European

The hearty flavor of these dumplings lends itself to a range of preparations. Tossing with basil pesto is perhaps the most common, but gnocchi can also be served with brown butter and sage or doused in a hearty ragù, like Bolognese Sauce (page 383).

In Italy, lasagne is usually made with fresh pasta, either made at home or bought at the local shop (practically every town has one). The quality of the pasta is in fact the key to the dish, since the ratio of noodles to sauce should be fairly equal. The other components should also be of top quality, as they will contribute to the overall dish; buy fresh ricotta and mozzarella if possible—both will lend wonderful flavor and creaminess. This vegetarian lasagne evokes the Italian flag, with its layers of red (marinara sauce), white (cheese), and green (fresh spinach pasta). If you would like to incorporate some meat, brown a pound of sweet Italian sausage (casings removed), crumbling with a spoon as it cooks, then halve the sausage and sprinkle evenly among the cheese in two layers. The pasta dough should be made as close to assembling the lasagne as possible, so plan accordingly. There is no need to pre-boil these noodles. Once rolled out to the thinnest setting on your pasta machine, stack the noodles (they should measure 5 inches wide and 26 inches long) on a baking sheet with plenty of semolina in between to keep them from sticking together. The lasagne can be assembled on one day and then baked on the next; cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Tortellini are traditionally served in broth; Basic Chicken Stock (page 41) or Basic Brown Stock (page 50) would be equally delicious.

Bologna, the capital of the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, is considered by many to be the food capital of Italy. Besides being the birthplace of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar, and Prosciutto di Parma, Emilia-Romagna differs from the rest of the country in the richness and complexity of its cuisine; Bolognese Sauce, with its delicate aroma and balanced flavors, is no exception. The sauce is hearty but also profoundly elegant, and is especially delicious when tossed with fresh pappardelle (see page 367 for how to roll and cut fresh pasta dough into these flat, long, wide strands). You’ll need about 3 cups for 12 ounces of pappardelle. The sauce can also be baked into lasagne (using spinach noodles as the Bolognese do; page 386) or served over gnocchi (page 376). For the meat sauce to have its characteristic richness and complexity, it must be cooked slowly over low temperature (what many cooks call “slow and low”). You simply cannot rush it, but know that your patience will be rewarded.

Marinara is the most basic tomato sauce for pasta and pizza, consisting only of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and minimal seasonings. With so few ingredients, the quality of the tomatoes and olive oil is critical. The recipe below calls for fresh tomatoes. A combination of very ripe plum and beefsteak is best; plum tomatoes are fleshier with fewer seeds, while beefsteaks have a balanced, delicious flavor. If fresh tomatoes are not in season, by all means substitute canned whole tomatoes, preferably the imported variety from Italy (or other high-quality tomatoes). It is imperative that the garlic doesn’t color at all in the beginning, as this will give the sauce an unpleasant bitterness. That’s why the garlic and the oil are heated together briefly over moderate heat. Then the tomatoes are quickly added (after only 30 to 45 seconds), which will help keep the garlic from browning. This sauce is used in the lasagne on page 386, but it’s also perfect over ricotta-filled ravioli (page 369) or tossed with spaghetti and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese.

With its light taste and texture, this sauce is best paired with slender strands, such as cappellini, spaghetti, or linguine; to serve, toss sauce with freshly boiled and drained pasta, adding a generous handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces. And keep in mind that although the sauce is extremely easy, it does need an hour or two to allow the flavors to meld, so plan accordingly.

This colorful dough should be made in a food processor, which ensures that the vegetable puree is distributed evenly throughout.

Settings on pasta makers vary (some have as many as ten settings, others only six); this recipe was developed using a hand-cranked pasta machine, but you can use any machine as long as you change the settings incrementally.

Because no two batches of fruit have the same sweetness, it’s important to adjust the mix before freezing. This will affect more than flavor because sugar lowers the freezing point of water; so the sweeter your mix, the slushier your sorbet. Too little sugar and the sorbet will be icy hard. Some chefs use a saccharometer (which gauges a liquid’s density by how much of the instrument floats above the surface), but a large uncooked egg stands in quite well (see step 4). Watermelon is one of the simplest flavors to make, since it requires no added water. Follow the amounts in the chart on page 485 to make the suggested flavor variations. When using only juice, you can skip the first step. Citrus fruit can be squeezed by hand. For the kiwi and pineapple sorbets, you will need to add fresh lime or lemon juice along with water in the first step. All liquids should be strained into a deep bowl or plastic container as directed. If desired, add up to 3 tablespoons of other flavorings such as liqueur before adding the simple syrup.

