A slice of toast rubbed with garlic was a nice touch to the carbonara with spinach

Speaking of flavor, I couldn’t simply use just the basic ingredients. I had to add some extra bitterness to play off the creamy and bacon flavors and textures. I’m a big fan of spinach (I’ll even eat a bag of it raw!) so I tossed in about three cups of spinach that I had originally been saving to make a wilted spinach salad. Screw the salad–I could make that any time–, the leaves will wilt a bit from the heat and provide an extra punch of flavor. It made a good dish great.

The quantities here are based on about a half pound of store-bought fresh pasta. The recipe can easily be doubled and dry pasta can be used in place of fresh (fresh is so much better, if you have never tried it, I highly suggest it).

Linguine Carbonara with Spinach
Serves about 3-4, depending on how hungry you are.
4 ounces bacon
approx. 8 ounces fresh store-bought pasta
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small shallot
pinch nutmeg (I just run it over my microplane grater 3 or 4 times)
no more than 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (this dish isn’t spicy, I just like the little undercurrent it gives–it goes well with the spinach too)
about 3 cups fresh spinach (I use three large handfulls)
salt

al fredo can't touch this.

Directions
1. Roughly cut the bacon into strips about a quarter to a half inch wide. Put the bacon into a pot over med-low heat to render the fat and crisp the bacon. The great thing here is you can just leave this at low heat while you prepare everything else. Stir it every now and then though and reduce the heat if it begins to fry. The low heat won’t overcook it and you will be able to boost the heat to crisp it.
Meanwhile- Combine the whole egg, egg yolks, cream, both cheeses, and nutmeg in a bowl. Beat/whisk gently to break apart the eggs and combine everything.
Meanwhile- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Check the bacon, at this point some fat should have rendered (you can spoon a bit out if you want). Increase the heat to med-high and add the garlic, red pepper, shallot and wine. Allow to come to a bare simmer to reduce slightly.
3. Once the water boils, cook the pasta just barely to al dente (check your package, fresh pasta can cook in as little as 2 minutes). When draining, reserve about a half cup of the cooking water.
4. When the pasta is nearly done, add the spinach to the bacon, stir, and remove from heat.
5. Drain the pasta (remember to reserve some pasta water). Add the pasta to the bacon & spinach mixture and toss once or twice. Add the cream & egg mixture to the pot and toss to combine. Serve immediately (bonus points for using warmed bowls–I’m just saying).

Wikipedia actually lists several possibly origins and meanings for the dish’s name. The most popular version seems to be that prostitues would make this dish to attract customers with it’s strong scent. That seems a bit suspect to me as a strong smelling prostitute would probably be one to avoid. Another popular theory was that the dish was so quick, easy, fast, and cheap that they could make it between customers without losing much business. Hmmm…. “quick, easy, fast, cheap” used in the same paragraph as the word “prostitutes”… Coincidence?

Should this really be called whore's pasta?

Whatever the source of the name, it does make for a very easily made, inexpensive dish. The ingredients are simple and very flavorful. I don’t know of many meals that pack quite the pungency of this one for as few ingredients as are used. If you are a fan of olives, flavorful sauces, and a little bit of heat, this sauce is for you.

While I’m talking about pungent ingredients, I feel the need to mention that I don’t understand why anchovies commonly get such a bad rap. They are packed with umami and pair fantastically with meats and vegetables. If you have never earnestly given anchovies a try, you really should. Anchovies or anchovy like things probably show up in more ingredients and dishes than you imagine.

Pasta Puttanesca

The preparation should take less time than it takes to bring a pot of water to boil and the noodles to cook. This is really quick people, go for it.

Pasta Puttanesca
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, minced
table salt
1 lb spaghetti
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 tsps minced anchovies (8-10 fillets)
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved
3 tbsps capers, rinsed
2/3 cup Kalamata olives (or other black olives), pitted and chopped coarse

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add the pasta. Cook until al dente.
2. While the water is heating/pasta is cooking in Step 1, heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once hot add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and anchovies. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but nothing browns, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.
3. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the reserved tomato juice and toss once to mix. Add the contents of the skillet, capers, and olives to the pasta and toss to combine. Add more tomato juice if there is not enough liquid.

