Spring Dinner Menu

Sometimes collaborations are the most perfect fit. When Stefano Faita and I pulled together our Spring Holiday dinner menu, I would say the most sumptuous and mouth-watering pairing happened and just like that, there was magic on my plate. You might know Stefano from his famous Italian product line or from one of his 4 restaurants : Impasto, Pizzeria Gema, Chez Tousignant and Vesta. His brand has been around since 2013, and alongside his partner Michele Forgione, they’ve brought authentic Italian cookery to our tables.

I’m sharing a menu we put together that features three super delectable veggie dishes (linked here) along with Stefano’s very own Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb as a main along with his famous Ricotta and Chocolate Crostata for dessert. So without further ado, here are the recipes you’ll need to create the most delicious menu from front to finish for your holiday dinner.

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

Recipe from Stefano Faita

Prep 15 minutes

Cook time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 racks of lamb (approx. 1.5 lb each), frenched

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

3 tbsp. grapeseed oil

¼ cup Dijon mustard 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).

2. Combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and olive oil. Set aside.

3. Season lamb with salt and pepper.

4. Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear racks of lamb until golden brown on both sides, about 4 or 5 minutes per side.

5. Remove lamb from skillet and set aside to cool. Rub the fat part of pieces of meat with Dijon mustard and then coat with breadcrumb mixture.

6. Transfer lamb to roasting pan and roast in oven until internal temperature reaches 63°C (145°F) for medium-rare doneness, about 15 minutes (depending on meat's thickness). 

7. Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil. Set aside 5 to 10 minutes before carving.

The Ricotta and Chocolate Crostata dessert comes in 2 parts. First, the dough, then the full Crostata. Keep scrolling!

Pasta frolla

(Shortcrust Pastry)

Ingredients

225 g (1¾ cup) type 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)

115 g (4 oz) softened butter, cut into small cubes

120 g (⅔ cup) sugar

3 egg yolks

Zest of 1 small lemon

Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the flour, butter, sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest and salt.

2. Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients to form a ball of dough. Do not overwork the dough. When it is well blended, lightly flour the dough before covering it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out to form a circle 3–4 mm thick.

4. Grease a 28 cm quiche pan with a removable base and spread the dough in the pan.
   Trim the excess dough all around the pan.

Ricotta and Chocolate Crostata

Ingredients

Dough

1 pasta frolla recipe

Filling

4 tbsp sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp rum

450 g (1 lb.) ricotta

140 g (5 oz) dark chocolate

¼ cup Stefano hazelnut cocoa spread

2–3 tbsp canola or grapeseed oil

Instructions

1. In a bowl, beat the sugar and egg yolks.

2. Pour the rum into the bowl, continuing to beat the mixture.

3. Add the ricotta and beat the mixture until smooth. There should be no lumps.

4. Cut the chocolate into small pieces and spread half of it over the dough at the bottom of the pan.

5. Gently fold the other half of the chocolate into the ricotta and rum mixture.

6. Pour the ricotta mixture into the pan, evenly distributing it over the entire surface.

7. Place the crostata in the oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 30 minutes. (The crostata should be golden brown, otherwise, bake it for a few more minutes.)

8. Let the crostata rest for at least 4 hours.

9. Combine the hazelnut cocoa spread and the canola (or grapeseed) oil, and drizzle the mixture over the crostata with a spoon.

10. Serve at room temperature.
    

One of my favourite parts of this collaboration, aside from the fact that we ate like royalty, is that we prepped a YouTube video so you can watch how it all came together. Great news: it’s in French! Lol! You’ll get to see me in action speaking my mother tongue, and maybe even push yourself out of your comfort zone and practice a little, if you’re so inclined. Happy cooking!

Photography by Patricia Brochu