Tag Archive for 'pasta'

Zucchini Linguine

Published on September 9, 2011 in Italian and pasta. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Don’t you just love it when you randomly start making something, and it turns into something mindblowingly delicious? Something that you could eat every day and never get sick of? Something that you can’t stop raving about to your perplexed but grateful husband while simultaneously shoving it in your mouth?

Well, this is that something.

It all started when I was cruising food blogs and found a bunch of intriguing posts centered around raw zucchini cut into the shape of spaghetti. Now you all know how I love zucchini (don’t you?). And as it’s in season, there’s a lot of it to love. But I wasn’t feeling the raw angle and I felt like it needed a bit more oomph (as my mother would say) or substance, so I decided to combine it with actual spaghetti. Totally meta. And yet not too heavy because it ended up being half zucchini spaghetti and half real spaghetti.

And then the plot (and dish) thickened. I had some lovely roasted heirloom tomatoes lying around and decided to toss those in.

And then (yes there’s more), I was thinking about a recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook (stop rolling your eyes, I didn’t actually purchase it, just saw a recipe on some website; but I have looked at it and there’s some good, if not groundbreaking, stuff in there, so don’t hate, people) where you bread and fry zucchini slices and thought that sounded nice, but too much of a pain to execute. So I came up with the idea of a cooked butter-parmesan-panko gremolata-type topping (translation: fancy breadcrumbs). That turned out to be a very good idea, to the point that I now want crunchy cheesy lemony breadcrumbs on pretty much everything.

The bottom line is that the result of my meandering, puttering day of cooking and fiddling is a damn good dish that I will be making again and again. And you should too.

Zucchini Linguine

2 medium zucchini, julienned lengthwise on a mandoline (or spiral slicer)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves (preferably roasted), chopped
1 cup roasted cherry tomatoes (optional)
1-2 tablespoons half & half
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Black pepper
Salt
3/4 lb. spaghetti
1/4-1/2 cup pasta water, reserved

Topping:
1-2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for garnish
Zest of half a lemon
2 handfuls (about 20 good-sized leaves) of basil, chiffonaded and separated

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Cook the spaghetti til al dente and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water (before draining!).

In a nonstick sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cheese, stirring to combine. Keep stirring continuously and cook until breadcrumbs start to brown. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and 1/2 the basil. Check for seasoning.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and zucchini, cooking until just softened, but still holding its shape, about 3 minutes. Add the half & half and let it thicken a bit. Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in tomatoes (if using) and lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper (chili flakes would also be nice).

Add the pasta to the zucchini pan and cook for a couple minutes, adding a bit of the pasta water to loosen things up a bit. Transfer the zucchini pasta mixture to a serving dish and garnish with the breadcrumb topping. Season with more salt and pepper, the remaining basil and more Parmesan.

Basil Pesto

Published on August 8, 2011 in Italian and pasta. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , .


I have somehow managed to not kill my basil plant — it is, in fact, thriving on our windowsill with a view of Ground Zero — and like the Freedom Tower, it’s growing like gangbusters, so it’s time to make some pesto!* As this is one of our easy summer go-to dinners, it’s ridiculous that I’ve waited til now to post this, but there it is and here you go.

Modeled after the one and only Patricia Wells’ recipe from this fabulous tome, this pesto is made with basil. If you’re feeling frisky, however, you can substitute another herb in there, like cilantro or parsley or even sweet pea shoots (which I realize is not an herb). And if you don’t have pine nuts (as I often don’t), leave them out or use walnuts or pecans or some other meaty nut.

This go-round I happened to have a delicious balsamic-infused Parmesan they were sampling at Whole Foods the other day (and which G and I took liberal advantage of). Called Sartori Bellavitano and sporting a lovely balsamic-induced edible brown rind, it’s the kind of cheese you crumble off little chunks of here and there and happily nibble away on, only to realize with a sinking kind of horror, that you’ve just ingested half a pound of said cheese. I somehow managed to restrain myself sufficiently to grate enough for the pesto, which gave the dish a nice little kick. I wouldn’t mind some lemon zest sprinkled over this either, just for fun. And if you feel guilty that there are no veggies in there (am I the only one who does this to myself? Please say no), toss in some halved cherry tomatoes or even a cup of broccoli florets or a scoop of cannellini beans (which would combat the protein scarcity guilt complex, a completely different — but equally debilitating — illness). Or just have a salad and some nice bread with whatever’s left of that Parmesan.

