Bolognese
Recipe Date: December 3rd, 2024
Difficulty: Easy
Measurements: Imperial (US)
Bolognese Recipe
Recipe by Irina Sattui
This hearty Bolognese sauce is the ultimate holiday comfort food, perfect for gathering around the table with loved ones. Crafted with rich olive oil, a trio of aromatic vegetables, and a savory mix of ground beef and pork (or bison for a twist!), this sauce is simmered to perfection with robust red wine, tomatoes, and fragrant herbs. A touch of heavy cream lends a luxurious finish, making it the perfect pairing for al dente spaghetti.
Let the aroma fill your kitchen!
Recipe Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 medium celery rib, finely diced
- 1/2 pound ground beef or ground bison
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tsp tomato puree
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can peeled Italian tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken bone broth
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 good sized handful fresh parsley or basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- ½ pound spaghetti
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and fry for 5 min. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Add the ground beef, and the ground pork. Fry until no pink shows at all in the meat.
Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated.
Add tomato paste sauté for a few min, then add canned tomatoes, parsley, oregano, 2 bay leaves and season with salt and pepper, cream and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well.
Cook, uncovered, for 1-2 hours, stirring from time to time.
To keep it from sticking, add 1 cup of chicken bone broth.
Wine Pairing Suggestions
Linguine allo scoglio
Recipe Date: February 8th, 2023
Difficulty: Easy
Measurements: Imperial (US)
Linguine Allo Scoglio Recipe
From cucineditalia
As the warmer months inch closer on the calendar, a rich seafood dish could be exactly what you’re missing. Look no further than this Italian seafood pasta recipe known as Linguine allo scoglio, linguine pasta cooked al dente in a tomato-based sauce with mussels, clams, and shrimp. The ideal accompaniment to this dish is a medium-bodied soft rosé, such as the Italian Rosato Gioia, a wine capable of balancing out the slight acidity of the tomato sauce. Dry white wines are a wonderful pairing as well. The best white wine with this traditional Italian seafood pasta is our Vermentino from Temecula Valley. A lively and crisp white wine with tropical aromas of white peach, and citrus complemented by a bright acidity and subtle minerality make it the perfect pairing for this seafood dish.
- 350 g (12 oz) of Spaghetti
- 1 kg (2 pound) of Clams with shells
- 1 kg (2 pound) of Mussels with shells
- 300 grams (2/3 pound) of Squid
- 300 g (2/3 pound) of Shrimps
- 200 g (1/2 pound) of ripe Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Fresh hot chilli pepper
- 2 Cloves of garlic
- 5 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 150 ml (1/2 cup ) of dry white wine
- Bunch (1/3 cup) of fresh parsley
- Salt to taste
Directions
1) Rinse clams under running water and then let them soak in plenty of cold water with a handful of coarse salt. The clams should remain in the cold water for at least an hour, preferably two, to purge. Keep this time in mind when you decide to make this recipe. Place the clams in a pan and cook over high heat covered with a lid. Wait for them to open, this will take about 3 minutes.
2) Now strain the clam sauce with a fine strainer but DO NOT throw away their water, keep it aside. Finally shell the clams, keeping some clams with their shells that you will use for the final decoration of the dish.
3)Clean the mussels by scraping off any impurities with the blade of a small knife. Tear off the byssus, that is the bearded part that comes out of the shell. Then, with the help of a stainless steel sponge, clean well their shells. Place the mussels in a pan and cook over high heat, cover with lid. Wait for them to open, this will take about 3 minutes. We prefer to cook clams and mussels separately in case the clams release a lot of sand.
4) Now strain the mussels sauce with a fine strainer. Finally shell the mussels, keeping some of them with their shells: you will use them for the final decoration of the dish.
5) Wash the squid under running water, then remove the entrails, the eyes, the central beak and the internal bone. Finally remove the skin and cut them into rings. Set aside.
6) Clean the shrimps, taking care to remove the dark filament, all the shell and the heads. Set aside. Wash and chop the cherry tomatoes then chop the parsley. Set aside.
7) In a large saucepan, sauté the peeled garlic cloves in the extra virgin olive oil. Add the red hot chili pepper and the squid. Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat.
8) Then raise the heat and add the white wine. Stir and allow the alcohol to evaporate. Finally add the mussels and clams and lower the heat. Add a ladle of clams water and then the chopped tomatoes. Mix and cook over high heat for about 10 minutes.
9) Finally, add the shrimp and chopped parsley. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes (shrimp have very short cooking times). Italian seafood sauce is ready. Remove the garlic cloves and chili pepper (see note below).
10) Now cook the pasta. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the cooking times described on their packaging. Using a slotted spoon, drain the spaghetti 3 minutes before the end of cooking time.
