THE Dish: Chef Sal Scognamillo's Meatball Lasagna, Tiramisu

Chef Sal Scognamillo has been manning the kitchen at the famed Patsy's Italian restaurant, Frank Sinatra's favorite New York City joint, for 28 years.

He stopped by "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to prepare his ultimate dish: Meatball lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, baked clams,.and tiramisu. 

Blog: "What's Cooking"

Special section: Food and Wine

RECIPES:

Patsy's Meatball Lasagna

Serves 10 to 12

• 2 and one-quarter pounds (4 inches by 8 inches) fresh lasagna sheets coarse salt
• 10 cups homemade or store-bought pasta sauce
• Half recipe meatballs for patsy's veal meatball lasagna
• 1 and one-third cups freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• One-fourth cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 pounds (about 8 links) sweet Italiansausage, broiled and thinly sliced
• 2 pounds fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season with salt. add lasagna sheets, and cook until pliable and al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. drain, and rinse under cold water.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. pour 1 cup sauce into a shallow baking dish; set aside. cut two sheets in half lengthwise to make four 2-by-8-inch sheets; set aside.

Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. dip half of a reserved cut sheet crosswise in the reserved sauce, and drape over a corner of the baking pan, leaving the sauce-covered end in the pan with the other half hanging over the edge. repeat with remaining 3 cut sheets and corners. Line edges of pan in the same manner using full-size sheets dipped lengthwise. finish lining the bottom of the pan with 2 full sheets.

In a medium bowl, toss to combine meatballs with 1/3 cup pecorino romano, and 1/4 cup basil; spread evenly in bottom of dish. pour over 1 cup sauce, and cover with 2 lasagna sheets.

In the same bowl, toss sausages with 1/3 cup pecorino romano; spread evenly in baking dish. pour over 1 cup sauce, and cover with 2 lasagna sheets.

In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella with 1/3 cup pecorino romano; spread evenly in baking dish. Pour over 1 cup sauce, and cover with 2 lasagna sheets.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1/3 cup pecorino romano with ricotta and egg; spread evenly in baking dish. top with 1 cup sauce.

Center pasta sheets on ricotta within 1/2-inch of the edge of dish. brush draped lasagna with sauce, and fold over to seal and enclose.

Cover lasagna with a clean, damp kitchen towel. double-wrap baking dish in aluminum foil. Place an ovenproof plate, upside down, in a large roasting pan; fill pan with 2 inches of hot water. Place lasagna on top of plate. bake until lasagna reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees to 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour 40 minutes. remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes before serving. garnish with remaining basil, and serve with remaining sauce, if desired.

Patsy's Meatballs

• 1 and one-quarter pounds of chopped veal
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated romano cheese
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Half cup of breadcrumbs
• Pinch of oregano

Mix veal, egg, egg yolk, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper, parsley, breadcrumbs, and oregano thoroughly and form into 2 » inch meatballs.

Preheat olive oil in skillet to 350 degrees (oil should cover half the meatball when frying) fry meatballs in olive oil, 2 minutes on each side.

Take out of oil place the meatballs in simmering tomato sauce and cook another 10-15 minutes.

Patsy's baked clams

Serves 4

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• 24 clams
• One-fourth teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• One-fourth cup olive oil
• 2 lemons, each cut into wedges

Ingredients for bread crumb mixture (makes about 1 cup)

• Small italian stale baguette (about half a pound)
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
• One-fourth cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• Pinch of oregano
• Garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Break or cut the bread into large chunks and place in a food processor.

Process until reduced to fine crumbs.

Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl. stir in the cheese, parsley, oregano, and garlic.

Gradually add oil, stirring, until thoroughly combined. season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place in an airtight jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. use within 5 days.

Directions for clams

Shuck raw clams

Run under cold water to remove excess sand

Preheat the broiler.

With a spoon, place the bread crumb mixture on top and smooth with the back of a spoon. arrange the clams in one layer in a broiler pan, and drizzle lightly with the olive oil to moisten.

