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Pasta

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

Pesto with Macadamia Nuts

November 8, 2012

Pesto is a simple and delicious dish.  The fragrant basil, pungent cheese and garlic, rich macadamia nuts and olive oil go together like no other dish I know.  Most recipes call for pine nuts which I used in the past, until I had an awful experience with Pine Mouth. Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn.  It’s something that can’t be easily forgotten.  I suffered for two weeks and could not figure out why suddenly everything I ate or drank tasted bitter, very bitter. So bitter I didn’t want to eat. I googled my symptoms and discovered Pine Mouth.  Like others who have had this weird problem, I too had eaten pine nuts (in pesto) a few days prior to getting my symptoms. My husband also ate the pesto but without any problems.  It apparently doesn’t affect everyone. The FDA is still trying to determine what the exact cause of Pine Mouth syndrome is.  Needless to say, I have given up eating pine nuts.  Some say that pine nuts from China are the culprits and that buying pine nuts that originate from the Mediterranean won’t cause such a terrible reaction. Hmmmm.  I’m still not convinced enough to eat them again.

Many pesto recipes suggest walnuts as an alternative to pine nuts (which can be expensive).  I tried this once, however my pesto turned out to be a drab green-brown color.  Now, due to my aversion to pine nuts, macadamia nuts are my choice for pesto.  They are light-colored like pine nuts and don’t have the annoying skin of a walnut.  They can be pricy like pine nuts though you really need just a small amount for each recipe and you can store the rest in the refrigerator for other baking recipes.  The package above is from Costco and was very reasonably priced.

Rinse the basil leaves gently and leave out to dry for a short time.

Use good cheese.  Real Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano and grate them yourself.

Pesto

Serves 6

Adapted from Nancy Harmon Jenkins The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

Ingredients

4 ounces fresh basil leaves

1/3 heaping cup macadamia nuts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, crushed and finely minced

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or a combination with Pecorino Romano)

Preparation

Remove basil leaves from stems and gently rinse.  Set aside on a kitchen towel to dry for a short time.

Put half of the basil, all of the macadamia nuts and salt in a food processor.  Pulse a few times.  Scrape down the sides and add the rest of the basil and pulse a few more times.  Add the oil in a thin stream and process until the consistency is that of a slightly grainy paste but not a fine puree.  Add the garlic and process briefly, just to mix the garlic into the sauce.  If the pesto seems too thick, add a bit more olive oil.  Transfer the pesto to a bowl and fold in the grated cheese.

I like to serve the pesto on thin capellini noodles with a bit of extra grated cheese sprinkled on top.  Sometimes I use spaghetti and add steamed, finely chopped broccoli florets to it or I’ll make a pasta salad with pesto, cherry tomatoes and baby spinach.  For a change, use pesto on your pizza instead of tomato sauce (top with sliced tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mozzarella).

Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.  Pour a very thin film of oil over the top of the pesto and cover the bowl.  You can also freeze pesto in small containers for a few months.

 

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

30 Minute Fresh Tomato Sauce

October 29, 2012

When your garden crop comes in droves it can make you feel overwhelmed.  The stories you hear about people who grow zucchini come to mind. Suddenly they have baskets full of them and they start dropping them off at their friend’s homes, and sometimes homes of people they never even considered to be their friends.  There’s the hilarious story I heard on NPR of zucchini growers leaving them in unattended cars just to get rid of them.  Anyhow, this is a story of tomatoes and I’m happy to say people don’t make fun of them like they do zucchini.  With that being said, we have lots of tomatoes in the garden and I’ve been making salsa, tomato sandwiches, roasted tomatoes, and today, a quick tomato sauce that is as good as those simmering for hours.  I was searching for a recipe and stumbled upon this one from Chez Pim.  The idea of removing the tomato pulp from the juice then adding it back once the juice thickens up caught my attention.  It works quite well and it’s quick.

The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to dunk them in boiling water for about 10 seconds and transfer them to an ice bath.  The skins will come off effortlessly and you won’t waste a bit of the tomato.  It works like a charm.  Just make a cross at the bottom of the tomato before plunging them into boiling water.

Reduce the sauce until it clears the pan with your spatula. 

The tomato pulp has been added back to the sauce and simmers briefly, becoming luxuriously thick and flavorful.

30 Minute Fresh Tomato Sauce

4 generous servings

Adapted from Chez Pim’s recipe

Ingredients

5 pounds ripe tomatoes peeled, seeds removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 heaping tablespoon fresh chopped basil

Preparation

Prepare the tomatoes by removing the skin, cut them in half and remove the seeds.  Place halved tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hands to break up the tomatoes into very small chunks.

Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium low heat.  Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned.  Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.

Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the crushed tomatoes to your pan, give everything  a stir and cook for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the tomato pulp to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Continue to cook the tomato sauce for another 10 minutes until it has reduced and is fairly thick.  Test by scraping the pan with your spatula.  If the sauce clears the pan it’s time to add the tomato pulp back to the pan.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the salt and dried oregano to the tomato sauce.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add the fresh basil, give the sauce a stir and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese.  The sauce freezes well and provides a quick and delicious meal on a busy work night.

 

 

Dinner, Pasta, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese

October 19, 2012

Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate crowd pleaser.  There’s nothing better than noodles smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce with a crispy crouton topping.  I’ve tried several different recipes such as one incorporating butternut squash and bacon.  It was very good but….I happened to see Martha’s mac-and-cheese recipe on the Smitten Kitchen blog and I immediately thought, this is the one.  How much cheese for one pound of pasta?  Lots!  What was Martha thinking?