11) Place them directly in the pan with the seafood sauce. Stir and finish cooking the spaghetti in the pan for another 3 minutes over high heat. This way they will better absorb the flavor of the seafood sauce. Stir well and transfer the best Spaghetti allo Scoglio you have ever eaten to a serving dish. Garnish with the shells kept aside and serve.
Notes
Garlic & Chilli Peppers: We chose to leave the garlic and hot chili pepper whole. This way you can easily remove them from the sauce. If you prefer, though, you can chop them up and leave them in the sauce, depending on your taste.
Pair w/ Our Vermentino, Enjoy and cheers!
Wine Pairing – Vermentino
Semolina Cake w/ Herb and Citrus Syrup
Recipe Date: March 8th, 2021
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Measurements: Imperial (US)
Semolina Cake with Herb and Citrus Syrup
Adapted with changes from Azlin Bloor, Lins Food
Italian semolina cakes are traditionally desserts made with a rich cornmeal or grain created for celebrations like Carnival. This moist dense cake incorporates a touch of sweetness when it is adorned with an infused simple syrup of perfume-y lemons or citrus. With our semolina cake, we used fresh-picked Castello rosemary and lemons to create a dynamic flavor profile pairable with our Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay – a perfect treat for anytime of day!
Cake Batter
220g (7 4/5oz) fine semolina (semolina flour)
120g (4 1/5oz) ground almonds (almond flour)
1 tsp baking powder
240g (8 2/5oz) salted butter
240g (8 2/5oz) caster or granulated sugar
3 large eggs
80g (1/4 cup) Lemon Curd
Rosemary and Lemon Syrup
125ml (1/2 cup) water
100g (1/2 cup) white sugar
1 lemon – rind and juice
3 sprigs rosemary
2 Tbsp limoncello (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C/160˚C Fan/350˚F.
- You will need a 20cm (8″) round cake tin. Grease and line it as required. Mine doesn’t need lining, just greasing. Set aside.
- Place the semolina, ground almonds and baking powder in a large bowl, mix and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar for 1 whole minute until pale and light in texture. Depending on the speed of your mixer, you can reduce the time.
- Add the eggs one at a time, along with a tablespoon of the semolina mix with each egg. Beat at high speed for a good 30 seconds between each addition. Adding flour with your egg, or in this instance, semolina and almonds, will stop the eggs from curdling. I do this for all my cakes. If your batter does curdle, it doesn’t matter, your cake will still be fine, if just marginally different in texture.
- Fold in the lemon curd, then the semolina and almond mix. Fold in or beat on the lowest setting.
- Pour your cake batter into your prepared tin and bake for 1 hour. If your oven runs hot, check it at the 55 min mark.
- Side note: If you notice your cake browning at the top darker than you prefer, take some foil to cover the edges and top about 30-35 minutes into baking.
- Take it out of the oven and pour half the syrup all over. Leave to cool slightly before taking out of the tin and serving. Folks with a sweet tooth, can add their more syrup to the individual slices.
Rosemary Syrup
- Use a vegetable peeler and peel long strips off the lemon, then slice these strips thinly.
- We peeled (2) lemons for extra flavor!
- Place the lemon strips, water and sugar in a saucepan on low heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Take it off the heat and add the lemon juice and rosemary sprigs. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then strain and stir in the limoncello if using. Keep the syrup aside until needed. You can hang on to the lemon peel and rosemary for garnish
Notes:
Yield: 12 servings
Prep & Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Salute!
Wine Pairing – Pinot Bianco
Ziti Rigati w/ Pesto Guanciale & Romano
Recipe Date: March 1st, 2021
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Measurements: Imperial (US)
Ziti Rigati with Fava Bean Pesto Guanciale & Pecorino Romano
From Amy Gulick Italy Magazine
When asked to create an Italian-inspired dish using Castello products, Executive Chef of Oak Avenue Catering, Shannon Kelly delivered! “My inspiration for our pasta dish is simply SPRING! In the middle of Winter I crave the warmth and sunshine of springtime. Fava beans express to me the essence of spring and I feel this dish utilizes these simple but flavorful ingredients to capture springtime on a plate.” Footage of the chef recreating the dish coming soon!
Oak Avenue Catering Fava Bean Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen fava beans
- ¼ – 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Castello Basil Grape Seed Oil
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- Grated zest of 1 lemon and juice
- Salt to taste and a pinch of red pepper flakes
Directions
Put favas into the bowl of your food processor along with the cheese, zest, juice, salt and red pepper flakes and pulse a few times. Add the oil and continue to pulse until you have a somewhat chunky but
amalgamated pesto. Taste the pesto and season. Process longer if you want a smoother consistency.