Broil until the bread crumbs are lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. make sure clams are cooked all the way through. remove and serve hot with lemon wedges.

Stuffed Artichokes

Serves 4

• 4 jumbo artichokes
• 2 garlic cloves, halved
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped black olives
• 2 tablespoons grated parmigiano-reggiano
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped nonpareil capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• One-fourth teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• One-fourthteaspoon dried oregano
• One-fourth teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450» f.

Rinse the artichokes under cold running water.

Remove the stem and cut two inches from the top of each artichoke. Pull the middle leaves apart, and with a small spoon remove the fuzzy choke and tiny inner leaves. Insert a garlic half into the hollowed-out artichoke center. Reserve.

Place the breadcrumbs, olives, cheese, parsley, capers, basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Gradually add the olive oil, stirring until thoroughly combined and moistened. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture into the hollowed out artichoke centers, tamping down with the back of the spoon until each artichoke is filled to the top.

Season to taste with salt.

Place the artichokes in a baking dish and add enough water to cover the bottom halves of the artichokes.

Cover the pan with foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until artichokes are cooked through. check for tenderness by removing a leaf after one hour and tasting. If the water level drops to less than » inch while cooking, add more.

Remove from the oven and increase the heat to broil. take off the foil and place the artichokes under the broiler until the breadcrumb topping has browned, about two to three minutes.

Place the artichokes on a serving platter and spoon two to four tablespoons of the pan juices over each artichoke. Garlic may be omitted, if desired, as frank did.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Serves 4

• 1 large eggplant (about and one-fourth pounds)
• Half cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 and one-half cup of dry bread crumbs
• Three-fourths cup olive oil
• 3 cups tomato sauce (see recipe for tomato sauce or, for convenience, use 24 ounce jar of Patsy's tomato basil)
• Half-cup pound mozzarella, diced into small pieces
• One-fourth cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

Directions

preheat the oven to 400f

Peel the eggplants, remove the ends, and slice into » inch rounds. put the flour on a large plate, the eggs in a shallow bowl, and the breadcrumbs on a second large plate. coat each eggplant slice in the flour, then the beaten eggs, and then the breadcrumbs.

Shake to remove excess coating.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium flame.

Sauté the eggplant, a few minutes at a time without crowding the pan, turning to brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. (when cooking in batches, be sure to keep the oil hot, and add more if necessary.)

Place fried eggplant slices on paper towels to absorb excess oil

Spoon half-cup cup of the tomato sauces on the bottom of a 10x8x2-inch baking pan.

Place half the eggplant slices in the pan, and top with half the remaining sauce, half the mozzarella, and half the grated parmigiano.

Cover with remaining eggplant and layer on the remaining sauces, mozzarella, and parmigiano.

Spoon one-fourth cup water around the inside edges of the baking pan.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until all the ingredients are heated through and the cheese has melted.

tiramisu

Serves 6 to 8

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 pint heavy cream
• Two-thirds cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 8 ounces mascarpone
• 3 tablespoons cognac
• 22 ladyfingers
• 1 and one-half cups brewed espresso, chilled
• 1 tablespoon cocoa

Directions

Place egg whites in top of a double boiler and beat over simmering water until the whites form soft peaks.

Place egg yolks in top of another double boiler and beat until the yolks are thick and lemon-colored and reach a temperature of 160»f. reserve.

Whip the cream until soft peaks are formed. reserve.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2/3 cup sugar, mascarpone, and cognac, and beat until smooth.

Gently fold the reserved egg yolks into the mascarpone mixture, followed by the reserved egg whites and the reserved whipped cream, until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Pour the espresso in a small bowl. dip each ladyfinger in the espresso, and layer them in the bottom and sides of a large glass bowl.

Top with half of the mascarpone mixture, and a middle layer of espresso-dipped ladyfingers, and spread the remaining mascarpone mixture on top.

Sprinkle with cocoa.

Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Drink

Jack daniels over ice...