Mama Savoldi's
RECIPES
Nonna Cataldi's Recipes
Chicken Cacciatore
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1 chicken, cut up 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, cut up ½ large onion
salt and pepper to taste 1 can black olives
pinch marjoram 3 clusters of sage (or chicken seasoning)
Brown chicken pieces in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cut garlic into pieces. Place in frying pan with chicken. Sprinkle marjoram and sage over chicken and brown chicken well. (Nonna adds about ¼ cup “cooking wine”.) Simmer about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from fry pan. Add tomato sauce and onion to juices in pan. Simmer until onion is cooked. Add chicken to sauce and simmer over low heat about 15 minutes. Add olives with the tomato sauce for added flavor. My favorite is to serve this over polenta.
Faglio delle Manicotte
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Flour (as much as needed)
3 eggs
1 c. milk
pinch of salt
1 c. oil
The Filling
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 egg
parsley (a little)
Bread
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5 lbs. flour
1 pinch salt
3 cakes yeast (tablespoons)
3 c. warm water
1 c. warm milk
2 eggs
1 stick butter
½ c. sugar
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Cook at 350° for one hour
Nonna's Red Meat Sauce
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(NOTE: I literally watched Nonna make this and wrote it down as she worked. All measurements are approximate! Use your own judgment on adding more or less. Also, I usually double this.)
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4 carrots peeled salt and pepper to taste
4 stalks celery, leave tops on a handful of parsley (about 1/8 c.)
4 lg. onions 3-4 lbs. ground beef (I use 1/2 Italian sausage)
4 lg. cloves garlic 3 qt. jars tomato sauce
olive oil 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
about 1 Tbsp. basil 1/2 lemon rind
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Grind carrots, celery, onions, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and parsley in food processor. Put enough olive oil in large pot to cover the bottom completely. Put all ground up veggies, etc. in pot and cook until veggies are cooked thoroughly. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add raw ground beef (can substitute half meat for Italian sausage if desired.) Salt and pepper to taste again. Cook until beef is no longer pink, breaking up meat as it cooks. (According to Nonna, the meat is done when the fat covers it all, but I don't use that much oil and I use low fat meat.) Pour tomato sauce and paste into pot with meat and veggies. Add sprigs of fresh basil and parsley, and 1/2 lemon rind on top while simmering. Simmer, stirring occasionally until rim forms at the top of the sauce around the pot. (According to Nonna, this mean it is almost done.) Simmer a little while longer, until rim around pot turn dark. Pour into pint jars and seal. Will keep about 1 year.
NOTE: When doubling this recipe, just double all the ingredients except the ground beef, and it tastes the same. Doubled, this makes about 17 pints
Pasta​
4 eggs
1 c. warm water
½ c. olive oil
1 pinch salt
as much as flour as needed
Pesto​
7 leaves basil
2-3 leaves parsley
1 head garlic
2 pinches salt
1 pinch pepper
1 c. cheese
a little pinole
Polenta
1 ½ c. polenta (for every 1 c. polenta, 4 c. water)
6 c. water
~1 tsp. salt
Combine ingredients in lg. sauce pan. Stir until boiling. When begins to boil put a lid on pan and simmer on low for about 30 mins. To serve, put on a plate and add red meat sauce, chicken cacciatore, or whatever on top. (When it’s done, it won’t stick on side of pan when you stir it.)
Potato Gnocchi​
6 lg. potatoes, cooked, hot, & peeked
4 T butter
3 eggs, 2 yolks, & 1 whole
4 c. flour
Mash potatoes beat in butter & eggs, salt to taste. Add flour, making a stiff dough. Mix & knead until dough until dough is SMOOTH. Shape dough into long rolls about as thick as a finger & cut into 1” piece pressing w/ thumb roll each gnocchi over the back of a fork. Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water, a few at a time. They will float to top when done. Remove gently& serve w/ meat gravy, pesto, or just butter & parmesan cheese. Serve HOT. Freeze well uncooked.
Ravioli
Sauce:
¼ lb. butter
2Tbsp. Olive Oil
1lb. ground steak
1lb. ground pork shoulder
1 large onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 2lb. can Tomatoes
1 sm. Can tomato paste
2oz. dry mushrooms (soaked for 2hrs)
Brown butter and oil. Add chopped onions, celery, and garlic. Fry to light brown. Add the meat, salt, pepper, and bayleaf to taste. Brown thoroughly. Add tomato paste and tomatoes, and chopped mushrooms. Cook slowly for 2hrs.
Filling:
1lb. pork shoulder
1lb. beef roast
1lb.veal roast
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Seasoning and cook all 3 together as a roast. When cool, pass through a meat grinder. Take 1lb. brain. Boil and drain, when cool, mash it up. Fry in 1/2c. roast grease or butter. (If brain not desired, use 1lb. ground pork sausage and brown.) Boil 1 1/2lbs. spinach drained and chopped. Brown medium sized onion in grease from roast, add chopped spinach and fry for a few minutes. 1/2oz. dry mushroom soaked in water, chop-up fine, fry in 4Tbsp. olive oil with clove garlic. (Remove garlic when brown.)
Ravioli (Cheese Filling)
2 ½ lbs. Ricotta cheese
3 eggs
15c. Parmesan cheese (grated)
5Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 small onion
Salt
Pepper
Mix everything together. The recipe for the dough and sauce are same as Ravioli recipe. If you want to make a larger or smaller quantity, add or reduce the above recipe accordingly. 1lb. saltine crackers moistened in water. Now add all above ingredients in the crackers the add 3 eggs (slightly beaten) 2ozs. Grated cheese. Season to taste and mix well.
Dough:
4 eggs, 2c water, salt to taste, and add flour; knead well. Cut in half. Place under bowl and let stand for 30min. Roll out as for noodles. While waiting prepare filling. Knead dough to 1/16” thick. Make the filling into small balls and put them in the dough in a straight line. Then put another layer of dough on top, press down between in order to close well and cut them with Ravioli cutter. Boil the ravioli 15-20min. Drain the ravioli in strainer. Line platter with little sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat layer until ready to serve.