Creamy Shell Soup with Chili Oil
This soup is my version of “everything but the kitchen sink.” And, although I hate saying that because it reminds me of remnants of food lurking around waiting to be tossed I’m holding it to high standards here. This is not a rich creamy soup but one that’s brothy with a splash of cream enough to make it look a little foggy. The addition of baby shells, escarole (or any green you like; kale or spinach too), plenty of grated mozzarella, pecorino, and a drizzle of chili oil is just so comforting to me. I made my own hot pepper oil, not to be mistaken with chili crisp which also works nicely here too!
Total Time:
Yield: 2 servings
Gather The Goods
1 cup baby shells
Kosher salt
1 quart chicken broth
3 cups chopped escarole
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pecorino Romano for grating
chili crisp for drizzling
Make It
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until very al dente or toothsome since it will be going into soup. Drain and set aside.
Bring chicken broth to a simmer and add escarole. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it’s wilted and tender. Add ditalini into the pot along with cream, cheese, and chili crisp.
Fettucini Alfredo
The classic Italian Roman dish made with with fettuccini, butter, and parmigiano reggiano.
Alfredo sauce is historically made with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano. A true Italian recipe for alfredo sauce will never have heavy cream. I know, I know it’s just so much better with heavy cream. But, is it? I absolutely loveee a sauce of butter, pasta water, and parmigiano reggiano. It’s smooth and silky and less fatty? I never considered alfredo to be my top choice for pasta but, that was before I realized cream has no place here! Now, it’s in my top faves.
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
GATHER THE GOODS
8 ounces fettucini (bronze cut)
kosher salt to taste
2 ounces European butter (Delitia butter of Parma)
6 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
MAKE IT
Bring a large skillet of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt and fettucini cooking until al dente, and toothsome. The pasta should still have a little bite to it. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain pasta in a colander. Place pasta back in pan.
Over low heat add butter and Parmigiano in stages stirring slowly and gently to allow the heat and agitation of pasta to emulsify the sauce. Add a little bit of pasta sauce to create a creamier consistency if the cheese thickens the mixture too much.
Pastina From The Pot-- Single Serve
GATHER THE GOODS
2 tablepoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tabslepoon olive oil plus more for drizzling
8 ounces pastina
2 cloves garlic, grated
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
ricotta salata
pecorino romano
MAKE IT
In a medium high sided sauce pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil. Once butter is melted add pastina and garlic. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until a few pieces of the the pasta begin to get toasty and golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Pour in sauce and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pasta absorbs most of the liquid and the mixture is super cream but still loose. It should resemble the texture of risotto.
Stir in remaining butter, pecorino and serve with ricotta salata and a drizzle of olive oil.
Eat out of the pot!
Butternut Sqaush Cavatelli & Amaretti Crumbs
Yield: 4 servings
GATHER THE GOODS
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
kosher salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon rosemary, finley chopped
8 small amaretti cookies, coarsely ground (about 5-6 tablespoons)
1 # fresh or frozen cavatelli
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
MAKE IT
Preheat oven to 400° and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Toss butternut squash with 3 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika if using. Cook for until the squash is tender all the way thru and the outside is caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
In a medium saute pan over medium heat, heat 3 tablespoons oil. Add onions and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and parts of the onions start to caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase heat to medium high. Pour in white wine and continue to cook until wine evaporates 5to 7 minutes.
In a small saute pan over medium high heat, heat butter. Toast rosemary and amaretti cookies just until lightly golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and remove from heat.
Transfer squash to a food processor or blender with garlic and 3/4 cup water. Puree until smooth. There will be about 1 to 1/2 cups butternut squash puree. The more you use the thicker the sauce will be (up to you on how saucy you want it to be!). In a large skillet over medium heat combine pureed squash and heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted, boiling water cook cavatelli until al dente, according to package instructions. Using a slotted spoon transfer cavatelli to sauce, adding pasta water as needed until desired sauce consitency is reached. Sprinkle in cheese and stir.
