Pork Spareribs with Apple

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon The Spicy Olive Wild Mushroom and Sage EVOO
4 lbs. pork spareribs
6 small apples halved
1 tablespoon The Spicy Olive Vermont Maple Balsamic Vinegar

Combine the rosemary, garlic and oil in a small bowl. Rub all over the ribs and place them in a dish to marinate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking dish with foil. Season the ribs well on all sides with salt and pepper, then place them in one layer on the prepared dish. Tuck apples around the ribs. Brush the surfaces of the apples with a little more oil. Drizzle with Vermont Maple Balsamic Vinegar.

Roast for 60 minutes until the ribs and apples are golden and tender.

Preheat the broiler and place the pan 6-8 inches below the heat. Cook until all is golden brown and crisp…about 15 minutes per side. Remove the apples when they are tender. When the spareribs are cooked, serve them on heated plates with the apples.

If you have the time, The Spicy Olives recommend that you marinade the pork spareribs overnight. Place in a casserole dish (or a ziploc bag) and cover with your favorite EVOO and Vinegar. For this recipe, we like the Wild Mushroom & Sage + Vermont Maple and Apple Balsamic Vinegar.


Tuscan Meatloaf

The Spicy Olive takes an all-American favorite on a European vacation!

2 thick slices of ciabatta bread
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
.25 lb. prosciutto, chopped
.5 c Parmesan cheese, grated
.25 c. chopped parsley
2 large eggs
.25 c. The Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
.5 c The Spicy Olive Sherry Balsamic Vinegar
Two 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes

Tear the bread into large pieces and soak in milk. Squeeze to remove the excess milk and combine in a large bowl with the beef, pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley and eggs. Season with salt and pepper, then mix with your hands.

Shape the meat into a ball, place on a rimless, slightly oiled baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 325F. Heat the oil in a roasting dish over moderately high heat. Slide the meatloaf into the roasting dish and cook until the bottom is browned and crisp. Ass the Sherry Balsamic Vinegar and cook for 5 minutes, until slightly reduced. Add tomato sauce and cover meatloaf with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Transfer the meatloaf to a board and cover loosely with foil. Place the roasting dish over moderate heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom and side of the pan. COok until the sauce thickens. Cut the meatloaf and serve with the tomato sauce.

Beef Pot Roast

3 tablespoons The Spicy Olive Empeltre Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 lbs. beef, tied into a neat shape
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped,
1 carrot, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
.75 c. The Spicy Olive Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
1.5 c. beef broth
1 Roma tomato, chopped
Fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat the oven to 275F. Heat a heavy frying pan over high heat and add the oil. When it just begins to smoke, add the beef and brown well on all sides.

Combine the extra oil, onion, celery and carrot in a large oven-safe pot and cook over low heat until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook one minute more. Put the meat and juices on the vegetables. Remove any excess fat from the frying pan but leave in brown bits.

Add the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar to the pan and deglaze, our this over the meat in the casserole dish. Add the stock, tomato, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for 3 hours, basting with liquid from time to time. The dish should cook at a very gentle simmer.

When the meat is tender, remove it to a cutting board. Reduce the liquid in the pan to a slightly thickened pouring consistency. Slice the meat thickly, pour a few tablespoons of the sauce and serve with mashed or boiled potatoes.

Schinco

Sometimes called ‘stinco’ by young children, this dish is a specialty of Trieste, Italy.

1/4 cup of  The Spicy Olive Wild Mushroom & Sage Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 veal hind shanks
6 anchovies, drained
4 large cloves garlic
6 sage leaves
1/2 cup of  The Spicy Olive Sherry Balsamic Vinegar
2 c. veal stock or broth

Combine the oil and onion in an oven-safe pot and cook over moderate heat until the onion softens. Add the shanks and turn the heat up to brown thoroughly, about 15 minutes. Remove the shanks and keep them warm.