Ziti Rigati with Fava Bean Pesto Guanciale & Pecorino Roman
Ingredients
- 4 ounces guanciale or pancetta, cut into thin strips
- 1 pound of Castello-imported Ziti Rigati Pasta
- Castello Basil Grape seed Oil
- Salt for cooking pasta
Directions
Cook your pasta al dente in plenty of salted water, and in the meantime cook thin strips of guanciale/pancetta in grape seed oil until just turning crisp. When the pasta is ready add it to the guanciale/pancetta along with several scoops of your pesto, some grated pecorino Romano and freshly ground black pepper. Add a small amount of pasta water to make a creamy sauce. Sprinkle some more grated Romano cheese and drizzle some basil grape seed oil over the top and serve with a glass of Castello Vermentino!
Notes
Yield: 6 servings | Prep & Cook Time: 1 Hour
Enjoy and cheers!
March 2021 Competition
The entry rules are as followed:
- Recreate Chef Kelly’s Fava Bean Pesto and Pasta recipe!
- Extra points if you purchase the Castello Fava Bean Pesto Pasta ingredients Pack and a bottle of Vermentino!
- Click here to purchase Fava Bean Pesto and Pasta pack
- Post a photo of your completed dish on Instagram with a bottle of Castle wine and a beautiful Spring –inspired tablespace
- Tag @thecastello #thecastellorecipes in your caption
- And DM us your completed post to our @thecastello account with your name and email to secure your submission!
- The competition ends March 22nd and we will announce the winner on Instagram Wednesday, March 24th, 2021!
Call Wine Club with any questions at 7079676274!
Wine Pairing – Vermentino
Cacio e Pepe
Recipe Date: December 2nd, 2020
Difficulty: Easy
Measurements: Imperial (US)
Cacio e Pepe
From Laura in The Kitchen
The Cacio e pepe pasta, an incredible dish of the ancient Roman Sheppards’ dating back to the 5th century. This remains a simple dish for the everyday people that is now quite famous in Italian cuisine. We are pairing this pasta with our Pinot Noir that gives a complimenting spice when paired together. The recipe below is by Laura Vitale of the Laura in the Kitchen Youtube channel. She began cooking in the kitchen of her Grandmother in Naples, Italy and brought her love of creating “food that feeds the soul” to the United States.
Ingredients
- 8oz of Spaghetti
-
3oz of Finely Shredded Pecorino (see notes below)
-
1-1/2 tsp of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Salt
Directions
• Fill a pot with water, add a generous pinch of salt (not too much) and bring to a boil, add the pasta and cook 2 minutes shy of package instructions.
• In a large skillet (I prefer a non-stick heavy duty skillet here) add the ground black pepper, toast for about a minute, meanwhile reserve a couple of cups of starchy cooking water and set aside while you drain your pasta.
• Add 1/2 cup of the starchy water to the bowl of shredded cheese, stir and set aside.
• Add an additional 1/2 cup of the starchy water to the skillet with the pepper, then add the spaghetti (make sure the heat is on low) and start adding your cheese mixture, constantly stirring until Emulsified and adding any additional cooking water if needed. Continue the process until your sauce comes together.
Notes
This dish is one you need to practice, so many things can create a clumpy split mess so I hope these tips help avoid that. Make sure your cheese is grated finely using a Microplane and make sure it’s at room temperature. Keep an eye on the heat level, you might need to remove the pan completely from the burner to avoid overheating the cheese. Avoid using a thin metal pan, it gets way too hot and heats unevenly, most of the time I’ve tried making this dish in anything besides my heavy duty all clad non-stick skillet, it turned out a mess. Don’t over-salt your water, I know it looks like I added a lot of salt in the video but keep in mind I don’t use fine table salt, I use coarse kosher salt so it’s technically triple the size of a regular fine salt. This is a dish that needs to be eaten HOT, right off the stove and traditionally it should be served on warm plates to keep the sauce from setting and hardening the second it hits a cold surface. Use the best (imported if possible) pecorino Romano you can find, if you use a cheaper version or pre-shredded I can guarantee you it will clump in a second! I also use a bit more cheese but it’s easier to start with 3oz and once you have the technique down you can add another ounce. I hope these tips help, for such a simple dish it’s the technique that really matters and it does take some trial and error.
Enjoy and cheers!
Wine Pairing – Pinot Noir, Il Rubino
Cook with Castello President Georg Salzner
Welcome to our Home Part 2 – Castello President Georg Salzner
Castello President Georg Salzner cooks one of his favorite recipes at his home in St. Helena. The video features one of his favorite dishes, Cotoletta Alla Milanese (aka German Schnitzel). This German dish is very popular throughout Europe, especially in Germany & Austria. Pair with Pinot Noir from our Morning Dew Ranch estate, this Pinot has enticing aromas of brambleberries, toasted sage, white pepper, and clove lead to plush layers of red fruits. Drop us a comment below and let us know what recipes you would like to see us cover.
