Philly
{Pasta & Bean Stew}
GiovanniItalianCatering@gmail.com This old family favorite is a traditional Napoli Italy recipe, says chef Giovanni. “Ninety percent of my cooking trade comes from my mother. As of today, we still make the dish at least twice a month –trying to pass it down to my daughter. The only difference in America - they eat this dish as a soup. In Italy, it’s a famous pasta dish.”
Ingredients ½➜ 1 /2 cup olive oil ➜1 /2 cup chopped onion ➜4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped ➜3 celery sticks, chopped in a small dice ➜1 /2 cup pancetta (Italian bacon), diced
➜4 tablespoons white wine ➜1 /2 cup of crushed tomatoes ➜1 cup of white cannellini beans, drained ➜1 /4 cup of ditalini pasta ➜S alt and pepper to taste ➜1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Directions In a medium sized saucepan, heat olive oil until hot. Add onion, garlic and celery and sauté. Stir. When the vegetables caramelize, add pancetta. Cook for a few minutes until pancetta is golden. Add white wine and cook off alcohol, then add crushed tomatoes, beans, pasta and one cup of wa-
ter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat to medium low and cover. Allow to cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking and stirring after 30 minutes to see if the stew is too dry. Add a little water if needed. Right before serving, stir in the grated cheese.
PRH Suggested Wine Pairing Tesoro Della Regina Chianti $16
In memory of her grandmother Isabel DiPietro
Turkey Croquettes
Courtesy of Giovanni’s Italian Catering
Pasta e Fagioli for Two
Courtesy of Victoria DiPietro Snyder
This recipe is so special to me because it is my grandmother’s (or as I used to call her, my Nonna). She was the best cook that there ever was and we all reaped the benefits. I can remember spending my entire summer with her as a kid in South Philly and never wanting to leave because I got so much love fed to me. She would make the best dishes and everything was made with love so it tasted amazing. Everyone would come to my Nonna’s house for Thanksgiving. She made two turkeys for everyone who squeezed into her South Philly home. A few days after Thanksgiving, she used the leftover turkey and stuffing to create the most incredible, creamy delicious croquettes. I think she would be so proud that I am now using her recipes for my family and carrying on the tradition of this family favorite.
Ingredients ➜2 cups leftover turkey, ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜
➜2 cups chicken broth ➜1 cup flour ➜S alt and pepper to taste ➜2 eggs, beaten ➜1 /2 cup milk ➜1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs ➜1 /3 cup vegetable oil
white and dark meat 2 cups leftover stuffing 1 /2 cup finely minced celery 1 /2 cup finely minced onion 1 /2 cup finely minced carrots 3 tablespoons of butter 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
Directions In a food processor, add the dark and white meat turkey and pulse until finely chopped. Remove and set aside. In the same food processor bowl, add celery, carrots and onion; pulse until minced. Melt butter in a pan and add the minced celery, carrots, and onion. Sauté until soft and allow to cool. In a large mixing bowl, add stuffing mix, sautéed celery, onions, carrots and poultry seasoning. Mix well. In a cold saucepot, add chicken broth and flour, stir with a whisk and place over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Let cool and pour over mixture. Add salt and black pepper as needed. (Keep in mind, your stuffing and turkey
were already seasoned the first time around). After mixing all ingredients together, refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up. Take ¼ cup measure and form into oval patties, balls or cone-shaped croquettes. At this point, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir milk into beaten eggs. Dip croquettes in egg and then into Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. Sauté croquettes in oil turning until all sides have been lightly browned. Remove onto a dish with paper towels to soak up the oil. Place croquettes into a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes until fully heated and cooked through. Serve with leftover cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and your favorite turkey gravy.
Serves 4
PRH Suggested Wine Pairing Chateau Michelle Harvest Select Riesling $10 rowhome magazine
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