Otoro Menu Recipes

OTORO'S ULTIMATE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• To make the sauce: heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a 5 quart pot. Add onions and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook 3-5 minutes.
• Add garlic (reserve 1 teaspoon) and ground round and season with salt and pepper, continue to cook until meat is cooked through. Drain off excess fat if desired.
• Add all your tomato products, wine, parsley stems and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer. Taste the sauce, if it seems too sour add a bit of sugar. Stir occasionally.
• To make the meatballs: in a nonreactive bowl mix the remaining pound of meat with 2 T. parsley, breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, 1 t. garlic, 1/2 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese, 1 t. salt, pepper to taste, and 2 T. olive oil.
• Shape into balls about the size of a cherry tomato, brown in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Drain on paper towels. They don't need to be cooked through, they will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce along with the remaining herbs, simmer 30-45 minutes longer.
• Cook the ziti in boiling water slightly firmer than al dente. Drain.
• In the pasta cooking pot, add the pasta along with several ladles of sauce, meatballs, half the remaining Parmesan and half the mozzarella, stir to combine.
• Mix the ricotta with the egg until smooth.
• In a large baking dish, add a couple ladles of sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add half the pasta mixture, then spread all the ricotta in one even layer. Then a layer of mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat with remaining pasta, then cheeses. I usually have a little pasta left that won't fit in the dish so don't worry, it makes a nice little snack while you wait.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 15-30 minutes until bubbly.
• Let sit 10 minutes before serving with a big spoon. Bon Appetito.

OTORO'S ULTIMATE CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a non-stick 5 quart pot on medium high heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, covered on medium low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until light brown. Add more oil if needed, make sure the onions don't burn!
• Turn the heat up to medium high and begin to cook the meat. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Once the meat is almost cooked add the garlic and tomato paste. Break up the tomato paste and incorporate into the meat. It should look like a sloppy joe consistency.
• When the meat is cooked through, drain if desired and add the beans (along with their liquid) and the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine. If it seems too thick add a bit of water and bring to a boil.
• Turn the heat down and simmer, partially covered for an hour to an hour and a half. Stir occasionally.
• Remove from heat. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with chopped onion, tomato, or grated cheese if desired. Bon Appetito.