Bolognese with tagliatelle

There are a few key ingredients and methods that are overlooked by many when attempting a bolognese sauce. It’s not quite as simple as mixing ground beef and tomato suace together–that may make a good meat sauce, but it’s not a bolognese.

The two most often overlooked ingredients in a bolognese are white wine, and milk. Yes, white whine, and milk. Sounds odd to many people. The BBC segment even has reaction shots of people discovering their their beloved dish should be made with (gasp) milk!

A quick search online reveals many variations on the classic meat sauce recipe. Some recipes look nothing like the original with the additions of peppers, mushrooms, red wine, even cheeses directly into the sauce. I’ve attempted to keep my recipe basic without making any alarming changes. One difference I did adopt was instead of just beef and pancetta (or bacon), I use a mixture of beef, veal, and sausage to provide a complex base of meaty flavor.

Oh, and one thing the video points out is that is should be served with tagliatelle, not spaghetti. Italian chefs can be quick to point out that each shape and style of pasta is best suited for different kinds of sauce. The wide, semi-rough ribbons of tagliatelle make it ideal for thicker meatier sauces to cling to. Spaghetti can work, but it’s not ideal. The thin, round, slick strands make it difficult to hold the meat with the pasta. If you can’t find it in the store, go with fettuccine.

Pasta Bolognese

This recipe is time consuming, but most of the cooking time is passive. You just let it simmer away on the stove. To make the time spent more worthwhile, this recipe makes a very large batch, about 12 cups. I normally make the large batch and freeze it in about 3 cup quantities that are ideal for a pound of pasta. I also needed about 6 cups for something else… stay tuned next week to find out.

It’s adapted from many different sources, but looking at it now, it seems heavily influenced by Cooks Illustrated and Epicurious. But traditional is traditional and shouldn’t change much anyway. You can also put in a pinch of nutmeg when adding the milk. I just as often remember to add it as forget it. Either way, keep it to a small pinch.

Classic Bolognese
Makes 10-12 cups, recipe can be halved. 3 cups is good for 1 lb of pasta.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions (1lb), minced fine
2 medium carrots (1/2 lb), minced fine
2 medium celery stalks (1/2 lb), minced find
4 cloves garlic, minced or mashed
1 lb beef, ground
1 lb veal, ground
1 lb pork, ground
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp pepper (1 1/2 tsp)
1 1/2 c milk
pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 1/2 c white wine
2 28-oz cans crusted tomatoes

Directions
1. Heat a large pot over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the vegetables and garlic. Cook for about 12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, but not browned. Reduce the heat if necessary.
2. Add the meats, salt and sugar and mix thoroughly. Cool just until it looses the raw color, but not yet fully cooked.
3. Add the milk and bring to a slow simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, about 25 minutes. If using nutmeg, add a pinch now.
4. Add the wine and continue the slow simmer until most of that liquid evaporates, another 25 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes with the juices from the cans. Continue the slow simmer for about three hours. (I leave it uncovered, but put a spatter screen over the top to catch any spatter.)

Pretty much as far from real pasta as you can get.

I have a little bit of a problem calling it pasta because that’s so far removed from the truth. The original article bills it as a way for low-carb diet followers to get some quote-pasta-unquote into their diet without actually having carbs. Don’t get the wrong idea here, the comparisons to pasta really just begin and end with the appearance. It’s basically zucchini cut into long strips instead of chunks. Not pasta at all, but makes for a nice, unique presentation.

The best way to prepare it is to grab a long zucchini and a sharp vegetable peeler. Just run the peeler down the length of the zucchini making long strips. Rotate the vegetable as you go and don’t get too much of the seedy interior–that will just fall apart as it cooks.

Making the "pasta".

My method was extremely simple. First, cut the zucchini into strips as described above. Then heat some olive oil (~1tbsp) and some red pepper flakes (~1/2tsp) over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Once it gets hot, add the zucchini and toss to coat. Do not crowd the pan. If cooking a large amount, separate the zucchini into two or three batches. Cook for about two to four minutes, do not overcook as they will become mushy and fall apart. Add salt, black pepper, and a small squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

You can see the NYT preparation here.

Don't forget the Parmesan!

