Scott Conants Italian Cheesecake Recipes

SPAGHETTI PUTTANESCA (SCOTTY'S STYLE)

Steps:

• In a small skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the anchovies and cook, breaking them up with a fork or wooden spoon, until they have disintegrated into the olive oil. Add the shallot, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until they just begin to brown. Then add the oregano, if using.
• To peel the plum tomatoes, use a paring knife to cut a small x on the tomato. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, and have ready a bowl of ice water. Boil the tomatoes for about 10 seconds, then plunge them into the ice bath. The shock of going from hot to cold should cause the skin to contract, making it easier to peel. Use your fingers or a small paring knife to pull the skin off. If the skin is stubborn, try boiling and shocking the tomato again.
• Cut the plum tomatoes into 8 pieces and the cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters depending on size. In a bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes and parsley. Add the capers and olives and let this mixture sit for a few minutes or up to an hour at room temperature for the combined flavors to develop. (Refrigerate it for any longer stretches and use it within 24 hours.)
• When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. When the pasta is just about done, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of the olive oil, and when hot, add the tomato mixture to the pan. (You want the tomatoes to have enough surface space so that when they hit the pan, the liquid that is released from them evaporates almost immediately.)
• Drain the spaghetti, add it to the skillet, and use tongs to toss it with all of the ingredients. Add some of the pasta cooking liquid to the pan as necessary to keep the pasta moist. Transfer the spaghetti to warm bowls and drizzle with a little more of the remaining olive oil and some fresh chopped parsley, if you like.

SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil with about 3 teaspoons of salt.
• Meanwhile, put the tomato sauce in a large saute pan and cook over medium heat to further concentrate the sauce's flavors.
• Cook the spaghetti until just shy of tender. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water and gently drain the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti and a little of the pasta cooking water to the pan with the sauce; the starch and salt in that water will help the sauce adhere to the pasta. Add the basil, give the pan a good shake, increase the heat to medium-high, and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce. The sauce should coat the pasta and look cohesive, and when you shake the pan, the sauce and pasta should move together.
• Take the pan off the heat and add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter. Using two wooden spoons (tongs can tear the fresh pasta), toss everything together well.
• Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and serve.
• To peel the tomatoes, use a paring knife to cut a small x on each tomato. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, and have ready a bowl of ice water. Boil the tomatoes for about 10 seconds, then plunge them into the ice bath. The shock of going from hot to cold should cause the skin to contract, making it easier to peel. Use your fingers or a small paring knife to pull the skin off. If the skin is stubborn, try boiling and shocking the tomato again.
• In a wide saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes; be careful, as the oil may spurt. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and, using a potato masher, smash the tomatoes, really working the masher to break them up. If the consistency is thick or if they get too dry, add the tomato boiling water or reserved tomato juice to the pan. Cook, occasionally mashing and stirring, for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the oil from the heat and let the ingredients steep for 5 minutes.
• Strain the oil into the cooked tomatoes. Stir to combine. Remove the sauce from the heat. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. The sauce may taste spicy on its own, but it gets balanced when used with other ingredients, especially the pasta, butter, and cheese. The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 days. Reheat gently before serving.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the "00" flour, semolina flour, and salt on low speed. Add the egg yolks, olive oil, and up to 1 1/3 cups water, adding the water a little at a time, and continue to mix on low speed. Once the flour is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low and mix/knead the dough for 5 minutes.
• Lightly dust a work surface with a mix of "00" flour and semolina.
• Dump the dough out onto the work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes. Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1 hour.
• To roll and shape the dough, set the pasta machine on its widest setting. Lightly flour a rimmed baking sheet. Cut the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Work with one piece at a time and wrap the others in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Very lightly flour the dough and stretch it by hand, then put it on the pasta roller. Run it through the pasta machine twice, starting at the longest setting. Fold it in half and run it through again, so the dough gets thinner each time and wipe the surface of the pasta for excess flour as you go. Run the dough through the machine a couple more times; this serves as a final kneading.
• Set the machine to the next level of thickness and run the piece of dough through again. Keep running the dough through the machine, adjusting the rollers to a thinner setting each time, until the sheet is 1/8-inch-thick; on most machines this means stopping at the 3.5 or 4 setting. Cut the sheet to lengths of about 12 inches. Then, using the linguine cutter, cut the sheet into strands. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
• Dust the strands with a little flour (preferably a mix of the "00" and the semolina), and gather the strands into nests by wrapping them around your hand. (At the restaurant, we portion the spaghetti into 4-ounce nests.) Dust the nests with a little more flour, place on the baking sheet, and freeze until hard. (Once the spaghetti is rock-hard, it can be transferred to a freezer bag or other airtight container and kept frozen for up to 1 month.)
• You can also layer the sheets of pasta with semolina flour and cover them with plastic wrap while you get set up to cook them.

ROASTED CLAMS CASINO

Steps:

• For the clams: Add the clams to a large pot or large saute pan with a lid. Add 1/2 cup water and cover the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and steam until the clams open, 6 to 10 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Reserve 1/4 cup clam juice.
• When they are cool enough to handle, remove the empty top shells of each clam and use your fingers to gently pull the clams from the bottom shell; reserve the bottom shells. Finely chop the clams and reserve.
• Cook the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until well crisp and rendered, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan (if the pan seems dry, add a touch of oil). Add the shallots, peppers, a pinch of salt and the crushed red pepper flakes and cook until soft and starting to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and cook until the raw-garlic flavor is gone and the shallots are sweet, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the oregano leaves to bloom, then deglaze with the wine and 1/4 cup reserved clam juice and cook until the mixture is reduced by about 80 percent, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon and parsley to combine. Place the bacon mixture in a bowl over an ice bath, stir in the butter and clams and cool slightly until just warm. Taste the mixture and season with salt.
• For the breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Put the panko, crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt in dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring and tossing constantly till lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the panko mixture to a bowl and stir in the extra-virgin olive oil, pepper flakes and parsley with a fork. Discard the crushed garlic clove.
• Stuff each clam shell generously with about 1 tablespoon of the clam mixture and sprinkle with enough breadcrumbs to coat, pressing lightly so the breadcrumbs stick. Place the stuffed clams on a metal tray or cast-iron pan. Bake until hot and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

PASTIERA

Steps:

• Make the crust: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, melted butter and milk in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Lightly butter a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan in an even layer; set aside.
• Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ricotta, heavy cream, eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Fold in the rice and orange zest with the rubber spatula.
• Pour the filling over the prepared crust. Bake until the edges are golden brown and set but the center is still slightly jiggly, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

SCOTT CONANT'S ITALIAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, melted butter and milk in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, 4 - 5 minutes.
• Lightly butter a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan in an even layer; set aside.
• Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350*. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 2-3 minutes. Add the ricotta, heavy cream, eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Fold in the rice and orange zest with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the filling over the prepared crust. Bake until the edges are golden brown and set but the center is still slightly jiggly, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes.
• Let cool before slicing into squares.