Little Ears With Potato Cream And Arugula Recipes

Steps:

• 1 Peel the potatoes and place them in a small pot with salt to taste and cold water to cover. Bring the water to a simmer and cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, reserving the water. 2 Pour the oil into a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the potatoes and mash well with a masher or fork, stirring in about a cup of the reserved water to make a thin "cream." Season with salt and pepper. 3 Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, then the pasta. Stir well. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente, tender yet firm to the bite. Add the arugula and stir once. Drain the pasta and arugula. 4 Return the pasta and arugula to the pot and add the potato sauce. Cook and stir over low heat, adding a little more of the potato water if needed. Serve immediately. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain.
• Mix cream and milk in 4-cup measuring cup. Layer 1/3 of potatoes in prepared dish; overlap slightly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top potatoes with half of arugula. Top with 1/3 of cheese and 1/3 of bacon. Pour 1 cup cream mixture over. Repeat layering. Top with remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining cheese and bacon. Pour remaining cream mixture over.
• Bake gratin uncovered until potatoes are tender and cream mixture thickens, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 375°F oven about 30 minutes.)