Okay, that's the recipe but remember this: This dish is basically Tortellini Alfredo with Italian sausage. The olives, prosciutto, and, especially, the sun-dried tomatoes give it an extra zing that is amazing. The true secret to cooking this dish well is, believe it or not, cooking everything (except the pasta) in the same pan. My Dad taught me that same secret about gravy. Chefs study this stuff for years in France, England, and Italy. My Dad learned it the better way — from his mom.
The big secret is very simple: The sausage drippings flavor the cream and the olives. The same is true for the gravy world. The cheese gives the sauce some bite, and, at the same time, acts as the thickening agent. When you make gravy, you use flour instead of cheese to thicken with. Go figure. Once the sauce is tossed with the pasta you have a meal.
And while I refuse to guess on fat grams, calories, and all that stuff you have to be aware of these days, I will say I only cook Bianca Verde a few times each year. I don't like my cardiologist, and I don't want to pay him any more than absolutely necessary.
Still, the best reason to cook Bianca Verde is that it's the perfect meal for a cold, rainy night. It tastes wonderful, it played a major role in helping me find the love of my life, and the biggest reason is that it's my wife's favorite dish.
Which is all that matters.
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Article comments
1 - Joanne Huspek
Sounds great! I'll certainly try out your recipe.
2 - Mark Schannon
Does sound very good. The hell with calories & fat! Eat well & live well. Let the health Nazis be damned, LOL.
I'd suggest that one try to find heavy cream that isn't ultra-pasteurized. The difference in taste is significant. Also, the better the butter, the better the sauce. I'm hooked on Plugra.
Curmudgeon-At-Large
In Jameson Veritas
3 - Dr Dreadful
Absolutely, Mark! This sounds fantastic. Bring on the cholesterol cluster! Ignore those healthy eating guilt-trippers who...
AAARGHH! Thud...
4 - Mark Schannon
Dr. D? Dr. D? Are you there. Omigosh, he's...he's...dead?
Well, I sure hope he died with a fat-laden smile on his face. And a glass of Jameson in his clenched fist.
In Jameson Veritas
5 - Dr Dreadful
Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.
AAARGHH! Thud...
Dammit...
6 - Mark Schannon
Oh no! Dr. D...this is, shall I say it, dreadful in his demise. Someone give him mouth to mouth.
I would, but I've got a mouthful of whipped cream & butter.
Poor lad.
7 - rachelle
This brings back so many memories. I worked at Tommy's back in the 1990s and Bianca Verde was and still is my most favorite dish of all time. I am lucky to still be in contact with the famous Chef who made it for Tommy, but I have never had the nerve to ask him for the recipe. After googling it...now I don't have to! Thanks so much for the recipe and the absolutely wonderful feeling I got from remembering those happy days when Tommy's was right around the corner.