Restaurant (Re)creation: La Ciccia's Spaghetti with Bottarga

La Ciccia is a cozy little Sardinian gem in Noe Valley.  Though it may appear unassuming from the outside, the food will blow you away.  Reservations at La Ciccia are highly coveted and tricky to get, so try for an early or late dinner on a weekday.   If you do have the luck of snagging a resie, you absolutely must get the spaghetti with bottarga.  I was skeptical at first since the thought of salted mullet roe on pasta didn't really appeal to me, but it surprisingly doesn't taste fishy in the slightest.  It actually just adds a unique, salty, and creamy dimension to the spaghetti.  After my first bite, I decided this definitely needed to be added to my (re)creation list.  The most difficult part of making this dish is procuring the bottarga.  I went to numerous gourmet and specialty stores and struck out.  I ended up finding it online, but if you live in San Francisco, you may be able to find it at Lucca in the Marina or at Bi-Rite in the Mission.  Once you get your hands on the bottarga, the rest is a breeze.  Credits go to La Ciccia for sharing this DELICIOUS treat!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp bottarga (grey mullet roe)
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 bunch italian parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp red pepper, crushed
• salt

Directions:

-Fill a medium pot with water and a sprinkle of salt.
-Bring to a boil and add the spaghetti.
-In a small saucepan, sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper in olive oil over low heat.
-Once the garlic is fragrant, stir in half of the bottarga, and remove from heat.
-When the pasta is cooked al dente, strain, and then add the pasta to the saucepan.
-Mix in the rest of the bottarga with the pasta and sprinkle with parsley.
-Enjoy immediately with a generous glass of Vermentino.

La Ciccia
291 30th St.
San Francisco, CA
(415) 550-8114
www.laciccia.com

Restaurant (Re)creation: Delfina's Spicy Cauliflower

This dish is a favorite at Pizzeria Delfina.  Its unique, spicy, crunchy and satisfying.  I actually found the real recipe from an SFGate article online (which is totally delicious as is), but I decided to do a somewhat "lighter" version.  I used all the same ingredients as Delfina's version, but I omitted the Calabrese peppers and I roasted the cauliflower first to minimize "frying" time.  This may go against the goal of most of my (re)creations since it adds time to the preparation, but I would rather add minutes to the cook time than inches to the waistline!  (I mean seriously, if a girl is going to eat like this most nights, she needs to make a few tweaks here and there to keep her pants fitting ; ).  So, I roasted the cauliflower (rather than deep frying it) and then just finished it off on the stovetop.  It tastes almost exactly the same as the restaurant version and only takes a little more time.  Try the recipe either way- both are perfectly delicious and flavorful.

Serves 4 (as a side)

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley
1/4 cup drained capers, dried
2 large garlic cloves, sliced thinly (lengthwise)
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Separate the cauliflower into large uniformly-sized florets.

Place the cauliflower in an oven and stove-top safe pan and douse in olive oil and salt.  Mix the cauliflower around so that the salt and olive oil are evenly distributed.

Roast the cauliflower for 25-30 minutes or until it starts to soften and brown.

Once the cauliflower starts to brown, remove it from the oven and place it on the stovetop on medium heat.  Cook for 5-7 minutes.

Add a little more oil (as needed) and the capers, garlic, and breadcrumbs.  Cook for 1-2 more minutes, adding the chili flakes at the end.

Remove from heat and serve.

Enjoy!


Pizzeria Delfina (Mission)
3611 18th Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 437-6800

Pizzeria Delfina (Pacific Heights)
2406 California Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 440-1189
www.delfinasf.com

Restaurant (Re)creation: Delarosa's Spicy Meatballs

~From top: close-up of a pretty little meatball, 

meatballs simmering in the spicy tomato sauce, the finished (re)creation~

She asks and she shall receive. I had multiple requests to sleuth out the secret to this popular dish and I'm so happy I did. This recipe is straight from chef Ruggero Gadaldi himself after I sent him a recipe request, realizing it was probably a shot in the dark.  Not only did he provide the recipe, but he even followed up with details about the spices used in his signature tomato sauce.  Now that is impressive customer service! It also allowed for a seamless (re)creation.  The meatballs turned out tender and moist and the sauce had a great kick. I ended up halving the recipe when I made it and it turned about beautifully.  It can easily be halved or multiplied depending on the number of stomachs you are feeding.  Don't forget to serve the meatballs with grilled ciabatta- its perfect for soaking up that delicious spicy tomato sauce. You may even be tempted to lick the plate.

Serves 6-8 (about 20 meatballs)

Ingredients:

For Meatballs:

1 lb ground veal

1 lb raw sweet italian sausage (casings removed)

2 cups bread crumbs (I used panko bread crumbs, also available in a gluten free version)

3/4 cups milk (whole or low fat)

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 bunch finely chopped fresh italian parsley

3 egg whites

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese

2 tbsp tomato paste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Spicy Tomato Sauce:

2 jars of marinara sauce (24 oz each)

1-2 tsp chili flakes (depending on how spicy you want it)

Chopped parsley

Optional: Grilled Ciabatta (for dipping)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Let rest for 10 minutes in the refrigerator before shaping into balls.  

Before creating balls, put a little bit of olive oil on your hands to minimize sticking.  

Spoon out mixture and create meatballs that are approximately 1 1/2-inch balls.  

Place meatballs on a greased sheet pan and cook in the oven for 30 minutes (inside temp should be 155 F when done).

Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce and chili flakes in a medium/large saucepan.  

Place meatballs in the spicy tomato sauce and simmer for 7-10 minutes.  

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with slices of grilled ciabatta.

Enjoy!

Delarosa
2175 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 673-7100
www.delarosasf.com