Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Most brands of panko are additive-free. I used Unico capers, which do not contain preservatives. Use butter that contains only cream, with no colour added.

Crispy pork with buttered radishes

Ingredients:

2 bone-in or boneless pork chops (rib or loin), cut ½ -inch (1.25-cm) thick (about 6 ounces/170 g each)

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 ½ cups (375 ml) panko or fresh coarse breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons (45 ml) canola oil, plus more as needed

4 tablespoons (60 ml) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons (30 ml) capers

1 bunch radishes, with tops on if you like, cut into quarters

Flaky sea salt

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preparation:

Season pork with salt and pepper. Place panko in a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish and season it with salt and pepper. Working one at a time, firmly press both sides of each pork chop into the seasoned panko until the chops are evenly and well coated.

Heat oil in a large skillet (10 to 12 inches/25 to 30 cm) over medium-high heat; it should evenly coat the bottom of the skillet. If it doesn’t, add a bit more oil. Place the pork chops in the skillet and cook until deeply golden brown, like the colour of a well-baked croissant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Using tongs or a spatula, flip pork and continue to cook until well browned on the other side, too, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate, platter or cutting board lined with paper towel and season with salt.

Wipe out skillet and return to the stove over medium-high heat. Add butter, letting it sizzle, brown and foam. Add capers and half of the radishes, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Toss a few times, just to wilt the radish greens, if they’re still on, and to evenly coat the radishes with the brown butter and capers.

Divide pork chops among plates and nestle butter-tossed radishes and capers alongside, plus remaining raw radishes. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt and serve with lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over. Serves 2.

From Something From Nothing

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Unico tomatoes, Tre Stelle ricotta and Simple brand mozzarella are all free of colour, additives and preservatives. Genuine Parmesan is also free of colour, additives and preservatives; look for the name stamped on the rind.

Baked shells

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper

2 large or 4 small onions, diced

8–10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, plus 1 clove garlic, grated

½–1 (2.5-5 ml) teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1 (28-ounce/796 ml) can whole peeled tomatoes, packed in juice

1 (28-ounce/796 ml) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup (250 ml) ricotta

3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream

1 pound (454 g) large pasta shells

½ pound (227 g) salted mozzarella, roughly torn by hand or grated on a box grater

Parmesan, for grating

Preparation:

Make the tomato sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown, turning down the heat if needed), 8 to 10 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them (including the juice) and the crushed tomatoes to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Fill the empty can about halfway with water, swirling to get any excess crushed tomatoes hanging around, and add it to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low (or low, depending on your stove) and cook, stirring occasionally, letting it bubble gently, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavours have come together, at least 30 minutes, and up to an hour and a half.

Make the cheese mixture: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, heavy cream, and 1 clove grated garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Prepare the pasta: Heat oven to 425°F (218°C) and place a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove. Cook pasta until it’s nearly al dente and drain. Return pasta to pot and add two cups sauce, tossing to make sure the sauce gets in all the nooks and crannies and is nicely coated.

When assembling, try not to fuss too much over the measurements, but be mindful that you always want to end with a good amount of cheese and sauce on the top to give you a bubbly, browned top.

Spoon a bit of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart (3-L) baking dish, then add ⅓ of the pasta. Spoon a little sauce on top, then dollop with ricotta and dot with mozzarella. Grate parmesan on top. Add another ⅓ of the pasta, followed by more sauce, more ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. Add the rest of the pasta, more sauce, the rest of the ricotta, mozzarella, another good grating of parm and some pepper (there’s a good chance you’ll have some pasta sauce left over– refrigerate or freeze for another time).

Place the baking dish on a foil-lined sheet pan and loosely cover the baking dish with foil. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes before removing the foil and continuing to bake until it’s nicely browned and bubbling, another 20-ish minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes or so before eating– it will stay very hot for a while, so don’t worry. Serves 6-8. The sauce can be made 5 days ahead, refrigerated and can be frozen for up to two months. The baked pasta can be assembled and baked several days ahead, kept wrapped and refrigerated. To reheat from cold, simply bake per the instructions above. It can also be assembled and frozen up to two months ahead– to reheat from frozen, keep wrapped in foil and bake at 325°F (162°C) until totally defrosted and bubbly (60-ish minutes), remove foil, increase temperature to 425°F (218°C) and bake until golden brown, 20 minutes or so.

