In the middle of a worldwide crisis with an extraordinary pandemic that touches all of us, in a call to flatten the curve and ask each one of us to be responsible for our actions, I will not post on restaurants for the time being. I don’t want to tempt the devil!

I will instead post some recipes to hopefully make the isolation easier and maybe spark new ideas for cooking lovers or unexpected new interest in cooking for others.
As people are going on a shopping spree, devastating the shelves especially for hand sanitizers, toilet papers, and pasta, I will start by posting a pasta recipe.
I can’t do much for TP!
Serving: 4 people
Preparation: 30 min
Cooking time: 50 min
Ingredients:
1 lb / 500 g ground beef – I use lean beef, 10% fat. Meat is optional if you prefer to make it vegetarian
1 onion
2 medium carrots
1 cup / 250 ml red wine
1 tomato / canned tomato for substitute
1 can tomato paste
7 0z / 200 g (½ can) chickpeas – 1 can if it’s a vegetarian meal.
2 tbsp thyme
2 tbsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
½ cup / 100 g chopped fresh basil
4 oz / 100 g fresh ricotta
1 lb / 500 g schiaffoni pasta or any other short pasta
1/4 cup / 60 g Coarse salt
  1. Cook the ground beef until it browns; no need to add any extra oil or butter, the meat has enough fat.
  2. Chop the onion and add to the meat; stir until the onions start to look slightly translucent.

  3. Peel and dice the carrots into small cubes. Add to the meat and stir.

  4. Pour the red wine and let it boil.
  5. Chop the tomato and add with the tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste blends with the rest of the sauce.
  6. Add the chickpeas, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir and close the lid and let simmer on low heat for 45 min.

  7. Fill a big pan of water to the halfway mark. Boil the water. Add the coarse salt once the water is boiling.
  8. Poor the pasta and cook it as indicated on the package.
  9. Add the fresh ricotta to the sauce at the end of the cooking time. Stir and let it melt for 5 min.
  10. Drain the pasta when cooked.
  11. When ready to serve, add the fresh basil to the sauce.
  12. Poor the pasta in the sauce and stir all together.
  13. Serve in soup bowls; add a knob of ricotta on top of the pasta and a few fresh basil leaves to bring a touch of spring.
A bottle of Chianti or Montepulciano d’Abruzzo would be a perfect pairing with this pasta dish.
Bon appétit!
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