Manicotti with Meat Sauce

Fresh pasta was ideal for rolling up the manicotti tubes, but no-boil lasagna noodles worked almost as well with a fraction of the effort. Breaking down the meat in the food processor allowed its flavor to permeate the sauce. You will need 16 no-boil lasagna noodles. Our preferred brand is Barilla which comes 16 to a box while other brands contain only 12. It is important to let the dish cool for 15 minutes after baking.

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE
1 onion, chopped
6 ounces deli pepperoni, sliced thin
1 pound 85% lean ground beef 
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 

FOR THE MANICOTTI
3 cups whole milk ricotta cheese 
10 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon pepper 
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
16 no-boil flat lasagna noodles

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375F. Pulse onion and pepperoni in food processor until coarsely ground. Add beef and pulse until thoroughly combined, about 5 more pulses.

2. Transfer beef mixture to large saucepan and cook over medium heat, breaking up mixture with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup beef mixture to paper-towel lined plate and reserve. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes to pot with remaining meat mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days.) 

3. Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, 1 cup provolone, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and reserved meat mixture in large bowl. Pour 2 quarts boiling water into 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Add noodles to the water one at a time and soak until pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain noodles on kitchen towel. Pour off water and dry baking dish. 

4. Spread half of meat sauce over bottom of baking dish. Top each noodle with 1/4 cup cheese filling, roll, and arrange, seam-side down, over sauce in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling around edges, about 40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and provolone. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.  

Chicken Cutlets with Porcini Sauce

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
4 (6-8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 teaspoon fresh time, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Rinse mushrooms in large bowl of cold water, agitating them with hands to release dirt and sand. Let dirt and sand settle in bottom of bowl, then lift mushrooms from water and transfer to microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup. Add chicken broth, submerging mushrooms beneath surface of liquid. Microwave on high power 1 minute, until broth is steaming. Stand 10 minutes. Using tongs, gently lift porcini out of broth and transfer to cutting board, reserving broth. Chop porcini into ¾-inch pieces and transfer to medium bowl. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer lined with large coffee filter into bowl with chopped porcini.

2. Combine ¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in pie plate. Working one piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking gently to remove excess. Set aside on plate.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place 4 cutlets in skillet and cook without moving until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and continue to cook until second sides are opaque, 15 to 20 seconds. Transfer to large plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and repeat to cook remaining cutlets. Tent plate loosely with foil.

4. Add remaining teaspoon oil to now-empty skillet and return pan to medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 30 seconds. Add remaining teaspoon flour and cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high and whisk in vermouth, soaked porcini and their liquid, tomato paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer until reduced to 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Transfer cutlets and any accumulated juices to skillet. Cover and simmer until cutlets are heated through, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and transfer cutlets to serving platter. Whisk butter, thyme, and lemon juice into sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Hollywood-Style Chili

During the golden age of Hollywood, Chasen's restaurant hosted all manner of stars, from the Rat Pack to Alfred Hitchcock. When the restaurant closed in 1995, few recipes were more sadly mourned than its famous Hollywood-Style Chili. Chasen's original recipe started with a combination of beef chuck roast and pork butt. Because we lacked the special large-hold meat grinder employed at Chasen's, we opted for store-bought ground beef and coarsely chopped blade chops instead. Using canned beans, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes helped streamline the process, while chipotle chiles in adobo sauce added depth and heat.

3 pounds bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2" thick   

4 tablespoons unsalted butter  

2 pounds 85% lean ground chuck  

3 green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped  

2 onions, finely chopped  

4 cloves garlic, minced  

1/4 cup chili powder  

2 teaspoons ground cumin  

1 tablespoon minced chipotle chilis in adobo sauce  1 (29-oz) can tomato sauce  

2 (28-oz) cans crushed tomatoes   

3 (16-oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer pork to plate. Add beef to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef and set aside.

2. Return Dutch oven to medium heat and melt remaining butter. Add peppers and onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in chile, adobo sauce, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and 1 cup water and bring to boil. Return pork and beef to pot, along with any accumulated juices. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, about 1 hour.

4. Transfer pork to cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones, discarding fat, and chop coarsely. Use wide spoon to skim any fat from surface of chili. Stir chopped pork and pinto beans into pot, return to simmer, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.