From Something from Nothing

Avoiding Additives sand Preservatives

Make sure the dried spices don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I used Better Than Bouillon for the stock. Genuine Parmesan does not contain colour or preservatives. Look for the name stamped on the rind.

Spicy pork soup with pasta and Parmesan

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 lb (450 g) minced (ground) pork

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tbsp (15 ml) fennel seeds

½ tsp (2.5 ml) chile flakes, plus more to taste

6 cups (1.4 L) chicken or vegetable stock

6-8 oz (175–225 g) dried pasta

1 bunch broccoli rabe or kale, thick stems removed, chopped

Parmesan cheese, for grating or shaving (lots of it)

1 lemon, halved for squeezing (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook, resisting the urge to break it up too much at first. As it browns, break it up into small pieces; some of the pork will get very small (these bits will get very brown and crispy), and some will stay larger, in sausage-like clumps (these will be tender and juicier). Once the pork is about 80 per cent browned to your liking, 8–10 minutes, add the garlic. Continue cooking until the pork is well browned throughout and the garlic is softened and starting to brown around the edges, another 4–5 minutes.

Add the fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Give them a stir to toast in the pork fat, cooking for a minute or two. Add the stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted water until just before al dente. (It’ll continue to cook in the soup, but it’s good to give it a head start. Cooking raw pasta in a brothy soup makes the broth too starchy and cloudy.)

Once the soup has simmered for a few minutes, add the broccoli rabe or kale and the pasta, stirring to wilt the greens. Simmer until the rabe is tender and the flavours have mingled appropriately, another 5–8 minutes or so. Season with salt, pepper and more chilli flakes if you like.

To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and tons of cheese. Sometimes I squeeze lemon over, but not always (doesn’t need it, but it can be nice). Serves 4.

From Something from Nothing

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use butter without colour. I used Unico white beans and Eden Organic brand red wine vinegar. If you are using cheese, check to make sure it does not contain colour or preservatives.

Caramelized beans with tomato and cabbage

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (60 ml) unsalted butter

4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil

½ small head (about 1½ pounds/680 g) cabbage, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) wedges

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 (15-ounce/443 ml) cans large white beans, such as butter beans, gigante, or cannellini, drained and rinsed

8 ounces (227 g) tomatoes, preferably small, halved if small, quartered or chopped if large

1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or white distilled vinegar

A hunk of Parmesan cheese for grating on top, ricotta for spooning over, or feta for crumbling (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425°F (219°C).

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet (preferably oven-safe) over medium heat. Add the cabbage, cut-side down, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, without disturbing or peeking, until the cabbage is deeply golden brown on one side, 8–10 minutes. Using tongs or a fish spatula, carefully flip and repeat on the other side, another 8–10 minutes.

Once the cabbage is well browned on both sides, add the shallots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring or shaking the skillet occasionally to make sure the shallots can make contact with the pan, until they are nicely browned and totally tender, 5–7 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the beans in a 1½- to 2-quart (1½- to 2-L) baking dish. Once the cabbage and shallots are nicely browned and tender, add them to the baking dish, along with the tomatoes, vinegar, and 1 cup (250 ml) water. Season well with salt and pepper and rearrange the goods, adjusting some of the wedges of cabbage and pieces of tomato so that they make their way to the top. (They will get so delicious in the oven.)

Place in the oven and bake until the liquid has reduced by quite a bit, everything is bubbling up the sides of the dish in a sticky, caramelized way, and the top is delightfully browned, bordering on crisp, 50-60 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with or without cheese. Serves 4. The beans can be made 2 days ahead, wrapped, and refrigerated. Reheat in a 425°F (219°C) oven, uncovered, until warmed through and bubbling once more, 20–30 minutes. Leftovers can also be scooped into a skillet and rewarmed on the stovetop.

From Something from Nothing by Alison Roman