Fantastic Fresh Pasta, More on a Budget

(CBS)  Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo grew up together in New York.

The lifelong friends are veterans of gourmet family-style kitchens, and they bring their skills to their popular restaurant in Brooklyn, Frankies Spuntino.

They also have a new cookbook, "The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooiking Manual" (read an excerpt), filled with some of their favorite recipes from the eatery, all of which have a home-cooked touch.

"The Two Franks" specialize in modern, fresh Italian offerings.

And they gave "The Early Show on Saturday Morning" viewers two-for-the-price-of-one when they accepted our "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge - but we didn't double our usual paltry $40 budget, which they tried to stick to as they made a simple, scrumptious three-course Italian meal for four.

They were also automatically entered in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition, in which the "Shoesting" chef (in this case - it would be two chefs!) with the lowest ingredients cost will be invited back to cook for our year-end holiday extravaganza!

"Early Show" Recipes Galore!

MENU
• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley, and Red Onion Salad with Lemon and Olive Oil
• Ricotta Cavatelli with Sausage and Browned Sage Butter
• Olive Oil Cake

FOOD FACTS

Fennel: There are two main types of this aromatic plant, both with pale green, celery-like stems and bright green, feathery foliage. Florence fennel, also called finocchio, is cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and in the United States. It has a broad, bulbous base that's treated like a vegetable. Both the base and stems can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in a variety of methods such as braising, sautéing or in soups. The fragrant, graceful greenery can be used as a garnish or snipped like dill and used for a last-minute flavor enhancer. This type of fennel is often mislabeled "sweet anise," causing those who don't like the flavor of licorice to avoid it. The flavor of fennel, however, is sweeter and more delicate than anise and, when cooked, becomes even lighter and more elusive than in its raw state. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Celery Root: This rather ugly, knobby, brown vegetable is actually the root of a special celery cultivated specifically for its root. It's also called celery root and celery knob. Celeriac tastes like a cross between a strong celery and parsley. It's available from September through May and can range anywhere from the size of an apple to that of a small cantaloupe. Choose a relatively small, firm celeriac with a minimum of rootlets and knobs. Avoid those with soft spots, which signal decay. The inedible green leaves are usually detached by the time you buy celeriac. Refrigerate the root in a plastic bag for 7 to 10 days. Celeriac can be eaten raw or cooked. Before using, peel and soak briefly in ACIDULATED WATER to prevent discoloration. To eat raw, grate or shred celeriac and use in salads. Cooked, it's wonderful in soups, stews and purees. It can also be boiled, braised, sautéed and baked. Celeriac contains small amounts of vitamin B, calcium and iron. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Cavatelli: Short, narrow, ripple-edged shell pasta. (Source: Epicurious.com)

RECIPES

Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley and Red Onion Salad with Lemon and Olive Oil

1/2 celery root
1 fennel bulb, with stems removed
2/3 cup sliced red onion
2 packed cups flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup olive oil, or more to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
16 turns white pepper
pumpkinseed oil, for drizzling (optional)
Pecorino Romano, to taste

Peel the celery root and cut it into fine julienne. Trim the fennel bulb, discarding tough stems and reserving any fresh, pert fronds to garnish the salad, and julienne. (You should have in the neighborhood of 2 cups of each).

Toss the cut vegetables together with the parsley in a large bowl. Add the oil, lemon juice, salt, and white pepper and toss again. Taste and add more oil, salt, and/or lemon juice as needed.

Divide the salad among serving plates. Finish each with a drizzle of pumpkinseed oil and a few curls of Pecorino Romano (cut with a vegetable peeler) and serve.

For more recipes, go to Page 2.

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[cynthiaal]

There is something seriously wrong with the olive oil cake recipe instructions. Way too much olive oil. Can't be 2 cups as indicated.

[ellensmithee]

Wow, that'll fatten you up and contribute to heart disease.

[sjw1253]

This sounds great... I am a bit confused though because you don't include the butter and cheese in the entree portion??? Since it is almost an entire stick of butter and the cheese would also add to the cost...