This combination is not much different than many that are out there. I’m not sure that lemon juice is in many of the versions, but I find that a little bit of the acidic citrus really brightens up the dish. It also balances out the mild bitterness of the broccoli rabe. If you can’t get broccoli rabe, you can use any other bitter green leaf lettuce (kale, mustard greens, or spinach are good options, prepare them the same way), or even broccoli florets.

Ingredients
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, thick stems trimmed, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound orecchiette
Parmesan cheese, for serving
about half a lemon

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cut broccoli rabe and boil for about a minute. Scoop out the broccoli rabe and put into a large bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking process). Keep the water, you are going to re-use this pot.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, then the sausage. Break the sausage into small pieces and cook until it browns, about 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. About 5 minutes into the cooking time of the sausage, return the large pot of water to high heat to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Cooking time varies from brand to brand, 8 minutes is about average, check after 6.
4. Strain the pasta. Strain the broccoli rabe. Return the pasta to the empty pot, add the broccoli rabe and the sausage. Squeeze about a quarter to a half of a lemon into the pot. Toss to combine. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Health tip: Using turkey sausage will make this dish even healthier. Add a pinch more red pepper flakes and a pinch of Italian herbs to boost the flavor.

]]> http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/08/18/orecchiette-sausage-and-broccoli-rabe/feed/ 1 http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/06/11/fresh-ravioli/ http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/06/11/fresh-ravioli/#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:33:06 +0000 William http://www.thefoodspot.com/?p=792 http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/06/11/fresh-ravioli/feed/ 0 http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/05/15/penne-wsalmon-and-vodka-sauce/ http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/05/15/penne-wsalmon-and-vodka-sauce/#comments Fri, 15 May 2009 11:12:13 +0000 William http://www.thefoodspot.com/?p=804 Here’s a good use for that marinara sauce in an unusual but tasty dish. Adding cream and Parmesan thicken the sauce to help it stick to the penne. The creaminess also nicely complements the salmon. I used canned (gasp!) salmon because I was lazy, but I’m sure it would be better with fresh roasted salmon.


It might not look like the most attractive dish in the world, but it was eaten pretty quickly.

Why add the vodka? It comes down to the solubility of different compounds in foods. Solubility just means that one thing is able to dissolve into another. Just because something dissolves in water doesn’t mean that it will dissolve in everything else (try adding salt to oil and stir as much as you want, it won’t dissolve like it does in water). This is not just true for solids, but liquids too; fats and oils will dissolve in alcohol, but not in water (think about what happens when you add olive oil to water). In short, both water and fats are soluble in alcohol so it helps spread more flavors more evenly throughout the dish. Wine can be used, but a neutral spirit, vodka, was chosen to avoid the additional flavors found in wine.



Penne with salmon vodka cream sauce.


Ingredients
For more salmon, feel free to use two cans.
1/2 lb penne (or other small-med pasta like gemelli, fusilli, or farfalle)
2 cups marinara sauce (homemade if you have it, storebought is OK)
1/2 cup vodka
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated or shredded
1 3 cup heavy cream
1 (6oz.) can boneless skinless salmon, drained

Directions

1. Bring the tomato sauce just to a simmer over medium to med-high heat in a large skillet. Add the vodka and stir until it is absorbed. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes (check the pasta packet). It should still be firm, but cooked through. Drain.
3. About 6-7 minutes into the cooking time of the pasta, add the cream to the sauce and stir to combine. Then sprinkle evenly with parmesan and stir until it is melted and well incorporated. Add the drained salmon, trying not to break it into too many tiny peices.
4. Combine the drained pasta with the sauce and toss to coat.
]]> http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/05/15/penne-wsalmon-and-vodka-sauce/feed/ 1 http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/05/13/basic-marinara-sauce/ http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/05/13/basic-marinara-sauce/#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 11:10:20 +0000 William http://www.thefoodspot.com/?p=761 Some nights even I can’t stand the thought of doing anything more complicated than boiling water or turning on the microwave. On those nights I reach for a portion of this marinara sauce that I keep in my freezer. I simply make a batch of pasta (boil water), warm up the sauce (microwave), and call it a day. Oh, check your fridge for some parmesan, it’s probably back there somewhere.

