12-6-17 Spaghetti w Leek, Zucchini, and Anchovies

This is a “refinement” on a dish I first prepared 2 years ago. (I think refinement sounds much better than variation.) I want to include it in a Pasta Journal I’m working on and thought I could improve on the original recipe by adding 2 ingredients, sundried tomatoes and pancetta.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Olive oil

2.     Garlic- pressed

3.     Anchovy fillets – 3- finely chopped

4.     Pancetta

5.     Leek  white and light green part thinly sliced

6.     White wine

7.     Basil fresh or frozen

8.     3 sundried tomatoes coarsely chopped

9.     Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon

10. Salt and pepper

11. Spaghetti

PROCESS:

Cook the pancetta and remove from the pan – set aside to drain. Mix the garlic and chopped anchovies with 1 tablespoon of white wine, then cook in the same pan, adding a little olive oil, until the anchovies dissolve.  Add the Leek , Zucchini, salt and pepper, and Basil and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown.  Turn down the heat, add a splash of wine, the sundried tomatoes, and the tomato paste, mixing thoroughly.

Add the pasta and the pancetta to the sauce, plus pasta water as needed and mix thoroughly.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve with grated Grana Padonna cheese.

COMMENTS:

I had a lot of misgivings about this the first time I made it…until I tasted it.  It turned out to be a winner.  I loved the rustic appearance and taste, the combination of Leek and Zucchini with the Anchovy base is incredible. The addition of the new ingredients made it even better.

NOTE – for all Anchovy haters – they add a richness to the flavor without an Anchovy taste.  Patience always tells me not to tell our guests when I use Anchovies in this way.

LEEK - POTATOES - ASPARAGUS & PASTA

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10-6-16   Leek – Potatoes - Asparagus & Pasta

Six o’clock, and I had not given any thought to dinner.  Fortunately Patience decided on a bike ride, so I had some time to come up with something.  A quick look in the fridge revealed asparagus that needed to be used,  leeks, and 2 potatoes, all that I needed for dinner.

               

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Penne pasta

2.     Leek- sliced crosswise

3.     Potatoes- diced into small cubes

4.     Celery

5.     Asparagus

6.     Garlic –Dorot frozen cube

7.     Basil

8.     Sweet Vermouth –about 1’3 cup

9.     Tomato paste – about 1 tablespoon

10. Heavy whipping cream – about 1/3 – ¼ cup

11. Grana Padana for grating

PROCESS:

Cook the Leek and celery in olive oil for about 3 minutes then add the garlic cube (or one clove of fresh garlic finely chopped).  Turn the heat to high and add the potatoes.  Cook until the potatoes begin to brown – stirring frequently to prevent burning.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the wine, basil, and asparagus.  Wait a few minutes and add the tomato paste.  Continue cooking until the potatoes are cooked to your satisfaction.  The total cooking time for this was about 20-30 minutes.

About 5 minutes before the pasta is ready add the cream and turn the heat to low.

When the pasta is done add it to the pan and mix thoroughly, or use a separate bowl.  Serve with grated Gran Padana cheese.

COMMENTS:

I have to credit Patience for introducing me to the unlikely combination of potatoes and pasta.  She created a dish for us several years ago, and I have borrowed heavily from that ever since.

Try it and you will not be disappointed.  Obviously there is room for any number of variations, but the key is getting the vegetables brown over the high heat

5-5-15  Spaghetti w Leek, Zucchini, and Anchovies

This dish has its origins in Wisconsin.  During our week at the whippet nationals in Oconomowoc, our motor home, along with many others, was parked in the  resort hotels parking lot.  Within walking distance was a small strip mall with several stores, including a rather up-scale looking Good Will store which had a large used book section easily seen from the sidewalk.  Of course I had now choice, and went in to check it out.  Much to my delight there was a collection of cook books in which I found thee two oversized books, in great condition, priced at $1.75 each.

 The Pasta book had a recipe for the Leek-anchovy sauce which I found interesting.  I thought it could be improved with the addition of a little wine and tomato paste.  I also cooked the vegetables over high heat long enough for them to begin browning, giving a rustic flavor to the meal.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Olive oil

2.     Garlic- pressed

3.     Anchovy fillets – 3- finely chopped

4.     Leek  white and light green part thinly sliced

5.     White wine

6.     Basil fresh or frozen

7.     Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon

8.     Salt and pepper

9.     Spaghetti

PROCESS:

Mix the garlic and chopped anchovies with 1 tablespoon of white wine, then cook in olive oil until the anchovies dissolve.  Add the Leek , Zucchini, salt and pepper, and Basil and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown.  Turn down the heat, add a splash of wine and the tomato paste, mixing thoroughly.

Add the pasta to the sauce, plus pasta water as needed.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve with grated Grana Padonna cheese.

COMMENTS:

I had a lot of misgivings about this…until I tasted it.  It turned out to be a winner.  I loved the rustic appearance and taste, the combination of Leek and Zucchini with the Anchovy base is incredible.

NOTE – for all Anchovy haters – they add a richness to the flavor without an Anchovy taste.  Patience always tells me not to tell our guests when I use Anchovies in this way.

I NEVER IMAGINED

That Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts would be the foundation of a great pasta dish.  I suppose this only proves that we are never too old to learn something new.

It began when P and I decided to pursue a more plant based diet, which meant scrambling for new dishes to replace our usual fare…pasta with a little of everything else.  Over the past few months I’ve been learning new ways to prepare both familiar and unfamiliar ingredients.  We’ve even gone so far as to learn to enjoy whole-wheat pasta!

The current edition of La Cucina Italiana contained a recipe for a pureed Cauliflower soup served with sautéed Brussels sprouts.  I tried it 2 nights ago and it was quite good, something we would certainly have again, which we did last night, but in a slightly different setting.

We were going to the theater to see West Side Story, and I wanted something quick and simple to prepare for an early dinner.  Normally this would have been pasta with aglio olio crudo, but since we were limiting our olive oil intake that was not an option.  Browsing the contents of the fridge I saw the leftover soup, which had thickened a bit overnight, and the dinner question was resolved.

The Cauliflower-Leek soup with Brussels sprouts made a perfect sauce for Al Dente Pasta brand egg Pappardelle, served with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

I look forward to trying this again with other pureed soups.

INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower – small florets

Leek – white and light green stem cut crosswise into thin slices

Olive oil

Salt

Vegetable broth

Brussels sprouts

Whole milk – (I used fat free)

Fresh Dill

PROCESS:

Cook the Leek and Cauliflower in the broth, salt, and milk until the Cauliflower is soft, about 30 minutes.  Puree and keep warm.

Cook the Brussels sprouts in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and cool in cold water, and cut into quarters.  Place them in a skillet with olive oil and salt and cook until they start to turn a golden brown.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the pureed soup and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes before serving, sprinkled with fresh Dill