A Piedmontese dinner at home

Antipasto

Vitello tonnato

Cold sliced veal with tuna sauce · 1½ hours, plus cooling

You’ll need

• 1⅓ lb beef eye of round or veal roast (600 g)
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 lemon
• 2 eggs
• 1 can tuna in oil, about 5 oz (150 g)
• 2 tbsp capers
• 4 anchovy fillets
• scant ½ cup mayonnaise (100 ml)
• ¾ cup dry white wine (200 ml)

How to make it

1. Simmer the meat with the onion, carrot and wine in water for about an hour. Let it cool in the broth.
2. Hard-boil the eggs and cool them.
3. Blend the tuna, egg yolks, anchovies, half the capers, the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Thin the sauce with a little broth.
4. Slice the cold meat thinly.
5. Lay the slices on a platter, cover with the sauce and top with the rest of the capers.

Wine: Roero Arneis, a white

Primo

Tajarin al burro e salvia

Thin egg pasta with butter and sage · 20 minutes

You’ll need

• 1 bunch fresh sage
• 3 oz Parmigiano Reggiano (80 g)
• 7 tbsp butter (100 g)
• 14 oz fresh tagliolini or tajarin (400 g)

How to make it

1. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Fresh pasta takes only a couple of minutes.
2. Melt the butter in a pan with the sage leaves, until the butter starts to brown.
3. Add the pasta to the pan with a splash of pasta water.
4. Toss with grated Parmigiano and serve right away.

Wine: Barbera d’Asti, a red

Secondo

Brasato al Barolo

Beef braised in red wine · 3½ hours

You’ll need

• 2½ lb beef chuck roast (1.2 kg)
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 3½ tbsp butter (50 g)
• 1 bottle Nebbiolo red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 package instant polenta, to serve

How to make it

1. Brown the meat in butter on all sides in a heavy pot.
2. Add the chopped vegetables and soften them.
3. Pour in the wine and add the herbs and bay leaves. Braise covered over low heat for about 3 hours.
4. Lift out the meat and blend the liquid and vegetables into a sauce.
5. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce and polenta.

Wine: Barolo or Langhe Nebbiolo, a red

Dolce

Bonet

Cocoa and amaretti custard with caramel · 1 hour, plus chilling

You’ll need

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk (500 ml)
• ¾ cup sugar for the caramel (150 g)
• ½ cup sugar (100 g)
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3½ oz amaretti cookies (100 g)
• 2 tbsp rum

How to make it

1. Cook ¾ cup sugar with a splash of water into a golden caramel and pour it into a loaf pan.
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar. Add the cocoa, crushed amaretti, milk and rum.
3. Pour into the pan and bake in a water bath at 325°F (160°C) for about 50 minutes.
4. Chill overnight and turn out onto a plate.

Wine: Moscato d’Asti, sweet and sparkling

Shopping list

Produce

• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 lemon
• 1 bunch fresh sage
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 sprigs rosemary

Meat and deli

• 1⅓ lb beef eye of round or veal roast (600 g)
• 2½ lb beef chuck roast (1.2 kg)

Cheese and dairy

• 2 eggs
• 3 oz Parmigiano Reggiano (80 g)
• 7 tbsp butter (100 g)
• 3½ tbsp butter (50 g)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk (500 ml)

Pantry

• 1 can tuna in oil, about 5 oz (150 g)
• 2 tbsp capers
• 4 anchovy fillets
• scant ½ cup mayonnaise (100 ml)
• ¾ cup dry white wine (200 ml)
• 14 oz fresh tagliolini or tajarin (400 g)
• 1 bottle Nebbiolo red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 package instant polenta, to serve
• ¾ cup sugar for the caramel (150 g)
• ½ cup sugar (100 g)
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3½ oz amaretti cookies (100 g)
• 2 tbsp rum

Wine

• Roero Arneis (antipasto)
• Barbera d’Asti (primo)
• Barolo or Langhe Nebbiolo (secondo)
• Moscato d’Asti (dolce)

Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera can be found in most good wine shops. If not, ask for a Nebbiolo.