Recipe(tried): Italian Pot Roast (Stracoto), Italian Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese, and Sauteed Peas with Proscuitto, Florentine Style

Sauteed Peas with Proscuitto, Florentine Style

New England has been experiencing what is called "A back door cold front" where our weather comes in off the Atlantic Ocean rather than from the west. It has been chilly here with temperatures well below normal so I decided to make this for dinner last night. DH very much liked everything. The recipes all turned out to be great Italian versions of our usual pot roast meal. If it is too warm where you are to try this now, keep the recipes in mind for when your weather turns chilly again in the fall or winter.

Stracoto with Porcini Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 (4-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 3/4 cups canned beef broth
1/2-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 large sprig fresh rosemary, plus extra for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy 6-quart roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total cooking time. Transfer the beef to a bowl. Add remaining tablespoon oil to the pan, add the onions and saute until tender, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the wine and boil 1 minute. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Return the beef to the pan. Bring the liquids to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise until the beef is fork-tender, turning the beef over halfway through cooking, about 3 hours.

Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent the beef with foil and let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Transfer the pan juices and vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. Combine the sauce and rosemary sprig in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Cut the beef across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the sliced beef on a platter and garnish with rosemary. Spoon the sauce over and serve, passing the remaining sauce in a sauce boat.

Italian Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese
Adapted from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan
Serves 4 persons
I doubled this recipe so we would have leftovers to have with the leftover Stracoto.

2 lb. boiling potatoes (russett or Idaho - about 3 fairly large potatoes)
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 c. milk, warmed
2/3 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Peel the potatoes. Cut them in half, lengthwise. Then, cut them into thrids crosswise so you have 6 pieces from each potato. Put the potatoes in a large pot with enough cold water to cover them well. Cover the pot, bring to a moderate boil, then remove the cover, and cook 10 1/2 to 11 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Return the pan to low heat and shake the pan to dry the potatoes. Add the butter and let it melt. add the milk. Using a hand mixer or an old fashioned potato masher, mash the potatoes, incorporating the Parmesan cheese as you mash the potatoes. Serve piping hot.

Sauteed Peas with Proscuitto, Florentine Style
From The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan
Serves 4 persons

2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons proscuitto or pancetta, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
2 lbs. fresh early peas (unshelled weight) or 1, 10 oz. package frozen tiny peas, thawed
2 tablesppons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper, 4 or 5 twists of the mill

Over medium-high heat saute the garlic cloves in the olive oil until they have colored well.

remove garlic, add proscuitto or pancetta and saute for less than a minute.

Add the peas, parsley, salt and pepper, turn the heat down to medium, and cover the pan, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of water ONLY if you are serving fresh peas. Cook until done, 5 minutes of less forfrozen peas, a5 to 30 minutes for fresh, which vary enormously. The only way to tell is to taste. While tasting, correct for salt. Serve immediately.