Pappardella are large, very broad, flat pasta noodles, similar to wide fettuccine. The name derives from the verb “pappare”, to gobble up. Pappardelle is a well-loved type of pasta in Tuscany. Tagliatelle, tagliolini, pappardelle, tortellini, and lasagne are some of the pastas made from sfoglia, the “leaves” of egg-and-flour dough. Tagliatelle which simply means cut pasta is a pasta wider than fettuccine but narrower than pappardelle. Legend has it that the tagliatelle shape–strips of pasta about a half inch wide, was invented in 1487 by Maestro Zafirano, a cook from the village of Bentivoglio, on the occasion of the marriage of Lucrezia Borgia to the Duke of Ferrara. The cook was said to be inspired by the beautiful blond hair of the bride. Despite the appeal of this romantic notion, it seems likely
that the invention of tagliatelle in Italy is earlier. Not only do we have pictorial representations of tagliatelle before this date in the Tacuinum Sanitatis, an eleventh-century Arab health manual translated into Italian that was first illustrated in the fourteenth century, but in the Compendium de naturis et proprietatibus alimentorum, a list of local Emilian nomenclature for foods compiled in 1338 by Barnaba de Ritinis da Reggio di Modena, the entry for something called fermentini indicates that it is cut into strips like tagliatelle and boiled.
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Papardelle with Leeks and Bacon From: GalleyChef.org
Creamy, pasta with smoky bacon. This is the best pasta I've ever had!
Instructions
Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 5-8 minutes. Add leeks and season with salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until leeks begin to brown, 5-8 minutes. Add cream, tarragon, pernod and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 5-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta, Parmesan, and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce and stir to coat. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring,adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta.
Recipe Notes
© Galley Chef All Rights Reserved
This dish feeds a crowd and holds up well in the heat.
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BLT Couscous
BLT fans - Here's a great recipe for you. Smoky bacon flavored couscous with lettuce and tomato.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the bacon on a cookie sheet and and bake for 10 minutes then turn baconover and cook another 5 minutes or until crisp. Drain reserving 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat. Add the bacon fat to a large sauce pan with 2 Cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add couscous, put the lid on it and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, crumble the bacon into a large bowl and add the lettuce, tomato, onion, and cucumbers. In a small bowl, mix, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Toss everything together. This salad holds up well in the heat.
Line cocktail glasses with slices of lemon and serve the couscous in the glasses.
Recipe Notes
© Galley Chef All Rights Reserved
There’s no comfort food that brings back childhood memories like stuffed cabbage rolls. These Italian style stuffed cabbage rolls are moist, tender and packed with flavor!
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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Italian Style
These Italian style stuffed cabbage rolls are moist, tender and packed with flavor!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season with Salt to taste like the sea. Blanch the Cabbage until tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Shock in ice water and set aside to dry. Remove leaves.
For the sauce
In a large sauté pan, add a few tablespoons of Olive Oil over medium-high heat. Add Pancetta and cook until the fat renders out and the Pancetta Crisps. Add the Onion, Garlic, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes and cook until fragrant. Add a teaspoon of Dried Thyme and Dried Basil. Add the Tomatoes and a generous pinch of Salt. Simmer until it comes together, about 5 minutes, and then set aside.
For the filling
In a large bowl, combine the Ground Beef, Sausage, Pecorino, Parsley, Currants, a teaspoon of Dried Basil and Thyme, Breadcrumbs, and Egg. Season generously with Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper. Using your hands, mix until just combined.
In a baking dish lightly greased with Olive Oil, ladle a thin layer of sauce. Spoon some of the filling into each of the leaves of Cabbage, and roll up. Arrange over the Arrabiata sauce in the baking dish. Once full, ladle more of the Arrabiata sauce over the stuffed Cabbage and sprinkle with more Pecorino-Romano. Transfer to oven and bake for an hour to an hour and a half, until the filling is completely cooked through. Serve.
Recipe Notes
For big dinner parties, prepare these a day in advance and simply pop them in the oven an hour before ready to serve. © Galley Chef All Rights Reserved