Serve pasta with a sprinkle of caramelized onions and amaretti breadcrumbs.
*Recipe inspired by Spaghetti Cafe, Brooklyn NY
Fettuccini Aglio e Olio
GATHER THE GOODS
Yield: 2 servings
1 pound Italian hot peppers
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces fettuccini (Dececco)
Kosher salt to taste
3 tablespoons butter
8 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (Locatelli)
MAKE IT
In a large saute pan over medium high heat add oil and peppers. Cover with a splatter screen to avoid oil splatter. Allow to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat until the peppers are golden and tender, flipping halfway through. Remove the peppers and reserve the oil.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and salt.
While the pasta cooks: In the pan with pepper oil over medium heat add the butter to melt. Once melted add the garlic and stir into the butter. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic.
Add the tomato paste and stir into the garlic butter mixture. Cook the tomato paste for 2 minutes or until it starts to caramelize slightly (your nose will be the best indicator of this).
Once the pasta is done add it right into the pan with the pasta water. Add the cheese right on top of the hot pasta. Gently stir the pasta into the sauce until it emulsifies, and forms a glossy sauce on every strand of pasta.
Serve right away with more grated cheese. Mangia!
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Word on the street is that stovetop mac and cheese is where it’s at. Baked mac and cheese is great, don’t get me wrong, but why all the fuss? I created a version at the PowerHouse test kitchen from a roundup of ingredients. Consider these little vesuvio pasta shapes perfect for mac and cheese. They spiral in a way that captures all the cheese just so well.
Gather The Goods
1 pound Vesuvio pasta
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces bacon, cut into strips
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups Half and half
2 cups gouda
2 cups mozzarella
1 cup mild cheddar
1 cup Pepper jack
For the breadcrumb
Breadcrumb
Butter
Make It
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season the water with salt and add the pasta. Cook the pasta just until al dente. Strain the pasta and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium high heat add the bacon and render the fat until golden brown and crispy.
Turn the heat to medium and sprinkle in the garlic powder and white pepper and toast the spices for a couple seconds.
Off heat, add the half and half and all of the cheeses. Return the pan to the flame and cook until the cheese has melted. Pour in the cooked pasta and gently fold into the cheese sauce.
In another small saucepan over medium high heat melt the butter. Once the butter has melted add the breadcrumb and stir until it begins to turn golden brown in color. This should take no more than 5 minutes.
Serve the stove top mac and cheese with breadcrumbs on top.
Butternut Squash Cascatelli Bake
I am here for all of it! The new cascatelli pasta is just what it seems; toothsome (if cooked well, of course), beautiful, sturdy, and a delicious slope for sauces. It’s a wonderful thing! I wanted to create a dynamic recipe featuring this new baby and it took me a couple tries. Over the summer I made it with a yellow tomato sauce which did not win me over. Maybe I tried too hard thinking it would be different than the usual red tomato sauce, but it was just ok. Months later I had the urge to develop something creamy with tarragon, shiitakes, and butternut squash. I adore butternut squash in pasta dishes because it has so much character without being too obtrusive.
Gather the Goods
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt
3 tablespoons butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound shiitaki mushrooms, cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 pound Cascatelli pasta
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
Make It
Preheat the oven to 370 degrees. Season the squash with salt and olive oil. Roast your butternut-squash in the oven until tender and lightly golden. Remove, cool, and mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Keep the oven on.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. I would add the pasta in once the sauce is nearly done. You can always turn your water down to a simmer if your sauce isn’t ready. (See step 4 below)
In a large saute pan melt the butter. Add the garlic and shiitaki mushrooms. Stir and saute for about 4 minutes until the mushrooms soften and brown in color. Season with salt.
Add the tarragon, parsley, lemon juice and zest and stir together. At this point the pasta should go in. Cook until al dente / really toothsome! Then drain.
Using a whisk add the flour until it becomes to clump up and form a roux. Cook on medium low heat for about 2 minutes.
