Tagged: pasta

August 28, 2017

Fresh Herb Pappardelle

Fresh Herb Pappardelle
As much as it breaks my heart, our beautiful, bountiful container garden is just about kaput for the season. We are harvesting the last round of Super Sweet 100, Amish Paste and Cherokee Purple tomatoes, and I’ve already started buying basil again instead of picking it from the boxes on our back deck. Our garden was good while it lasted!

With a tangle of chives, rosemary and a few store-bought greens, I made a batch of fresh herb pappardelle. It was so aromatic and flavorful that I only tossed it in garlic-infused olive oil along with rainbow cherry tomatoes, zucchini ribbons and torn fresh mozzarella. I sprinkled on more herbs, flaky sea salt and black pepper for this simple late August meal.

Fresh Herb Pappardelle

Serves 4

For pasta

5 ounces all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
5 ounces semolina
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (chives, basil, rosemary, thyme)

For serving
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into ribbons
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon minced chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pulse the flour, semolina and salt in a food processor. Add the eggs, olive oil and herbs and pulse until the dough forms. Shape the dough into a round disk and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. (If the dough is refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling out the pasta.)

Divide the pasta dough into 4 pieces keeping them covered. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten slightly and feed through the smooth rollers of a pasta machine starting at the widest setting. Fold the pasta sheet in half each time it is fed through at a narrower setting until the pasta sheet is very thin but does not tear. Place the pasta sheets on a floured work surface to dry for 10 minutes.

Cut the pasta sheets into 12-inch lengths. Sprinkle with flour and roll them up loosely. Using a knife, trim the rough edges and cut into 1-inch wide strips. Unroll and place the strips on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes until al dente.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss the pasta into the oil before transferring to a large bowl and stirring in the tomatoes, zucchini, mozzarella, chives, salt and pepper.

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May 22, 2017

Roasted Tomato Zucchini Squash Pasta Salad

Roasted Tomato Zucchini Squash Pasta Salad
Over the weekend my brother spent 12 hours smoking a brisket. It was quite a big accomplishment considering it was only a week ago that he tried smoking something on his grill for the first time—a whole chicken that I tasted right after it finished cooking and then used the leftovers in salads for lunch the entire week. I don’t know what he’s going to tackle next, but I can’t wait!

With all that brisket, we decided to partner up on dinner. Since my brother took care of the main dish, I was in charge of the side. I made a roasted tomato, zucchini & squash pasta salad that was more about the veggies than the penne. I tossed in a couple generous handfuls of arugula, green beans and red onions. To finish it off, I added a little white balsamic vinegar, chives and Parmesan.
Roasted Tomato Zucchini Squash Pasta Salad

Serves 6

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 medium yellow squash, cubed
8 ounces penne pasta
4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 generous handfuls of arugula
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 ounce grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Arrange the cherry tomatoes on one sheet pan cut side up, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. On the other sheet pan, toss the zucchini and squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes are slightly wrinkled, and the zucchini & squash are lightly browned at the edges.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package instructions. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to a colander and rinse with cold water.

Cook the green beans in the same pot of boiling water until bright green and still crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the green beans to the colander and rinse with cold water.

Combine the tomatoes, zucchini, squash, pasta, green beans, arugula, red onions, chives and Parmesan in a large bowl. Toss in the white balsamic vinegar and the remaining olive oil. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.

March 27, 2017

Pasta with Baby Greens, Beans and Walnuts

Pasta with Baby Greens, Beans and Walnuts
For my usual weeknight pasta I keep things simple with spaghetti, even though it can be a bit boring. When I stick to my routine, I don’t add to my random noodle collection. I have a shelf of partial boxes of pasta—the result of buying specific shapes for single recipes. I always end up with an odd amount that’s too small to feed my family—two adults and a three-year-old who is convinced pasta is its own food group.

To spring clean my kitchen, I made this mixed pasta with baby greens, beans and walnuts. Even though it breaks every pasta rule, all you have to do when cooking multiple shapes in a single pot is to first start with the noodle that has the longest cook-time and work your way to the one that’s the quickest. After that I tossed the warm pasta with garlic-infused olive oil, arugula, spinach, cannellini beans, walnuts, Parmesan and lemon zest.

Pasta with Baby Greens, Beans and Walnuts
Adapted from Everyday Food April 2008

12 ounces short pasta (farfalle, rotelle, fusilli, orecchiette, penne)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1-15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts
1 ounce grated Parmesan plus shaved Parmesan for serving
Zest of half a lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. If you are using multiple shapes, cook them in one pot of salted boiling water starting with the pasta that takes the longest and adding shapes per their recommended cook-time, with the quickest being added last. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to a large bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant and golden brown.

Stir the garlic-infused olive oil, beans, walnuts, Parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper into the pasta. Top with shaved Parmesan before serving.

October 4, 2016

Antipasto Spaghetti

Antipasto Spaghetti
The past month has been kind of crazy. With travel, the start of school and more work commitments than usual, I am desperate for a normal week, but according to the calendar that won’t happen anytime soon. Since I’ve been thrown off my routine, I’ve had to skip my usual grocery stops and shop in unfamiliar stores wandering the aisles in search of my pantry and fridge staples.

When I’m lost at a new supermarket, I stick to the perimeter to first get my bearings. Once I find the fruits & veggies, I head straight to the olive bar where everything is already cured, marinated and full of flavor. Even though I didn’t have a plan, I filled a container with roasted garlic, tomatoes, artichokes, peppers and olives. I ended up making antipasto spaghetti for a quick weeknight dinner.

Antipasto Spaghetti

Serves 4

12 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces assorted antipasti including roasted garlic cloves, pitted olives, marinated tomatoes, artichokes and roasted peppers)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Shaved Parmesan for serving
Torn fresh basil for serving

Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the roasted garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the antipasti and continue cooking until everything is heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the cooked spaghetti, salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan and basil before serving.