Recipe Directions:
Wiener Schnitzel
1. Prepare three shallow pans for dredging the pork filets, fill one with flour, the second with beaten eggs and heavy cream, and the third with breadcrumbs. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the pork filets. Dredge each filet in the flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs, making sure to shake off excess flour before dipping in the eggs. Set breaded filets aside on a plate for frying.
2. Fill a large sauté pan with 1/2″ grapeseed oil and heat to medium high (not too hot; oil should pop gently when you throw a droplet of water in to test it). Carefully place breaded schnitzel in the hot pan, laying the filet away from you to prevent hot oil from splashing. Pan should fit about 4 filets at a time. Saute filets approximately 3-5 minutes until golden brown, turning once for even cooking. Remove cooked schnitzel to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb extra oil.
3. Serve with lemon wedges and lingnonberry sauce.
Cucumber Salad
1. Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers and add salt, pepper, and sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes.
2. Squeeze excess liquid from the cucumbers and add vinegar, onions, heavy cream, and fresh dill. Toss thoroughly and serve with schnitzel.
Schnitzel Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork loin cut into 1/3″ thick pieces (tenderized to 1/4″ thick)
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 5 cups regular bread crumbs
- 500 mL grapeseed oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup lingnonberry or cranberry sauce
Cucumber Salad Ingredients
- 3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 6 tsp heavy cream
- 3 tsp fresh dill, minced
Welcome to our Home - Part 1
Welcome to our Home Part 1 – Dario Sattui & Irina Yartseva
Castello owner and visionary Dario Sattui and his fiance Irina Yartseva. The video features one of his favorite dishes, Pasta alle Vongole. This Italian dish is very popular throughout Italy, especially in Campania. It is also part of a traditional Neapolitan cuisine. Any great meal, needs a great wine alongside it. The pasta is paired with Pinot Grigio, a lively and crisp dry white wine with zesty citrus and melon aromas, bright acidity, and a refreshing, fruity finish. Drop us a comment below and let us know some of your favorite recipes. We present Pasta alle Vongole by Dario Sattui and Irina Yartzeva.
Recipe Directions:
- 1. Soak clams in water to remove the sand (about 20-30 mins)
- 2. Add 2 TBSP of salt to boiling water for cooking the pasta
- 3. Place ~1/3 cup of olive oil into a large saucepan on medium heat.
- 4. Add diced garlic to the oil and Italian herbs stir for about 1 minute
- 5. Add flakes of peperonchino and continue stirring until garlic starts to brown
- 6. Add 1 cup of Castello di Amorosa Pinot Grigio and the clams to the saucepan.
- 7. Stir then cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes until all the clams have opened.
- 8. While the clams are simmering, add the pasta to the boiling saltwater and cook until al dente.
- 9. Sprinkle parsley on the clams then remove the clams from the pan and set aside.
- 10. Add the cooked pasta to the large saucepan and stir to coat the pasta in the garlic sauce.
- 11. Place a generous portion of pasta on each plate and cover with clams.
- 12. Serve with a glass of the Castello di Amorosa Pinot Grigio…. and enjoy!!
Pasta Alle Vongole Ingredient List:
4 lbs of small Manila Clams
Salt
Olive Oil
2 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
Italian Herbs- 1 tsp
Peperonchino flakes- a pinch
Parsley- 1 cup-finely chopped
Spaghetti
Pasta Primavera
Recipe Date: August 22nd, 2018
Difficulty: Easy
Serving Size: 8
Cook Time: 00:50
Measurements: Imperial (US)
Pasta Primavera Recipe
Ingredients
3 tbsps olive or grapeseed oil
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 cup broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 tbsps butter
4 ozs white mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced diagonally
1 medium summer squash, sliced diagonally
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup frozen peas
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 lb pasta, cooked al-dente and drained
Directions
For the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook, about 1 minute. Then add the broccoli and cook, about 1 additional minute. Add the red peppers and cook, about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
To the skillet, add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and allow it to heat up. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and squash and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the skillet, add to the other vegetables and set aside.
For the pasta primavera sauce: Add the garlic and onions to the skillet and cook until starting to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
Next, pour in the chicken broth and wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the flavorful bits. Cook the liquid for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing it to reduce by about half. Stir in the cream and Parmesan and allow the cheese to melt. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Add all the vegetables to the sauce along with the peas and basil. Stir to combine. If the sauce needs a little more liquid, splash a small amount of broth as needed. Place the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl and pour all the contents of the skillet over the pasta. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with extra basil and serve with extra Parmesan.
This Pasta Primavera recipe was adapted from The Pioneer Woman.