This simple yet timeless Italian dish demonstrates beautifully the process of sautéing: cutlets—most often chicken or veal—are dredged with flour, then sautéed in a mixture of olive oil and butter, a typical combination that is practical and flavorful. The flour encourages the chicken to form a light crust (and helps thicken the pan sauce), the butter helps it to brown, and the oil raises the smoke point so the butter doesn’t brown too much before the chicken is cooked through. A simple pan sauce is the only accompaniment, and is designed to make good use of the tasty browned bits left in the pan from cooking the chicken.

Pot-au-feu (literally “pot on the fire”) is sometimes described as the national dish of France. It certainly embodies one of that country’s primary tenets of cooking: taking inexpensive and widely available ingredients and, with a bit of careful tending-to and extended cooking, turning them into a dish fit for a king. Calling it a one-pot dish, however, is a bit of a misnomer; sure, most everything is cooked in the same pot, just not at the same time (the potatoes are always cooked separately). What you end up with is a multifaceted meal that retains the taste of each of its components. If you want to follow tradition, serve the broth as a separate course, then present the sliced meat and vegetables on a platter. Choose among mandatory accompaniments—fresh horseradish, assorted mustards, cornichons (or gherkins), and sea salt—and be sure to offer toasted bread for spreading with the marrow scooped from the bones.

The allure of crème brûlée, French for “burnt cream,” lies in its apparent contradiction: a topping of sugar, singed to golden brown, crackles over a cool, creamy-smooth custard. To achieve that silky consistency in baked custards, it’s critical that the oven temperature be regulated (to be both even and gentle). This is why the custard molds are set in a bain-marie, or hot-water bath, made by pouring water around molds into a roasting pan, which insulates the custard from hot spots in the oven. Another precautionary measure is to eliminate any excess bubbles in the custard after it is poured into the ramekins (just before baking). These bubbles will rise as the custard bakes, causing holes to form in the top. To get rid of them, pass the flame of a kitchen torch briefly over the liquid in the ramekins. Don’t worry if some remain, since the tops will be caramelized, hiding any imperfections.

With its clean taste and light body, Court Bouillon is used to poach fish, shellfish, and lean white meats such as chicken and veal, when you want to impart only subtle flavor. It can be as simple as a few aromatics steeped in water or more complex with a fruity white wine or other acidic ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice. As with stocks, you should feel free to improvise with whatever is in your vegetable bin (or garden, if you have one). The ingredients called for here are common, but you can leave out some or replace them with other mild-tasting herbs or vegetables. The goal is to avoid overpowering the food that will be poached in the liquid.

Rosti is a favorite Swiss potato dish made with grated potatoes and, depending on the cooking technique (deep-frying, pan-frying or even baking), butter, oil, or a combination. It can be formed into one large cake, as in the recipe below, or shaped into smaller patties. The ideal rosti is crisp and light.

In Sicilian cooking, raisins and nuts—often pine nuts, but almonds and walnuts are also common—are frequently used to lend sweetness to bitter greens and vegetables, including chard, spinach, and kale, as well as broccoli and cauliflower. They also add textural contrast to a dish of sautéed greens, as in this chard recipe. You can make a simplified version by omitting the shallots, nuts, and raisins, and starting at the point where you cook the garlic and red-pepper flakes in oil.

Chocolate soufflé, with its chewy exterior and warm, puddinglike center, might be considered the more refined cousin of molten chocolate cake. With or without a sauce of Crème Anglaise (basically the ice-cream base on page 468 before it’s frozen), a soufflé is a showstopper. And although it has earned a reputation for difficulty, following a few key techniques will reward you with a masterpiece every time. Before whipping the egg whites, be sure your bowl and whisk are thoroughly clean and dry; just a drop of grease, yolk, or water will prevent the whites from expanding properly. Avoid overbeating the egg whites; you’ve taken them too far if they lose their glossiness and become clumpy. Above all else, don’t open the oven door until the end of the baking time, since any fluctuation in temperature, as well as an accidentally slammed oven door, can cause a soufflé to fall. This recipe will produce the best results when baked in five 10-ounce ramekins; you can divide the batter among six dishes, but the soufflés won’t reach the same height as those shown here (though they will be just as delicious).

Heavy cream is the most traditional liquid in gratins, but milk or stock, or a combination, can replace half the cream for a lighter result. In this recipe, the liquid is infused with thyme to help its flavor disseminate more effectively since the vegetables will soak up the liquid; this step can be omitted but it does make a difference.