Italian dinner party

J

jan_in_evansville

Enthusiast Member
My son is an accomplished cook. He is going to an italian dinner party and they want him to make an entree. He doesn't want to bring the normal red sauce lasagna/spaghetti/ziti dish. He wants something that will truly WOW. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

No red sauce dishes, please. It needs to be something that will hold for a couple of hours, there will be 12 guests. Thanks for any help you can offer.

 
Recipe:Arancini: (A Sicilian Side Dish) From the Food Network ~ Extrememly delicious

This is a Sicilian Side Dish and it is so delicous, I've made this recipe this week and it went just a little too fast, everyone raved about it.

DiPasquale's - Arancini
Ingredients:

Part 1: MEAT PORTION OF ARANCINI:
1/2 cup minced onion, celery and carrot (mix together)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
4 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup sweet peas

Part 2: RICE PORTION ARANCINI
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Arborio rice
46 ounces chicken broth
1 package saffron powder
3 ounces grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Part 3: INGREDIENTS FOR ASSEMBLY OF ARANCINI
Mozzarella (1/2-inch cubes)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups warm water
Bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying (deep fryer with basket)
Directions:
FOR MEAT PORTION:

Sauté onion, celery and carrot with olive oil until translucent. Add ground beef and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Once beef is added, with a wooden spoon, break down any chunks, the beef should be as fine as possible. Add tomato paste. Once the ground beef and tomato paste begin to simmer, turn down heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. If mixture begins to stick, add a touch of water. Add peas once cooked. Let cool in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

FOR RICE PORTION:

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add rice (stir until evenly coated with oil. Add half of chicken broth and saffron, stirring continually. Once broth has been absorbed, continue to add small increments of broth, still stirring continually. Once all the broth has been absorbed, add cheese and pepper, the rice should be tender but "Al Dente". Pour rice onto a baking sheet and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Rice should be able to form into a ball once cooled properly.

FOR ASSEMBLY:

Take handful of cooled rice; flatten while forming an indent in middle of the ball. Take a teaspoon or so of cooled meat mixture and mozzarella cube and place in the indentation of rice. Take another half of handful or so of rice and finish forming the rice ball. Once all rice balls are formed, dip each into water and flour mixture (combine 1 cup of flour and 1 1/4 cups of warm water with a pinch of salt and pepper), once evenly coated in flour mixture, coat in plain bread crumbs. In a deep-fryer, fry rice balls on medium to high heat until golden brown.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dipasquales--arancini-recipe/index.html

http://www.google.com/images?q=tbn:p4OwrzDEChS0_M::bp3.blogger.com/_Yxxgfqz_cfQ/RzBhxPxd6lI/AAAAAAAABC4/V4Y4A86SHxY/s400/PumpkinAranciniAfterNAMINAMI.jpg

 
Rec: Cannelloni This one does have a red sauce but very light as it's blended with bechamel

Cannelloni

1 recipe Rich Egg Pasta dough (recipe follows)
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb. boned, skinned chicken pieces (preferably thighs), cut into 2-inch chunks
1/2 lb. boneless veal, cut into 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large egg yolks
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
salt
1-1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups homemade chicken broth or canned regular-strength chicken broth
1 cup Fresh Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
about 1-1/2 lbs. teleme, fontina or jack cheese

Mix and knead Rich Egg Pasta dough* as directed. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured board, roll out each portion to make a thin sheet about 10 inches square. Cut each dough sheet into 4 5-inch squares.

In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan, bring about 1/2 inch water to a boil over high heat. Add oil. Lay 3 or 4 noodle pieces in water. Cook until just tender to bite but not soft, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spatula, lift noodles from water; drain briefly in a single layer on a muslin towel. Repeat to cook remaining noodles. If made ahead, stack drained noodles, separating with double thicknesses of wax paper; enclose in a plastic bag and refrigerate until next day.

To make filling, place chicken and veal in a 9-or 10-inch square baking pan. Set aside. Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned. Spoon onion mixture over meats in baking pan; bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven until chicken is no longer pink in center (cut to test), about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. Whirl meat and any juices in a food processor until finely ground or put through a food chopper fitted with a fine blade). Mix in ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg yolks, and nutmeg; season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use or until next day.

To make sauce, melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium heat. Blend in flour; stir until golden. Remove from heat and slowly blend in milk and broth. Return to heat; simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes. Add Fresh Tomato Sauce; continue to simmer gently for 15 more minutes. Use hot. If made ahead, allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days; freeze for longer storage. Reheat before using.

To assemble cannelloni, divide filling into 16 equal portions. Mound 1 portion of the filling evenly along side of 1 noodle square; roll to enclose. Repeat to fill remaining noodle squares. Pour hot sauce into a 16- by 20-inch baking dish (or into four 8- by 10-inch baking dishes); sauce should be about 1/4 inch deep. Arrange cannelloni in sauce, seam side down and at least 1 inch apart. Cut teleme cheese into 16 slices, each just slightly larger in length and width than the top of each cannelloni; place 1 cheese slice atop each cannelloni. Bake in a 425 degree oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Fresh Tomato Sauce. Peel, core, seed, and dice 5 medium-size ripe tomatoes. Set aside.

Melt 1-1/2 tbsp butter or margarine in a 3- or 4-quart pan; add 2 tbsp chopped shallot (or white part only of green onion) and cook, stirring often, until soft. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup homemade or canned chicken broth and 1/4 tsp dry basil. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 2 cups, about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

*or, if you have to, you can use manicotti shells (Pat's tip, use a baby spoon to easily stuff shells or better yet, pipe the filling from a piping bag fitted with a large tip)

Preparation time: About 1 hour to shape (by hand) and cook pasta; about 15 minutes to assemble filling and 35 minutes to cook; about 45 minutes to make cream sauce (as filling cooks), about 45 minutes to make tomato sauce (while shaping pasta).

Baking time: About 15 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings; Per serving: 825 calories, 48 g protein, 35 g carbos, 54 g total fat, 375 mg cholesterol, 338 mg sodium

Source: Sunset's All-Time Favorites

 
This has been in my 'to try' file forever. Has anyone made it?

I am going to try it soon! This is kind of like the cassoulet - takes me a little to work up to it because it seems to be such a feat to make.

 
No one I know! I was hoping Jan's son would try it for us, lol.

Cassoulet's a piece of cake compared to this!

 
I have so wanted to make this ever since I saw the movie. If anyone

evers makes it, please take pictures.
I want to make this. Bad.

 
WOW!!!!!!!!

These are some wonderful recipes, really special ones! I'll pass these along, and let you know what he decides. Thanks SO much for all the ideas, you are just the best!!!!!!

 
I love the scene where the brothers unmold it and they're patting it like a precious child.

It was such a labor of love.

 
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