Available Now…Everywhere

We all set certain quotas for ourselves to know when we’ve made it. Sometimes, it can be a dollar amount to purchase a new bag/ mortgage/ vacation/ etc. Sometimes its a title like “Executive” or “Head.” Other times, its finding your product in a place that you have immortalized your entire life. For us, that’s Dean & DeLuca.

The black lettering on the stark white sign behind the Today show, Felicity’s place of work, and the decadent hors d’oeuvres we savor on Christmas Eve. It’s a name that few don’t recognize, and we can’t begin to express how excited we are to be a part of it. Today we shipped off our locally sourced and made ravioli, a product with three years of hard work behind it, in a frozen truck destined to the Dean & DeLuca headquarters where it awaits orders from all over the country. For the very first time, we’re happy to say yes, you can order our products online! For all the very patient people who e-mailed us in the midst of our DailyCandy “Start Small, Go Big” win, our friends and family outside of MA who have cheered us on despite never having a taste, and everyone else, everywhere, this is for you! Finally, an opportunity to purchase our ravioli online and have it shipped right to your door. We couldn’t be happier about our new venture with Dean & DeLuca and can’t wait to hear feedback from new customers. Shop away!

 

Some Like it Hot

And others, like us, like it wicked hot. Enter our Wicked Hot Pepper Flake Linguine. For those that like a little kick, this linguine is just the thing. We recommend pairing it with some sautéed or grilled veggies, a little olive oil and some grated parmesan cheese.

Then there are those of looking for a big kick. If you’re on the same page, give this recipe a try…

Bring pot of water to boil. While you’re waiting, heat a large saucepan with a bit of olive oil. Add hot italian chicken sausage (really any sausage you like) and cook until browned. Add chopped garlic and crushed red pepper and sauté until fragrant. Next, add a large bunch of broccoli rabe, washed and chopped, and cover pan with a lid. While the broccoli rabe wilts, place frozen linguine in boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add pasta right to the saucepan, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Serve with a bit of grated parmesan and get ready to feel the heat!

Variations: If spicy isn’t your thing, try our Wheat & Ground Flaxseed Linguine with sweet chicken sausage and broccoli rabe. If you don’t eat meat, leave out the sausage all together. Broccoli Rabe too bitter? Swap it for some spinach, kale, arugula or other leafy green.

Last weekend we held a special for 1 linguine and 1 ravioli for $15 (regularly $19). Make sure to like us on Facebook so you can take advantage of all of our market specials!

Join the Nella Pasta Team!

Nella Pasta is hiring! Read below for more information…

Description: Nella Pasta is seeking highly motivated and responsible self-starters to represent our brand at local Farmers Markets in and around Boston.

We seek individuals who are skilled in customer relations, have a positive demeanor and are enthusiastic about food.  The potential applicant should have sales experience as well as a passion for sustainable agriculture and local food.

Driver’s License and a vehicle a MUST (SUV a plus)

The job requires long hours, some heavy lifting and standing for 6+ hours at a time.

The position requires a minimum commitment of 3-4 days per week, and 1 weekend day

A workday averages 8-10 hours including driving.

Position times currently run from May through the end of October

Initially, this is a part time position but could evolve into a full time position.

Hourly wage, based on experience

 

Job Duties include, but are not limited to:

·         Drive from our kitchen to market and back during scheduled market days

·         Be responsible for all packing, loading and unloading of products and supplies

·         Set-up and break down of the stall at the market (tent, table, cooler, accessories)

·         Coordinate and facilitate farmers’ market sales

·         General sales of our ravioli, linguine & olive oil products

·         Represent the company by having a strong knowledge of the history of the business,           products, and mission

·         Ensure quality standards and health safety

 

All applicants must:

Be well organized

Possess a positive, diligent work ethic

Have a love of the outdoors and be prepared to work in all weather conditions (wind, rain, heat, you name it!)

Be friendly, outgoing, and knowledgeable

Be willing to learn about our product and undergo intense training, which will include studying and testing to ensure adequate product knowledge

Present a professional, clean, and approachable appearance

Have excellent communication skills

Be capable of lifting 50lbs repeatedly throughout the day’s work: loading and unloading product and supplies (and when necessary, be able to ask for help)

Be extremely honest and have a strong attention to details when handling cash and recording market details

Be familiar with sustainable agriculture topics and local food matters

Ability to interact with customers to increase sales and engage local chefs and other interested supporters

Have some management experience preferably in customer service and/or sales

 

Come join the Nella team, spend some time outdoors and represent a great brand dedicated to supporting the local food movement!

