Spaghetto Milano

Starting on May 1st, for six months, Piedmontese chef Andrea Ribaldone will sign the menu of the so called "fuori orario" in the programme of Identità Expo, on top of those on Mondays and Tuesday nights. The leitmotiv that inspired Ribaldone for these menus was certainly that of craveable food, with a constant respect for seasonal ingredients and the right attention to the necessities and sensitivities of the visitors. Every 15 days some dishes in the menu will change, so that the ideal, faithful client will be able to have a varied culinary offer during the six months of the event. There is one dish however, that you will always find: Spaghetto Milano.

This recipe was born from Paolo Marchi’s request to Andrea to present a dish that could be a tribute to Milan. The dish is made with Monograno Felicetti spaghettoni cooked in water, with a little salt, and creamed with a previously cooked risotto alla milanese. Or, as the chef himself explains, «intentionally overcooked, creamed with Grana Padano and butter, then blended so as to obtain a cream of rice and saffron that has a very unique softness». On the side he prepares a gremolada with orange and lemon zest, parsley, extra virgin olive oil and a small garlic clove: these are then blended and placed on the creamed spaghetti.

Spaghetto Milano

Recipe for 4 people

INGREDIENTS
400 g spaghetti selezione Felicetti
2 thick sliced pieces of ossobuco
30 g tomato paste
50 g ossobuco jus
1 carrot
1 onion
1 celery stick
1 bay leaf
120 g Carnaroli rice
saffron stems
1 l vegetable stock
1 lemon
butter
parmesan
parsley
extra virgin olive oil

Andrea Ribaldone with Domenico Schingaro, his trusted second at restaurant Due Buoi in Alessandria, during the presentation of the Identità Expo programme at ExpoGate in Milan (photo credits Brambilla / Serrani)

METHOD
For the ossobuco ragout
Dice the celery, carrot and onion into a small brunoise; place the ossobuco in a vacuum pack together with the bay leaf and salt and extra virgin olive oil. Cook for 10 hours at 71°C, then cut the ossobuco for the ragout, add the vegetables, the tomato paste and the jus and cook for 20 minutes.

For the rice cream
Prepare a traditional risotto alla milanese, toasting the rice, then adding the vegetable stock, the saffron stems, cooking it for 20 minutes and creaming it with parmesan and butter. Then blend the rice so as to obtain a smooth and homogenous cream. If necessary, add some stock then put it to a side as you will need it to cream the spaghetti.

For the gremolada
Grate the lemon and orange zest and chop the parsley, then put everything into a container and cover with extra virgin olive oil.

Finishing the dish
Cook the spaghetti in lots of salted water, drain them and mix them with the rice cream. Dish out and place the ossobuco ragout on top, then season with the gremolada.