Add the cream whisking to avoid lumps. Season with salt and bring up to a simmer so it can begin to thicken. Add the hot drained pasta and parmesan cheese to the sauce and gently stir.
Pour the pasta into your baking pan of choice and dollop the top with the reserved butternut squash. Sprinkle the pasta with mozzarella cheese and bake until golden brown, maybe 15 minutes or so.
"Best Ever" Chili Oil Glass Noodles
Gather The Goods
vegetable or olive oil
1 pound wide flat glass noodles
8 Thai eggplant, sliced and halved
10 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1 cup firm tofu, drained and cubed 1/2” thick
1/4 cup chili oil (a total favorite: Lao Gan Ma Fried Chili in Oil )
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup basil, rough chopped
2 sliced scallions for garnish
Make It
Begin by soaking your glass noodles in hot water. I had my water simmering while the noodles soaked. Since they are thicker and will take longer to soften I didn’t want the water to cool down.
In the meantime begin by sautéing the eggplant in a bit of oil over medium high heat. Cook until it softens and caramelizes.
Add the garlic and stir into the eggplant and cook until lightly golden and aromatic.
Add the tofu, chili oil, and soy sauce and gently stir to combine.
Toss in the cooked noodles and basil and stir all the deliciousness together!
Adjust seasoning based on your palate: add more chili oil or soy sauce to your liking and garnish with scallions!
Corzetti Pasta with Brown Butter Walnut Sauce
What if you could create your own stamp just for pasta? Corzetti is a Ligurian pasta known as the beautiful coin-like imprinted pasta. There are so many sfoglinas (female hand-made pasta producers) that make this magic happen in Italy! It’s more than rolling and cutting… it’s about that special tool.
For all the Christians out there, it may remind you of a Communion wafer, but I’ll ensure that it tastes nothing like one. Some add white wine to their pasta dough- quite clever if I may. They are typically dressed in a buttery walnut sauce or simply olive, garlic, and lemon. Delicate shapes need delicate sauces.
GATHER THE GOODS
2 sticks butter
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 cup walnuts, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 pound Corzetti Pasta
kosher salt
parmesan cheese for grating
MAKE IT
Make your brown butter sauce by adding 2 sticks of butter to a medium saute panand begin to melt over medium heat.
Once completely melted and bubbly add grated garlic and walnuts and cook over medium low heat until the butter begins to brown
Add half of the lemon juice, and lemon zest along with salt and taste for seasoning. It may need more lemon… it may not. Depends on your palate!
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil an cook the corzetti until al dente. Since they are so thin and fragile it is best to undercook them in my opinion! And they will cook fairly fast.
You can strain them in a colander or use a large slotted spoon and transfer them quickly into the sauce. This could be done right in the same bowl you will serve them in.
Grate LOTS of cheese on top and serve right away!
Testaroli
GATHER THE GOODS
Testaroli (buy here), cut into large squares
pesto
parmesan cheese for sprinkling
olive oil for drizzling
pignoli nuts for garnish
MAKE IT
1. Bring a large pot of water or stock to a boil. Season with salt and drop in the pieces of testaroli.
2. Cook the testaroli until tender only a couple minutes. You still want them to have a bite when eating. They should not fall apart on the plate.
3. Drain them with a large slotted spoon and place right onto your serving dish or platter.
4. Slather the testaroli with pesto, drizzles of olive oil, lots of parmesan cheese, and some pignoli nuts for crunch.
Crumbly Crab Casarecce
I have this undying obsession with pasta. First and last meal I would like to eat everyday of the week. I had a crab-cake request and I couldn’t bring myself to leave it at that, so I turned it inside out. A pasta inspired by crab cakes is actually a great idea with notes of lemon, saltiness from capers, a light umami cheesy bite and lightly shredded crab. I can tell you, though, it would not be the same experience without a coating of buttery breadcrumb sprinkled on top. Why the hell not? I started seeing restaurants do that a few years ago when I was in culinary school and I thought it was the most clever way to dress a pasta. It’s unintentionally elevated with a an extra layer of texture. It’s no longer only dedicated to baked pastas and mac and cheese.