This simple, straightforward sauce can be enjoyed on its own or adapted in any number of ways. Add some broth or water to make a thin sauce, add large amounts of vegtables to make a refreshing spring/summer pasta, add some meats, spices, herbs, whatever you have–don’t be afraid to experiment.



A pot of basic marinara sauce.

I typically use canned crushed tomatoes to cut down on the amount of processing I have to do. The small chunks that remain make the sauce appear more rustic and traditional than if it is blended smooth.

For a simpler sauce, omit the carrots and celery, use only one onion, and add a few tablespoons of some herbs like thyme, basil, and parsley. (I usually avoid oregano as it’s more Greek than Italian and quickly overpowers the other ingredients of the dish.)

This recipe makes plenty of sauce (about 6 cups, 48 ounces) but I sometimes double it if I am making a batch to freeze.

The sauce is also vegetarian/vegan friendly.

Basic Marinara Sauce:
You get extra points if you replace the crushed tomatoes with whole canned Italian tomatoes, remove the seeds, and crush them with the back of a spoon.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion softens (2-4 minutes).
3. Add the carrot, celery, salt, and pepper to the party. Stir occasionally and saute until everything softens (5-7 minutes).
4. Next add the tomatoes, basil and bay leaves. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about an hour to thicken. (If it doesn’t thicken after an hour, continue simmering with the lid off.)
5. Fish out the bay leaf and taste. Some canned tomatoes are more acidic than others, so tasting is crucial. If the sauce is acidic, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, mix in and taste again. Repeat if needed. (Alternatively, I’ve also seen other recipes call for a pinch of sugar–sugar will keep it vegetarian/vegan.)
6. I typically leave as is, but if a smoother sauces is needed, blend in batches in either a food processor or blender.

Sauce can be frozen in portions in plastic freezer bags. To thaw, place the bag if the fridge overnight, or if in a hurry, soak the bag in warm water.



Close up of sauce.

]]> http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/05/13/basic-marinara-sauce/feed/ 1 http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/01/29/spicy-shrimp-pasta-with-sun-dried-tomatoes/ http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/01/29/spicy-shrimp-pasta-with-sun-dried-tomatoes/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:10:57 +0000 William http://safetoeat.wordpress.com/?p=244 Olive oil can make a great, light pasta sauce alternative to the heavy Alfredo or the all-to-common marinara sauce. Olive oil sauces are also much easier to make, requiring much less preparation and ingredients than the other two sauces.


Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Sundried Tomatoes

The nice thing about an olive oil sauce is that it lets you play with more spices and herbs to bring those tastes to the front of the dish. You infuse the olive oil with any number of ingredients and drizzle it over the pasta. In this dish I used garlic, red pepper flakes and parsley as the primary flavors. I also soaked the sun-dried tomatoes in the oil to help reconstitute them and help the flavors mix.

The small brown things you see are fried garlic chips. I sliced some garlic into thin disks and essentially fried them in the olive oil. This yielded crispy garlic chips that not only infused the oil with the garlic flavor but also served as a great texture contrast in the dish and looked great as a garnish.



Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Sundried Tomatoes

We’ve discussed picking out shrimp/shellfish before in Erica’s guest post about scallops. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Shrimp should be bought frozen. Most shrimp boats freeze their catches directly on the boat and thawed shrimp begin losing their flavor in just a couple of days.

As far as what size to go with? I tend to like large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound) because you don’t have to prepare as many to get a full dish. But it’s up to you, these were smaller but on sale, so I went ahead and got these.



Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Sundried Tomatoes

Though I don’t always do this, I have read that it’s best not to buy cleaned and peeled shrimp. A chemical called tripolyphosphate is sometimes used in commercially cleaned shrimp. This chemical aids in water retention and can give shrimp an off flavor. The extra moisture will be released during cooking, and the shrimp will steam rather than sauté. That said, I am sometimes lazy and if I’m the only one eating it, I have bought prepared shrimp before.

