Dinner Party Series: Episode 2

Why my summer goal is to eat more meals on roofs

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Dinner Party Series!

I can’t say that there was a grand vision behind this dinner – a jar of ‘nduja and some pistachio pesto loitering in my pantry. The table just evolved from there. The meal was already good, but eating it on a rooftop, in the early-summer sunshine, with good company – that’s what made it great. Will be doing more of this. Per usual, I made this entire meal for 2 people when it could have easily served 4. So, plan accordingly. or embrace the leftovers.

One note - this is one of those meals where you don’t have to prep anything super elaborate and you more so just pair lots of simple ingredients together in a unique way. Sure, call it cooking, or call it “flavor curating” for those of us whose most used kitchen utensil is just “vibes.” That said, there aren’t lots of (really, any) measurements in the following recipes. Embrace the chaos, you Type B queen (or king).

Antipasti: crostini with whipped ricotta and marinated red onions

Cut up thick slices of favorite sourdough (I used a baguette), drizzle with your favorite olive oil and toast/grill until golden.

In a medium sized bowl, combine a tub of ricotta, a healthy glug of olive oil, salt and pepper, a hefty dusting of freshly grated parmesan, and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Whip together with a fork until smooth. Season to taste.

Assemble: find your prettiest serving plate and arrange your toasted sourdough. Add a heaping spoonful of whipped ricotta to each slice and spread evenly. Top with your favorite marinated red onions (I like these which are shippable to the states) and sprinkle with more parmesan.

Primi: pistachio pesto pasta with crispy guanciale

Boil a large pot of water and salt heavily. Cook your pasta accordingly, being sure to save at least 1 cup of the the super salty-starchy pasta water.

Dice your guanciale into small, bite-sized pieces (more or less the same size). I like to buy a big piece of guanciale, remove the hard skin, and then slice and dice it myself, but you can also buy pre-cut guanciale. I don’t know what it is, but I think it tastes better from the hunk. In a large pan, cook your guanciale over medium heat until cooked through (be sure not to burn this, it should be cooked through but not browned too heavily). Once the guanciale is cooked, carefully remove the guanciale from the pan, being sure to leave the oil (you’ll use this to coat the pasta later).

Once your pasta has finished cooking, add it to the pan with the guanciale fat. Heat the pan over medium heat. Coat the pasta in oil, stirring thoroughly, before adding in your favorite pistachio pesto. Ladle in the starchy pasta water as needed until it reaches a creamy consistency. Sprinkle in freshly grated parmesan cheese and mix together. Serve in your favorite pasta bowls and top with more parmesan and of course, your crispy guanciale.

Secondi: ‘nduja-anchovy butter fried chicken thigh with red peppers and garlic

Okay, first things first. Take your skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (as many as you want depending on your guest list), and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on both sides…set aside.

Thinly slice a red bell pepper and peel 4 cloves of garlic (one pepper and 4+ cloves of garlic for every 2 chickens).

Make your ‘nduja butter. In a small bowl, mix together several heaping spoonfuls of butter and ‘nduja. Take one anchovy fillet (in-oil), mash it on a cutting board with a fork, and add that to your ‘nduja-butter bowl. Stir in the zest of 1/2 of a lemon. Mix together well. Adjust your ratios according to your taste (for some of you, that means adding 2 more anchovies).

In a large pan, heat several big glugs of olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Add in chicken thighs, skin-side down and cook until golden brown and crispy (about 7 minutes). Do not disturb. When the chicken is browned, flip it over and cook for another 7’ish minutes. Once the chicken is cooking through, remove from the pan. Drain some of the remaining oil until there is only 1-2 TB remaining. Add bell peppers and garlic to the pan, cook until tender (about 3-4 minutes). Return chicken thighs to the pan and baste with ‘nduja-anchovy-butter. Make sure that chicken is cooked through before plating.

Serve with more ‘nduja-anchovy-butter, some parsley (for garnish) and whatever sides you’d like (I opted for a pan of mixed roasted vegetables).

Dolci: vanilla ice cream with hazelnut oil and flaky sea salt

For dessert, keep it simple. Serve up generous scoops of your favorite vanilla ice cream, drizzle with hazelnut oil (I got this at a flower market a few weeks ago and am obsessed, but if you can’t find it, olive oil works just as wonderfully) and flaky sea salt. That’s it. No tiers of panna cotta, no torched meringue. Just ice cream, salt, and oil — and a reminder that simple things, done confidently, are more than enough. Especially on rooftops.

This was in fact, so good, that I forgot to take a picture because I was too busy licking hazelnut oil from my lips…

Drink Pairings:

Crostini with Ricotta and Onions – this is an antipasto (or part of aperitivi), drink whatever you’d like (might I suggest a negroni, or perhaps a spritz?).
Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Guanciale – an old-world Sauvignon Blanc works perfectly here. It’s minerally and acidic and cuts against the fattiness of the pasta.
’Nduja-Anchovy-Butter Chicken – perhaps a Chardonnay could call your name. It’s floral and a little bit more structured, so it complements the complexity of the dish while adding just a bit of sweetness to round out the flavors.

And whatever you drink — pour it like you mean it.
You’re hosting a dinner party, not a seminar.