Meet and Greet Chef/Author Amy Riolo for a cooking demonstration and book signing of her latest release, Olive Oil for Dummies on Saturday, December 7, 11 a.m. Grounded Coffee Shop 6919 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22310. CiaoDC subscribers receive 10% off Amy Riolo Products just in time for the holidays! Shop Now!
Enjoy this Sunday Gravy Dinner recipe from Amy’s book, “Italian Recipes for Dummies.” Buon Appetito!
Rigatoni al forno/Baked Rigatoni with Besciamella and Meat Sauce
*From Italian Recipes For Dummies by Amy Riolo
Did you know that 70% of Italians today still gather for Sunday lunch? Communal eating is the base of the Mediterranean lifestyle, because it is an important factor which contributes to our physical and mental health. In the history of the Mediterranean diet, healthful, plant-based dishes were consumed throughout the week, and the richer dishes were saved for the day of rest. This classic Sunday-style dishes highlights not only the importance of the centuries-old tradition of baked pasta dishes in family gatherings, but also the technique of combining pasta with two ritualistic sauces – Bechamel, and Meat Sauce, which are also the protagonists in classic Lasagne dishes. You may be surprised to learn that Bechamel sauce, known as Besciamella in Italian, was introduced to the French Courts by Queen Caterina de’ Medici when she married King Henri II and nowadays it is enjoyed in households throughout Italy as well as France and the world.
Read the captions below the recipes to learn more about them.
PREP TIME: 5 MIN
COOK TIME: 20 MIN
YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
* 1 pound rigatoni pasta
* 1/4 cup butter, cubed
* Half recipe Salsa besciamella/Béchamel Sauce (see below)
* Half recipe Ragù alla Bolognese (see below)
* 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat home oven to 375 degrees, or heat Rotator to 480F degrees.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, until very al dente (about 3 minutes less than if you were serving immediately). Drain.
3. Grease a deep 9x13-inch baking dish (we used cast iron skillets with the Rotator) with 1 cube of butter and spread a layer of the besciamella sauce on the bottom.
4. Add a layer of rigatoni over the sauce, then a layer of ragù Bolognese, and a few tablespoons of cheese. Continue layering until all of the pasta and sauce are used up.
5. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top, dot with remaining butter cubes, and place in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes
(only a few minutes are needed in a pizza oven) until golden. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes and slice into large squares to serve.
TIP:
Baked dishes can be assembled the night before and baked the morning of serving so they have time to set up. If you are serving this as a first course, you need an equally filling second course that does not have too much sauce, such as roasted meat or fried meatballs.
Pair this dish with a bottle of Tramonti rosso or similar. A mix of the ancient Aglianico, Tintore, and Piedirosso vines and a unique terroir create fruity and Mediterranean notes with a fresh, tannic, warm, and spicy sip.
NOTE:
These types of dishes are synonymous with Sundays and special occasions in Italy, although, if served on a Wednesday night, that would make it a celebration, too!
VARY IT!
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You can use just one of the sauces in larger amounts, or swap out the rigatoni for ziti or penne, if you like in this filling dish. Some people like to layer their baked pasta dishes with vegetables or sliced hard-boiled eggs as well.
Salsa besciamella/Béchamel Sauce
PREP TIME: 5 MIN
COOK TIME: 20 MIN
YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
* 3/4 cup butter
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
* 4 cups whole milk, preferably fresh, local, organic
* 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, add the butter and melt it over low heat.
2. Add the flour and whisk it in with the butter to combine.
3. Allow to cook for 1 minute, or until slightly golden. Add the nutmeg and whisk again.
4. In another small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat.
5. As soon as it boils, add it into the other saucepan and whisk well until you have a thick, creamy sauce. If the sauce needs to be thicker, continue to cook it over low heat for a few minutes until it thickens and set aside.
TIP:
Besciamella is a perfect sauce for winter dishes. For a fantastic baked pasta, mix this recipe with 1 pound of
rigatoni that is cooked until very al dente (about 3 minutes less than if you were serving immediately). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir in cooked vegetables such as squash or zucchini, if desired. Top pasta with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden.
NOTE:
This recipe is often used to top filled savory Italian crepes (called crespelle in Italian) and in baked pasta dishes.
VARY IT!
In addition to this version, which is served in Italy, France, and the U.S., many cities around the world have their own variations. In Saudi Arabia, they add a few pieces of good-quality saffron to the Béchamel sauce and use it to top roasted fish. In Egypt, they often make the sauce with half the quantity of milk and the other half of chicken stock. It is then tossed into short pasta along with a meat sauce and baked. Eggs are stirred into the Besciamella sauce in Greece before it is used in the classic Pastitsio recipe.
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Ragù alla Bolognese/Bolognese-Style Meat Sauce
PREP TIME: 10 MIN
COOK TIME: 3-4 HOURS
YIELD: 6 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
* 2 tablespoons Amy Riolo Selections or other good-quality extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
* 1/4 cup diced celery
* 1/4 cup diced carrot
* 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (try to avoid lean varieties), or veal (see Note)
* 1 cup white wine
* 4 cups tomato puree, preferably from San Marzano tomatoes
* 1 cup beef stock, homemade if possible
* 1 dried bay leaf
* 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt, plus extra to taste
* 1 cup whole milk
* Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the meat and stir, allowing to brown completely. Add the wine and stir until wine is completely evaporated.
3. Add the tomato puree, stock, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and stir.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
5. Add the milk, stir, and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
6. The sauce is ready when it reaches a thick consistency (it will have cooked down to about half of its original volume). Stir and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
TIP:
This sauce can be made a day ahead of time or made in large quantities and frozen until serving. Serve ragù alla Bolognese with thick pasta such as tagliatelle (as is done in Bologna), fettucine, pappardelle, or rigatoni if you prefer a shorter pasta.
NOTE:
Several Italian regions have their own ragù (meat sauce) recipes that were traditionally made on Sunday morning and enjoyed after families came home from church. Since the Catholic Church promoted abstaining from meat from Friday until after receiving the Eucharist on Sunday, a meat-based sauce was the ultimate feast-worthy meal to celebrate with.
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VARY IT!
You can use whatever kind of meat you choose in this recipe. Goat, lamb, pork, beef, veal, or combinations of your favorites all produce a fantastic sauce.
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