March 9 – March 15, 2026

Monday:                Grilled Ratatouille with Leftovers

Tuesday:                Rigatoni with Radicchio Jam

Wednesday:           Senegalese Burger with Yassa Onion Jam / Salad with Miso Sesame Vinaigrette

Thursday:              PFC

Friday:                   Crispy Salmon, Roasted Green Beans with Parmesan, Roasted Potatoes

Saturday:               Margherita Pizza from Italian Village Trattoria

Sunday:                 Wanamaker Bar, PFC

March is proving to be a bit of a problem in our neck of the woods – it snowed three days ago and before that, a violent windstorm knocked out the power in our neighborhood last Friday night.  Trees and power lines were down all over the borough and then it got cold and we decamped to M and H’s house with its municipal-sized back-up generator.   We spent two luxurious nights in M and H’s palace, having no idea how to turn on any of the 5 or 6 televisions and noticing that the lights sort of turned themselves on and off as they saw fit.  It was unnerving at first, being in a house that is smarter than we are, but we soon adapted and had a fine time – thanks for the refuge M and thanks for the dark rye Manhattans, H.

Left Speechless

Sometimes, the response to a delicious meal is just that sort of humming “mmmm” that says more than even the most clever comment can convey.  (Please don’t let that idea get around, it will cut into the audience for this blog.)

And sometimes, I confess, I cook a recipe that I’m not at all sure of, simply because one of the ingredients appeals to me.  Along those lines, I recently cooked Rigatoni with Radicchio Jam.  I couldn’t see how this recipe would win me friends or applause, but radicchio, escarole, endive and curly endive – roughly what you might call mildly bitter greens – have become a favorite of mine as I’ve grown older.  So, I thought what the heck, and I made sure I had some more pasta and a jar of Rao’s sauce in case the dish caused a food fight at Casa Stuarti.

It turned out that the dish did cause a food fight – but it was a fight over who got seconds and thirds.  I got some nice comments from Billy and SWMBO, and that’s all it takes to keep me manning the kitchen in our house.

This dish is a surprise, and I can’t quite put into words why it was so delicious.  The bitterness of the radicchio remained, but the wilted radicchio also had a bit of sweetness, enhanced by caramelized onions.  The vinegar added a bright tang, the raw radicchio the texture that the dish needed and the cheese and pancetta the savor that made it addictive.

Well, I see that I wasn’t exactly speechless, but I will say that the only way to appreciate this dish is to cook it.  My description is a pale shadow of the dinner we had.

Radicchio Jam Rigatoni

(adapted from bon appétit)

Timing:                     About 1 hour (15  minutes less, if you can  cook the pasta while cooking the sauce)

Ingredients:                                           Serves 4

4 oz. chopped pancetta (4 oz. guanciale is even better, if you can get it)

2 large sweet onions, quartered through the root end and thinly sliced

1 head of radicchio, quartered through the root end and cored, then cut into 1” pieces

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped – we used 1.2 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp sugar, Kosher salt

Extra-virgin olive oil for the pan and for finishing

12 oz. rigatoni or any short pasta            

4 Tbsp butter

1 ½ cups finely grated parmesan

Basil, Ground black pepper and the juice of 1 lemon, to finish

Prep:

Chop the pancetta (Citterio sells a 4 oz, package of diced pancetta – no chopping needed).

Slice the onions and radicchio and measure out the other ingredients.

Put a large pot of water on a low burner to heat up for the pasta.

Cook the sauce:

Cook the pancetta in a dry Dutch oven over medium-high or a bit lower, stirring from time to time, until lightly golden and starting to crisp.

Transfer the pancetta to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot.

Add the sweet onions and a pinch of salt and some olive oil if the pan is too dry and cook, stirring often until deep golden brown – adjust the temperature to keep the onions from burning – this will take fifteen minutes or a bit longer.

Set aside a small handful of the radicchio (1/2 cup), add the rest to the Dutch oven along with the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring often, until radicchio is wilted – maybe 5 minutes.

Now reduce the heat to medium, add the sugar and the vinegar and ½ cup water and cook, stirring from time to time, until the sauce is syrupy and the onions very tender – 7 minutes, maybe.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta very al dente – 2 minutes less than the package instructions and transfer, using a slotted spoon or a spider to the pot with the radicchio and add the butter and 1 cup of the pasta water.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is emulsified, then add the parmesan a little at a time, continuing to stir, until the sauce is creamy and clinging to the pasta (another 3 minutes or so. If the sauce looks too thick, add some pasta water.  You want it to be fairly saucy, since it will thicken as it cools.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the pancetta and the reserved raw radicchio and season generously with the pepper (2 tsp) and the lemon juice.  Toss to combine, garnish with basil, then serve with more salt so that each diner can adjust the flavor.  We offered red pepper flakes as well.