11-30-17 Angel Hair pasta with Cod

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An earlier dish with a minor twist.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Angel hair pasta

2.     Cherry tomatoes

3.     Cod fillets

4.     Olive oil

5.     Shallots and garlic

6.     Kalamata olives

7.     Fresh tarragon

8.     Sweet vermouth

PROCESS:

Prepare the shallots and garlic in olive oil. Add the tomatoes, fresh herbs, a splash of wine, and the kalamata olives.  Cook uncovered for about 15-20 mins. To reduce the liquid. Add the cod and continue cooking until the fish is cooked and breaks apart with a fork.  Add the pasta and serve with a tarragon garnish.

COMMENTS:

I’ve served this before, but tonight added the Kalamata olives for a slight tweek to the flavor.

11-29-17 Farfalle with green tomato sauce

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A new pasta experience tonight

 

This was inspired by a recipe in the Italian food magazine called Gambero Rosso. The English edition has been discontinued but Italian edition is still in print. The truth is – the tomatoes are to be roasted, which I did, to the point of burning them. Patience saw the dejection on my face and suggested that I sauté them instead. Since we have an ample supply of green tomatoes I started over.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Green tomatoes coarsely chopped (3)

2.     Olive oil

3.     Garlic & onion

4.     Fresh basil leaves – I used frozen basil leaves from last years crop)

5.     Farfalle pasta

6.     Red pepper flakes

7.     Romano Pecorino cheese

8.     Dry Vermouth

9.     Butter

PROCESS:

Prepare the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the tomatoes, ¼ cup of dry vermouth, basil, salt and pepper, and cover and cook over med-high heat for about 30 minutes until the tomatoes break down. With large fork mash the tomatoes to a creamy sauce, cover, and keep warm. Just before the pasta is ready I added a tablespoon of butter to the sauce while Patience was not looking, along with some of the pasta water.  Add the pasta and about ¼ cup of the grated cheese and mix well.

COMMENTS:

Without any garnish this is not an attractive looking dish. But looks are deceiving, and this was very good. The sauce was sweet, but not overpowering. We agreed there were a number of ingredients that could add to its appeal: bacon or pancetta, mushrooms, and kalamata olives, to name just a few. I was pleased to have a new ingredient at my disposal…the green tomato. I have looked at hundreds of pasta recipes and this was the first one I found for a sauce using  green tomatoes.

11-22-17 Angel Hair pasta with a creamy tomato-lobster sauce

So simple, but oh so good.

The inspiration for this dinner began when Patience pointed out that there was a healthy crop of Dill still in the porch garden.  Knowing it would be several days before we would run out of Thanksgiving leftovers I decided we needed pasta tonight.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Angel hair pasta

2.     Onion and garlic

3.     Olive oil

4.     Del Monte diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

5.     Heavy whipping cream

6.     Basil and fresh dill

7.     Lobster meat (lump crab meat will also work.)

PROCESS:

Prepare the onion and garlic in olive oil, cooking until soft, then add the diced tomatoes and the basil. After 5-10 minutes blend the sauce in a food processor or use a hand held processor, then add the lobster and some fresh dill and continue cooking over low heat. Several minutes before the pasta is ready stir in the cream.

Mix the sauce with the pasta and garnish with fresh dill.

COMMENTS:

Patience and I both gave this a ten-plus plus-plus. The sauce was light, with a gentle sweetness that comes with the Del Monte tomatoes. Fortunately there was enough sauce left over so we will be enjoying this again in the not so distant future.

The Last Porch Pasta of the season?

Fettuccini with eggplant and greens

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Japanese Eggplants

2.      Mixed greens

3.     Olive oil

4.     Carrot thinly sliced

5.     Shallot

6.     Garlic

7.     Dry Sherry

8.     Fresh Oregano and Tarragon

9.     Sundried tomatoes

10. Al dente brand mushroom Fettuccini

PROCESS:

Prepare the soffrito – shallots, carrots, celery, and garlic.  Add the eggplants and cook covered over low-medium heat.  After several minutes add a splash of dry Sherry and the fresh herbs, along with a few chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil.   Continue cooking while waiting for the pasta water to boil. Add the mixed greens and 1/3 cup of chicken broth about 10 minutes before the pasta is expected to be ready.  Add the pasta when ready and mix thoroughly.

COMMENTS:

This may be our last “porch pasta” for the season. The eggplant plant appears to be headed toward plant heaven after having a great season, and it looks like the greens will be joining it. The basil is done, but the tarragon, oregano, thyme, and rosemary look like they may be around a bit longer. The tomatoes are quickly becoming history, however we have a counter full of green ones we picked to save from the freeze.