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Smashed Salad
Insalata Sbattuta
Serves 4
One of the salads from A Snob in the Kitchen, a little cookbookwritten in 1967 by the legendary Italian couturiére Simonetta. In her recipe cucumber, fennel, and watercress are wrapped in a clean dish towel and literally beaten against a table, then marinated, to make them "tired." To Simonetta the only good salad was a "tired" salad. If beating the salad seems too barbaric, simply omit this step. The salad is delicious eaten immediately, but it acquires its special wilted character after resting for 1 hour.
Fresh tarragon in the salad accentuates the licorice-like flavor of the fennel.
1 hothouse cucumber
1 fennel bulb, trimmed
1 bunch watercress or 2 bunches arugula, thick stems removed
2 heaping tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Peel the cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and cut into thin crescents. Chop the fennel into small dice. Cut the watercress or arugula into thin strips.
Wrap the cucumber, fennel, and watercress or arugula securely in a clean dish towel and beat against the table a few times. Transfer the contents to a bowl and add the tarragon, olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss and let stand for 1 hour before serving.
Butterfly Pasta with Fennel and Balsamic Vinegar
Farfalle Ai Finocchi
Serves 4 to 6
Slivers of fennel bring an intriguing sweetness to this fresh tomato and basil sauce. A spoonful of balsamic vinegar intensifies and deepens the flavors. This is anelegant pasta to serve to guests—the flavors and the lovely butterfly shapes make it special.
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 medium heads fennel, cored and cut into slivers
4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
Small handful basil leaves
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound imported dried farfalle
Freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese
Place the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic cloves and sauté over medium-low heat until golden. Add the fennel slivers, toss, and cook over low heat until fennel is very tender and the garlic breaks down, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the garlic from sticking to the pan. Add the tomatoes, the basil, torn into fragments, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium heat until a sauce forms, about 15 minutes.
Cook the farfalle in abundant salted boiling water until al dente. Drain well and place in a pasta serving dish. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss well. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese at the table.
