Rotolo Alla Fiorentina Recipes

TRIPPA ALLA FIORENTINA

Steps:

• Pick out only the best parts of the tripe, either the meatier part or the spongy, honeycomb part, cut it into very thin strips. Saute onion, carrot and celery in butter. Add oil and tripe. Saute until golden in color. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt and cook over a very low heat for about 1/2 hour, until the sauce has reduced almost completely, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. The tripe may be served immediately without any garnish, or alternatively sprinkle some grated Parmesan over and brown in the oven for five minutes. ** (Tripe is best served with boiled or pureed potatoes or, if preferred, with cannellini beans in oil.)

ROTOLO ALLA FIORENTINA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375o. In a large skillet, melt butter and cook onion and mushrooms over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid from mushrooms cooks off. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients.
• EXCEPT lasagna and sauce. Spread ½ cup vegetable cheese over each lasagna noodle, roll to enclose filling; set aside.
• In 13 X 9-inch baking dish, spread ½ cup Tomato sauce. Arrange stuffed lasagna rolls seam side down in dish, cover and bake 30 minutes or until bubbling.
• To serve prep plate with some sauce, cut in half and stand on cut end.
• Serve with remaining Tomato sauce, heated. Garnish with some chopped spinach.

TUSCAN T- BONE STEAK OR BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA

Steps:

• Trim any excess fat from steak and pat dry with paper towels.
• Pour olive oil into a shallow dish and add garlic and rosemary. Turn the steak in the oil, ensuring there is some garlic and rosemary on each side.
• Cover dish with a double layer of plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning the meat a couple of times.
• Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking.
• Preheat charcoal barbecue, when coals are covered with white ash you are ready to cook! (I have made this on a gas barbeque, it is delicious).
• Take the meat out of the marinade and remove any pieces of garlic or rosemary from the steak. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Place the steak on a rack about 3 inches above the coals and cook for about 4 minutes.
• Turn steak over and cook for another 3 minutes, steak will be rare.
• Cook for a couple of minutes longer on each side for medium-rare, but this is traditionally served rare.
• Transfer to a warm plate, season both sides with salt and pepper, then let the meat rest for 5 minutes.
• To serve - stand the steak upright with the bone at the bottom and, using a sharp knife, remove the meat on either side of the bone in one piece.
• Cut each piece into thick slices. Divide the slices between 2 serving plates.
• Pour the meat juices that have accumulated over the sliced steak.
• Drizzle with a little of the best extra virgin olive oil you can lay your hands on!
• Serve with sauteed potatoes, an arugula salad and lemon wedges if desired, accompanied by a glass of Chianti Classico or your favourite red wine.
• ENJOY!
• Marinating time not included in prep time.

SPINACI ALLA FIORENTINA (SPINACH FLORENTINE STYLE)

Steps:

• Make a balsamella by melting the butter in a heavy saucepan on low heat. When the butter reaches the frothing point add the flour. Mix well with a spoon and let cook until the color is a light brown -- don't over cook -- undercooking is preferable -- meanwhile heat the milk in a small pan -- when the milk is warm add a little at a time to the flour mixture -- the origional recipe calls for adding all the milk at once but I find I get less lumps if I add a little at a time whisking continuously -- your goal is a nice creamy sauce. Remove from heat an cover until needed.
• Make sure spinach is clean and cut out any tough stems. Chop coarsely.
• Place olive oil in a pan and warm on medium heat. Add the garlic and spinach. Toss and cook until wilted and the garlic is lightly browned.
• Toss the spinach with the balsamella. Add the cheese, nutmeg salt and pepper to taste.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 13 1/2 X 8 3/4 inch baking dish.
• Pour the spinach mixture into the dish and bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 25 minutes. The top should be a little brown and bubbling.

CANNELLONI FIORENTINA

Steps:

• Combine ricotta, spinach, egg, 1/2 the parmesan and seasonings; mix well.
• Fill cannelloni tubes with this mixture.
• Spread 1/2 the pasta sauce in a baking pan and arrange stuffed cannelloni in single layer over it Cover the cannelloni with the remaining sauce, making sure to cover all pasta Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from steak.
• Allow to stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before grilling.
• Brush or spray both sides of steaks with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
• Season with salt and pepper, pressing into meat.
• Grill over Direct High heat until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F for medium rare, (8-10 minutes), turning once halfway through grilling time.
• Remove from grill, squeeze the lemon wedges over the top, and drizzle with remaining olive oil.
• Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• Enjoy.

CREAMY RIGATONI FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; saute chicken until no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add mushrooms to skillet; saute until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic; saute until fragrant and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir spaghetti sauce, half-and-half, and Italian seasoning into mushroom mixture; cook and stir over medium heat until sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Mix cooked chicken and spinach into sauce and cook until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
• Stir pasta into sauce and add mozzarella cheese; stir until cheese melts. Garnish dish with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.