If interested, please email nellapasta@gmail.com with cover letter and resume

 

Raviolo di Uovo

Raviol-o, you ask? Yup, because it’s just one. And how, you wonder, do you justify serving just one raviolo on a plate? Well, when the ravioli is about 4 1/2 inches in diameter and houses not only a hefty portion of truffled ricotta but an entire farm egg? Yup, that’s how! So without further ado we introduce to you to Ravioli di Uovo, a single ravioli made with a whole raw egg yolk that cooks for a mere a minute and then oozes as you break into it with your fork.

The idea arose while planning for an epic New Year’s Eve feast defined by “indulgence.” The initial idea was to fly in a white truffle from Italy and serve simply with fresh linguine, a bit of butter and parmesan. Unfortunately, the white truffle season ended early and the exorbitant prices made us re-think this indulgent pasta dish. Next on the list? The Raviolo di uovo, suggested by Mike of Rooftop Gourmet. For a meal that revolves around all things glamorous and decadent, his suggestion seemed just the thing, and I happily took on the challenge.

While the egg is certainly the star of this dish, you can’t forget about the cheese. So off to South End Formaggio I went to buy our favorite ricotta from Narragansett Creamery, parmesan, and of course, some farm fresh local eggs.

The filling was composed of just a few quality ingredients: ricotta, freshly grated parmesan, salt, pepper, sliced black truffle in olive oil (I had a sample in the pantry that I’ve been eyeing for over a year now) and freshly grated nutmeg.

Next came the dough. Since I made the pasta by hand, I altered the Nella recipe a bit to include more all-purpose flour which is much easier to work with if you aren’t using a machine. Once the dough was rolled out, I used a glass I had in the house to trace a circle, piped in the filling and oh-so-carefully dropped in the yolk from a separated egg.

This is one of those don’t-stomp-touch-anything-breathe-etc. recipes where you just need to concentrate on being super careful with the ultra fragile egg. The result was worth it. Once topped with another layer of pasta, I was left with a beautiful raviolo, filled to capacity with a brilliant orange egg yolk still entact, visible from the thin sheet of dough that covers it. I treated the ravioli (now were talking multiple ravioli, so the -i works) like tiny sleeping babies on the walk over to Mike’s, walking carefully and not letting a sole touch them until it was time to cook.

When the time came, the ravioli took a quick 1 minute swim in boiling water, then another minute in some bubbling butter with thyme and reserved mushroom liquid and then for the shining moment…..the fork pierced the yolk and just as we had been anticipating from the moment the recipe came to mind, the gorgeous ooze of the semi-raw farm egg.

Sometimes I laugh when food is referred to as sexy…but this, my friends, defines sexy food. Try these at home and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Thanks Rooftop Gourmet for the inspiration to create this incredible dish!

 

Almost No Cook Dinners

We know… you don’t even want to hear the word stove today. We get it– it’s too darn hot! If you can bear a mere 2 minutes of heat, here are some fantastic (and cold!) add ins to make a complete dinner with Nella Pasta linguine or ravioli is just about 5 minutes….

-tuna packed in olive oil with arugula, tomatoes and fresh lemon juice (try with our classic linguine)

-fresh chopped tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette and basil/ parsley/ chives and/or herb of your choice (try with any linguine or our zucchini & caramelized onion ravioli)

-throw together a mix of herbs (mint, basil, parsley, chives, green onion) into a food processor with some butter and/or olive oil, add to pasta and mix with a handful of spinach or arugula (try with our roasted beet & goat cheese ravioli or wheat & ground flaxseed linguine)

-peel zucchini, summer squash or carrots into long ribbons and add to hot pasta (the heat from the pasta will wilt the veggies), toss with extra virgin olive oil or your favorite vinaigrette and serve cold or room temperature

-shred some rotisserie chicken (no cooking needed!) and add chopped tomatoes, olives and capers with a lemon vinaigrette

-again shred some rotisserie chicken, tear up some basil and serve with our Broccoli, Feta & Toasted Cashew ravioli (for a way better and healthier version of the ever-so-popular chicken, broccoli & ziti dish)

Your get the idea: fresh veggies (no cooking needed!), a fresh herb, a yummy cheese (fresh mozzarella, feta, goat cheese, shaved parmesan) and some olive oil or vinaigrette and you have yourself a fast, healthy meal that requires only 1-3 minutes cooking time. For more ideas, see the “Simple Summer Pastas” section in the August Issue of Martha Stewart Living. Stay cool!