Christmas is a time for special foods to be presented with love to our family and guests. One such recipe from Paolo of Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces On The Menu, is absolutely perfect for ‘wowing’ everyone on this festive holiday (misspelling of Quattro Formaggi is intentional in his blog title). I know that when he sent his post, recipe, and photos for a guest post, I was certainly amazed! I have been following Paolo’s food blog for quite some time now and every recipe is so authentically Italian and delicious! I simply had to ask him if he would write a guest post for Christmas. Even though it is a super busy time for everyone, Paolo was kind enough to put extra time into this extra special recipe for us. I know that you will agree!
Grazie e’ brava, Paolo!
Paolo offered a bit of insight on how he was drawn to blogging in the following words:
“Since I moved to Canada from Italy in 2001, I have been bombarded with misconceptions of Italian food: from misspelled and mispronounced Italian words (“brushetta” anyone?), to “Italian” dishes that don’t actually exist in Italy (try ordering pepperoni pizza in Rome!). One day I decided that it was time to do something about it and I started a blog.
At first I tried to fix the misconceptions by explaining them (for instance, that an espresso should not fill up the entire cup, and that “panini” is already a plural). Later on, however, my focus shifted more to the origins of the ingredients and the cultural differences between Italy and North America. As I kept blogging I got to know many other bloggers who share my objective: preserving authentic Italian food around the world. In 2011, I created an award to recognize their authenticity – The Cannolo Award – which has been very successful.
The recipe that I choose for this guest post is an Italian classic adapted from Silver Spoon’s “Pasticcio di Tagliatelle”. In Italian cuisine, a “pasticcio” (sometimes referred to as “timballo”) is a preparation in which several ingredients (including pasta or rice, meats and sauces) are baked in the oven within a pastry shell or a pie crust. The resulting dish, which looks plain on the outside but reveals rich fillings, was invented in the 1700’s by palace chefs precisely to surprise and delight their noble guests. Today, pasticcio is still considered a dish for special occasions, including the Christmas meal.”
Tagliatelle Timbale with Wine Gravy
Ingredients for 3-4 servings
- 2 Tbsp (30 g) Unsalted butter (including some for greasing)
- 7 oz (200 g) Pizza dough (which can be bought in some bakeries or specialty stores)
- Some Flour (for dusting)
- 4 oz (120 g) Fresh spinach
- 6 oz (170 g) Cremini mushrooms
- ½ oz (14 g) Dried Porcini mushrooms
- ¼ cup White wine
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Milk
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Heavy cream
- 4 oz (120 g) Tagliatelle pasta (either fresh or dried)
- 1 Egg
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- Some Salt and pepper
Preparation
- Rehydrate the dried mushrooms in cold water for at least ½ hr.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C).
- Grease the oven-proof dish with butter.
- In a large pan, roast the fresh mushrooms in butter for 5 min at high heat.
- Add the rehydrated mushroom, cook for another 2 min at medium heat (a1).
- Add the wine (a2) and allow it to boil until it evaporates.
- Cook the fresh spinach in a covered pot (without any added water) at medium heat for 5 min (a3).
- When the spinach is ready, squeeze out as much water as possible and chop.
- Add the spinach to the pan (a4).
- Add milk and cream (a5), adjust salt and pepper.
- Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of salted water for 2/3 of their standard cooking time.
- Drain the tagliatelle and them to the pan. Incorporate gently (a6).
- Roll out the dough to the thickness of 1/8 inch (3 mm).
- Line the (greased) oven proof dish with the dough (b1).
- Spoon in the filling (b2).
- Beat the eggs with the Parmesan.
- Pour the mix uniformly over the filling (b3).
- Fold the pizza dough fully wrapping it around the filling (b4).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until the top is well browned.
Wine Gravy: Ingredients for 3-4 servings
- 1 Tbsp (15 g) Unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp (15 g) All purpose flour
- ½ tsp Vegetable stock extract
- 1 cup Milk
- ¼ cup White wine
Preparation
- Warm up the butter in a small pan (c1) at medium heat until it barely melts.
- Add the wine (c2) and the vegetable stock extract (c3). Let it reduce.
