Fight the winter doldrums by heating up the kitchen! The Scottos share heartwarming recipes for pasta e fagioli, braised pork shanks and Sicilian chocolate pudding that are perfect for a night in from the cold.
Recipe: Pasta e fagioli (on this page) Recipe: Braised pork shanks with honey and dried fruits (on this page) Recipe: Sicilian chocolate pudding (on this page)
Put the beans in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 3 to 4 inches. Set aside to soak overnight. Drain and rinse the beans with fresh water. Boil for 1½ hours.
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add the garlic, onion, carrots, fennel and prosciutto, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft and golden. Add the red pepper flakes and tomatoes, and cook uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes.
Add the beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the beans are very tender.
In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions, or until al dente. Drain.
Add the pasta to the beans and stir over medium heat for 1½ to 2 minutes to allow the pasta to combine with the sauce.
Garnish generously with grated cheese (about 2 tablespoons per serving) and serve.
Soak dried fruits in sherry for three hours.
Place shanks in a bowl and marinate with garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and red wine. Let marinate at room temperature for at least three hours, turning occasionally. After three hours, drain and reserve marinade.
In a large, heavy sauce pot, heat olive oil over high heat and brown shanks two at a time until browned evenly. Remove shanks and reserve. Add onion to hot sauce pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Add dried fruits with sherry vinegar and scrape all brown meat particles on bottom of pan. When complete, add reserved marinade and stir to mix thoroughly.
Return browned shanks to pan, add chopped tomatoes, honey and beef stock, cover and braze in oven for 2½ hours or until shanks are tender.
After shanks are tender remove and set aside. Cover to keep warm. Reduce final sauce by simmering over medium to high heat, until sauce is desired consistency. Finish sauce by stirring in 2 tablespoons butter. Return shanks to sauce and serve.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate in 2½ cups of milk, whisking constantly. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup milk with the cornstarch, stirring to dissolve the cornstarch, and add to the hot milk mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking for an additional minute, to be sure that the cornstarch is fully cooked. Remove from heat.
Spray the insides of the mold(s) with a thin mist of water and immediately add the pudding. Set aside at room temperature to cool, about 30 minutes, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Invert the mold(s) onto individual plates or a platter. Garnish with fresh whipped cream and pistachios. Serve immediately.
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive
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