The Pasta Bar

With Todd Antonation, Rebecca Lechman, Mike Muirhead, and Doug Stephen

Photos by Ian McCausland

Pasta’s vast array of styles—from ragu to oven-baked; from simple to intricate; from light to filling—are the perfect comfort food for our long winter nights. With a variety of flavours, textures, and levels of complexity to inspire wine choices, the Banville & Jones team once again rose to the challenge. Todd led with a spicy take on traditional mac and cheese with some locally made sriracha macaroni; Rebecca

added local Italian sausage to her tried-and-true crockpot lasagne soup for weekday meal planning; and Mike served up a braised pork shoulder ragu on pappardelle noodles. Local veteran restaurateur Doug Stephen introduced us to the deceptively simple pasta that is rumoured to be the most ancient pasta recipe in Italy: cacio e pepe (simply: cheese and pepper).

SMOKEY SRIRACHA MACARONI AND CHEESE Serves 8

2x

½ cup ¼ cup 3 cups 1 cup 1 tbsp 1 tsp 2 3x

1 cup 6

350 g bags of The Mitchell Block Sriracha macaroni* unsalted butter flour milk whipping cream Smak Dab Beer Chipotle Mustard each of salt, pepper and chipotle powder generous squirts Sriracha sauce 170 g blocks Bothwell Maple Smoked Extra Old Cheddar, grated Panko crumbs pieces smoked bacon, cooked and sliced

* Available at Banville & Jones and The Mitchell Block.

Cook pasta for 3-½ minutes in salted water; drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Preheat the oven to broil.

Melt the butter in a saucepot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to form a roux. Slowly add milk, then cream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Reduce for 3 minutes. Stir in mustard, salt, pepper, chipotle powder and sriracha. Gradually add grated cheese, while stirring constantly until melted.

Place macaroni in an oven-proof container (casserole dish or cast-iron skillet). Stir in the cheese sauce to desired consistency. (If the sauce is a little runny, it will absorb into the pasta.) Stir in bacon and top with Panko crumbs. Broil on the top rack until toasty brown. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes.

PAIR WITH: Staffelter Hof 2018 Kiss Kiss Maddie’s Lips Mosel, Germany $31.99 El Enemigo 2016 Chardonnay Mendoza, Argentina $35.99 Ventisei 2017 Rosso Tuscany, Italy $19.99

ZUPPA DI LASAGNE Serves 8

1 lb Marcello’s store-made spicy Italian sausage, casing removed 1 large yellow onion, diced 3½ cups mushroom broth 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian spices (796 ml) 1 cup Deluca’s Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce 2 tsp dried basil 2 cloves garlic, minced 9 lasagna noodles Shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan for topping Ovenproof bowls or French onion soup crocks Crockpot

Remove sausage from casing and crumble into a frying pan with the chopped onion. Sauté until the meat is cooked through and onions are translucent. Drain fat then add to crockpot with mushroom broth, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, basil, and garlic. Set on low for 7–9 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving: break lasagna noodles into bite-sized pieces and submerge fully in the tomato sauce. (Note: Make sure the heat is still on and the crock has not switched to “warm”). Cook approximately 40 minutes until the noodles are al dente.

To serve: Preheat the broiler and fill your oven-safe bowls with soup. Top with mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Broil until desired golden bubbliness.

PAIR WITH: Terrra Costantino 2016 Bianca de Aetna Siciliy, Italy $34.99 Donatella Cinelli Colombini 2016 Rosso di Montalcino Tuscany, Italy $34.99 Les Vignerons d’Estezargues 2018 Cuvée des Galets Côtes du Rhône, France $16.99

TACCOZZETTE CON STRACOTTO (PASTA WITH BRAISED PORK RAGU) Serves 8

2 tbsp 1 kg 2 2 6 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp 2 1 1 cup 1 2 tbsp ½ 1 cup

1 cup

olive oil boneless pork shoulder large onions, finely chopped carrots, grated cloves garlic, minced dried thyme dried oregano dried basil bay leaves pinch dried chilli flakes red wine 28-oz can whole Italian tomatoes tomato paste 28-oz can crushed tomatoes water Salt & pepper, to season Pappardelle pasta fresh basil, roughly torn, to serve

Trim fat from the pork shoulder and dry the pork with paper towel. Season the whole pork with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Sear the pork on all sides until a golden brown crust forms (approximately 3 minutes a side), then remove from the pan and set aside.

Add onions and carrots to the pan juices and cook on medium 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, chilli flakes (optional), a pinch of salt, and bay leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 1-2 minutes.

