March 14, 2008

The Secret Sauce welcomes chef Rachel Allen to the blog, where she will share her recipes for a traditional Irish meal for St. Patrick's Day.

This recipe is for homemade pork sausages, to be served with colcannon and apple sauce.

Click to continue reading and make sure you scroll down to the bottom of this entry to find even more delicious recipes from chef Rachel Allen.

March 14, 2008

The Secret Sauce welcomes chef Rachel Allen to the blog, where she will share her recipes for a traditional Irish meal for St. Patrick's Day.

Rachel Allen writes, "This traditional Halloween time Irish mashed potato and cabbage dish is delicious, perfect winter food. I love this with the Pork Chops with Caramelised Apples, or the Homemade Pork Sausages and Apple Sauce."

Watch the segment from TODAY

Click to continue reading and make sure you scroll down to the bottom of this entry to find even more delicious recipes from chef Rachel Allen.

March 14, 2008

The Secret Sauce welcomes chef Rachel Allen to the blog, where she shares her recipes for a traditional Irish meal for St. Patrick's Day.

Rachel Allen writes, "This apple sauce is to be served with roast duck, pork or goose. Keeps for a few days, freezes too!"

Click to continue reading and make sure you scroll down to the bottom of this entry to find even more delicious recipes from chef Rachel Allen.

December 21, 2007

The Scottos of Manhattan's Fresco by Scotto and Fresco on the Go are sharing their favorite simple recipes for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner: Cheese Lasagna, Zuppa di Pesce, and Nutella Mousse Parfait.

Watch the Scottos prepare these meals on TODAY:
Their three-course holiday meal includes a creamy cheese lasagna, combining layers of Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano with a homemade tomato sauce, a zuppa di pesce with shrimp, clams, mussels, codfish and calamari in a lightly spiced tomato white wine broth with Cannellini beans, and finishes with a scrumptious Nutella mousse parfait—a chocolate hazelnut mousse layered with whipped mascarpone cream.

Have a happy holiday with these dishes from the Scotto family! Here's how:

Procedure: Cheese Lasagna

• To make the lasagna: Mix ¾ of the mozzarella, 1 cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, and the ricotta in a large bowl. Add the eggs and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the pasta until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain and shock in cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour 1 cup of the hot tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8x12-inch baking pan. Place a pasta sheet over the layer of sauce, cutting the sheet to fit if necessary.

• Spread ⅓ of the cheese mixture over the pasta. Add some of the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat the layers of sauce, pasta, and cheese, two more times.

• Spread the remaining cup of tomato sauce over the top layer of the pasta and sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the sauce.

• Bake the lasagna for 1 hour or until the top is golden.

• To make the sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and onions, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the garlic just begins to turn golden brown.

• Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened and a sauce is formed. Stir in the fresh basil.

Makes 6 servings.

Procedure: Zuppa di Pesce

• In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the carrot, onion, celery, leek, fennel, and tomatoes in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the red pepper and oregano.
• Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce to half over medium heat. Add the clam juice and cook over medium to low heat for 15 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a large sauté pan over low heat, sauté the garlic in the remaining olive oil for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Pan-sear the fish and seafood at the same time and sauté for 2 minutes until golden brown on each side. Add the sauce and beans, and cook for about 15 minutes over low heat. Add extra clam juice if necessary if it seems too dense.

• Garnish with diced red and yellow tomatoes, cannellini beans and basil.

Makes 6 servings.

Procedure: Nutella Mousse Parfait

• For the Mousse: Whip Nutella and mascarpone until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whip cream and Frangelico till stiff peaks form.
• Fold cream into Nutella mixture and pour into dessert cups.

• Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

• For the Mascarpone: Whip until stiff.

• Starting with the chocolate pudding, alternate layers of pudding and mascarpone cream, finishing on top with mascarpone.
• Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Makes 6 servings.

Bonus Recipe:

Procedure: Struffoli with Honey

• Beat eggs, salt and rye with a wooden spoon.
• Make a well of flour on a pastry board. Add egg mixture and knead dough until all of the egg mixture is absorbed.
• Cover dough and let stand for 20 minutes.
• Take a piece of dough and roll out to a cylinder about the thickness of a pencil. Cut off small pieces and deep fry.
• After all the frying is done: In a large pot, heat 4 cups of honey with the juice of 1 lemon and 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
• Pour melted honey over Struffoli and stir to coat.

Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Struffoli are an Italian specialty typically served at Christmas and Easter.

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More on The Scottos:

Visit The Scottos on the web @ frescobyscotto.com.

Scotto Secret Sauce Rewind:

• Bread and Ricotta Dumplings with Genovese Sauce
• Video: Watch the Scottos prepare this dish on TODAY

• Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Fresh Spring Berries
• Spring Salad & Warm Goat's Cheese Crostini
• Pistachio Crusted Sea Bass with Salsa Verde & Roasted Artichokes
• Video: Watch the Scotto's trip to Italy on TODAY