I should start by saying that I’d never actually eaten stromboli before making this recipe.  After seeing a rendition on TV, I set out to make one in the style of Stuff Yer Face in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  Where most versions seem to be rolled into a pinwheel-like log, this version is more like a burrito — er, Hot Pocket.  Not quite a pizza, almost like a calzone, stromboli seemed like a perfect hand-held version of one of my favorite foods.  Then again, I’m the kind of person who likes to fold my pizza slices in half before biting into them — there’s just something so satisfying about biting into gooey cheese surrounded by crisp then chewy dough.

Sure enough, the ‘boli satisfied this particular craving. Cheesy, salty with tart feta cheese, chalk full of wilted spinach and steaming hot, if you even kind of like pizza (and who doesn’t?), then you’re going to like biting into one of these. Plus, if you have the dough on hand already, they’re easy enough to put together for a lazy weeknight dinner.

SPINACH, FETA & KALAMATA OLIVE STROMBOLI

This recipe uses a your classic Italian-American, New York-style pizza sauce.  If you were hoping for a light, San Marzano sauce, look elsewhere because this one is packed with basil, oregano and tomato paste.  Even so, choose your tomatoes and paste wisely as each brand can vary dramatically in terms of acidity and sweetness so use your taste buds and adjust for the sauce for balance after it’s been processed.  A six ounce can of paste might seem like a lot, but keep in mind that this is a thick, sweet pizzeria-style sauce.  A good melting cheese is key for these stromboli.  Look to use a low-moisture mozzarella or a blend of mozzarella, provolone, fontina or Parmesan for a fantastic final dish.  If kalamata olives, feta cheese and spinach aren’t your thing, go with hand-sliced, quality pepperoni from an Italian deli for an upscale riff on the classic Hot Pocket.

INGREDIENTS

For the Pizza Sauce:

• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• Red wine vinegar to taste
• Olive oil, for brushing
  

For the Stromboli

• 24 ounces homemade or store-bought pizza dough, set out at room temperature
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups, sauce
• 4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese, or other good melting cheese
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved if desired
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

METHOD:

1. Make the sauce: Place all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, sugar or vinegar to balance the flavor. Set aside.
2. Assemble the Stromboli: Preheat a pizza stone in a 500° oven for at least 1/2 hour. Divide the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces, roll them each into tight balls and allow them to rest at room temperature while the oven heats.
3. Working on a well floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a 1/8-inch thick, 12×6-inch oblong oval shape.  Spread 1/4 cup of the pizza sauce into the center of each dough round and top with 1 cup of spinach leaves, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of kalamata cheese and a couple of tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese.  Working as if you were rolling up a burrito, stretch the dough a bit towards the center of the stromboli and wrap the edge closest to you around the filling and roll the whole thing up like a log — pinch the seam firmly to ensure a good seal.  Lightly score the top of each stromboli to allow them to vent slightly during the baking process.
4. Brush the stromboli with olive oil and bake them directly on the pizza stone until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove them with a pizza peel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before going in.

Makes 4 Stromboli

I should start by saying that this dish is rich — certainly not for those still trying to stick to their New Years resolution.  While cream sauced pasta might always be an off-limit item for calorie counters, it’s the Gorgonzola, ricotta and Parmesan cheese that makes this dish especially decadent and delicious.  It’s this same indulgent quality that has people lined up around the block at Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria, a neighborhood fixture in a small beach town called Capitola, a few miles south of Santa Cruz in Northern California.

I visited Gayle’s for the first time in college on an adventure to find a solid, quality meal and a break from the less-than inspiring food of the dining hall.  Craving something comforting more than anything, I felt right at home in front of their massive rotisserie and deli case packed with roasted chickens, slow barbecued ribs, potato salad and sandwiches.  The place was bustling with business and food was flying out the door but nothing seemed to be selling faster than the humble looking spinach-gorgonzola pasta.  As I remember it, not one customer left without ordering some.  So, like any smart food explorer, I did as the locals did and took some to-go.  After a few bites, it was obvious what all fuss was about.

Having moved away from Santa Cruz, I’m no longer able to take part in what became a near-weekly trip to Gayle’s for some of their signature pasta.  So feeling especially deprived of late, I searched for the restaurant online and was lucky enough to find that they’ve been giving out the recipe to their customers for years.  After making the dish at home this past weekend, I’m happy to report that it’s as soul-satisfying as I remember it.

SPINACH-GORGONZOLA PASTA

From Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria, Capitola, California

This pasta gets its rich flavor from a thick and creamy Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Making the béchamel sauce is simple, but make sure you taste the sauce for seasoning before you cool it to ensure that the tangy flavor of the cheese really shines.  Seasoning is also important when it comes to boiling the pasta.  Make sure to do so in a very large pot of highly salted water to ensure that the shells end up well-seasoned.  It is of the utmost importance that you only cook the pasta to the point of being very al dente.  I like to err on the side of underdone to ensure the pasta doesn’t fall apart after baking.  If shells aren’t your thing, bow tie pasta would be a great substitute in this recipe.  For an outstanding and authentic Italian twist, try substituting grilled or sauteed radicchio in place of the spinach for a pleasantly bitter accent to the cheesy sauce.  When it comes time to bake the pasta, it’s best to do so in a vessel that will allow the pasta to be fairly well covered with sauce as this will prevent it from drying out.  Finally, use as much or as little of the grated Parmesan as you would like to top the dish and give it a crusty brown top.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups of milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 10 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
• 4 pinches nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound large pasta shells
• 2 bunches fresh spinach, cleaned and dried, or 1 package frozen
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese, well-drained
  
