Roman Holiday Feast

Something along the lines of pretty easy to make, and a crowd pleaser everytime.


Serves: 4 | Budget: Moderate | Prep Time: 1.75 Hours | Cook Time: 50 Minutes


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Menu


To Snack

Charcuterie board
Caprese skewers

Star of the Show

The Best Bolognese Ever

On The Side

Molly Baz’s Garlic Bread


Dessert

High-Quality Chocolates

To Drink

Aperol Spritz
Your Favourite Red Wine

*we love a Chianti for this menu!


Ingredient List

  • Caprese Skewers

    24 cherry tomatoes
    12 mini mozzarella balls
    24 basil leaves
    Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
    Balsamic reduction, for drizzling
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    12 mini skewers or toothpicks

    Charcuterie Board

    Choose your own adventure:
    Cheese: Aged Cheddar, Gruyere, Gouda, Pecorino
    Meat: Prosciutto, soppressata, salami
    Sweet: Fresh fruit, dried fruit, hot honey
    Carb: Bread Sticks, Crusty Bread, Crackers
    Pickle: Cornichons, olives

  • SALAD

    Molly Baz’s Caesar Salad

    1/2 crusty baguette (about 6 ounces)
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    Kosher salt
    Coarsely ground black pepper
    2 large eggs
    1 garlic clove
    1 lemon
    4 oil-packed anchovy fillets
    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
    4 romaine hearts

  • High-Quality Chocolates

    We love Chocolat de Kat in Toronto

  • Molly Baz’s Garlic Bread

    2 garlic heads
    1 large or 2 small bunches of chives
    12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
    1 1/2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (heaping 1/3 cup)
    Extra-virgin olive oil
    Kosher salt
    Red pepper flakes
    1 loaf challah bread (12 to 16 ounces)
    Flaky sea salt

  • The Best Bolognese Ever

    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 celery stalk, chopped
    1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
    3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
    1 lb. ground beef chuck (20% fat), patted dry
    Kosher salt
    3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped
    1 cup dry white wine
    ⅓ cup tomato paste
    1 bay leaf
    Pinch of finely grated nutmeg
    2 cups (or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
    1 cup whole milk
    1 lb. fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta
    2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ½ cup), plus more for servingItem description

  • Aperol Spritz

    Ice
    3 ounces (1 part) Aperol
    3 ounces (1 part) dry Prosecco
    1 ounce (a splash) club soda or unflavored sparkling water
    Orange slice, for garnish

Shopping List

  • 1 lb. Ground Beef Chuck (20% fat)
    3 oz. Pancetta
    4 Oil-Packed Anchovy Fillets

  • 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
    1 bunch Basil Leaves
    1 medium Onion
    1 stock Celery
    1 Carrot
    3 heads Garlic
    1 bunch of Chives
    1 Lemon
    4 Romaine Hearts

  • 2 Large Eggs
    12 Mini Mozzarella Balls
    12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
    6 oz (~1½ cup) Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
    1 cup Whole Milk

  • Meat: Prosciutto, soppressata, salami
    Cheese: Aged Cheddar, Gruyere, Gouda, Pecorino
    Sweet: Fresh fruit, Dried Fruit, Hot Honey
    Carb: Bread Sticks, Crusty Bread, Crackers
    Pickle: Cornichons, olives

  • 1/2 Crusty Baguette (about 6 oz)
    Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
    Balsamic Reduction
    Kosher Salt
    Black Pepper
    Flaky Sea Salt
    Red Pepper Flakes
    1 cup Dry White Wine
    ⅓ cup Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
    1 Bay Leaf
    Pinch of Finely Grated Nutmeg
    2 cups Homemade Chicken Stock or Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
    1 lb. Fresh Tagliatelle or Pappardelle
    1 Loaf Challah Bread (12 to 16 oz)
    1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
    1/2 cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
    1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
    12 mini Skewers or Toothpicks

  • Your favourite Bottle of Wine
    Ice
    3 ounces Aperol
    3 ounces Dry Prosecco
    Club soda or Unflavoured Sparkling Water
    1 Orange

Key Timing & tips

The bolognese will take about 1 hour to prep, and needs 2–2.5 hours to cook, so start making it at least 3.5 hours BMT

The rest of the prep (and cleaning) will take around 45 minutes, so make sure to start at least that much before your guests arrive (we recommend an hour or more!)

Make sure to start roasting your garlic for the PRE-COOKING steps 1.5 hours BMT and start cooking 50 mins BMT

Preperation

Roast The Garlic

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  2. Cut ½ inch off the top of 1 garlic head, or just enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Place the head on a square of aluminium foil, drizzle with olive oil, season with Kosher salt, and enclose.


  3. Place on a small rimmed baking sheet and bake until the garlic is very soft and lightly golden, 45 to 55 minutes. Meanwhile, start the bolognese (below). 


  4. Once your timer goes off - unwrap the foil and let the garlic cool. Leave the oven on for the croutons!

Start The Bolognese

  1. Chop 1 medium onion, 1 celery stalk, and 1 small carrot and pulse in a food processor until very finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor you can finely chop by hand. Transfer to a small bowl.

  2. Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium. Break 1lb. ground beef chuck into small clumps (about 1½") and add to pot; season lightly with Kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally but not breaking meat apart, until beef is lightly browned but not crisp, 6–8 minutes. It may be grey in spots (that’s okay!) and still a little pink in the centre. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a medium bowl.

  3. Wipe out pot. Cook 3 oz. of finely chopped pancetta in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta has released some of its fat and is crisp, 6–8 minutes. (Jump ahead to the other prep items during these next few steps while the bolognese simmers!). Add onion mixture to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and beginning to stick to surface, 6–8 minutes. 

  4. Return beef to pot and pour in 1 cup dry white wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, smashing down on beef with a wooden spoon, until wine is evaporated, surface of pot is almost dry, and meat is finely ground, 12–15 minutes. (The meat should be reduced to what looks like little bits. It takes a bit of effort, but you can take breaks.) Add ⅓ cup tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, and 1 pinch of finely grated nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally and still pressing down on meat, until tomato paste is slightly darkened, about 5 minutes.


  5. Pour 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup whole milk into pot; add a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until meat is very, very tender, 2–2½ hours. There shouldn’t be any rapid bubbles at this stage. Instead, the sauce should release the occasional small bubble or two. When finished, the sauce should have the texture of and look like a sloppy joe mixture. If the liquid reduces before the meat is completely tender, add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking. Keep warm on low.

Cooking

Assemble Charcuterie Board
30 min before guests arrive

  1. Put cheese on a big platter or board, then cluster piles of meaty, carby, sweet, briny and crunchy pairings around them


  2. Make sure each cheese has its own serving knife.


  3. Cut into each cheese before serving - no one wants to be the first one to slice. It’s one of the laws of dinner party psychology.

Put Out Snacks, Make Drinks
When Guests Arrive

  1. Drizzle the caprese skewers and put out


    Drizzle the skewers with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic reduction and sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper.


  2. Make drinks! If making Aperol spritz:


    Add ice to a wine glass until it is nearly full. Pour in the Aperol (I usually eyeball this and pour until I’ve filled about one-third of the glass).


    Pour in an equal amount of Prosecco. Top your drink off with a splash of club soda and add a slice of orange. Enjoy!