Lemon Gnocchi with Spinach and Peas

This week I received some fresh spinach and peas in my CSA bag. Flipping through my binder, I found this recipe I pulled from the December 2007 issue of Gourmet (RIP). Perfect!  I don’t know why it was published in December, since this is such a summery type of dish – maybe Ruth was off her game that month. It was so fast and easy to make, too.

Lemon Gnocchi with Spinach and Peas

yield: Makes 4 servings

active time: 10 min

total time: 20 min

The zing of fresh lemon enhances both the peas' sweetness and the natural flavor of the spinach. The whole quick, creamy dish is bolstered by soft pillows of potato gnocchi.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed) (I used fresh from my CSA)

1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes (I always add more)

1 garlic clove, smashed (I minced 3 cloves of garlic)

3 cups packed baby spinach (3 ounces) (I used regular spinach from my CSA)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 pound dried gnocchi (preferably De Cecco)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Simmer peas with cream, red-pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add spinach and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente (actually you should cook them until they float). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain gnocchi.

Simmering in the sauce

Add gnocchi to sauce with cheese and some of reserved cooking water and stir to coat. Thin with additional cooking water if necessary.

Light, summery, and delicious

Meatballs. Not the movie.

Here’s a recipe I pulled out of the April 2008 edition of Gourmet (R.I.P.) I have always wanted to make real Italian meatballs and this recipe sounded like it fit the bill. Sadly, to me, it did not. The meatballs are good but I think there is too much bread and they are lacking something I can’t put my finger on. The recipe was sent in by a reader to honor his grandfather.  I served the meatballs with my own homemade sauce and homemade pasta.

I actually had some of these last night. Eric loves them but they're not my favorite, so I am going to put these on my "Not a Keeper" list.

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My grandfather, Angelo “Squatty” Coschignano, ran the Fort Salonga Inn, on Long Island, for 35 years. Growing up, I spent long hours in the kitchen with him and eventually created a sauce that would complement his most famous dish. After he passed away last September, our family decided that sending Gourmet his recipe would be the best way to memorialize him.

-William “Billy” Woerner

New York City

Angelo “Squatty” Coschignano’s Meatballs

Serves 6 to 8

Active Time: 1 hour

Start to Finish: 2 ½ hours

Three types of meat give these legendary meatballs a succulent depth of flavor. Top them with Billy Woerner’s rich, bacon-studded sauce (see recipe at gourmet.com) to create a truly out-of-this-world version of the classic Italian dish.

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 (1-lb) loaf stale Italian bread, crust discarded

1 ½ cups whole milk

¾ lb ground veal

½ lb ground pork

½ lb ground beef chuck

2 tablespoons chopped basil

1 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup Italian seasoned fine dry bread crumbs

1 large egg

½ cup olive oil

1 qt. tomato sauce

- Preheat oven to 375° with rack in middle.

- Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.

- Tear bread into large pieces, then soak in milk until very soft, about 5 minutes. Squeeze out and discard excess milk.

- Mix together bread, garlic paste, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and remaining ingredients except oil in a large bowl with your hands, breaking up any large pieces of bread, until combined well. Form meat mixture into 18 (2-inch) balls with dampened hands. I made smaller meatballs and froze most of them. Place meatballs on a baking sheet, freeze, then place frozen meatballs in a Ziploc bag. You can take out however many you need for dinner.

That's alotta meatballs!

- Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown meatballs in 2 batches, turning frequently, 3 to 5 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Instead of frying, these can also be baked on a baking sheet.

- Arrange meatballs in 1 layer in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Cover with sauce, then cover dish tightly with foil and bake until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Note: Meatballs in sauce keep, covered and chilled, 3 days.

Homemade meatballs, sauce & pasta

Suck it, Manwich!

This is a recipe I make 2 or 3 times a year when we’re craving something old school for dinner. My generation grew up eating Manwich Sloppy Joes or Sloppy Joes from the school cafeteria, which as kids we probably thought were great, but who says they can’t be a bit more refined? And why is it called a MANwich?  How sexist!

This recipe from the October 2007 issue of Gourmet (R.I.P.) shows that they CAN be sophisticated and delicious, without using processed sauce.  I like to add a little bit of shredded cheese, too. We had these open faced with some oven baked sweet potato fries.

Sophisto Joes

Serves 4

Active Time: 25 minutes

Start to Finish: 35 minutes

These are the Jay Gatsbys of sloppy joes – suave, debonaire. But we’d be remiss if we let the black-tie frippery of these cosmopolitan joes belie their true nature: Just as with Fitzgerald’s famous hero, there’s substance underneath all that class. These civilized sandwiches are hearty, delicious, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

1 14.5 ounce can whole tomatoes in juice, drained

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1.5 lbs ground beef chuck

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1.5 tablespoons packed brown sugar

4 kaiser rolls, split

1.                  Puree tomatoes in a blender

2.                  Cook onion and garlic in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

3.                  Add beef and brown, stirring to break up lumps, 5 to 6 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add pureed tomatoes, wine, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar and boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and sandwich inside rolls.



I dare you to not sing the Lunch Lady song by Adam Sandler!
Sloppy Joe, Slop, Slop-py Joe.....