Urban Italian is made up of the recipes that result when a great chef has to use the same resources as the rest of us. After a brilliant career in professional kitchens (including a six-year tour as chef de cuisine at Café Boulud), he was faced with the harsh reality of life as a civilian cook: no prep cooks, no saucier, no daily deliveries-just him and his wife in their tiny Manhattan-apartment kitchen. While waiting for construction to finish on his restaurant A Voce, Andrew Carmellini faced an unusual challenge. Source: Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes, from the editors of Food & Wine.The recipes that one of New York's best young chefs cooks in his own kitchen: a cookbook full of soulful, sophisticated food and delicious stories. Top with the rest of the pecorino cheese and serve immediately.

Transfer to a large serving dish and pour the broccoli rabe and chickpea mixture over the top. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter, olive oil, and half the pecorino cheese. Add the sauce and cook on medium-high heat, mixing well, until the pasta is well coated, about 1 minute.

Season with salt and pepper and saute until the greens are well coated, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe, garlic, red pepper flakes, and the remaining half of the chickpeas. Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saute pan. Return the water to a boil, add the rigatoni, and cook until its al dente. remove with a slotted spoon or spider to a bowl of ice water to immediately stop the cooking process. To prepare the broccoli rabe and the rigatoniīring a large pot of salted water to a boil.īlanch the broccoli rabe until the stems are just softened and the color has deepened, about 90 seconds. Cook over medium heat until the mixture forms a loose sauce and the flavors are combined, about 15 minutes.

Brown it, stirring regularly and breaking the meat up into small pieces with a spoon or potato masher.Īdd the tomato sauce and stir to combine.Īdd the chickpea puree and the fennel seed and stir to combine. Squeeze the sausage out of the casing and add the meat to the pan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Blend half the chickpeas (about 1 cup) and all their liquid on high until the mixture forms a smooth paste, about 1 minute. 1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned of out leaves and bottom stems trimmedĭrain the chickpeas well, reserving the liquid.1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil.it will add the perfect base for this - and many other dishes. Be sure to use a tomato sauce that has developed an intense tomato flavor.

Urban Italian by Andrew Carmellini