Are you in need of something tasty to make while being in self-isolation? Many Manhattanites have returned to their own kitchens for meal after meal while we remain stuck inside over the growing Coronavirus pandemic. Some of the most amazing celebrity chefs out there, including Donatella Arpaia and Ed’s Lobster Bar owner Ed McFarland, have provided some amazing recipes that will turn that frown upside down.
Lobster Meatballs (pictured above)– Chef Ed McFarland (serves 8-10)
Ingredients:
- 2 loaves Italian bread
- 1 ½ pounds cooked lobster, ground
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- ½ bunch chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish
- 2 ¼ cups grated cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 cups marinara sauce
- Olive oil
Directions:
Remove crusts and soak the bread in water.
Place ground lobster, garlic, parsley, 2 c. cheese, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
Strain the bread using a colander and squeeze out any excess water. Break pieces of bread into bowl and mix together with other ingredients.
Adjust seasoning if necessary, then add eggs and mix.
On the stovetop, use a saucepan to heat marinara sauce on low.
Pour olive oil into a frying pan so that is halfway filled and cook on medium heat.
Gently form meatballs in your hands, making sure not to squeeze.
Fry meatballs until golden on both sides and place into the warm marinara sauce (see below for marinara recipe) for approximately 10 minutes.
Garnish meatballs with remaining cheese and parsley. Serve over linguini if desired.
Marinara Sauce Recipe – Chef Ed McFarland
Ingredients for marinara sauce:
- 2 small cans of tomato sauce
- 5 cloves of crushed garlic
- 5 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sugar to taste
Directions for marinara sauce:
Lightly puree tomato sauce without crushing the seeds and set aside.
Crush the garlic.
Sweat garlic in pan on low heat with oil so it is soft but does not burn.
Add red pepper flakes and basil and cook for 2-3 minutes over same low heat.
Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste if desired.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Set aside.
Donatella Arpaia’s Apple Pear Gorgonzola Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Marcona almonds
- 1 cup Sugar
- 16 oz. Pizza dough
- 11/2 cups Galbani Premio Mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 Bosc pear, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 Apple, cored and thinly sliced (your favorite variety)
- 10 oz. Galbani Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup Bacon, thickly sliced
- Honey for garnish
- Micro basil for garnish
- Fresh thyme for garnish
Directions:
To make glazed almonds, place almonds in a sauté pan over medium high heat.
Add sugar and stir occasionally with wooden spoon. After 5 minutes, sugar should begin to melt. Cook another 5–6 minutes until sugar and nuts begin to brown.
Remove from heat and set each individually on a plate. Allow to cool.
To make pizza, roll out pizza dough into oblong shape.
Spread layer of shredded Mozzarella.
Then, interlayer slices of pear and apples.
Generously spread Gorgonzola, then add bacon.
Cook at high heat until ready.
Garnish with a drizzle of honey, micro basil, fresh thyme, and glazed Marcona almonds.
Geoffrey Zakarian’s Pasta Pomodoro for Two
Total: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- One 28-ounce can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces high-quality dried mezzi rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
Directions:
Puree the tomatoes using an immersion blender or food processor. Set aside.
In a saucepot over medium heat, combine the olive oil, pepper flakes and garlic. Gently toast the garlic until golden brown, being careful not to burn it. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer; simmer 5 to 8 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Add the pasta to the pot with the sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, half of both cheeses and half of the basil and cook, tossing frequently, until the pasta is nicely coated. Season with salt if necessary.
Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the remaining cheese and basil and drizzle with olive oil.
Killer Mac & Cheese with Bacon By Anne Burrell
Serves: 6 to 8
Time: About 50 Minutes
Everyone thinks of mac and cheese as comfort food, but there’s a lot of bad mac and cheese out there, and frankly, that food makes me UNcomfortable! Great mac and cheese should be creamy and tangy and luscious – it should get me excited with every bite. I promise that this recipe is what mac and cheese should be. And it’s got bacon! What could be better?
Ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, cut into ¼-inch dice Kosher salt ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart whole milk, plus more as needed
- 1 pound shells or other short pasta
- 2 cups freshly grated Cheddar cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated Fontina cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard Tabasco or other hot sauce, to taste
Directions:
Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a large saucepan, add the bacon, and bring the pan to medium heat; stir the bacon occasionally. When it’s brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes, remove it from the pan, drain on paper towels, and reserve that deliciousness. Do not discard the bacon fat!
Add the butter and onion to the pan with the fat, season with salt, and cook until the onion is soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes or until the mixture looks like wet sand. Slowly whisk in the milk, season with salt, bring to a boil (BTB), and reduce to a simmer (RTS); cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes more or until the mixture is slightly thicker than heavy cream.
In the meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the package suggest. Taste it: It should be toothsome with just a little nugget of hard pasta still in the center – this is al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve.
Add the Cheddar, Fontina, and Parmigiano to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the mustard and a few shakes of Tabasco; taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding a little more milk if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in the cooked bacon and pasta. The mixture should be very creamy and flavorful. Serve immediately or transfer to a baking dish or ramekins and reheat in a 375°F. oven.