The Results - Day 4

Today, it's Saturday.  There is no challenge!  I am taking a day off.  I will however tell you that yesterday's recipes were good.  The pasta lacked a bit of sauce for my taste, but it was overall tasty.  It was again very easy to put together, as well as the salad, which was also quite tasty, but I would omit the iceberg lettuce next time, as I am not a huge fan of it.

I am including the recipes, as well as some pictures.

Pasta all'Amatriciana

• 3 ounces thickly sliced guanciale or pancetta (see Note), cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 fresh red chile—stemmed, seeded and minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes—tomatoes chopped, juices reserved
• 3/4 pound dried pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti or rigatoni
• Freshly ground pepper
• Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 

1. In a large skillet, combine the guanciale, chile and bay leaf and cook over moderately low heat until the fat has rendered and the guanciale is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer over moderate heat until it has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook over high heat until just barely tender. Drain the pasta and stir it into the sauce. Cook the pasta over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper. Spoon the pasta into shallow bowls, generously sprinkle with the grated Pecorino Romano and serve, passing more Pecorino cheese at the table. 

Source: Food & Wine, from Eat and Drink Like a Roman, published October 2010

Pasta all'Amatriciana

The good thing with this recipe is that you can make the sauce in advance, and refrigerate up to a day.  Bring the sauce back to a simmer before adding the cooked pasta.  To know what guanciale is, click here.

As for the salad, it reminded me of the nice big Italian salad they serve at Olive Garden.  I don't go there often, but when I do, I order the salad, since it's so good and full of flavors.  This one recipe was very similar, with many flavors all interlaced, exploding in the mouth.  I had to add a little more salt to the vinaigrette, even though it doesn't require in the recipe.  I would also put a little more garlic next time, instead of 1 clove, maybe 2.

Big Italian Salad

• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 large romaine heart, chopped
• 1 small head of radicchio—halved, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, coarsely chopped
• 1 tender celery rib, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pitted green olives, preferably Sicilian
• 8 peperoncini
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (1 cup) 

1. In a large bowl, mash the garlic to a paste with a generous pinch of salt. Whisk in the mayonnaise, vinegar and oregano, then whisk in the olive oil. Season with pepper. Add all of the remaining ingredients and toss well. Serve right away.

Source: Food & Wine, from Fast Recipe Makeovers: Italian-American Favorites, published October 2010

Big Italian Salad (before mixing)

Have a great rest of the weekend readers and let's get cooking tomorrow night!