2-3-18 Gemelli with ham

There was just enough leftover baked ham in the fridge to use for tonight’s pasta.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Gemelli pasta

2.     Baked ham coarsely chopped

3.     Sundried tomatoes chopped

4.     Olive oil

5.     Butter

6.     Carrots

7.     Celery

8.     Dried tarragon

9.     Garlic

10. Leeks

11. Sweet Vermouth

12. Chicken Broth

13. Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

 Cook the Leek, carrots, and parsley in olive oil until soft, add the garlic and sundried tomatoes and continue cooking. About 5 minutes later add the tarragon and chicken broth and continue cooking while waiting for the pasta. When the broth cooks down add some wine.  Add the past and some pasta water and cook for another 1-2 minutes before serving.

COMMENTS:

Wow, this was good, a unique flavor that we really enjoyed. It was worth taking the time to write this up and post.

1-17-18   POET’S PASTA

Our delightful dinner guest tonight was poet/writer Ahron Taub from Washington DC, and current artist in residence at AIR studio in Lowertown.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Gemelli pasta

2.     White mushrooms

3.     Artichoke hearts

4.     Sundried tomatoes- coarsely chopped

5.     Leeks

6.     Garlic

7.     Olive oil

8.     Aurgula

9.     Dried basil

10. Sweet Vermouth

PROCESS:

Cook the Leek and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms start to brown. Lower the heat, add the wine, basil, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts and continue cooking over low-moderate heat. When the pasta is done, add it to the pan and mix well, then add the arugula and allow it to wilt from the heat before serving.  Top with your favorite grating cheese.

12-9-17 Gemelli w artichoke hearts & bottoms

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I had dinner all figured out. It was going to be my precious Patience’s favorite ingredients – artichoke hearts and peas.  Alas, not long into the preparations I discovered there were no peas in the freezer. What could I do? What goes with artichoke hearts... artichoke bottoms, which we happened to have in the freezer, and dinner was saved.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Gemelli

2.     Frozen artichoke bottoms

3.     Artichoke hearts in water

4.     Leeks

5.     Garlic

6.     Celery

7.     Olive oil

8.     Fresh dill and dried tarragon

9.     Lemon juice

10. White wine

11. Butter

12. Pancetta diced

13. Red pepper flakes

14. Chicken broth – about 1/3 cup

PROCESS:

Note – I’m describing the steps I took as I worked my way through this dish. The key is the ingredients, and how you use them is up to you.

Cook the pancetta, remove and set aside, and remove the grease from the pan.

Add olive oil to the pan and cook the leeks and celery until soft, and them add the garlic and continue cooking over low heat.  Add the chicken broth, artichoke bottoms and hearts, and red pepper flakes, plus a splash of wine, and cook covered  until the artichoke is totally defrosted and soft.  Add the herbs and about 1 tbsp of butter and cook uncovered to thicken the sauce.  Before the pasta is done, add the lemon juice and pancetta .

Add the pasta with some pasta water to the pan and mix well.

COMMENTS:

We both gave this a 10, easily.

Gemelli with buttenut squash sauce

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I could not remember what I had in mind when I purchased this package of pre-cut butternut squash from Midtown Market earlier this week, but decided it was time to put it to work tonight...with pasta, of course. Most of the recipes online call for roasting the squash, but I had little interest in doing that tonight.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Gemelli pasta

2.     Butternut squash cut into ¾ “ pieces

3.     Onion and Garlic

4.     Bacon – coarsely chopped

5.     Olive oil

6.     Chicken broth

7.     Sweet vermouth

8.     Sundried tomatoes coarsely chopped

9.     Fresh sage finely chopped

10. Heavy whipping cream

11. Parmigiano cheese

PROCESS:

I sort of made this up as I went along, deciding at the last minute to add the wine and the sundried tomatoes.

Cook the bacon until crisp, remove and drain, and pour the remaining fat from the skillet. Add a small amount of olive oil and prepare the onion and garlic.  Finely chop the squash in a food processor and add to the pan, along with a cup of chicken broth. Also add some finely chopped sage – about 2-3 leaves, a sprinkle of bacon bits, the sundried tomatoes, and a splash of sweet vermouth. Cover and simmer until the squash is soft.

Several minutes before the pasta is ready add the cream and about ¼ cup of cheese and stir well. Add the pasta and some pasta water and mix well. Serve with bacon garnish.

COMMENTS:

I had my doubts about this during the preparation, but they were immediately put to rest with the first taste. Patience, who has no problem telling me what she thinks about the dinner I serve her, loved it. We both agree it would be a good dish for company.

The next time I do this I will not be so lazy and will roast the squash. This dish will definitely be in the Pasta Journal.

I can't keep up with the greens in our porch garden. They grow as quickly as I harvest them. Tonight I found myself looking at a basket of Swiss Chard and beet greens, and a small packet of BBQ pork from our freezer.  It was a no brainer. 

Gemelli with BBQ pork, peas, and mixed greens.  Everything is a shade of pink because of the beet greens.

This was so simple and oh so good.

PASTA QUEST DAY 6

5-7-11


Gemelli with ground beef in a light tomato, cream sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

½ lb. Gemelli pasta
½ lb. ground beef
2 medium cloves garlic
onion
celery, chopped
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, or 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
basil, oregano,
splash of sweet vermouth…optional
2 tablespoons tomato paste
PROCESS:

While the pasta is cooking, brown the beef and remove. Cook garlic, celery, and onions, add the tomato paste and beef and cook for 5 minutes (splash of sweet vermouth if desired) before adding the cheese and/or cream and stir well. Serve with grated cheese of your choice.

COMMENTS;

Patience, being very critical, gave this a 6 while I gave it an 8. I agree with her that I should have browned the beef more than I did. (the first time I served this, about 2 months ago, she gave it a 10…go figure.)

As with all of the pasta dishes I’m describing…the real delight comes in making them your own…adding, subtracting, or just doing things your way. This dish has great potential.

Looking at the photo I can see where it needs some color..perhaps some sliced grape or cherry tomatoes