Gather the Goods
1# Casarecce Pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cups capers
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 1/2 cups jonah crab meat
1/2 cup grated parmesan or roman
olive oil
salt to taste
Buttery Crumbs
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter
olive oil
salt to taste
Make It
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook the pasta until al dente. Save about a cup of starchy pasta liquid for the sauce.
To make the crumb topping melt the butter and olive oil in a medium pot or saute pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumb and mix to combine toasting slightly. Season with salt if desired.
Once the pasta is done, coat with butter after completely drained.
In a large saute pan or dutch oven heat a drizzle of olive oil. Add the smoked paprika and celery seed to the oil and saute for a couple seconds. Then add the capers, lemon, and pasta water and bring to a quick simmer.
Add the crab meat and pasta, and cheese and toss to combine. Taste to make sure the cheese, salt, and citrus level are where you want it to be. Adjust according to your liking!
Chili Speckled Tortellini Soup
Gather the Goods
YIELD: 2 servings
1 quart low chicken broth
1 1/2 cups fresh mini tortellini
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons chili oil
Make It
Bring the chicken broth to a simmer and add the tortellini.
Cook the tortellini until al dente (it will be sitting in the pot so it could easily overcook).
Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach and mozzarella. The heat will wilt the greens and melt the cheese. Stir gently so the cheese doesn’t clump.
Pour in the cream and drizzle over the chili oil and stir gently.
Season with salt to taste and serve in deliciously big ramen bowls.
***Tips: Great for a quick kitchen pantry fix when you have a hankering for something warm and carb-filled.
Roasted Arrabiata Casarecce
The first thing I didn’t expect to see on the streets in Accra, Ghana were boiling vats of water for pasta. There was pasta around us, mostly spaghetti that locals were selling on the streets. I couldn’t help but feel super curious by all of it, especially when nearly every hotel menu offered pasta in some form. Ghana’s food scene is fulfilled by spice. If you want to feast like a true Ghanaian, you will have to bring on the heat!
While digging through my memories and brainstorming recipe ideas I remembered seeing Pasta Arrabiata on some menu somewhere! And I thought it would be clever to bridge two worlds into one. A Lazio, Italy region classic could not be more perfect for a Ghanaian palate. It’s the spice baby!
My sauce will kick you in the booty and make you feel warm and fuzzy all at the same time. It’s rich with lots of fat from olive oil and slabs of butter that cooked slowly into the sauce as it roasted in the oven. It’s thick and viscous, not quite how a tomato sauce should be, but what I think is the perfect consistency for richness and cozy fall weather. Cheese is not common in a Ghanaian diet, but there is no darn way I couldn’t include it here. So with further research, I found that farmer's cheese is quintessential in Ghana if and when there is any cheese to be had or used at all. It’s like a mascarpone ricotta combo, creamy but crumbly and perfect for the top of a baked pasta. And I love the addition of breadcrumb for a little buttery crunch factor.
Gather the Goods
YIELD: 4- 6 servings
1 pound Casarecci
olive oil
5 large cloves garlic, grated
1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 fresh cherry pepper, cut in half
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into thirds
1 cup farmers cheese, room temperature and crumbled
Buttered Breadcrumb
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
Make It
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Sweat 3 cloves garlic in olive oil until lightly browned and toasted, it may start to clump together (this is ok!)
Add the cherry pepper and let the pieces sizzle a few seconds in the oil allowing its inner aromatics to kick!
Pour the tomato into the pan and sprinkle salt over the top and stir to combine. Taste the sauce in the “raw stages”so you know how different the end product will be.
Grate two more raw garlic cloves into the sauce and stir.
Drizzle the sauce with about two tablespoons of olive oil and tuck the butter gently into the surface of the sauce.
