2 Minute Sicilian Lifeguard Calamari (Mario Batali Recipe)

This simple dish has become a staple in our kitchen. It's a quick go-to for a weeknight meal but impressive enough to reserve it's spot on the weekend menu as well. Thanks, Mario Batali, for coming up with this keeper of a recipe!

Kosher salt
1 cup Israeli couscous
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tablespoons pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons currants
1/4 cup caperberries
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/2 white wine
2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 1/2 pounds cleaned calamari, tubes cut into 1/4-inch rounds, tentacles halved
5 scallions, thinly sliced, reserve some for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Set up an ice bath nearby. Cook the couscous in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and immediately plunge it into the ice bath. Once cooled, remove and set aside to dry on a plate.

Ina 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the oil until just smoking. Add the pine nuts, garlic, currants, caperberries and red pepper flakes, and saute until the pine nuts are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the couscous and bring to a boil. Add the calamari, stir to mix, and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the calamari is just cooked and completely opaque. Toss in the scallions. Season with salt and pepper, pour into a large warm bowl, sprinkle with the reserved scallions, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

Basic tomato sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Pasta with Goat Ragu and Ricotta

We revisited a previous recipe that we had used from Epicurious when I had a craving for some lamb and fresh pappardelle. I forwarded the recipe along to Derek and let him take the reigns and gather the ingredients for the masterpiece. And while his intentions were good, he came home with goat (healthier option) and linguini of some sort (they were out of pappardelle). Though I was slightly disappointed, I couldn't complain when I had this delicious creation placed in front of me.

He and I both agreed that lamb would have been better as it is more flavorful adds some fantastic depth. And the pasta is by personal preference, there's just something fun about some wide noodles every once in a while. Still, it was quite fantastic.

Here's the original recipe that we used and modified.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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