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

MORE BROCCOLI RABE

Thanks to the folks at Midtown Market broccoli rabe is now a regular staple in our kitchen.  This means more opportunities to explore new ways of putting this unique green to use.

Last night, acting on Patience's suggestion, I combined the BR with mushrooms and onions and served it over a spinach Pappardelle.



INGREDIENTS:

Pappardelle - At Dented brand, available at Midtown Market
Broccoli Rabe - thick stems discarded and coarsely chopped
Onion
Garlic
Olive oi
Mushrooms - combination of shitake and baby portobella
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS;

Cook onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, then add the mushrooms.  Blanch the BR in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain, and add to the mushrooms.  (I drizzled a bit more olive oil at this stage but that is a judgement call.)  Cook over low heat.

In the meantime, bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta.  Place in serving bowl and mix in the greens and mushrooms.  Serve with grated cheese of you choice.

Broccoli Rabe served with white beans

4-11…Pappardelle with chicken, shrimp, and asparagus

It has been over a week since my last pasta post.  We haven’t stopped eating pasta; I’ve been cooking dishes that have previously been posted and did not want to repeat myself.

Our local Kroger store has been carrying organic, boneless chicken thighs and I thought I would try them with asparagus and shrimp.

INGREDIENTS:

Al Dente pappardelle (large flat noodles)

Organic boneless chicken thighs

Asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

Shrimp

Fresh lemon juice

Garlic and shallots

Dry dill

Fresh parsley, finely chopped

White wine

Butter

Olive oil

PROCESS:

Brown the chicken, remove and set aside.  De-glaze the pan, saving the residual with the chicken.

In olive oil, cook the garlic and shallots until soft before adding the chicken and  wine.  Cook covered for about 1- minutes then add the asparagus and seasoning and continue cooking.  Add the shrimp, butter, and lemon juice while the pasta is cooking.

Add the pasta to the pan, mix well, and sprinkle with some of the parsley.

COMMENTS:

 Tastes great, easy to do, and many potential variations are possible. A few quartered cherry tomatoes would add a nice touch of color to the dish.

3-17…Pappardelle with Radicchio and Arugula

Tonight is a first.  I’ve never cooked with radicchio but have been seeing it from time to time in recipes.  I found one in one of my cook books – the pasta bible – that also uses arugula, and since I had some of Christy’s arugula left over, it fit the bill.

INGREDIENTS:

Pappardelle from Al Dente Pasta

Olive oil

Radicchio (1/2 a head finely chopped)

Arugula, coarsely chopped

Garlic and onion

Red wine

Celery

Caponata

Pancetta ( bacon can be used)

PROCESS:

Cook the pancetta, then add the garlic, onion, and celery and cook until soft.  Add the radicchio and a splash of wine and cook until soft.  At this point I tasted the sauce and found it too bitter; to counter this I decided to add a heaping tablespoon of caponata.  This effectively reduced the bitterness.

The cooked pasta is added to the pan, along with the arugula and mixed well.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

COMMENTS:

This  was very good; a distinctly different taste from what I’m used to.  I will do this again, substituting sweet vermouth for the red wine.  Another option is to add fresh eggplant instead of the caponat.

3-13…Pappardelle with Salmon, asparagus and mushrooms

3-13…Pappardelle with Salmon, asparagus and mushrooms in a butter-lemon-wine sauce with sundried cherry tomatoes.

 There was some fine dinning at 803 Madison St. tonight!  Unfortunately I don’t have a name for this dish.

INGREDIENTS:

Pappardelle…Al Dente Pasta brand

Salmon cut into bite size pieces

Asparagus

White mushrooms, sliced

Sundried cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Heavy cream or whole milk, about 1/3 cup

Garlic and shallots

Dry basil, dill and oregano

Fresh parsley

Dry white wine

Butter

Fresh lemon juice

Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Cook the garlic, tomatoes, and shallots with the red pepper flakes in olive oil.  Then add the asparagus, mushrooms, and herbs and cook over low-medium heat.  After 5 minutes (not critical) add the wine and simmer for another few minutes before adding the salmon, butter, and lemon juice.

About 4-5 minutes before the pasta is ready add the cream or whole milk and stir.  Mix in the pasta when it is ready, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

COMMENTS:

Keyth joined us for dinner tonight, It took some badgering on my part, but he finally admitted this was a ten.  P and I agreed.