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Recipes From Il Posto Accanto

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Chef Beatrice Tosti of Il Posto Accanto in the East Village joined CBS2's Cindy Hsu and Andrea Grymes with a taste of Italy Sunday morning. Here are the recipes she shared with us:

LA GENOVESE

La Genovese is a versatile and superb onions base pasta sauce/meat entrée dish that we prepare at Il Posto Accanto once a week, and if I miss a week I am sure to hear the complaints.
Genovese is the epitome of Neapolitan cuisine and of Sunday supper. The name is a bit of a mystery: why a typical Neapolitan sauce has a name with its roots in Genova? I do not know, I only know it is divine and that there are as many versions as the millions of housewives, cooks and chefs who prepare it.

My version is inspired by a very traditional recipe from the mid 1800's and I love it. Please do try to prepare it, do not let the long recipe discourage you. You can start on Saturday and finish on Sunday. It si a total crowd pleaser. The preparation is actually fast, the cooking time is loooooong.

INGREDIENTS

2LB DRY SHORT PASTA ZITI, PACCHERI, RIGATONI (for a big family, you will have extra sauce and you will be delighted you do) do not use fresh pasta!
2,2 LB OF VEAL SHOULDER OR BEEF CHUCK have your butcher tie it like a roast and choose any kind of cut you like but it has to be a little fatty because it will cook forever.
3/4 PORK SHOULDER OR BUTT in one piece
1/4LB PANCETTA THINLY SLICED and then chopped
1/4LB ITALIAN SALAMI on the soft side, chopped
6LB ONIONS THINLY SLICED do not skimp out on the onions!!! (use a mandolin, your food processor and prepare to cry)
2 STALKS OF CELERY chopped
2 CARROTS chopped
5 SPRIGS OF ITALIAN PARSLEY chopped
1 GLASS DRY WHITE WINE open a bottle and have some!
3TBSP TOMATO PASTE
1 TBSP BUTTER you can omit
4 TBSP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
SEA SALT
BLACK PEPPER
GRATED PARMIGIANO

Place a big pot that has lid over medium/high fire, add butter and EVOO, let it melt. Add chopped pancetta and salami and let turn gold. Season generously your meats with salt and pepper and add to the pot and let color. Now add half a glass of the vino and let evaporate, time to add the chopped celery, carrots and parsley. cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and let cook another 5 minutes. Now add all your sliced onions to cover the meat completely. Add salt and pepper, I let you decide to your taste, and give it a stir. Now add the rest of the vino and make sure that your stirring allows the onions to slide under the meat. Let cook for 3 hours on low with the lid on.

After 3 hours, check the situation, have a taste to assess the seasoning and adjust, if your Genovese looks dry add more vino or water, cover and cook for another hour.

After 4 hours, check if your meat is done. If it is you have 3 choices (we LOVE options):
remove the meat from the pot, cover immediately with plastic wrap and serve sliced on top of pasta or on its own with a side (the Piselli al Prosciutto below are a winner, but potatoes, greens you decide).
Remove the beef/veal and let the pork cook with the onions for a more robust sauce.
Leave all the meat and let it fall apart in the onions

All the choices will yield equally divine results.

Let the onions with or without the meat cook on low, if the sauce is watery remove the lid if not cook uncovered, for another 4 hours, until the onions become a cream.

You made it and I am so very proud. Cook your pasta al dente in roaring boiling salted water.
Finish cooking with your Genovese. I you have removed the meat you can serve a piece on top of every dish, finish with abundant grated parmigiano reggiano.

PISELLI AL PROSCIUTTO
garden peas and prosciutto

This is a Roman staple, easy and flavorful, you can omit the prosciutto and make it vegetarian or omit the butter and prosciutto and make it vegan.

1LB FRESHLY SHUCKED GREEN PEAS weight after shucking (or 1lb frozen peas)
2oz PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA DICED
2 CUPS WATER
1 ONION
1 TBSP BUTTER
2 TBSP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 TSP OF SEA SALT plus one pinch
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

Thinly cut and dice the onion and place in sauce pan over medium heat with a pinch of salt and the olive oil. When the onion is translucent, around 5 minutes, add the peas the salt the pepper and let the flavors marry for 2 minutes now add the water and let cook for 15 or 20 minutes with a lid on. Remove the lid, add the diced prosciutto and keep cooking for 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced. Taste for seasoning and serve.

If you are using frozen peas, do not defrost, add to the translucent onion, follow same direction as for fresh peas but only add 1/2 cup of water and cook for 10 minutes.

BORING BUT OH SO GOOD TIRAMISU` WITH PAVESINI

1LB MASCARPONE
4 EGGS room temperature
Scant HALF CUP OF SUGAR
3/4LB PAVESINI COOKIES
1 CUP UNSWEETENED ESPRESSO
GOOD QUALITY COCOA POWDER for generously sprinkling on top

Here I am with a recipe for the boring yet always delicious and no fuss, no bake Tiramisu. One of the most notorious Italian desserts, with its own "Tiramisu day" January 17th. Who invented it? A chef in Treviso or in Tuscany? A creative housewife? We shall never know.

This recipe suggests the use of Pavesini cookies instead of Savoiardi, they are thinner and give a better texture to the dessert, you can find them in Italian specialty stores.

Separate your eggs making sure there are no shells and no yolks in the whites. Beat your yolks with the sugar by hand, or with any appliance you favor, until frothy and pale yellow.
Add the mascarpone and mix throughly.

Beat the egg whites to hard peaks.

Gently fold a third of the egg whites in your mascarpone cream, when you are satisfied with the results add the rest of the egg whites and repeat.

Rapidly dunk your Pavesini in your cold espresso until you have lined the bottom of your saving dish.
Slather with Mascarpone cream and repeat. The last layer is mascarpone cream. I personally do not care for a super flat surface, i like it better if it has a bit of texture.

Let rest in your refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

Do not be stingy with cocoa powder, dust with a generous layer right before you serve.

Tiramisu is always tastier prepared in advance.

BUON APPETITO!!!

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