This year’s “Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish” promotion at Maggiano’s Little Italy features their first stand-alone menu with expanded gluten-free offerings. Since 2003, Maggiano’s has been a sponsor of Make-A-Wish, leveraging the brand’s made-from-scratch dishes and passion for giving back to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
The stand-alone gluten-free menus (one for May/June and one for June/July) are available from April 30 – July 8 featuring: Patricia’s Cheese Ravioli, Grilled Jumbo Shrimp, Creme Brulee Trio, and Flourless Chocolate Cake. For each entree purchased, Maggiano’s will donate one dollar to the Make a Wish foundation. The menu also features seasonal sangria (two dollar donation) and lemonade (fifty cent donation).
Maggiano’s regular gluten-free menu features corn pasta that can be paired with any of their sauces, salads, meats, and dessert. The restaurant chain takes great care to attend to a variety of food allergies/intolerance, including gluten through their safe handling program. At a recent visit, once a food intolerance was mentioned, a chef came to the table to review my dietary requirements prior to preparing my dish. That type of service isn’t ordinary and goes a very long way to establishing an exceptional service reputation in the gluten-free community.
The lovely folks at Maggiano’s Little Italy have graciously shared the recipe for creating Patricia’s Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli with Spring Vegetables below:
Serves 4
Spring Vegetable Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Yellow Bell Pepper, diced ½”
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, diced ½”
1 Medium Carrot, diced ½”
Salt and Pepper to taste
8 Stocks Asparagus, sliced on a bias ½ “pieces
1 Small Leek, diced ½”
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375˚. Once you have diced your yellow and red peppers place in a small bowl, toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and cook for approximately 10-12 minutes or until there is slight char to the peppers. Remove from oven and reserve until the rest of the vegetables are ready.
Place a pot of cold water on stove on high heat. Season water with salt to add flavor to your carrots and asparagus. Once the water has come to a boil, place asparagus in boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on how thick the asparagus is. Once the asparagus is al dente, place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. While asparagus is cooling in ice bath place, put diced carrots in same boiling water and cook for one minute. Place carrots in water bath to stop the cooking process. Once asparagus and carrots are cool, place in a bowl and reserve.
Cut one small leek in half lengthwise. Then split the leek in half lengthwise again. Cut into ½” pieces. You want to use some of the green part for flavor. Rinse leeks very good to remove all dirt.
Place clean leeks in same bowl as carrots and asparagus, then add roasted peppers that have cooled reserve.
Parmesan Broth Recipe
4 cups Gluten-Free Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp Corn Starch (plus 2 Tbsp water to mix)
1 Cup Small Diced Parmesan Cheese, about ¼ “
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
4 Whole Black Peppercorns
Instructions
Place gluten-free chicken stock in a medium sauce pot add fresh thyme, bay leaf and black peppercorns and put on the stove on a medium high heat to bring to a simmer. While stock is heating, add two tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl with the cornstarch and mix together so corn starch dissolves. Once stock has come to a simmer add corn starch water mixture to stock and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Turn off burner and slowly add small diced parmesan cheese and mix until all cheese has melted into the chicken stock. Strain the broth making sure to remove bay leaf, thyme and whole peppercorns, reserve broth.
Truffle Mascarpone Recipe
½ Cup Cream Cheese, room temperature
½ Cup Mascarpone Cheese
2 Tablespoons White Truffle Oil
¼ Tsp Kosher Salt
1/8 Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
Instructions
Place softened cream cheese and mascarpone in a mixing bowl and mix until incorporated. Add white truffle oil, salt, and pepper. Continue to mix until everything is incorporated, reserve.
Additional ingredients
28 pieces Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli or Gluten-Free Pasta of Choice
4 Tablespoons Whole Butter
4 Tablespoons Sun-Dried Tomatoes
¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Basil
Finishing Dish
Place Parmesan Broth in a large sauté pan and place on medium high heat. Add butter; once butter has slightly melted, add gluten-free ravioli. (Make sure they are not frozen and have thawed in your refrigerator. If you can’t find gluten-free ravioli, you may use any gluten-free pasta of your choice). Follow cooking instructions for gluten-free pasta on box for cooking. Once broth has come back to a simmer, add your spring vegetables and sun-dried tomatoes and continue to simmer, making sure that the ravioli/pasta is not sticking to the bottom. There should be enough of the broth to be able to simmer the ravioli/pasta to cook all the way through. Once heated throughout, turn off heat. Add fresh chopped basil and mix to incorporate. Place ravioli /pasta on a large platter or you may divide into 4 different plates. Evenly distribute the vegetables on top of the ravioli/ pasta. Place three to four small dollops of the truffle mascarpone on top of each dish and enjoy.
I was treated to a tasting of these items and can easily recommend making the trek to Maggiano’s to sample these exceptional dishes that are only available for a limited time. Of course, customer demand for any of these dishes may persuade the restaurant to make them a permanent menu addition.
Stop by Maggiano’s during April 30 – July 8 to sample their new gluten-free dishes and help them reach their goal of a one million dollar donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