Basil Pesto

1 lb./1/2 kilo dried pasta
2 fresh garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
Sea salt to taste
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated, plus another 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1/4 cup pine nuts

Put a large pot of water on to boil and cook your pasta of choice, reserving a scoop of the pasta water. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, flipping regularly so they cook evenly. Don’t leave the kitchen while you’re doing this.

Put the garlic, basil and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor (this recipe fits perfectly in this) and whiz into a paste. Add the olive oil slowly through the feed tube thing while running the motor, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour the pesto into a large serving bowl, stir in the cheese and a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the pasta and serve with lots of black pepper and more Parmesan.

* Full disclosure: the basil in the photo is not from my plant and, honestly, if I had used the leaves from my plant, I’d have no plant left.

Cravings

Published on February 2, 2011 in Beans + Legumes, Breakfast, Cakes, Cookbooks + Cooks, Cookies, Inspiration, Mexican, pasta and Soups + Stews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Hello, it’s me. Sick again. Yippee. It sucks really. I don’t know how mouth breathers do it. Breathing through your mouth is very unpleasant.

Anyway, I spent some time clicking away on some of my favorite food sites last night and wanted to share some things I’m craving…even though I can’t taste anything. But you go have fun. Really. It’s okay.

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Soup. More soup. We like soup. This soup. Smitten Kitchen delivers (as usual).

Post Punk Kitchen is cooking up some quinoa goodness here

I’m a sucker for poppy seeds. Tim at Lottie + Doof is too.

Matt (of Matt Bites fame) is an incredible photographer and going to his site always makes me hungry. Like, this. Hello.

Winter makes me want to eat potatoes. I’m particularly obsessed with sweet potatoes right now. Give me a sweet potato roasted in its skin, slathered with butter, and topped with a healthy grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of fleur de sel and I’m in my happy place. Gluten Free Girl has taken it up a notch, and I’m feeling happy in a whole new way.

Never met a chocolate chip cookie I didn’t like. And this one from Orangette is, um, healthy. Sort of. Not really.

More soup. Again with the soup? Yes. Again with the soup. It’s for sick people. Heidi says so. Thank you 101 Cookbooks (my online food bible).

Last and perhaps least, if you’re feeling virtuous and/or enormous, pop on over to Bon Appétit and get yourself on a cleanse for food lovers. Doesn’t sound so bad actually. There is no lemon cayenne water involved. And chocolate is still on the menu.

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

Published on November 3, 2010 in Beans + Legumes, Mexican, pasta, Salads and Side Dishes. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .


This is a recipe of my darling dad’s, who is sadly, heartbreakingly, no longer with us. My dad was a late bloomer in the cooking department, but once he got going, there was no stopping him! He was the mad scientist to my mom’s Betty Crocker, doctoring a recipe or just making it up as he went along. He never met a spice or condiment that he didn’t like – and I definitely take after him in that regard. I’m not exactly sure where this pasta salad recipe came from, but it’s right up my alley with lots of spices and goodies in every bite. My dad had such a zest for life and that always came across in his cooking – full of flavor, fun and gusto.


This is a great summer picnic salad; it just feels beachy and fun to me. Never mind it’s November. I’m just going to pretend I’m still in Buenos Aires, where it’s Spring, so there. And yes, you can eat it right away, but it gets better if it sits in the fridge for a few hours so the flavors get incorporated into the pasta and everything gets nice and cold.


Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

Pasta:
1 pound penne (or other pasta with nooks and crannies, e.g., fusilli, farfalle)
1 15-ounce/210 g can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn (about 2 ears worth of fresh)
1 cup celery, diced (about 2-3 stalks)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup pickled pepperoncini, chopped (optional, but this is what gives it some heat)
Tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)

Dressing:
2/3 cup Italian salad dressing (bottled or homemade)
1/2 cup mayonnaise or Veganaise
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1//4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt to taste

Boil the pasta in salted water according to directions. While the pasta is cooking, chop and prep all your veggies. Make the dressing in the bowl you’re going to serve the salad in and dump the veggies in. Drain the cooked pasta and add to the bowl, mixing well. Taste for seasoning; add salt if necessary.

Not Vegetarian Lasagna, Tofu Lasagna. There, I said it.

Published on September 20, 2010 in Italian, Main Courses, pasta and Tofu + Tempeh. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

Embrace the tofu people. I remember when I first found this recipe in Real Simple magazine a long time ago. As I’ve yet to unearth my tearsheet recipe binders, I can’t tell you whose recipe it is, but I found it amusing that the author said she wished there was a way to not tell people that there’s tofu in this lasagna, the assumption being that if people know there’s tofu in this they’re not going to want to make it. I don’t know why I find this so amusing. Maybe because tofu is portrayed as this horrid thing, like crack or poop or something. I guess I’m so used to cooking with it, I don’t understand what the fuss is all about. But if you are one of those people that is intimidated or maybe grossed out by tofu, then, well, here’s your recipe. (I know, what a sales pitch.) But seriously. For those just venturing into the tofu arena, give this a go. It’s quite tasty and you may fool your family members into eating it as well. That is, if you need to. Some people have been known to willingly eat tofu. I know. Madcap!

There's tofu in that there bowl.

The thing I really like about this is that it’s a great way to get your protein in a pasta package. Which, while not impossible, is not as easy as it seems. And this is also my husband’s pet peeve about the vegetarian option in most restaurants (and yes, there’s usually only one). It’s usually a plate of pasta, but very rarely is there any protein in there. So you just get a giant plate of carbs and no protein. Not that I don’t love a giant plate of carbs — I do, I do, I could eat pasta every day and be a very happy woman — have you seen Italians? They do it. And they’re all very happy. Every last one of them. Sorry for the gross generalization, but Italians do know how to enjoy things. Admit it. Anyway, my point is that vegetarians need protein too. And why shouldn’t they get it in their pasta? I’m getting down from the soapbox now. Thank you.

NOTE: I’ve upped the spinach because it really shrinks down, so you need a lot to even get a sense that it’s there. Plus they sell fresh spinach in 6 ounce bags and I always ended up letting that last 2 ounces rot in the fridge, so just use the whole bag and you won’t be saddled with the guilt of being a Terrible Food Waster (like me). Also, you can use store-bought tomato sauce, but why would you when you can use this?

VegetarianTofu Lasagna

Adapted from Real Simple

1 pound soft or firm tofu (firm will give you a more crumbly texture)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan + another 1/3 cup for sprinkling on top
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons each minced fresh basil, thyme, and oregano, or 2 teaspoons each dried (but try to use fresh basil at least)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
32 ounces tomato sauce
2/3 of a 1 pound package of no-boil lasagna noodles
6 ounces fresh prewashed baby spinach (3 cups)
8 ounces mozzarella, shredded (2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Crumble the tofu  into a bowl and add Parmesan, eggs, garlic, herbs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Lightly coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Ladle enough sauce to just cover the bottom of the dish (about 3/4 cup or so). Cover with one layer of the noodles. You may have to break some pieces to get a good fit. Overlapping a little is okay too. Next goes half the tofu mixture; top with half the spinach, a third of the remaining sauce, and a third of the mozzarella.  Repeat the layers you just did: Noodles – Tofu – Spinach – Sauce – Cheese. Now this:
Noodles – Sauce – Cheese (feel free to add a bit more Parmesan along with the last round of mozzarella).

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 to 35 minutes. (FYI, I’ve frequently not had foil and it came out fine.) To crisp the top a bit, take the aluminum foil off for the last 5 minutes. Let the lasagna sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it.