Roast the sauce in the oven for about 1 hour until it has reduced by half. Stir occasionally to incorporate the fat!
In the last 15-20 minutes boil salted water for pasta! Cook the pasta until al dente, and save some of the starchy water.
Melt the butter over medium high heat until golden. Add the breadcrumb and toast until light brown. Set aside.
Coat the pasta with a little bit of sauce and a little bit of the cooking water and heat over medium high heat to create a fluid saucy emulsion.
Put one layer of pasta in a small casserole dish and crumble the farmers cheese over top. Then spoon another layer of pasta in the casserole dish and top with another layer of crumbled cheese.
Put the oven on broil and bake until the cheese is toasty (this will go quick! Like in seconds so watch carefully!)
Sprinkle the breadcrumb over top and eat once cooled slightly.
Charred Tomato Sauce
I thought it would be a smokey idea. Instead of standing over a hot flame in mid summers heat stirring your tomatoes every 10 minutes, why not go to the grill instead? Summer equals grilling and light fair. The last thing you want to eat in hot weather is something super rich and heavy. But! There’s still a way to make so much use of those tomatoes that grow wildly all summer long. If you like those little bits of charred tomato skin sprinkled throughout your food then I think this is the right fit for you! Charring the tomatoes give it edge and allows you to kind of think outside of the box. Lemon zest and cojita cheese sprinkled over the pasta offer that kind of punch that a tomato sauce variation needs! Check out this recipe below!
Gather The Goods
Ingredients:
Benedetto Cavalieri Fettuccini
olive oil
salt to taste
2 bunches tomato on the vine
2 red onions, quartered
8 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup Cojita cheese, crumbled
Micro greens or baby Arugula for garnish
Method
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. In the meantime, heat your grill on high.
Rub your tomatoes and onions with olive oil and salt. Place the garlic in a foil pouch with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Place the vegetables on the grill and cook util char marks are present and the flesh of the tomatoes are getting super soft.
Once the vegetables have achieved their desired doneness, remove and cool slightly.
Blend the tomatoes, onions, and garlic in the blender-salting as needed. Fold in butter and lemon zest.
Serve pasta with sauce, cojita cheese, and micro greens.
Pink Peppercorn Pasta
This pasta is simple, it’s amazing and it’s feminine- which I love! It’s my take on cacio e pepe but with different cheese, different “peppercorns” (that are actually dried berries), and seasoned pasta water! I would love for you to get in on this one because it’s fabulously delicious. I made this for Mother’s Day since my mom loves cacio e pepe and she loves all things pink. It felt like the right thing to do! I used Benedetto Cavalieri’s Spaghettoni pasta which is fairly traditional for this Roman-style dish. The game changer was the Sicilian Incanestrato cheese which is hard, aged cheese like parmesan or pecorino, but a whole lot better!!! Is that possible and did I actually admit to this? YES.
I discovered this cheese at a small Italian market on the upper east side but I can’t imagine it’s not sold elsewhere?! And the pink peppercorn berries took a little hunting but I am in love now! The seasoned pasta water adds another level of flavor. Other than salting your water to taste the equivalent of the black sea I think cooking pasta in brothy water with the addition of aromatics accentuates the flavor so much more.
Gather The Goods
10 garlic cloves, smashed
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
Salt to taste
1 pound Benedetto Cavalieri Spaghettoni Pasta
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons pink peppercorns, coarsely ground
3 cups Sicilian Incanestrato cheese
1 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Make it
1. In a a large sauce pot add 1.5- 2 gallons of water, salt to taste (should taste like the ocean), garlic, and onions. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer and cook for about a half hour. With a slotted spoon remove the aromatics and bring the mixture back to a boil.
2. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (very al dente)! The pasta should hold it’s shape quite well and have a really nice bite! Reserve 1-2 cups of starchy pasta water before draining.
3. In a large saute pan, melt the butter and once it begins to sizzle add the peppercorns to toast slightly. Add in the pasta water and half of the cheese and whisk until combined and the cheese has melted.