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk until hot but not boiling.
2. Meanwhile, combine flour and butter in another heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat with a wooden spoon or whisk until the mixture has gently bubbled for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the flour.
3. Begin to add the hot milk to the flour mixture a little at a time while whisking vigorously. Continue to add the milk until it is fully incorporated. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 6 to 8 minutes. it will look like heavy cream. Crumble the cheese and add it to the hot béchamel sauce, whisking continuously until smooth. Add the nutmeg and pepper and stir. Remove form heat and let cool.
4. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
5. If using fresh spinach, blanch it 1 to 2 minutes in a little boiling water. Drain it, let it cool, and squeeze all of the water out several times. if you are using frozen spinach, let it defrost in a sieve over a bowl for at least 3 hours. Squeeze all the water out by hand.
6. Toss the pasta, Gorgonzola sauce, spinach, ricotta, and garlic in a large bowl until well combined. Taste and correct for salt and pepper.
7. Place in a 12 X 17-inch casserole dish and top with the Parmesan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese browns a little. you may make this a day ahead, and before baking, refrigerate well covered.

Makes 6-8 Servings

My friends were teasing me the other night for my frequent use of the word “unctuous” in some of my previous posts. I sure wish I had used a bit more restraint, because if there was ever an adjective to describe this lamb ragù, it would be just that. This is the kind of hearty pasta dish that I crave during the cold winter months. Not only does it fill your home with the warm, inviting scent of spice-braised lamb, but the resulting sauce is as fine as any you will find coming out of a restaurant kitchen. The best part? It can be made a full day ahead of when you plan on serving it.

This recipe is an adaptation of one I’ve made in the past from chef Andrew Carmellini of Locanda Verde in New York. Where the Food and Wine recipe calls for the use of ground lamb and a quick simmer, I opt to slow-braise chunks of lamb shoulder or stew meat over a few hours for a more rustic finished sauce. Either way you decide to go, you’ll find that the combination of the savory lamb ragù, creamy ricotta cheese and herbaceous mint is a truly spectacular one. It’s definitely worth your time to seek out pappardelle if you can find it at your local grocery store or Italian deli. The long, ribbon-like noodles are quite sturdy when cooked properly and provide the perfect companion for thick, meat-laden sauces like this one. If you’re a fan of lamb in any capacity, give this recipe a try — I promise you won’t be disappointed.

PAPPARDELLE WITH LAMB RAGÙ, RICOTTA AND MINT

The secret behind an intense, flavor-packed ragù like this one comes from the methodical layering of flavor. Take your time while searing the lamb, making sure to achieve a rich brown color on all sides before moving on to the next batch. I personally like to use bone-in stew meat for this sauce because the marrow and extra connective tissue contribute another dimension of lamby-richness to the final sauce — just be sure to remove any bones prior to dressing the pappardelle. Whatever you do, do not overcrowd the pan. You want the lamb to have the opportunity to fry in the olive oil, not poach in its own juices. I like to tie the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf together with a bit of kitchen twine for easy removal at the end of braising. When sautéing the vegetables, be sure to drive away as much moisture as possible before caramelizing the tomato paste and deglazing with the wine. This step ensures a deeper tomato flavor and helps promote the development of a rich fond. Finally, as with all pasta, be sure to boil the pappardelle in an abundance of well-salted water.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes or 3 pounds bone-in lamb stew meat
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 rib of celery, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 branches of fresh rosemary
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 pound pappardelle
• 3/4 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped mint

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, fennel and cumin to create a fragrant spice rub. Lighly season the lamb on both sides with Kosher salt and sprinkle the meat evenly with the spice rub.
2. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over moderately-high heat. In batches sear the lamb on all sides until richly browned, about 10 minutes per batch. Remove the browned meat to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb.
3. Add the carrot, onion and celery to the reserved oil/fat in the pan and sauté the vegetables until just beginning to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Stir often to prevent scorching. Push the vegetables to the side of the pot to create a hot-spot in the center. Add the tomato paste and stir constantly until it becomes a few shades darker and releases its bright red oils, about 3 minutes. Stir to combine the tomato paste and vegetables.
4. Add the wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to reduce until almost completely evaporated before adding in the tomatoes, stock, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Return the browned lamb to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover tightly and place the pot in the oven. Braise the lamb for 3 hours, checking periodically to make sure that the liquid is not reducing too quickly. Replinish the pot with additional stock or water if the lamb looks like it is getting too dry.
5. Remove the pot from the oven and allow the sauce to cool slightly before skimming off any accumulated fat. Now is the time to remove any bones. Season the sauce to taste with Kosher salt. The ragù can be refrigerated overnight at this point.
6. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well and add the pasta to the sauce. Toss gently to dress the pasta with the ragù, breaking up any large chunks of lamb into smaller, bite-size pieces. Serve the pasta in bowls and top with ricotta cheese and chopped mint.

Serves 6