Recipe Ingredient: Pork

White Bean Soup with Garlic & Rosemary

  1. Soak dried beans in 3 cups water at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
  2. In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the pancetta. Once crispy, remove and rest on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess fat.
  3. In rendered pancetta fat, sauté finely diced carrots, celery, and onion until very fragrant.
  4. Drain soaked beans and add to pan with sautéed vegetables along with 5 cups cold water, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper.
  5. Cover beans and cook until tender, about 2 hours. The cooking time will vary depending on how long you soaked your beans.
  6. In a separate small pot or sauté pan, add olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, rosemary, and Calabrian chili. Turn the pot onto low heat. Once it is bubbling around all of the aromatics, it is ready. It should be just barely simmering – don’t let it boil! This should take 5-10 minutes depending on the strength of your stove.
  7. Add about ¼ cup of olive oil to the soup, stir, and taste to adjust for salt and pepper.
  8. Serve soup with another drizzle of infused olive oil, freshly grated pecorino romano, and the crispy pancetta.
  9. Save the rest of the infused olive oil for garnishing or enjoy with fresh bread! Store infused olive oil in the fridge.

Baked Easter Ham

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut ½-inch deep diagonal cuts into a diamond pattern and cover the ham with olive oil. Place ham in a roasting pan and bake it for 1 hr.
  2. Mix brown sugar and pineapple juice in a bowl. Take out the ham and pour the mixture all over it. Place the ham back in the oven and bake it for 1 hr or internal temperature reaches 140° F. Baste ham occasionally with drippings.
  3. As desired, serve with Filippo Berio Classic Pesto. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Tip: To enhance the flavor of your dish, add a jar of Filippo Berio Classic Pesto!

Serrano, Fig and Pesto Panini

  • Slice baguette in half lengthwise; spread pesto over cut sides. Layer arugula, figs, Serrano ham and cheese over bottom half; cap with top half of baguette. Cut crosswise into 4 portions.
  • Preheat panini press according to manufacturer’s instructions. Grill sandwiches for 4 to 5 minutes or until baguette is toasted and cheese melts.

 

Tip: Add a drizzle of honey to sandwich if desired.

Grilled Vegetable Pesto Carbonara

  • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid. In large bowl, whisk together Parmesan, pesto, eggs and egg yolks; set aside.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet set over medium heat; cook pancetta for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy around edges. Transfer to paper towel­–lined plate.
  • Whisk hot cooking liquid into egg mixture; add pasta and pancetta to bowl, tossing to coat well. Sprinkle with parsley.

 

Tip: Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper and serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Loin with Apple and Rice Stuffing

  • Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
  • Prepare rice according to the directions.
  • Butterfly the pork loin. To do so, hold the knife blade flat, so it’s parallel to your cutting board, and make a length wise cuts into the side of the meat, at the center. Stop short of the opposite end and open the pork loin like a book. If necessary, pound the meat to an even thickness.
  • Score the meat by making shallow slices in the top of the pork in a criss-cross pattern. Set aside.
  • Combine the cooked rice; 1 peeled, cored, and chopped apple; 1/3 cup of chopped fennel; 3 minced cloves of garlic; 4 leaves of chopped sage; 1 sprig of chopped rosemary; the balsamic vinegar; and salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
  • On a piece of parchment paper, layer the 8-10 slices of prosciutto so that they slightly overlap and form an area big enough to cover the pork loin. Top with the remaining sage. Place the pork loin, scored-side up, on top of the prosciutto. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
  • Top the pork loin with the rice stuffing and gently press down to pack the rice onto the pork.
  • Fold the prosciutto at the bottom of the pork loin upward so that it’s folded over the pork. Roll the pork upward to fully encase the rice.
  • Tie the pork loin securely with butcher’s twine. Tuck the remaining rosemary sprig into the twine, on top of the pork loin. If you have trouble with the butcher’s twine, you can use toothpicks to secure the seam of the stuffed pork loin instead.
  • Roughly chop the remaining apples, fennel bulb, onion, and celery and place them in a baking dish. Add in the remaining whole garlic cloves (paper removed) and toss with the oil. Place the pork loin on top of the apple and vegetable mixture.
  • Roast the pork loin until cooked through to 140°F, approximately 40 minutes. If the prosciutto isn’t crisp enough, simply transfer the pork loin to a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes, until darkened on top. Cut off the butcher’s twine (or remove the toothpicks) and serve the pork loin warm with the apples and vegetables. Use drippings to make gravy, if desired.

 

Inspired by Host the Toast.

Green Beans with Cranberries, Bacon and Goat Cheese

  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
  • Add the green beans to the pan using oil to coat the beans and pan. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally until the green beans start to “char”. At this point, cover the skillet with a lid and let steam for another 5-7 minutes.
  • Remove the lid, add the cranberries and sauté for another 2 minutes until the cranberries are warmed through and starting to burst. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Plate the green beans with the cranberries, crumble the goat cheese and bacon on top and serve warm.

 

Inspired by Running to the Kitchen

Carnevale Lasagna

  • Mini Meatballs: Mix together beef, pork, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll into 1/2-inch mini meatballs.
  • Heat oil in large skillet set over medium heat; cook meatballs in batches for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
  • Quick Skillet Tomato Sauce: Heat oil in large skillet set over medium heat; cook onion, garlic and chili flakes for 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened slightly.
  • Assembly: Preheat oven to 400˚F. Ladle 1/2 cup tomato sauce into greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Place 2 lasagna sheets on top, trimming to fit if needed. Ladle one-third of the tomato sauce, 1/4 cup pesto and half of the meatballs over top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers.
  • Place 2 more lasagna sheets over top. Layer remaining tomato sauce, pesto, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over top.
  • Cover with foil; bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

 

Tip: Add a splash of red or white wine to the tomato sauce if desired.

Caribbean Pork Chops with Tropical Salsa

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Stir together sugar, thyme, allspice, salt, pepper, coriander, garlic powder, cayenne, nutmeg and cloves; rub all over pork chops. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet set over medium-high heat; sear pork chops on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to oven.
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until instant-read thermometer registers 145°F when inserted into center of pork chop, away from the bone. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in small serving bowl, stir together mango, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño and lime juice; let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with pork chops.

Tip: For a really impressive presentation, look for Frenched pork chops, which means the bones have been trimmed clean for a lovely presentation.

Sausage, Fennel and Squash Sheet Pan Supper

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic; add fennel, squash and onion to bowl, tossing gently until coated.
  • Arrange vegetables in thin layer on prepared pan. Drizzle honey over top. Nestle sausages in vegetables.
  • Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and browned around edges, and sausages are cooked through.

 

Tip: Try using turkey sausage, or even vegetarian sausage, for a leaner version of this recipe.

Zucchini, Cheddar and Bacon Cornbread Muffins

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with large paper liners and coat with small amount of cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In large bowl, whisk together olive oil, buttermilk and eggs. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda; mix into olive oil mixture just until moistened. Stir in cheese, zucchini and bacon. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of muffin. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes; transfer to rack. Let cool completely.

Tip: Add 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped for a touch of heat.