recipe – POSITANO

“SARTU”

NEAPOLITAN RICE TIMBALE with MEATBALLS

TIMBALLO di POLPETTE

Neapolitan Meatball / Rice Timbale

This is a great little antipasto item they make in Naples, and places along the Amalfi Coast. It’s an excellent dish to serve, preceding a fish, meat, or pasta course of any type, especially pasta with mussels or Spaghetti Vongole. This makes a great buffet or picnic lunch item with frittata, salumi, cheese, and fruit to go along in your picnic basket. As we’ve said, one of these timballo makes a wonderful antipasto, or you can serve two or three on a plate for a nice hearty main-course.

I also suggest, if you like, double the size of the meatball recipe below, to make a larger batch, if you want some leftover meatballs to make Meatball Sandwiches the next day, or serve one timballo on a plate with 3 or 4 meatballs for another great alternative main-course dish.

INGREDIENTS :

1 pound Arborio Rice

1 small Onion, peeled and diced fine

3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup Tomato Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Salt

MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces ground Bee1 large Egg

1/2 teaspoon each of Salt & Black Black Pepper

1/2 cup Breadcrumbs mixed with 1/4 cup Milk

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

1/4 cup Italian Parsley, chopped fine

Vegetable Oil for Frying Meatballs

1/4 cup Flour

NOTE : Bake these Timballi in a standard Muffin Pan, or individual molds if you have them. Grease your muffin pan (or molds) with softened butter.

FILLING INGREDIENTS :

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

1/2 cup Provolone or Caciocavallo Cheese

1/c cup Boiled Ham, diced

MEATBALLS PREPARATION
In a large mixing bowl, add the ground Beef, Salt & Black Pepper, grated Parmigiano, chopped Parlsey, breadcrumbs, and Egg, mix until well incorporated.
Shape the beef mixture into small meatballs, a bit smaller than a Walnut and place on a dry sheet pan. Once all the meat has been formed into small meatballs, take each meatball and dredge in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off excess flour and place the meatball back on the pan. Repeat until all the meatballs have been coated with the flour.
Pour the vegetable oil into a non-stick pan, and heat over high heat until the oil is at frying temp. Cook the meatballs in two batches over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, then place on pan with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Set meatballs aside to cool.
Rice Preparation :
Fill a large pot with the Olive Oil and chopped Onion and cook on medium heat for 4 minutes. Add rice and 1/2 teaspoon Salt and cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Add 2 quarts of water and bring to the boil. Cook the rice at a medium simmer for 12 minutes. Drain rice in a wire strainer or colander.
Let the rice cool for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of White Pepper to the rice and mix. Add 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano to rice and mix. Add 1 cup Tomato Sauce to rice and mix.
Meanwhile butter the molds and set aside.
Form a layer of rice at the base and in the edges and press with the back of the spoon, place the ham in the center, the Provolone and a Meatball, a little tomato sauce and a bit of Parmesan, cover with rice.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 18 minutes.
As the timballi are baking, heat remaining tomato sauce.
Remove from the oven to cool for 5 minutes, gently flip on a plate.
Place a little tomato sauce on a plate, place one Timballo on top of sauce, then garnish with a nice Basil Flower for each. Serve your guests.

This Recipe has been Excerpted from Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s new forthcoming book (February 2021) POSITANO The AMALFI COST COOKBOOK – Travel Guide

Broadway Fifth Press, New York, NY

POSITANO is COMING !!!!

POSITANO The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK

TRAVEL GUIDE

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

RECIPES of POSITANO – NAPLES – The AMALFI COAST

And TRAVEL GUIDE by Bestselling Italian Cookbook Author

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

COMING February 2021

Will be Available on AMAZON.com

MINESTRONE GENOVESE

alla BELLINO

MINESTRONE GENOVESE

Mixed Vegetable Soup of Genoa

Minestrone may very well be the most popular of all Italian soups. It was first created as a way of using leftover vegetables from the previous night’s dinner, so as not to let those vegetables or anything go to waste. Minestrone can be made from any variety of vegetables, most popular are: onions, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, and peas. Add a little salt, pepper, olive oil, and garlic, cook and right there you have the basic Minestrone Soup. The main thing that makes Minestrone Genovese different from this or other basic Minestrone soups, is the addition when serving the Minestrone, adding a dollop of freshly made Basil Pesto, Genoa’s most famous food item of all, that just about everybody loves.

MINESTRONE GENOVESE

Ingredients :

5 tablespoons best quality Italian Olive Oil

1 medium Onion, peeled and chopped

2 Carrots, peeled and cut to medium dice

2 medium Zucchini, washed and diced ½” dice

5 plum Tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped

2 large Potatoes, peeled and cut to ¾” dice

2 Bay Leaves

2 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped

7 cups water

1 cup frozen Peas

2 cups fresh Spinach, washed and chopped

¼ pound Stellini Pastina, or Ditalini

1 teaspoon each of Salt & ground Black Pepper

1 – 15 ounce can Cannellini Beans

3 tablespoons Basil Pesto (preceding Recipe)

Preparation :

Add the Olive Oil and chopped Onions to a large stainless steel pot.

Turn the heat on to medium and cook for 4 minutes while stirring.

Lower heat to low, and add the garlic. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes.

Add the Tomatoes. Sprinkle a little salt & black pepper over the tomatoes.

Cook on medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add the Carrots and Zucchini and stir.

Add the Potatoes, the water, and Bay Leaves, Slat, & Black Pepper. Turn heat to high and bring all to the boil.

Once the water is boiling, lower heat so the soup is at a low simmer. Let cook for 25-30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, cook the pasta in a separate pot in boiling salted water, according to directions on the package. Strain the pasta in a colander and let cool.

After the soup has been cooking for 25 minutes, add the Cannellini Beans, and cook on medium heat for 4 minutes.

Add the Spinach and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the cooked Pasta and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.

The soup is done.

To serve, fill a soup bowl with the Minestrone. Add a small dollop of Basil Pesto and serve.

Enjoy!

This Recipe is complements from author Daniel Bellino

It is excerpted from his forthcoming cookbook, which he is currently working on. The working title of the book is “Rome Venice Pizza Pasta and ???”

Note : This is what is known as a “working title” and it may or may not be the Title of the Book, once published.

… “Thanks, Daniel Bellino” …