Rustic Italian Food

Sampler Menu

Celery Puntarelle Salad

with Anchovy Dressing

Tuna-Ricotta Fritters
Rigatoni with Chicken Livers,
Cipollini Onions, and Sage
Sals Old-School

Meatballs

Lasagna with Zucchini and

Stracciatella
Slow-Roasted

Lamb Shoulder

Celery Puntarelle Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Puntarelle is a bitter green found in the winter in Italy. It tastes a little like dandelion greens, and
has serrated leaves attached to a pale green and bright white base. Its hard to find in the States, but
if you have a source or can grow it yourself, by all means use puntarelle. Otherwise, endive makes
a fair substitute. On Sundays, I make this salad for my wife, and she cant get enough of it.

Refrigerate the celery in ice water until slightly curled, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain, pat
dry, and toss with the puntarelle and parsley in a bowl.
For the dressing: Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, and anchovies
in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the anchovies break up, about
1 minute.
Add the tomato, pinching off and removing the core. Tear the tomato into pieces
and drop into the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the tomato breaks
down a little, 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes (or it will splatter when
the vinegar is added). Stir in the vinegar and the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil.
Remove and discard the garlic clove and vigorously whisk the dressing or puree it
with an immersion blender or in a small blender. Taste and season lightly with salt
and pepper.
Add 6 to 8 tablespoons of the dressing to the salad bowl and toss until mixed.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Divide equally among chilled plates, piling the ingredients into small mounds.
Garnish with the Parmesan shavings.
Prep Ahead

The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Mix it
with the salad just before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 ribs celery, cut lengthwise into very
thin strips 3 to 4 inches long
1/2

small head puntarelle, or 2 heads

endive, trimmed, cut in thirds on a
diagonal, and separated

1/2

Dressing
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 salted whole anchovies, rinsed
and boned (4 fillets)
1 canned peeled San Marzano
tomato
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/ 3

beverageAraldica, Gavi di Gavi 2008 La Luciana (Piedmont): Made from the Cortese grape,
Araldicas Gavi di Gavi is the perfect summer winelight and fresh with soft acidity and
briny minerality.

cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

cup Parmesan shavings

Tuna-Ricotta Fritters

Rigatoni with Chicken Livers,

Cipollini Onions, and Sage

Last year, I went to Italy and had lunch in Cene, just outside Bergamo, at Pina Cagnonis house.
Shes my chef Jeff Michauds mother-in-law. When I walked in the door, I opened my mouth to
say hello and Pina shoved some food in there instead. It was hot and crunchy on the outside, soft
and creamy on the inside. What was that flavor? I couldnt quite get it, and she never did give me
the recipe. But I figured it out on my own. If you like, add about 1/2 cup finely chopped onion and
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to the mix. And if you cant find robiola, substitute mascarpone or cream cheese.

Rub the tuna with salt until it is evenly coated, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Rinse the tuna and put it in a large saut pan with water to cover. Bring to a
low simmer (165F) over medium-high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain the 165F
temperature and gently poach the fish until it is just firm and registers about 120F
internal temperature. Remove from the heat and let cool in the poaching liquid.
Remove the fish from the water and buzz it briefly in a food processor until its
still a little chunky. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the robiola, ricotta, egg,
and bread crumbs. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add 2 inches of oil to a Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof casserole and bring to
350F on a deep-fat thermometer.
For the breading: Put the flour in one shallow bowl, the eggs in a second bowl,
and the bread crumbs in a third. Form the tuna mixture into 11/2-inch diameter
balls (about the size of a golf ball) and roll in the flour, then the egg, then the bread
crumbs. Transfer the balls to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet as you work.
Working in batches, fry the balls until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, maintaining the oil temperature at 350F. Cool on a rack set over a baking sheet lined with
paper towels.
Prep Ahead

If you cant find ricotta impastata, drain whole-mik ricotta instead. Line a sieve with
cheesecloth or paper towels and place over a bowl. Put the ricotta in the sieve, cover,
and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
You can mix, cover, and refrigerate the tuna mixture up to 3 days ahead. Let the
mixture stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to take off the chill, then roll
it into balls and bread it just before frying.
beverage Planeta, Ros 2009 (Sicily): Planetas Syrah ros, with its light and fresh strawberry
and spice flavors, will take you straight to the Southern Italian seaside.