4. Add the pasta and toss gently folding in more cheese. Cook on very low heat until the pasta has a glossy cheesy coating of sauce. Add more pasta water if necessary.
5. Swirl the Pink Peppercorn Pasta into a deep bowl or onto a large plate and sprinkle with peppercorns and more cheese!
Creamy Tubettini
Tubettini Rigate: I grew up eating bowls of ancini di pepe or tubettini in soup with lots of cheese and chicken broth. Because tubettini are so tiny, like a grain of rice, I thought why not make it as if you are cooking risotto? It’s so dreamy and creamy with the mascarpone cheese and crumbled pecorino Romano. I drizzled egg yolk on top instead of olive oil, but please add both if you like the extra richness!
Yield: 4 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes
Gather the Goods
olive oil
2 cups dried Benedetto Cavalieri Tubettini Rigate Pasta
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon brine from pepperdew peppers
1 cup mascarpone
1 cup pecorino Romano, grated plus more for the top
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 egg yolks
Make It
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, sweat the garlic in olive oil until aromatic.
Add the pasta and stir for about one minute. The pasta should start to smell toasty!
Start by pouring in the chicken stock, one cup at a time just as you would when making risotto. Season with salt.This will help cook the pasta slowly, but also continue to pull the starch out at the same time.
The stock should bubble gently and the pasta may begin to stick, so continue to stir. This will continue for about 15-20 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the pasta is super creamy.
(Taste as you go!! Even if this means tasting the pasta raw, you must taste)
Pour in the secret ingredient- Sweet vinegar from the picked peppadew. It helps cut the richness of the starch, but also adds a hint of acidic sweetness.
Remove pan from heat and fold in the mascarpone and the pecorino Romano.
Mix half of the egg yolks with parsley and leave the other half plain. Drizzle each egg yolk (with the parsley and without) around the top of the pasta.
I love the way the green and yellow swirl together on the top of the pasta. PLUS the egg yolk is super rich and a great alternative from olive oil or butter. But, heck! Add that too if you like.
Absolutely, eat this right away, because the pasta will begin to absorb the liquid and it won’t be as creamy!!!
Coconutty Tumeric Spagetti
Gather The Goods
1 pound spaghetti- preferably Di Cecco
kosher or sea salt to taste
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons turmeric
1- 13.5 ounce can organic coconut milk
1 cup mini broccoli florets
1/2 cup parsley, torn
Parmesan Reggiano for shaving
Make It
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (salt to your preference). Add the spaghetti and stir. Cook until al dente- there should be some bite to it! Drain and reserve about 1/2 cup of liquid.
In a separate pan melt the butter and add in turmeric. Toast the turmeric until it becomes a slight nutty yellow, then pour in the coconut milk, pasta water and stir.
Toss the spaghetti and the mini broccoli florets into the coconut milk and turmeric mixture.
Serve the pasta with parsley and shaved Parmesan Reggiano.
Why so?- The water from cooking the pasta has lots of starch so it helps create a thick, velvety sauce!
Raviolo di Uovo
Make it
300 gr “00” flour
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
FILLING
½ cup sautéed spinach ( sauté spinach in butter with minced shallots)
½ cup ricotta
3 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
5 large eggs - seperated
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
White pepper, freshly ground
Pinch of salt
2 ounces white truffle
3 ½ oz butter
Gather the Goods
1. Prepare the pasta dough on the table mixing the white flour with the eggs and salt. Roll very thin and cut 8 circles at 4” diameter.
2. Finely chop the spinach. In a bowl mix thoroughly the spinach with the ricotta, half of the Parmigiana and egg. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. Place 4 circles of the pasta dough on a sheet of waxed paper. Pipe equal portions of the ricotta-spinach mixture into rings, being sure to create a large hole for the egg yolk.