Stir in red wine and reduce for 4–5 minutes. Add the whole tomatoes (and their juice), tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and water. Stir to combine. Return the pork to the pan. The liquid should cover at least one third of the meat, but more is great. You will be turning the meat throughout the process to ensure all parts of the pork come in contact with the sauce.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Replace the lid, but leave a slight opening to allow the sauce to reduce as it cooks. Cook the pork for about 4 hours, turning as necessary to make sure all of the sides get time in the sauce and that it maintains a simmer.

When the meat is fall-apart tender and is easily torn apart with a fork, move from the pan into a bowl. Using two forks, shred into bite-size pieces. Using a wooden spoon, smash apart any whole tomatoes in the sauce that haven’t already broken down. At this point, if the sauce reduced too much, you can add the other half of the crushed tomatoes and water until it is the desired consistency and taste. Discard the bay leaves. Return shredded pork to the pan, stir, and simmer for at least 30 minutes to combine the flavours. Cook pasta in salted water to preferred tenderness, per the directions on the package. Drain and immediately add pasta into the pork ragu along with the fresh basil. Cook for another minute to allow the pasta to absorb the ragu flavour and the basil to wilt slightly.

PAIR WITH: Meritxell Palleja 2016 Nita Priorat Catalonia, Spain $32.99 Tolaini 2014 Gran Selezione Chianti Classico Tuscany, Italy $53.99

CACIO E PEPE Serves 6

Kosher salt 500 g tonnarelli pasta 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper 2½ cups finely grated aged pecorino (to garnish) 2 l water (1 cup pasta water, reserved)

Bring 2L salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Before you drain the pasta, remove 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. Do not rinse the pasta.

Combine the pepper and half of the grated pecorino cheese in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the bowl and whisk until the cheese sauce is smooth. Add the cooked pasta. Use a pair of tongs to mix and toss the pasta in the sauce. The sauce should take on a silky texture and coat the pasta completely. Add the second half of the cheese; toss and coat with the tongs. If the sauce seems dry, add 1–2 tbsp more pasta water. Garnish with grated cheese and serve immediately.

PAIR WITH: Stefano Amerighi 2016 Syrah Tuscany, Italy $34.99 Thörle 2018 Kabinett Riesling Rheinhessen, Germany $22.99

Notes: Because this dish is so simple, the details are important:

• Grate fresh cheeses, as pregrated cheeses will not melt as evenly and may clump instead of becoming silky. • The starch level in the pasta water is crucial to the silkiness of the sauce, so use just enough water for cooking the pasta. • Salt the pasta water generously before boiling, and you won’t have to add salt at the end.

We’ll come to you!

Free delivery for the month of February!

Whether you want one bottle of wine or several cases, for the month of February, wine deliveries ordered directly from Banville & Jones are FREE!*

Delivery to home address or business (18+ required to accept delivery) Order before noon for same day delivery 12–5pm (Monday through Saturday)

Three ways to order your wine: Online*: www.banvilleandjones.com Phone: 204.948.WINE (9463) Text: 204.400.0499

The Common has been one of Winnipeg’s busiest meeting places since its inception. For the last two years, Véronique Rivest has curated the list of craft beers and fine wines. With Rivest’s initial obligations fulfilled, wine curation duties will now be taken on by sommelier Brad Royale, while the beer lists will now be curated by cicerones Crystal and Tara Luxmore, otherwise known as the Beer Sisters.

COME SEE WHAT WE’RE POURING FIND US IN CENTRE COURT AT THE FORKS MARKET

“The last time we were in Winnipeg, we went to The Common for lunch and we were blown away by its stunning, historic location,” says Tara Luxmore. “When we got the call from The Forks, we jumped at the opportunity.” Tara describes this new role as a mission to create the best beer menu in the country — one that continues to reflect the great Manitoba-made beer while also bringing in breweries that have never been on tap in Winnipeg before. “We want to give beer drinkers a chance to taste the wide breadth of beer styles,” says Tara. “We’re also excited to spread the word about The Common as an amazing beer venue, attracting the best breweries from around the world.” Meanwhile, Royale brings 20 years of experience curating awardwinning wine lists for some of the best restaurants in Western Canada. “I focus on purity of expression,” says Royale. “Every wine should be a clear and precise representation of where it comes from.” Royale cites the excitement of being in a new city as a key motivator in taking on the role. “I love new projects, new people and new wines,” says Royale. “I’m so excited to dive into the market!”

Royale and the Beer Sisters’ first curated lists will start pouring at The Common in Spring, with guided tasting events at The Forks planned throughout the year.

20 CRAFT BEERS | 20 FINE WINES

C U RATE D BY O U R WO R LD-C LAS S SOM M E L I E R AN D C I C E RO N E S I N THE FORKS MARKET

theforks.com

Aoccdrnig to a rseearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. It matters.

Editing | Design | Translation Perfect Your Documents | Empower your Team info@fireflywords.com | www.fireflywords.com | 204.557.1968