Makes 32 small fritters

Tuna Mixture

You go through phases in a kitchen. You get into making something like confit and then you end
up trying to confit everything under the sun. A few months back, I was crazy about sausage. I put
everything I could think of in the meat grinder to make sausage out of it. One day, I had some
extra chicken livers, so I put those through the grinder and made a terrine. But it didnt come out
right. Then, my chef Jeff Michaud had an idea to make a simple rag with minced chicken livers
and toss it with some pasta. It was amazing. That chicken liver pasta was on our menu at Osteria
for two months. Then one day I walked into the restaurant and it wasnt on the menu anymore.
I asked Jeff about it and he said he wanted to change things up. I screamed, Are you out of your
mind??!!!?? It is the perfect, most innovative, most unexpected dish. It should be on the menu
forever! Thats an argument that I won pretty easily.

1 (9-ounce) tuna steak

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, quickly return to a boil,
and cook until the pasta is tender yet firm, 2 to 7 minutes, depending on how long it
has been refrigerated (or 8 to 9 minutes for the boxed stuff). Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water.
Meanwhile, melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large saut pan over medium-high
heat. Add the onions and sage and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season
with salt and pepper to taste and add the chicken livers, cooking for 1 minute. Add a
splash of pasta water, scraping the pan bottom.
Add the drained rigatoni to the pan. Toss with the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and
additional butter and/or pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce.
Divide among warm pasta bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Prep Ahead

2 cups dried bread crumbs

Make the rigatoni up to 5 days ahead of time and refrigerate uncovered.

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese,

plus more for garnish

9 ounces robiola cheese

9 ounces ricotta impastata or drained
whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2

cup dried bread crumbs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Grapeseed or olive oil for deep-frying

Breading
1 cup tipo 00 or all-purpose flour

beverageTramin, Gewrztraminer 2006 (Alto Adige): This wine is intensely tropical in aroma
and flavor, and rich enough to match the chicken livers yet spicy enough to cleanse the palate. Or come at it from another angle with Corte Majoli, Valpolicella Ripasso 2006 (Veneto),
which gives off rich dried fruit and chocolate aromas, but surprises you with a dash of acidity.

1 pound refrigerated extruded

Rigatoni (page 63), or 14 ounces
boxed dried rigatoni
2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
plus more for sauce
8 small cipollini onions, peeled
and thinly sliced into rings
12 fresh sage leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces chicken livers, minced

Sals Old-School

Meatballs

My father instilled three things in me: (1) Always work for yourselfno matter what, be the boss;
(2) Always have integrityyou are only as good as your word; (3) Always use veal, pork, and beef
in meatballs. Life really is that simple!

Combine the veal, pork, beef, bread, milk, eggs, 2 cups Parmesan, pecorino, 6 tablespoons parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic in a stand mixer fitted with the flat blade. Mix
on medium-low speed for 1 minute.
Scoop out 1/8-cup pieces of meat and gently roll them between your hands into
balls about the size of a golf ball. The meat will be soft, so dont compress it too
much. Put the flour in a bowl and toss the meatballs in the flour as you work.
Heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat in a large skillet and, working in
batches, add the floured balls, cooking them until golden brown all over, 8 to
10 minutes total. The internal temperature should be about 155F.
Divide the meatballs among plates; sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley.

Braised Meatballs
If you like, braise the browned meatballs in Pizza Sauce (page 267). Add the sauce
directly to the pan youre browning the meatballs in, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. You can also serve the braised meatballs over cooked pasta.