4. Separate the yolks from the whites of the remaining 4 eggs. Carefully place 1 egg yolk and ½ of its white in the indentation. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Brush the edges of the pasta circles with a little cold water, cover with the remaining 4 circles of pasta and press together to seal, eliminating as much air as possible from the inside.
6. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 2 tbs. coarse sea salt and carefully ease the ravioli into the water. Cook for 2 minutes.
7. While the raviolo are cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over high heat and cook just until the butter takes on a light brown color.
8. Drain the ravioli and place them on 4 individual heated plates. Sprinkle with shaved white truffles and the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano then pour the browned butter over the raviolo.
Recipe adapted from Chef Odette Fada
Mákos Téska
When I met Sarah Copeland's family, I found out her husband Andras was from Hungary. There were a few things I got to try while working with Sarah this fall, that were Hungarian. But, one of those things was not Lasagne ai Semi di Papavero (Italian) or Mákos Tészta (Hungarian) which both translate to Papparadelle with poppy seeds. I remember Sarah telling me about this pasta that Andras grew up eating with sugar, poppy seeds, and cheese and I nearly curled up in a ball. I said something along the lines of "that hurts my Italian heart," because honestly pasta, sugar, and cheese?! It's almost offensive to me. And well, to my greatest surprise the Italians are known for eating it too, but only in Friuli Venezia Giulia. I was so excited to make this and try it too (although I really had my doubts). It's something you must try, at least once. And if I thought I never would ever do it, then you must try Papparadelle with Poppy Seeds and Sugar.
Yield: 6 portions
gather the goods
00 flour 500 gr
5 eggs
butter 100 gr + more if needed
sugar 20 gr
poppy seeds 20 gr + more if needed
salt
make it
1. Make a pasta dough with flour, eggs and salt. Knead until smooth and elastic then wrap in plastic and let it rest 30 minutes.
2.Roll out the pasta 1 mm thick and cut larger and shorter than pappardelle. About 2 inches wide and 6 inches long.
3. Let the pasta dry on a flour dusted wooden board .
6. Crush the poppy seeds and mix them with sugar.
7. Melt butter in a pan until it becomes golden brown. Remove from fire and add the poppy seeds.
8. Bring water to boil, add salt, and cook the pasta to al dente. Mix pasta into the butter and poppy seed mixture .***This dish is good with a sprinkle of cheese like Grana Padano or percorino.
*Recipe adapted from Chef Odette Fada
So Simple Ravioli
So it's not uncommon for me to have a hankering for pasta in some sort of way. In this instance, I decided to go the extra mile and make homemade ravioli. It is not often that I do it at home, but when I do... there are no regrets! This is a simple, yet tasteful filling, because as my mother always says "keep it simple" to really savor the quality of a product. Recipe to follow.
gather the goods
*** Rule of thumb for pasta dough: 1 egg to 1 cup flour. Double the recipe as needed. This ratio makes about 1# of dough.
1 egg
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 T Kosher Salt
1 T EVOO
In a mixer with a dough hook attachment add flour and turn on low.
As the mixer works the flour, add the egg, salt, and EVOO.
If the mix is too dry add enough cold water to bring together. This should not be too sticky, however. ***Pasta dough should always be crumbly and dry before the intense kneading begins! It should also appear tough, so as it rests the gluten softens.
Knead the dough for about ten minutes until the texture appears soft.
Let dough rest no less than 25 to 30 minutes before using.
FILLING
2 cups Ricotta
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 Cup Parmesan Reggiano
Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
Mix ingredients together and put into a piping bag.
make it
Egg wash: 1 egg mixed with 1 tsp water
1.When dough and filling are made, begin to portion pieces of the pasta dough. Keep covered with plastic wrap.
2. With a hand roller or Kitchen Aid Attachment, roll pasta dough out in increments of 2. My roller starts on 1 and goes up to 8. I rolled my dough to a thinness of 8.
3. You can pipe filling onto sheets and fold over or you can use a ravioli mold. Make sure you brush egg wash onto all edges and corners.
4. Freeze until ready to use.