Almost Italian

Are thoughts of full-body scans and aggressive pat-downs in the name of homeland security making you wonder if “over the river and through the woods to Nonna’s house” might not be in the cards this year?

Red-Sauce Thanksgiving: Turkey Braciole
Copyright © 2010 Skip Lombardi

Whether you are part of the stay-home protest or just want to simplify Thanksgiving dinner without sacrificing the flavors of the day, here’s our suggestion for a festive Almost Italian dish that will satisfy both Italian and American holiday traditions. Because you (and your oven) have to go through a lot to produce both the customary lasagne and the roast turkey, you might like the idea of a red-sauce meal with turkey that all comes together on the stove-top. Think of it as Sunday Gravy for a special Thursday. Make it and we promise you—the house will indeed smell like Nonna’s on Thanksgiving.

Of course, you could start off with some mixed olives in Stimperata; a Salad of Fennel, Mushrooms, and Parmesan; Cherry Pepper Shooters; and other antipasti… But really—for this Thanksgiving spread—you don’t need anything more than good bread, vino rosso, and maybe Arance alla Siciliana or a green salad with pears and nuts for dessert.

So stay home and be thankful you’re not in line to board a plane to Columbus or Boston. Pray along with us that TSA and our Congress come to their senses before the Feast of the Seven Fishes, because we’re known to pack some pretty “assertive” carry-ons like baccalà, octopus, and eels…

Felice Ringraziamento!

Turkey Braciole with Ziti
Copyright © 2010 Skip Lombardi

Ingredients:

For the braciole:

2 Turkey thighs (each 12-16 oz. before boning) See notes.*
½ Cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh basil, snipped with scissors
2 Cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
6 – 8 Slices Genoa salami
4 Slices Provolone
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

You will also need a few yards of linen or cotton kitchen twine, scissors, and kitchen tongs.

Preparation:

Cut 8 – 10 lengths of kitchen twine, each about 12 inches long.

Place the parsley, basil, and garlic in a small bowl. Season with at least 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine and reserve.

Lay a 12 inch-wide piece of plastic wrap atop a cutting board. Place one of the thighs, skin-side down, on the plastic and cover the thigh with another sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, gently pound the meat to achieve a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch. Reserve the flattened thigh on a plate. Repeat with the second thigh.

Lay out the turkey thighs lengthwise—skin side down—on a cutting board covered with plastic wrap and season with more salt and pepper.

Arrange 3 – 4 slices of Genoa salami on each thigh, at the ends nearest you. Follow with two slices of Provolone, then spoon half of the herb-garlic mixture on each thigh.

Starting with the end nearest you, begin to roll one of the thighs away from you, pressing lightly so that the filling is tightly enclosed within the turkey wrapping. When finished, leave the roll seam-side down on the plastic wrap and repeat with the other thigh.

Slide 4 or 5 lengths of twine under each roll, approximately 2 inches apart. Slightly depressing the bundle to keep it compact, tie each length of twine firmly with at least a double knot. Set the bundles aside.

Choose a deep pan or Dutch oven large enough to hold the bundles in one layer without touching. Heat the pan over medium heat, then add enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom. Add the thighs and lower the heat if necessary as you gently sauté the bundles for 8 – 10 minutes, until the skin is evenly browned. When the thighs have a golden tone, remove them with tongs to rest on a clean plate while you begin the sauce. Do not wipe out the pan as you will use it and the residual oil for the sauce.

For the tomato sauce (Enough sauce for 4 braciole)

2 – 4 Cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Peperoncini (crushed red pepper flakes)
1 28 oz. can crushed plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1 Cup dry red wine
4 Tbs. flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh basil, snipped with scissors
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Additional chopped parsley and basil for garnish.

Using the same pan in which you’ve browned the turkey, sauté the chopped garlic and peperoncini for 1 – 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.

Remove the pan from the heat (to avoid splattering) and add the crushed tomatoes with all their liquid. Return the pan to the burner and raise the heat to high as you add the wine. Allow the wine to boil for a minute or two to evaporate the alcohol.

Lower the heat to medium-low, add the parsley and basil, and adjust the heat so the sauce barely bubbles.

Slide the turkey bundles into the sauce—which should come at least half way up their sides. Spoon some of the sauce over the thighs and simmer, partially covered, for approximately 1 hour.

(TIP: A long wooden spoon stuck into the pot is just right for keeping the lid slightly open so that the sauce reduces slowly.)

About 15 minutes before you plan to serve the braciole, cook 12 to 16 ounces of short pasta (penne, mostaccioli, rigatoni, ziti, etc.) to the al dente state.

A few minutes before the pasta will be done, lift from the sauce as many braciole as you plan to serve; each bundle will serve two. Carefully snip off and discard the strings (scissors work best). With a sharp knife, slice the bundle into 1/2 -inch rounds.

To Serve:

Divide the cooked pasta equally among 4 dishes. Pour a ladle or two of the sauce over each portion of pasta and serve with 3 or 4 slices of the braciole. Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley and basil.

Serves four.

If you’d care to surround your Thanksgivingb braciole with some of the items we’ve mentioned above, here are links to our other recipes:

Stimparata
Salad of Fennel, Mushrooms, and Parmesan
Cherry Pepper Shooters
Arance alla Siciliana

And if you still insist on making the lasagne, roasting a bird, and making a pie, here are a few other other recipes that will get you through the rest of this week:

Marinara
Pasta perfect?
Lasagne
Marilyn Monroe: Almost Italian?
Torta di Ricotta