Ina Garten Dinner Party
Italian-Style
Tomato Crostini with Whipped Ricotta (instead of Feta)
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients:
For the whipped ricotta:
6 ounces good ricotta
2 ounces mascarpone, at room temperature
⅔ cup good olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the tomatoes:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallots (2 shallots)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
2 pounds ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, ½-inch diced
3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
For the crostini:
20 to 25 (½-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Instructions:
Prepare the whipped feta:
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the ricotta and mascarpone. Pulse until mixed. Add ⅓ cup of the olive oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then process until smooth.Prepare the tomatoes:
Up to an hour before serving, combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining ⅓ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the diced tomatoes, stir gently, and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil, and adjust the seasoning to taste.Assemble the crostini:
Spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped ricotta. Use a slotted spoon to place the tomato mixture on top. Arrange the crostini on plates, scatter with the pine nuts, and garnish with extra basil. Serve immediately.
Classic Meatloaf with Aglione Sauce (instead of garlic)
Serves 6-8Ingredients for the Meatloaf:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups chopped Spanish onion (1 large)
1½ cups small-diced celery (2 stalks)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2½ cups panko (Japanese bread flakes)
Ingredients for the Aglione Sauce:
¾ cup good olive oil
10 aglione cloves, peeled
2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions for the Meatloaf:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Sauté vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent but not browned. Set aside to cool slightly.
Mix the meat: In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal, pork, parsley, thyme, chives, eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
Prepare the panko: Place the panko in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until finely ground.
Combine ingredients: Add the cooled onion mixture and the ground panko to the meat mixture. Using clean hands, gently toss everything together until combined, being careful not to compact the mixture.
Shape and bake: Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Form the meat mixture into a flat rectangle, then gently shape it into a cylinder to avoid air pockets. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 155–160°F (68–71°C).
Rest: Remove from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with warm aglione sauce.
Instructions for the Aglione Sauce:
Cook the aglione: Combine olive oil and aglione in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the garlic is lightly browned. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Remove the aglione from the oil and set aside (reserve the aglione oil for vinaigrettes).
Simmer the sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock, butter, and cooked aglione Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook at a full boil for 35 to 40 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Finish the sauce: Mash the aglione with a fork, then whisk in ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve: Spoon the warm sauce generously over slices of meatloaf.
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (instead of mashed)
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mix)
⅛ cup good olive oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Prepare the Potatoes:
Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary.
Roast the Potatoes:
Spread the coated potatoes evenly onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
Roast for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
Flip the potatoes with a spatula every 20 minutes to ensure even browning.
Season and Serve:
Remove from the oven, taste, and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed.
Beatty’s Chocolate Cake, Moretta Style
Serves 8Ingredients:
Butter for greasing the pans
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
2 cups sugar
¾ cup good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
½ cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 ½ cups Nutella (for filling and topping)
1 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled (for whipped cream)
Powdered sugar
Instructions:
1.
Prepare the pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
2. Mix dry ingredients: Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined.
3. Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. Then, with the mixer still on low, add the hot coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. (Note: The top may sink slightly in the center, which is normal.)
6. Prepare the whipped cream: In a large bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
7. Assemble:
Cut the cake in half and place one cake layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake pedestal. Spread a thick layer of Nutella evenly over the top.
Spread a generous layer of whipped cream on top of the Nutella.
Place the second cake layer on top, flat side up
Give a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
8. Serve: Slice into wedges and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Graci Etna Bianco
The Burgundy of the MediterraneanIna Garten is a lover of Burgundy wines, so it feels fitting to pair this dinner with the “Burgundy of the Mediterranean” — wine from Mount Etna. This unique wine-growing region thrives on the slopes of Mount Etna, an active volcano known for its dramatic landscape and mineral-rich soils. Impressively, the volcano remains active, with its most recent eruption occurring on December 1 of last year.
A benchmark producer of Etna wines, Graci does an incredible job of capturing this unique terroir in a bottle. He is very proud of his land so he does his best to respect local traditions by eliminating intervention of any kind in both the vineyard and in the cellar. He avoids using herbicides in order to preserve the unique balance and vital energy of the soil and he only uses large, well-used wood barrels for aging which don’t impart any flavor into the wine, preserving its natural taste.
This Etna Bianco is a fuller-bodied white, laden with layers of bright citrus, minerality and crunchy acidity. The wine is made up of 100% Carricante, an ancient white grape variety from eastern Sicily, thought to have been growing on the volcanic slopes of Mt Etna for at least a thousand years.
~$30/bottle. Shop below: Wine-SearcherVivinoIna Garten Goes to Italy
Every dinner party needs a soundtrack! I’ve created an Ina Garten Goes to Italy playlist on Spotify—a perfect mix of cozy, elegant vibes, with a little Italian romance thrown in.