For The Veal
• 4 Ontario veal shanks (at least 1½ inches thick) 450-500g each, grain-fed, tied with kitchen twine
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp chili flakes (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 can (796 mL) crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 2 anchovy fillets, minced
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ cups veal or chicken stock
Orecchiette
• 400 g orecchiette
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Pinch of chili flakes
• Kosher salt
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Lemon–parsley breadcrumbs
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small cloves garlic, very finely minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Garlicky Rapini
• 1 large bunch of rapini (broccoli rabe)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Lemon wedges for serving
• Toasted breadcrumbs for sprinkling (in veal recipe)
Instructions:
Brown the Veal
Pat the veal shanks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a 5qt Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat. Sear shanks for 3–4 minutes per side until well browned; sear in batches. Transfer to a plate.
Build the Sauce
Lower heat to medium. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, chili flakes, anchovies, and tomato paste. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables.
Deglaze
Add white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer until reduced by half.
Add Remaining Ingredients
Stir in crushed tomatoes, stock, olives, capers, oregano, and bay leaf. Nestle the veal shanks into the sauce so they are covered and partially submerged.
Braise
Cover and transfer to a 325°F oven. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours, turning once, until the veal is fork tender and the sauce is rich and thickened.
While the veal finishes, prepare the sides
Lemon–Parsley Breadcrumbs
Warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the panko and toast for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until golden and crisp. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest, parsley, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper. Cool on a plate so the crumbs stay crisp.
Use to finish the orecchiette and sprinkle lightly over the rapini just before serving.
Garlicky Rapini
Trim rapini stems. Blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Heat olive oil in large skillet, cook garlic until pale gold. Add rapini and chili flakes and toss for 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs before serving.
Orecchiette
Boil orecchiette in salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
In a skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked orecchiette and toss gently with a splash of pasta water and a pinch of salt. Stir in parsley and remove from heat.
This creates a lightly seasoned, aromatic pasta base that will soak up the Puttanesca sauce beautifully.
To Serve
Remove bay leaf, then taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the twine or butcher’s elastic. Spoon orecchiette into shallow bowls or plates, place a veal shank on top, ladle Puttanesca sauce over, add rapini, and finish with breadcrumbs. Optional: add extra fried capers or shaved Parmigiano.
Recipe courtesy of Zimmy’s Nook (www.ZimmysNook.ca)
