fall apart, even if you overcook it by a minute or two.

This week, I had a hankering for eggplant, so I decided to make Pasta Alla Norma. Pasta Alla Norma is a pasta dish with fried eggplant slices tossed in a chunky tomato sauce. The dish is topped with grated ricotta salata and basil.

Note: Ricotta Salata in America doesn’t pack as much punch as its Italian counterpart. If you can find it, go for an Aged Ricotta Salata. If not, use a bit of grated pecorino Romano along with your Ricotta Salata.

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium sized eggplants (look for ones that feel heavy for their size)
  • ½ cup olive oil, plus more if needed
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 (28 oz) can of San Marzano whole tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 (16 oz) box De Cecco spaghetti
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced basil
  • ¼ cup grated ricotta salata
  • ¼ cup grated pecorino Romano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Continue reading Pasta Alla Norma

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