I am an Italian American who grew up with a mother who would hand me a bowl of ricotta sprinkled with sugar as a snack. When I want to make a platter, I go down to Di Palo’s on Grand Street in Little Italy in Manhattan and I buy this assortment of cheeses and meats. Call them and find out for yourself! Ask for Lou or Sal…This is just my suggestion. This is a road map to get things going. More simply, mix your own favorite meats and cheeses. Make a platter with some thin slices of each meat (about 1/4 pound each) and a wedge (say 1/4 to 1/2 pound) of each cheese. Serve with my pickled butternut squash, charred or mixed peppers, cheese tortellini with mixed parsley sauce or pesto, olives, cherry tomatoes, crackers and bread.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 9 hr 35 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound mixed selection thinly sliced salumi, such as spicy sopressata, Prosciutto di Parma and Salame Abruzzese (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/4 to 1/2 pound each of a selection of cheeses, such as black pepper pecorino or classic pecorino, Gorgonzola dolce DOP, fresh ricotta and burrata or fresh mozzarella (see Cook’s Note)
- Pickled Butternut Squash, recipe follows
- Cheese Tortellini with Mixed Parsley Sauce, recipe follows
- Charred Peppers, recipe follows
- Bread and/or crackers
- Olives, optional
- Mixed peppers, optional
- Cherry tomatoes, optional
- 1 small butternut or honeynut squash, peeled, halved and seeded
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound cheese tortellini
- 2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
- 1 cup fresh curly parsley leaves
- 2 large cloves garlic, grated
- 1/3 to 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- About 3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino
- 1/2 small lime
- 2 large red bell peppers
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Arrange on a large board or platter the salumi, cheeses, Pickled Squash, Tortellini, Peppers, bread and/or crackers. Serve with bowls of olives, mixed peppers and cherry tomatoes, if using.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cook the squash: Place the squash halves cut-side up on the prepared sheet pan and brush with the olive oil. Place in the center rack of the oven. Add 1/2 cup water to the sheet pan to create steam and prevent overbrowning. Roast until tender but not falling apart, about 1 hour.
- Make the pickling liquid: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon and 1 1/2 cups water. Cook on medium heat, stirring, until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Finish: Transfer the squash halves to a cutting board and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer to one or two glass jars with lids and pour the pickling liquid over the squash. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. Ideally, let it sit 2 to 3 days in the fridge and up to 1 week before serving.
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. (The pasta water should taste like seawater.) Add the tortellini to the pot and stir so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom as it cooks. Cook until al dente, chewy but not hard or raw tasting, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, reserving a little of the pasta cooking water in case you need it later.
- Make the parsley sauce: While the pasta is cooking, in the bowl of a food processor, add the flat leaf and curly parsley, garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Pulse to blend. Continue to pulse while slowly streaming in 1/3 cup oil through the top of the machine until almost completely smooth. (Do not overmix.) Add more oil if necessary to loosen the sauce. Transfer to a large serving bowl and stir in half the cheese. Taste for seasoning.
- Finish the dish: Drain any excess liquid from the tortellini and toss with the parsley sauce. Stir in more cheese if needed. Taste for seasoning. When ready to serve, squeeze a little of the lime juice lightly over the tortellini.
- Char the peppers: Place the peppers directly on the gas flame of the stove or grill. Char, turning occasionally, until the skin burns and turns black on all sides. Cover and refrigerate immediately to allow them to cool quickly, until the peppers are cool. Peel and discard the skin. I use a kitchen towel to wipe the skin away.
- Finish: Try to avoid rinsing the peppers, as it washes away flavor. Place on a flat surface. Open, seed and slice the peppers into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange on a platter. Season with salt and drizzle with the vinegar and oil. Refrigerate.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 497 |
| Total Fat | 27 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 71 mg |
| Sodium | 1501 mg |
Reviews
Whomever left one star didn’t make it. I’m definitely going to try the pickled bitternut squash. I bet will taste awesome!!