Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Crumble in ground chicken and sausage; mix gently until combined.
- Roll into 3/4-inch balls; arrange on prepared pan. Brush with olive oil; bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown and almost cooked through. Let cool slightly.
Soup:
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium heat; cook onion, carrots and celery, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes; cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour in broth and add bay leaf; bring to boil. Add meatballs and reduce heat to simmer; cook for about 30 minutes or until slightly reduced. Stir in pasta and Parmesan. Cook for about 10 minutes or until pasta is tender and soup is slightly thickened. Stir in spinach; cook for about 2 minutes or until wilted. Discard bay leaf.
- Ladle into soup plates. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with additional Parmesan before serving.
Tip: Add a piece of Parmesan rind to the broth to release its flavor during simmering. Discard before serving.
- In small saucepan, stir sugar with 1 cup water; bring to boil. Simmer until sugar is dissolved; let cool slightly.
- In food processor, combine balsamic vinegar, sugar mixture, strawberries, and basil (if using); purée until smooth. Pour into metal tray and cover with foil.
- Freeze for 4 hours, stirring with a fork to break up pieces of ice every 20 to 30 minutes. Serve in small dessert cups or martini glasses. Garnish with small fresh basil leaves if desired.
Tip: Substitute fresh mint for basil, or raspberries for the strawberries.
- In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; reserve 1 cup cooking liquid and set aside. Drain pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large, straight-sided skillet set over medium heat; cook pancetta for about 3 minutes or until starting to crisp around edges. Add shallots; cook for about 2 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, 2 tbsp sage and hot pepper flakes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in chestnuts, salt and pepper.
- Add cooked pasta and reserved cooking liquid to skillet; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Toss for 1 minute or until evenly coated and heated through. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining cheese. Divide among 4 plates. Drizzle with additional oil and balsamic glaze. Garnish with remaining sage.
Tip: For easier prep, look for whole roasted and peeled chestnuts, available in jars and foil packages.
- In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, tomato paste, horseradish, capers, lemon juice, and paprika. Pulse to mix. With the processor running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Add the scallions and parsley; pulse briefly to combine. Chill.
- In a 6- to 8-qt. pan, combine 1 gallon water with 1/4 cup of the salt, the cayenne, peppercorns, lemon quarters, garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they’re pink and just barely opaque through the center, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp and place in a large bowl. Cover with ice. Add the remaining salt. When the shrimp are well chilled, drain.
- Serve the shrimp with the rèmoulade sauce and lemon.
Tip: The shrimp’s fresh, briny flavor meet a delicious topping in this Cajun-inspired starter.
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the filling: In a 9-inch pie pan that’s 2 inches deep (or a similar baking pan), toss the apples and pears with the sugar (to taste), cinnamon, and flour.
- To make the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together all the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the entire mixture over the apples. Bake until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling and tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
Tip: This homey, autumn dessert will be welcome on the dessert table. Top with a drizzle of heavy cream, if you’d like.