This recipe makes a lot of mac-and-cheese so if you’re not feeding a large group of people you may want to cut the recipe in half.  Here is my adaption of Martha’s Mac-and Cheese.

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese

Serves 12

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, plus more for casserole

5 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

5 1/2 cups milk (2% or whole, either works fine)

1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound grated extra sharp cheddar, about 4 1/2 cups (I use Tillamook yellow, the original recipe calls for sharp white so use which ever you prefer).  Set aside 3 cups of the cheddar for the sauce.  The remaining cheddar will be sprinkled on the top before baking.

4 1/2 ounces grated Pecorino Romano cheese, about 1 1/4 cup (or 8 ounces grated Gruyère, about 2 cups). Set aside 1 cup Pecorino Romano for the sauce (or 1 1/2 cups Gruyère).  The remaining Pecorino Romano (or Gruyère) will be sprinkled on the top before baking.

1 pound elbow macaroni

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 3-quart casserole dish, set aside.  Place bread cubes in a medium bowl.  Melt two tablespoons of butter in a covered microwave dish just  until melted. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread cubes and toss. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (large enough to generously cook 1 pound of pasta).  Cook the macaroni until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is  underdone, about 4 minutes.  Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water.  Drain well and set aside.

Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat (large enough to hold the sauce and pasta). When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep the mixture smooth.  Continue cooking, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups of cheddar cheese, 1 cup Pecorino Romano (or 1 1/2 cups Gruyère).  Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into your casserole dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheddar and Pecorino Romano (or Gruyère) and bread cubes over the top.  Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

This is another meal that freezes well.  Chill the leftovers in the casserole and cut into squares and wrap in foil for individual servings.  It’s best to remove the mac-and-cheese from the foil and place in a lightly buttered dish when reheating.  If you have a toaster oven it will crisp up the croutons nicely.

Pasta, Recipes, Side Dishes

End of Summer Pasta Salad

September 3, 2012

I’m not sure why I chose the title “End of Summer Pasta Salad.”  Maybe it’s because the stores are selling school supplies up and down the aisles and the beaches seem to be a bit less crowded.  It’s certainly not because there’s much change in the weather here in Hawaii.  Here is our nightly weather forecast: “Expect mostly sunny days with a few passing showers in the mauka (mountain) areas, high temperatures in the mid 80s.”  Maybe I should call it Endless Summer Pasta Salad.

In the past I bought the crumbled feta you commonly find in most refrigerated grocery shelves not knowing any better until I read Cook’s Illustrated review on feta cheese.  Mt. Vikos was rated well and I was able to find it at our local health food store.  What a difference.  This feta is made from sheep and goat’s milk and is not overly salty yet very flavorful.

All kinds of ingredients can be added to a pasta salad.  Sometimes I’ll use small white beans, marinated artichoke hearts, broccoli florets or fresh corn.  Today I used conchiglie pasta (shells), grape tomatoes, olives, lite salami, feta, spinach and basil.  Other pasta shapes work well such as farfalle (bow tie), fusilli (corkscrew), rotini (spirals).  The shells are rather attractive, the olives and tomatoes are nearly the same size as the pasta and all the tasty ingredients find their way into the nooks and crannies of the pasta. Those beautiful green olives are Castelvetrano Sicilian olives that are buttery and assertive without being bitter.  They add a distinctive flavor to the pasta salad.  You can find them at the olive bar at Whole Foods, pitted or not.

After you drain your pasta, place a couple of paper towels in a large, wide bowl and pour the pasta in the bowl.  Let it sit for a couple of minutes and the paper towels will soak up the excess water.  Giving it a shake or two also helps to dry the pasta.

Toss your pasta ingredients in a large bowl with fresh herb vinaigrette.  Add the spinach just before serving the salad.

End of Summer Pasta Salad

The measurements for the pasta, tomatoes and olives can be adjusted to your liking.  If you want to prepare a smaller portion use just two cups of uncooked pasta and fewer tomatoes and olives.  The fresh basil, feta and herb vinaigrette really add that je ne sais quoi to the salad.

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked pasta

20 grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup olives, halved

salami cut into thin strips

feta cheese, crumbled

fresh basil, julienned

baby spinach leaves

fresh herb vinaigrette

Preparation

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for the suggested cooking time noted on the box.

Drain pasta, run under cool water to stop the cooking.  Place a few paper towels on the bottom of a large, wide bowl.  Pour your well-drained pasta into the bowl and let the paper towels absorb the excess water.  Set aside while you prepare the salad ingredients.

Slice the tomatoes and olives in half and cut the salami into thin strips, about 1 inch in length.  Crumble the feta cheese and julienne the basil leaves.

Remove the paper towels from the bowl and season the pasta well with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Add the tomatoes, olives, salami, feta and basil.  Give everything a quick stir, then add your vinaigrette by the tablespoonful until the salad is nicely dressed.  Just before serving, toss in the spinach leaves and give the salad one more quick stir adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

Leftover pasta salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a day or so.  The pasta will absorb most of the dressing so you might choose to add just a little more the next day.  If I’m not serving the entire salad at one time, I’ll add just enough spinach for that  portion and add more as I eat my way through the entire bowl.  Molto delizioso!

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