Pasta

I just found out that October is Pasta Month.... and the month is half over. I’ve got a lot of cooking to do to catch up.
I really like pasta, anything from Spaghetti to home made egg noodles. I even have an app on my iPad called “Pasta Guide” which shows different shapes and suggested uses.

Pasta & Peas

Source: eCuisine

Start making the brown butter sauce while the pasta cooks — this way all the components will be ready at nearly the same time.
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp. olive oil
8 oz. dry orechiette pasta*
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts - toasted
Minced zest of 1 lemon
1 stick unsalted butter - (8 Tbsp.)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. chopped shallots
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
For the topping, toast bread crumbs in oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, 3–4 minutes.
For the pasta, cook orechiette in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain over peas in a colander. Transfer pasta and peas to a bowl, then stir in Parmesan, parsley, pine nuts, and zest.
For the sauce, melt butter with salt in a skillet over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium; cook butter until light brown, about 8 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat; stir in lemon juice.
Toss pasta and pea mixture with sauce, then divide among four plates. Top each serving with bread crumbs.
*According to my iPad app orechiette pasta originates from the Italian region of Apulia (or Puglia), because of which they are also referred to as Orechiette pugliesi. The name means “small ear” in Italian.
They are the symbol of the city of Bari but are consumed in all parts of Apulia, which practically makes them the regional dish.

Skewered Tortellini Appetizer

Vinaigrette (Recipe follows)
12 ounces Frozen tortellini*
2 tablespoons Fresh basil or parsley - Finely chopped
1. Prepare Vinaigrette.
2. Cook tortellini following package directions. Drain.
3. Toss warm tortellini with Vinaigrette. Place in a covered container and let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.
4. With a slotted spoon, drain tortellini and thread on short bamboo skewers, two tortellini to each skewer. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with chopped basil.
Vinaigrette
Combine the following ingredients in a jar:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Season with salt and pepper to taste. This versatile base will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator. All you need to do is give the jar a good shake to re-emulsify the vinaigrette before using.

*Tortellini (plural of Tortellino, which means “small pie” in Italian) are ring-shaped pasta which contain a filling, similar to Ravioli.
The filling is usually made from vegetables (Spinach) or meat (veal, chicken, meat or Mortadella sausage) and often contains parmesan cheese.
Tortellini are thought to originate from the Italian province of Bologna. Since 1974 they are recognized as a local spatiality by the Bologna trade association. This recognition also included a prescribed method for preparing “Tortellini in Brodo”, which is seen as a traditional dish for Sundays.

Egg Pasta

1 cup all-purpose
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt
To make the dough by hand: Make a well on the counter with the flour. Then add the eggs and salt. Slowly incorporate the eggs until the mixture forms a ball.
Then bring together the dough together and knead for 5 to 10 minutes. Add additional flour as needed.
To make the dough in a food processor: Add the flour and salt and pulse. Beat the eggs separately and then slowly add in the eggs, one teaspoon at a time. Once the mixture just starts to look like couscous, stop and remove from food processor.
Form into a ball and knead for 5 to 10 minutes on the counter top.
Once the dough is fully kneaded, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for about 30 minutes before rolling.
To roll the dough, flatten it slightly and roll through the widest setting of a pasta machine about 10 times, folding the dough in half each time you pass it through. Sprinkle the rollers and dough lightly with flour if it happens to stick.
Next, run the dough through the rollers just once on each setting without folding. Keep rolling the dough until you reach the second to last setting. How far you roll out the dough will also depend on the dish you are making, and your pasta machine. If you desire ultra-thin pasta, you may want to roll the dough right through to the last setting. Once the dough has been rolled to the desired thickness, it must be covered immediately to prevent it from drying out.
If desired, you can run the pasta through the cutters of the pasta machine to make various shapes, such as linguini or fettuccini.
Fresh pasta is best if eaten the same day it is made. However it will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator. Once shaped, it can be frozen for up to one month.
This makes approximately 3/4 lb of pasta, which will serve 2 to 3 people as a main or 3 to 4 as an appetizer.
To cook the fresh pasta the water should be at a gentle boil and will cook in 1-5 minutes, depending on it’s thickness. It can not be cooked al dente as it is not dried like commercially dried pasta.

Puttanesca

Source: www.macheesmo.com

1 pound rigatoni* - (or campanelle)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves - minced
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives - chopped
1/4 cup capers
Salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese - grated
Fresh parsley - garnish
1) Wash tomatoes and add them to the blender. Pulse until they are finely chopped but not pureed completely. Transfer the tomatoes to a mesh strainer and let drain for about five minutes. Use a spatula to press out as much liquid as possible.
2) In a small bowl, stir together minced garlic, anchovy paste, red pepper flakes, oregano, olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
3) In a large skillet or pan, add garlic mixture over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Then add tomato juice and simmer until juice is cooked down. Then add tomato pulp and stir to combine.
4) Cook pasta according to package and reserve a cup of pasta water.
5) To finish sauce, fold in olives and capers. Toss sauce with drained pasta.
6) Season pasta with pepper (it probably won’t need any salt). Garnish with parsley and Parmesan and serve immediately!
* The Rigatoni noodle is tube-shaped. It comes in many different variants with regard to length and diameter. The surface of the Rigatoni is most commonly ridged. The ends are cut at a right angle, as opposed to the diagonal cut ends of Penne. Print this post