Dixie's Pantry - Good Food Source : The online resource for food lovers.

Dixie's Pantry

Dixie, mother of Good Food Source mastermind Lenny, inspired us to create a resource for great mail order foods. Though she is the chicken fried steak maven, this busy nurse practitioner from rural Oklahoma has driven long distances to find more exotic ingredients for her culinary exploits. Now, thanks to the Internet, Dixie has discovered a world of fine food products just a few clicks away; Good Food Source finds the best sites from achiote to za'atar.

Rustichella d'Abruzzo Pasta

All pastas are not created equal. Though dried pasta contains only two ingredients--flour and water—the devil is in the details; and Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta is all about the details. Italian pasta is required by law to be produced from hard wheat durum semolina flour, which gives the pasta its rich, wheaty flavor and pleasingly chewy texture. Rustichella makes its pasta with locally grown stone-ground durum wheat and mountain spring water. The dough is extruded through 100-year-old bronze dies, which give the pasta a rough texture that holds sauce much better than the smooth pasta made with more common Teflon dies. The pasta is then air dried for several days in specially designed rooms that emulate the warm breezes of the Abruzzese countryside. The long, slow drying process makes the pasta strong and extra flavorful.

The care taken it producing Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta is immediately evident from the first bite. Like a great loaf of bread, Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta needs very little adornment to be enjoyed—a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of aged Parmigiano and you’re good to go. Of course, you’ll want to try this delicious pasta with all your favorite sauce recipes, and Rustichella makes just about every shape you can imagine, including the provocatively-named strozzapreti, or “priest stranglers” (the pasta was apparently so delicious that the priest overindulged). Try the egg pappardelle with a rich Bolognese, or the hand-shaped orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. Rustichella also makes organic, whole wheat, farro and gluten-free pastas.

Buy Rustichella d’Abruzzo at:
www.markethallfoods.com
http://www.cybercucina.com
www.zingermans.com
http://www.murrayscheese.com

Lamb and Tuscan Kale Ragu

Choose a sturdy pasta like pappardelle or rigatoni that will stand up to and provide plenty of surface area for the thick, rich sauce.

Serves 4

2 ounces pancetta, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon red chile flakes
1 pound ground lamb
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups canned diced tomatoes, with their liquid
4 packed cups lacinato (Tuscan) or curly kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup heavy cream

1 pound pappardelle, rigatoni or other sturdy pasta
6 quarts water
3 tablespoons kosher salt

In a large heavy saucepan combine the pancetta and olive oil and cook over medium heat until the pancetta’s fat starts to melt. Add the onion, garlic and red chile flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the lamb and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the lamb has started to brown, breaking it up into small pieces with a fork or whisk as it cooks. Add the rosemary and wine and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until the wine is almost completely evaporated. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover the sauce and reduce he heat so that it barely simmers and cook the sauce for 2 hours. Stir it occasionally and mash the tomatoes with the back of the spoon as they soften. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a very low simmer. Stir in the kale and salt. Cover the sauce and simmer for an additional 20 minutes, or until the kale is tender. Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer, cooking the sauce just until it thickens. Add more salt and chile flakes if desired.

In a large stock pot bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt to the water and add the pasta, stirring to prevent it from sticking together. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pot with the sauce and add a little of the reserved cooking water. Stir the pasta over medium low heat until it is coated with the sauce, adding more of the cooking water if necessary to coat evenly. Serve immediately with freshly grated pecorino cheese.

FEATURES	RESOURCES	SHARING	OUR SITE
dixie's pantry what's fresh	organics and sustainability recipes culinary culture cookbooks	tell a friend newsletters rss feeds contact us	home about us how we rate