Mob Wife Dinner
A night of made (wo)men, an amazing Italian inspired feast and too much wine. - I have never laughed so hard.
Aesthetic feasting is my love language. When I invite those that I love into my home and to my table, it is guaranteed to be curated within an inch of its life. And tonight was no exception. From the bubbling over lasagna in the perfect 1950’s casserole dish that I hunted down in an antiques mall, to the hand-painted menu cards and pops of red and sky blue in the tablescape, this night was going to be an absolute Italian dream.
The theme was to be pulled from my electric personal flair and the current viral ‘mob wife’ style — Finally a trend that I can champion. Because let’s be honest, I have been living my best ‘mob wife’ life since the tender age of 12 when I declared proudly that I was going to marry into the Italian mafia. Since then, leopard print has been my go-to neutral and maximalism style, in not only my home but my wardrobe, is my calling card. So to pair my personal aesthetic with an Italian dinner seemed an inspiration too perfect to pass up.
For my sit-down dinners, things are always kept very intimate. Four seats usually, with six being the furthest I have been able to stretch myself without inducing a complete mental breakdown. Italian Mob Wife Night was to be a three guest evening with myself making the fourth. The typical menus for such occasions are rather involved and my space, on the petite side — so mini dinner parties are the answer. These very intimate feasts have become my pride and joy. The nights where I laugh the hardest and feel the most nourished.
My Bolognese for the lasagna was prepared on Tuesday, the homemade gluten free pasta sheets rolled out and the masterpiece assembled on Wednesday, the tiramisu came to life the morning of Thursday, the day of the soirée, and bits and pieces had been collected and imagined the week or so prior. It was a process. It is always a process. But with the flavors of Italy dancing in my mind, I knew that these dishes needed time to not only develop deep flavors, but the menu as a whole needed to marinate in my soul. And at the end of the day, it was, in my opinion, absolute perfection.
From everyone’s unique interpretation of ‘mob wife’ aesthetic to molten cheese string stretching endlessly as slices of lasagna were pulled out of their casserole bed, this night will live in my heart forever. To create a menu and a setting worthy of some of the beautiful made (wo)men in my life was truly something spectacular. Moral of the story — Celebrate your friendships with wildly fabulous nights… I promise you will not regret it. Xx
Oysters & martinis
Lasagna
Caesar salad
Fritto misto
Tiramisu
Plenty of wine and endless laugher
Lasagna
Fresh rolled pasta sheets from one batch of gluten free pasta dough
1 1/2 pound lean ground beef - I used sirloin, you can do half the amount in pork too, but I am not a fan and many of my friends don’t eat pork, so I skip it.
2 Carrots - minced
4 Celery stalks - minced
1 medium yellow onion - minced
4 cloves garlic- finely chopped
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine - divided
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Handful fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or to taste
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup beef or chicken stock
3/4 cup whole milk
Parmesan rind if you have any (I like to freeze mine and use for recipes such as this)
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
3 8oz packages fresh mozzarella (not in water) - sliced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese - plus more for the top
In a cast iron dutch oven, melt butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add minced onion, celery, carrots and 1/2 tsp kosher salt and cook on medium heat until tender and browned. Add in half cup white wine and allow the pot to deglaze. Transfer veggies to a bowl and set aside.
In the Dutch oven, add the second tablespoon of olive oil and allow the pot to get hot again. Add in ground beef in a uniform layer, add in 1/2 tsp kosher salt and cracked pepper and allow to cook and brown (do not stir at this time). Once browned, turn over in sections and allow the opposite side to brown. Once nicely browned, break up the ground beef and add in the second half cup of wine. Allow to deglaze for a minute and then add in the veggie mix, the tomato sauce, paste and crushed tomatoes, broth, parmesan rind and the dried spices. Mix well and cook, partially covered on low until bubbly and full of flavor (about 2 hours). Check and stir periodically and add more stock if looking too dry.
Add in whole milk and fresh basil leaves and mix together. Allow to cool significantly and then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Remove remaining rind from parmesan)
Make your pasta dough (if using fresh pasta) and roll out lasagna sheets. Boil for about 90 seconds until just cooked. (If using dry pasta, be sure to cook the pasta before assembling)
Mix egg, ricotta, grated parmesan and chopped basil together.
Thinly slice the mozzarella.
In a 9x13 casserole dish or baking tin, layer about 1/2 inch of your bolognese. Place cooked pasta sheets over the sauce, spread 1/2 the ricotta mixture across the top of the pasta sheets and then place a layer or sliced mozzarella over the ricotta. Then add another 1/2 inch layer of Bolognese, pasta sheets, the second half of the ricotta and then mozzarella. With the third layer of pasta, top with a final layer of mozzarella slices and finish with a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan.
Bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Carefully remove the foil and bake at 400ºF for another 20 minutes until the lasagna is bubbly and the cheesy is all melty and beginning to get a nice golden crust. (Be sure to bake on a baking sheet as you will likely get some spillage)
This can be assembled 24 hours in advance and covered to rest in the fridge until ready to bake.
*I made the Bolognese 2 days in advance and then assembled the lasagna the evening before.
Fritto Misto
And now, let us talk about the fritto misto. The dish that left no trace behind. The surprise star of the evening. Fried perfection! Light and crispy with farmers market veggies and a garlic-y espelette pepper aioli, I cannot stress enough how much your life will be enriched with this simple side dish. Do yourself (and your guests) a favor and don’t forget the fritto misto at your next dinner party. If it’s good enough for a table of fabulously dressed made (wo)men, then it’s good enough for the rest of you. Xx
Broccoli florets - from small head of broccoli
One thinly sliced Meyer lemon (in rounds)
Thinly sliced fennel - about one small build
Thinly sliced kabocha squash - about 1/4 of the squash
Green beans - about a dozen
1 1/4 cup white wine
1 1/4 cup sparkling water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
One pinch kosher salt
Canola oil for frying
In a large cast iron pot, heat about 3 inches of canola oil to 350ºF. Dip the ingredients into the batter, coating each side fully and gently lay into the hot oil. Allow to fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and puffed up. Remove from oil and place on a plate or sheet covered with a paper towel and sprinkle with finishing salt. Once all items are fried, place in a serving dish and serve warm with fresh lemon wedges and an espelette pepper aioli.