Swordfish Meatballs
Freeze 41/2 pounds cubed swordfish and 11/2 pounds cubed fatback until firm but
not solid, about 45 minutes. Freeze all parts to a meat grinder too. Grind the fish and
fatback through the small die of a meat grinder along with 1/2 cup golden raisins and
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts. Soak 9 slices of white bread in 2 cups milk for 5 minutes,
then squeeze out the excess milk and add the soaked bread to the meatball mixture.
Put the meatball mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer and add 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, 2 cups grated pecorino cheese, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 4 eggs, 5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 2 minced cloves garlic, and pepper to taste. Mix with
the paddle attachment for 1 minute, then scoop out 1/8-cup pieces of meat and roll
into meatballs the size of a golf ball. Dust the meatballs in flour and sear in oil as
directed, cooking to an internal temperature of 125F. I like to braise the swordfish
meatballs in Pizza Sauce (page 267) for a few minutes, then serve them over Polenta
Squares(page 230) and garnish with Parmesan, parsley, and olive oil.

Makes about sixty 1-ounce meatballs

(thirty 2-ounce balls or twenty
3-ounce balls)
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
4 slices white sandwich bread, torn
11/2 cups milk
3 eggs
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
cheese, plus more for garnish
1 cup grated pecorino cheese
6 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2

teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

11/2 cups tipo 00 flour or all-purpose
flour
1/4

cup grapeseed oil

Prep Ahead

The meatballs can be rolled in flour and frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Put the frozen balls in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and sear as
directed.
beverageTorre Quarto, Don Marcello Rosso 2007 (Puglia): This Southern Italian blend is ideal
with these meatballs. Primarily Sangiovese with Cab and Merlot, this slightly tannic blend is
aged in stainless steel and brings a surprising flavor of fresh fruit that makes it as rustic as
the dish it complements.

Lasagna with Zucchini and Stracciatella

I usually make this dish as individual lasagnas (see note on page 105), but here its made in
one big baking dish. The taste is the same both ways. Great cheese is the key. Stracciatella is
the soft, stretchy, inner part of burrata cheese. If you cant find it, burrata will do. Either way,
its the perfect cheese for an early summer vegetable lasagna when the zucchini are small and
garlic chives are available at the farmers market.

Lay a pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface and cut into lengths that will fit a
11/2-quart (6-cup) baking dish. Spritz the pasta lightly with water as you work to keep
it from drying out. Refrigerate any remaining pasta for another use.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, quickly return
to a boil, and blanch for 15 to 20 seconds. Transfer the pasta to a bowl of ice water to
stop the cooking. Lay the pasta flat on kitchen towels and pat dry.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F. Heat the oil in a medium saut pan over
medium heat. Add the squashes, garlic, and thyme and cook until soft but not mushy,
3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Mix the ricotta and stracciatella in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper
to taste.
Butter a 11/2-quart baking dish and line the bottom with pasta, leaving some
hanging over the edges. Spread on the cheese mixture, squash, and Parmesan, spreading each almost to the edge of
the pasta. Repeat with one layer
each of pasta, cheese mixture,
squash, and Parmesan. Top with
pasta and butter (if you have
any cheese or squash left over,
arrange it decoratively on top).
Bake until lightly browned
on the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
If you have convection, turn it
on to help crisp the edges of the
overhanging pasta.
Divide among warm plates
and drizzle each serving with
some of the chive oil. Garnish
with Parmesan.

Makes 6 servings
8 ounces Basic Egg Pasta Dough
(page 80), rolled into sheets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow squash, julienned
(about 1 cup)
1 green squash, julienned
(about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
Leaves from 3 to 4 sprigs thyme
3/4

cup ricotta impastata or drained

whole-milk ricotta cheese

Prep Ahead

2 / 3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

cheese, plus more for garnish

If using pasta squares, they can be made up to 2 days ahead, lightly floured, stacked
in an airtight container, and refrigerated.
If you cant find ricotta impastata, drain whole-mik ricotta instead. Line a sieve
with cheesecloth or paper towels and place over a bowl. Put the ricotta in the sieve,
cover, and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

