Ceci Alla Siciliana Recipes

CANNOLI ALLA SICILIANA (SICILIAN CANNOLI)

Steps:

• Beat ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in mixed peel and chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Mix flour, Marsala wine, butter, sugar, and vinegar together in a bowl to make cannoli dough. Wrap in plastic wrap; let rest for 30 minutes.
• Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into twenty 4-inch squares. Wrap each square around a metal tubular mold, overlapping ends and dabbing with warm water to seal.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower some cannoli molds into the hot oil; cook until shells are golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining cannoli molds. Cool briefly; twist molds carefully to remove shells. Let shells cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Fill cooled cannoli shells with ricotta filling using a spoon or piping bag. Arrange cannoli on a serving platter. Garnish with pistachios; sprinkle 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar on top.

LASAGNA SICILIANA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with the melted butter.
• Place the ricotta, egg, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Assemble the lasagna by evenly spreading 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cover the sauce with some of the raw pasta sheets, cutting and piecing together the pasta as necessary to fit the dish (see Cook's Note).
• Spread 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture evenly over the pasta using an offset spatula or your desired utensil. Make sure to get the ricotta to the edges and corners of the dish. Pour 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce onto the ricotta and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle 1 lightly filled (not packed) cup of the mozzarella over the top, followed by a light handful of Grana Padano and roughly one-fifth of the cooked and chopped sausage. Repeat 4 more times, starting with the pasta.
• For the sixth and final layer, begin by laying your pasta, then spread the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the sauce. Cover the dish well with aluminum foil to trap in moisture and help the raw pasta cook.
• Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover the lasagna and cook until the lasagna has crisped and browned to your liking, 15 to 30 minutes more. Serve with extra warmed tomato sauce and garnish with any remaining Grana Padano and parsley.

SPINACI (SPINACH) ALLA PADELLA (FRYING PAN)

Steps:

• Bring 1 gallon of water to boil in a large pot with 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the spinach, pushing it down into the water with a skimmer, and immediately remove it to a bowl of ice water.
• Drain the spinach once cooled (don't leave it in for too long) and squeeze out the water. Divide spinach into 4 sections and compress each into a ball (each ball will be about
• 1 cup and they can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to a day).
• Cut each ball in half and then in half again to chop up the spinach.
• Place 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic to the pan and shake the pan often, for about 1 minute or until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the spinach and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. It will seem dry. Remove the spinach to a bowl, sprinkle with a little olive oil and garnish with lemon wedges.
• Variations:
• Try adding some chopped anchovy with the garlic.
• For creamed spinach: substitute butter for half of the oil and add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream as you cook the spinach.

SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Carefully flatten the breasts with the smooth side of a meat mallet, in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Place 1 sage leaf and 1 slice of prosciutto on each chicken breast and spear them onto the breast with a wooden toothpick. In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the breasts and pan-fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Lightly season the breasts with salt and pepper. Remove breasts from pan and keep warm.
• Dilute the pan juices with 1/4 cup white wine and bring to a rapid boil. With a heat resistant whisk, dissolve 1 tablespoon of butter into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and return the breast to the pan and heat them up quickly.
• Serve on a preheated platter and drizzle with the pan juices.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

CANNOLI ALLA SICILIANA

Steps:

• Combine the flour, cinnamon, shortening, sugar and salt, and wetting gradually with the wine, knead together with fingers until rather hard dough or paste is formed. Form into a ball, cover with a cloth and let stand for about 1 hour. Cut dough in half and roll half of the dough into a thin sheet about 1/4-inch thick or less and cut into 4-inch ovals.
• Place a metal tube diagonally across each oval lengthwise. Wrap dough around tube by overlapping the 2 sides, sealing the overlapping sides with a little egg white. Meanwhile heat vegetable oil in a large deep pan for deep frying. Drop 1 or 2 of the tubes at a time into the hot oil, fry gently on all sides until dough turns a golden brown color. Remove from pan, let cool a little, gently remove shell from the metal tube. Set shells aside to become cold. Repeat procedure until shells are all made.
• Mix the ricotta thoroughly with sifted dry ingredients. Add two drops of vanilla and chopped fruit peel. Mix and blend well. Chill mixture before filling shells. Fill cold shells and smooth filling evenly at each end of the shell. Sprinkle the shells with confectioners' sugar.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

INVOLTINI DI CARNE ALLA SICILIANA

Steps:

• Cut each 1/4-inch thick slice of meat into portions about 2 to 2 1/2 by 4 to 5 inches. Transfer the slices to sheets of plastic wrap, cover with plastic wrap, and, using the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound the sliced top portions until slices are very thin - ideally about 1/8-inch thick, being careful not to tear the meat. You should have approximately 16 (3 by 6 to 7-inch) rectangular portions of meat.
• In a small skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on a medium-high heat and saute the onion until tender and translucent. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and add the bread crumbs, cheese, raisins, pine nuts, parsley, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside for filling.
• Preheat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to high heat.
• Lay the beef slices on a clean flat work surface and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil, turning to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the bread crumb mixture evenly among the beef slices, about 2 tablespoons each, placing the filling on 1of the short ends. Using your fingers, roll the slices lengthwise up and over the filling until the meat is completely rolled up. Using butcher's twine, tie both ends of each roll firmly to secure. Thread the meat rolls onto 2 skewers, 1 at either end of the roll, and thread bay leaves and onions onto each skewer, then top with a second beef roll and 2 more onions, until you have used all of the ingredients, like a kabob. Lightly brush each skewer with some of the remaining olive oil. You should have 8 double-skewered kabobs, each with 2 beef rolls, 4 onions, and 2 bay leaves.
• Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until meat is charred on the outside but still medium-pink on the inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set skewers aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.