Pino Luongo

Tuscan Square closed for business on Saturday, January 26, 2008 due to a termination of our lease.
Thank you New York, for eleven years of patronage and appreciation!
I hope you’ll come and see me for lunch and dinner at Centolire, 1167 Madison Avenue at 85th Street,
and for dinner at Coco Pazzo, 23 East 74th Street.

A dopo!

Pino Luongo

Serves 4 as an appetizer or a soup

IL CLASSICO
Zuppa alla Pavese is a simple main dish from Lombardy made by pouring hot broth over eggs, bread, and cheese.

LA MIA VERSIONE
A soulfully seasoned, slightly spicy stew of mushrooms, red pepper flakes, and thyme dramatically alters the character of this soup. The egg is the defining ingredient of the original recipe, but here it merely adds richness to an already satisfying mixture.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
3 cups tightly packed mixed fresh mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean with a damp cloth
leaves of 4 fresh thyme sprigs
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ cup canned crushed tomatoes with their liquid
1 quart vegetable stock, simmering in a pot on a back burner
four 1-inch-thick slices Tuscan country bread, grilled or toasted
4 large eggs
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat the olive oil in a wide flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and the mushrooms, then the thyme leaves. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, taste and adjust the seasoning, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the stock, raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Place a slice of bread in each of 4 bowls. Break the eggs carefully into the bowls on top of the bread, then top each egg with 1 tablespoon Parmigiano. Carefully ladle the hot soup over the egg and crouton and serve.

VINO
A full-bodied Dolcetto will have a great affinity for the mushrooms.

This recipe is from La Mia Cucina Toscana.

This menu works equally well for an elegant New Year’s Eve dinner, or New Year’s Day buffet lunch.  I offer it to you along with my best wishes for you and your family to enjoy a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Felice Anno Nuovo!

White Bean, Watercress, and Blood Orange Salad
Risotto with Spinach
Venison with Marsala Wine
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Dried Figs and Walnuts

Black Cabbage and Bacon Crouton
Garganelli with Radicchio, Pancetta, and Balsamic Vinegar
Pot Roast, Florentine Style
Orange and Fennel Salad
Chocolate Pudding with Caramelized Pears

Serves 6 as a main course

For the meatballs:
8 ounces ground veal
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg yolk
½ cup bread crumbs (see Note) or store-bought unseasoned bread crumbs
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
12 ounces white button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed, and sliced ½-inch thick
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups fresh sweet peas or thawed tiny frozen peas
½ cup vegetable stock or vegetable broth made with Knorr powdered bouillon
6 fresh mint leaves
1½ pounds pasta alla chitarra or tagliolini made from Fresh Egg Pasta Dough (recipe follows)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

To make the meatballs:
Place the meat in a large bowl, add the Parmigiano, egg yolk, bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley, and season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but delicately so as not to compress the meat, which would toughen it.

Take a piece of the meat mixture about the size of a small grape and roll the mixture between the palms of your hands into a small ball. Place on a plate, and repeat with the remaining meat mixture.

Line a large shallow plate with paper towels. Set aside.

Heat 1 cup of the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Place only as many meatballs in the pan as you can without crowding them and panfry until browned and crisp on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is browned and crisp, about 2 minutes more. Remove the meatballs from the pan with a spatula and place on the prepared plate to drain. Repeat with any remaining meatballs.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté 5 minutes. Add the peas, toss, and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and mint and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning. Add the meatballs, toss well, and set aside, covered, to keep warm.

Fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and stir it into the sauce. Add the butter, the Parmigiano, and a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, and heat over very low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then toss thoroughly, drizzling with more olive oil if desired.

Note: To make bread crumbs, remove the crusts from leftover good white country bread, cut it into cubes, put the cubes on a baking sheet, and toast them in a 350-degree oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cubes cool on the baking sheet, then grind them in a food processor until fine. Whenever you have leftover bread, make bread crumbs, and store them in a zipper-lock bag in the freezer so you will have them on hand when you need them.

Wine:
A young sparkling Prosecco from the Veneto may seem an unusual selection for meatballs, but because these are made with veal, it’s the perfect choice here.

This recipe is from my new cookbook, Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen. You can watch me make this dish on video, from my appearance on NBC’s Today show with Al Roker.

I am travelling the country making meatballs and signing books. If you’d like to, you can follow along on the Two Meatballs blog.

We were on the Today Show this morning making meatballs and having fun. Click the link to see our appearance.