8 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into

teaspoon-size slices

Lasagnette

6 ounces stracciatella or burrata

cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4

cup Garlic Chive Oil (page 269)

To make individual lasagnas, cut the rolled pasta sheets into 4-inch squares to make
27 squares. Blanch as directed in the main recipe, then arrange 9 squares on a buttered
rimmed baking sheet and layer each with a layer of cheese, squash, Parmesan, and
pasta. Repeat, ending with a pasta square. Top each lasagnetta with 2 pats of butter.
Bake as directed. Makes 9 individual lasagnas.
beverageTramin, Sauvignon 2009 (Alto Adige): One of the top whites in its price range, this
laser-sharp Sauvignon Blanc from the pre-Alps is all grapefruit up front and all green grass
and herbs on the finish. Those aromas coax out the green snap of the zucchini in the dish.

Slow-Roasted

Lamb Shoulder

I first tried brined and roasted lamb in Rome years ago, and Ive never had more flavorful lamb in
my life. I now follow the same basic process for most of my roasted meats: brine it, roast it, and
slice it into portions, then crisp up the slices in a hot pan. I like to serve the lamb slices on a plate
with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (page 228). You might think 8 pounds of lamb will cost you an
arm and a leg. But while lamb chops are expensive, lamb shoulder is cheaper. This recipe turns an
economical cut of meat into an incredible meal.

Put a large, heavy-duty trash bag in a large bowl or tub (something large enough to
hold the lamb) and carefully pour in the brine. Add the lamb and push it down until
it is completely submerged. Press the air out of the bag, tie it closed, and put the container and bag in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Preheat the oven to 300F. Make a layer of the vegetable chunks on the bottom
of a roasting pan that is large enough to fit the lamb. Pull the lamb from the brine and
discard the brine. Place the lamb on the vegetables and roast until fork-tender, 4 to
5 hours. Let cool to room temperature.
Remove the cooled lamb to a cutting board and remove the bones. The lamb
should be tender enough to pull the bones right out of the meat. Try to keep the sections of meat as whole as possible.
Slice the lamb sections into 1-inch-thick pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet over
high heat. Brown the lamb pieces in the hot oil until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side,
turning occasionally. Serve the seared lamb pieces on a platter sprinkled with salt,
pepper, and fresh rosemary leaves.
Prep Ahead

The brine can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Youll need another 3 days for
brining the lamb. After you roast the lamb, you can cool the sections and refrigerate
them for a day or two before searing them in a hot pan. Plenty of options here for
working ahead.
beverageCantina Santadi, Carignano 2007 Grotta Rossa (Sardinia): The deep flavor of lamb
pairs well with the richness of this warm-climate Carignano. The wine feels soft in the
mouth, with a nice, full body.

Makes 6 servings
Rosemary-Garlic Brine (page 274)
1 bone-in lamb shoulder, about
8 pounds
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into
large chunks
3 ribs celery, cut into large chunks
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground
pepper
Fresh rosemary leaves, for garnish

Available everywhere books are sold

November 1, 2011

Copyright 2011 by Marc Vetri

Photographs copyright 2011 by Kelly Campbell
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of
the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
The Times They Are A-Changin written by Bob Dylan, copyright 1963,
1964 by Warner Bros. Inc.; renewed 1991, 1992 by Special Rider Music. All rights
reserved. International copyright secured. Reprinted by permission.
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks
of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vetri, Marc.
Rustic Italian food / Marc Vetri with David Joachim ; beverage notes by
Jeff Benjamin ; photography by Kelly Campbell ; foreword by Mario Batali.
p. cm.
Summary: The second cookbook from acclaimed Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri,
featuring recipes for staples of the hand-crafted Italian Kitchen like bread, pasta,
pizza, and salumi Provided by publisher.
1. Cooking, Italian. 2. Cookbooks. I. Joachim, David. II. Title.
TX723.V484 2011
641.5945dc23
2011015301

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