Remove the charred onions from the pot, add anchovies, garlic and sage to the pot and pour in the Sherry Balsamic Vinegar. Bring all to a boil scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the veal to the pot and braise in the oven at 275 degrees F, for 1 hour. Turn the meat over and cook for another hour, until the meat is very tender.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

An Italian Classic

2 large eggs
.5 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
.33 c Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb EVOO
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 fresh red chilies
.25 lb. pancetta, chopped
1 lb. spaghetti

Combine the eggs and parmesan and whisk until smooth. Combine the oil, garlic, chilies and pancetta in a frying pan and cook over low heat until most of the fat is released. Keep the garlic at a very pale color. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain and turn the pasta into a heated bowl. Remove the chilies from the frying pan and pour the hot contents of the pan over the pasta. Then add the eggs and cheese. Add some of the pasta cooking water if necessary to moisten. Toss well and serve immediately.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Why buy from the store when you can make your own? With garden-fresh produce and delicious olive oils, this homemade tomato sauce has much more zip.

 3 tbsp. Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Red Onion, cut into .25-inch cubes
4 large cloves of garlic, cubed
1.5 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 celery stalk, cut into pea-sized cubes
2-3 ripe tomatoes, diced

Combine the oil and onion in a large pot and cook over moderate heat until the onion begins to turn brown. We recommend the Tuscan Herb EVOO, but any of our single-varietal olive oils would work as well as the Basil, Garlic, or other flavored EVOOs. Add the garlic, rosemary and celery. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the celery is soft.

Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

This sauce can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 6 months. It’s a great way to preserve a summer harvest from the backyard garden!

Bavette con asparagi e mollica

1 c. fluffy breadcrumbs
2 bunches asparagus
.75 lb. bavette (or any long pasta)
.33 c. The Spicy Olive Milanese Gremolata EVOO
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
.25 c flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed

To crisp the breadcrumbs, toss into a a dry frying pan on medium heat and stir until crisp and golden. Set aside.

Snap the bottoms off the asparagus and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook asparagus for about 3 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender.

Bring the water back to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, combine the oil, garlic and parley in a pan. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Stir frequently and add in the asparagus. Continue stirring until the asparagus pieces are well coated.

When the pasta is al dente, add it to the pan with the asparagus, garlic and parsley. Add the lemon juice and just enough water to moisten. Turn the heat up to high and toss the ingredients for another minute. Serve with breadcrumbs scattered on top.

Pesto Pasta Soup

A delicious soup to warm up with this winter

Soup
3 tablespoons The Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
1/2 cup finely chopped pancetta
4 cloves garlic
1 medium ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb. pound linguini

To make the soup, combine the oil, meat and garlic in a pan. Sauté over medium heat until the fat is running but the garlic hasn’t browned. Stir in tomato and six cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil

Pesto
1.5 c basil leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped coarse
.25 c. The Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
1.5 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tbsp. freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

To make the pesto, rinse the basil leaves and dry thoroughly. Combine the basil and garlic in a food processor and add 1.5 tablespoons of the oil. Pulse until a slightly chunky sauce forms, adding the rest of the oil. Spoon into a bowl, stir in the cheeses and season with salt. Float a spoonful more of the olive oil on top of the pesto until it is ready to use.

To finish the soup, stir in the linguini while it is boiling and cook until al dente. Remove from the heat, stir in the pesto and serve immediately.

You can make pesto like this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for weeks. Save the cheese to add immediately before serving, however.

Linguine with Asparagus and Shrimp

1 lb. fresh linguine pasta
1 lb. fresh thin asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup Milanese Gremolata Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb. medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 shallot, sliced thin
.5 c dry white wine

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the Milanese Gremolata olive oil in a large skillet.

Sauté the asparagus  for 5 until tender.  Add shrimp, shallot and dry white wine. Increase the heat and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until all is cooked. Toss with the pasta or just top the pasta and serve with freshly ground pepper.

Pasta Salad di Sicily

1 lb. dried penne or orecchiette pasta
3 tbsp. Oregano Balsamic Vinegar
.25 c Tuscan Herb olive oil
1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium head radicchio, cored, shredded
1 c. mixed pitted Kalamata olives
1 c. crumbled Ricotta Salata cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil then add the pasta and cook according to directions. While the pasta is cooking, mix the EVOO and vinegar together. Then add the rest of the ingredients and toss until coated. Drain the pasta and mix in with the other ingredients into a serving bowl. Season with sea salt and fresh black pepper.