Recipes: A Taste Of Italy From Il Posto Accanto

These recipes were shared with CBS2 by Beatrice Tosti of Il Posto Accanto.

RAGU DI CODA
Oxtail ragu

I love oxtail any way it is prepared. In Jamaica they make a mean "oxtail brown stew with butter beans" but this is how we prepare it in Roma and I add a twist to serve it on pasta.

4LB OXTAIL
1 CARROT
2 SHALLOTS
1 MEDIUM ONION
1 heart of celery (just the white tender part)
1 bunch parsley
4 garlic cloves
1 glass dry white wine
2 lb strained or crushed can tomatoes
ground black pepper
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
some people love to add 3 cloves and a touch of nutmeg but I want to say do not. Other like to add pinenuts and raisins...I like mine pure

Chop carrot, onion, shallot, garlic, celery and parsley
Place 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in your pot over medium high heat. Once nice and hot add the oxtail previously generously seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. Brown oxtail on all sides and add the chopped veggies. Let the vegetables cook through add wine and let evaporate completely. Add tomato sauce and 2 cups of hot water. Lower heat to medium low and let cook. Cooking time will vary from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the age of the animal. Add liquid as you need to. A nice way to know if you are close to completion is by checking the meat close to the bone, when it start to pull you are almost there, another 20 minutes and your done. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
The result has to be very saucy, you can have the oxtail as an entree and use the tomato sauce on some rigatoni with pecorino romano on top and this is the traditional way. I like to let the "stew" cool down and pick the meat from the bones and mix it to the sauce and use that as ragu for a nice plate of pasta al dente.

CAVOLFIORE STRASCINATO
Slow cooked smashed cauliflower

1 HEAD OF CAULIFLOWER (or broccolo romanescho)
5 CLOVES OF GARLIC or more if you like
¼ CUP EVOO
PINCH OF SPICY CHILE FLAKES
SEA SALT TO TASTE remember you can always add

Wash the cauliflower, cut in sixth and then each 6th in 4th. Place in a frying pan that has a lid and is big enough for your cavolfiore, fill it up to the rimm if you have to, i twill shrink in size. Place the peeled garlic cloves on top, sprinkle the salt (start with a teaspoon) the chili, the oil and half a cup of water and place over medium/low fire with the lid on for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This is a slow coking method and you really do not need to fuss over it, just go and give it a stirr every once in a while and make sure your water doesn't evaporate, if it does just add a bit a time. I actually love when it caramelizes and sticks a bit to the bottom of the pan.
This is a wonderful side for sausage or seafood or meat and can be enjoyed alone or with a fried egg on top.

FARROTTO AI FUNGHI
Mushroom farrotto (like risotto just with farro)

I LOVE Farro, it has a delicious nutty flavor and a wonderful texture IT IS NOT GLUTEN FREE yet is very healthy and has a very low GI releasing slowly its sugar into the blood stream and keeping you full longer. It is a super ancient grain mentioned in the bible and it was part of the diet in ancient Rome, predating wheat. It does very well in the cold and in soil that lacks nutrient yet it packs a full house of vitamins and minerals.

INGREDIENTS
¾ CUP FARRO
1 SMALL CARROT
1 SMALL ONION
1/2 CELERY STALK
1 BAY LEAF
1 TSP SEA SALT

rinse well the Farro and let it soak in water while you prep the vegetables. Rinse the carrot, Remove just the outermost skin of the onion and leave it whole, wash your celery and rinse the bay leaf.

Place the farro with 5 cups of water, all the vegetables, the bay leaf and the teaspoon of sea salt in a medium size pot. Bring to a boil. Lower the fire a little bit and let cook for 20 minutes, it could go up to 30.
I always prepare extra Farro because it is a wonderful side and you can sautee it with any veggies you like or garlic and grape tomatoes or you can toss it with a salad.

WHILE THE FARRO COOKS PREPARE THE MUSHROOMS
4 CUPS OF SLICED MUSHROOMS any kind you like or combination of mushrooms shitake, oyster, mini portobello
2 CLOVES OF GARLIC chopped
¼ cup EVOO
7 SPRIGS OF THYME chopped
A SPLASH OF WHITE WINE or lemon juice if it is easier
SEA SALT to taste lets start with a teaspoon
SPICY CHILE FLAKE if you like

Place chopped garlic (please do not make a paste out of the garlic) in a large sautee pan with half of your olive oil and place on fire over medium/low heat with a pinch of salt. I want the garlic to slowly caramelize and be delicious. As soon as it starts to change color, add your mushroom and raise the flame to medium/high. Toss with a spatula and make sure they are happy and coated in olive oil, add more oil if you need. Add sea salt, thyme and chili flakes and let cook for 4 minutes, add the wine or lemon juice, taste for salt and cook 2 more minutes. Set aside in the pan. It tastes better if the mushrooms stick a bit to the pan.

When the Farro is ready, drain the water and remove the vegetables (I like to eat the carrot) place your saute` pan with the mushroom on the fire, making sure you have enough oil and when it starts to crackle add the farro and mix together. Cook for a couple of minutes and TADAAAHHH

You can cook both the Farro and the mushrooms ahead of time and saute` together at last minute.

It can be dinner with some veggies on the side or a side to any fish.

SALSICCIA IN PADELLA
Sausage is such a winter food. The pig used to be killed in November and every little tiny piece of the animal would be used.
The fresh cuts would be used first and the rest, including all teh charcuterie would be saved for the rest of the year.
I know, I know, I am sure you know how to cook sausage but I still want to share how I prepare it so easy and delicious.

1LB SAUSAGE any kind you like as long as it is not pre-cooked
1 BAY LEAF
2 CLOVES OF GARLIC
1 GLASS WHITE WINE
BLACK PEPPER to taste
A TOUCH OF EVOO

Place your favorite non stick or stick skillet on medium heat with just a lttle EVOO. Take your sausage and make little holes by poking with a fork or a toothpick to ease the release of the fat. Place sausage garlic and bay leaf in hot skillet and let color on all sides turning frequently. Add wine and black pepper, let it cook 1 minute then lower the fire to medium/low and keep on coking for 10 minutes.
What a difference! Serve nice and hot!

This sausage would be delicious alone, with breakfast or with the slow cooked smashed cauliflower

BUON APPETITO!