- Add the flour (c4), then mix until a ball of dough forms.
- Add a small amount of milk and whip until you get a creamy texture (c5).
- Gradually add the rest of the milk, as you continue whipping.
- While stirring constantly, boil for at least 2 minutes until the mix thickens (c6).
- Pour the gravy in the bowls, then place a slice of timbale in each bowl and serve immediately.
Mangia!
You may follow and enjoy Paolo’s delicious adventures in his cucina through the following links:
Blog address: http://www.disgracesonthemenu.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/quatrofromaggio
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DisgracesOnTheMenu
Thanks Roz for having me and for the kind introduction to your audience! It was a pleasure to prepare this post for La Bella Vita.
Oh, it was MY PLEASURE, Paolo, to showcase your extraordinary Italian culinary expertise! This is just an incredible recipe and classic Italian specialty! I hope that my readers will hop on over to your delicious blog!
Buon Natale, Amico!
This looks scrumptious and definitely a recipe that intrigues me 😉 I can’t wait to try this!
Me too Lisa! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a happy new 2013!
Wow great photos and instructions … this is amazing… Merry Christmas my friend and may the next year be the best in your life ever! So glad we have become friends.. your an inspriation to all bloggers , much success in 2013 xo
Oh thank you so much Claudia! I feel the same about you.
Baci,baci, baci e tu cara amica!
Roz
Guests would certainly feel special if this showed up at the table.
I agree, Val! I wish you a wonderful, Merry Christmas in beautiful Canada!
This is such an elegant gorgeous meal! I really need to start making homemade pasta again. Yum!
I need to make more too . . . in fact, I just think that I’ll join you Joanne! Buon Anno!
What a fantastic meal! The filling sounds so good.
It certainly does Angie! Thanks for your visit and comment for Paolo. Buon Anno!
Che bel blog … vedere la tua ricetta mi ha fatto venire voglia di fare il pasticcio di cappelletti della nonna … complimenti!
Grazie for your kind compliment! (What a great blog … see your recipe made me want to make the pie cappelletti grandmother … congratulations!)
Thank you for stopping by and following along! I love your blog too!
Buon Natale!
Looks delicious Roz and hope you have a Merry Christmas.
Paolo does a great job on everything that he makes. Buon Natale back at ya, Larry!
That looks utterly delicious. Merry Christmas 🙂
Thank you from Paolo! Hope you had a Buon Natale too Rachel!
Oh my – this has to come into my life. I will be checking the other recipes! Love the mission of the blog. Merry Christmas Roz, to you and yours! Hope the drive to Iowa is uneventful!
Oh thank you Claudia . . . so far, so good as far as Indiana. It’s getting more snowy as we go along! I’m a whimp now for this cold! Brrr! Merry Christmas to you too sweet friend!
It is a very original dish. I love it! And I certainly love the grilled pasta so much!!
Dear Roz, I wish you a very merry Christmas. I hope all the best for you and your family.
Hi llaria! Thank you for your well wishes. Paolo always does a superb job cooking Italian specialties, you should check out his blog!
Buon Anno!!!
The bread looks absolutely divine.
Very much appreciate, too, the step-by-step instruction accompanied by photos.
Thank you, Roz, for inviting Paolo to share on La Bella Vita.
Blessings to you and yours on Christmas and always.
Thank you Ninja Kim! I hope you have a happy 2013 sweetie!
Hi Roz, great timballo!
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Buon Natale!!!
Paolo has a lot of cooking talent! Buon Natale e Buon Anno e tu Vittoria!
I’ve never seen nor eaten anything like this! Paolo, your timbale looks spectacular! Thanks for sharing…and Merry Christmas to you! Roz, another wonderful guest post…wishing you happy holidays as well. xo
Thank you so much Liz . . . tough times in the family with Dad this Christmas, but taking it one day at a time. Thank you for stopping by and I’ll be right over to see what you’ve been baking up in your delicious kitchen!
Thanks everybody for the kind comments, I’m so glad you liked my recipe. Happy Holidays!
Keep those great recipes and educational posts about Italian life coming Paolo! You’ve successfully filled a void in the blogging and foodie world!