Spicy Shrimp Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7 cloves garlic ; 6 cloves sliced thin lengthwise, 1 clove minced
6 sundried tomatoes, cut into strips
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I like this dish spicy, if you don’t like very spicy food, use 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges for serving

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the spaghetti as directed on the packet. (Dry pasta generally takes about 8 to 9 minutes for al dente.) When the pasta is al dente, drain and set aside (covered to retain heat). The pasta should be finished about the same time, or before, the shrimp finishes.
2. After shrimp has been prepared, pat them dry with some paper towel and toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Put the oil into a small skillet and heat over medium heat. Once oil is hot add the sliced garlic to fry it. Stir occasionally. If you do not hear the garlic sizzle, increase the heat to medium high. Once the garlic is golden and crisp, remove with a fork or slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the red pepper flakes and sun dried tomatoes. Stir to cover everything with oil.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2-3 tbsps of oil from the small skillet then add the shrimp. Increase the heat to high and spread the shrimp in a single layer so that they are all touching the bottom of the pan. Cook until the edges turn pink, about 1 minute.
6. Flip the shrimp, add sherry, and simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 minute more. Transfer shrimp to the pasta bowl.
7. Reduce the heat to medium, add the contents of the small skillet to the large one. Add the minced garlic, parsley, butter, and lemon juice and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Adjust seasonings if needed.
8. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and pasta. Mix the dish to coat everything with the sauce.
9. Serve. Garnish with the browned garlic chips and place some lemon wedges on the side.

Open some wine and enjoy!



Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Sundried Tomatoes

]]> http://www.thefoodspot.com/2009/01/29/spicy-shrimp-pasta-with-sun-dried-tomatoes/feed/ 0 http://www.thefoodspot.com/2008/11/02/absorption-pasta/ http://www.thefoodspot.com/2008/11/02/absorption-pasta/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:55:04 +0000 William http://safetoeat.wordpress.com/?p=43 Absorption Pasta with Peas and Parmesan

This was something I have been wanting to try for a while: cooking pasta like a risotto. I’ve seen it on several blogs, in How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman and at Cook’s Illustrated. Everybody knows that with pasta, you just have to boil it in a big pot of water until al dente. Generally, the more water you have, the better, because the starch has more opportunity to be released from the pasta. But if you cook it like risotto, then the starch stays in the dish. While it may sound counter-productive, that is exactly what you want here. The starch is what makes a risotto a risotto. Now, I have to admit, I have never made a risotto. I will try that soon. But I did have some Orzo left over from when I made some soups. I figured I could use orzo to make absorption pasta. I cribbed a bit from How to Cook Everything, Bittman has a slightly different method in his How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (online recipe here, courtesy Google Book Search ), and the Cook’s Illustrated version.



Absorption Pasta with Peas and Parmesan

Absorpotion Pasta
2 tbsps olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound orzo
3/4 cup vermouth (dry white wine works fine, I had no wine on hand, so I subbed vermouth)
4 cups chicken stock
1 Lemon (grate the zest and juice the lemon)
10 oz frozen peas (one 10 oz box. I actually added only about 3/4 of it.)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsps butter, unsalted

1. Heat the chicken stock in a small pot over medium high heat. If it begins to boil, reduce the heat. The purpose is just to keep the liquid hot for when it is added to the rest of the dish.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet on medium high heat. When hot, add the shallot, 3/4 tsp salt and cook about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook about a minute more. Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally until “toasted”. At this point, most of the orzo should look lightly golden brown. This can take about 5 minutes.
3. Add the vermouth (3/4 cup), stir. Continue to stir using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and let the liquid absorb into the pasta.
4. Add the lemon juice and zest. Add the chicken stock about a 1/2 cup at a time. Stir each time you add more liquid. Do not add more liquid until the previous addition has nearly been completely absorbed. The orzo should never get “dry” nor should it look soupy.
5. After about 10 minutes, begin tasting the orzo. It will be finished when it is al dente–it should be tender, but still firm. This time it took about 17 minutes for it to reach that stage, but it can happen sooner. Do not worry if you do not use all of the stock.
6. Add the frozen peas and mix until everything has warmed through.
7. Reduce the heat to low, add the Parmesan and the butter.

The peas are optional. I find that they add a nice contrast in texture to the orzo in the dish.
The lemon is optional. I served this with the Pan-roast Chicken which had a lemon-herb pan sauce, so I figured keeping the lemon theme going couldn’t hurt.

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